And The Winners Are

Raise a toast to delicious winners of Rodeo Uncorked! & Best Bites Competition

More than 5,000 foodies flocked to NRG Stadium on February 19 for the Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition, the Rodeo season's food and wine-focused kickoff event.

Hosted by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the annual competition brought together signature dishes from renowned Houston-area culinary establishments, with more than 110 of the region's premier restaurants serving tasty tidbits at the event.

These were skillfully paired with an impressive selection of nearly 450 award-winning wines from the 2024 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, including the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion.

If you missed the festivities, you still have the opportunity to sample some of the winning wines in the Rodeo's Champion Wine Garden, presented by Frost Bank. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs through March 17, 2024.

Without further ado, here are the Best Bites winners:

People’s Choice Award
1st place: Grazia Italian Kitchen
2nd place: Cotton Culinary

Outstanding Showmanship Award
1st place: Eculent
2nd place: Sheshe Treats

Tasty Tradition Award
1st place: Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery & Kitchen – Mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and Gruyere cheese
2nd place: Cultivated F+B – Raspberry white chocolate and vanilla verrine

Trailblazer Appetizer Award
1st place: Pier 6 Seafood – Wood-grilled coconut shrimp
2nd place: Goode Co. – Campechana
3rd place: Loro – Curried brisket rice

Lone Star Entrée Award
1st place: Raising Cane’s – Chicken fingers on garlic butter Texas toast with Cane’s sauce
2nd place: The Capital Grille – Kona-crusted dry-aged sirloin finished with a shallot butter sauce and au gratin potatoes
3rd place: Grazia Italian Kitchen – R-C Ranch smoked wagyu chuck eye pancetta risotto topped with a blueberry-rosemary garlic port reduction

Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award
1st place: Egghaus Gourmet – Strawberry tres leches croissant
2nd place: 1848 Handcrafted Heritage Ice Cream – Buckshot Caramel stracciatella with praline ethiope and whiskey caramel swirl
3rd place: Guzel Cakes – Perfect Love: Vanilla pudding cake with strawberry cheesecake

Rookie Award
Money Cat – BistecBao: Filipeno-inspired bao with braised beef chuck, calamansi aoili, pickled red onion, cilantro, and chicharron

The 2024 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions included:

Grand Champion Best of Show: Beau Joie Brut Champagne AOC, NV
Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show: Smith-Madrone Riesling, Spring Mountain District, 2018
Top Texas Wine: Meierstone Vineyards The Airship Red, Texas High Plains, 2021
Top Red Wine: Marchesi di Barolo DOCG, 2018
Top White Wine: Perissos Vineyards and Winery Winemaker’s Reserve Pape Blanc, Texas High Plains, 2022
Top Sparkling Wine: Champagne Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne AOC, NV
Top Dessert Wine: Quady Winery Essensia Orange Muscat, California, 2020
Top Region Wine: TerraNoble CA1 Andes Carmenere, D.O. Colchagua Valley, 2020
Top Value Wine: Animus Vinho Verde DOC, 2022
Top Wine Company: Nice Winery
Top Region Wine Company: E & J Gallo Winery
Top All-Around Winery: Winebow Import
Top Texas Winery: Kiepersol

The 21st annual wine competition featured 2,985 entries from 22 countries. In addition, 539 entries came from Texas wineries and the 2024 featured region, Chile, had 161 entries.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage, and provides year-round educational support within the community.

Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $600 million to the youth of Texas and education. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and follow @RodeoHouston online via Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube for all the latest news.

Photo courtesy of HLSR

Cultivated F+B's raspberry white chocolate and vanilla verrine won second in the Tasty Tradition Award.

wine chefs rodeo winners promoted

switcheroo

2-acre Houston patio bar rebrands with new name and family-friendly menu

Photo by Sean Rainer

The bar's patio includes 10,000-square-feet of turf.

A bar in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood is switching things up with a new name and revised menu. Effectively immediately, Woodland Social is now known as White Oak Social.

Simply put, the new name is designed to end confusion about the bar’s location, which many people assumed was in The Woodlands. In fact, it’s located next to popular concert venue White Oak Music Hall, which is reflected in the new name.

“We wanted a name that truly represented where we are and the community we serve,” the bar’s owners said in a statement. “Many guests thought we were located in The Woodlands, so renaming the business to White Oak Social makes our location clear and aligns our brand with the neighborhood we love.”

Along with the new name comes a few improvements. They include an outdoor playground that’s designed to appeal to area families, many of whom are already regulars.

In addition, the restaurant has broadened its menu. While pizzas still remain, White Oak Social now offers burgers, chicken tenders, more entrees, and a kids menu. An all-new brunch menu includes updated cocktails and more options for kids.

Piper’s Hospitality Group (Preslee’s Southern Good Eatery) opened Woodland Social in 2024. Originally named for the Woodland Heights neighborhood, the two-acre property has an 8,000-square-foot main bar area, a 15,000-square-foot outdoor patio that includes 10,000-square-feet of turf, and more than 100 parking spaces.

“We’re excited for this next chapter,” the group said. “The new name, the expanded menu, and the playground show our commitment to being a neighborhood gathering place for all ages.”

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