A grassroots effort

Houston restaurants rally to take food to victims of Montgomery and WallerCounty fires

When Chef Chris Shepherd puts his mind to doing good, the man makes it happen.
With heavy smoke billowing over Montgomery and Waller counties, both theresidents and the relief workers need all the help they can get.
Photo via Magnolia TX Fire and Evacuation Information/Facebook
This food station at the Command Center in Magnolia may look well-stocked, butsupplies go quickly when you have nothing.
Photo via Magnolia TX Fire and Evacuation Information/Facebook

You'd better believe that when the Houston foodie community rallies around a cause, by golly, it rallies.

And while Texas continues to burn hot, the calm, cool heads behind food establishments citywide have banded together to fight the fires that they can — with grassroots efforts.

"The restaurant community in Houston needs to do something," said Chris Shepherd, former Catalan chef and current Underbelly creator. "These are our neighbors, our farmers — they're in our backyard."

The collective culinary conscience simply wouldn't allow these able hands to sit idly by.

So Shepherd and chef Lyle Bento of Party Fowl and The Modular did what they do best — they cooked up a scheme.

"[On Friday], we're going to roll up to Montgomery and Waller Counties and belly up where we can," said Shepherd. "We started off taking a food truck up there and handing stuff out, and now Central Market's given us pallets of things to take."

But that's not all.

With other restaurants like Stella Sola, Brennan's, and Haven — among many others — throwing their perishable goods into the ring of fire, Shepherd, Bento, and their industry buddies are doing so much more than they originally imagined they could.

"The restaurants are donating hot food boxes, and the kids at the Art Institute will be making sandwiches to put in the cooler," said Shepherd. "We've had trucks donated and chocolate milk for kids. Whatever companies want to donate food, we'll take the food trucks up there, and fry things and bake things."

Now they just have to find a place to drop everything off for distribution.

But Friday's Good Samaritan efforts are very much a work in progress. The details aren't set in stone just yet.

In fact, if you're a restaurant, food vendor, or can contribute supplies or equipment to Friday's efforts, you're invited to meet up at 13 Celsius at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.

"We want to find out what restaurants can do food for us, and who wants to be involved in this," Shepherd said. "All restaurants and industry people that want to be a part of what we're doing on Friday should come."

Throughout our continuing coverage of the wildfires ravaging our state, plenty of you have been asking, "How can I help?"

Well, folks, here's your answer.

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let's dance

New Houston nightclub shakes up downtown with salsa dancing and yoga classes

Courtesy of Clandestina

Clandestina is now open in downtown Houston.

Downtown recently welcomed a new venue dedicated to adding a little theatricality to Houston’s nightlife scene. After opening quietly last month in the former Prohibition space (1008 Prairie St.), Clandestina will bring a little Latin flair to downtown when it celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, January 17.

Owner Issac Hendrix has been a nightclub promoter for many years, leading events at venues such as Clutch, Bottled Blonde, Aura, and Lincoln. He sees Clandestina as an opportunity to bring something different to Houston.

“There aren’t many Latin-infused cocktail places. It made me want to create something like that for everybody,” Hendrix tells CultureMap. “I want to bring something of quality that’s fun for people. Not so much about the image of having fun but actually people dancing.”

Part of when sets Clandestina apart is the location’s theatrical stage. Hidden behind a bookcase in the front bar area — its clandestine nature inspired the venue’s name — it will allow the venue to host performances by dance troupes, DJs, and even movie nights that will feature classic films like the Wizard of Oz or Beetlejuice paired with themed food and drinks.

The front lounge/dining room will have its own DJs playing different music. In February, Hendrix aims to roll out weekend brunch service.

Mostly, Hendrix wants people to dance. On Friday nights, Clandestina will host a salsa class beginning at 8 pm.

The club also has a wellness focus. On the third Saturday of every month, it will host daytime events such as yoga or pilates classes with matcha and coffee. A portion of proceeds will benefit a different local nonprofit each month.

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A post shared by CLANDESTINA (@clandestinahouston)

Saturday’s grand opening will bring all of these elements together. A wellness event, including a pilates class, will run from 12-5 pm with Clandestina making a donation to location breast cancer nonprofit The Rose. A reception from 6-10 pm will feature DJs and cocktails. From 10 pm-2 am, the energy gets turned up with fire dancers, percussion, and a saxophonist.

Courtesy of Clandestina

Clandestina is now open in downtown Houston.

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