whiskey-fueled weekend

New whiskey festival serves up spirits, tastings, and eats to north Houston

Get your spirits up at this whiskey-fueled weekend.

Photo courtesy of HTX Whiskey Weekend

Attention, local whiskey fans, a new festival in north Houston is serving up curated tastings, fine dining, and classes on all things malt.

HTX Whiskey Weekend is an inaugural, three-day event taking place at City Place, the dynamic, mixed-use destination in Spring, kicking off April 29. Tickets for the fest are available online now.

Things kick off on Friday, April 29 at 6 pm with a four-course dinner in partnership with sustainability-focused food group The Butcher’s Ball. The ticketed event is limited to 100 guests and will feature three talented Houston Top Chef contestants: current competitor Evelyn Garcia, and past participants Dawn Burrell and Sasha Grumman. The trio are working in collaboration with Daniel Chang of recently debuted City Place eatery Sushi Rebel and the popular Uptown Sushi.

MKT Distillery will pair a whiskey sampling or cocktail with each course; entertainment comes via Austin-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Sophia Johnson. Fun continues after dinner with DJ Redd spinning, cigar rolling, and, naturally, more whiskey samplings. Tickets for this affair are $150.

The next day, Saturday, April 30, starts with a pair of free fitness classes on The Plaza, beginning with HIIT at 8:30 am and followed by yoga/meditation at 10 am. The first 50 participants will receive a voucher for a free smoothie at neighboring Island Grill.

Following the fitness activities, City Place Marriott will host a series of free seminars including Collecting Whiskey 101 with Carl Norris at 10 am, The Business of Whiskey at 12:30 pm, and A Perfect Pour: Whiskey Cocktail Class with acclaimed mixologist Patrick Abalos of Not Too Sweet Ventures at 2 pm. (Note: Tickets for the cocktail class have already been claimed.)

Next up is the weekend’s signature happening, A Taste of City Place, which takes place from 3 pm to 8 pm. This event features separate, ticketed whiskey and food sampling areas, a complimentary main stage plus a cash beer, wine, and cocktail garden.

More than a dozen distillers will be presenting, including MKT Distillery, Devil’s River Whiskey, Gentle Ben, Frontier Spirits, Hill Country Distillers, Still Austin, Old Humble Distilling Company, and Rebecca Creek.

For the “taste” side of the festival, food-focused nonprofit Urban Harvest will showcase bites from award-winning pitmaster Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond, and acclaimed Greater Houston-area chefs including Austin Simmons of Tris, Drake Leonards of Eunice, Jason Kerr of Little Kitchen HTX, Bryan Caswell, and more.

Onstage entertainment performances include Rapture at 3 pm, Jake Bush at 4:30 pm, Tony and Liz at 5:30 pm, and a surprise headliner from 6 until 8 pm.

Sampling tickets for A Taste of City Place are $45 per person for whiskey and $35 per person for food. A discounted combo package is $65 per person.

Sunday Funday comes on May 1 with Waffles & Wheels from 9 am to noon. This outdoor brunch will feature a host of Art Cars, music from DJ Redd, family friendly activities, and bites, syrups, and condiments derived from whiskey. Unlike other events, Waffles & Wheels is non-ticketed and free to attend. (Brunch items will be available for individual purchase.)

Given the distance from central Houston and the spirited fun, attendees are encouraged to spend a night or the entire weekend at one of City Place’s three onsite hotels.

To sweeten the deal, the AAA Four Diamond Houston City Place Marriott is offering its TX Whiskey Weekend package, which includes two complimentary welcome drinks and parking for a special rate at $209 per night. The nearby Residence Inn Houston Springwoods Village has the Snacks On Us package offers overnight rates starting at $149 with a $10 snacks credit. The Courtyard Houston Springwoods Village boasts standard rates beginning at $104 a night.

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HTX Whiskey Weekend runs April 29-May 1 at City Place Plaza (1250 Lake Plaza Dr.) in Spring. Tickets and a fill schedule are available online.

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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.”

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