HRW Returns

Houston Restaurant Weeks serves up highly anticipated dining dates for 2021

Almost 300 restaurants participate in HRW.

Photo courtesy of Brennan's Houston

The Bayou City's favorite charity dining event will return for 2021. Houston Restaurant Weeks will take place from August 1 until Labor Day, September 6.

Founded by media personality Cleverley Stone, Houston Restaurant Weeks offers diners two- and three-course prix fixe menus at set price points for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Almost 300 of the city's restaurants participate in the event, which raises money for the Houston Food Bank.

This year features a new, $49 top price (up from $45) along with new donation amounts: $1 per $20 lunch and brunch meal sold; $3 per $35 dinner sold; and $5 per $49 dinner sold. Prior to 2020, those donation amounts were $3, $5, and $7, but organizers made the decision to allow restaurants to keep more revenue as they recover from the lingering financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, all those small donations add up — the event has raised more than $16.6 million for the food bank since 2003. As Cleverley Stone liked to say, HRW is a win for restaurants that have turned one of the year’s slowest months into one of their busiest, a win for diners who get to try some of the city’s most popular establishments at a discount, and a win for the charity, which turns every dollar raised into three meals for those in need.

Stone passed away in 2020 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Her daughter Katie Stone established the Cleverley Stone Foundation to continue HRW in her mother's memory.

“Last year’s HRW proved to be crucial for what was perhaps the most difficult time that restaurants and the food bank have ever faced,” Katie Stone said in a statement. “This year, I am so excited to be able to do exactly what my mother would be doing, which is everything she could for her beloved restaurant industry and the Houston Food Bank. This year’s HRW is going to be amazing!”

The initial list of participating restaurants will be revealed on the HRW website on July 15 with more being added until the event starts. Restaurants interested in signing up may contact Stone by emailing katie@cleverley.com.

news-you-can-eat fundraisers

What's Eric Eating Episodes 416 and 417

Houston restaurateurs dish on their 2 globally-inspired concepts

Photo by Jenn Duncan

undefined

On the most recent episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Thy and Matthew Mitchell join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss their two, globally-inspired restaurants, Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart.

The conversation begins with Matthew Mitchell explaining his decision to leave behind a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry in favor of culinary school and becoming a restaurateur. Thy Mitchell brought experience from working at her family’s restaurant as well as others to the endeavor.

Traveler's Table Matthew Mitchell Thy Mitchell Stanton Bundy Owners Matthew and Thy Mitchell with culinary director Stanton Bundy. Courtesy of Traveler's Cart

After Houstonians responded favorably to Traveler’s Table — as anyone who’s attended its popular weekend brunch service will affirm — the couple created Traveler’s Cart as a more affordable sister concept that would potentially be easier to grow into additional locations. As Matthew explains, choosing to serve street food came with certain requirements.

“The first thing you have to do, which is to be exhaustive in this. You’re not going to have every food cuisine in the world. Some cultures don’t do a ton of street food,” he says. “There’s some things you have to have. Dumplings, some kind of satay or kebab, we debated where to enter the burger or taco wars. You have to enter the game a little bit, but I think there’s some things other people don’t have.”

Listen to the full episode to hear the Mitchells share some behind-the-scenes details from their appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, including how Guy Fieri helped influence the decision to open Traveler’s Cart.

In the previous episode, Sandler and food writer Chelsea Thomas of The Infatuation Houston discuss the news of their week. Their topics include the new dining district coming to downtown’s GreenStreet development as well as the openings of the first Houston-area locations of Portillo’s and P. Terry’s.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Thomas and Sandler discuss their recent meal at the recently-opened Heights location of Dandelion Cafe. Thomas praises the restaurant’s take on breakfast staples such as pancakes and omelets, while Sandler discusses how far the restaurant has come since its first location opened in 2016.

-----

Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 10 am on ESPN 97.5.

podcasts interview news-you-can-eat