scranton in houston

A pop-up bar inspired by The Office debuts in downtown Houston this weekend

Dunder Mupplen Office pop-up bar cocktails

Dunder Mupplen will feature drinks inspired by The Office.

Courtesy of Plethora/Four44 Hospitality Group Inc.

Did you know that actor Briam Baumgartner is the highest-earning personality on the celebrity app Cameo? Best known for portraying Kevin from Accounting, the actor made over $1 million via the app in 2020, according to a recent interview with Cameo CEO Steven Galanis published by the New York Times.

Baumgartner's success helps explain why a pop-up bar inspired by The Office is coming to downtown Houston. Dunder Mupplen will occupy 711 Main St. from January 15-30.

Presented by Plethora/Four44 Hospitality Group Inc, the creators of last year's Harry Potter-themed Muggle-less Bar, Dunder Mupplen will offer Office superfans a range of experiences including Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, food and drinks inspired by the show, and activities such as trivia and costume contests.

“My goal is to create unforgettable experiences to downtown Houston,” Asha Holloway, owner of Plethora/Four44 Hospitality Group Inc., said in a statement. “For years, The Office brought people together and created its own ‘culture,’ so we are so excited to bring it to life with added twists exclusive to us.”

The food and drink menus reference the show. Sip a "That's What She Said" or an "Assistant to the Regional." The large-format "World's Best Boss" is served in a giant coffee mug. A full list of food items hasn't been released, but it will include Kevin's chili, a reference to one of the show's most cringeworthy moments.

For a show that hasn't aired a new episode since 2013, The Office remains extremely popular. NBC Universal paid $500 million to make the show the centerpiece of its Peacock streaming service, stealing it away from Netflix, where it reportedly accounted for an astonishing 3-percent of the platform's traffic.

Tickets to Dunder Mupplen cost $15 per person and can be purchased online. Food and drink is available for additional costs. Groups of five or more who wish to sit together should expect to pay an additional $15 reservation fee per party. The event is only available for people 21 and over. Measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including mask requirements and temperature checks, will be in place.

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truffle masters recap

Street corn shines at Houston's truffle-powered chef competition

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Marcus Benedict, Daniella Johner, and chef Luis Roger of MAD and BCN.

One of Houston’s top Mexican restaurants took the top prize at this year’s Truffle Masters competition. Victoria Elizondo, chef-owner of Cochinita & Co., bested 24 other Houston chefs with Elotitos, corn brushed with chiltepin aioli, dusted with seven chile spice, and finished with shaved truffles and Parmesan.

“The team killed it last night,” Elizondo wrote on Instagram. “We won 1st place at @thetrufflemasters all while having fun and cooking with love! Food doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be made with corazón!”

The attention couldn’t have come at a better time. As CultureMap reported last month, Cochinita & Co. is currently in the process of opening a second location in Lindale Park. Customers can invest in the project via the NuMarket platform in exchange for credits at the restaurant.

Second prize went to Camaraderie in the Heights for its black sesame and black truffle gelato, while Cocody, a French restaurant in River Oaks, took third place for its truffle-shaped Lollys Persillade Escargot Cromesquis, essentially an escargot lollypop with with black truffle and quail egg in the middle.

Montrose sushi restaurant Soto won People’s Choice with its Engawa fin muscle with truffle balsamic unagi sauce, kizami, and chocolate black truffle masago arare. Aniket Bhingare, a bartender at Michelin-starred restaurant Musaafer, won the cocktail competition with his Pour Me a Slice, made with truffle and herb-infused and a clarified mix of roma tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, basil, and truffle oil.

Other standout dishes included a Yukon Gold potato with truffle brown butter from Michelin-recognized sushi restaurant Hidden Omakase, truffle s’mores from Israeli-inspired steakhouse Doris Metropolitan, beef tartare and truffle ice cream from fine dining sushi restaurant Katami, and Credence’s truffle duck sausage with plums and truffles. Maximo, a Mexican restaurant in West U., maximized (sorry) its truffle usage with a Cachetada de Barbacoa Taco, made with nixtamalized truffle tortilla, truffle-braised barbacoa, and sottocenere al tartufo cheese with black garlic-habanero salsa

More than 350 attended the sold-out affair, which took place at the Astorian events space in Sawyer Yards. The judging panel include both media members (such as this author) and hospitality pros. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the KNOWAutism Foundation.