Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings:
The Negroni cocktail — made with one part gin, one part vermouth rosso and one part Campari, garnished with an orange peel — is considered by many to be one of the world’s greatest cocktails. To celebrate the drink and raise money for charities around the world, Negroni Week was launched in 2013, and this year, it will be taking place from Monday, June 5, through Sunday, June 11. Participating local spots include Eight Row Flint, 1039 Yale, which will be offering four different versions (including Jell-O shots and frozens) to benefit No Kid Hungry; Provisions, 807 Taft, which will be serving five special cocktails to benefit One More Wave; and Nobie’s, 2048 Colquitt, with offerings including Negroni-cured scallops and Negroni custard pie in addition to cocktail variations, all of which will raise money for No Kid Hungry. To view all Houston-area bars and restaurants participating in Negroni Week, visit negroniweek.com.
On Wednesday, June 7, at 6:30 p.m., Carmelo’s Ristorante Italiano, 14795 Memorial, will be hosting a Banfi Wine Dinner with special guest Luciano Castiello, U.S. ambassador for Castello Banfi. The restaurant will serve a five-course, wine-paired dinner, with featured dishes including ricotta gnocchi with black truffles, salmon and risotto with Tuscan kale, organic wagyu tenderloin with polenta and sfogliatella ai fichi (a flaky pastry with figs). Cost is $100 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Call 281-531-0696.
Landry’s Inc. is kicking off summer with its Houston Chef Series: “Dining through the Decades” on select Wednesdays beginning June 7. Each Landry’s Signature Group concept will host a private and exclusive chef’s dining experience, with the roster including Jason Cole of Brenner’s Steakhouse (June 7), Jose Parada of Willie G’s Seafood & Steaks, Ricky Cruz of Grotto (June 21), Ryan Braden of Brenner’s on the Bayou (June 28), Luis Rubio of La Griglia (July 12), Sean Hochstein of Grotto Downtown (July 19), Andrew Oliver of McCormick & Schmick’s (July 26), Frank Lewis of Morton’s (August 2), Lawrence Kirkland of The Oceanaire (August 9), and a Grand Finale Dinner featuring all Signature Group executive chefs at Vic & Anthony’s (August 12). The dinners are priced at $95 per person or $80 for Landry’s Select Club members (plus tax and gratuity), with the Grand Finale dinner costing $165 per person or $150 for members (plus tax and gratuity).
Backstreet Café, 1103 South Shepherd, continues its garden party series with “One Night in Barcelona” on Thursday, June 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. Guests can revel in the flavors of Spain’s most exciting city while enjoying gin and tonics, cava, sangria and vermouth spritzers, Spanish wines and tasting stations featuring pan con tomate, papas bravas, boquerones and albóndigas. Admission includes the wine tasting station, two additional beverage selections (with happy hour pricing thereafter) and the bites for $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 713-521-2239.
The first annual Poke Showdown will be held at Rice Village’s Bar Bleu, 2506 Robinhood, on June 11 from 6 to 10 p.m. Guests can experience the diverse poke in the Houston food scene, with contestants including Moku Bar, Wokker Texas Ranger, RA Sushi, Flip N’ Patties, Nippon Sushi, The Fish Houston, People’s Poké, Cabo’s Coastal Kitchen, Mochi Sushi and Agu Ramen. Tickets are $30 and include two complimentary drinks.
In honor of Father’s Day, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Houston Galleria, 5839 Westheimer, will host a Dads & Cabs Event on Friday, June 16, at 5:30 p.m. Guests can taste more than 15 Cabernet Sauvignons from all over the world while enjoying a chef selection of seasonal hors d’oeuvres. Cost is $115 per person plus tax and gratuity. Call 713-780-7352.
This article appears in Summer Guide 2017.
