Upcoming Houston Food Events: Feast on Mexican Seafood Paella at The Original Ninfa's Uptown

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

The Original Ninfa’s Uptown, 1700 Post Oak, is releasing an exclusive new dish: Mexican Paella (feeds four for $125). Made with white wine, Gulf shrimp, mussels, clams, octopus, squid,, Texas redfish, chorizo, olives and rabbit, the paella will be available during dinner service every night with a 24-hour advance notice (required). Contact the Original Ninfa’s Uptown at 346-335-2404 to place an order.

Alicia’s Mexican Grille will host a series of Tequila & Wine Dinners, starting at its Spring location, 20920 Kuykendahl, on Thursday, October 29; over in Westchase, 12002 Richmond, on Thursday, November 5; and finally in Sugar Land, 20420 Southwest Freeway, on Saturday, November 7. The three course dinner and pairings ($59 per person) begin at 7 p.m. each night and will feature dishes such as seafood-stuffed avocado, short ribs in red wine reduction and peach bread pudding a la mode.

Four East End businesses are combining forces to celebrate the neighborhood's heritage at a Día de Los Muertos Brunch Pop Up, held at How to Survive on Land and Sea, 3401 Harrisburg, on Sunday, November 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Specializing in traditional Central Mexican cuisine and pan dulce, Tlahuac has created a brunch menu paying homage to its roots by through traditional and modern methods; Night Shift, the upcoming neighborhood bar by Justin Ware and Patrick Abalos, will be serving Día de Los Muertos-inspired cocktails to-go; Giant Leap Coffee will provide premium locally-roasted coffee as well as a succinct and diverse selection of tea; and How to Survive on Land and Sea will be serving retail wine and beer to-go.

Galiana’s Tex Mex & Agave Bar, 24110 Northwest Freeway Suite 500, will host a Tequila Tasting with El Tequileño on Wednesday, November 4 at 6:30 p.m. Tequila enthusiasts can sip through a flight of five tequila varieties along with Galiana’s signature appetizers for $49 per person. Space is limited. RSVP by calling 832-653-685t3 to secure a spot. 

James Beard semi-finalist Dawn Burrell and two-time Speed Rack regional champion Sarah Troxell are teaming up for a Zoom Happy Hour on Thursday, November 5.  Michelin-starred Chef Dominique Crenn , a breast cancer survivor herself, will drop in to take questions for the fundraising event, the proceeds of which will fund mammograms for uninsured individuals in Houston’s food and beverage world. Happy hour kits are $150 (serves four) and includes ingredients for small bites, two different mocktails/cocktails, a bottle of Anna de Codorniu Brut Rose and access to the private Zoom webcast.

Le Colonial, 4444 Westheimer, is launching a new initiative to benefit local organizations that provide critical resources to those in need, offering special prix fixe lunch and dinner menus beginning November 1 and running through the end of the year. Le Colonial will donate $1 from each order to a different local non-profit each month, and up first is No Kid Hungry, an organization that has been at the forefront of the fight against those facing hunger due to the pandemic. The three-course lunch menu, available for $25, features Gio Cuon (Chilled Shrimp Summer Roll), Bo Bam Cay (Spicy Beef Tenderloin Rice Crepe) and Ca Hoi Nuong (Miso-Glazed Salmon). An elevated dinner menu is priced at $45 and includes Cari Tom (Jumbo Gulf Shrimp), Ga Xao Xa Ot (Amish Farm Chicken Breast) and four dessert options, from Tarte Au Citron (Yuzu Lemon Curd) to Opera Cake. The menus are available for dine-in and takeout.

Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop, 2800 Kirby, will host a Diwali Dinner on the eve of Diwali, Friday, November 13, with seatings at 6 and 8 p.m. for $100 per person (includes food and gratuities). Guests can enjoy a multi-course feast to celebrate the ancient holiday (think fresh truffles, rare mushrooms, locally curated vegetables, exotic spices, copious amounts of ghee and more). In the spirit of Diwali, the meals will be ‘veeghan’ (aka vegan but with ghee). Note: seating is extremely limited. Guests can reserve a spot online or by calling 713-522-2022.