This Week In Dining

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Houston this week

Thanks to Houston's diverse culinary landscape, each week brings a fresh array of can't-miss events. To keep you up to date on the latest food and drink experiences, we've rounded up the best events of the week, including the Margarita Taste Off at Kirby Ice House, a dinner celebrating women in wine at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, and the Houston Cocktail Fest at Silver Street Studios.

Tuesday, March 19

Houston Pets Alive! Fundraiser at Shake Shack
For the entire month of March, animal rescue nonprofit Houston Pets Alive! is partnering with Shake Shack for a unique fundraising promotion. Mention Houston Pets Alive! while ordering from any of Shake Shack's three Houston locations, and 25 percent of your purchase will be donated to HPA.

Toasty Tuesday at Nobie's
In anticipation of Nobie's new concept — The Toasted Coconut — opening this summer, the restaurant is hosting the second edition of Toasty Tuesday to preview upcoming menu items. The evening is set to be filled with sneak peeks of their tiki-inspired drinks and dishes, pulling inspiration from places like Thailand, Vietnam, India, Cuba, and more. And yes, there will be dumplings.

Thursday, March 21

Women in Wine Dinner at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
As part of International Women’s Month, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse will host an exclusive five-course dinner to complement a selection of wines from regarded female winemaker Sally Johnson of Pride Mountain Vineyards. The evening’s menu will feature dishes including sea scallop crudo, black truffle gnocchi, and Wagyu striploin, expertly paired with varietals from Viognier to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The meal is $195 per person, and reservations are required.

Saturday, March 23

Second Annual One Sack Showdown at Great Heights Brewing Company
Celebrate the season at the second annual One Sack Showdown, a massive crawfish boil competition at Great Heights Brewing Company from noon to 8 pm. With 20 teams vying to make Houston's best crawfish, live music provided by John Egan and Nathan Quick, and several brand new Great Heights beer releases, the event promises all-day excitement. The many varieties of crawfish are sold by the basket until they run out.

Margarita Taste Off at Kirby Ice House
Sip, sample, and cast your vote at the 11th Annual Margarita Taste Off, hosted from 1:30 to 5:30 pm at Kirby Ice House by the Candlelighters Young Professional Group. With dozens of local restaurants competing for the title of Best Margarita, the event also features a Don Julio tasting station, DJ, raffle, and more. CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler and a panel of celebrity judges, including Morgan Weber (Agricole Hospitality), Melissa Wilson (Fox 26), and Kareem Jackson (~~Houston Texans~~ Denver Broncos), will pick their favorite, as will attendees. Tickets start at $50, and all proceeds benefit Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance.

The Notorious P.I.G. at Cypress Trail Hideout
Get down with some serious barbecued swine at The Notorious P.I.G. event at Cypress Trail Hideout from 4 to 6 pm. In addition to live music, drink specials, and beer from Parish Brewing Company and Dixie Beer, the main attraction is an assortment of fine barbecue from Feges BBQ, Buck's Barbeque Co., Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue, and Pappa Charlies Barbecue. They'll be cooking pork, of course, in various forms like whole hog, pulled pork, smoked pork belly, tacos, and more.

Houston Cocktail Fest at Silver Street Studios
Celebrate the city's best mixologists at Houston Cocktail Fest, a unique cocktail experience hosted at Silver Street Studios from 7 to 11 pm. Guests can expect lavish pop-up bars serving creative cocktails with unique recipes, garnishes, and ingredients, as well as light bites prepared by local chefs from Union Kitchen, Willow's BBQ, Ashley's Sweet Tooth, and more. "The Battle of the Bartenders" main event will select the top mixologists to advance to a final grand prize competition, all for a prize of $2,500. Tickets start at $55.

Sunday, March 24

Third Annual Chefs for Paws at Jonathan's The Rub at Memorial Green
Enjoy an extravagant 10-course dinner, and help out furry friends at the same time with the third annual Chefs for Paws event, hosted by Jonathan's The Rub at Memorial Green. The exclusive seated dinner features dishes from a dozen Houston chefs, including Kevin Naderi of Roost, Felix Florez of Cherry Block Craft Butcher & Kitchen, Ben McPherson of BOH Pasta, and of course Jonathan Levine of Jonathan's The Rub. Single tickets start at $150 for the meal, which benefits Rescued Pets Movement, and the cost also includes wine, beer, and cocktails.

Celebrate women in wine at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse with their exclusive five-course dinner on Thursday.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse

Celebrate women in wine at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse with their exclusive five-course dinner on Thursday.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat