One night only

Houston trattoria and BBQ joint team up for Hill Country flood relief

Two top Houston restaurants are teaming up to help the Hill Country recover from the recent floods. Truth BBQ and Italian-American restaurant Milton’s will join forces for a one-night-only fundraiser dinner on Sunday, August 17.

Held at Truth BBQ, the family-style feast will put a Texas twist on classic Italian dishes, as interpreted by Milton’s executive chef Kent Domas and Truth BBQ pitmaster and owner Leonard Botello IV. Priced at $150 per person plus tax, tip, and drinks, each person at the table will share all of the following dishes:

Antipasti: Mortadella, Parmigiano-Reggiano from the wheel, Buffalo mozzarella with Truth BBQ pickles, focaccia
Salad: Caesar salad
Primi: Short rib lasagna and Rigatoni with osso bucco
Secondi: Ribeye steak with Italian chimichurri, agrodolce pork ribs with peaches, and beef cheek tortellini in brodo.
Dessert: Banana tiramisu

“Any opportunity to get to cook alongside our friends and learn from each other is one we can’t pass up,” said Local Foods Group culinary and creative director Seth Siegel Gardner. “Collaborating on menus lets us highlight the things we love about each other’s restaurants and combine those on the plate.”

All of the night’s proceeds will be donated to the Texas Hospitality Collective. Created by pitmaker Mill Scale Metalworks, the fund will provide relief to hospitality and community members in Kerr County.

“At Truth, community has always been at the heart of what we do — whether that’s in the kitchen or outside it,” Botello added. “We’ve seen firsthand how food can bring people together in times of need, and we’re honored to support the families in Kerr County while collaborating with our friends at Milton’s.”

Tickets will go on sale at 8 pm on Tuesday, July 29 via this link. (Note that the link will not be active until that time.) Diner may reserve for tables of four ($600 plus tax and tip) or six people ($900 plus tax and tip).

Photo by Ben Sassani

The dinner will happen at Truth BBQ on August 17.

goodbye, grand lux

Eclectic comfort food restaurant to shutter after 21 years in Houston

Grand Lux Cafe

Beignets with three sauces, thanks Grand Lux Cafe.

A staple of the Galleria-area dining scene will soon serve its last meal. Grand Lux Cafe will close January 24, 2026.

A representative provided CultureMap with a statement from Alethea Rowe, senior director, public relations and global branding, for Grand Lux owner The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated:

After extensive review and analysis, the company made the difficult decision to discontinue operation of our Grand Lux Cafe in Houston. Our last day of service will be January 24, 2026. We are working with our staff to help transition them to other opportunities, including transfers to our other concepts in the area. We have truly enjoyed being a part of the local community over the last 21 years and hope that our guests will continue to dine with us at our other restaurants in the area.

News of the closing was first reported by Chron after it circulated on social media.

Open since December 2004, the massive, 12,100-square-foot restaurant serves a crowd-pleasing menu of eclectic, globally-inspired comfort food in a setting inspired by European design. Diners can choose from a wide array of dishes, including pot stickers, Buffalo wings, burgers, salads, pastas, steaks, seafood, and more. Baked-to-order desserts — including chocolate chip-pecan cookies and molten chocolate cake — are particularly can’t-miss.

Cheesecake Factory operate a number of restaurants across the Houston area, including those of its subsidiary Fox Restaurant Concepts. It recently opened its “greatest neighborhood restaurant” The Henry in Town & Country Village.

Although Grand Lux is leaving its location at the Centre at Post Oak, the shopping center will remain a likely remain a culinary destination. Various media outlets have reported that Eataly, described by CultureMap Dallas as a “mega-shopping and eating experience, with restaurants, bakery, wine shop, and retail store, all promoting the awesomeness of Italian food” will soon begin construction on its first Houston location at the development.

news-you-can-eat closings