Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings:
All week long
Black Restaurant Weeks Houston
Black Restaurant Week Houston’s palate-pleasing showcase runs now through Sunday, April 11, with prix fixe brunch, lunch, and dinner menus at participating restaurants within the area. This year’s participants include Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill, Lost and Found, Fainmous BBQ, Nyah’s Pasta Kitchen, Craft Burger, The Funnel Cake House and more.
Tuesdays
Crawfish at UB Preserv
UBP, 1609 Westheimer, is now open on Tuesdays, serving crawfish and only crawfish and rotating flavors throughout the season.
Wednesday, April 7
Trunk Show and Whiskey Tasting at B&B Butchers & Restaurant
B&B Butchers & Restaurant, 1814 Washington, has partnered with Maker’s Mark, Lloyd and Lewis Clothiers, and The Vintage Contessa & Times Past for a crafted trunk show and guided whiskey tasting from 4 to 6 p.m. on its rooftop patio. The curated evening will begin with welcome cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by the opportunity to peruse fabric swatches and samples and special Maker’s Mark presentation and tasting of its allocated whiskies and bourbons. Tickets are $75 (plus taxes and fees) per person, and each guest will receive swag bags and be entered into a raffle to win a $250 B&B Butchers gift card and a custom sports coat by Lloyd and Lewis.
National Beer Day at Dog Haus Biergarten
Participating Dog Haus Biergarten locations are celebrating National Beer Day. All day, guests can buy a pint and get upgraded to a liter.
Tequila & Wine Dinner at Galiana’s Tex Mex & Agave Bar
Galiana’s Tex Mex & Agave Bar, 24110 Northwest Freeway Suite 500, will host an in-restaurant, private Tequila & Wine Dinner on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. Guests will enjoy a welcoming drink followed by three-courses paired with premium tequila cocktails and wine, with highlights including crab and shrimp stuffed avocado, carne asada with chipotle sauce, and cajeta volcano a la mode. Cost is $75 per person. Call 832-653-6853.
Thursday, April 8
ReikiNa Pre-Opening Showcase at Sanman Studios
Chef Thomas Stacy — a former prep cook at Uchi — and director of operations Andrew Herron are launching a new tasting menu concept, ReikiNa, over in CityCentre; but before that, the duo is previewing the concept with a series of pop-up showcase dinners at Sanman Studios, 1109 Providence on April 8, 15 and 23, with proceeds from the series benefiting Chris Shepherd’s Southern Smoke Foundation. Derived from the Japanese words reiki (“divine energy”) and sakana (snacks paired with sake), ReikiNa will offer a private tasting menu experience highlighting Asian flavors through a European lens. The pre-opening showcase will feature an eight-course tasting menu, limited to 40 guests per event. Tickets are available on Resy for $150/person.
Saturday, April 10
Crawfish Boil at B.B. Lemon
B.B. Lemon, 1809 Washington, is taking advantage of crawfish season three more times before it ends, starting with a Saturday brunch and crawfish boil this Saturday (with boils on Saturdays, May 8 and June 5 to follow). Join for its regular brunch menu, tasty mudbugs cooked by Berg Hospitality’s own NOLA native, Jeff Baron, and DJ music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The crawfish come served with potatoes, sausage and corn for $12.99 per pound with a minimum of two pounds per order. Reservations are recommended and can be made by phone at 713-554-1809 or on OpenTable.
All month long
Kids Meals Inc. Fundraiser at Etoile Cuisine et Bar
Over at Etoile, 1101-11 Uptown Park, chef Philippe Verpiand has created two special prix fixe menus, one for dinner and one for weekend brunch, to raise funds for the restaurant’s charity of the month: For Kids Meals Inc. and its mission to end childhood hunger in Houston. The cost for this dinner is $65 per person plus tax and gratuity, with $7 going to charity; and the special brunch menu on Saturday and Sundays is three courses for $36 per person plus tax and gratuity, providing $4 to the program for each one sold.
Taco of the Month at Torchy’s Tacos
Torchy’s fan-favorite Scallywag Taco is back as April’s Taco of the Month. Available for $6.50, the Scallywag features coconut-battered shrimp, bacon, green chiles, freshly grated jack cheese, pickled onions and cilantro with scratch-made peach habanero jam on a flour tortilla.
New and ongoing specials
Home Game Astros Specials at Loch Bar
Beginning April 8 and during all Astros home games, Loch Bar, 4444 Westheimer, will offer homerun-worthy deals, including a $5 Orange Crush Special; $10 Bregman Burger, a prime dry aged angus with white cheddar, butter pickles and special sauce, served with fries; and a free “Stros Shot” for every home run hit by an Astros player (only available to guests seated in the bar area). To redeem these offers, games must be home/live and guests must be following Loch Bar’s local page @lochbarhouston.
Fried Chicken Picnics at Love Shack
Chef Tim Love’s Love Shack, 3709 Eastside, at Levy Park has launched Fried Chicken Picnic baskets for guests to enjoy this spring. Each basket includes a whole hot or cold fried chicken, smoked white fish dip with homemade chips and potato salad. Orders can be placed in advance and picked up at Love Shack, available Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2021.
