Foodie News

Central Market channels South American flair with "Passport to Argentina"

Central Market

Vast ranches, varied terrain, a love of beef and cosmopolitan cities — yes, sometimes it seems like Texas and Argentina are twins separated at birth.

But this month you don't have to book tickets to Buenos Aires to indulge in the culture and food from Latin America's most European country. Central Market's "Passport to Argentina,"which starts on Wednesday and continues through May 25, features cooking classes, tastings, and celebrity chefs and winemakers with a background in the region, including Francis Mallmann, South America's leading authority on traditional family-style grilling; and Susana Balbo, dubbed the first lady of Argentine wine.

The calendar has multiple daily events, ranging from cooking classes for individuals, kids and couples to wine tastings, Argentine happy hour festivities, wine dinners with illustrious Argentine guests and one evening of grilling under a giant tent. The full schedule is available at the Central Market Web site, but here are a few highlights:

May 12, 7:30 p.m.: Showing of Tango: The Movie at Studio Movie Grill in CityCentre. A Carlos Saura film, Tango was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1999.
May 13, 6:30 p.m.: Wine Dinner with Susana Balbo. Enjoy Argentine specialties prepared by the cooking school staff and sample the award-winning Crios Torrontes, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon while Balbo talks about her winery in Mendoza.
May 14, 6:30 p.m.: Wine Dinner with Laura Catena. Catena will share her story of growing up in the wine industry over a three-course meal and serving samples of her Luca Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot and flagship wine Nico.
May 15, 6:30 p.m.: Wines and Food of Mendoza with Chef Diego Coll Benegas. Benegas will display his signature traditional Argentine dishes updated with flavors from around the world, to be paired with Trivento wines.
May 17: Picada with Robert Pepi, Bianchi Winery: Picada is Argentine happy hour, and this festive presentation will feature a tango demonstration, an light buffet of Argentine appetizers and Bianchi wines.
May 20, 6:30 p.m.: Cooking With Fire with Francis Mallmann. Fans of Bourdain's No Reservations will remember Mallmann as the pre-eminant chef who quit his job and headed to the countryside to get back to the original open-fire grilling custom. He's bringing this sensibility to Central Market with a giant tent of outdoor Argentine grilled specialties, including a 7.5-hour roasted lamb.
May 21, 6:30 p.m.: Winemaker's Dinner with Sebastian Zuccardi. Over a meal of casual classics including sliders, pizza and beef ribs from the Pampas paired with Zuccardi wines and conversation.
May 22: Cooking Class with Narda Lepes. Argentine TV host and cookbook author will lead in the preparation of dishes from her homeland.

And because no trip to Argentina is complete without a little tango, here's Central Market's specially-created tango playlist:

A full grill, typical of Argentina cooking

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Hot Houston hand roll spot is first restaurant at new EaDo development

Handies Douzo Facebook

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Houstonians with a seemingly unlimited appetite for sushi hand rolls will soon have another destination to satisfy their cravings. Handies Douzo will open its next location in East Blocks, an adaptive reuse project in EaDo.

On track to open in late 2026 or early 2027 at 1107 Hutchins Street, the EaDo location will be Handies Douzo’s fifth, joining the original in the Heights as well as restaurants in Montrose, Spring Branch, and an upcoming outpost in Uptown’s new Central Park Post Oak development. Like those siblings, it will serve Handies’ familiar menu of hand rolls (temaki), crudos, and sashimi that’s overseen by founding chefs and co-owners Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham. The 2,000-square-foot space will feature Handies’ familiar U-shaped counter seating.

Handies is known for wrapping its rolls in crispy seaweed that gives each bite a distinct crunch. The well-executed dishes and affordable prices helped Handies earn a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

"We've been very intentional about where we grow, and East Blocks immediately stood out," Pham and Lee said in a statement. "There's an authenticity to EaDo and a strong sense of community that aligns with our brand. We're excited to be part of a project focused on creating an energetic, walkable destination."

1107 Hutchins rendering Handies will occupy 2,000 square feet at 1107 Hutchins.Courtesy of Pagewood

1107 Hutchins and the nearby 2202 Dallas — each of which are 15,000 square feet — represent phase one of local real estate firm Pagewood’s plans to East Blocks. First announced in 2023, plans call for renovating warehouses into a walkable district of shops, restaurants, offices, and green space. Gensler is leading architecture and design for the project, with landscape architecture by SWA.

"East Blocks reflects a long-term belief in EaDo and the kind of place it’s becoming," said Mat Volz, Managing Principal of PAGEWOOD. "As the project has evolved, our commitment to that vision has only strengthened. Breaking ground on Phase 1 is an exciting step forward, particularly as this neighborhood prepares to welcome the world. With the FIFA Fan Festival taking place just steps from East Blocks and bringing thousands of visitors daily to EaDo, we see this project playing a meaningful role in that energy and in the long-term evolution of the district."

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