Summer Fun

Four Seasons Hotel Houston has your ultimate summer schedule

Get your party pants ready: The Summer Social Series is gearing up for its third year at Four Seasons Hotel Houston. This exciting event series features everything from craft dinner experiences to interactive art and live music performances all summer long.

It happens May through September, and here's the kicker: admission and valet parking for the Live Art and Summer Music series are free for all guests.

Here are your summer plans:

Craft Dinner Series
Sip on fine wines and rare spirits that have been paired with an expertly crafted, multi-course menu. Each month brings a new and exclusive dinner collaboration with top winemakers and craft distilleries, and here's the lineup:

May 23: Wild Turkey
June 26: DAOU Vineyards & Winery
July 25: WhistlePig
August 29: Veuve Clicquot
September 26: Macallan
October 24: Antinori Wine

Live Art Bar
Get to know the artists every third Thursday of the month, from 6-9 pm, while enjoying live performances and special food and drink offerings. Here's who you can see during this intimate and interactive series:

May 16: Taft McWhorter's "LA 2 TX" exhibit on view at Bayou & Bottle.
June 20: Chris Minamyer's "4 Letter Words" featured on the pool deck, paired with a live DJ.
July 18: Patti Lennon-Potter and Traci Lavois Thieboud come together for "IconiColor Poetry" featuring live art and poetry in Vinoteca.
August 15: Cory Willingham's "You Had Me at Merlot" featured in Bayou & Bottle with curated wine pairings.
September 5: Micah Simmons and DJ Kinda Super Disco showcase "Circulation" in Vinoteca.

Summer Music Series
Head to the pool deck every Friday from 7-10 pm for live entertainment from local musicians and DJs, special food and beverage offerings, and poolside games.

It all kicks off on Memorial Day weekend, so gather your friends, head to our pool, and celebrate the beginning of summer on May 24 with DJ Soul Star.

Upcoming featured bands include Nick and the Hits, IDT, and Adrian Michael Band. Additional DJs on rotation are DJ Soul Star, DJ Big Reeks, DJ Hoyet, DJ Flash Gordon Parks, and DJ Gracie Chavez.

For more information on the Summer Social Series, call the hotel at 713-650-1300, visit its website, or follow on Facebook.

A way-cool weekend
Already dreaming of your perfect summer weekend? Here's a suggested agenda for enjoying the Summer Social Series and everything else that Four Seasons Hotel Houston has to offer.

Friday
Kick start your weekend with Major League Soccer player Michael Chabala and Powa by Sphere, his exclusive soccer-inspired high intensity fitness concept. Break a sweat every Friday with a 5:30pm Powa class in the fitness center, then head out to the pool deck for a post-workout No Shower Happy Hour featuring live music during the Summer Music Series.

Saturday
Wake up and fuel your inner fire with Sunrise Salutations Yoga on the pool deck every Saturday at 9 am. Then head down to Bayou & Bottle for a delicious a la carte brunch menu available on Saturdays and Sundays. Enjoy seasonal craft cocktails and brunch faves like the Greek yogurt parfait with fresh berries and gluten-free granola, E.A.S.T. (egg, avocado, and salmon toast), Feges BBQ Brisket Benedict, and fried chicken and waffles with local honey chili glaze and bourbon-infused maple syrup.

Be sure to check out the expertly curated bourbon tastings each Saturday at 5 pm in Bayou & Bottle. Let an expert Bourbon Steward help you gain a deeper understanding of some of the best and rarest spirits during an intimate tasting.

For those looking for something to do with the little ones, the culinary team at Quattro offers interactive cooking experiences for children every Saturday at 3 pm.

Sunday
Get your Sunday Funday started early with a 10 am Powa by Sphere Class, then grab your friends and head up to Quattro for the ultimate brunch spread. The hotel's signature Sunday brunch features an impressive selection of cheese and charcuterie, housemade pastries and sweet treats, a carving station, build-your-own crepes, classic breakfast offerings, a custom omelet bar, caviar service, raw bar and sushi, and create-your-own pasta with a variety of Quattro's signature housemade pastas.

Relax at the resort-style saltwater pool and sip on a selection of classic cocktails from Bayou & Bottle, and when you get hungry again later, order the lobster tacos and the Bayou burger to be delivered poolside.

For more information or to book the perfect weekend staycation, check out the hotel's current offers.

The Summer Music Series takes over the pool deck every Friday.

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Houston

The Summer Music Series takes over the pool deck every Friday.

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well week

Houston's favorite restaurants pitch in with new mental wellness dining event

Courtesy photo

Blood Bros. BBQ is taking part in the event.

Some of Houston’s best-known restaurants are taking part in WellWeek, a themed event designed to raise funds and awareness for mental health support for hospitality industry workers.

Running through October 15, the initiative challenged Bayou City restaurants to create zero-proof cocktails and desserts, and donate $1 from the sale of each to the WellWeek fund.

Axelrad, Backstreet Cafe, Blood Bros. BBQ, Caracol, Coltivare, Fat Cat Creamery, Giacomo’s, Hugo’s, Indianola, Lucille’s, and Oporto are just some of the Houston eateries who’ve added items to their menus for this cause.

Diners can stop in at any of these locations and order the WellWeek-themed items, knowing they’re helping the hospitality industry take care of its own. Check out the full list here.

Funds raised from the initiative will be shared with several nonprofit entities, including IHWSH, a woman-led organization that raises awareness about the need for better health in the food and beverage industry; Southern Smoke Foundation, which provides emergency funds for hospitality workers and offers mental health to workers and their families; the Houston Recovery Center, which provides care for individuals affected by substance use; and the Montrose Center, group, family and individual counseling services, regardless of ability to pay, with an expertise in care and support of the LGBTQ community.

“In my career, I have felt at times that my work environment was not supportive of my mental health,” said Tina Marie Beckett, co-chair of this year’s WellWeek event. “Although many of us will say that mental health is important, very few of us know how to prioritize mental well-being - our own and our employees’. We want to shift the conversation from scary statistics to real solutions and practices that support mental health in the workplace.”

WellWeek offers mental health training sessions for restaurant hourly staff and management. Among the topics covered this year are how to help employees and colleagues experiencing mental health crises, how to recognize triggers and signs of anxiety, and resources for mental health care. There are also events for industry workers, including yoga in the park.

“I have lost too many friends and colleagues to depression and substance abuse, all of which intensified during the pandemic,” said Lindsay Rae Burleson, WellWeek 2022 co-chair, and principal creator of the new IHWSH Ambassador program. “This year’s campaign will focus on the programs available to our community and the ways our community is fighting for change. Zero proof is a growing, positive movement for bars and restaurants to embrace. And with worker shortages, it just makes sense to make more efforts to keep the people that you’ve trained healthy, to give them support to stay well.”

Maximum Chicken

National chicken sandwich chain flies into Houston with wood-smoked tenders, waffles, and more

Chick N Max/Facebook

Chick N Max chicken sandwiches come in array of sauces.

Another chicken sandwich chain plans to spread its wings across the greater Houston area. Chick N Max has signed an area development agreement with Aaron Johnson that could bring as many as 25 locations to Houston.

The roll out will start slowing with three locations in the next 18 to 24 months, according to a release. Johnson has signed his first lease in Willis, a town north of Conroe, and plans to find franchisees for other areas of the metropolitan area. The restaurant industry veteran brings executive experience from Bennigan’s, Smashburger, and MOD Pizza.

“While researching several brands in the chicken sandwich space, I knew I wanted to partner with the one I felt had the strongest flavor profile. After my first bite of a Chick N Max sandwich during a visit to Wichita, I was sold,” Johnson said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to grow the brand in Houston, which I call home, gives me great pride.”

Founded in 2017 by Max Sheets, Chick N Max is a Wichita, Kansas-based restaurant that serves both almond wood-smoked smoked chicken and fried chicken tenders as plates, salads, and sandwiches. Popular items include a smoked chicken sandwich with buttermilk-garlic sauce and bread and butter pickles, Sriracha hot honey chicken tender sandwich, and waffles topped with popcorn chicken.

Pair them with sides such as french fries, onion rings, smoked white beans, and deviled egg potato salad. Tenders can be tossed in six sauces such as barbecue, Buffalo, and jalapeño-lime.

“The signing of this agreement represents yet another significant step in the growth of Chick N Max as we continue to drive our expansion efforts across the Central and Southeastern United States,” Sheets said. “Anchored by our innovative take on chicken sandwiches and an enthusiastic partner like Aaron Johnson, we’re perfectly positioned to accommodate the demands for healthier alternatives to burgers and look to the future with great enthusiasm.”

Chick N Max is one of several chicken chains looking to Houston for opportunities. California-based Dave’s Hot Chicken has opened five Houston-area locations, and Fort Worth-based The Cookshack has four of its own. Later this fall, California’s Daddy’s Chicken Shack will arrive in the Heights, and Shaquille O’Neal will bring the first local outpost of his Big Chicken chain to the Westchase District.

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Asleep at the Auction

Texas icon Ray Benson auctions off custom guitars, classic cars, and more music memorabilia

Photo courtesy of Burley Auction

Benson's bike is up for grabs.

There’s no stopping some collectors, who make historical gear and other oddities a lifelong pursuit. Ray Benson, frontman of the longtime Austin-based Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, has a looser grasp on some of his items.

“After 50 plus years of collecting, I realized it’s time for me to clean house and let someone else enjoy them for a while,” said Benson in a press release. “I wouldn’t say that I became a collector on purpose,” he later added.

In particular, he’s talking about memorabilia, custom guitars, classic cars, and even a custom motorcycle. New Braunfels-based Burley Auction is in charge of the sale, which will occur both in person in New Braunfels and online on October 15. So each item’s true value shines through, Benson will walk onlookers through his collection, telling stories from his career since 1970.

Collectibles are a great chance at name dropping, which in this case calls to memory connections with Willie Nelson, George Strait, Dolly Parton, and Commander Cody, among others. This is as interesting for an Asleep at the Wheel fan as any buyer who loves Texas and its nonconformist entertainment history.

“I’ve accumulated a vast collection of some really cool stuff! From the bay area music scene of the early ‘70s, to the Austin ‘Cosmic Cowboy’ movement” Benson said. “Hats, boots, posters, cars and guitars!”

Ray Benson Benson will auction off custom guitars, classic cars, and more on October 15.Photo by Mike Shore

In addition to connecting people with items that make them happy or teach them something, this auction benefits the Texas Dance Hall Preservation, which maintains antique gathering places across the state including two in Texas: the Austin Son’s of Hermann Mixed Lodge and the Broken Spoke.

The auction couldn’t have come at a more nostalgic time for Asleep at the Wheel, in the wake of its album Half A Hundred Years, released on October 1. As usual, the band will be at the Austin City Limits Festival (as one of its more stable offerings year-to-year) supporting the 19-track new release. Iconic musicians from the genre join the record as guests, plus three original band members who lend their talents for the first time in 40 years.

Registration details and a catalog of items for auction are available at BurleyAuction.com.

texas music

Summer Fun

Four Seasons Hotel Houston has your ultimate summer schedule

The Summer Music Series takes over the pool deck every Friday.

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

New Houston restaurant from West Coast pop-up favorite delivers pineapple bowls, mac and cheese, and more

Lizzo, Post Malone, and Chris Stapleton headline Houston's hottest October concerts

well week

Houston's favorite restaurants pitch in with new mental wellness dining event

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

New Houston restaurant from West Coast pop-up favorite delivers pineapple bowls, mac and cheese, and more

Lizzo, Post Malone, and Chris Stapleton headline Houston's hottest October concerts

Maximum Chicken

National chicken sandwich chain flies into Houston with wood-smoked tenders, waffles, and more

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

New Houston restaurant from West Coast pop-up favorite delivers pineapple bowls, mac and cheese, and more

Lizzo, Post Malone, and Chris Stapleton headline Houston's hottest October concerts

Asleep at the Auction

Texas icon Ray Benson auctions off custom guitars, classic cars, and more music memorabilia

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

New Houston restaurant from West Coast pop-up favorite delivers pineapple bowls, mac and cheese, and more

Lizzo, Post Malone, and Chris Stapleton headline Houston's hottest October concerts

Summer Fun

The Summer Music Series takes over the pool deck every Friday.

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well week

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Maximum Chicken

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Asleep at the Auction

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We will not share or sell your email address.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Houston intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Houston intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Houston intel delivered daily.

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