Keep Feeling Fascinators

Houston's hottest restaurants and bars run for the roses with Kentucky Derby parties, specials, and surprises

So many May weekend events in Houston, so little time. Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Coronation parties. As if this weekend couldn't get any more jammed, it's also the annual Kentucky Derby.

Not that Houstonians needed a reason to dress up and celebrate with cocktails and food, but those looking to tie in that kind of revelry with Derby watching will have plenty of choices. Here are some of our favorites. All events take place on Saturday, May 6.

Brenner's on the Bayou
Get dolled up in Derby best and head to Houston's iconic steakhouse for its annual Wine Fest. From 2:30 to 5:30 pm, stroll the grounds and take in samples from more than 40 wine makers while enjoying bites from fellow Landry's restaurants such as Brenner’s on the Bayou, Grotto Downtown, McCormick & Schmick’s, Cadillac Bar, Willie G’s, and Babin’s. The event offers a dessert station and a hat contest with grand, second, and third prizes. General admission is $150, with a $250 VIP option available. Buy tickets and learn more.

Eight Row Flint
Held at the bar's original location in the Heights, guests will enter through a floral archway where they'll find an afternoon of Derby delights. The best hat wins a Makers Mark gift basket, and a raffle allows attendees to bet on a winning horse. Get $10 Makers Mark 90 Smashes or Makers Mark 46 Juleps. Photo opp areas, music, and more highlight the celebration.

E’terie Bar & Grill
This Woodlands gathering spot has a host of mint julep specials to mark Derby Day. Choose from the PBJ Julep, made with Screwball whiskey and cranberry juice; the traditional Old Forester Mint Julep made with bourbon and simple syrup; or the Diplomatico Julep made with rum, simple syrup and chocolate bitters. They're $11 each, and the special runs from open to close.

EZ's Liquor Lounge
Champagne lovers, this one's for you. This retro-inspired bar in the Heights is blowing out bubbles with prices such as $100 Larmandier Bernier Blanc de Blanc, $60 Pierre Gimonnet, $250 Krug, and $70 Charles Heidsieck. In addition, the bar will serve Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches made with smoked turkey from Truth Barbeque.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Julep goes all out for Derby Day.

Heights Bier Garten
The 7th Annual Kentucky Derby Party features games and a best-dressed contest (for couples and dogs) with a grand prize of four tickets to the Houston Polo Club. In addition, attendees will find food and cocktail specials, a DJ, live band, and a 360 photo booth. Festivities run from 1-10 pm.

The Heights Social

Heights Social Kentucky Derby (Bow) tie one on at The Heights Social with contests, a 360-degree photo booth, and more. Photo by Dylan Minor

The newest Heights hot spot on W. 20th Street start the Derby Day party at 3 pm. Look for Derby-themed drinks, a menu dedicated to Churchill Downs, and even a best-dressed contest. (The winner of the ladies contest will receive a complimentary bottle of rosé wine; the lucky gentleman will receive a complimentary bottle of Woodford Reserve.)

More contests include a “Champs for the Champion” contest, where each reserved table will pick a horse racing in the Derby; the winner receives a complimentary bottle of champagne to toast the winner. Be sure to snap those fits in the 360-degree photo booth.

Julep
Fittingly for an establishment named after the event's signature cocktail, Alba Huerta's James Beard Award-wining cocktail bar goes all out for Derby Day. Held from 1-6 pm, guests can expect a live set from DJ G Funk, music by Bulbo Houston, and a cigar stand from 1502 & Sterne Fine Cigar Company. Food options include tacos from El Topo, food and drink options in The Parlor, and desserts by Fluff Bake Bar. Naturally, the bar will serve plenty of mint juleps. Derby hats and bowties encouraged and welcomed. $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Buy tickets online.

Julep Houston Kentucky Derby Julep's Derby Day parties are always epic.Photo by Emily Jaschke

Permission Whiskey
Another standout bash takes place at this whiskey-obsessed bar in the Heights. Permission's 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Party invites guests to get "Down and Derby" with a broadcast of the race, live music, a trumpet player, Derby-themed roses, a festive hat contest, and other surprises. Makers Mark representatives will be there, handing out branded swag, and advance-purchase admission includes a cocktail. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in person before Derby Day. For table reservations, email the bar. The event kicks off at Noon and runs to 7 pm.

Rockhouse Southern Kitchen
This Galleria-area newcomer hosts what it bills as the largest Kentucky Derby watch party in Texas. "Talk Derby to Me" features live music, Derby watching on more than 50 tvs, brunch and lunch menus, and mint julep specials. Derby attire encouraged, and those who do have the incentive of a best-dressed contest. General admission is $30, with early bird and VIP options available. The party runs from 2-8 pm.

The Rustic
The bar's downtown location offers a Derby watch party, with live music before and after the big race. Participate in a best costume contest with prizes. In addition, the bar's signature mint julep will be available for Derby watchers to sip while cheering on the thoroughbreds. The event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged.

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a truer sound

New Montrose listening bar is a high-fidelity haven for music lovers

Courtesy of Casalu

Grab a seat at the bar.

Montrose’s lively bar scene has welcomed a new listening lounge that’s drawing major buzz. Called Casalu, it aims to have the best-sounding room in Houston.

Owner Lutfi Rukab brings experience as a co-owner of Brookstreet Bar-B-Q to Casalu. The bar’s location at 1001 Missouri allows it to share a parking lot with Brookstreet’s Montrose location. Rukab tells CultureMap that his experience as both a DJ and a patron of listening bars around the world motivated him to open Casalu.

“When I’ve traveled to places like Europe and New York, I always come across these places with impeccable sound,” Rukab explains. “When we go out in Houston, I get a headache or we have to scream. When I started looking around, I noticed no one has proper room treatments or proper sound. That was the first thing I wanted to focus on, and then everything else would follow.”

To achieve the proper sound, Rukab invested in a high-end stereo system made with premium components, obsessing over details like amplifiers and speaker cable. A hand-built, Japanese-made rotary mixer from Alpha Recording Systems allows DJs to mix tracks between Casalu’s two turntables. Custom-built speakers from German manufacturer H.A.N.D. Hi-Fi ensure clean sound at both low and high volumes.

“I toured everywhere to look for speakers,” Rukab says. “[H.A.N.D.] makes bespoke speaker systems for restaurants and cafes and bars and homes all over the world. They talk to you about what you want. Everything is custom-made. Everything is designed for the space.”

A rotating cast of local and regional DJs will make regular appearances at Casalu. Genres will run the gamut, with everything from jazz and French house to ’80s music, disco, and more. Like Rukab, general manager Omar Azhari has hospitality experience and has performed as a DJ. Together, they’re curating a list of performers that will also include live musicians.

“We’re going to play music as it was intended to be listened to from the recording studio, with minimal distortion,” Rukab says.

Rukab let his own taste guide the bar’s interior design. It has the feel of a well-curated living room, with a mix of seating options that includes tables for two, booths for larger groups, and, of course, seats at the bar. An outdoor patio brings Casalu’s total capacity to about 130 people.

Bar manager Fatima Imanli created a cocktail menu that nods to Rukab’s Palestinian heritage by including Mediterranean ingredients. For example, the Closing Track combines espresso and tequila with date-cardamom syrup. Similarly, the Fig & Vinyl blends bourbon with caramelized figs, and the Midnight Luce is an espresso martini riff that’s made with a tahini syrup. As part of a commitment to avoid processed sugars, all of the bar’s syrups are made with either honey or agave nectar.

In addition to cocktails, Casalu offers a tidy selection of wines by the glass or bottle and a few beers. Houston roaster Greenway Coffee is working with Casalu on its coffee program, which is powered by the espresso machine that had been installed at Paulie’s, the neighborhood Italian restaurant that closed last year.

Casalu’s limited food menu also takes inspiration from the Mediterranean. Customers will find options like hummus, olives, labneh, cheese, charcuterie, and more.

After a quiet soft opening, Rukab is feeling good about the investment he made in Casalu. Feedback has been positive, and people seem to appreciate what he’s created.

“We’ve had a great reaction. I couldn’t ask for more,” he says. “It’s a dream when they say ‘wow.’ Those are the best words coming out of somebody’s mouth.”

Casalu is located at 1001 Missouri St. It’s open from 3 pm to midnight Monday through Thursday, and from 3 pm to 2 am Friday and Saturday. Reservations are available online.

Courtesy of Casalu

Grab a seat at the bar.

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