dine out and do good

These Houston restaurants and bakeries are standing with Ukraine

Riel restaurant potato leek truffle pierogi

Riel is donating pierogi proceeds to World Central Kitchen.

Photo by Bradford Eu

Houston restaurants are raising money for organizations that are providing assistance to the people of Ukraine. The efforts benefit a range of organizations that are assisting refugees in both Ukraine and Poland along with other relief efforts.

Underbelly Hospitality has already stepped up. Last week, Chris Shepherd’s three restaurants raised $9,846 for celebrity chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen. In addition, the company’s operations director Nina Quincy has spent the last week in Poland feeding refugees.

The list below includes everything from cookies to cocktails to Houston best pierogies. In other words, Houstonians have lots of delicious ways to #standwithUkraine.

Georgia James
The luxurious steakhouse will donate 20 percent of sales from a special wine list created by sommelier Matthew Pridgen. This special will run for as long as the restaurant is operating out of 1658 Westheimer Rd. (approximately two months).

Dessert Gallery
The Upper Kirby bakery will donate 100 percent of proceeds from sales of its Ukrainian-inspired butter cookies to World Central Kitchen.

Kenny & Ziggy’s
The Galleria-area deli has always sold Ukrainian meatballs. It will donate $2 from every meatball appetizer and $4 from every meatball entree to Razom for Ukraine, a non-profit dedicated to building a more prosperous and democratic Ukraine.

Phat Eatery
Katy’s favorite Malaysian restaurant will donate 100-percent of proceeds from its signature roti canai, an Indian-style flatbread, through the end of March.

Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster Bar
San Leon’s seaside seafood restaurant has created a special cocktail in support of World Central Kitchen. It will donate 100 percent of proceeds from the Kyiv cocktail (Blue Chair rum, peach schnapps, Blue Curacao, and pineapple juice) to the organization. It aims to raise $10,000 with the effort.

Riel
Chef-owner Ryan Lachaine, whose mother is of Ukrainian heritage, will do his part for World Central Kitchen by donating 100 percent of pierogi sales in March to World Central Kitchen. The Montrose restaurant offers both a regular potato and cheese pierogi as well as a more decadent truffle and caviar version.

Rustika Café and Bakery
The Jewish-Mexican bakery will donate a portion of proceeds from items on its dessert happy hour menu (Monday-Saturday, 2 pm to close) to the International Rescue Committee. Items include specially priced coffee and desserts, including espresso drinks, cookies, pies, and more.

Three Brothers Bakery
Opened by three brothers who survived the Holocaust, this staple of the Jewish community has created a heart-shaped sugar cookie decorated with the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Three Brothers will donate $2.50 per cookie to a fundraiser organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. In addition, it will donate $30 per dozen sold for shipment to destinations throughout America. The bakery aspires to sell at least 1,000 cookies.

news-you-can-eat fundraisers

What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

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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.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

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