Boozy News

Where to drink right now: 10 hot, happy hour deals for December

The bar at L'Olivier
Photo by © Jill Hunter
Triniti Bar Bites include fried chicken meatballs and waffles.
Photo courtesy of Triniti Restaurant + Bar

Inside and outside of the 610 Loop you'll go. December’s happy hours deals span the city and offer specials sure to light up your holidays.

La Griglia
The deals plus the lively atmosphere at La Griglia in the River Oaks Shopping Center make for a happy hour hot spot. Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m., on the patio or at the bar, choose from specials like lobster empanadas and butternut squash pacchettini for $5 each, and specialty pizzas for $7.

The $5 drinks list features the likes of a lemon drop cocktail, peach Bellini, blood orange martini and select glasses of wine. Beer is a dollar less at $4.

Triniti Restaurant and Bar
During Triniti's happy hour, Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 7p.m., and all-night Sundays till close, enjoy sharable bites like the cavatelli bolognese, duck fat poached oysters, and fried chicken meatballs and waffle with chipotle syrup for $4 each, or 3 for $10. On the lighter side, try the beef tartare teriyaki or hot salmon sashimi.

The drink deals include half off cocktails, $3 select beers and $5 wines by the glass. Complimentary valet.

Nosh Bistro
Between the contemporary, sexy decor and the mix of South and East Asian cuisine, happy hour at Nosh Bistro is anything but your average affair. Nosh offers a champagne board special daily from 5 to 7 p.m. It comes complete with cheeses such as Norwegian Gjetost and Epoisses Berthaut, house-made rabbit sausage and freshly baked sourdough Lavosh.

Don't forget the bubbly — the champagne board comes with two glasses. All for $22.

PF Changs
Happy hour at PF Changs is from 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 10 p.m. until midnight on Fridays. Locations in and around town include Highland Village, Westchase, Willowbrook, Sugar Land and The Woodlands.

Order a large sake for $4 or select beers for $3.25 and under. Wines by the glass and cocktails like the Rum Colada and Asian Pear Mojito are $6. For $6 or less, try Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps, steamed dumplings or crab wontons.

RDG + Bar Annie
RDG offers happy hour prices Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. Specialty cocktails for $6: The Paloma and the Infinite Summer made with vodka cointreau grapefruit, cranberry, lime, and soda. Select wines by the glass and eats such as the fried chicken mignonettes, deep fried rainbow trout skewers and smoked chile meatballs are also $6. Select beers are $3.

Max's Wine Dive
Regular happy hour at Max's Wine Dive on Washington Avenue runs Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. Reverse happy hour goes Mondays through Thursdays from 10 p.m. to midnight and Fridays from midnight to 2 a.m.

Six bucks will get you a fried egg sandwich, twice cooked Texas BBQ foldover or bacon PB&J triangle. Lone Star Beer is $2 and wines by the glass are $2 off.

Haven
You don't get one, but two happy hour menus at Haven. Choices on Haven’s regular happy hour menu include the pulled pork slider trio, shrimp corn dog trio, crispy chicken lollipops and smoked shrimp tostadas. Cove Cold Bar, a mini-restaurant within the restaurant, has a happy hour, too.

Cove offers mostly seafood, but also some land food options, none of it cooked. Example items are ceviche spoons, ice shrimp (six per order), ice crab claws by the dozen and snow crab slaw. Across the board, happy hour is weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m.

All items are $6, including libations such as the Moscow Mule, Pimms Cup, margarita and basil smash cocktail made with basil, bourbon and fresh lemon juice.

Underbelly
At the bar area and on the patio,Underbelly features deals on drinks twice daily except on Sundays. Get 20 percent off beer and wine from 3 to 6:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. The reverse happy hour is from 10 p.m. until midnight Mondays through Wednesdays, and 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

Again, it's 20 percent off beer and wine. There's a deal on the food, like the spicy garlic gulf shrimp and satay of the day, both $12. Bargain fare is available Thursdays through Saturdays all day until 1 a.m.

L’Olivier Restaurant
Happy hour at L’Olivier in Montrose runs Tuesdays through Fridays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Discounted gourmet appetizers include smoked salmon risotto, boeuf bourguignon, pate, and truffle mac and cheese, all priced at $5 and under. Try the pork rillete, a large enough portion for you and three friends to share, for $15.

Select beers and wines by the glass start at $2. Well drinks are $5. Complimentary valet.

Sambuca
Sambuca downtown has happy hour specials weekdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The drink deals: $3 off liquor and wine, $2 off all beers. The $4 appetizers: Chicken, calamari fritte, fried crab cake, goat cheese studded artichoke and more.

unspecified

8 miles high

United and Chef's Table recruit top Houston chef for premium inflight meal

Courtesy of Thorough Fare

Chef Justin Yu will represent Houston on United flights.

United Airlines has a new initiative to lure travelers to fly its premium Polaris business class seating. Beginning August 1, travelers departing from 10 cities around the world — United hubs along with London, Tokyo, and São Paulo — may opt for meals created by some of the best chefs in the world through a new partnership with Chef’s Table, the acclaimed Netflix documentary series.

For flights departing from Houston, United and Chef’s Table recruited Justin Yu, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Theodore Rex, a fine dining restaurant in downtown that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In addition, Yu and Bobby Heugel own Houston hospitality group Thorough Fare, which operates bars and restaurants including Anvil, Better Luck Tomorrow, Squable, and a new, still-unnamed restaurant in Montrose that’s slated to open this summer. A frequent traveler, Yu tells CultureMap that he jumped at the opportunity to work with United and Chef’s Table to create a premium meal that showcases Houston’s food scene.

“There’s always something slightly unexpected about Houston and its food,” Yu explains. “The choice of asking me to be the chef very much represents that. As a native Houstonian, I am very rooted in the city, but always with something slightly unexpected with our food.”

While the specific dishes won’t be revealed until closer to launch, Yu shared the creative direction that inspired his menu, which will include an appetizer, a salad, and an entree. Specifically, diners can expect to see Asian ingredients that reflect Houston’s diversity, just as they would on Theodore Rex’s menu.

“I wanted that slightly Texan touch. To me, the Houston part of it is the most important. There’s such a level of diversity. Introducing light touches of that to the meal was something I considered,” he says.

Part of the consideration was creating flavors that would hold up well when served at 30,000 feet. The meal also needs to match the level of luxury that Polaris offers.

“That use of ingredients that’s maybe something you don’t expect in an in-flight meal is something I thought about quite a bit. How do you introduce a deeper level of umami to the flavors, the possibility for a few local ingredients that are unique to the region.”

Being included in the project puts Yu in some pretty prestigious company. The roster includes Michelin star holders such as Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles), Jenner Tomaska (Esmé in Chicago), David Barzelay (two-star Lazy Bear in San Francisco), and Tomos Parry, whose London restaurant Mountain Yu cites as the one he’s most personally excited to visit.

“Getting to know the other chefs has been really fantastic. I feel very blessed to be part of this project,” he says.

Travelers who fly in the Polaris class enjoy a number of amenities, including all-aisle-access seating, lie-flat beds, and premium bedding by Saks Fifth Avenue. Since last year, United has been updating the seats with larger entertainment screens, sliding privacy doors, and tech upgrades like Bluetooth, wireless charging, and USB-C power outlets.

"United's network spans many of the culinary capitals of the world, allowing us to authentically bring together acclaimed chefs from around the globe," said Andrew Nocella, chief commercial officer, United Airlines, in a statement. "Our collaboration with Chef's Table shows how we're leveraging our unique position as the world's largest airline* to deliver restaurant-quality moments in the sky. Our United Polaris international business class travelers are going to love the new dishes coming later this year."

chefs united airlines