Good Vibes

Gift great food, wine, and times this holiday with these delicious ideas

One of the best parts about the holidays is the food and wine — and family and friends you get to enjoy it with.

The Big Vibe Group keeps this spirit going all year long, but its restaurants get especially festive this time of year. Here's how to gift delicious experiences to be savored:

Bottaio Wine Shop
A new dimension has opened inside of Coppa Osteria, and wine lovers will cheer.

Bottaio Wine Shop only stocks wines from small, boutique vineyards, about 90 percent of which qualify as biodynamic, natural, and/or organic wines.

Even better, the retail wines are sold at 10-15 percent below the already low wine list price — that's a major steal. Bottles are also listed online and available for pick up, so just call ahead to order.

Since you can never go wrong with a nice bottle of wine, pick up one (or several) for hosts and hostesses, colleagues, and friends.

Photo by Rebecca Wright Photography

Wine is always the perfect gift.

Dining together
Whether you're planning the office holiday bash, a fun family get-together, or intimate dinner with close friends, consider private and group dining at The Big Vibe Group's restaurants.

Each restaurant has to capacity to host a crowd — all you need to do is determine how many.

Enjoy semi-private dining on the patios at Gratify, surrounded by lush greenery, bold wallpaper, and atmospheric hanging lights, or reserve the whole restaurant for an all-out experience.

The Dough Room at Coppa Osteria comfortably fits 20 guests, while the Frida room at Flora can comfortably fit 40 seated and 50-60 cocktail-style. The interior offers stunning chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows for a truly unforgettable meal, or expand the guest count and rent the surrounding patio space.

However long your guest count might be, you'll find the right fit at one of these restaurants.

Gift cards
You know what pairs really well with a bottle of wine from Bottaio Wine Shop, or even on its own? A gift card that can be used at any restaurant in The Big Vibe Group: Gratify Neighborhood Bistro, Coppa Osteria, Flora Mexican Kitchen, and Graffiti Raw.

Plan brunch with a good friend, happy hour with coworkers, or date night with your special someone and give the gift of great food, wine and craft cocktails, and time together.

Mucho merch
Hats off to the holidays with The Big Vibe Group merchandise, which includes T-shirts, hats, and brass keychains. Allow three to five business days for shipping or pick up at one of the restaurants, and then get ready for year-round big vibes.

shopping holidays dinner lunch brunch wine promoted

One Day Only

Chef of Michelin-starred Texas BBQ joint pops up at Houston crawfish favorite

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Join Lucas McKinney for a crawfish pop-up this Sunday, May 17.

The pitmaster behind one of Texas’ Michelin-starred barbecue joints will be in Houston for a one-day-only crawfish boil. Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, will be at Josephine’s this Sunday, May 17 from 2-6 pm.

Part of the restaurant’s Backyard Boil pop-up series, LeRoy and Josephine’s executive chef Lucas McKinney have collaborated on a four dishes that will be served at the pop-up, which will take place on Josephine’s patio. They are:

Smoked Crawfish Boil Sausage on a Stick: andouille flavored pork sausage with crawfish, corn, and potatoes
Brisket and Cheddar Croquettes: Chopped brisket and cheddar cheese in a creamy bechamel. Scooped, breaded in panko, and fried til crispy
Oysters on the Half Shell: Pickled Onion Mignonette, Smoked Jalapeno Salsa, Kimchi Elote
Smoked Salsa Macha with Beef Tallow: Guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, lime, soy, garlic, onion, pepitas, and pecans

The pop-up is part of LeRoy’s tour for his new book, New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling, which he co-wrote with Texas Monthly restaurant critic Paula Forbes. Released this week, the book contains almost 100 recipes for mains, sides, and desserts.

LeRoy & Lewis Evan Leroy ATX Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci

“Lucas asked me to participate in a crawfish boil this year, and it happened to line up with the release of the book, so I said yes,” LeRoy tells CultureMap. “The event format centers around a crawfish boil, along with some fried items and oysters, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the recipes in the book. Instead, we decided to bring a few dishes we’ve been working on over the past year or so, including the brisket and cheddar croquettes — which will definitely make it into my next cookbook.”

McKinney has already hosted pop-ups with the likes of ChòpnBlọk chef-owner Ope Amosu and Mike Pham of Trill Burgers.

“With these crawfish boils, I want each chef to bring their own perspective and let the menu reflect their personal style of cooking,” McKinney adds. “Events like this are really centered around community, collaboration, and introducing something fresh and exciting to Houston each time.”

LeRoy and Lewis has earned wide acclaim for its “new school” barbecue. In addition to being one of only four Texas barbecue joints to hold a Michelin star, it ranked No. 2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. McKinney began patronizing the restaurant when his friend, pitmaster Cole Parkman, worked there.

“It’s incredibly good,” McKinney says. “Eating there feels like they’re telling you, ‘I know you think you like brisket, but this is what you should really like.’ I really respect that they’ve planted their feet firmly in the ground and committed to doing things differently. It all makes so much sense — and it’s delicious.”

Reservations (free) are required to attend the Backyard Boil at Josephine’s; both 2 pm and 4 pm seatings are available. Attendees will purchase food and drinks a la carte. Josephine’s regular menu will not be available at the pop-up. Copies of New School Barbecue will also be available for purchase.

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