With Restaurant Weeks Already Rolling, Here Are Our Picks for Not-to-Miss Discount Dishes

With Restaurant Weeks Already Rolling, Here Are Our Picks for Not-to-Miss Discount Dishes

Tres Leches at Auden (photo Jordan Hughes)

EVERY SUMMER, HOUSTONIANS save up their dining-out appetite for Houston Restaurant Weeks (Aug. 1-Sept. 2), when new restaurants and old favorites offer special pre-fixe menus with gentle prices to benefit The Houston Food Bank. Brunch, lunch and dinner menus are now live on the website, so you can reserve your table lickity-split. From French, Asian and Creole, to steakhouse and Indian-inspired, here are our top picks!


Artisans

If you need an excuse to check out the new Artisans, which relocated a few months ago to posh Galleria-area digs, its HRW menu is a great one: Winning combos include a portabella mushroom starter featuring bruleed-goat-cheese croutons, and duck confit with orange sauce; or maybe corn-and-potato soup with pistachio-crusted sea bass for something a touch lighter.

Auden

This stylish haunt in Autry Park has a following for its eclectic menu. Husband-and-wife chefs Kirthan and Kripa Shenoy will craft punchy Indian-inspired dishes on their brunch and dinner HRW menus: We have our eye on the beef short ribs and sauteed spinach, Masala shrimp with curry velouté, and tres leches.

Bloom & Bee

It’s a scene for a girl’s night out, to be sure, but the pre-fixe dinner menu at this Post Oak Hotel hot spot has something for every appetite: Start with the clever ceviche roll before moving on to a main course of Gulf redfish with white-wine butter and focaccia — or risotto with seasonal veggies and mascarpone.

Brasserie 19

Trout almondine, French onion soup, and vanilla bean crème brulee are dinner classics worth relishing during HRW. The festive bar and popular sidewalk café — yes, Fido is invited! — feels a little like Paris in River Oaks.

Brennan's of Houston

It doesn’t get classier than this iconic Downtown Cajun-Creole favorite. Don’t miss the crab cakes, signature turtle soup, or stuffed quail on the month-long, multi-course lunch and dinner menus.

Graffiti Raw

Linguine alla Vongole at Graffiti Raw (photo by Becca Wright)

Red snapper ceviche, linguini with clams, and beet cake are a few California-inspired dishes to snatch up on the three-course dinner menu. Don’t skip the “surfboard” potato chips and caviar! The Big Vibe Group’s Coppa Osteria and Flora will also offer multi-course HRW dinner menus.

Makiin Thai

Thai one on and eat like a king at this luxe romantic spot in Hanover River Oaks. Plush banquettes are a cozy dining option, or hit the huge center bar to sup and sip on specialties like soft-shell-crab-papaya salad, Flavors of Siam (filet mignon with Thai-style sauces), and “coconut ice cream fantasy.”

MAD

Brunch and dinner menus boast a feast of avant-garde Spanish riches. Last year, special four-course menus offered more than 20 different dishes to choose from! Start with pork empanadilla and paella Valencia and end with Basque cheesecake brownie. Our brunch pick? Watermelon burrata and tortilla Espanola.

Prime 131

At this Korean steakhouse, guests watch their meal being cooked at the table on grills while snacking on sushi and other delicacies. We can’t wait to try the grilled bone-in short rib or grilled head-on shrimp with charred garlic vinaigrette. Like other Berg Hospitality concepts, sister resto The Annie Cafe & Bar will serve lunch and dinner comprised of ample choices, with options to pay a tad more for items like a Wagyu filet or crab tostadas.

Tonight & Tomorrow

Take in the artistic splendor of the historic La Colombe d’Or hotel while dining out on a dime. European-inspired lunch and dinner dishes like Ahi Tuna Nicoise and Butcher’s Steak Frites tempt.

Toro Toro at Four Seasons Houston

This sleek hotel restaurant offers pan-Latin flavors on its three-course lunch, brunch and dinner menus — think Kurobuta pork chop with Argentinian chimichurri barbecue sauce, Peruvian ceviche and housemade churros. The hotel’s casual Bayou & Bottle is also dishing out HRW menus with stacked burgers and creative salads!

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John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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How did you get to where you are today? My journey to where I am today is built on a foundation of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Every step along the way, I faced obstacles, but I approached each one with determination and a “never give up” mindset. Instead of being discouraged by challenges, I used them as opportunities to grow and improve. Consistency was key—I committed to showing up and giving my best effort every day. I also learned not to take “no” as a final answer. Instead, I saw it as a chance to push harder, adapt, and find another way forward. It’s this combination of persistence, resilience, and unwavering focus that has brought me to where I am today.

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