Things To Do

Upcoming Houston Food Events: A Springtime Thanksgiving and the Return of Southern Smoke

Chef-owner Sylvia Casares brings Houstonians a new kind of Thanksgiving tradition at Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen.
Chef-owner Sylvia Casares brings Houstonians a new kind of Thanksgiving tradition at Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen. Photo by Paula Murphy
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings:

Hopdoddy is doubling down on the deliciousness this 4/20, crafting a special Pizza Supreme Burger, Garlic Bread Fries and Creamsicle Shake available on Wednesday, April 20 while supplies last. The burger features a certified Piedmontese beef patty under another patty made of housemade, fried mozzarella and red chile flakes, topped with sauteed peppers, onions, pomodoro sauce and a sausage mushroom oregano mayonnaise. All Hopdoddy orders can be placed in-person at any Hopdoddy location or online for pickup (and delivery is free with the purchase of all three items).

On Thursday, April 21, the sommelier team at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Galleria, 5839 Westheimer, will journey through grapes at a special Pinot Noirs of the World tasting, from the golden slope of the Cote d’Or to the hills and valleys of California and Oregon. Cost is $120 per guest and the tasting begins at 5:30 p.m.

The Great Taste of the Heights community food festival will take place at All Saints Catholic Community, 215 East 10th, on Saturday, April 23 from 5 to 10 p.m., featuring food samples from Heights area restaurants from 6 to 9 p.m., plus live music, drinks and entertainment. This year’s participating restaurants include BB’s, Bluestone Lane, Honeychild’s, Ike’s, Shokku Ramen, Sonoma Wine Bar and more. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the event, and all proceeds benefit the All Saints community.

Truluck’s Houston, 5950 Westheimer, will host a Covenant House Charity Brunch on Sunday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with 100 percent of the funds raised going towards the purchase of a van to strengthen the Street Outreach program, an essential part of how Covenant House connects with Houston’s homeless youth. Individual seats are $125, with table donations starting at $500.

Paying tribute to the “first” Thanksgiving on the banks of the Rio Grande near present day downtown El Paso, chef-owner Sylvia Casares has created a special Thanksgiving enchilada, available for lunch and dinner every day from Monday, April 25 through Saturday, April 30 at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, 6401 Woodway, 1140 Eldridge. Dubbed the “Uvalde,” the enchilada features fresh roasted turkey, South Texas cornbread stuffing and Sylvia’s classic dark mole sauce with rice and beans or a Caesar salad for $16.95.

The Southern Smoke Festival has announced its return this fall, set to run October 21-23 with a lineup 60+ of the best chefs and culinary celebrities from across the country participating to help raise funds for the Southern Smoke Foundation and its support for nationwide food and beverage workers in crisis (to date, the foundation has distributed more than $9 million directly to people in the industry via its Emergency Relief Fund).

This year’s events include the opening night H-Town Welcome Wagon in collaboration with Aaron Franklin's Hot Luck Live Food & Music; Southern Smoke on Ice with some of the South’s biggest chefs helping to unveil “the raw bar to end all raw bars” over at the Houstonian; and an East Downtown Throwdown featuring live fires, trailers and pits with top chefs including Tom Colicchio, Andrew Zimmern, Brooke Williamson and Sarah Grueneberg. Stay tuned, as tickets will go on sale this summer. 
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Brooke Viggiano is a contributing writer who is always looking to share Houston's coolest and tastiest happenings with the Houston Press readers.
Contact: Brooke Viggiano