Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings:
All week long
Asian American and Pacific Islander Restaurant Weeks
OCA-Greater Houston will host the fifth annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Restaurant Weeks, a city-wide event celebrating the culinary heritage of AAPI communities in Houston. From May 1 to June 15, each donation of $25 or more will unlock the AAPI Restaurant Week digital passport with a QR code to access special deals from over 50 AAPI and AAPI-owned restaurants and AAPI chefs throughout the city. This year’s participants include The Blind Goat, Lena’s Asian Kitchen, Blood Bros. BBQ, 93’ Til, Sunday Press, Saigon Pho, Zaab Station Thai Restaurant and more.
Monday, May 6
Mexican Wine Tour Tasting at Caracol
Caracol, 2200 Post Oak, will host a Mexican Wine Tour tasting showcasing five Mexican wine regions — Baja, Querétaro, Coahuila, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes — on Monday, May 6 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Fifteen wineries will present two wines each for attendees to sample alongside passed appetizers from Caracol. Cost is $35 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Monday–Thursday
51st Anniversary Specials at Ouisie’s Table
First opened as a tiny, converted grocery market on Sunset Blvd. in 1973, and today at 3939 San Felipe near River Oaks, Ouisie’s Table celebrates its 51st birthday with two special prix-fixe menus featuring dishes from its early, priced at $20 for lunch and $35 at dinner. Lunch features include Mustard Crispy Chicken Salad, Seven Vegetable Plate, Key Lime Pie Tart and more; while dinner options include Ouisie’s 12-ounce Prime Rib with horseradish cream sauce and Pan Roasted Chicken with artichoke hearts, English peas and mushrooms in a lemon butter emulsion sauce.
Wednesdsay, May 8
Burger Bodega Guest Chef Series Volume 8 AAPI with Khói Barbecue
Burger Bodega, 4520 Washington, continues its Burger Bodega Guest Chef Series, teaming up with renowned Vietnamese Barbecue pop-up restaurant Khói Barbecue and chef Don Nguyen for an exclusive AAPI installment of the series. Chef Abbas Dhanani of Burger Bodega and Nguyen have teamed up to feature the Curry Chopped Cheese Bánh Mì with Khói Curry No. 1 Sauce and Chopped Brisket Disco Fries, available from 5 p.m. until sell-out.
Thursday, May 9
RC Ranch X Wild Oats Dinner at Wild Oats
RC Ranch and Wild Oats are teaming up for a collaboration dinner at Wild Oats, 1222 Witte, on Thursday, May 9 beginning at 6 p.m. Dine on ribeye carpaccio, mole braised coulotte tamales, cast iron Zabuton with whipped potatoes, creamed spinach and charred elote salad, and sweet cream cookie sandwich with beef fat sugar cookie, tallow cream and coconut. Cost is $80 per person.
Friday–Sunday
Big As Texas at Montgomery County Fairgrounds
Buzzy new festival Big As Texas will make its debut this weekend at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 9333 Airport, in Conroe. Expect three days of live music, food and art experiences, including concerts from big names like Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, Los Lobos and Tracy Byrd, onsite hat-making and live mural art, pig races and barrel racing, and open-fire eats from nearby restaurants like Honor Cafe and Dosey Doe and 20+ food trucks and vendors onsite, including favorites like Foreign Policy, Lobster Made Easy, Nacho Birria, The Burger Joint, Whiskey & Brisket Barbecue and more. Tickets start at $139.
Saturday, May 11
Crawfish & Brews at Project Row Houses
Crawfish & Brews will return to Project Row Houses, 2521 Holman, celebrating Houston’s rich culture and community with crawfish, beer, music and good times, and with a portion of proceeds benefiting Project Row Houses and its variety of community-enriching initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities. Tickets are $25 for general admission or $55 with crawfish and beer included.
Sunday, May 12
Mother’s Day Brunch
Moms deserve to be celebrated, so many Houston restaurants are honoring the special moms out there with Mother’s Day brunch. From fancy bubbly-fueled affairs to easy-going family-friendly meals, check out our 2024 Mother’s Day Brunch Dining Guide to peruse options and make your reservations.
New and ongoing specials
Mental Health Awareness Month Collaboration with Equal Parts Brewing and Dawn Burrell
Equal Parts Brewing and chef Dawn Burrell are teaming up to create a special brew for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, a cause that is dear to Equal Parts team and Burrell as they have tragically lost loved ones to suicide. Beginning May 10, beer fans can sip the Shared Strength lager at Equal Parts Brewing, made with purple rice and the West African grain fonio to create a crisp and dry brew with slightly floral and nutty notes. The brewery will donate 100 percent of the brew’s proceeds to I’ll Have What She’s Having and its mental health efforts; and local joints including Underground Hall, Coltivare, EZ’s Liquor, Neil’s Bahr, Tacos A Go Go in Oak Forest, The Heights location of Local Foods, Anvil, Flying Saucer and Johnny’s Gold Brick will also pickup charitable kegs to tap beginning May 13.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
