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.

news-you-can-eat

Bernadine's Revived?

Houston chef takes flight with new Gulf Coast seafood spot in the Heights

Southern Smoke Festival 2022 Graham Laborde Paige Gallaspy Laborde

Photo by Emily Jaschke

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Everything old is new again for Graham Laborde. The chef, a co-owner of Midtown sandwich favorite Winnie’s, will open a new, Gulf Coast-inspired seafood restaurant in the Heights called Little Bird.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Laborde once led Bernadine’s, a “love letter” to Gulf Coast cuisine that operated in the Heights from 2015 until 2017. While Little Bird is a distinct restaurant with its own identity, diners with a long enough memory will certainly see some commonalities between the two restaurants.

“I’m a firm believer in playing to my strengths, I don’t think any of the cooking I’ve done either at Bernadine’s or Winnie’s or Little Bird, which you’ll soon see, does anything but play to my strengths,” Laborde tells CultureMap. You can’t change who you are. This is the cuisine I know and love. It’s what I’m best at. I’m excited to do it.”

Laborde has claimed the former Flying Fish/The Kid space (1815 N. Durham) for Little Bird, which is just around the corner from where Bernadine’s used to be (it’s now Star Rover). Plans call for about 150 seats, private dining rooms, and an air-conditioned patio. Details include a hand-carved wooden oyster bar and a mural by Houston artists Whitney Garrett-Yarbrough and Dayle Booth.

The menu is still under development, but don’t be surprised if at least a couple of Bernadine’s dishes show up. “I’ve grown a lot over the last 10 years. I think that my style, my palate has grown a lot, too. The menu is a work in progress, but I’m excited to hammer it out,” he says.

Adding to the “getting the band back together” vibe are some of the people helping Laborde bring Little Bird to life. Julia Doran, who served as Bernadine’s pastry chef before a length stint at Nancy’s Hustle and Tiny Champions, is consulting on the dessert program. Chelsea Thomas, formerly Bernadine’s assistant general manager, will serve as general manager at the new restaurant (full disclosure: Thomas is a regular contributor to CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast). Bartender Justin Ware, director of operations for Winnie’s, Johnny’s Gold Brick, and Starduster Lounge, will oversee Little Bird’s beverage offerings.

The chef is excited to be back in the Heights, a neighborhood he knows well.

“I first moved to the Heights straight from New Orleans. I noticed Heights Blvd had a middle ground. It made the transition so much easier,” Laborde says. “I’ve lived in the Heights and Garden Oaks for 16 years. It’s my home. I’m thrilled to be back here.”

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