kiran's at h-e-b

H-E-B spices up takeaway options with prominent Houston Indian restaurant

Food from Kiran's is now available at H-E-B.

Courtesy of Kiran's

H-E-B's collaboration with Houston restaurants to sell prepared dishes to go has added another prominent collaborator. Beginning this week, dishes from Indian fine dining restaurant Kiran's will be available at five local outposts.

Shoppers will find five of chef Kiran Verma's signature items — chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, palak paneer, daal makhni, and saffron rice pulao — at H-E-B stores in West University, Third Ward, Sienna, Sugar Land and Spring Branch/Memorial; they’re also available at Central Market. Found in the Meal Simple section, the individual portions are designed to be heated at home.

Kiran's joins a number of prominent restaurants that are participating in the program, including Chris Shepherd's Underbelly Hospitality, Cherry Block Craft Butcher & Kitchen, Brennan's of Houston, Coltivare, and two of Hugo Ortega's restaurants, Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe. Part of the company's #TexansHelpingTexans campaign, H-E-B pays all proceeds from the program to the restaurants that supplied the meals.

Joining the H-E-B offerings isn't Kiran's only news. Work continues on the restaurant's efforts to expand its dining room by absorbing the space that previously belonged to MidiCi pizza. The additional 4,000 square feet will allow Kiran’s to add a new, lounge-style seating area, as well as relocate its entrance from Richmond to Wake Forest.

Verma's daughter Puja, the restaurant’s director of operations and strategy, tells CultureMap that Kiran's hopes to complete the work in the next couple of weeks. For now, the restaurant remains open for curbside to-go service.

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cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

whiskey bourbon distilleries awards lists