2 grand wine programs

2 familiar Houston steakhouses uncork prestigious national wine award

Mastro's offers more than 3,500 selections on its wine list.

Courtesy of Mastro's Restaurants

Two of Houston's top steakhouses have received recognition for their outstanding wine programs. Pappas Bros. Downtown and Mastro's Steakhouse are two of just eight restaurants nationwide to receive Wine Spectator's Grand Award designation for the first time.

To earn this recognition, restaurants must "show uncompromising, passionate devotion to the quality of their wine program," according to the magazine. That means cellars with more than 1,000 bottles, a range of vintages, and a generous selection of large format bottles; the magazine visits each potential candidate to assess its quality.

At Mastro's, the $3.5 million in wine inventory includes more than 30,000 bottles and 3,500 different selections. Wine Spectator cites its deep selection of California Cabernet, aged wines from Bourdeaux, and plentiful selections from Burgundy as having helped it earn the award. The restaurant makes its vintages available to the entire Post Oak hotel property, which means if someone wants to enjoy a magnum of Penfolds Grange 2003 ($1,850) in complete privacy, they can have it delivered via room service.

“We were determined to develop a wine program of the highest caliber, one that made an impact on a global scale,” said Keith Goldston, Mastro's master sommelier, in a statement. “Our commitment to excellence is steadfast. We are continually elevating our wine selections to offer only the very best, most sought-after wineries from around the world. It is an honor to receive this prestigious recognition from Wine Spectator and a privilege to represent Houston at the international level.”

Pappas Bros. Downtown's 3,700 selections are also strong in California Cabernet — the magazine notes "verticals from labels including Bond, Colgin, Heitz, and Lokoya" — as well as depth in Pinot Noir from both France and America. The list also offers six pages of Champagne, including a number of large format bottles. After all, steakhouses are where people go to celebrate happy occasions, and they certainly need something to drink when they do.

Overall, just 100 restaurants nationwide earn the Grand Award. In Texas, the only other recipients are the two other Pappas Bros. locations in Dallas and near the Galleria.

Wine Spectator also recognizes approximately 1,200 restaurants with its Best of Award of Excellence for "lists that display excellent breadth across multiple regions and/or significant vertical depth of top wines, along with superior presentation." In Houston, 11 restaurants, including Backstreet Cafe, Brennan's, El Mason, La Table, and Vic & Anthony's, earned that award.

wine awards

blooming orchard

East End move powers growth for popular Houston cider maker

Courtesy of City Orchard

City Orchard's current taproom will close on November 22.

Houstonians’ love for cider has prompted a local brewery to make a big move. City Orchard is relocating its brewery from Sawyer Yards to a new facility in the East End, but it will maintain a presence in the area.

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Beginning in January, City Orchard will move to the Gulf Coast Distillers complex (5610 Clinton Dr.) where it will have both a production facility and a new taproom. Its ciders will also be available at Tejas Brewery, the Sawyer Yards facility that’s also owned by Gulf Coast Distillers. In addition to a larger room and increased capacity, the move will allow customers to taste different combinations of cider, beer, and spirits at both locations.

City Orchard will remain at its current location through the weekend of November 21 and 22. Its new East End facility will open on January 15, 2027, which also marks its seventh anniversary.

“Our growth across Texas means we need a larger production facility, and this move gives us room to expand our capabilities with a partner that also has a passion for craft beverages,” co-founder Patrick Kwiatkowski said in a statement. “Moving production also means finding a new home for our taproom. We’re excited to partner with Tejas Brewery to bring our flagship taproom to Summer Street and to welcome guests at our East End taproom at Giant Texas Distillers. These partnerships give us more ways to share our ciders and connect with our customers.”

Kwiatkowski and Mat Smith founded City Orchard in 2020. Its current, 8,000-square-foot facility offers 82 seats; a 50-foot, marble-top bar; and 24 taps pouring cider and beer. Its ciders use fruit grown on family-owned farms in West New York’s apple country. Its core menu also includes Mr. Green, a single-varietal cider made with Rhode Island Greening apples.

Gulf Coast Distillers opened Tejas Brewery in 2024. Its located at 2101 Summer Street, formerly home to Buffalo Bayou Brewery. Even with the move, City Orchard remains an independently-owned business, according to a release.

“We’re proud to welcome City Orchard and bring more of Houston’s craft beverage talent together. We see tremendous opportunity to grow alongside one another and give our guests even more to come out and enjoy,” said Carlos de Aldecoa, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Distillers.

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