Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings:
Ooh La La Dessert Boutique, 23920 Westheimer, 770 West Sam Houston Parkway North, 20155 Park Row, is offering a sweet and tart start to the new year with its January’s Cupcake of the Month. Available at all three bakery locations, the cranberry orange cupcake features a fluffy vanilla cake folded with fresh cranberries and topped with orange buttercream and candied cranberries.
On Wednesday, January 11 at 6 p.m., enjoy a Tequila OCHO & Fortaleza Dinner in The Pass, 807 Taft. The restaurant will host Tomas Estes of Tequila OCHO and Guillermo Sauza of Tequila Fortaleza for a six-course dinner paired with their amazing agaves. Tickets are $95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 713-628-9020 (option 2) to purchase.
On Monday, January 16 at 6:30 p.m., guests can enjoy a very special Spanish-inspired throwback dinner at Underbelly, 1100 Westheimer. The Cúrate, Katie Button and Catalan Throwback dinner will feature throwback Catalan dishes and new dishes that could show up on the One Fifth Romance Languages menu, plus dishes inspired by Katie Button’s cookbook, Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen.
The 2017 Truffle Masters will be held at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby, on Monday, January 16 from 7 to 10 p.m. Top local chefs (25 of them, to be exact) will be using DR | Delicacy’s aromatic and flavorful truffles to create decadent dishes and compete for the title of “2017 Truffle Master.” Guests can taste the dishes alongside an open bar for beer and wine. Tickets are $150 for general admission and $250 for VIP (with one hour early admission, caviar samples and special drinks). Proceeds from the event will benefit Houston Culinary & Hospitality Scholarship programs.
On Tuesday, January 17 at 5:30 p.m., Midtown’s Izakaya, 318 Gray, is hosting a late-afternoon shochu class and tasting, led by an expert representative from JFC International Inc. Izakaya houses Houston’s largest selection of the trendy beverage, a popular Japanese distilled spirit made with barley, sweet potatoes, rice, buckwheat and brown sugar, among other innumerable ingredients. Guests will taste a selection of shochu flavors and styles with a discussion on what makes each different, how they are made and various ways to enjoy them, alongside light food fare prepared by chef Jean Philippe Gaston. The cost of the class, which includes the food and sake, is $45 per person. Registration is limited, so reservations are required. Call 713-527-8988.
Erin Hicks, local author of the popular “Houston Classic” cookbook series and Houston Small Plates & Sips, is readying Houstonians for cooler temperatures with her soon-to-be released Houston Soups & Sips, which features sought-after recipes from some of Houston’s hottest restaurants. Hicks’s launch party will be held at Ritual, 602 Studewood, on Wednesday, January 18, from 5 to 9 p.m. Friends and fans can enjoy complimentary soup samples from featured restaurants, as well as visit with Hicks in person and purchase a personalized copy.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2016 – Jan 4, 2017.
