Sporty Snack Stars

Here's a taste of all the delicious snacks on tap for The Tailgate

Dig into fries from The Waffle Bus.

The Waffle Bus/Facebook

Attention, sports fans: The Tailgate is almost here. CultureMap Houston's signature sporty event is happening Wednesday, October 25, at Silver Street Studios, and you'll want to be there.

Why? Because even if you aren't a football fanatic, hockey hound, soccer supporter, or basketball and baseball buff, you're probably a big fan of fantastic local food and drinks.

Here's what's on the menu:

2023 Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant winner Aiko will be serving maguro crudo, which is smoked bluefin tuna with crispy garlic and pickled cucumbers.
Tastemaker Awards 2020 Best Pizza winner Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana is bringing fried Alfredo bites.

As a new twist this year, readers will get to vote for their favorite local sports bar in our Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown.

Think of this as sort of like the Sweet 16, where local champs face off in an online tournament. The winner will be revealed at the party, but here's what each eatery is bringing to help sway votes their way:

pulled oxtail sliders with house-made habanero pickles and Rock Sauce from RockHouse Southern Kitchen
grilled Phoenix wings and Dancing Beef skewers from The Phoenix on Westheimer
fried pork ribs tossed in Dragon or barbecue sauce from Quad HTX
Smash Burger sliders and chicken flautas from FM Kitchen
Billionaire Burger sliders with Sriracha pimento cheese and beer mustard from Twin Peaks
bacon-wrapped quail, Thai chili margaritas, and berry lemonade from Patterson Park

Also expect:

seasoned waffle fries topped with fried chicken bites from The Waffle Bus
Little Knuckle sandwich and elote street dogs from Good Vibes Coastal Kitchen
chicken tinga tostadas from Home Run Dugout
brown rice, kale, chicken, and avocado bowls from Leaf & Grain
chili-cheese Mazemen noodles from Ramen Tatsu-Ya
duck leg confit corn dogs and Irish coffee from Wild Concepts
mini basil beef burgers, mini satay chicken wraps, mini beef drunken hot dogs, and chips and chili dips from M Express Thai Kitchen
pork and chicken souvlaki, potato and cheese croquettes, and spanakopita from Echoes Cafe
bespoke boozy ice cream scoops and cocktails from Patra Lee's Kitchen Handcrafted Heritage Ice Cream

To wet your whistle, there will be signature cocktails by Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and 1800 Tequila — just wait until you taste the QB Crusher and Peach Fizz.

Aside from the concessions, expect game-day activities and fun yard games, plus a spotlight on sports-related nonprofits like Dynamo and Dash Charities and Houston Texans Foundation.

VIP tickets include early admission, a dedicated VIP bar, and a meet and greet with former Houston Texans player Johnathan Joseph. Through October 13, order from this link and receive $10 off VIP tickets. We’ll see you on October 25.

sports cocktails drinks promoted

birdie's in Houston

Award-winning Austin restaurant flies to Houston for one-night-only meal

Birdie's Arjav Ezekiel Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelly

Birdie's is coming to Houston.

Two top Texas restaurants are teaming up for a one-night-only pop-up that will feature creative cooking and thoughtful wine pairings. Houston’s Rosie Cannonball and Austin’s Birdie’s are uniting on Monday, September 14 for an evening they’re calling Birdie’s Cannonball.

Held at Rosie Cannonball, the event will feature a menu created by Birdie’s chef and co-owner Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Goodnight Hospitality partner Felipe Riccio, who created many of Rosie Cannonball’s signature dishes and leads the kitchen at March, Rosie Cannonball’s Michelin-starred sister concept. Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s co-owner and a James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, will team up with Goodnight Hospitality partner and master sommelier June Rodil to select wine pairings for the night.

“This collaboration came together the way the best restaurant ideas usually do: over years of eating, drinking, traveling, talking shop, and saying, ‘We should really do something together,’” Rodil said in response to CultureMap’s request for comment on the collaboration.

“All of the Goodnight partners make a point of going to Birdie’s whenever we’re in Austin, because we genuinely love what Tracy and Arjav have built: the food, the people, and their fiercely independent spirit. Bringing our teams together feels less like a formal collaboration and more like finally hosting the dinner party we’ve all been meaning to throw,” she added.

Both restaurants have earned plenty of acclaim. In addition to Ezekiel’s Beard Award, Birdie’s has earned a Best New Restaurant award from Bon Appetit, been named Food & Wine magazine’s Restaurant of the Year in 2023, holds a spot on the New York Times’ list of “The 25 Best Restaurants in Austin Right Now,” and earned a Recommended designation from the Michelin Guide.

For its part, Rosie Cannonball and Goodnight Hospitality have earned their fair share of national attention, including a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Rodil, a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation for Rosie Cannonball, and Best New Restaurant awards from Esquire and Robb Report for March.

The evening will also serve as a homecoming for Malechek-Ezekiel, a native Houstonian and a graduate of the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. The meal will be her first time cooking professionally at a restaurant in her hometown.

Seats are priced at $200 per person, which includes food, tax, and tip. Reservations are only available to Sapphire Reserve credit card holders, as it is presented as part of Birdie’s sponsorship by Chase Sapphire. Find more details on OpenTable.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelly

Birdie's is coming to Houston.

news-you-can-eat chefs

Sporty Snack Stars

Here's a taste of all the delicious snacks on tap for The Tailgate

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