Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
The Bayou City Arts Festival returns to Downtown on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30, and will once again showcase its Chef’s Table, beginning at noon on each day. During this time, chefs from Maven, Anonymous Cafe, the Texas Cut, Tavola, and more, will host recipe demonstrations and treat festival attendees to samples.
Two new restaurant concepts are now holding court at POST Market, the sprawling food hall inside POST Houston. Myoa Cookies, founded by Nigerian singer and songwriter Mayowa Sobamowo, brings freshly baked, made-to-order cookies in packages of four, six, and 12, plus mini bites by the dozen; and cookie cakes in flavors like French chocolate, strawberries and dream, sea salt caramel, and golden hazelnut. Meanwhile, 2 Phat Bastards, the brainchild of friends and Zimbabwean natives Nilesh Ranchod and Rajen Giga, brings Indo-African flair to the food hall with handheld savory pies packed with fillings like pepper steak, chicken curry, and spinach paneer.
Happenings
Marvino’s Italian Steakhouse in Cypress is hosting a four-course Duckhorn portfolio wine dinner on Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m. for $109 per person. Courses include the ceviche tropical, featuring marinated snapped cured in leche de tigre, paired with Decoy Limited Brut Rosé, Méthode Champenoise from California; shrimp scampi paired with Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay; and filet mignon with a black truffle demi-glace, paired with Migration Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2022. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 832-220-7200.
Hidden Omakase is hosting a Fire & Ice omakase experience, in collaboration with 93 Til, on Sunday, March 30 with two seatings offered at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for $300 per guest. Seating for the exclusive experience is limited to Hidden’s 18-seat chef’s counter, with reservations required.
Mutiny Wine Room is hosting Paella Sunday on March 30, with seatings at 1, 4, and 6:30 p.m. for $38 per person. Guests are invited to enjoy chef Eduardo Alcayaga’s paella, cooked fresh on the patio during the live-fire event, and can opt for wine pairings by the glass or bottle.
Ostia is celebrating the wines of Burgundy winemaker Jean Charles Fagot during a family-style dining experience on Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Highlights from the four-course menu include duck breast with Jerusalem artichoke & chanterelles; and olive oil cake with limoncello syrup. Jean Charles Fagot and David Shevrick of Shevrick Imports will be in attendance to guide guests through the culinary journey. Seats are $125 per person, and can be reserved via OpenTable.
Alicia’s Mexican Grille and Galiana’s Tex-Mex & Agave Bar locations are hosting a series of dinners featuring Tres Agaves Tequila in April. Each dinner begins at 7 p.m with participating locations including Alicia’s in Cypress on Thursday, April 3; Alicia’s in Katy on Saturday, April 5; Alicia’s in Spring on Saturday, April 12; Alicia’s in Westchase on Saturday, April 19; and Galiana’s on Saturday, April 26. For $89 per person, guests will enjoy a hand-selected tequila flight spotlighting Tres Agaves Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, followed by a three-course dinner with cocktail or wine pairings. Reservations are required, and can be made by calling the relevant location.
Heights & Co. has launched its Vacation by the Glass & Co. wine and movie night series. The 6-night series, which kicks off on Wednesday, March 26 and continues with dedicated nights through Thursday, May 29, features themed evenings that spotlight a particular location. Guests are treated to a welcome cocktail, a curated wine tasting, and a film shown on the outdoor screen inspired by the destination. Themes include “A Night in France” on Wednesday, April 9 with a showing of Ratatouille; “Escape to Italy” on Wednesday, April 23 with a showing of Under the Tuscan Sun; and “Greek Getaway: on Thursday, May 8 with a showing of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Each event kicks off at 7 p.m., with movies starting at 7:30 p.m. Seats can be reserved at Resy for $35 per person, and food will be available at an additional cost.
On the Menu
As a result of the University of Houston Cougars advancing to the NCAA March Madness Sweet Sixteen, Shipley Do-Nuts has changed the name of its popular bear claws to “Cougar Paws” at participating locations throughout Houston for the third year in a row. The fluffy fried pastries are dipped in Shipley’s signature vanilla glaze and dusted with cinnamon, serving as a tasty way to cheer on the home team.
In honor of owner Abbas Dhanani’s Islamic faith and religion, Burger Bodega is serving cheeseburger samosas as a limited-time menu item through Saturday, March 29, which marks the end of Ramadan. The South Asian-inspired snack is being offered only post-sundown, from 7:30 p.m. until close, as a treat for those who are fasting.
Toca Madera has launched happy hour, offered from 5 to 7 p.m. in the bar and lounge on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with Tuesday reserved for the restaurant’s popular “Taco Tuesday” programming. During happy hour, guests can take advantage of discounted bites and beverages like queso fundido ($10), sea bass tacos ($16), and margaritas ($12).
Chef Manabu “Hori” Horiuchi has introduced new lunch offerings at Kata Robata. The Japanese-inspired additions include dishes like the toro don, a dish of sushi rice with sea urchin, ikura, amaebi, and negi toro; and the shrimp yaki soba, a stir-fried noodle dish with grilled shrimp and ginger. Lunch is offered from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday
Maven at Sawyer Yards has launched a new happy hour, offered from 5 to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with specials like $12 cocktails, $10 zero-proof drinks, $5 beer, and $1.50 oysters. The happy hour menu is offered in addition to weekly specials like Wednesday steak night, during which an RC Ranch flat-iron steak and loaded baked potato ($26) are on offer; and Sundays Like Spain, a paella series featuring rotating varieties like Valenciana, squid ink, and seasonal vegetable.
Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar is ringing in patio season with a limited-time line up of off the menu cocktails. The “Mash Up” menu consists of drinks thought up by Loro’s bartenders who were tasked with tweaking existing cocktails to create new ones. Cocktails like the Loro 75, a yuzu spritz with a Hendrick’s gin float; and the Cool Hand Cuke, spicy cucumber combined with a frozen G&T, aren’t visible on the menu, but they are on offer for those in the know through Wednesday, April 30.
