Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings:
All week long
Latin Restaurant Weeks
Running daily through July 19, Latin Restaurant Weeks returns for its sixth year to celebrate and support Latin chefs and culinary businesses across Greater Houston. Diners can explore 70+ local restaurants and food businesses offering special menu items, limited-time deals and pre-fixe menus that will highlighting Latin American cuisine, with participants including Churrascos, Gaspachos Mexican Bites, The Lymbar, Segundo Coffee Lab, Space City Birria and Taqueria La Perla de Jalisco.
Wednesday, July 10
Houston Chef Series at Brenner’s on the Bayou
Landry’s Inc. has bring back its Houston Chef Series, offered on select evenings through Wednesday, August 7 and with this year’s theme taking inspiration from “Presidential State Dinners.” This week, chef Ryan Braden will present a “Republican V. Democrat” menu at Brenner’s on the Bayou, with features including Kennedy’s Blue Point Oysters Duo, Roosevelt’s Lobster Duo and more. Price is $150 per person for five courses with beverage pairings.
Thursdays
Girl Dinner at Private Client
EaDo bar and lounge Private Client, 2118 Lama, has its own spin on the buzzy social media trend, “Girl Dinner.” Available Thursdays from 3 to 10 p.m. for $25, guests can enjoy Caesar salad, parmesan truffle fries and the choice of a Dirty Martini, Lemon Drop Martini, Cosmopolitan or Espresso Martini; plus a DJ from 7 to 10 p.m. weekly.
Friday, July 12
Sound and Color with Chef Dawn Burrell
James Beard Award semifinalist and Top Chef contestant chef Dawn Burrell returns to the Houston food scene with an immersive dining experience dubbed “Sound and Color.” Burrell will collaborate with local chefs of varying cultures, as well as musical and mixed media artists, to dream up intimate themed dinners, with the next dinner featuring chef Tristan Epp of Epp and Flow. Tickets are $150 and the experience begins at 6 p.m. with location TBA to ticketholders.
Saturday, July 13
713 Day Specials
Diversion Cocktails, 7202 Long Point, is offering a the $18 Candy Paint cocktail with rum, candy syrup, citrus, soda and cinnamon in honor of 713 Day.
Heights & Co., 1343 Yale, is celebrating by cheering on the Astros and offering a $10 ‘Stros Smash Burger – double patty, American cheese, house-made pickles, aioli, fries with spicy ketchup – alongside $10 Crush City Margaritas and $5 mimosas.
Both locations of WILD Concepts invite locals to enjoy $7.13 specials on popular cocktails all day long, including the tequila and passionfruit kissed Swangin’ and Bangin’ and the Still Sippin cocktail, a blend of bourbons, maple and orange. Folks can also enjoy a $5 Lemon Skunk that mixes a Lemon Drop shot with THC.
Sunday, July 14
Red, White & Brut Bastille Day Bash at Brasserie 19
Enjoy a Red, White & Brut Bastille Day Bash at Brasserie 19, 1962 West Gray, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Joined by Moët Hennessy, the brasserie will host an afternoon filled with specialty cocktails, bubbles, brunch-sized bottles, raffles, swag, French discothèque tunes and food specials. Guests are encouraged to wear their finest French chic.
Tex-Mex BBQ Block Party at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
The Houston Barbecue Festival and Saint Arnold Brewing Company will host the 3rd Annual Tex-Mex BBQ Block Party, celebrating the growing influence of Tejano and Tex-Mex cooking traditions in contemporary Central Texas-style craft barbecue. Held in the air-conditioned beer hall from 1 to 4 p.m., ticket holders can score unlimited samples of each vendor’s barbecue dish alongside Saint Arnold beer. Tickets start at $70 discount general admission.
Summer Cookout at Hamsa
Hamsa’s Yotam Dolev is collaborating with chef Dominick Lee, recipient of the inaugural “Underbelly Scholarship” from James Beard award-winning chef Chris Shepherd, on a summer cookout menu at Hamsa, 5555 Morningside. Featuring the flavors of Tel Aviv and New Orleans, guests can enjoy a three-course family-style meal, with features like salatim spread, fried green tomato with cayenne-peach schug, blackened chicken kabab with black tahini, lemon harissa Gulf shrimp and grits and challah bread bananas foster pudding. Reserve via Resy for $65 a person
All-White Wimbledon Party at PKL Social
From 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., PKL Social, 1112 Shepherd, invites folks to wake up and enjoy an All-White Wimbledon party. The bar’s many TVs will display the iconic British tournament, specifically the Men’s Singles Finals, and all four of PKL Social’s pickleball courts will be available for free open play. Guests can enjoy a Champagne Bar and a Strawberries & Cream station (a Wimbledon tradition since 1877), plus themed cocktails like the London Dry G&T, a Strawberry Smash Spritz and more.
All month long
Two Dine for $99 at Brennan’s of Houston
Brennan’s, 3300 Smith, brings back its fan-favorite month-long date night deal. For $99, couples can enjoy a three-course prix fixe dinner menu for two, with Creole classics including Turtle Soup, Grilled Filet Mignon (additional $9) and Bananas Foster and Creole Bread Pudding. For $30, you can add a bottle of wine from Wine Guy Rich Carter’s selection or receive $30 off any bottle on Brennan’s vast wine list.
New and ongoing specials
The Generous Pour at The Capital Grille
Wine tasting and educational experience The Generous Pour returns to The Capital Grille for its 16th year, running from July 1 through September 1. This year, guests can journey through California’s coastal growing regions of Sonoma, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, inspired by the theme of “Elevations – The Nature of Wine.” Prices start at $45 with the purchase of a dinner entrée.
Battle of the Bruschetta at Postino WineCafé
Postino WineCafé welcomed back its popular bruschetta throwdown, the second annual Battle of The Bruschetta, for a summer-long, bracket-style competition between four limited-time bruschetta recipes. This year’s bites are French Onion (roasted garlic aioli, gruyere, braised white onions, melted brie), Buffalo Cauliflower (buffalo cauliflower, cambozola ranch yogurt, celery, chives), Philly Cheesesteakbruschetta (roasted garlic aioli, chopped steak, caramelized onion and peppers, fondue, chili oil) and Berry Mascarpone (blackberry mascarpone, graham cracker streusel, macerated blueberry, lemon, powdered sugar).
The competition is ongoing with the champion crowned on September 16. During each battle, guests can order two competing bruschetta flavors and vote on their favorite by texting “BATTLE” to (602) 637-1510 for each round. The champion bruschetta will earn a permanent spot on the Postino menu this fall for all to enjoy.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
