There's lots to eat and drink in the Bayou City this week, culminating in the pink-soaked Saturday madness that is National Rosé Day. Check out what we're recommending for our favorite events around Houston.
Monday, June 3
All-American Summer at Crave Cupcakes
All of the sweet treat spot's location kick off special summer flavors today, and all will be available through August 25. The seasonal selections include chocolate chip cookie dough, peach cobbler, S'mores, strawberry lemonade, and patriotic confetti cupcakes decked out in red, white, and blue.
Tuesday, June 4 - Sunday, June 9
Wine and Food Week in The Woodlands
Back for its 15th anniversary, this annual event offers six days of tastings, seminars, partying, and overall fun. Highlights include Tuesday's It's A Guy Thing (after local master sommelier Guy Stout) at The Woodlands Country Club's Palmer Course, including big, bold wines and craft beers, a shoe shine, and sophisticated fare; Dirt-y Talk at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott on Wednesday, where guests can learn about wine making and sustainability from Rudy Marchesi, president and chief viticulturist at Oregon's Montinore Estate; the H-E-B Wine Walk on Market Street on Thursday featuring wines from across the globe, chef demonstrations and revelry; and the Platinum Wine Vault Collector's Tasting on Saturday, a posh affair for collectors and enthusiasts. Prices for each event vary, and individual tickets can be purchased online.
Tuesday, June 4
Mac & Cheese at Rainbow Lodge
The popular spot for wild game and great eats puts its decidedly unique spin on the idea of mac and cheese with this addition to the bar menu, debuting today. The Mac in this case is a flight of Macallan Scotch whisky, paired with a cheese board. For $55, diners get one-ounce pours of 12-year Double Cask, 12-year Sherry Cask, and 18-year Sherry Cask served with a chef's selection of seasonal cheeses, meats, house-smoked walnuts, homemade pickles, half a deviled egg, ciabatta bread, and whole grain mustard. The duo will be available through the end of August.
Wednesday, June 5
Epic beer dinner at State Fare Kitchen & Bar
Chef Justin Yoakum prepares a five-course dinner paired with beers from 11 Below Brewing Company. On the menu are selections such as crispy chicharron with compressed watermelon and ghost pepper essence paired with 7 Iron Blonde, and H-Town hot fried chicken with cauliflower, yukon potatoes, and cheddar cheese paired with Hipster Sauce. Tickets are $50 per person. For reservations, email skelley@statefarehouston.com or call 832-831-0950. Dinner starts at 5:30 pm.
Anthony Bourdain Tribute Dinner at The Dunlavy
Marking a year since the beloved chef, writer, and television host's death, The Dunlavy has crafted a cocktail hour and five-course dinner inspired by Bourdain's writing and travels. On the menu are items such as roasted quail and polenta served with Angels Envy whiskey; osso bucco; and Korean fried chicken bites. Tickets are $100 per person, and $25 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Nick Finnegan Counseling Center, which provides affordable mental health services. At press time, the event was sold out, but those wishing to go can join the wait list here.
Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7
The Peach Truck tours Houston
Texans may love their Hill Country peaches, but those fond of the Georgia variety will want to check out the touring schedule of this roving peach shop on wheels. This year's annual tour coincides with the publication of Peach Truck owners Jessica and Stephen Rose's cookbook, The Peach Truck Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes for All Things Peach, which comes out June 25. In the interim, peach lovers and the peach curious can meet Jessica and Stephen, and pick up the fuzzy fruit by the half bushel. Houston stops include appearances at the Bering's Hardware locations on Westheimer and Bissonnet, Texas Star Grill in Spring, Main Event Entertainment in Katy, and a host of others. Check schedule for locations and times.
Whiskey Weekend at CityPlace
CityPlace, a new, urban mixed-use district anchoring Springwoods Village, will host its inaugural Whiskey Weekend, a three-day food and beverage engagement with Austin area’s Treaty Oak Distilling. To kick off the festivities, look for a Whiskey Wind Down from 4-7 pm on Thursday, June 6, with $5 happy hour pours and specialty cocktails. On Friday, June 7 at 7 pm, SwitcHouse chef Darren Tonner collaborates on a whiskey pairing dinner with just appointed Treaty Oak Distilling chef and acclaimed pitmaster Scott Fogle, followed by a reverse happy hour starting at 10 pm. The weekend culminates with an al fresco Brunch on the Plaza from 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday, June 8, complete with live music and more. Dinner and brunch reservations can be made by calling 281-350-4000, ext. 4911.
Friday, June 7
Lobster Friday at Bernie's Burger Bus
Bernie's may be known for its decadent burgers, but all four Houston-area locations offer a variety of lobster dishes on the first Friday of every month. All dishes are market price and available until the lobster runs out. Choose from selections such as a Maine lobster roll; a Texas lobster roll with house pickled jalapeño and crispy bacon; lobster roll sliders with Bernie's house mayo, flavored with garlic, lemon, minced onion and celery; and more.
Saturday, June 8
National Rosé Day deals all over town
From 11 am to 4 pm, shops throughout the River Oaks District will be festooned with pink balloons, an indication guests can pop in for some rosé. For example, at Le Colonial get a $10 glass or a $40 bottle of the restaurant's house rosé, in addition to $10 glass of their seasonal rosé sangria. Toulouse has half off select bottles of wine, including rosé and Champagne. Bisou will offer half off select bottles of rosé, and East Hampton Sandwich Co. is pouring $3 rosé all day.
At French Country Wines, guests can sample six rosés to find a favorite to purchase and take home. The boutique wine shops imports from small, family-owned French vineyards, and nearly all of their selections are unavailable anywhere else in Texas.
The Hotel Derek pairs up BABE Rosé for a pool party from 1-5 pm. For $25, guests can enjoy the hotel's Splash pool, music, games, giveaways, and — of course — rosé. Tickets are available online or by calling 713-297-4327, and include party access and self parking for one car.
Texas Taco, Tequila and Music Festival at Preservation Park in Old Town Spring
From noon to 11:30 pm, visit the more than 30 booths offering tacos, tequila shots and tastings, and frozen and rocks margaritas. Live entertainment includes Lucha Libre live wrestling, music from the Suffers, mariachis and street entertainers, a host of artisans, and a kids' zone. Pre-sale general admission tickets are $15. For $75, pre-sale VIP tickets give guests access to the festival and offer a special, shaded VIP area with prime viewing for on-stage action, two drink tickets and specialty cocktails, four taco vouchers for use at any taco vendor, a festival T-shirt, swag bag, and other goodies. All tickets may be purchased online.
25th Anniversary Party at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Brewery of the Year is throwing itself a big bash to mark its quarter century. From 3-10 pm, there will be music acts from Texas and Louisiana, art cars, special glassware, local vendors, artists, dancers, mariachis, face painting, and loads of other fun in both Saint Arnold's Beer Garden & Restaurant and in the Beer Hall. Food will be available for purchase at the Beer Garden, and there will be food tents as well. Admission to the party is free, but the brewery is also offering a $100 Super Saint VIP Package that includes a special 25th anniversary glass, four beers from the year round or seasonal lineup, a buffet dinner, covered seating inside the Art Car Gallery, additional beer service, and birthday cake! Buy VIP tickets online.
Mixology Class at Lucienne in the Hotel Alessandra
This small, hands-on class teaches attendees to make a Queens Park Swizzle and a Pina Colada. From 3-4:30 pm, guests will learn the history of the drinks, have light bites from Lucienne's chef and then craft their own cocktails. Space is limited to eight guests, and the cost is $65. To reserve a spot, email the restaurant.
Crave has rolled out its summer flavors.
Chef Shawn Gawle has earned a Blue Leaf at Camaraderie.Photo by Carla Gomez