Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings:
Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District, 5701 South Main, is hosting this year’s Houston Food Bank’s 23rd Annual Chefs’ Dinner on Sunday, May 11 at 7 p.m. Five Houston chefs will collaborate on a special dinner in benefit of the Houston Food Bank, including Brandon Wilhelm (Hotel ZaZa), Hugo Ortega (H Town Restaurant Group), Ryan Pera (Agricole Hospitality), Austin Simmons (Tris) and Nga Rogers (Patisserie Paris Je T’aime). Tickets start at $750.
Dippable noodle sensation Tsukemen ($16) is making a comeback at all Ramen Tatsu-Ya locations, featuring a revamped broth, thicker noodles and added ingredients including blanched scallions and menma for texture. BBQ Ramen Tatsu-Ya ($17) will also replace its current Texas Red Tsukemen with an updated version that includes a pork/beef dipping broth, brisket and pickled jalapeños. Guests will also be able to order a “Frito Pie Kaedama” to turn their broth into frito pie once they finish their noodles. Kaedama consists of sour cream, cheddar, jalapeño, Fritos, cumin, cilantro and white onion.
Burger Bodega, 4520 Washington, is honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and National Hamburger Month by hosting a guest chef series on select Wednesdays in May. Next up is chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen (May 17), followed by chef Alex Au-Yeung of Phat Eatery (May 31). Each chef will create a limited edition burger merging flavors from the chef’s respective restaurants and Burger Bodega, available from 11a.m. until sell-out.
On Wednesday, May 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., R-C Ranch Butcher Shop, 2520 Airline, will host a Wagyu and Wine Night featuring premium wines paired with R-C’s signature Texas Wagyu. Tickets are $125 and include the multi-course wagyu dinner with wine pairings with discussion from experts.
Marvino’s Italian Steakhouse, 24002 Northwest Freeway, is hosting its spring Crossbarn Wine Dinner on Thursday, May 18. Highlights of the four-course meal include Muscovy duck breast served over parsnip puree with rainbow carrots paired with Crossbarn’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir; Marvino’s beefsteak tomato salad paired with Chardonnay; three peppercorn crusted filet mignon with marble au gratin potatoes and grilled asparagus with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; and chocolate lava cake coupled with a generous pour of Crossbarn’s Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. and cost is $129 per person plus tax and gratuity. Call 832-220-7200 reserve your seat online.
Local nonprofit The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency is hosting the annual Spring Membership Luncheon at Tony’s, 3755 Richmond, on Friday, May 19 at 11:30 a.m., featuring scholarship awards and a presentation by Dr. Juliet Breeze, founder and CEO of Next Level Medica. Cost is $35 for members and $50 for non-members.
Grassroot fundraising event Empty Bowls Houston—an international effort to fight hunger implemented in Houston to benefit the Houston Food Bank—will return for the 17th year on Saturday, May 20. The unique lunch fundraiser is a collaboration between Houston area ceramists, woodturners and artists working in all media and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Attendees can peruse from 1,500-plus one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted bowls, available for a donation to the Houston Food Bank of $25 per bowl (100 percent goes to the food bank). The event will be held at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in both the indoor gallery spaces and outdoor garden, and there will be live artist demonstrations, live music in the garden and a simple soup lunch for all attendees who purchase bowls.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
