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    This Week in Dining

    These are the best 12 food and drink events in Houston this week

    Holly Beretto
    Jul 29, 2019 | 9:30 am

    Whiskey lovers, rejoice! Several events this week feature the spirit, from classes to seated dinners. Houston Restaurant Weeks kicks off on Thursday, and a Montrose bar has a killer brunch event happening on Saturday. Read on for this week's not-to-be-missed events.

    Monday, July 29

    National Chicken Wing Day specials around town
    Celebrate the favorite snack with deals such as this one from Pluckers Wing Bar, where guests can get $1 Bud Lights and 75-cent wings all day long. Peli Peli, specializing in South African cuisine, gets into the spirit of this unofficial holiday with a special offer at the Katy and Vintage Park locations. The South African wings — tossed in signature sauce and served with blue cheese or ranch dressing — are buy one, get one during happy hour from 2-7 pm.

    Yaki Snack Attack and burger-chan pop-up at Grand Prize
    Chefs Austin King and Willet Feng are teaming up for this one-night-only affair that joins King's creative riffs on Japanese street food with Feng's culinary prowess. Entree choices such as kimchi fried chicken and cauliflower steak with mushroom gravy may be paired with sides like miso broccoli and cheese tater tot casserole, Korean rice cakes (tteok) and cheese, and dashi mashed potatoes with clam cream gravy. Meals are sold as plates of one entree with two sides or two entrees with two sides. Price TBA. 6 pm until sold out.

    Tuesday, July 30

    Free Cheesecake at Maggiano's
    From open to close, guests who purchase an adult entree get a free slice of the restaurant's New York-style cheesecake in honor of National Cheesecake Day. To get in on the freebie, mention the cheesecake day promotion. The offer is limited to one cheesecake per check, dine-in only.

    Summer Chilling Series at Eight Row Flint
    Starting at 5 pm, head to this whiskey-drenched Heights bar for lobster rolls with tater tots ($15). Expect this taste of summer to sell out fast, so get there early.

    Blue Fin Tuna Breakdown and Omakase Tasting at Tobiuo Sushi Bar
    Chef Mike Lim creates a tasting menu featuring Spanish bluefin tuna. After breaking down the fish, he'll transform it into a multicourse dinner, allowing guests to learn about its different cuts, preparations, and flavors. The cost is $115 per person, and attendance is limited to 25 people. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm. For reservations, call 281-394-7156.

    Woodford Reserve Dinner at B&B Butchers
    Starting at 6:30 pm, the evening begins with passed hors d'oeuvres and features three courses paired with Woodford Reserve selections. There will be swag and surprises. The cost is $125 per person, and reservations can be made by calling 713-862-1814.

    Heaven Hill Dinner at Whiskey Cake
    This six-course dinner pairs dishes from the restaurant with tastes of and cocktails featuring selections from the bourbon maker. The menu includes items such as a Vegouti Farms tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella, olive oil, and sea salt paired with the A Sage in Thyme cocktail, featuring Pikesville rye whiskey; and the parmesan-crusted HeartBrand strip with a bourbon demi-glace, roasted Brussels sprouts and rosemary, served with Parker's Heritage Barrel Proof. Dinner starts at 7 pm, and the cost is $115 per person, including tax and gratuity. To reserve a spot, call 832-430-2253.

    Thursday, August 1

    Houston Restaurant Weeks all over Houston
    One of the city's most popular food events series returns for its 2019 edition. Until September 2, get great brunch, lunch, and dinner deals at restaurants across the city. Multicourse brunches and lunches are $20, while multicourse dinner options are $35 or $45, depending on the restaurant. The month-long dining extravaganza raises money for the Houston Food Bank, so diners can explore new spots and contribute to a great cause.

    Bartender School at Brennan's
    From 5:30-7 pm, learn how to make syrups, tinctures, and infusions in this hands-on experience that also features complimentary nibbles from executive chef Joe Cervantez. Guests will sip their creations, as well as learn some cocktail history and get recipe suggestions. The cost is $20, plus tax and gratuity. Register online.

    Saturday, August 3

    Kill Bill Brunch at Present Company
    What happens when a former assassin known as The Bridge wakes up from a coma years after her fiance tried to kill her on their wedding day? She sets off on a quest for brunch and to take her revenge by plying all sober people with large quantities of alcohol. Inspired by the Quentin Tarantino classic, this wildly irreverent event brings a party atmosphere to the traditional weekend brunch. Props and picture-taking opportunities abound, as do giveaways, surprises, and drink specials. Join the fun from 11 am to 6 pm.

    Cocktail Class at Hotel Alessandra
    Eight guests will learn how to make classic cocktails featuring Woodford Reserve, paired with small bites from chef Jose Hernandez. The class starts at 3 pm and costs $65. For reservations, call 713-242-8540 or email the hotel.

    White Linen Night at La Lucha
    The restaurant offers a great way to cap an evening of strolling The Heights and checking out the shops. They're offering their Pharmacy Burger for 99 cents from 11 pm to 2 am. It's made with beef patties smothered in fresh cheese and piled with crunchy lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and onions. The offer is good only on dine-in orders and is limited to one burger per person.

    Get La Lucha's Pharmacy Burger for just $0.99 on White Linen Night.

    La Lucha Pharmacy Burger
    Photo by Ralph Smith
    Get La Lucha's Pharmacy Burger for just $0.99 on White Linen Night.
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    truffle masters recap

    Street corn shines at Houston's truffle-powered chef competition

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 12, 2026 | 5:32 pm
    Truffle Masters 2026
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
    Marcus Benedict, Daniella Johner, and chef Luis Roger of MAD and BCN.

    One of Houston’s top Mexican restaurants took the top prize at this year’s Truffle Masters competition. Victoria Elizondo, chef-owner of Cochinita & Co., bested 24 other Houston chefs with Elotitos, corn brushed with chiltepin aioli, dusted with seven chile spice, and finished with shaved truffles and Parmesan.

    “The team killed it last night,” Elizondo wrote on Instagram. “We won 1st place at @thetrufflemasters all while having fun and cooking with love! Food doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be made with corazón!”

    The attention couldn’t have come at a better time. As CultureMap reported last month, Cochinita & Co. is currently in the process of opening a second location in Lindale Park. Customers can invest in the project via the NuMarket platform in exchange for credits at the restaurant.

    Second prize went to Camaraderie in the Heights for its black sesame and black truffle gelato, while Cocody, a French restaurant in River Oaks, took third place for its truffle-shaped Lollys Persillade Escargot Cromesquis, essentially an escargot lollypop with with black truffle and quail egg in the middle.

    Montrose sushi restaurant Soto won People’s Choice with its Engawa fin muscle with truffle balsamic unagi sauce, kizami, and chocolate black truffle masago arare. Aniket Bhingare, a bartender at Michelin-starred restaurant Musaafer, won the cocktail competition with his Pour Me a Slice, made with truffle and herb-infused and a clarified mix of roma tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, basil, and truffle oil.

    Other standout dishes included a Yukon Gold potato with truffle brown butter from Michelin-recognized sushi restaurant Hidden Omakase, truffle s’mores from Israeli-inspired steakhouse Doris Metropolitan, beef tartare and truffle ice cream from fine dining sushi restaurant Katami, and Credence’s truffle duck sausage with plums and truffles. Maximo, a Mexican restaurant in West U., maximized (sorry) its truffle usage with a Cachetada de Barbacoa Taco, made with nixtamalized truffle tortilla, truffle-braised barbacoa, and sottocenere al tartufo cheese with black garlic-habanero salsa

    More than 350 attended the sold-out affair, which took place at the Astorian events space in Sawyer Yards. The judging panel include both media members (such as this author) and hospitality pros. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the KNOWAutism Foundation.

    Truffle Masters 2026

    Photo by Daniel Ortiz

    Marcus Benedict, Daniella Johner, and chef Luis Roger of MAD and BCN.

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