ONE OF THE largest entertainment events on the globe, The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is celebrating its 90th anniversary with new attractions and food venues at the NRG Stadium site and Downtown. It officially begins Feb. 28, but its most popular precursor, Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition, aims to kick your palate into gear on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Better come hungry — and thirsty. Gourmet foods and more than 450 award-winning wines are on tap, including the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion from the International Wine Competition. About 100 of Houston’s top restaurants will offer signature dishes, and guests can vote for their favorites in the Best Bites Competition. A few culinary participants to note this year: Pier 6 Seafood, Ragin Cajun, Songkran Kitchen, Taste of Texas, Brennan’s of Houston, Guard & Grace, State Fare, KUU, Revival Market, Cacao & Cardamom, Dessert Gallery, and many more. General admission tickets are $165, with reserved and premium tables available. Order tickets or learn more here.

When the rodeo commences on Feb. 28, the Wine Garden will open its patio at Carruth Plaza at NRG Park. Expect live music, plenty of outdoor seating and more than 70 wines at this oasis next to NRG Stadium.

Messina Hof at Rodeo Uncorked!

Shrimp apps from Brennan's at Best Bites

Live music at the Wine Garden

Rodeo Houston will debut its first sit-down restaurant, and lucky for us, it comes from wildly popular Houston restaurateur Benjamin Berg (B&B Butchers, The Annie). The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse’s high-style dining room offers two food ideas under one sprawling tent at the southwest corner of the Astrodome. The steakhouse with two full bars will run the duration of the rodeo, Feb. 28-March 20.

“This is a place where I’d want to go and hang out, grab a great meal and listen to some live music before or after the main concert. Plus, we are excited to also offer private dining options for Rodeo committees or any larger groups who want to celebrate at the Rodeo,” Berg said in a statement.

The Saloon offers a laid-back vibe with live music nightly and dining in its main bar inside and on the covered patio. On the upscale steakhouse menu anticipate mouthwatering Kobe, Texas and Japanese Wagyu as well as dry-aged USDA prime beef. Seafood, hearty sides – think bacon mac ’n cheese – join Berg Hospitality classics like the Carpet Bagger on the half shell and blue crab beignets.

Can’t bear to leave the rodeo without some fine Texas barbecue? Get your fix Feb. 24-26 when more than 250 teams, led by barbecue aficionados, compete in the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings. While most team tents are invitation-only, visitors are welcome to several public venues dishing up ‘cue including The Garden, Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon and the Chuckwagon.