Houston’s fall festival season may be drawing to a close, but food events are continuing at a brisk pace. Over the next few weeks, Houstonians will have the opportunity to attend fundraisers with James Beard Award winners, creative pop-ups, and wine events.
Read on for all the delicious details.
James Beard Foundation Taste America — Thursday, November 12
Held at the Thompson Hotel, this tasting event features stations from four Houston-area James Beard Award winners: Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s, etc), Adrian Torres (Maximo), Benchawan Jabthong Painter (Street to Kitchen), and hosts Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu (Jūn). Other participants include Top Chef winner Tristen Epps-Long (BuBoy), Suu Khin (Burmalicious), Felipe Riccio (March), Stephanie Velasquez and Nicolas Vera (Casaema), Aaron Bludorn (Bludorn, etc.), and Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar). Tickets, priced at $175 for general (7 pm admission) and $225 for premier (6 pm admission), are available here.
Flatbread Collab at Craft Pita West U. — Saturday, November 14
Not only is Top Chef winner Tristen Epps-Long serving at Taste America, he’ll be at Tastemaker Award-winning Lebanese restaurant Craft Pita to put his spin on Levantine meat pies. Epps-Long will serve a Lahmacun, a Turkish meat pie topped with ranchovy sauce, that helped him win a Top Chef pizza challenge. Host chef Raffi Nasr will offer a traditional Lebanese Lahm Bi Ajeen. 11 am-2 pm (or sold out).
Bayou Butchers at Eastwood Station — Sunday, November 15
Meat expert Garrett Rice will be bringing his house made Capiacola to the Italian-inspired East End restaurant for one night only. Chef and co-owner Chris Zettlemoyer will use the cured meat in a sandwich (topped with provolone and vinegar peppers) and added to a pasta along with chili oil, chile de arbol, red sauce, and pecorino. 5 pm until sold out.
Iron Sommelier — Thursday, November 19
Held at the Post Oak Hotel, this annual event features 14 Houston-area sommeliers presenting wines on different themes. Competitors include representatives from Bludorn Hospitality, Credence, 13 Celsius, Stella’s Wine Bar, and more. Proceeds benefit the Periwinkle Foundation’s programs for pediatric cancer patients at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center. Tickets start at $250 with various sponsor and donor packages also available.
True Laurel at Bandista — Tuesday, December 1
The San Francisco bar, ranked No. 14 on the list of North America’s Best Bars, will pop-up for one-hour seatings between 6 and 10 pm. Co-founder and bar director Nicolas Torres will serve five True Laurel cocktails, which are known for their of ingredients from the San Francisco Bay, including hand-foraged wild botanicals. Reservations are recommended.
Evan Snyder at Jūn — Wednesday, December 2
The chef behind Philadelphia’s acclaimed “macro-Mediterranean restaurant” — a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant and one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants — will be in Houston for a one-night-only collaboration with Jūn’s James Beard Award-winning chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu. The meal, priced at $110, plus an optional $55 wine pairing and a $25 donation to the Southern Smoke Foundation, will include four courses and two snacks. Reservations are available on OpenTable.
Grand Wine Sale Tasting at 13 Celsius — Sunday, December 6
Currently celebrating 20 years in business, the Midtown wine bar will host its annual holiday wine sale that features cellar selections from the bar’s staff and featured wine producers. Tickets, priced at $13 for a one-hour slot, will go sale on Friday, November 27. 12-4 pm.
