Korean BBQ at Hongdae 33, which is participating in the Houston Barbecue Festival (photo by Jenn Duncan)
Empire State Jazz Festival
Discovery Green
Mother’s Day Weekend brings a fun festival to Discovery Green. The Empire State Jazz Festival presents smooth-jazz artists from all over America, including Stephen Richard, Pat Williams, Dean James & Friends, and more, on May 11 (12-10pm). Victor Allotey, founder of Houston’s Empire State Jazz Café and its festival, is a veteran of the NFL and founder of Victor’s Victors Foundation, the event’s nonprofit partner that provides aspiring young musicians with new instruments. Expect a soulful lineup of food, too, including Jamaican, Soul, and Creole cuisine from Nyammings Fusion Bistro. ”There is nothing quite like the magic of live jazz in the open air surrounded by the beauty of Discovery Green,” says Allotey. “Between the extraordinary lineup of musical talent, the food, and the vibe, and the cause, festival attendees are in for a very memorable experience.”
Hill Country Wineries Tasting
On April 18, Texas Hill Country Wineries are bringing more than 60 wines from 20-plus different wineries to Houston for a tasting experience. Come meet winery personalities including owners, winemakers, vineyard managers, and more at The Peach Orchard in The Woodlands, with doors opening for consumers at 5:30pm. Tickets, $75 per person, include wine tastings, charcuterie, light appetizers, and an event wine glass to take home.
Houston Barbecue Festival
Houston Barbecue Festival participant Feges BBQ
Don’t miss the 11th annual Houston Barbecue Festival, April 14, at the Humble Civic Center on Will Clayton Parkway. Smoky stalwarts including Gatlin’s and Roegels join newcomers like Hongdae 33, which will dish out its savory Korean barbecue for the hundreds of attendees. The event is expected to sell out; a portion of proceeds will go to the Recovery Houston Foundation. Kids 6 and under are free!
Celebrity Chefs Against Cancer
Live-action stations will serve plenty of meaty favorites
Taking place in the Four Seasons Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, Celebrity Chefs Against Cancer features 21 chefs from some of Houston’s most exciting restaurants. Gaby Jiminez of Bayou & Bottle and Jonathan Esparza from Toro Toro welcome fellow chefs — Richard Sandoval, Uchiko’s Shaun King, Xochi’s Hugo Ortega, Martin Stayer of Nobie’s — to their home turf. Each chef will prepare bites of signature dishes at live-action stations, while hand-crafted cocktails and beverages — courtesy of Wagner Family of Wine, Maestro Dobel Tequila and Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey — flow. Last year’s event set the fundraising record, and this year’s is poised to do it again: The silent auction will tout Four Seasons packages galore, a Formula 1 VIP-experience weekend in Austin, and more. Proceeds will go to Camp H-Town, the summer sleep-away camp at the Four Seasons for kids who have been touched by cancer. They get to enjoy a movie night, pool party, dance night at House of Blues, and more.
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The new starters are inspired by destinations close to home: The Hillcountry Venison Tartare has mesquite-smoked venison with fried capers and hatch-chile vinaigrette, served with potato chips. Also southern-inspired is the Louisiana BBQ shrimp, dished out with potato grits and good ol’ country bread. Both pair well with the Southern Gentleman old fashioned with charred mesquite-pecan syrup. Yeehaw!
If your palate is calling for something more European, the new Lobster Risotto should satisfy. It’s topped with a dramatic green parmesan foam and lobster oil. The savory dish pairs nicely with the fruity, springtime cocktail Wine Merchant of Venice which is Traveler’s Table’s take on an aeprol spritz. Finish it off with the perfectly fluffy Burnt Basque Cheesecake.
Or divert over to Asia and try the Korean Japchae. It’s sweet-potato glass noodles and tempeh, a meat substitute made from fermented soybeans. It might be hard to pick, but the experts, Traveler’s Table owners Matthew and Thy Mitchell, have their favorites. “If we had to make our personal picks, we'd order the Louisiana BBQ shrimp, Hill Country Venison Tartare, Roasted Artichoke Salad and Lobster Risotto.”
Lobster Risotto
Korean Japchae
Louisiana Fried Chicken