From a tikified cocktail crawl to all the tacos you can handle, here's a look at this week's hottest culinary happenings:
Through Saturday, October 22
Bamboo on The Bayou
Bamboo on The Bayou is a citywide, weeklong cocktail crawl that features stops at some of Houston’s most beloved craft cocktail bars, including Anvil Bar & Refuge, Bad News Bar, Lei Low, Double Trouble and Moving Sidewalk. The crawl will showcase a specific tiki cocktail for each day of the week, so guests may experience unique variations of these drinks at each stop, before the faux-tropical week wraps up with a luau-style Bamboo Bash at Shoeshine Charley's Big Top, 3714 Main, and the adjoining outdoor space on October 22 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets to the Bamboo on The Bayou party are $12 per person, ages 21 and up. Participation in the weekday cocktail crawl is self-guided and free to participate.
Monday, October 17
National Pasta Day
Pasta lovers won’t want to miss these National Pasta Day dining deals around town. Laurenzo's Restaurant, 4412 Washington, will be offering half-off Mama's Sunday Gravy, and Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen, 1212 Waugh, will be offering half-off Mama's Spaghetti and Meatballs.
La Clarine Farm Wine Dinner at The Pass
The Pass, 807 Taft, will be hosting this collaborative dinner along with winemaker Hank Beckmeyer. Guests can dine on six wine-paired courses for $95 (excluding tax and gratuity). Tickets can be purchased by calling the restaurant at 713-628-9020 (option 2).
Tuesday, October 18
Paella Night at Eight Row Flint
Continuing the Tuesday night dinner series, Revival Market charcutier Andrew Vaserfirer will be preparing the final paella night at Eight Row Flint, 1039 Yale. Inspired by the early paellas that were cooked outdoors over wood-burning fires in Valencia on the Eastern coast of Spain, each paella will be cooked in a clay vessel on a live-fire grill. Vaserfirer will be making his own Andalusian sausage with a selection of seafood — mussels and shrimp — and rabbit, a classic Spanish tradition. All food service begins at 5 p.m. and will be served until they sell out. The regular menu is always available as well.
Clown Shoes Beer Dinner at The Pass
Guests are invited to a Clown Shoes Beer Dinner at The Pass, 807 Taft, on Tuesday, October 18. The dinner features six courses with six Clown Shoes beer pairings for $75 a person (tax and gratuity not included). The event has limited seating and is a ticketed event. Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred to another diner. To purchase, call 713-628-9020 (option 2).
Wednesday, October 19
9th Annual Zest in the West Food & Wine Zestival at Château Crystale
Guests can sip wines alongside more than 20 artisan foods and restaurant tasting stations at Zest in the West’s Grand Zesting, held at Château Crystale, 2517 South Gessner, from 7 to 9 p.m. Cost is $65 for general admission (or $70 if purchased at the door, while supplies last). http://www.zestinthewest.com/tickets.shtml
Wine Dinner with Master Sommelier Brian Cronin at Backstreet Cafe
Worldwide, there are only 230 master sommeliers, and Backstreet Cafe, 1103 South Shepherd, will be hosting one of them. Brian Cronin served as wine director at such acclaimed restaurants as Charlie Trotter's, Gary Danko and Aqua before becoming the national education manager for Palm Bay International. During this special dinner, Cronin will guide guests through a tasting of some of Palm Bay’s incredible wines paired with chef Hugo Ortega’s food. The evening begins at 7 p.m. and costs $118 per person, plus tax & gratuity. For reservations, email [email protected].
Thursday, October 20
The Chloe Family of Wines Dinner at Bistro Provence
Chloe Wines is coming to Bistro Provence, 13616 Memorial, to be part of an evening of French dining and fine wines. Beginning at 7 p.m., guests will dine on wine-paired dishes such as seared duck breast with blackberry reduction and lamb roast provençale with traditional ratatouille. The menu is $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with a $40 per person deposit required. Call 713-827-8008 for reservations
Iron Sommelier at the Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa
At the Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa, 111 North Post Oak, beginning at 6 p.m., Houston’s finest sommeliers will be put to the test for the title of Iron Sommelier in a fundraiser benefiting The Periwinkle Foundation. Now in its eighth year, wine chair Sean Beck and sommelier chair John Clutterbuck will host the evening, which showcases the expertise of 13 sommeliers while guests mingle and taste hand-selected wines. Competitors include Rachel DelRocco of Camerata at Paulie’s; Evan Turner of Helen Greek Food and Wine; and Travis Hinkle of the Treadsack Restaurant Group. Tickets are $200 in advance and $225 day of. For more information, visit ironsommelier.org or periwinklefoundation.org.
Friday – Saturday
Afternoon Tea at Ouisie’s Table
Ouisie’s Table, 3939 San Felipe, invites weekend guests and Houston’s own social set to join in a dignified salute to the Battle of Trafalgar on both Friday and Saturday afternoons, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Besides a selection of more than a half dozen teas, Afternoon Tea participants will also be presented with a selection of tea sandwiches, including slow-cooked chicken salad, pimento and cheese, and cucumber, dill and cream cheese, smoked salmon canapes, deviled eggs, and sweets including slices of lemon or chocolate tart, pecan shortbread cookies and housemade catheads and biscuits. The cost for Afternoon Tea is $35 per person, which includes tax and gratuity. For an additional $5 per glass, guests may order port or wine, and for an additional $7 per glass, champagne will be served. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Call 713-528-2264.
Saturday, October 22
Tacolandia at Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park
The second annual Tacolandia, the Houston Press's outdoor taco-sampling event, will be held at The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park, 105 Sabine, from 4 to 7 p.m. This year’s lineup includes taco all-stars like El Real Tex-Mex, Gerardo’s, Hugo’s and Stoked Tacos & Tequila. Tickets can be purchased for $30 in advance (or $40 day of if still available) and include unlimited samples from Tacolandia vendors, with beer and cocktails available to purchase. VIP tickets are available for $75 (or $80 day of if still available) and include one hour earlier admission (3 p.m.), unlimited food samples, access to the Jumper Maybach VIP lounge with complimentary beer and cocktail samples and access to VIP restrooms. The event will be held rain or shine, and all guests must be 21 or older with valid identification.
Sunday, October 23
Amberfest at Under the Radar Brewery
Under the Radar Brewery, 1506 Truxillo, will host AmberFest, benefiting the Texas Center for the Missing, from noon to 6 p.m. The Oktoberfest celebration will feature amber beer to bring awareness to the Houston Regional Amber Alert, plus food trucks, live music, a raffle and children’s activities. Tickets are on sale for $25 in advance or $30 at the door, and include two beer tokens and a pint glass. Non-alcoholic tickets (and minors over 12) are $10 and include two non-alcoholic drink tickets (locally brewed root beer and apple soda), and a Yeti Sunshine shaved ice. Kids under 12 are free.
Wine Dinner Under the Stars at The Barry Farm
Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Terrace will host a Wine Dinner Under the Stars at The Barry Farm in Needville beginning at 5:30 p.m. Chef Antoine Ware has prepared a six-course menu featuring farm-fresh ingredients, such as chicken liver mousse on crostini with pickled vegetables, whole-roasted lamb with smashed sweet potatoes and garlic rosemary sauce, and chocolate molten cake for dessert! Each course is paired with a specific wine. Tickets to the event cost $100 and include dinner, wine, tax and gratuity, and can be purchased online on the Harold's reservations page or by calling the restaurant at 713-360-6204.