Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings, from holiday sweets to a charity pop-up featuring two acclaimed chefs:
Three Brothers Bakery, 4606 Washington, 4036 South Braeswood and 12393 Kingsride, is celebrating Passover and Easter with festive homemade desserts. The bakery offers kosher for Passover style desserts such as Passover cakes, matzoh, apple matzoh cake, flourless chocolate sponge cake, almond cookies and coconut macaroons and more. Easter offerings include festive petits fours, cupcakes and cookies decorated with Easter eggs, bunnies, bunny butts, bright spring flowers and colors.
Houston Black Restaurant Week is back for its second year, and with last year's success, the event has extended to two weeks, running from Monday, April 17, through Sunday, April 30. Participating restaurants — including spots like Kitchen 713, Ray's BBQ Shack, Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill and Etta's Little Kitchen — will feature fixed-price menus including brunch, lunch and dinner options ($15-$25 for casual eateries and in the $35-$45 range for fine-dining establishments). This year’s event benefits local nonprofit Blue Triangle, which is in need of a renovation for its community commercial kitchen.
Brennan’s of Houston, 3300 Smith, is hosting a six-course wine dinner with California winemaker Merry Edwards on Tuesday, April 18. Guests can enjoy wine-paired dishes such as tuna poke, Creole oysters and Bayou rum-glazed quail. Cost is $145 per person (plus tax and gratuity) and the dinner begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m.
Lucille’s, 5512 La Branch, has put together two events to pay tribute to Prince around the one-year anniversary of his death. On Wednesday, April 19, guests are invited to dress in purple attire and party like it’s 1999, with a seven-course Prince Tribute Pescatarian Wine Dinner (with some vegan dishes), beginning at 7 p.m. Iris Allen of Urban Wineauxs will pair the creative menu with unique, biodynamic wines. Cost is $77 per person, plus tax and gratuity. On Friday, April 21, at 7 p.m., the restaurant will host an All Things Prince Party, featuring a live Prince cover band on the outdoor patio. Guests can enjoy a buffet of pescatarian and vegan dishes and a cash bar for $35 person. Reservations are required for both events (by Monday, April 17 for the wine dinner). Call 713-568-2505 to reserve your spot.
Evelyn’s Park, 4400 Bellaire, is all set for its grand opening. On Thursday, April 20, from 7 to 10 p.m, dine al fresco and meet the award-winning chef behind The Ivy & James, Jamie Zelko, while exploring special routes of discovery throughout the park grounds. The Dining by Fireflies preview dinner ($250 per person) begins a new tradition at Evelyn's Park, bringing together community and neighbors surrounded by fine food, conversation and twinkling lights. And on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the five-acre park will host its opening-day Picnic in the Park, featuring a mini farmers’ market, picnic baskets and a select menu from The Ivy & James, wine and beer tastings and a food truck zone. Lunch can be pre-ordered starting at $15.
Damian’s Cucina Italiana, 3011 Smith, is hosting a Meatball Brawl on Sunday, April 23, from 1 to 4 p.m. Guests are invited to enjoy an afternoon of wine tastings and musical entertainment, while eating their way through a lineup of innovative meatball dishes from local talent, including top area chefs like Mark Holley of Holley’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Richard Kaplan of Weights & Measures and chef Alexandre Scarafile of Sud Italia. In honor of the late Frankie Mandola, the event will benefit his charity, the Texas Italian-American Sports Foundation, which raises money for scholarships for local athletes. Tickets are $55 per person and include food wine sampling.
Two highly revered star chefs — Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s Pujol and Daniela Soto-Innes of Cosme in NYC — are coming to Houston on Friday, May 5, for a one-night pop-up featuring sweet and savory tostada tastings and drink pairings by Alba Huerta. The Big Brothers Big Sisters' inaugural "Big Pop-Up” will take place at Ecclesia Houston, 1100 Elder, with limited tickets ($150 for general admission and $225 for VIP) available now. The event is expected to sell out, so act fast if you want to secure a spot.