Eat Well, Give Back! Delicious Ways to Help Houstonians

Eat Well, Give Back! Delicious Ways to Help Houstonians

Chris Shepherd (photo by Kirsten Gilliam)

THIS WEEK OFFERS delicious ways to give back to the community following last month's historic winter storm.


Rainbow Lodge has announced a month-long pre-fixe special menu, from which $5 will be donated to the Houston Food Bank in an effort to help the organization meet increased demand while replenishing its stock of goods. Every dollar donated to the Houston Food Bank generates three meals for community members in need, which means with each Rainbow Lodge purchase, 15 Houstonians will be fed!

Rainbow Lodge

The Houston Food Bank Rescue Menu includes an appetizer of fried Texas quail with cheddar grits and bourbon-bacon gravy; a choice between pan-seared snapper and a grilled 10-ounce bison ribeye for a main; and a dessert of either croissant bread pudding or chocolate mousse torte with toasted marshmallows. The $75 menu also includes a half-bottle of red or white wine.

Meanwhile, in Montrose, Aaron Bludorn has partnered with several nationally acclaimed chefs to launch a Collaboration Dinner series benefiting Chris Shepherd's Southern Smoke Foundation, which recently announced a new fund earmarked for winter-storm victims. The first dinner takes place on March 11 at Bludorn, and features Per Se alum Matthew Peters and Bouloud Sud's former exec chef, Travis Swikard. Both guests have solo projects set to launch in Austin and San Diego respectively; the pandemic has delayed the openings, but Houstonians will be among the first to preview the chefs' new menus. Future events in the Collaboration series will feature La Condesa's Rick Lopez and Suerte's Fermine Nunez. Reservations can be made online.

And yesterday, a special Southern Smoke Chicken sandwich, created in collaboration with Shepherd, was available for one day only at the Montrose and Rice Village locations of Shake Shack. The creation boasted hand-breaded chicken, Shepherd's bacon sausage, pickled jalapeno mustard, cherry peppers, shredded lettuce and spicy bacon jam. A portion of proceeds went straight to Southern Smoke's Winter Storm Relief Fund.

Food
Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’

What year was your organization launched? Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market started in 2004 with just seven vendors, providing an outlet for local farms, community and backyard gardeners to sell fresh produce harvested directly from their soils. Now in its 20th year, the market has grown to be one of the largest markets in Texas, supporting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans all from within 180 miles of Houston. The market draws 3,000 customers every Saturday morning and includes many original vendors like Animal Farm, Atkinson Farms, and Wood Duck Farm.

Keep Reading Show less

Table grill

BORI RESTAURANT HAS taken over a two-story Montrose bungalow on the corner of Lovett and Whitney. The family-owned high-end steakhouse features prime meats grilled tableside with a custom ventilation system that creates a smokeless environment — the only system of its kind in Houston.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

Sylvia Casares

MANY OF THE city’s who’s-who gathered at the city’s buzziest venue to toast Houston CityBook’s 2024 “Leaders & Legends,” presented by The Village of River Oaks.

Keep Reading Show less
Food+Travel