This Week in Houston Food Events: Get a Head Start on Fat Tuesday at a Mardi Gras Brunch

Here's a look at this week's hottest culinary happenings:

All month long

"H-Town Originals" with chef Ryan Lachaine at Antone's Famous Po' Boys

Antone's Famous Po' Boys, 4520 San Felipe, 2724 West TC Jester, continues its "H-Town Originals" celebrity chef campaign, in which a different local celeb creates a signature sandwich to benefit a charity of his or her choice each month. For February, Riel chef/owner Ryan Lachaine has teamed up with Legacy Restaurants chef Alex Padilla to create the Pizza Sub, with proceeds benefiting No Kid Hungry. The Pizza Sub ($8.95) features salami, provolone, pepperoni, mozzarella, house-made marinara and Italian herbs on toasted white bread from Bread Man Baking Co., and is available all month long.

Seasonal specials

Westheimer Crawfish Crawl with Underbelly Hospitality

Underbelly Hospitality is celebrating Houston’s favorite season (that’d be crawfish season, obviously) with a season-long Crawfish Crawl. Now through the end of May, grab your Crawfish Passport at an Underbelly Hospitality restaurant, get it punched with any crawfish purchase and work your way up to win prizes. Mudbug options include peel-and-eat Viet-Cajun crawfish during Sunday brunch at One Fifth, 1658 Westheimer; chef's strip topped with crawfish every Wednesday at Georgia James, 1100 Westheimer; peel-and-eat crawfish every Thursday at UB Preserv, 1609 Westheimer; and a crawfish dish on the menu every day at The Hay Merchant, 1100 Westheimer. Prizes range from free pork dumplings at UB Preserve (5 punches) to a baller board for four at Georgia James (700 punches). The person with the most punches will receive the Grand Champion prize, a trophy and Tour of Houston for two at UB Preserv.

Tuesday, February 11

Anniversary Menu at Verandah Progressive Indian Restaurant

For lunch and dinner, Verandah Progressive Indian Restaurant, 3300 Kirby, will be offering a specially-created ala carte anniversary menu, offering both new dishes and some of the most popular from chef-owner Sunil Srivastava’s ever-changing tasting menus during the year. For each meal sold that day, Verandah will be donating 10 percent of the proceeds to Second Servings of Houston and its mission to redirect surplus food from food businesses to the people who really need it.

Sweets for the Sweet: A Fine Chocolate & Drink Pairing Event at Public Services Wine & Whisky

Guests are invited to join Houston Food Finder and eight top Houston chefs, pastry chefs, chocolatiers and bakers for a sweet and savory night featuring Callebaut and Barry Callebaut chocolate. Each is being paired with a beer, wine or spirit selected by sommelier and cicerone Justin Vann and his staff at

, 202 Travis, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

are $65 (plus tax and online ticketing fee).

“Meet the Producers” at the Italian Cultural & Community Center

The Italian Cultural & Community Center, 1101 Milford, will host the first 2020 edition of the wine series “Meet the Producers” at 7 p.m. The evening will feature a presentation and conversation with Lorenzo Marotti Campi, the owner of Italy’s Marotti Campi winery, while guests sample wines from the vineyard. Tickets are $30 for ICCC members and $35 for non-members.

Wednesday, February 12

Monthly Wine Tasting at Rainbow Lodge

Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella, is hosting its next monthly wine tasting, featuring the wines of Mexico in a “sip and stroll” style tasting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy four wine tastes and four bites for $38 when booked online in advance.

Grey Goose Vodka Class at Brasserie du Parc

Brasserie du Parc, 1440 Lamar, is joining up with France’s famed Grey Goose Vodka for an evening of sipping, supping and learning. Beginning at 7 p.m., guests are invited to join Grey Goose’s area ambassador, Nate Raffell, for cocktails, a three-course, family-style dinner and an interactive discussion about the intricacies, making and many styles of Grey Goose Vodka. The cost is $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 832-879-2802. Space is limited.

Thursday, February 13

Chocolate & Champagne Tasting at Cacao & Cardamom

Cacao & Cardamom, 5000 Westheimer, and Camerata are teaming up for a Chocolate & Champagne Tasting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Chocolatier Annie Rupani will lead guests through the chocolate-making process while Camerata wine director Chris Poldoian discusses the different styles of sparkling wine, from Champagne to pétillant-naturel to Lambrusco. Guests will take five different single-origins chocolates as well as some of C&C’s signature chocolate pieces. Tickets are $65.

Galentine’s Day at City Acre Brewing

City Acre Brewing, 3418 Topping, will be hosting a Galentine’s Day party, complete with the return of an adorable Li'l Sebastian-style miniature horse for photo and petting ops, on Thursday, February 13 from 4 to 10 p.m. The event is free to attend, with an optional VIP package (all-you-can-eat access to the breakfast foods buffet, two drinks of your choice, VIP areas and lines, Galentine’s Day swag) for $32.95.

EXPAND

Potente is just one of the restaurants bringing the love this Valentine's Day.

Photo by Becca Wright

Friday, February 14

Valentine’s Day Dining

From decadent, prix fixe meals for two to a la carte affairs complete with chocolate and bubbly, Houston restaurants are ready to bring the love this Valentine’s Day. Check out our Houston Valentine’s Day Dining Guide and make your reservations now.

Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash & Wine 101 Class at Radunare Italian American

Radunare Italian American, 2520 Research Forest, will be hosting an Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash & Wine 101 Class from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Promising “no cards, no flowers and no chocolates,” Radunare welcomes the dateless, to singles and couples who have had enough of the V-Day cliché. Special guest Andrew Adams, former owner of The Corkscrew, will lead a Wine 101 Class, presenting five Italian wines alongside Italian appetizers and bites. Cost is $29++ per person.

Friday and Saturday

A Date with Chocolate at Cacao & Cardamom

, 5000 Westheimer, will also be hosting

chocolate-making classes on Friday, February 14 (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday, February 15 (4 p.m.) for $199/ticket.

Saturday, February 15

Mardi Gras Brunch at B&B Butchers & Restaurant

B&B Butchers & Restaurant, 1814 Washington, is hosting a festive, Mardi Gras-themed brunch in the upstairs dining room and rooftop patio from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests can kick off the first weekend of "Fat Tuesday" celebrations with dueling pianos, face painting, New Orleans-inspired brunch dishes (i.e. Crawfish Etouffee Omelet, Cajun Boudin, Duck and Andouille Gumbo, etc.), specialty cocktails by Beam Suntory and festive swag. Call 713-86-1814 to reserve a table.

Houston Oaks Wine & Food Classic at The Clubs at Houston Oaks

The Clubs at Houston Oaks, 22602 Hegar, will host a day of wine tasting, seminars and food from noon to 5 p.m. (11 a.m. VIP) at the inaugural Houston Oaks Wine & Food Classic. The event will feature more than 60 world-class wineries alongside boutique spirits, gourmet bites, seminars about wine and wine-related knowledge, and a lineup of live music. Grand Tasting Pass tickets are $175, with VIP tickets for $250.

Shred Your Ex Party at Bowl & Barrel

Bowl & Barrel, 797 Sorella, will be honoring all of Houston’s solo flyers with a Singles Awareness Day celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. At its annual Shred Your Ex party, guests are invited to bring a picture of their “ex” to shred, earning complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres when they do.

Sunday, February 16

Cellar Bounty Hunt at City Acre Brewing

City Acre Brewing, 3418 Topping, is bringing back its Cellar Bounty Hunt, a free acre-wide scavenger hunt and beer release party celebrating highly-limited beers made with ingredients grown in City Acre Brewing's garden. The fun runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Supper Club at The Annie

Berg Hospitality Group has partnered with the Richard Brown Band to reimagine the classic “dinner and show” at

, 1800 Post Oak. Its

series kicks off with “Love Songs” by Richard Brown Band featuring Kelley Peters and Bob Luna with special guests Shawn Sounds from “The Voice” and Christina Wells from “America’s Got Talent.” Tickets are $150++/person, and includes the three-course prix fixe meal and the show. Seatings are at 5 and 8 p.m. Reservations are required by calling 713-804-1800.