6 best January food and drink events in Houston, from a star chef bash to brisket 101

Brennan's will host the Perfect 10 Gala.

Photo courtesy of Brennan’s of Houston

After a pause for holiday festivities, Houston’s restaurants, bars, and other organizations are back to hosting a lively roster of food events. January’s top options include a meal featuring some of the city’s top chefs, a brisket class, and the opportunity to eat haggis while drinking Scotch.

Now through January 31

30th Anniversary Specials at Gringo's Mexican Kitchen
All 15 locations of the popular Tex-Mex restaurant will serve a throwback menu in honor of the first location that opened in Pearland on January 11, 1993. Special menu items include the Sombrero combination plate (bean chalupa, cheese enchilada, beef enchilada, and queso chip), Fajitas Rancheros, and more.

Tuesday, January 17

Perfect 10 Gala at Brennan’s of Houston
Local restaurant publication Houston Food Finder has gathering a who’s-who of chefs, sommeliers, and bartenders for this Mardi Gras-themed dinner. The VIP welcoming reception features five bites by chefs David Skinner (eculent), Niki Vongthong (Hidden Omakase), Alex Au-Yeung (Phat Eatery), James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega, and CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winner Benchawan Painter (Street to Kitchen). The six-course dinner includes dishes by Chris Roy (Winnie’s), Mark Holley (Davis St.), and Vanarin Kuch (Koffeteria). Tickets cost $185 for general admission and $245 for VIP.

Betty White Birthday Bash at Angel Share
Downtown’s charity bar will throw a special party in honor of the beloved late actress. Get happy hour pricing ($5 wells, $5 drafts, and $5 shot specials) from 4-7 pm plus $15 bottles of sparkling while they last. Patrons can also sip the Drink yo’ Face, a vodka-based cocktail with an image of White.

Angel Share drink yo face Drink Betty White's face at Angel Share.Photo by Taylor Hall

Wednesday, January 18

Brisket 101 at R-C Ranch
Learn to trim, prep, rub, and cook the signature meat of Texas barbecue during this class at the butcher shop that’s part of the Houston Farmers Market. Pitmaster Jeremy “JJ” Jeffers, owner of J Bar J Texas Pit BBQ in Brookshire and a partner in Alex Bregman’s Breggy Bomb, will share tips on wood smoke profiles, temperatures, timing, wrapping, slicing, and serving. The class also includes brisket samples, sandwiches, and the opportunity to purchase a R-C Ranch wagyu brisket for the discounted price of $75. Tickets, $100, are available online.

Saturday, January 21

Bobby Burns Supper at The Art of Cellaring
Chef Richard Knight (Feast, Hunky Dory) and sommelier Sean Beck (formerly with H-Town Restaurant Group) have teamed up for this dinner celebrating the life of the legendary Scottish poet who authored “Address to a Haggis.” The four-course menu includes the iconic dish along with cock-a-leekie soup and cranachan, a dessert made with toasted oats, fresh berries, and whipped cream. Beck’s pairings include wines and Compass Box whisky. Tickets, $88, are available by emailing seanpoursmagic@gmail.com.

Thursday, January 26

Bourbon, Bison & Brims dinner at Rainbow Lodge
The fine dining restaurant welcomes Rodeo season with this wild game dinner that features free-range meats and wild-caught seafood sourced from Beck & Bulow in Santa Fe, NM. Chef Mark Schmidt’s menu will include New Mexico bison, wagyu beef, wild-caught Alaskan sablefish, sustainable caviar, and North American elk. Festive Western attire is encouraged, $195.

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all about the taste

Beyoncé-loved Houston brunch spot sweetens Sugar Land with new location

Courtesy of Taste Kitchen + Bar

No meal at Taste is complete without chicken and waffles.

One of Houston’s most successful brunch spots is coming to Sugar Land. Taste Bar + Kitchen will open its second location on Wednesday, December 10, in the former Veritas Steak & Seafood location at 1550 Lake Pointe Pkwy, Suite 500.

Located near the Greatwood development, the restaurant will feature a lakefront patio and a private dining room that will host family celebrations, corporate events, and other happenings.

Even more importantly, it will serve chef-owner Don Bowie’s kicked up take on Southern comfort food. The restaurant’s menu offers more than a dozen versions of chicken and waffles — General Tso’s, Nashville hot, jerk, Cajun, etc. paired with waffle flavors such as peach cobbler, apple pie, and sweet potato — as well as seafood, mac & cheese, and the jerk lamb chops that won the prize for best dish at the CultureMap Tailgate earlier this fall.

Diners can expect a lively atmosphere, particularly in the evening, when the restaurant will showcase its extensive cocktail program and live entertainment on the weekends.

Count Houston icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her husband Jay-Z among the restaurant’s fans. Along with their families, the duo feasted on an order from Taste before Queen Bey’s Cowboy Carter tour stop at NRG Stadium. Bowie later shared a photo of himself with Jay-Z on Instagram.

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“We’re thrilled to bring Taste to the Sugar Land community,” Bowie said in a statement. “This expansion allows us to share the flavors and experiences our guests enjoy downtown with a new audience, beautiful waterfront views, and a signature space designed for both everyday dining and memorable occasions.”

Taste Bar + Kitchen opens daily at 8 am.

No meal at Taste is complete without chicken and waffles.

Courtesy of Taste Kitchen + Bar

No meal at Taste is complete without chicken and waffles.

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