This Week in Houston Food Events: It's Sweet Week!

From a charitable week of all things sweet to the release of a chocolate milk stout, here's a look at this week's hottest culinary happenings:

All week long

Sweet Week

Michael’s Cookie Jar’s Michael Savino and Fluff Bake Bar’s Rebecca Masson are hosting Houston's first ever "Sweet Week" from Sunday, November 6 through Sunday, November 13. That means local sweet shops will be donating 15 percent of sales of one signature item to No Kid Hungry. There are more than a baker's dozen spots participating, including the Bakeshop at Weights + Measures, Cacao & Cardamom, Fat Cat Creamery, Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop and Red Dessert Dive.

Tuesday, November 8

Satays and Kabobs at Eight Row Flint

Continuing the Tuesday night dinner series, Coltivare manager Mike Sanchez will be hosting Satays and Kabobs at Eight Row Flint, 1039 Yale. Sanchez has always loved Indian cuisine, comparing it to the Mexican food of his childhood in Houston — aggressive meats, fresh vegetables, an affinity for sauces and strong spices. He’ll serve the kebabs and satay with basmati rice, tamarind chutney and a cold bean salad to cut the spice, made with lemon vinegar, olive oil and roasted peppers and onions. All food service begins at 5 p.m. and it will be served until they sell out. The regular menu is always available as well.

Election Day Safe Haven at Saint Arnold

Saint Arnold Brewing, 2000 Lyons, will be turning into an Election Day Safe Haven from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Houston’s oldest craft brewery will serve as a TV-free zone and feature beer specials and stickers for attendees proclaiming, "I Survived Election Day 2016." Attendees over age 21 who arrive with stickers can purchase their first pint for $1. For more Election Day specials, see our 2016 Election Day Party Guide.


Wednesdays, all month long

Free Gluhwein at King’s Biergarten

Guests can enjoy free Gluhwein (mulled wine) at King’s Biergarten, 1329 East Broadway, every Wednesday of this month. It’s the perfect hot beverage for the holiday season (so long as it cools down).

Thursday, November 10

Holiday Tamale Stand Opens at Arnaldo Richards’ Picos

To help kick off the holiday season in sizzling fahion, Arnaldo Richards’ Picos, 3601 Kirby, is bringing its famous tamales back to Houston homes with the launch of its annual tamale stand. The drive-by tamale stand will be open in the restaurant’s parking lot on the corner of Kirby and Richmond every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through January 6, excluding Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. This year, chef Arnaldo Richards will be creating specialty off-the-menu items to be announced via social media on a weekly basis.

Oysters, Blues, & Brews – A Gulf Coast Collaboration at Armadillo Palace

Since there's no better way to celebrate the beginning of oyster season than drinking a few beers, listening to live music from the Texas Gulf Coast and chowing down on seafood, Armadillo Palace, 5015 Kirby, will be hosting an event that offers just that. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., guests are invited to taste from a wide variety of sea options, including fresh shucked and mesquite-grilled Gulf oysters on-the-half-shell with garlic butter and charred lemon, classic seafood gumbo and Goode’s house-favorite campechana with fire-roasted Anaheim chiles, pico, avocado, shrimp and crab. Tickets are $75 and also include two drink tickets (all guests must be 21 years or older). The event will benefit the Coastal Conservation Association and an oyster reef building project in St. Charles Bay.

Friday, November 11

Veteran’s Day at Hopdoddy Burger Bar

In honor of our armed forces, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, 4444 Westheimer, will give a 50 percent discount to all parties joined by a veteran, active or inactive member of the armed forces. The discount includes both food and alcohol, covers the entire party, and is available at all Hopdoddy locations from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

National Pizza Day at Laurenzo's Restaurant

In honor of this very tasty holiday, Laurenzo's Restaurant, 4412 Washington, will be offering all its pizzas for half-off all day. Feast on varieties including chipotle chicken, blackened prime rib, and classic sausage, Peppers & Onions.

Two-Year Anniversary Party at Sanctuari Bar

Sanctuari Bar at Triniti, 2815 South Shepherd, will celebrate its two-year anniversary with an all-night party from 4 to 11 p.m., featuring limited release cocktails and guest appearances from several of the bar’s original staff members. Beverage director Aki Hagio — who rejoined Sanctuari in October after a year with the Treadsack group at Foreign Correspondents and Canard — will welcome back several of her former colleagues as special guests for the night, including Moving Sidewalk’s Leslie Krockenberger, Deep Eddy Vodka’s Kris Sowell and Reggie Tucker. The menu for the evening will feature an original cocktail from each of the former staff members, to be prepared by Hagio and her staff along with several of Sanctuari Bar’s greatest hits, including the Smoking Jacket (unpeated scotch, white port, genepy, apple bitters) and Reginald’s Southern Mai Tai (bonded rye, dry curaçao, lime and Angostura bitters, house cinnamon pecan orgeat). Triniti pastry chef Caroline Ramirez also will be preparing a special birthday cake dessert for the occasion.

Negative Space Release Party at 11 Below Brewing Company

11 Below, 6820 Bourgeois, will be releasing its seasonal batch of chocolate milk stout, which is being canned for the first time ever. Doors open at 5 p.m., with both Negative Space 2015 and 2016 on tap along with a few variations of the new 2016 batch. The event is open to the public and a food truck will be at the brewery to feed your belly. Guests can also expect a raffle with proceeds going to Folds of Honor.

Saturday, November 12

13th Annual Houston Cellar Classic at The Tasting Room in Uptown Park

The Tasting Room, 1101 Uptown Park, will host the 13th annual Houston Cellar Classic, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Genesys Works — a nonprofit that transforms the lives of disadvantaged high school students through skills training, meaningful internships and impactful relationships. From 1 to 5 p.m., the tasting event will feature more than 100 wines from around the world spanning the 40,000 square feet of tented area, live music from The Revelators and a variety food from Houston’s top chefs. There will also be a culinary throwdown, with participants including Karbach, Peli Peli and Songkran Thai Kitchen. Tickets are $75 for general admission and $200 for VIP.

Around the World Wine Tasting at Envy Wine Room

Old Town Spring’s Envy Wine Room, 317 Gentry, will host this special wine tasting, which features 14 wines — including sips from Israel, India, Greece and Bulgaria — alongside light bites from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $35.

Sunday, November 13

Second Sunday Brunch at Izakaya

On the second Sunday of every month, Izakaya, 318 Gray, helps collect needed items for a specified charity, asking all who come to brunch to donate requested items, and the restaurant donates a portion of sales. November focuses on the Rescued Pets Movement, an organization that gives pets a second chance through rehabilitation, transport and lots of love. From noon to 5 p.m., guests are encouraged to bring new fleece blankets and puppy training pads or donate money to the organization. Izakaya will have a special $8 cocktail, from which $5 of each one sold is donated. There will also be special food items for sale, with a similar donation make on each.