Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
Husband-and-wife team Paige and Andrew Alvis announced they are opening a new all-day, family-friendly restaurant with western flair called Long Weekend at 2042 E. T.C. Jester in the Heights this fall. The concept will debut in the former spaces that housed King’s Bierhaus and Egghaus Gourmet, with 8,000-square-feet of indoor dining and more than 20,000-square-feet of open-air space that will include a live music stage, TVs, nature-inspired playground, water feature, and a dedicated parking lot. Drawing inspiration from Andrew’s childhood days spent at his family’s ranch, the menu will include wood-fired dishes with cowboy influence like steaks, fresh fish, and game meats like quail and elk. Long Weekend will also feature an early morning cafe with locally-roasted coffee, tacos, and house-baked pastries.
Kin Cafe, a new cafe featuring plant-forward, globally-inspired comfort food, specialty teas, and pastries, is now open inside Asia Society Texas. The cafe will operate in the museum’s first floor space, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Happenings
Burger Bodega’s Guest Chef series continues on Wednesday, April 9, when chef Abbas Dhanani will team up with chef Ope Amosu of ChòpnBlọk to introduce specialty items that blend the flavors of both restaurants. Guests can look forward to trying the Chòpd Prawn Roll (C.P.R.), an indulgent handheld built with Cameroon pepper shrimp, African salad cream, suya spice, pickled onions, and fresh dill, which will be available from 5 p.m. until sell out at Burger Bodega.
The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is hosting its 38th annual Houston Art Car Parade on Saturday, April 12, with many of Houston’s top restaurants slinging eats in the exclusive VIPit viewing area. Beginning at noon on Saturday at City Hall’s Hermann Square located at 901 Bagby Street, guests of the VIPit party and fundraiser can enjoy prime views of the parade with complimentary bites from a lineup of local restaurants, including El Tiempo, Brasserie 19, Local Foods, Perseid, Tavola, Barbacana, Home Slice Pizza, Jonathan’s the Rub, and La Calle Tacos & Cantina; and drinks from Katz Coffee, Juiceland, Saint Arnold, William Price, Huynh Restaurant, and more. Individual tickets start at $250, and can be purchased at thehoustonartcarparade.com
Roma is giving its customers reason to celebrate on Tax Day. The moody Rice Village restaurant is ringing its 10th anniversary and treating guests to complimentary Prosecco all evening during dinner service on Tuesday, April 15.
Whimsical Midtown patio bar, Axelrad is commemorating its milestone 10 year anniversary with the release of a vinyl album called “Live at Axelrad, Jazz Wednesdays” and two days of free events on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19. From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday, guests can enjoy live music performances from Los Yesterdays, Gabriella Martinez Selena Tribute, Chicano Boulevard, and DJ Rosez; followed by an afternoon of family-friendly activities on Saturday, including face painters, market, a stilt walker, and more live acts including Urban Heat, Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet, DJ Rubi, and DJ Jean Paul Tiblier that evening. Fan-favorite cocktails like frozé and the vodka-fueled Impeachmint will be on special, and the bar’s popular onsite pizza joint, Luigi’s will be serving up pies for purchase.
Guard and Grace is hosting its annual Pink & White party from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25. Guests are encouraged to dress up in pink and white Derby-style attire and enjoy the festivities within a decorated tent on the restaurant’s patio. Samplings of pink, white, and orange wines from more than 15 vendors will be poured, plus light bites like cheese and charcuterie, raw bar gems, and desserts like chef Troy’s warm triple chocolate chip cookie. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.
Recipe for Success Foundation is hosting its 7th annual Fashion in the Fields brunch and fashion show at Hope Farms on Sunday, April 27, benefiting children’s nutrition education. From noon to 3 p.m., guests will be treated to Tito’s vodka-fueled botanical cocktails; a farm-fresh Sunday brunch curated by restaurants including Le Jardinier, Cochinita & Co., Dandelion Cafe, Eunice, Barcelona Wine Bar, and the Original Ninfa’s; and fashion show with sponsors including Sachin & Babi, City Boots, and Mason’s Daughter. Tickets can be purchased at recipe4success.org.
Ouisie’s Table is hosting a Bubbles & Blossoms floral workshop led by Shundra Anderon of Anderson Atelier Floral & Design in the restaurant’s garden from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. Attendees will learn about working with flowers, blooms, and greenery, while enjoying complimentary appetizers and wine. The cost is $85 per person, and includes all materials, flowers, and vases. Reservations are required, and can be made before the deadline of Monday, April 21 by calling 713-528-2264 or emailing ouisies@ouisiestable.com.
On the Menu
Jo’s Coffee has launched happy hour at its new Heights location, with specials including $2 Lone Star Tall Boys, $5 frosé, $3 craft beers, $3 cider, and $5 boozy tea, offered from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. As a bonus, guests who visit on Tuesdays can enjoy two-for-one iced turbos, the popular coffee drink made with coffee, espresso, hazelnut, chocolate, and cream, from 2 p.m. to close.
Melrose has launched Sunday brunch with a menu of reimagined classics curated by chef Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó. Highlights include oysters on the half shell; charred tomatillo chilaquiles with poached egg; hanger steak with eggs; an exotic fruit platter feature mango, lychee, pineapple, dragon fruit, and star fruit; and the head-turning Melrose tower, a showcase of house-cured lox, mini bagels, cream cheese, and accoutrements. Sunday brunch is offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is followed by “Sunset at Melrose”, which offers an amped up experience for the remainder of the evening.
Ramen Tatsuya’s Cajun-flavored “crawmen” bowl is back on the menu through Wednesday, May 28. The limited time offering combines crawfish tails, Cajun spices, andouille sausage, and a Southern succotash of corn and bell peppers with pork bone broth, marinated soft-boiled egg, and noodles in a bowl that reflects the robust flavors of crawfish season.
Caracol is spotlighting the Mexican coastal state of Yucatán as the third iteration of its tasting menu series, offered during dinner service through Saturday, May 3. The four-course menu is $75 per person and includes dishes like panucho con cochinita pibil, a stuffed masa cake with slow-cooked pork rubbed in achiote, beans, hard-boiled egg, and pickled onions; and grilled octopus with charred chili paste. Guests can tack on beverage pairings for an additional $36 per person.
For the first time since opening in 2020, Craft Pita is introducing a series of new dishes to its fully halal menu at both restaurant locations. Additions include a chicken salad pita, with meat from chicken tenders combined with celery, red onions, and Lebanese pickles rolled in Lebanese pita bread; and tacos built with Lebanese beef, and Lebanese falafel, that each come with rice pilaf and Craft Pita’s homemade hot sauce.
Through the month of April, Houston-area locations of PJ’s Coffee are serving up the Coconut Crush, a limited time iced energy drink with blue raspberry flavor profiles topped with coconut sweet cold foam, as a partnership with Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast & Louisiana. The vibrant beverage was designed to reflect the organization’s signature blue hues, with $1 from each one sold going directly to the cause that benefits children with critical illnesses.
