Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings:
Monday, January 9
Galveston Restaurant Week Kicks Off
Galveston Restaurant Week returns to the island, beginning Monday, January 9 and running through February 5. Participating restaurants — with hotspots like BLVD Seafood, Hearsay on the Strand and Willie G’s — will offer prix fixe menus for lunch, dinner and brunch, helping to raise funds for local charities including Galveston ISD Educational Foundation, Resource & Crisis Center of Galveston County, and Teen Health Center, Inc.
Tuesday, January 10
Toast to the New Year Wine Dinner at Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Carrabba’s Italian Grill is hosting a four-course Toast to the New Year Wine Dinner featuring wines from William Hill and Duckhorn Vineyards of California at 6:30 p.m. ($55 per person). Highlights include grilled eggplant salad with pistachio crusted goat cheese, champagne shrimp and scallop linguine, wood-grilled sirloin with melty gorgonzola cheese and chocolate cannoli.
Wednesday, January 11
Beer & Brass at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
The ROCO Brass Quintet will help kick off the new year for a gathering of good music, food, and craft beer, as ROCO presents its annual evening of Beer & Brass on Wednesday, January 11 at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 2000 Lyons. Brews, bites and live music are included in your ticket price ($50 GA, $75 VIP, $15 children 12 and under) and the fun begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 14
Raclette Party on the Patio at Montrose Cheese & Wine
Montrose Cheese & Wine, 1618 Westheimer, will host another après-ski style Raclette Party on the Patio from 1 p.m. until sold out. Get the cheese scraped onto plates of potatoes with caramelized onions, cornichons and baguette slices for $22 ($26 with charcuterie).
Saturday-Sunday
Marathon discount at Ramen Tatsu-Ya
Ramen Tatsu-Ya Houston, 1722 California, will offer a 15 percent discount on one ramen bowl for Chevron Houston Marathon runners who show their race bib on Saturday, January 14 or Sunday, January 15.
Sunday, January 15
Hop Topic World Chili Cook-Off at Equal Parts Brewing
Hop Topic World is throwing its annual Chili Cook-Off at Equal Parts Brewing, 3118 Harrisburg, beginning at noon (judging starts at 2 p.m.). General admission tickets are $18 and include unlimited chili samples and a token for voting.
Chefs for Paws at C. Baldwin, Curio Collection by Hilton
Chefs for Paws is back to celebrate another year of saving lives, featuring a seated, multi-course dinner from some of Houston’s top chefs and restaurants with all proceeds going to Rescued Pets Movement. The special evening will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. at the C. Baldwin, Curio Collection by Hilton, 400 Dallas; and this year’s lineup of talented chefs include Alyssa Dole of LuLoo’s Day & Night, Sasha Grumann of Sasha’s Foccacia, Blood Bros BBQ’s Arash Kharat (also of Luloo’s) and Bao Nguyen, Winnie’s Graham Laborde, Tony Luhrman of El Topo, Golfstrommen’s Paul Qui, Tim Reading of GJ Tavern, and C. Baldwin Hotel’s Krista Stone. Tickets (known to sell out) start at $250 for individuals.
All month long
Dry January at Coltivare
Coltivare, 3320 White Oak, is ready to celebrate Dry January with its month-long, zero-proof cocktail menu. This year, the beverage team has curated an all-new menu in collaboration with Sipple, with drinks including The Perfect Storm (like a Dark & Stormy) and the Not & Tonic, a non-alcholic riff on the restaurant’s popular Gin & Tonic made with elderflower tonic, grapefruit, mint and green peppercorn.
Kenny & Ziggy’s Cakeworks
Kenny & Ziggy’s, 1743 Post Oak, will be featuring its own inhouse bakery, Kenny & Ziggy’s Cakeworks, by launching the Cakeworks Cake of the Month, offering a specialty cake each month for the next six months with discounted prices for slices or whole cakes. First up will be Wolfie’s Famous Victory Cake, a nod to one of the country’s famous Jewish delicatessens that features seven layers of chocolate cake and whipped cream under cream icing and a chocolate dribble rim. For all of January, cake slices will be $10.95 each or $55.95 for an entire cake (entire cake orders should be done two days in advance).
January Specials at Kolache Shoppe
This month, Kolache Shoppe will feature Boudin Kolache (a collab with La Boucherie out of Spring, Texas), Strawberries & Cream Kolache, and Spiced Pumpkin Lattes. Grab the specials Thursday-Saturday at the Greenway Shoppe and Friday-Sunday at the Heights and Kingwood Shoppes.
New and ongoing specials
French Kings Cake at Etoile Cuisine et Bar
At Etoile Cuisine et Bar, 1101-11 Uptown Park, chef Philippe Verpiand will be baking dozens of made-to-order Galette de Rois (the French version of Kings’ Cake) for pick up and take home beginning Friday, January 6 and continuing through January 31. Unlike the familiar ones from New Orleans, the crown-shaped cake is made of puff pastry and filled with a buttery, almond cream filling. Cost is $38 plus tax and each cake feeds 6-8 people. Orders must be made 24 hours in advance by calling 832-668-5808.
Mardi Gras Milk Punch at Rainbow Lodge
Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella, will offer its Mardi Gras Milk Punch now through February 21 (Mardi Gras). A fun riff on its standard milk punch, the drink combines house-aged, pecan-infused bourbon, milk and king cake spices, topped with traditional purple, yellow and green colored sugars. Cost is $10 for the drink, or $40 for the King Cake Milk Punch Kit to-go (serves four and includes the mixed cocktail and a container of the three colored sugars).
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
