Michelle Obama's Houston Night Out

Surprise! Michelle Obama and a friend enjoy a low-key meal at a trendy Houston restaurant

How did First Lady Michelle Obama spend her Wednesday night in Houston while President Barack Obama attended a Democratic Party fundraiser at the River Oaks home of trial lawyer John Eddie Williams? The answer quietly came out on Twitter.

And CultureMap has even more exclusive details.

Dinner and drinks with #FLOTUS. Just another Wednesday night in #Houston @TrinitiHouston #POTUS pic.twitter.com/1lrSo0UxPM

— Donna Marie (@DMJ_IAH) April 10, 2014

Chef/owner Ryan Hildebrand first became aware that Obama was considering dining at Triniti on Tuesday. "They came in yesterday and scouted it out," Hildebrand tells CultureMap. "They really didn't want to tell us who it was.

"When I found out, I was honored. Personal politics aside, she's a classy, amazing lady who could go anywhere she wants to go. I was honored she chose to go to Triniti."

"She was just the most gracious, sweetest thing ever."

As Hildebrand understands the process for deciding which restaurant to visit, Obama's team selects six possible candidates, and then the First Lady chooses the one that's most appealing to her. Hildebrand found out she'd selected his restaurant around 5:30 p.m..

The chef describes the atmosphere during service as "low key. It was business as usual." Secret Service agents stationed themselves a few tables away and around the restaurant. They searched people as they entered but otherwise things were status quo.

For dinner, Obama and her friend started with tomato and burrata salad, followed by a local greens salad and a shared plate of caramelli (a gift from the kitchen). Both women had halibut for their entree. Although they attempted to decline dessert, the kitchen sent out pastry chef Samantha Mendoza's tropical fruit dish and the restaurant's signature petit four boxes. To drink, they selected a bottle of pinot noir.

Hildebrand says the "leisurely dinner" took about three-and-a-half hours.

Owner Chong Yi and Hildebrand spoke to Michelle Obama for a few minutes before she left but decided not to ask for a photo. "She really just wanted to have dinner with her friend," Hildebrand says, so the staff respected her privacy.

"She was just the most gracious, sweetest thing ever."

Michelle Obama — shown here earlier this year — enjoyed a low key meal in Houston.

Photo by © Jewel Samad Getty Images

Michelle Obama — shown here earlier this year — enjoyed a low key meal in Houston.

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steakhouse switcheroo

River Oaks restaurant fields a new menu devoted to prime and wagyu steaks

Courtesy of Fielding's Steak

The new menu includes steak and sides such as onion rings.

A River Oaks restaurant is switching things up. After a year of operations, Fielding’s River Oaks has rebranded as Fielding’s Steak with an all-new menu that will launch on Tuesday, January 27.

While the restaurant has always served steaks from Texas ranch 44 Farms, Fielding’s Steak leans more heavily into beef with more cuts and more kinds of beefs, including both American and Japanese wagyu. Similarly, diners can pair their steaks with steakhouse sides such as lobster mac and cheese, creamed spinach, and onion rings.

The new menu starts with four prime steaks — filet, ribeye, NY strip, and bavette — along with a dry-aged cuts including a 35-ounce cowboy ribeye, a porterhouse, a 12-ounce bone-in ribeye, and a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye. Those seeking the most luxurious experience may opt for a wagyu tasting that features four ounces each of Japanese, Australian, and American striploin.

Appetizers and salads include a number of familiar dishes, such as lobster bisque, wedge salad, fried calamari, shrimp cocktail, and an imperial crabcake. Non-steak entrees include maple-brined salmon, lobster risotto, lamb chops, and a grilled Kurobata pork chop with apple mostarda.

Fielding’s River Oaks opened in December 2024. Part of Fielding’s Culinary Group, The Woodlands-based hospitality company behind Fielding’s Local Kitchen & Bar and Fielding’s Wood Grill, the restaurant served a European-inspired menu that included pizzas, pastas, steaks, and seafood.

“Fielding’s Steak represents the natural evolution of who we are and where we’re going,” said CEO Cary Attar said in a statement. “We wanted to create a true steakhouse experience — one that’s chef-driven, ingredient-focused, and worthy of the River Oaks dining scene — while still feeling warm, welcoming, and unmistakably Fielding’s. This new menu allows us to showcase exceptional proteins, refined flavors, and a level of execution that reflects our passion for hospitality and culinary excellence.”

Fielding’s Steak will be open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch from 11:30 am-3 pm and dinner beginning at 5 pm. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

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