This week in dining

These are the 11 best food and drink events in Houston this week

Fall festival season is in full effect, which means this week offers a wide array of food events — whether that's celebrating the arrival of downtown's newest food hall or driving to Brenham to sample bites from dozens of Texas chefs.

This week's roundup also includes a deal on some of Houston's best bagels, the chance to mingle with the stars of a new, Houston-themed cookbook, and a food truck that features Baccarat chandeliers. Get out there and do some eating.

Monday, October 14 to Sunday, October 20

Bravery Chef Hall Grand Opening Party
Houston's newest food hall throws a week-long bash to celebrate its chef-driven concepts. Each day highlights a different concept, with featured food and drink. Look for live entertainment as well as series of surprises throughout the week.

Monday, October 14

44th Anniversary deals at New York and Coffee Shop
Famous for its bagels, the coffee shop has a day-long deal today in honor of its anniversary. Discounts include 44-cent bagels and a breakfast combo of two eggs any style, choice of home fries, grits, tomato, or potato pancake, and bagel or toast with butter and jelly for $4.44.

Houston Cooks launch party at Katz Coffee
Forty of the city's best chefs offered recipes for this new cookbook by Francine Spiering. The party features bites and beverages by Ambiente Wines, B&B Butchers, B.B. Italia, Broken Barrel, Dessert Gallery, Eculent, Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill, The Dunlavy, Katz Coffee, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Sweet Cup Gelato, Poitín, Shun Japanese Kitchen, Saigon House, and Theodore Rex. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased online. The party starts at 6 pm.

Tuesday, October 15

United Tacos of America at La Calle
The downtown taqueria stars in a Houston-themed episode of this new show on the El Rey network. To celebrate, the restaurant is offering $0.99 Taco Tuesday specials, a $100 gift card to the person who breaks the record of 49 tacos consumed, and the possibility of a $100 gift card if the establishment sells its 900,000th taco.

Wednesday, October 16

Tex and Mex at Armadillo Palace
Chefs Levi Goode of Goode Company and Hugo Ortega of H-Town Restaurant Group come together for this casual sip-and-stroll showcasing the food cultures of Texas and Mexico. Look for menu selections such as farm-raised Texas bacon-wrapped quail runners stuffed with white cheddar and jalapeno; sope with beef cheek in pasilla mole; salt-crusted, fire-roasted whole Gulf red snapper; and tamal de cochinita pibil. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Foodways Texas. Tickets are $75 per person, and the evening kicks off at 6:30 pm.

Family Meal with Eric Railsback at Avondale Food & Wine
The acclaimed sommelier and wine maker will host a special evening at this Montrose wine bar and restaurant. Expect dishes from chef Olivier Ciesielski paired with Railsback's wine. The meal costs $60; reserve a seat by calling 713-360-6313.

Thursday, October 17

Lady M Cake Truck Pop-Up at Baccarat
The New York bakery will once again bring its signature crepe cakes to Houston. Instead of opening in a mall, the bakery will use the occasion to debut its new food truck that's decorated with Baccarat chandeliers and 3D art by Kurt Wenner. Pre-order whole cakes ($55-90) in advance or buy slices from the truck.

Spirit Round Table at Brennan's
Italian liqueurs highlight this popular series, which tonight showcases how to incorporate Italian bitter amaros and other spirits into cocktails. The evening features historical background, tastings, cocktail suggestions, and light bites. Tickets are $20 per person and guests can register here. The class runs from 5:30 to 7 pm.

Sunday, October 20

Taste of the District at River Oaks District
From 11 am to 3 pm, the trendy shopping center and food destination throws a bash to benefit Recipe for Success. The open-air market and stroll features flavors from the district’s restaurants and retailers, as well as farm fresh produce from Hope Farms, chef demos, a DIY eco-conscious workshops, an Equinox class, and the chance to shop for locally made goods.

4th Annual Butchers Ball at Rockin' Star Ranch
One of the most-anticipated foodie events on the calendar, this all-out bash brings together chefs, butchers, farmers, ranchers, educators, bartenders, and other culinary industry leaders for a day of chef tastings, competitions, demonstrations, discussions, entertainment, and more. One of the day's highlights is the Golden Cleaver Competition, a public vote for the day's "best bite," with entries from 20 chefs across the state. Tickets start at $100 per person, and can be purchased online. The event benefits Urban Harvest.

Beer Fest at Revival Market
The Heights favorite recently got a liquor license, and they've invited six local breweries to take part in this inaugural event. Chef Steve Lamborn will have pork schnitzel, raclette, hot dogs, and fruit streusels for sale, and the beers will be paired with cheeses from Houston Dairymaids. Bonus: there's polka music, face painting for the kiddos, and other fun stuff. Beer sampling requires a wrist band, available for $25 per person. To get one, call 713-880-8463 or email Revival general manager Layne Cruz.

The Butcher's Ball returns.

Photo by Daniel Jackson

The Butcher's Ball returns.

news-you-can-eat

What's eric eating episodes 513 and 514

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

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.

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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.

Photo by Nick de la Torre

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

podcast interview news-you-can-eat chefs