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

Monday-Friday

Kids’ Meals Benefit at Hotel ZaZa’s Tipping Point Restaurant and Terrance

Hotel ZaZa Houston Memorial City, 9787 Katy Freeway, has teamed up with Kids’ Meals for a special fundraiser. Every entree ordered at Tipping Point Restaurant and Terrance will directly benefit Kids’ Meals and its efforts to make and deliver free, healthy meals directly to the homes of hungry children.

Tuesday, May 16

Cocktails in Bloom at Eleanor Tinsley Park

Buffalo Bayou Partnership invites guests to enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres and breathtaking park and downtown views at its Spring Cocktail Party, held at Eleanor Tinsley Park, 3600 Allen, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $150 and proceeds from the event will support the nonprofit’s efforts to continue revitalizing, maintaining and activating the Buffalo Bayou.

Voodoo Doughnut 20th Birthday Promo

In celebration of its 20th birthday, Voodoo Doughnut will host a series of promotions on Tuesdays throughout the month, with this week’s promotion offering 50-cent Raised Glazed. In addition, guests can enjoy the Birthday Cake doughnut stuffed with a creamy strawberry filling, dipped in vanilla frosting and topped with colorful sprinkles, every Tuesday in the month of May.

Wednesday, May 17

Guest Chef Series at Burger Bodega

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, who teamed up with chef Abbas Dhanani of Burger Bodega to create the Khao Soi Smash Burger. The spicy smash burger features two seasoned khao soi patties topped with curry cheese sauce, egg noodles, Street to Kitchen cucumber mustard green pickles, and fresh red onions on a potato bun; and guests can order it alongside limited edition Curry Cheese Fries from 11 a.m. until sell-out. Early arrival is encouraged.

Wagyu and Wine Night at R-C Ranch

From 6 to 7:30 p.m., R-C Ranch, 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.

Thursday, May 18

Crossbarn Wine Dinner at Marvino’s Italian Steakhouse

Marvino’s Italian Steakhouse, 24002 Northwest Freeway, is hosting its spring Crossbarn Wine Dinner. Highlights of the four-course meal include Muscovy duck breast paired with Crossbarn’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir;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 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.

Saturday, May 20

Empty Bowls Houston at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Grassroot fundraising event Empty Bowls Houston—an international effort to fight hunger implemented in Houston to benefit the Houston Food Bank—returns for the 17th year. 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. h

Crawfish Eating Contest at Low Tide Kitchen and Bar

Spring Branch seafood restaurant Low Tide Kitchen and Bar, 2030A Bingle, is hosting a Crawfish Open Championship from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., open to all amateur eaters 18 years or older. Entries will be accepted through May 18 by 8 p.m. for an entry fee of $20. Contestants will be given a tray of crawfish that will be weighed before and after the contest, and whoever eats the most crawfish meat by weight at the end of 8 minutes will win the Crawfish Open Trophy Belt and prize basket. For $20, spectators will receive two pounds of crawfish or a po’ boy plus one drink ticket for beer, wine, cocktail or mocktails.

All month long

AAPI Restaurant Weeks

OCA-Greater Houston has brought back the fourth annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Restaurant Weeks, a city-wide event held from May 1 through June 15 in celebration of the rich culinary heritage of AAPI communities in Houston. Diners can enjoy special deals and discounts from numerous AAPI and AAPI-owned restaurants , with hotspots including Aka Sushi, Crawfish and Noodles, Himalaya, Kau Ba, Kim Son, Oh My Gogi!, Tiger Den, Fung's Kitchen and more. For each donation of $25 or more, patrons will receive an AAPI Restaurant Week digital passport with QR code to access special deals to all participating businesses.

Lupus Foundation Fundraiser at Molina's

For the second year, Molina’s Cantina has teamed with Lupus Foundation of America’s Texas Gulf Coast Chapter to raise money for research and awareness to help those dealing with lupus (a cause close to the family, as Mary Molina—the daughter of third-generation Molina’s Cantina owners Roberto and Erica Molina—suffers from the disease. This May, during Lupus Awareness Month, three percent of proceeds from total Tuesday sales from all three Molina’s Cantina locations will be donated to the foundation.

Enchilada of the Month at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen

Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, 1140 Eldridge, 6401 Woodway, is bringing back its Enchilada of the Month beginning this May, offering the Three Rivers through May 31. Made with corn tortillas rolled around a combination of chorizo, beef fajitas and chicken fajitas and topped with spicy chile de arbol sauce, jack cheese, avocado and cilantro, it comes with rice and beans or a Caesar salad for $18.95 per person.
New and ongoing specials

Anniversary Cupcake at CRAVE

Houston’s CRAVE bakery will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a limited-time only cupcake flavor, Red Velvet Cheesecake, available in-store and online from May 15 to June 5. The traditional Texas red cocoa cupcake gets a house made cheesecake filling before being topped with sweet cream cheese frosting and dusted with graham cracker crumbs. Get it in both regular and mini sizes for $4.50/regular or $28/dozen

Burger Battle at Rodeo Goat

Rodeo Goat, 2105 Dallas, is paying homage to Star Wars with a galactic Burger Battle featuring The Rebel VS. The Empire. Burgers available through May 29. The Rebel is stacked with an all-beef patty, Mexican street corn, chili pepper and lime corn sticks, queso fresco, cilantro and lime mayo on a brioche bun for $13.99; and The Empire rocks two smash patties topped with roast beef, provolone, Guinness Stout onions, sautéed red bell pepper and horseradish mayo on a torta bun, served with Dark Side Dip au jus for $14.99.

Limited-time tacos at Tacodeli

Tacodeli is offering two limited time tacos—the Banh Mi Taco and Freakin’ Beefin’—at all locations in Texas (Austin, Dallas, Plano and Houston) through mid-June; plus a refreshing Limonada drink ($4) through mid-summer. The Banh Mi Taco ($5.25) is available during lunch and dinner and is made with grilled duBreton organic pork, carrot, daikon, jalapeño, basil and cilantro; while The Freakin’ Beefin’ ($4.25) is available during breakfast and is made with Vital Farms scrambled eggs, beef tenderloin with cheese glaze, pico de gallo and queso.