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    The Happiest of Hours

    Pour Behavior introduces 'Halfy Hour' to hype up your weekdays

    CultureMap Create
    Mar 25, 2022 | 2:24 pm
    There's also a charming outdoor area.
    There's also a charming outdoor area.
    Photo courtesy of Pour Behavior

    Quick check: Is it a weekday? Then you probably worked really hard, and should reward yourself. Head to Pour Behavior, the 18,000-square-foot sports bar and restaurant where an entire front wall opens out onto a giant patio.

    That's the perfect backdrop for sipping new spring cocktails and indulging in the eatery's daily specials, which give each Monday through Friday something new to look forward to.

    "Halfy Hour"
    Score half-off all cocktails, draft beer, wine, and spirits from 4-7 pm, Monday-Friday. Yes, all of 'em.

    You'll especially want to try the Smash N Dash, a mix of Bombay Sapphire gin, tonic, mixed berry puree, sage syrup, lemon juice, and a few dashes of celery bitters, or the Figueroni, which is Bombay Sapphire gin, Cocchi Americano, Aperol, nitro cold brew, and a flamed orange peel.

    Get Caught Red Handed (Grey Goose vodka, raspberries, mint leaves, simple syrup, lemon juice, black tea, and ginger beer) or channel tropical vibes with a Mango Coconut Breeze, Berry Caparinha, or frozen Risqué Rita.

    The app to end all apps
    Feeling nibbly? Order the Sampletizer, a filling assemblage of calamari, chicken wings, fried pickles, onion rings, and spinach artichoke dip, served with your choice of dipping sauces.

    Park it
    Did we mention there's complimentary valet during Halfy Hour? Because there is, and you should take advantage of it.

    And now for the daily specials:

    Mondays
    Monday are for burgers and brews, with $10 getting you a frosty pint of beer and one of Pour Behavior's scratch-made burgers. Chuck and brisket are ground in-house daily to make such specialty burgers as the South Texas Fire, which combines tomato-bacon jam, avocado-tomatillo salsa, white cheddar, and sambal aioli; and the Caprese, which features mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, pesto, and fig balsamic. Or go vegan with the Aloha or Veg'N Out burgers. Keep the suds coming with $4 draft pints.

    Tuesdays
    When you're in Texas, Tuesdays are for tacos. Take your pick from slow-cooked carnitas, carne asada, and grilled shrimp and chorizo, all atop tortillas that are prepared from scratch daily. And the best part? Each taco is half-off. Enjoy $5 specials on Tito's and Cazadores.

    Wednesdays
    You've come to expect wine-down Wednesday, and you'll certainly get that with $5 house wines. But what you weren't expecting was steak night, with a filet and lobster dinner for only $30. You'll want to wear your fancy T-shirt for this.

    Thursdays
    Ladies, this is your chance to broaden your cocktail horizons, as each craft cocktail is half off all throughout Thursday. Or if you and your squad want to savor some tried-and-true classics, a bottle of wine plus the charcuterie board is only $20.

    Fridays
    Finally, it's the weekend! Pour Behavior is ready to celebrate with you, offering half off wine and Champagne bottles and half off all pizzas. These aren't your typical American pizzas, mind you — each 12-inch pie is made from artisanal flour that's imported from Naples, Italy, and fermented for three days to ensure an authentic Neopolitan taste.

    Saturdays
    Brunching is a lifestyle, so post up at Pour Behavior from 11 am-4 pm for $60 mimosa towers. Also be sure to order the Nashville hot chicken biscuits, jumbo cinnamon roll, avocado toast, and breakfast tacos to help balance out the booze. A DJ is in the house playing chill techno music, setting just the right atmosphere.

    ---

    Pour Behavior is located in Midtown at 2211 Travis St., and its toll-free phone number is 833-O-BEHAVE.

    Order one of everything.

    People at happy hour
    Photo courtesy of Pour Behavior
    Order one of everything.
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    What's eric eating episodes 513 and 514

    Beard Award-winning chef and family dish on their new Houston restaurant

    CultureMap Staff
    Nov 21, 2025 | 1:43 pm
    Zaranda restaurant Tracy Vaught Hugo Ortega Sophia Ortega
    Photo by Nick de la Torre
    Zaranda owners Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sophia Ortega are this week's guests.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega, his wife and business partner Tracy Vaught, and their daughter Sophia Ortega join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss H-Town Restaurant Group. The company operates a number of local concepts, including interior Mexican restaurant Hugo’s, Backstreet Cafe, Mexican street food eatery Urbe, and Zaranda, the company’s newly opened restaurant in downtown that’s inspired by California.



    After a brief discussion of the early days of Hugo’s, the trio dives into the process of opening Zaranda. Vaught explains how she became aware of the space in the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower and why it’s proximity to Discovery Green made it particularly appealing. Chef Ortega shares how a three-week road trip throughout Mexico provided some of the inspiration for both Zaranda and Caracol, his Galleria-area seafood restaurant.

    From there, chef Ortega describes how the zaranda — a wire metal basket used to cook seafood over an open flame — anchors much of the menu. He also recommends some dishes diners should try when they visit Zaranda.

    Sandler asks Sophia Ortega what it’s like working with her parents. “I get that comment a lot. It is very different. A lot of people can’t imagine working with family,” she says.

    “For me, I’m an only child. We’re a very close family unit. The restaurants have been a huge part of my growing up. For us, it comes very naturally to work together. It’s all we know. I’ve only ever worked for my restaurants. A lot of the employees have seen me grow up. I think we all have our own lane, but at the same time we overlap. We’re always open to hearing different opinions. That’s when the best decisions are made. I love it.”

    “Sophia is very intuitive. The way she communicates is very thoughtful and sensitive. I think that’s so valuable for our staff. Everybody loves her,” Vaught adds.



    Listen to the full episode for an update on Backstreet Cafe. Its original building was torn down last year to make way for an all-new structure that’s on track to open next year — hopefully in time for its legendary Mother’s Day brunch. Sandler also asks about the restaurant group’s conspicuous omission from the Michelin Guide.

    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson, the proprietor of newly-open wine shop Montrose Grocer, discuss the news out of the week. They begin with a discussion about the Houston Chronicle’s list of the city’s top 100 restaurants, including a discussion of Aga’s as the No.1 selection, some of the new entries on the list, and restaurants that dropped off the list entirely, such as Himalaya, Kata Robata, and Killen’s Barbecue. They also talk about Bari Ristorante opening a new location in The Woodlands and restaurateur Brian Doke’s plans to open Lazy Lane restaurant in Garden Oaks.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, Clarkson and Sandler share thoughts on their recent meal at Maison Chinoise. Located next to Brasserie 19 in the River Oaks Shopping center, the new Chinese restaurant is the latest project from Dallas-based Lombardi Family Concepts, known locally for Toulouse Cafe and Bar, its French restaurant in River Oaks District, and Lombardi Cucina Italiana in Uptown Park.

    Listen to the episode to hear which dishes they liked best, as well as the one that missed the mark. They also discuss its decor and how it will fit with the other luxurious restaurants in the shopping center.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

    Zaranda owners Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sophia Ortega.

    Zaranda restaurant Tracy Vaught Hugo Ortega Sophia Ortega
    Photo by Nick de la Torre

    Zaranda owners Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sophia Ortega are this week's guests.

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