It must be springtime in Houston, because the events and festivals are really in swing this week. Take a look!
Tuesday, March 24
Wine Dinner At Bistro Provence
Bistro Provence welcomes Jean-Philippe Marchand for a dinner pairing his Burgundy wines with their traditional French cuisine. Courses include Lobster and St Jacques Carpaccio with a citrus accent with Petit Chablis, Domaine Etienne Boileau 2013 and Coq Au Vin with Hautes Côtes de Nuits JP Marchand 2011. A $40 deposit via Paypal is required to hold the reservation. Call 713-827-8008 for more information. 13616 Memorial. 7 p.m. $95 plus tax and gratuity.
Wednesday, March 25
Wine Tasting At French Country Wines
One of Bourgogne's most popular winemakers, Jean-Philippe Marchand, will introduce several of his wines for tasting, all from Domaine Jean-Philippe Marchand. (Check out the dinner with him on Tuesday night, too.) Of course, wine tastings need little nibbles, so Houston Dairy Maids is providing cheese samples to go with them. 2433 Bartlett. 5 to 7 p.m. Free.
Thursday, March 26
6th Annual Keels And Wheels Uncorked
The sixth year of this preview of the classic car and vintage wooden boat show is being held at Rolls Royce/Bentley Houston inside their showroom at Post Oak Motor Cars. It's hosted by The 20th Annual Keels & Wheels Concours d'Elegance and promises to be an elegant evening of fine wines, exceptional food and classic automobiles. wooden boat. The chef of each participating then selects a specific wine that they feel matches the classic automobile then prepares and hors d'oeuvre to accompany it. Funds raised go to Boys & Girls Harbor and radio host Sam Malone is the master of ceremonies. Buy tickets here. West Loop South. 7 to 10 p.m. $75 in advance / $100 at the door.
Entice With Spice Cooking Class
Join local cookbook author Shubhra Ramineni for a cooking class at Savory Spice Shop in Rice Village. The class will teach how to make Fragrant Basmati Rice, Split Red Lentil Stew (Daal) and Lemon Rice. Attendees will receive a wine pairing and a signed, personalized copy of Entice with Spice, Easy Indian Recipes for Busy People. Call (713) 533-9333 for reservations. 2516 Times. 6:30 to 8 p.m. $30.
Tomball German Heritage Festival Kick-Off Party
This sure looks like it's going to be fun. The kick-off party starts tonight at Landhaus Nikodemus. with German food, beer, wine and music by Grammy-nominated accordionist Alex Meixner. (This is no traditional accordion guy. He performs stuff like "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osborne and it's awesome. RSVP here. 413 West Main, Tomball.
Friday, March 27
Updated 3/27/15, 8:44 a.m.: This event is sold out "Cool Kids" Korean Foreign Exchange Brunch at Bernie's Burger Bus
Chef Matthew Pak of Koagie Hots, Golden Grill and The Burger Joint is the guest chef at Bernie's and is creating a menu with the flavors of Korea. The menu includes Gogi Wanja JorimKorean meatball with bacon-samjang broth and puffed rice and Korean fried chicken with soy garlic sauce and pickled vegetables. Buy tickets here. 6:30 p.m. $65.
Tomball German Heritage Festival
The festival kicks off in earnest this evening and runs through Sunday. Expect vendors, German beer, wine, food, a Best Dressed German contest, music and dancing. If you're surprised that Tomball has a German festival, you should know that their sister city is Telgte, Germany. Read more about the festival here. The festivities kick off at 6 p.m. and continue on from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission, parking and shuttle are free.
Saturday, March 28
Texas Wine & Art Festival In Spring
The festival starts today and runs through tomorrow. General admission is free and allows you to visit vendors and check out paintings, photography and handmade artwork, but you need a tasting ticket to drink wine from 10 different Texas vineyards. Tickets are $25 online and $30 at the gate. It includes a commemorative wine glass and seven wine tastings. Additional tastings are available for $1 each. Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Karbach Brewing Company and Cyclers Brewing will take care of the beer lovers. Get tickets and more information here. 427 Gentry. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free.
7th Annual YPG Margarita Taste-Off
The Candlelighters 7th Annual YPG Margarita Taste-Off features Houston area restaurants all competing at Hughes Hangar for votes to win the title for Best Margarita. 100% of the proceeds benefit Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance. Southern Star is bringing the beer and Don Julio is supplying the tequila. VIP ticket holders get admission an hour before everyone else. Visit this link for tickets. 2811 Washington. 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. $60 VIP/$40 general admission or $50 at the door.
Runaway Sun Music Video Party At Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.
Enjoy beers at Bufflalo Bayou Brewing Company and be one of the first to see Runaway Sun's new music video for "Bad, Bad Man." There's also a live performance by the band. $15 gets you a Mason jar with Runaway Sun artwork and if you're okay with a plastic cup, it's only $10. Either way, you get three beer tokens. 5301 Nolda. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Crawfish Boil At Ladybird's
Details are still evolving, but right now what's being promised is "boil, beer and bands." We'll post more details if we get them. 5519 Allen. 12 p.m.
Sunday, March 29
Thai Brunch At Kipper Club
Chef P.J. Stoops is bringing his signature Thai cuisine to brunch! It promises to be a unique meal with a taste of what he's serving at his forthcoming restaurant, Foreign Correspondents. The menu includes Gai Tawd Khao Niew Nam Prik Noom (Fried Chicken with Roast Green Chili Dip) and Ka Muu Kai Palow (Pork and Eggs Braised in Sweet Spices). Get your tickets here. Seatings are scheduled every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. $25.
Wine Dinner at Paulie's
Paulie's hosts wine expert Jon Bonné for a seven-course wine pairing dinner. Bonné will discuss his book The New California Wine as well as the movement towards balanced, low-alcohol wines. Chef Felipe Riccio will prepare a dinner and Camerata's Advanced Sommelier, David Keck, will select the pairings. California winemakers Pax Mahle and Sashi Moorman will also be in attendance to speak about their wines. Call Camerata at (713) 522-8466 for reservations. Tickets include a signed copy of Bonné's book. 1834 Westheimer. 7 p.m. $250
KUUmunity Dinner
Once a month, 16 adventurous foodies will experience a unique, modern Japanese tasting menu created by chef Adison Lee at KUU. Each course will feature a dish paired with wine. Call (713) 461-1688 to reserve your spot. 947 Gessner. 6:30 p.m. $95 or $150 with wine pairings.
Sunday, April 26
Houston BBQ Festival
This is way-advance notice because it always sells out. The Houston BBQ Festival features the best smoked meat purveyors in Houston, including all of our Chef Chat subjects from our recent "The Pit Masters" series: CorkScrew BBQ, Roegels Barbecue Co. and Brooks' Place. A VIP ticket for $100 gets you early admission, a T-shirt and a drink ticket. Lines can be long, but everyone gets unlimited barbecue samples. Get tickets here. NRG Park, Green Lot. 1 to 5 p.m. $50 to $100.
