Dinner at the Hobby Center in downtown Houston just got a little more delicious. The performing arts venue recruited James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd to create a new menu for its Live at the Founders Club series.

“If you’re coming to the theater, you’re already saying yes to joy,” Shepherd said in a statement. “My goal with this menu is to meet people there. I want this menu to feel approachable, craveable, and a little unexpected. High quality ingredients, no nonsense, and things you actually want to eat and drink while enjoying a show.”

The menu includes shareable items such as caviar with sour cream and onion Pringles, crisp birria taquitos, coffee-roasted beet salad, and the Full Tilt hot dogs that have been a smash hit at Brennan’s renovated bar.

The menu includes caviar, hot dogs, and taquitos.Photo by Julie Soefer

“As we investigated opportunities to expand food and beverage offerings this season, we immediately thought about celebrated hometown hero Chris Shepherd to help us create a menu that is simple, yet elevated, and, most importantly, delicious and appealing for a wide range of audiences,” Hobby Center CEO Mark Folkes said. “He has created a menu that completely matches the Founders Club vibe. It is sophisticated, yet approachable and relaxed. The dishes tell the story of Houston in ways much like many of our artists on stage.”

Located on the top floor of the Hobby Center, the Live at the Founders Club series offers live concerts in a relaxed, supper club-style environment. It features performances in genres such as cabaret, jazz, and Broadway.

Attendees can purchase whole tables of four. Parties of one, two, or three are also welcome to attend. They’ll be grouped together with other parties to fill up each table. Doors open at 6 pm for a 7:30 pm show, allowing attendees time to converse before the performance begins.

For more information and tickets, visit the Hobby Center website.

Live at the Founders Club

• Modern Folk - Multicultural Roots starring American Patchwork Quartet | Jan 30 & 31
• Love Always: Celebrating the Romance of Nat King Cole starring Jumaane Smith | Feb 12 & 13
• Sincerely, Sondheim starring Nicholas Rodriguez | Mar 26 & 27
• Wild Woman starring Kate Kortum | Apr 9 & 10
• & Broadway starring Teal Wicks with Music Direction & Piano Steven Jamail | May 7 & 8
• Havana Grooves starring The Alfredo Rodríguez Trio | Jun 11 & 12