Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
Aaron Bludorn’s newest concept, Perseid in the St. Augustine Hotel in Montrose, was recently highlighted in Bon Appétit’s story on the ’20 Best New Restaurants of 2025.’ In the story, which names other standouts across the country like Ha’s Snack Bar in New York City and Acamaya in New Orleans, the author describes Bludorn’s menu as one that “you won’t find at another hotel in America.”
Montrose Cheese & Wine master sommelier, June Rodil, has reason to raise a glass in celebration of her Goodnight Hospitality wine bar being honored in Wine Spectator’s latest issue titled, Our Editors’ Favorite Wine Bars. The small, but substantial wine bar and shop features a 275-bottle list, wine club, snacks, and a charming setting in which to sip wines in the heart of Montrose.
Happenings
Heights & Co. is gearing up for the spooky season by bringing back Halloweentown, its festive and playfully scary patio pop-up. The popular patio bar has once again transformed its outdoor space into a spooky oasis with photo ops galore and launched a menu of horror-themed cocktails plus a ghost-inspired s’mores board. Guests can plan their visits around the full line-up of Halloween movies planned through October 31, beginning with Halloweentown on Tuesday, September 23.
As a kickoff to the annual Chefs for Farmers Food & Wine festival happening on September 26 and 27, chef Aaron Bludorn is hosting a special Surf & Turf Supper, presented by BMW, at Navy Blue from 7 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, September 25. Bludorn will be joined by visiting chefs Alberto Marcolongo of Benoit in New York City and Lamar Moore of ETC in Chicago for the one-night experience, which will feature a multi-course tasting menu highlighting ingredients sourced from Texas farmers, ranchers, and fisheries, and beverage pairings. Tickets are $169 per person and can be purchased at chefsforfarmers.com
On the Menu
Fielding’s Wood Grill in the Woodlands has given its menu a fall season refresh, with cocktail additions like the smoked maple old fashioned and the spiced apple spritz; and new menu items like red snapper with Spanish rice and the calabrese bolognese. A pumpkin cheesecake, made with golden Biscoff crust, bourbon sauce, and Chantilly cream rounds out the new offerings.
Loro has teamed up with Sprinkles cupcakes to launch the salted caramel miso cupcake, a limited time flavor available through Sunday, October 5. The cupcake, a caramel cake with a smoked sea salt dulce de leche core, topped with red miso cream cheese frosting and a dusting of Szechuan pepper sea salt, is sweet and savory with a tinge of spice. The cupcakes are available in limited quantities at all Loro and Sprinkles cupcakes locations in Texas, and for delivery on DoorDash and UberEats.
The Kid has a slew of new cocktails to ring in the fall season. Along with autumn-themed libations like the maple whiskey sour, a pumpkin spice old-fashioned, and an apple cider margarita, guests can enjoy a fall espresso martini flight with flavors including pumpkin spice, peppermint, and salted caramel. Visit on Mondays when cocktails are just $5 after 7 p.m.
Executive chef David Buckley of Succulent Fine Dining, in collaboration with owner Shawn Virene, has launched the restaurant’s first ever fall menu, with highlights including whole roasted cauliflower with romesco, spinach artichoke crab dip, prime Berkshire pork belly, maple brown butter butternut squash agnolotti, and baked Atlantic cod.
Brasserie 19 has launched Paella Mondays: Mondays in Ibiza, a new weekly offering inspired by owner Charles Clark’s famed paella, and former Ibiza Food & Wine house favorite. Paella Mondays are on every Monday, from 4 p.m. to close, and priced at $40 per person. Guests are treated to a pan loaded with chicken, shrimp, sausage, calamari, and mussels, and they have the option to add a glass of seasonal sangria for $17.
Berg Hospitality Group has launched a limited-time Fall Fixe menu, available across its portfolio of restaurants, including Annabelle Brasserie, B&B Butchers & Restaurant, B.B. Italia Bistro & Bar, Prime 131, Real Agave, the Annie Café & Bar, and Trattoria Sofia. As a follow-up to its popular multi-course Houston Restaurant Weeks offerings, the special month-long promotion features two- and three-course prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner through Wednesday, October 15.
Ahead of its OVO show on October 2-5 at Toyota Center, Cirque du Soleil is partnering with Pudgy’s Fine Cookies to bring two limited-edition cookies: the strawberry matcha, as a nod to OVO’s earthy themes and natural world; and the cosmic brownie, decorated with neon spots as a nod to the show’s main character. Both cookies will be available at Pudgy’s beginning Thursday, September 26 on a first-come, first serve basis, while supplies last.
Beginning Wednesday, October 1, Mayahuel will launch its new lunch service, including a three-course prix-fixe option crafted by chef Luis Robledo Richards. Guests can expect starters like tortilla soup with a tomato and ancho broth and grilled hearts of palm with a salsa verde; mains including a cochinita torta and chicken milanese. A special prix-fixe menu will include a choice of starter and dessert alongside the taco trilogy based around fresh market ingredients.
Hai Hospitality has collaborated with Brooklyn Kura, New York’s first sake brewery, to launch a new limited sake on Wednesday, October 1. The release, called Better Together, is a Junmai Ginjo made with domestically grown Yamada Nishiki rice polished to 60%. The result is a crisp, fruit-forward, yet dry, taste with notes of honeydew, orange peel, delicate cherry, puffed rice, mochi, and cream. Better Together will be available at all Texas locations of Uchi, Uchiko and Uchibā.
