This Week in Houston Food Events: Dim Sum Style Brunch is Back

Though social distancing is in effect and bars and restaurants are closed for in-house services, the ever-strong Houston food community continues to truck on. This week, you can support local restaurants by carrying out or making reservations for dine-in service, get curbside tacos and attend a virtual happy hour and tapas party.

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

Tuesday, June 16

Curbside Fly By Taco Co Opens at Max’s Wine Dive Washington

After kicking off its first #TacoTuesday at The Tasting Room, Fly By Taco Co has now moved to Max’s Wine Dive, 4720 Washington, offering hot and fresh tacos from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays. The ghost kitchen concept comes from Jerry Lasco, Tasting Room and Max’s Wine Dive owner and founder, and chef Beto Gutierrez of The Tasting Room CityCentre, with house specials ranging from a vegan black bean/avocado to a barbacoa taco with braised beef cheeks. To order, download the “Toast Take-out & Delivery” App in your app store and search for the Fly By Taco Co menu.

Tuesday Night Block Party at BCK

Every Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m., BCK, Mastranto’s and Miss Mini Donuts will host socially-distanced block parties in the parking lot of BCK, 933 Studewood, with proceeds benefiting Construction Concepts’ BIG Love Cancer Care to provide meals for cancer patients and their families. Expect offerings like tacos and taquitos, bbq brisket sandwiches, mini donuts and margaritas. For every purchase at the block parties, BCK will donate one meal to BIG Love Cancer Care, local builder Construction Concepts’ non-profit that provides free meals and basic necessities to cancer kids and their families, and Construction Concepts will match each meal donation, for a total of two meals donated for every order.


Thursday, June 18

"I'll Have What She's Cookin’” Happy Hour and Tapas

Women-led non-profit I'll Have What She's Having continues its virtual "I'll Have What She's Cookin’” cooking class series on Thursday, June 18, rocking a Happy Hour and Tapas session with Artesa Winery. Check the website for upcoming details.

Friday, June 19

Friday Wine and Cheese Tastings at Weights + Measures

Each Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., Weights + Measures, 2808 Caroline, will feature different wines and cheeses along with a fun, interactive chat about the regions they originate from. Cost is $20 for four two-ounce tasting portions of wine and a small cheese buffet. This week will feature the wines of France.
Saturday, June 20

Father’s Day Wine Pickup at French Country Wines

French Country Wines, 2433 Bartlett, invites guests to gift Dad a bottle of his favorite French wine (and get a free virtual wine tasting kit with a purchase) this Father’s Day. Check out the online shop to peruse its exclusive inventory—none of which can be found in any other retail shop in Texas, then make your purchase and go to notes to reserve a free wine-tasting kit for two. The virtual wine tasting held on Saturday, June 20 will feature a number of great Father’s Day reds. Just stop by French Country Wines between 1 and 5 p.m. that Saturday to pick up your wine purchase and the free kit with the wine samples (orders and kits can be brought to the car outside). At 6 p.m. all those participating can come together via Zoom and learn about the wines from owner Jean-Philippe Guy. For one more gift, Dad also receives a 10-percent-off limited-time coupon code on the wines tasted that Saturday.

Sunday, June 21

Father’s Day Dining

Looking to celebrate Father’s Day in Houston? Be sure to check out our Houston Father’s Day 2020 Dining Guide for coverage on dine-in and takeout options this holiday.

All month long

Jalisco Menu at Hugo’s

Hugo’s, 1600 Westheimer, which has reopened for dine-in service and is continuing its to-go offerings, has added a special four-course menu that will change monthly to spotlight a different state of Mexico. In June, the spotlight will be on Jalisco, with several H Town Restaurant team members from Jalisco that helped contribute ideas for the menu, including chef Epifanio Rosas, chef Beatriz Martinez and general manager Manuel Ponce. Dine on dishes such as mango and habanero aguachile, sope de chicharrón with plantain and masa dough cake, birria (lamb in adobo broth) and picones, a savory sweet bread filled with dulce de leche cream. Cost is $45 for four courses.

Pizza and Rose NAACP Fundraiser with Goodnight Hospitality

For the month of June, Goodnight Hospitality is donating all proceeds for every pizza purchased at Rosie Cannonball to the NAACP as well as all proceeds for every bottle of June’s Rosé purchased at Montrose Cheese and Wine. In a statement, partners June Rodil, Felipe Riccio and Pete and Bailey McCarthy write, “The above is our first, small step to what we feel is a long road to justice. We want to establish firm roots to create something that’s sustainable to continue to bring awareness and change in our lifetimes. We are committed to learning more and doing more. We are open to avenues, pathways, foundations, and suggestions on how to do this.”

HRW Menu in June and Houston Food Bank Fundraiser at Roost

This month, Roost, 1972 Fairview, will be offering a Restaurant Weeks in June menu in remembrance of the life of the Cleverley Stone, a local fixture who founded Houston Restaurant Weeks and brought so much to the Houston food community. Choose from three courses, with Roost favorites including the famous fried cauliflower and coffee ‘n donut holes, plus specials from Waco corn crusted chicken piccata to yogurt and saffron marinated Gulf fish. The menu costs $40++, with $5 going to the Houston Food Bank.

All summer long

Daddy’s Burgers Pop-Up at The Dunlavy

This summer, The Dunlavy is transforming into a burger pop-up dubbed Daddy's Burgers. Clark Cooper Concepts decided to bring Daddy’s Burgers to life in light of the current COVID-19 crisis as a means to survive the summer without private events. Snag grass-fed beef burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, fries and onion rings, hand-scooped milkshakes, local beer in frozen mugs, craft cocktails and even weekend breakfast. Dine in or takeout (online ordering is available).

New specials

Dine-In and Curbside Pickup at UB Preserv

UB Preserv, 1609 Westheimer, has reopened its dining room, with Fulbright Isolate Mobile glass screens to obstruct airflow between tables. In addition to the reworked space, chef de cuisine Nick Wong has reworked the menu, falling more in line with the spirit of its predecessor, Underbelly, which changed up the menu daily. At the restaurant’s limited capacity, Wong can maintain his incredible attention to detail and add spontaneity to the menu, all while keeping the hits, of course—things like crispy rice salad, pork dumplings and Vietnamese fajitas. UB Preserv is open for service Thursday-Saturday from 5 to 9p.m. and Sunday for Dim Sum-Style brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Days and hours will expand as demand allows. Each day’s menu will be uploaded to UBPreserv.com no later than 5 p.m.; and most dishes on the menu will also be available for curbside pickup.

Cocktails to Go at Brasserie du Parc at Etoile Cuisine et Bar

While Brasserie du Parc, 1440 Lamar, is gradually reopening, beverage manager Kimberly Paul has created cocktail kits for those who prefer to dine at home. Beautifully boxed and with everything needed to make three cocktails (larger kits can be arranged for), the cocktail kits come in varietals like the new 600,000 Pesos, a Maestro Dobel Tequila Kit that includes Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila, Topo Chico mineral water, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, house-made bitter lemon syrup and various garnishes; and the “Blue on Blue,” a kit with Grey Goose vodka, house-made bitter blueberry syrup, Q tonic, Topo Chico mineral water and garnishes. Prices for the kits run between $32-$40 each and are also available at Etoile Cuisine et Bar, 1101-11 Uptown Park.

Freebirds’ Dine-In and To-Go

Freebirds’ offers a menu of options available to pick up, including burritos, bowls, nachos, salads, quesadillas and Family Meal Kits like the Freebirds Taco and Nacho Kits. Place orders online or via the Freebirds app and select curbside pickup. In addition, dine-in service has resumed following the limitations put in place by state and city officials and the CDC.

Southern Smoke Offers Free Mental Healthcare for Those in the Food and Beverage Industry

Southern Smoke is working to fight the mental health crisis that the food industry faces. The foundation has teamed up with Mental Health America of Greater Houston and the University of Houston Department of Psychology to offer free mental healthcare to anyone in the food and beverage industry—and their children—in Texas; with a plan to work with universities across the country to implement similar programs nationwide. Anyone who works in the industry in need of mental healthcare can visit the Mental Health Services page on the Southern Smoke website, and a dedicated Southern Smoke caseworker will connect the prospective client with the University of Houston, who will assign the potential client to one of thirteen graduate student clinicians. Services for children of industry workers are also available.