Have you ever wanted to play chef for a day in the vast kitchen at Brennan's? Your chance to man the stoves (seen above) is coming up, as Alex Brennan Martin has now revived the Creole restaurant's beloved "Chef For A Day" program. Available only to one person per day (and not during the busy holiday season, from November 15, 2010 to January 15, 2011), the course allows one lucky person to experience a full day in the kitchen, complete with personalized uniform and grand tour from Chef Danny Trace.
The chef-in-training will work all of the prep stations as well as get a lesson on wine and spirits before sitting down to a six-course meal that they helped create with five guests of their choosing. The course costs $1,450, a steep price to be sure. But when you consider the once-in-a-lifetime experience combined with the cost of a six-course dinner for six at one of Houston's finest restaurants, it almost seems like a bargain. Those interested in booking a Chef For A Day experience should call Brennan's at 713-522-9711.
The Soirée Beaujolais celebrates its 27th annual French-American Food & Wine Festival next Thursday, November 18, at the J.W. Marriott on Westheimer from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Hosted each year by the French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC), it's the world's largest simultaneous French wine and gourmet food tasting (simultaneous?), featuring offerings from restaurants such as Bistro des Amis, Broken Spoke Café, Chez Nous, Garson and Le Mistral. Plenty of Beaujolais, Bordeaux and Merlot will be poured throughout the night as well. Guests are invited to purchase raffle tickets for a grand prize of two pairs of First Class domestic and two pairs of international coach tickets on Continental Airlines. Hell, it's worth it just for that possible prize alone. Tickets to the Festival are $55 ($35 if you're a member of the FACC) and can be purchased online.
Speaking of wine, the second annual Wine Conference will take over the Four Seasons downtown on Sunday, November 21, starting at 11:30 a.m. Last year's Wine Conference packed the Italian Cultural Center with people in search of wine education and commiseration with fellow oenophiles. This year, local sommeliers such as Sean Beck and Jonathan Honefenger will be presenting tastings and seminars alongside chefs such as Manabu Horiuchi and Seth Siegel-Garder of Kata Robata, Randy Rucker of Bootsie's Heritage Cafe, Maurizio Ferrarese of Quattro and many, many more. Tickets are $85 until November 14, so hurry and purchase yours now.
Lastly, be sure to make an event out of getting that last snoball of the season at Mam's House of Ice. The instantly recognizable, bright blue food truck at the corner of Rutland and 20th in the Heights is closing for the winter on Sunday, November 21. Expect a long line, but -- as always -- their snoballs are well worth the wait. Follow Mam's on Facebook for news about their expected spring reopening.