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    This Week In Dining

    These are the 11 best food and drink events in Houston this week

    Holly Beretto
    Jun 24, 2019 | 10:50 am
    Anthony Bourdain
    Toast Anthony Bourdain on Tuesday.
    Anthony Bourdain/Facebook

    The week begins with a tequila tasting and a tribute to Anthony Bourdain. It revs up with wine dinners, a multi-century exploration of an ancient cooking technique, then culminates in a bash celebrating our neighbor to the north. In fact, there's so much world cuisine in this week's list of must-eats and must-drinks, Houstonians might want to break out their passports.

    Through June 30
    Negroni Week
    Dozens of Houston bars and restaurants are participating in the international event that celebrates the classic three-ingredient cocktail that features gin, vermouth, and Campari. Each establishment will put its own spin on the classic. To participate, they must donate to one of the event's official charities; they are also encouraged to make additional donations. Six bars — Anvil, the Pastry War, Lei Low, Brasserie du Parc, Etoile, and Public Services — have been designated premium donors, which means they've contributed at least $250.

    Monday, June 24
    Tequila Tasting at Third Coast
    From 6-7:30 pm, join sommelier David Cook to celebrate National Tequila Day. A $60 ticket buys a tasting of four tequilas paired with selections from executive chef Jon Buchanan.

    Tuesday, June 25
    Anthony Bourdain Tribute at Himalaya
    Marking the birthday of the acclaimed chef and TV host, Himalaya chef and owner Kaiser Lashkari will be donating a portion of the day's sales from his Bourdain-approved menu items to Make-A-Wish Foundation, one of Bourdain's charities of choice. Anthony Bourdain featured Himalaya on his "Parts Unknown" TV show and gave his stamp of approval to several menu items, including chicken hara masala (pieces of boneless chicken cooked in a tangy green curry sauce); mutton biryani (pieces of mutton cooked in a blend of dry whole spices, and layered with basmati rice); steak tikka (lean and tender pieces of beef steak, marinated in a griddle, roasted in aromatic spices from the Bihar region of India, and char grilled); and aloo chana masala (butter soft chickpeas and potato cubes simmered in a piquant curry sauce). Himalaya is open from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm.

    Honig Vineyard & Winery Dinner at Jasper's The Woodlands
    Chef Ruben Campos has created a special three-course dinner to pair with a series of Honig wines for this evening, led by Michael Casanova, Honig's southwest regional manager. Begin with passed Thai chicken salad wontons paired with the 2017 Rutherford Honig Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, and move through courses such as a tenderloin pie of grilled eggplant, portobello mushrooms, zucchini, and red bell peppers paired with the 2015 Napa Valley Honig Cabernet Sauvignon, and rosemary-glazed lamb chops with a bleu cheese chimichurri that's accompanied by the 2014 Bartolucci Vineyard Honig Cabernet Sauvignon. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm, and tickets are $75 plus tax and a 20 percent gratuity per person. Reservations can be made online or by emailing the restaurant.

    Wednesday, June 26
    New Menu Debuts at Le Colonial
    The trendy River Oaks District French-Vietnamese gathering place has switched on its summer menu. Available through September, look for sui cao tom hap, done with steamed shrimp and chive dumplings; ca hap, a steamed bass filet with noodles, bok choy, shitake mushrooms, tomato, and scallions in a light ginger soy broth; a half-roasted duck for two; and kaffir lime and coconut panna cotta served with cherry brandy sauce, seasonal berries, and toasted coconut.

    Thursday, June 27
    "Every Queso Counts" at Gringo's Mexican Kitchen
    In honor of PTSD Awareness Day, all of the restaurant's locations will donate 100 percent of their queso sales to Camp Hope, which provides interim housing for veterans and their families in Houston along with a PTSD recovery program. The company will also make an additional donation matching the amount of the day's queso sales and will donate $1 for every share the Facebook event link receives. Restaurants are open from 11 am to 10 pm.

    Wine and Bourbon Dinner at Morton's Steakhosue
    Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards and Dan Garrison of Garrison Brothers walk diners through a series of their wines and bourbons, paired with a multi-course dinner. Courses include selections such as heirloom tomato and goat cheese terrine, baby arugula, and candied pecans with aged balsamic vinegar accompanied by the Garrison Brothers Small Batch Peach Lemonade and William Chris Vineyards 2018 Pétillant Naturel Rosé, and Black Hills Heritage bone-in pork tenderloin with fingerling and smoked onion smashed potatoes served with the Garrison Brother Small Batch Neat and William Chris Vineyards 2017 Cinsault. Dinner starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased online.

    Journey of Kabobs Wine Dinner at Verandah
    Verandah owners chef Sunil Srivastava and his wife, Anupama, team up with French Country Wines to offer a 10-course dinner paired with five wines. Each course offers guests one of two kabob plates, most with a choice between meat or vegetarian. Over the course of the meal, diners will learn how this ancient dish evolved from hunters cooking wild game skewered on swords to the elaborate and labor-intensive methods used today. Dinner starts at 7 pm and costs $250 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For information and reservations, call 281-501-0258 or 832-886-4291.

    Saturday, June 29
    Pre-July 4 Wine Tasting at French Country Wines
    History class review: Without the support —monetary and otherwise— of the French, it's altogether possible the American Revolution might have had a completely different ending. Those looking for a way to celebrate sticking it to the British and gaining our independence might consider adding a bottle (or several) of French wine into their barbecues, fireworks watching, and other revelry accompanied by bonfires and illuminations. From Noon to 6 pm, French Country Wines, independent wine shop and tasting room in Upper Kirby, offers a free tasting of reds, whites, roses, and bubbles guaranteed to go with whatever celebrating takes place.

    Sunday, June 30
    3rd Annual Canada Day Celebration at Riel
    Riel owner and former semi-pro hockey player Ryan Lachaine opens the closed-on-Sunday restaurant to honor the land of his birth. Joining him are Mason Hereford of New Orleans's Turkey and the Wolf and fellow Canadian Mandel Hitzer of Winnipeg's deer + almond. The menu features surprise items from the visiting chefs as well as hot dogs, poutine, pierogies, Nanaimo Bars, and Riel’s Big Steak, a 48-oz. 44 Farms bone-in ribeye served with squash and haricot verts. Drink offerings include $1.52 Canadian Club Whisky in honor of Canada’s 152nd birthday, plus plenty of Molson, Lot 40 cocktails, and Canadian Jell-O Shots. Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins will be welcome. The party begins at 2 pm.

    Arts District Houston Dinner Series at Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory
    Chefs Dominick Lee of Poitiín and Evelyn Garcia of Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory pair up for a collaborative evening showcasing each chef's unique flavors and styles for this four-course dinner. Selections feature a mixture of Lee's southern-Creole cuisine and Garcia's southeast Asian dishes. Look for items such as crispy water spinach salad with heirloom tomatoes, tasso bits, and green goddess dressing; charred octopus with grits, bitter greens, achiote oil, and crispy garlic; aged Iberico pork collar with herb salad, crispy salad, and cane syrup fish sauce; and grilled Gulf shrimp with crispy stuffed shrimp head, chili paste, and pickled green tomato. Tickets are $100 per person, and a portion of the sales will go to Arts District Houston. Dinner starts at 7 pm.

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    Meet the Tastemakers

    Meet the 10 rising star chefs shining in Houston's culinary scene

    Eric Sandler
    Feb 23, 2026 | 5:00 pm
    Boo's Burgers Joseph Boudreaux
    Photo by Michael Anthony
    Boo's Burgers chef-owner Joseph Boudreaux

    The time has come for the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, our annual celebration of the people and places who make Houston’s culinary scene so special. As always, we begin with the nominees for Rising Star Chef of the Year.

    Our nominees are a distinguished group. Five of them lead restaurants that have earned a place in the Michelin Guide. Others have earned national recognition from the likes of the New York Times and StarChefs. Some are the trusted lieutenants of well-established restaurateurs, while others own their businesses.

    Collectively, they’re the future leaders of Houston’s restaurant community. We suggest getting to know them now, because they’ve already shared so much with their fellow Houstonians.

    Who will win? Find out at our Tastemaker Awards ceremony April 16 at Silver Street Studios. Dine on bites from this year’s nominees, sip cocktails from our sponsors, and witness as we reveal the winners. Buy your tickets now. A limited number of Early Bird General Admission tickets remain. VIP tickets offer early entry, valet parking, and more perks. All tickets will sell out before the event, so don't wait.

    Here are the nominees for 2026 Rising Star Chef of the Year:

    Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk
    Few Houston chefs are riding as high as the “block captain” of the West African restaurant. Since opening its Montrose location in 2024, ChòpnBlọk has earned a spot on the New York Times’ list of America’s 50 best restaurants, a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide, and a spot on Esquire’s list of Best New Restaurants. Amosu is also a semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas in the 2026 James Beard Awards. Amosu keeps things fresh with frequent collaborations, including a “Brunch After Dark” party with Houston icon The Breakfast Klub that’s happening this Thursday, February 26.

    Joseph Boudreaux, Boo's Burgers
    The chef made the big leap from pop-up to brick and mortar with his location on the Navigation Esplanade. That means more Houstonians than ever are savoring Boudreaux’s burgers, which use his custom beef blend and smoky burger sauce. Frequent specials, including a Friday seafood offering that’s included both a fish sandwich and an overstuffed shrimp po’ boy, demonstrate the chef’s skills with a wide variety of cuisines.

    Christian Hernandez, Barbacana
    At his ambitious restaurant in downtown, Hernandez showcases the skills he acquired at restaurants such as Oxheart, March, and New York’s pioneering Contra, which earned a Michelin star for its constantly-evolving, affordable tasting menu. The chef brings some of Contra’s spirit to Barbacana, where the a la carte menu is supplemented with a nightly tasting that’s inspired by Houston’s diverse cuisine and powered by local ingredients. Don’t miss signature dishes like the buttered onion tart with crab or the dry-aged duck with pistachio dukka.

    Frank Hernandez, Credence
    As chef de cuisine, Hernandez is responsible for executive chef-owner Levi Goode’s vision of modern Texas cuisine that’s cooked over live fire. Dishes like the deviled crab with smoky tomato butter, roasted seafood tower, and pork rib chop schnitzel have made Credence a smash hit. With Hernandez at the helm, the kitchen demonstrated a consistently high level of execution — making Credence one of nine new Houston restaurants to earn Recommended status in the Michelin Guide.

    Suu Khin, Burmalicious
    The chef, who earned a James Beard Award nomination and a CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Best Pop-Up/Startup in 2025, is looking to further extend her reach. She’s a regular for lunches at Third Place, and her occasional dinner services typically sell out quickly. Turns out Houstonians have a voracious appetite for Burmese dishes such a tea leaf salad, lemongrass fish noodles, and duck puffs.

    Raffi Nasr, Craft Pita
    The chef brings a lot of innovation to his fast casual Lebanese restaurant that won Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Taking some inspiration from social media, Nasr has developed his own take on viral dishes such as the chicken Caesar wrap and the crispy shawarma. He also rolled out Craft Pita’s first ever brunch service, including the knafeh that became one of his collaboration pizzas at Pizaro’s.

    Alexandra “Allie” Peña, Bludorn
    After successfully serving as the opening executive chef for Bar Bludorn, Peña earned a promotion to executive chef of Aaron Bludorn’s fine dining flagship restaurant. Under her leadership, not only do fan favorites like the short rib ravioli and dry-aged duck remain as vital as ever, but diners will notice a rotating roster of new additions such as a madai crudo or orecchiette with saffron nage.

    JC Ricks, Dandelion Cafe
    Like the debate over Houston’s best burger, where to find the city’s best pancakes is surely a debate that will never be truly resolved. However, any list of candidates would certainly include Dandelion Cafe, where Ricks, the restaurant’s executive chef and co-owner, serves a version with the right balance of crispy edges and a fluffy interior. Indeed, all of the classics at Dandelion — from its sweet and spicy chicken and waffles to three-egg omelets and a range of sandwiches — demonstrates Ricks’ attention to detail and commitment to making classic fare that’s as good as it can be.

    Adrian Torres, Maximo
    Last year, Local Foods Group owner Benjy Levit and culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner challenged the then-26-year-old Torres to lead Maximo’s transformation from neighborhood taqueria to fine-ish dining destination. Not only did Torres meet the challenge, he exceeded it, earning a StarChefs Rising Star award and leading Maximo to a Bib Gourmand. From delicate raw seafood dishes to the over-the-top comfort of his chicken Milanese with green spaghetti, Torres shows a deep understanding of how to create a dish.

    Nicolas Vera, Casaema/Papalo Taqueria
    Already well-regarded for Casaema, the Mexico City-inspired breakfast and lunch concept that holds a Bib Gourmand designation, Vera earned another major accolades with the Michelin inspectors also recognized Papalo with a Bib. Working alongside his partner, Tastemaker Awards Pastry Chef of the Year winner Stephanie Velasquez, Vera blends classic Mexican techniques with Houston ingredients to create memorable bites. His skills range from Papalo’s signature confit carrot taco to Casaema’s over-the-top pambazo, a giant sandwich of roasted pork and black beans served on a house made bun.

    ----

    The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Houston by Maker's Mark, Culinary Khancepts, NTX LVL Event, Shutto and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

    Boo's Burgers Joseph Boudreaux

    Photo by Michael Anthony

    Boo's Burgers chef-owner Joseph Boudreaux

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