12 HRW Newcomers

Houston Restaurant Weeks 2018 serves up 12 can't-miss newcomers

The time has come for another edition of Houston Restaurant Weeks. Now that the event’s website has gone live with this year’s menus, diners from across the Houston area are already planning their eating itinerary.

Organized by TV and radio host Cleverley Stone, the month-long dining event, which runs from August 1 until Labor Day (September 3), features over 250 participating restaurants that run special two and three-course menus at set price points of $20 (lunch and brunch) and either $35 or $45 (dinner). Each meal contributes a set donation of between $3 and $7 to the Houston Food Bank.

All those small donations add up — participating restaurants raised over $2.4 million last year. As Stone likes to say, HRW is a win for restaurants that have turned one of year’s slowest months into one of their busiest, a win for diners who get to try some of the city’s most popular establishments at a discount, and a win for the Food Bank, which has received over $12.2 million since 2003.

One thing to keep in mind is that the almost 250 restaurants included in the site on launch day are not the final list. More will be added between now and August 1. In addition, some restaurants are confirmed to participate in the event but are still finalizing menus.

The list below offers some of our top picks of first time participants with menus that are currently posted to the HRW website.

Ambrosia
The Asian-inspired bar and restaurant is offering three savory courses and dessert on its $35 dinner menu. Starter choices include salmon crudo, ribeye tataki, and a ginger miso wedge salad. Continue with fried Brussels sprouts, shisito peppers, or pork and wasabi shu mai. Entree choices consist of striped bass, a filet seasoned with five spice power, or pork ribs in a gochujang glaze. For dessert, choose from two different ice cream options or go for chocolate mousse. 2003 Lexington St.; 832-649-4636

Beaver’s
With Jonathan Jones back in the kitchen, the original Beaver’s has new energy, which is reflected in its brunch and dinner HRW menus. For example, the three-course, $35 dinner includes both vegan and gluten-free options for every course, including vegan “queso” made with cauliflower and smoked mushrooms tacos. Omnivores may opt for dishes like the chile con queso, smoked wings, and fried seafood platter. 2310 Decatur St.; 713-864-2328

Bloom & Bee
The signature restaurant at Tilman Fertitta’s lavish The Post Oak hotel will offer a $45, three-course HRW dinner menu. Start with she crab soup, scallop crudo, or one of two salads. Entree choices include salmon, hanger steak with creamy Swiss chard and crispy onion rings, and mushroom risotto. Three dessert choices include strawberry shortcake and a double chocolate brownie. 1600 W. Loop South; 346-227-5139

Emmaline
Sam Governale’s European-inspired neighborhood restaurant will serve both a two-course lunch ($20) and a three-course dinner ($45). Dinner items include a range of options such as burrata with turnip green pesto, lump crab cake, marsala-braised short rib with polenta, an eight-ounce hanger steak, and a stone fruit hand pie. At lunch, the options include rock shrimp pasta salad, mussels, and a chopped salad with pulled chicken and roasted beets. A glass or two from the well-chosen list is optional but highly recommended. 3210 W Dallas St.; 713-523-3210

Fig & Olive
Participating in HRW for both lunch and dinner ($35) provides Houstonians with an affordable way to try this New York-based Mediterranean restaurant that recently opened in the Galleria. Starter at dinner include the signature crostini, heirloom tomato gazpacho, and salmon crudo. Entree choices include balsamic-glazed short ribs, Moroccan-spiced salmon, and paccheri pasta. At lunch, sweet corn risotto and a lamb burger appear to be the most appealing entree options. 5115 Westheimer Rd.; 832-632-6632

Freso Cafe Italiano
This Italian restaurant may be light on ambiance, but the quality of chef-owner Roberto Crescini's food draws diners. The two-course lunch starts with Italian classics like caponata or beef carpaccio. Entree choices include chicken, gnocchi in marinara sauce, and fusilli pasta with baby clams. Trust us and get the clams. 3277 Southwest Freeway; 281-888-2226

Goode Company Kitchen & Cantina
Whether at lunch or dinner ($35), the menu for this Tex-Mex concept from the popular Houston restaurant group delivers the dishes diners most want to eat. Starters include Goode’s signature campechana, queso, and guacamole. Entree choices include tacos or enchiladas at lunch and fajitas or carnitas at dinner. At dinner, finish with sopapillas, churros, or tres leches. 9005 Katy Freeway; 713-766-3434 or 8865 Six Pines Dr.; 281-826-5150

International Smoke
Even though it's only been open for a couple of weeks, Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry's new restaurant will participate in HRW with a three-course, $45 dinner menu. Start with curry cornbread for the table before choosing from one of three starters: shrimp soup with red curry, avocado and quinoa salad, or an heirloom tomato salad. Entree choices include a 44 Farms sirloin steak, Gulf redfish with garlic fried rice, and a half rack of St. Louis-style ribs; they're served with roasted broccoli and green papaya slaw. For dessert, summer berry tropical shave ice, chocolate cream ice box cake, or Curry's key lime parfait that's topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. 800 Sorella Ct., #940; 713-714-0126

Maison Pucha Bistro
This French restaurant in the Heights will welcome diners for a three-course lunch, brunch, or dinner ($35) during HRW. At dinner, start with Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche, seared foie gras, or beet and goat cheese salad. Entree options include salmon with asparagus risotto, duck with parsnip mousseline, or a petite filet with roasted potatoes. For dessert at all three meals, get the signature black and white chocolate souffle. 1001 Studewood St.; 713-637-4976

Night Heron
Agricole Hospitality’s bar-forward Montrose concept offers both brunch and dinner ($35) HRW menus. Brunch options include black pepper honey biscuits, Caesar salad, a croissant sandwich, and roasted pepper taquitos. At dinner, start with chili clams or pork ribs before moving on to entree options that include a smoked cheeseburger, 44 Farms sirloin with cold somen noodle, or jerk chicken with pickled pineapple. Finish with panna cotta, cheese, or ice cream. 1601 W. Main St.; 713-527-8010

Poitín
This eclectic restaurant in Sawyer Yards will offer HRW menus during both lunch and brunch. While the lunch menu is still being finalized, the brunch menu offers many appealing choices. Start with biscuits, pop tarts, or muffins. Entree choices include blueberry pancakes, a pulled pork Benedict, and a fried chicken sandwich. Optional sides include bacon, grits, eggs, or hash browns. 2313 Edwards St.; 713-470-6686

Tobiuo Sushi & Bar
Katy’s buzzy new sushi spot aims to make a HRW splash with a four-course, $35 dinner menu. The first course options include amberjack crudo and salmon tartare; next, choose from six pieces of sashimi, four pieces of nigiri, and the signature flying tobiuo roll. Entree choices include a six-ounce 44 Farms ribeye, chicken with cauliflower puree, or miso-glazed salmon. Desserts are light and refreshing: compressed watermelon, lychee ice cream, or shaved ice with a blueberry reduction. 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Suite H130; 281-394-7156

Nigiri is on the menu at Tobiuo Sushi.

Photo by Dragana Harris

Nigiri is on the menu at Tobiuo Sushi.

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eat real food

Houston DJ-turned-TikTok star cooks up a cult following one recipe at a time

Courtesy of Uncle Dibbz

Uncle Dibbz, a.k.a. A.H. Bowden, has built a devoted following for his viral recipes.

For the past month, Uncle Dibbz has been, shall we say, going ham on social media with the myriad videos of alternative Thanksgiving dishes. He’s dropped how-to clips for such recipes as Cajun-roasted turkey, honey-baked ham/hens, oven-bag turkey, and six-piece fried turkey (to go). Basically, if you don’t want to cook a bland ol’ Butterball this Turkey Day, Dibbz has you covered.

Who is Dibbz, you say? Well, he’s a North Jersey-born, Georgia-bred, Houston-based chef who’s been building quite the foodie rep online. Several videos across his TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages, from his Cajun-boiled fried chicken (2 million on IG) to his “Propose to Me Pasta” (12.3 million on TikTok), has amassed millions of views. But Dibbz (government name: A.H. Bowden) wasn’t always a culinary content creator. He used to spin music back in Atlanta as DJ DiBiase, named after retired wrestler Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase. “DiBiase is a mouthful to say, so people just always call me ‘D’ or ‘Dibbz’ for short,” says Bowden, 37, during a Zoom interview.

@uncledibbz PROPOSE To Me PASTA 💍 🍝 Trust your Uncle! This SEAFOOD Pasta will seal the deal 👌🏽 Get my recipe below ⬇️ or on uncledibbz.com [@uncledibbz Link in Bio] 🌐 **Ingredients:** - 8 ounces spaghetti - 1 lb mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, crab meat, etc.) - 2 tablespoons olive oil - Fresh chopped basil - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1/2 cup white wine - 1/4 cup heavy cream - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - Salt and pepper to taste - Uncle Dibbz Delta Dust [link in bio] - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish) - Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish) **Instructions:** 1. Cook the spaghetti pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. 2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, chopped basil and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. 3. Add the mixed seafood to the skillet. Season with Uncle Dibbz Delta Dust to taste and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Remove the seafood from the skillet and set aside. 4. Pour in the white wine to the skillet and let it simmer for 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off. 5. Stir in the heavy cream, butter, Uncle Dibbz Delta Dust seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. 6. Add the cooked spaghetti and cooked mixed seafood to the skillet. Toss everything together until well coated with the sauce. 7. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. 8. Serve hot and enjoy the flavorful Seafood Spaghetti. That's good Shawty! #UncleDibbz #ThatsGoodShawty #Pasta #marryme #proposal #bride #wife #husband #relationshipgoals #datenight #easyrecipe #seafood #cajun #cooking #fyp #foryou #viral #houston ♬ original sound - Uncle Dibbz 🍴

He was making a nice living as a DJ, even serving as rapper Big K.R.I.T.’s touring DJ for a while. But when the pandemic hit, the gigs obviously dried up.

“I was living in Miami at the time,” he says. “And, you know, when you have a lot of time on your hands to think – but also need to figure out a way to, you know, sustain an income and everything like that – the ideas start coming,”

Like most DJs at that time, he was doing live mixes on Instagram. But his days throwing cookout parties in Atlanta inspired him to start doing his cooking videos, where he used his very own seasoning. Of course, he had a lemon pepper blend, which he used in a lemon pepper hot wings video that currently has over a half-million views on TikTok.

“I'm about to go live to DJ later that night, and my phone was just going off with orders,” he recalls. “So I'm like, where are these orders coming from? And it's not from my friends. I'm seeing the cities and the states. I don't know these people.”

Thanks to his videos, which usually end with him saying his signature line “That’s good shawty!” (that’s also the name of his cookbook he released last year), Dibbz went into the seasoning business full time. He eventually hired another person to help send out the piles of orders he was receiving.

He even got an order from former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith, one of his favorite athletes. “I remember doing a book report on him when I was in fourth grade,” he boasts.

Although Dibbz has a flair for making meals that border on decadent, he’s an ardent practitioner of cooking with natural ingredients, especially in his seasoning. He has several low-sodium seasoning, including Bebe’s Salt Free – named after his mother, who had open-heart surgery a few weeks before the pandemic started.

“I don't think a lot of people understand the amount of toxins and chemicals that go into a lot of these seasonings,” he says. “You're starting to see it in the news now. A lot of the foods with certain dyes are being taken off the shelves and things like that.’

Soon, Dibbz moved himself and his new business to Houston, a favorite place to perform as well as a town whose hip-hop got him into music. He cites local chopped-and-screwed gods DJ Screw, Michael 5000 Watts, and OG Ron C as his holy trinity of influences. To give props to the music of his new home, he created a hot sauce – called HXT Sauce – whose uncharacteristically large bottle resembles Promethazine cough syrup (aka the key ingredient in lean, the preferred purple cocktail for the city’s rap community).

“It's not necessarily about promoting that usage,” he says. “But, at the same time, it’s just a homage to one of the factors and influences of screwed-and-chopped music.”

Dibbz still indulges in spinning records from time to time. The Waxaholics’ DJ Big Reeks has gotten him to break out the vinyl a few times during his Thursday-night sets at Alley Kat Bar & Lounge in Midtown. But creating new recipes, dropping delicious content and proving you can eat and live in a hearty, healthy fashion still remains his full-time mission.

“I’m not just talking about eating cauliflower rice all day and every day, but just eat real food,” he says. “We're eating fake food. That's the bottom line. We're eating fake food and my whole purpose is to inspire people to eat real food and that starts with real ingredients, real herbs, you know – real natural seasonings.”

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Houston DJ-turned-TikTok star cooks up a cult following one recipe at a time