This Week In Dining

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

Toast Anthony Bourdain on Tuesday.

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.

news-you-can-eat

Oh, Donna

New Houston cocktail bar serves up a house party fueled by music and martinis

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

It hasn’t taken long for Houston cocktail fans to discover Donna’s. Ever since it opened Thanksgiving weekend, the new cocktail bar in the Heights has been packed with people eager to check out the new project from Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and veteran Houston bartender Jacki Schromm.

Named for Schromm’s grandmother, both partners use the word “house party” to describe the kind of atmosphere they want to create at Donna’s. That party can be very energetic on busy weekend nights and a little quieter and more intimate during the week — allowing patrons to choose what kind of experience they want to have.

Heugel and Schromm worked with collaborators on the design, music, and art for Donna’s. So far, people seem to be enjoying themselves.

“It’s really f---ing awesome,” Schromm tells CultureMap. “It has been really remarkable to have people in this building. To see the room full is a rewarding experience. The feedback we’ve received has just been really positive.”

To transform the former Ready Room into Donna’s, the partners collaborated with Brittany Vaughn of Garnish Design. Known for her work at establishments such as Tiny Champions, Maximo, and Milton’s, Vaughn helped divide the retro-styled cocktail bar into two distinct interior spaces. The main bar area is defined by high-top, organically-shaped tables that allow large groups to congregate or smaller groups to share without being on top of each other. The more intimate living room section features a large couch and a spacious booth.

“There’s a lot of smart utility in the space,” Heugel explains. “We kept talking about how it’s a small space. We want to find a seat for everybody as much as possible.”

To honor the space’s history of hosting live music, the partners worked with Chicago-based firm Uncanned on a powerful vintage stereo that includes both a reel-to-reel tape deck and a turntable. Known locally for their work at restaurants such as Nancy’s Hustle and Nobie’s, the Uncanned team gave Donna’s the ability to kick out the jams with ultra-clear sound while not being so loud that people can’t talk to each other. It also opens up the possibility of people playing their favorite albums on select nights.

“Jacki and I both had the bold opinion when we started talking about Donna’s that cocktail bars were boring. We wanted to add more layers to the onion,” Heugel says. “Having music be here as an additional component to the bar makes the room feel really good. That’s important to us, and we’ll have some programming related to that.”

Keli Hogsett of Austin’s CoCollect helped Schromm and Heugel select the room’s distinctive art on its walls. Heugel describes the works as museum-quality, contemporary pieces from regional artists that are a cut above what’s usually seen in bars. Hogsett will also source the art for the new restaurant Heugel and chef Justin Yu are opening next year in the former Vibrant space.

Schromm, who partnered with Heugel after working at Anvil and Reserve 101, created the opening cocktail menu herself. One highlight is the Jacki’s Martini, a nod to the “Bobby’s Martini” served at Refuge and the “Terry’s Martini” served at Squable. It’s a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth. She describes it as more “sessionable” than a traditional martini.

“I think this cocktail menu has a lot of personality,” she says. “Some of my flair, whether it’s a spirit I chose or a flavor I like.”

Although parking on the property is limited, Heugel notes that street parking on White Oak is relatively plentiful. A nearby pay lot is available, or people can skip the issue altogether by using their favorite rideshare service.

Of course, the adjacent restaurant space won’t stay empty for long. As CultureMap has previously reported, Austin-based pizzeria Home Slice has claimed the building for its second Houston location that will open in fall 2026.

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Donna's, 2626 White Oak Drive. Open daily from 2 pm-2 am

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

openings nightlife cocktails the-heights