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    This Week in Dining

    These are the 9 best food and drink events in Houston this week

    Holly Beretto
    Aug 5, 2019 | 9:20 am

    Beer events spotlight this week's top events, with 8th Wonder, Real Ale, and Saint Arnold taking on starring roles. Diners can also celebrate National Oyster Day and National Root Beer Float Day. Plus, there are two anniversary parties this week that mark important milestones for a Katy restaurant and a Galleria chocolatier.

    Monday, August 5

    National Oyster Day at the Oceanaire Seafood Room
    Stop into the bar any time today and get chef's select oysters for $1. With one of the more extensive oyster menus in town, diners are sure to love this sweet deal.

    Tuesday, August 6

    National Root Beer Float Day at Bernie's Burger Bus
    Get the restaurant's popular root beer float for $2 with the purchase of any burger. Dine-in only.

    Wednesday, August 7

    Real Ale Dinner at State Fair Kitchen & Bar
    Executive chef Justin Yoakum pairs a four-course dinner with selections from the Hill Country craft brewer. The menu includes selections such as hatch chile deviled eggs with Tabasco peppers and pickled micro crudité paired with Fireman’s Light, and chicken and waffles done with spiked hot honey and Brussels sprouts coleslaw paired with Hans Pilsner. Dinner is from 6-8 pm, and the cost is $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For tickets, call 832-831-0950, or buy online.

    Italian Brunch Cooking Class at the Italian Cultural and Community Center
    Kick up the weekend staple with this class from food blogger Flavia Scalzitti that teaches participants how to incorporate Italian ingredients into brunch. Class starts at 7 pm, and the cost is $65 for ICCC members and $70 for non-members.

    Thursday, August 8

    8th Wonder Brewery Tasting at Jasper's The Woodlands
    From 5-7 pm, the restaurant offers a menu of signature appetizers paired with 8th Wonder selections. Pairings include shrimp shooters with Haterade Gose and short rib empanadas with Hopston IPA. The cost is $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For tickets email the restaurant or call 281-298-5650.

    Saint Arnold Draft Night at Cane Rosso
    From 7-9 pm, the beloved Houston-based craft beer company will have a representative on hand at Cane Rosso's Heights location who will be serving $3 seasonal brews in a commemorative pint glass. Pair it with Cane Rosso's pizza of the month, the Escape Hatch, topped with housemade mozzarella, roasted hatch chiles, corn, bacon marmalade, caramelized onions, and red pepper flakes. Bonus: The restaurant offers an extended happy hour throughout the duration of the Astros' game.

    French Wine Class at French Country Wines
    Charelle Grant, adjunct instructor at the Culinary Institute LeNotre, leads participants through the complex — and sometimes confusing — language on French wine labels. Guests will sample five wines paired with cheese. The cost is $48 per person, and reservations can be made by calling 713-993-9500. Class starts at 7 pm.

    Saturday, August 10

    Anniversary Party at Mona Fresh Italian Food
    The Katy concept marks its first year in business with a day of deals. From 10:30 am to 9 pm, drop in for drawings for gift cards and a chance to win dinner for four. There's also a buy-one-get-one deal on homemade pasta with up to five toppings, a core component to the restaurant's build-your-own-dinner design.

    5th Anniversary Block Party at Cacao and Cardamom
    Annie Rupani celebrates her business milestone in her signature style, with an event chocolate lovers won't want to miss. From noon to 4 pm, guests can stop by the store on Westheimer to taste, shop, and splurge. They can even design their own chocolate creations, selecting an artisan chocolate bar to which they can add up to three toppings, including choices like pop-rocks, spices, nuts, pretzels, rice puffs, or dried fruit. Also part of the fun are swag bags and a five-pound bar of chocolate made with 24-karat gold leaf, along with a photo booth and live music.

    Sunday, August 11

    Sunday Supper Club at Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory
    Join chefs Brandi Key and Jorge Valencia at this monthly pop-up hosted by their venture, LMN Hospitality. The menu celebrates partner Kelly Laudadio's favorite dishes with an epic seven-course feast that's limited to just 20 diners. Courses include a seafood tower sampler, a lobster roll, horseradish-crusted lamb chop, and miso-glazed sea bass, and a boozy milkshake. Tickets, $145 or $175 with wine pairings, are available online. 6:30 pm.

    Get a root beer float for $2 at Bernie's Burger Bus.

    Bernie's Burger Bus root beer float
    Photo by Dragana Harris
    Get a root beer float for $2 at Bernie's Burger Bus.
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    Meet the Tastemakers

    Announcing the Houston nominees for 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards

    CultureMap Staff
    Feb 20, 2026 | 11:00 am
    2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
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    Houston's culinary scene is unstoppable, and each year we celebrate the city's top restaurant and bar talent with the annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Recently, we revealed the 2026 event dates and released a limited number of discounted tickets, and now it's time for the anticipated unveiling of our Houston nominees.

    These nominees represent the very best in Houston dining right now, from beloved neighborhood establishments to nationally recognized hot spots.

    Our panel of judges — including local culinary experts and a who's who of past Tastemaker Awards winners — have selected outstanding nominees across 10 categories. They'll choose the winner for all but one award — the Best New Restaurant will be crowned by CultureMap readers in an interactive tournament this spring.

    Meet the nominees below, then join us April 16 at Silver Street Studios to find out who wins. You'll nosh on chef-prepared bites from a host of participating nominees, sip perfectly paired cocktails, and be in the room when the winners are revealed. First Dibs tickets are sold out, but you can still score discounted Early Bird tickets for a limited time ($75 for GA and $110 for VIP).

    Now, please join us in toasting the 2026 Houston Tastemaker Awards nominees:

    Restaurant of the Year

    • Bludorn
    • Casaema
    • Credence
    • Jūn
    • Katami
    • Little's Oyster Bar
    • March
    • Maximo
    • Milton's
    • Nancy's Hustle
    • Squable

    Chef of the Year

    • Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast
    • Jassi Bindra, Amrina/Kitchen Rumors
    • Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn
    • Shawn Gawle, Camaraderie
    • Manabu Horiuchi, Katami/Kata Robata/Sushi Horiuchi
    • Mayank Istwal, Musaafer
    • Lucas McKinney, Josephine's
    • Benchawan Painter, Street to Kitchen
    • Felipe Riccio, March
    • Nick Wong, Agnes and Sherman

    Bar of the Year

    • Augustine Lounge
    • Bandista
    • Berwick's Birds of Paradise
    • Catbirds
    • Donna's
    • EZ's Liquor Lounge
    • Lee's
    • Melrose
    • Starduster Lounge
    • Winnie's

    Best New Restaurant

    • Agnes and Sherman
    • Barbacana
    • Boo's Burgers
    • Camaraderie
    • Chardon
    • Fielding's Steak
    • Hypsi
    • Jane and the Lion Bakehouse
    • Kaisen Sushi
    • Kitchen Rumors
    • Latuli
    • Murray's Pizza & Wine
    • Oru
    • Perseid
    • Yiayia's Greek Kitchen
    • Zaranda

    Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year

    • Aga's
    • Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
    • ChòpnBlọk
    • Cuchara
    • Feges BBQ
    • Handies Douzo
    • Moon Rabbit
    • Nonno's Family Pizza Tavern
    • North China
    • Pinkerton's Barbecue

    Rising Star Chef of the Year

    • Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk
    • Joseph Boudreaux, Boo's Burgers
    • Christian Hernandez, Barbacana
    • Frank Hernandez, Credence
    • Suu Khin, Burmalicious
    • Raffi Nasr, Craft Pita
    • Alexandra “Allie” Peña, Bludorn
    • JC Ricks, Dandelion Cafe
    • Adrian Torres, Maximo
    • Nicolas Vera, Casaema/Papalo Taqueria

    Bartender of the Year

    • Josh Alden, Bandista
    • Brandon Choate, Nancy's Hustle
    • Peter Jahnke, Catbirds
    • Cory Martin, Montrose Grocer
    • Chad Matson, Lee's
    • Alejandro Medina, Bar Bludorn
    • Craig Mickle, Baso
    • Julia Miles, Refuge
    • Javier Ruano, BCN
    • Jacki Schromm, Donna's

    Dessert Program of the Year

    • The Bake Happening
    • Barbacana
    • Blacksmith
    • Bludorn Hospitality
    • EaDough
    • Fluff Bake Bar
    • Jane and the Lion Bakehouse
    • Koffeteria
    • Luciana's Pastry and Coffee
    • Mayahuel
    • Sweet Bee's Bakehouse

    Coffee Shop of the Year

    • Blendin Coffee Club
    • Catalina Coffee
    • Coral Sword
    • Koffeteria
    • Little Dreamer Coffee
    • Simply Coffie
    • Tenfold Coffee
    • Third Place
    • TwoTone
    • Un Caffe

    Best Sandwich

    • Bayou Butchers
    • B'Tween Sandwich Co.
    • Cali Sandwich
    • Craft Pita
    • Kenny & Ziggy's
    • Local Foods
    • Stuffed Belly
    • Thien An
    • Winnie's
    • Yuma

    ---

    The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Houston by Culinary Kahncepts, Shutto, NXT LVL Event, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Southern Smoke Foundation.

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