Here For the Snacks

Every bite and pour you’ll score at CultureMap's 2025 Houston Tailgate

Chubbies Sliders is bringing two kinds of bites.

Photo courtesy of Chubbies Sliders

Heads up, Houston sports lovers: The Tailgate is almost here. CultureMap’s signature sports celebration kicks off Thursday, September 11, at 8th Wonder in EaDo, and trust us, you’ll want to be part of the action.

Not a die-hard football fan? No worries. Whether you’re into hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball — or just incredible food and drinks — this party’s for you.

Every Tailgate ticket includes delicious bites from local restaurants, premium complimentary beverages, and plenty of fun activities. Snag a VIP ticket for the ultimate experience: early entry, a private VIP bar, a special meet-and-greet with some of Houston’s top athletes, plus extra perks to make the night even better.

And before the big night, you can get in on the competition. Voting is open now for our Top Taco Tournament. where local taco all-stars go head-to-head in an online bracket showdown. Think of it as a foodie Sweet 16, with the champion revealed live at The Tailgate. Click here to cast your vote.

Still hungry? Some of Houston’s hottest restaurants and chefs will be serving up tailgate-inspired creations that you’ll get to taste during the event.

Here’s just a taste of what’s cooking at The Tailgate:

Assorted sandwiches from Antone's Famous Po' Boys
A Bad Chx food truck serving chicken tenders and cheesy chicken sandwich sliders
Dry-aged beef kielbasa-stuffed pierogis with honey jalapeño sour cream from Bayou Butchers
BB's Tex-Orleans is bringing smoked boudin links, fresh from The Best Stop and served with Creole mustard and saltines, and Maw Maw's chicken and sausage gumbo
Pork and chicken sliders from Christian's Tailgate
Classic Chubbies and Sweethearts (buttermilk-fried chicken tossed in bacon jam and Chubbie sauce) from Chubbies Sliders
Motherland pizza from Coastline Pizza
Common Bond's shrimp & grits: blackened Gulf shrimp, cheese grits, Creole sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, cherry tomatoes, and herb salad
Savory crawfish beignets from Crawfish Cafe
La Calle Tacos' carnitas street tacos
Wood-grilled chicken and steak tacos with grilled onions, pico de gallo, and a salsa bar from Little Rey
Gulf shrimp and Texas peach ceviche from Local Foods
Loro's pulled pork sliders with pineapple adobo
Oxtail and mac & cheese egg rolls from Peachez HTX
PHAT Eatery's Malaysian chicken curry
Smashburgers from Pincho Burgers + Kebabs
Cheese and pepperoni pizza from Pizaro's Pizza
Russo's New York Pizzeria will have Sicilian arancini and cup char pepperoni al vodka: Crispy, golden, thin-cut crust, loaded with smoky cup & char pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, and scratch-made vodka sauce
Pickled green tomato crawfish salad on a roll from Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Savoy is bringing an array of snacks: lollipop lamb chops, mini lamb and mini seafood empanadas, chicken sliders, and both buffalo and barbecue wings
TASTE Kitchen + Bar will also have lamb chops
Nashville Hot chicken sliders on Hawaiian rolls with Thunder Fries (seasoned waffle fries with spicy mayo and ancho chile honey butter) from The Waffle Bus
American Roadside sliders and peri peri "pulled" chicken sliders from Traveler's Cart
An array of breaded and fried chicken wings in homemade sauces from Wing It.

To wet your whistle, there will be THC seltzers, beer from our sponsor FLIGHT by Yuengling, and other fun beverages, courtesy of our sponsors: Patron Cristalino neat; Teeling Whiskey Single Malt-Single Pot Still neat; Teeling Whiskey Mule (Teeling Small Batch, ginger beer, lime juice); St-Germain Hugo Spritz (St-Germain Liqueur Martini Prosecco, soda water, garnished with a mint sprig and lemon wheel); Patron Ranch Water (Patron Silver, lime juice, sparkling mineral water); and Patron Linebacker Margarita (Patron Silver, margarita mix, pineapple juice, Tajin rim, garnished with a lime wedge).

Expect activations and appearances from your favorite Houston teams, including the Texans, Astros, and Dynamo and Dash football clubs.

We'll keep you up to date on all things Tailgate-related in a special editorial series of stories leading up to the event.

General Admission tickets start at just $25 for early birds (while they last) and jump to $35 at full price. Want the VIP treatment? Lock in $45 early bird VIP tickets before they sell out, or pay $60 full price for the all-access experience.

Get your tickets now before they sell out, and we’ll see you on September 11.

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The Tailgate is sponsored by FLIGHT by Yuengling, Puttshack, Mizzen+Main, Sysco To Go, Antone's Famous Po' Boys, NXT LVL Events, Patrón Tequila, Teeling Whiskey, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, and more to be announced.

sports top taco tournament the tailgate restaurants chefs

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat