Here's a look at this week's hottest culinary happenings:

Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1

New Year’s Eve and Day Dining Guide

Looking for New Year’s plans? Enjoy a special meal at one of one of Houston’s finest restaurants. Our New Year’s Eve and Day Dining Guide covers everything from Champagne-fueled dinners to day-after recovery brunches.

Tuesday, January 1

National Bloody Mary Day at Royal Sonesta Houston

Royal Sonesta Houston, 2222 West South Loop, will offer Bloody Marys for $10 on National Bloody Mary Day in ARA restaurant at both breakfast (menu available from 6:4- a.m. to noon) and lunch (menu available between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.). In Axis Lounge, chef Robert Graham puts a special twist on the classic with his “Not So Bloody Mary,” an ode to his last post as executive chef at El Dorado Golf & Beach Club in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico that substitutes vodka for Patron Anejo tequila. Axis will offer a special pairing price of $20, combining a glass alongside a ceviche appetizer, from noon until closing.

All-You-Can-Eat Menudo, Birria and Pozole at La Calle

La Calle Tacos and La Cantina, 909 Franklin, are here for your New Year’s recovery needs, offering a lineup of all-you-can-eat hangover foods all day long. Guests can enjoy menudo, birria and pozole for $16.99 from 7 a.m. on. Beat the rush by head there before 1 p.m. or after 4 p.m. 

Tuesday through Sunday

Anti-Resolution Celebration at Pluckers Wing Bar

Pluckers Wing Bar, 1400 Shepherd, has a new way to celebrate your New Year's resolutions, offering its first ever Anti-Resolution celebration from Tuesday, January 1 through Sunday, January 6 at all locations. Guests can get 50-percent off desserts, while salads will be an extra $1 (the dollar will be donated to the Firefly Fund, a Texas nonprofit with a primary goal to finance the acceleration of research needed to find a cure for the rare disease, Niemann-Pick Type C1.

Wednesday, January 2

Wine Tasting at III Forks

III Forks Prime Steakhouse, 1201 Fannin, will host its First Wednesday Wine Tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. This month, guests can enjoy at least six different wines from Italy along with savory hors d'oeuvres. Cost is $25 per person and reservations are required. 

Friday, January 4

Murder Mystery Dinner at Maggiano’s Little Italy

Join Maggiano’s, 2019 Post Oak, for a night of calamari and candlesticks, rope and rigatoni, and lead pipes and profiteroles at a special Murder Mystery Dinner from 7 to 10 p.m. Guests can enjoy three family-style courses while performers lead the crowd through an exciting mystery tour. Tickets are $55 per person and seating is limited. 

Saturday, January 5

Cocktail Making at Lucienne

Master the art of cocktail making and mix it up with chef Jose Hernandez bar-side at Hotel Alessandra’s Lucienne, 1070 Dallas. The mixology series continues in January with a spotlight on Alkkemist and Gabriel Boudier gins, taking place each Saturday of the month from 3 to 4 p.m. Guests can nibble on a menu of light bites including smoked salmon, tuna tartare, mimosa egg and crab cakes while learning about the history, origins and varieties of gin, and then get hands on experience with three classics: Bees Knees, Martini and Spanish Gin & Tonic. Cost is $75 per person and the class is limited to eight guests (21-and-up only). To reserve, email [email protected].

Sunday, January 6

King’s Day Cake at Bistro Provence

Turns out the French were celebrating King’s Day with Kings’ Cake long before the French immigrants in Southern Louisiana introduced the New World to it on Mardi Gras, offering a subtler (read: less sparkly) version – albeit with a baby still inside. Bistro Provence, 13616 Memorial, will be baking the classic French version for pick up and take home in honor of King’s Day. Cost is $28 plus tax. Orders must be made no later than noon Thursday, January 3, and the number to be sold is limited.