Houston's 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Beats and Beets Garden Party, Katy Sip 'n Stroll

Here's a look at this weekend's best culinary happenings:

All locations of the Union Kitchen will have donation boxes for Houston Pets Alive, but the Washington location will have adoptable dogs this Friday evening for those ready to provide a forever home to a furry bundle of joy. If you already have a special pup (or two), you can dine with them on the pet-friendly patio that evening and the doggies will receive some special homemade dog treats.

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Soulfit Grill has a healthy spice for every taste bud.

Photo by Chaz Hammonds

The Texas Women's Empowerment Foundation is hosting a free community event at the TWEF Urban Garden, near its Empowerment Center. The garden was developed in 2015 to help the community which is located in a USDA designated food desert. The garden provides fresh produce to residents who may not be able to walk or drive to the nearest grocery store. The program also promotes positive behavioral changes, better nutrition and physical activity. There will be gardening demonstrations, spring planting, STEM education, pop-up shows, and food samples from Yoyo's Hot Dog, Soulfit Grill and Bee Fit Food. For hydration, there will be Topo Chico. There will also be a DJ spinning garden party tunes.

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We see beer tents.

Photo by Kelley Sweet Photography

For a $35 ticket, attendees can sip adult beverages, sample tasty food from local restaurants, stroll through booths selling crafts and goods, while listening to live music. Not only is that a great way to spend a Saturday night in Katy, but the proceeds benefit The Ballard House which provides temporary housing for patients and families who have traveled to receive medical treatment for serious and life-threatening conditions in the Katy/West Houston area.

If wine and cheese are two of your favorite things, Sonoma Wine Bar in Upper Kirby has a tasting tailor-made to lovers of the classic pairing. The tasting will feature six wines, starting with a sparkling rose, then a crisp white, a still dry rose, a Pinot Noir and easy to enjoy red blends. The wines will be paired with a selection of cheeses from the Houston Dairymaids. Noel Rainey will guide the tasting on the patio, which has limited seating, so RSVP at 713-526-9463.  The cost is $25, but the fee will be waived with a six bottle purchase from the wines on offer.

This weekend event brings thousands of crawfish lovers to the quaint Old Town Spring every year. It's the largest crawfish festival in the South. Not only does it offer up untold amounts of crawfish for sale, but there are all the carnival foods that one would expect like roasted corn, turkey legs and fried everything. Look out for something called Dracula's Chimney Cakes. Besides food, there are midway games, carnival rides, a Kids Zone and lots of live music. Curtis Grimes and the Junior Gordon Band are on the line-up for Saturday, with Pat Waters, Cody Joe Hodges and Sawdust Road performing Sunday. Weasel and the Zydeco Clan, Raa Raa and the Zydeco Allstars and Bourbon Street Band are just a few of the bands adding to the Cajun flavor.

$12 admission for ages 13 and up
$5 admission for ages 6 to 12
FREE admission for 5 and under (with adult purchase)

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