CFP's foodie fundraiser

Huge College Football Championship food fundraiser stars 30+ Houston restaurants

Both Aaron Bludorn and Chris Shepherd are pariticipating in Taste of the Championship.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

The recent announcement of the four teams competing in this season’s College Football Playoff serves as an important reminder than this year’s championship game will be played in Houston on Monday, January 8, 2024.

A number of events will surround the game, including a fan experience at the George R. Brown Convention Center and concerts at Shell Energy Stadium. Of course, it wouldn’t be Houston if the city’s restaurant scene didn’t participate in the festivities — and raise a bunch of money for a worthy cause.

Towards that end, the game’s host committee has organized Taste of the Championship, which will be held at Minute Maid Park on Sunday, January 7. The event will feature a roster of more than 30 local restaurants selected in concert with James Beard Award winning chef, media personality, and CultureMap Wine Guy Chris Shepherd along with music by Louisiana-based party band The Phunky Monkeys.

Participating restaurants include a number of Houston classics as well as newcomers and cover a wide range of cuisines. They include CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners such as Blood Bros. BBQ, Burger Bodega, Coltivare, Craft Pita, Fluff Bake Bar, State of Grace, and Street 2 Kitchen. Other notable names include Cali Sandwich & Pho, ChòpnBlok, Crawfish & Noodles, Frenchy’s Chicken, Fung’s Kitchen, Navy Blue, Pondicheri, Riel, and more.

Diners will even spot some of the restaurants featured on Eat Like a Local, Shepherd’s TV show on KPRC 2, such as Josephine’s Gulf Coast Kitchen, Little’s Oyster Bar, Phat Eatery, Saigon Pagolac, and Truth BBQ.

In addition to the professionals, teams from four Houston-area high schools will participate as part of the Texas Restaurant Association’s ProStart campaign.

"It's so cool to bring all of our restaurant friends together for this great event," said Shepherd. "It's the first time that Houston will host the national championship game, so let's show up and show off our hometown. Our city is special because our community always bands together for great causes, and we're all thrilled to support teachers and education. My advice: come early and come hungry!"

Tickets, priced at $350 for general admission and $500 for VIP, include all food and drinks served at the event. Proceeds from Taste of the Championship will benefit the Houston Loves Teachers campaign and Extra Yard for Teachers, a program that aims to inspire and empower quality teachers.

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wave goodbye, Wooster's

Midtown bar with creative cocktails and craft taps will close in February

Photo courtesy of Wooster's Garden

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A staple Midtown cocktail bar will soon serve its last drink. Wooster’s Garden will close on February 12, co-owner Jeff Barati announced on Instagram.

He paid tribute to the bar in an emotional post about its legacy.

Since 2014, Wooster’s Garden has been so much more than a place to grab a cocktail – it’s been a second home, a meeting place, a celebration spot, a refuge after long days, and the backdrop to countless memories. Truly my favorite of all our concepts. So many great memories that are very difficult to put into words. I’m getting emotional typing this.

We’ve watched first dates and engagement parties turn into lifelong partnerships, strangers become regulars, and regulars become family. We’ve shared laughs, tears, milestones, cigar nights, and late nights. None of this would have been possible without the community that showed up night after night – your support, stories, and loyalty are what gave this Midtown haven a heartbeat.

Barati tells CultureMap that he and business partner Andy Aweida have leased the space to a new operator who will announce its plans soon. Still, he has some hope that Wooster’s will be revived in the future.

“Our tentative plan is to reopen elsewhere if we can find the right location,” he writes a in a text. “The staff wants to stay together and reopen.”

Opened in 2014 by the Kirby Group, Wooster’s Garden offered a compelling mix of craft cocktails paired with an extensive tap wall of beer and wine along with creative, upscale bar food. Its format and indoor-outdoor design served as a template for a number of the group’s later concepts, including Heights Bier Garten and Bayou Heights Bier Garten.

Closing Wooster’s Garden follows the Kirby Group’s recent decision to shutter Verde Garden, its Mexican-themed bar in Montrose’s Harlow District development. It will be replaced by Exilio Latin Flair, a pan-Latin restaurant from the owners of Bari Ristorante.

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