Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
Ben’s Friends, a national support group for hospitality industry workers struggling with addiction, launched a Houston chapter, with its first meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 12 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Bludorn. Founded in 2016, the organization was founded by South Carolina-based restaurateurs Steve Palmer and Mickey Bakst in honor of Ben Murray, a chef who succumbed to his battle with alcoholism. It now hosts in-person meetings at all locations in more than 20 U.S. cities. Meetings will continue to be held at the same time and location, each Tuesday.
Trill Burgers is bringing its famous smash burgers to the Houston suburbs with locations in Spring and Missouri City slated to open next year. The announcement comes a year and a half after its original location opened in Montrose.
Happenings
Houston wine enthusiasts can look forward to an evening with Ray Isle, the Executive Wine Editor of Food & Wine, and Wine & Spirits Editor for Travel & Leisure, who is appearing at Stella’s Wine Bar at the Post Oak Hotel on Thursday, November 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. Isle will join the hotel’s two Master Sommeliers, Keith Goldston and Julie Dalton, for a fireside chat before signing copies of his national best seller “The World In a Wineglass.”
Urbe is putting a seasonal spin on its new brunch service with a special Friendsgiving buffet to be held on Wednesday, November 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. The spread will be a mix of Thanksgiving traditions with Mexican street foods, with highlights like a carving station with smoked turkey and brisket, tamales, enchiladas, papas bravas, cornbread, pozole, and desserts like pumpkin cheesecake and tres leches.
Dandelion Cafe is celebrating the launch of its new Heights location with a grand opening party at the historic Heights Clock Tower on Saturday, November 16. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., attendees can explore the new restaurant and dog-friendly patio, and enjoy family-friendly activities like face painting and balloon twisting.
The Four Seasons Hotel’s Master Whiskey Tasting series continues, with curated tastings at Bayou & Bottle throughout the end of the year. The lineup includes Angel’s Envy showcasing their bourbons on Wednesday, November 13; the Macallan’s single malt scotch collection on Thursday, November 14 and Saturday, December 7; and Woodford Reserve on Friday, December 13. Guests partaking in the two-hour experience will be treated to a welcome cocktail, light bites, and four whiskey tastings. Reservations are required, and can be made via OpenTable.
Chefs Rafael Nasr of Craft Pita and Nick Wong of the soon-to-be-open Agnes and Sherman are teaming up on Saturday, November 16 to host a three-course dinner at Craft Pita’s West U location. The duo will present a menu, which fuses the flavors of Lebanese and Asian cuisines, with highlights like chili crunch hummus, Lebanese spring rolls, and a shawarma-spiced rotisserie duck. Tickets are $80 for dinner for two, with reservations required.
On the Menu
As the winter season approaches, Rainbow Lodge has added a number of soul-warming dishes to its menu, including warm mushroom and burrata tartine; seared Hokkaido scallops with classic bone marrow and saffron carnaroli risotto; and molasses-braised akaushi beef short ribs.
Date night is easy on the wallet with Roka Akor’s $99 omakase menu for two special. For a limited time, guests can indulge in a six-course omakase experience, which includes dishes like salmon crudo with truffle soy ebi salt, grilled salmon teriyaki, prime NY striploin, and Valhrona chocolate cake. As a bonus, the special includes two glasses of red, white, or sparkling wine, and guests can further elevate their meal by adding on a premium Kobe beef or Japanese wagyu offering.
Velvet Taco is taking taco takeout to a new level with its new “Build Your Own” catering kits. The $75 kit features enough ingredients to build 12 tacos, along with a “how to build” card for signatures like Velvet Taco’s buffalo chicken, Mexi-Cali shrimp, and Korean fried rice handhelds.
