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    CFP's foodie fundraiser

    Huge College Football Championship food fundraiser stars 30+ Houston restaurants

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 6, 2023 | 3:20 pm
    Southern Smoke Festival 2023

    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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    the pho will flow

    Growing Houston Vietnamese restaurant hustles into hot Katy neighborhood

    Eric Sandler
    May 13, 2026 | 3:30 pm
    Saigon Hustle Katy Cinco Ranch
    Courtesy of Saigon Hustle
    Saigon Hustle's new Cinco Ranch location is now open.

    A growing Houston Vietnamese restaurant has arrived in Katy. Saigon Hustle is now open in Cinco Ranch.

    Located at 23703 Cinco Ranch Blvd., the Houston area’s third Saigon Hustle began a quiet soft opening this Monday, May 11, and will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, May 14. Like its siblings in Garden Oaks and Spring Branch, the restaurant will serve its familiar menu of banh mi, egg rolls, spring rolls, and rice dishes, as well as the pho that was added to the menu when Spring Branch opened in October 2024.

    Beverage options include both Vietnamese iced coffee and freshly-brewed jasmine teas.

    The Cinco Ranch location seats approximately 60 people. It also offers curbside pickup and delivery via third-party apps. Co-founder Sandy Nguyen said the restaurant had been looking at Cinco Ranch for awhile.

    “Our guests out here have been asking us to come to them, and it finally felt like the right moment to plant a flag in Katy,” Nguyen said in a statement. “We grew up in Houston, and bringing the food we love to a community we love is everything. This is more than a new address — it's a hometown moment for us.”

    As part of its continued growth, Saigon Hustle recently hired chef Justin Yoakum as its vice president of operations. Yoakum previously served as director of operations for Culinary Khancepts, the Houston restaurant group behind Liberty Kitchen, State Fare, Leo’s River Oaks, and others.

    “Justin has been wonderful,” Nguyen writes in an email. “He's been the leader we have been needing to further the next steps in our expansion. We are excited to have him. He's already proven to be such a great asset to the brand and brings a lot of energy!”

    Originally opened by Nguyen and her business partner Cassie Ghaffar, Saigon Hustle is now backed by Savory Fund, a Utah-based venture capital firm that’s invested in a diverse range of concepts including Austin-based, Detroit-style pizzeria Via 313; breakfast concept Hash Kitchen; and Pincho Burgers & Kebabs, a Miami-based restaurant with locations in Memorial City, Conroe, and Cypress. Savory has committed to helping it grow to as many as 40 units in Texas and the Midwest.

    To celebrate its grand opening, the Katy location will offer a number of promotions and giveaways, including:

    • Free banh mi for the first 100 customers on May 14.
    • A block party with a lion dance beginning at 6:30 on May 14.
    • Free Saigon Hustle for a year sweepstakes: All visitors to the location are eligible to win. See store or website for contest rules.
    • Buy-one-get-one-free Banh Mi: For customers who sign up for the Saigon Hustle Rewards loyalty program
    • Red envelopes: In a nod to the restaurant’s Vietnamese heritage, customers may receive a red envelope containing a discount, giveaway, or prize.

    “We wanted opening week to feel like a block party, not just a ribbon cutting. Free food, music,

    neighbors, and the team that's going to be feeding this community for years to come,” Ghaffar added. “From the lion dance to the red envelopes, every detail of opening week is a love letter to our culture and to Cinco Ranch.”

    Saigon Hustle Cinco Ranch is open daily from 11 am-11 pm.

    Saigon Hustle Katy Cinco Ranch

    Courtesy of Saigon Hustle

    Saigon Hustle's new Cinco Ranch location is now open.

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