Upcoming Houston Food Events: Six Years of Beers at 8th Wonder

Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings:

Central Market, 3815 Westheimer, has kicked off its first “Taste the Tropics” event, running now through Tuesday, March 19. During the event, the store will fill its shelves with more than 50 peak-of-season tropical fruits and a variety of fun new products and recipes, including coconut chile lime chicken breasts, Hawaiian rolls and pineapple upside down cakes. Look out for store events like the Taste the Tropics: Store Stroll on Friday, March 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and MAKE & TAKE: Tropical Macarons class on Tuesday, March 12 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

JINYA Ramen Bar, multiple locations, has unleashed its newest Chef’s Special. This spring, the ramen spot is offering The Green Monster, available now through the end of May at all locations. The flavor-packed bowl features green chicken broth, chicken chashu, green onions, crispy kale, crispy onions and green kale noodles.

Latin-style coffee brand Café Bustelo is bringing a café to the Montrose district for a limited time. Located inside a transformed shipping container at 3615 Montrose, the Grand Opening will take place on Tuesday, March 12, running through May 25, offering up an authentic Latin coffee experience alongside eats, lively music and local art. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Beer enthusiasts can gear up for the sixth annual Celebr8ion of Beer at 8th Wonder Brewery, 222 Dallas, held from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 16. The brewery will celebrate its sixth birthday with live music, food trucks and beer, of course, rain or shine. A general admission ticket ($35 in advance, $45 day of) gets you four beer tokens and a limited-edition tasting glass. VIP tickets ($100) feature an open bar, light bites, access to VIP areas and limited brews, and the specialty glass.

Only 100 tickets ($80, plus fees) are available for an all-inclusive Saint Patrick's Day Irish feast held at Poitín, 2313 Edwards, on Sunday, March 17. Guests can enjoy dishes such as Irish brown bread with smoked salmon, seafood chowder, black pudding with scallops, boxty sour cream and chives, shepherds pie, colcannon, bacon and cabbage with parsley sauce, and apple tart with Bailey’s Irish cream. Each ticket to the family-style smorgasbord also includes four drinks: a welcome punch called Lion’s Kiss to kick things off, Teeling Tipperary Whiskey Sour, Gibson and Irish Coffee. Dinner is from 6 to 9 p.m.

Chef Austin Simmons will host his next CollaborEIGHT dinner series, “The Cut” on Monday, March 18 at his restaurant, TRIS, 24 Waterway. Showcasing his ranch-to-plate concept along with cattle rancher Jordan Beeman and knife maker Dr. Stephen Pustilnik, the curated eight-course dining experience will include three types of the rare Japanese Akaushi cattle: traditional wet aged, dry aged and a special ten-year-old meat that spent its first nine years grazing on the pasture and the last year in a full feed lot. Simmons will walk guests through the entire experience, highlighting the differences in each cut of meat. Tickets are $250 per person, all-inclusive.