Houston's 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: POST Grand Opening, Wild West Brewfest

Post Houston POST UP
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
401 Franklin

The long awaited debut of this multi-use development from Lovett Commercial will begin with a family-friendly grand opening that will have activities, events and plenty of food choices for attendees. Best of all, the admission is free though there will be plenty of vendors and restaurants to get a jump on holiday shopping or make the rounds for a diverse culinary experience.

Rooftop yoga with Black Swan Yoga on Skylawn offers panoramic views of Houston's skyline and live music will be provided by artists such as Fat Tony, Com Truise, Matthias Meter. Matthew Dear and Danny Tenaglia. Give the kids a little culture and check out the art installations or indulge your auto-erotic fantasies with the luxury car show by Aston Martin. There will be a nighttime screening of Grey Gardens on Skylawn in the evening plus a late-night Cirque Noir party.

However, it's the plethora of restaurants and food vendors that interests us. Most of the planned food concepts will be open, though there may be a few still in the works. And the list is extensive and sure to make everyone happy. Choices range from Southern food at Lea Jane's Hot Chicken to Mediterranean food at Arabella.  There will be two concepts from acclaimed (and controversial) chef Paul Qui, Soy Pinoy and Eastside King plus varied fare from  Motto Ramen, Taco Fuego, Thai Kun and Andes Cafe. The kids will enjoy the multitude of cotton candy flavors at Sweets with L&L, artisanal ice cream at Flower & Cream and those with specific dietary needs will appreciate the dairy-free, gluten-free and fat-free offerings at GELU Italian Ice.
Wild West Brewfest
Saturday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
5000 Katy Mills Road

This event was founded in 2011 by the Rotary Club of Katy and has raised over $850,000 for student scholarships and donations to charitable organizations. And because of the hard work off the all-volunteer crew, 100 percent of the proceeds goes back into the community. The cherry on top is the fact that the Wild West Brewfest has been rated the number one beer event in North America for multiple years by BeerYeti.com

And there's lots of beer, over 500 brews from more than 100 brewers across the country. Though beer is the main focus of the event (and raising funds for the community), there will also be multiple stages with live music, a gaming tent, food trucks, shaded areas and free water to stay hydrated.

General Admission starts at $35 and includes a sampling card for 12 (2-ounce) servings of beer. VIP tickets begin at $85 and include early entry beginning at 2 p.m. and also admittance into the VIP's Hop House with premium beers available and complimentary food.

Tickets are also available for a Friday launch party November 12. Tickets may be purchased in advance for Wild West Brewfest here.

International Risotto Festival
Sunday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7026 Old Katy Road

While many people associate pasta with Italian cuisine, its culinary compatriot, risotto, is a star in its own right. In Houston, risotto gets its own festival. The 15th International Risotto Festival will have some of the best chefs in the city adding their touches to the Italian rice dish including plenty of Houston's Italian chefs like Maurizio Ferrarese from Alba at Hotel Granduca. Alessandro Scarafile from Roma and Angelo Cuppone from Concura Italian Bites. But a chef doesn't have to be Italian to put their unique stamp on risotto. Wesley Tyler from Carlton Woods Country Club, Luzim Shimaj of 15 Fifteen and Dillon Kao from Old Railroad Cafe will join a number of other chefs providing guests with delicious samples of their risotto creations.

Unfortunately, VIP tickets are sold out but General Admission ($100) tickets are available here and include risotto samplings and wine tasting.

The Oxtail Mash Up at Project Row Houses
Sunday,  7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
2521 Holman

A dozen chefs from Houston and beyond will treat ticket holders at this culinary showdown to their oxtail creations in a bid to have bragging rights for the next year. There will be a Judge's Choice and a People's Choice awarded. Chefs include Houston's Jonny Rhodes from Brougham Soul Food Grocery/Indigo, Mark Clayton of Squable, Don Bowie of Taste and pitmaster Andre Burns from Burns BBQ, plus chefs from further afield such as Erica Barrett of SOCU Hospitality in Alabama and Kurt Evans from Philadelphia's CYL Hospitality Group.

There will also be a bartending competition for the best Mash Up Punch with Houston's Sarah Troxell of The Toasted Coconut, Tulu Kafele of Piggy's, Lashan Arceneaux of Three Lumps of Sugar and Ryan Perry from Rabbit Got the Gun. The Houston mixologists will also be going head to head with Atlanta's Jamal Rashad from Slush.

A portion of the proceeds from Oxtail Mash Up goes to The Project Row Houses, primarily its efforts to encourage nutrition education and food preparation in the Third Ward.

Tickets are $85 for General Admission, $145 for VIP which includes early entry at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.


Revelry Chili Cook-off
Sunday, 1 p.m.
1613 Richmond

The 4th Annual Chili Cook-off at Revelry is a great deal for $5. Guests will receive a wristband for unlimited chili samples and a ballot to vote for their favorite. Cash and prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Revelry on Richmond also has plenty of craft beer for purchase to wash down the different samplings of chili. And this weekend's temps are going to be perfect chili-eating weather.