Compared to our sweltering never-ending summers, our cool weather months are a short season here in Texas, so make the most of it by checking out these seasonal festivities! Enjoy good food, good wine and good weather – and help out a good cause or two while you’re at it. Between the pumpkin patches, corn mazes and apple orchards, there’s so much to do around this huge state. We’ve rounded up a handful of events to check out throughout fall and winter all over Texas from Houston to San Antonio.
Tanji’s Season of Giving
Where: Promoted on our newsletter and on social media
When: November 7, 2019 – January 1, 2020
Sharing Goodtaste for more than 11 years makes me grateful and thankful for you! We couldn’t eat our way across Texas without our amazing viewers. To show our thanks, we’re giving back to YOU with a Season of Giving, 8 weeks of restaurant gift card giveaways. I’ve partnered with some of my favorite restaurants throughout Texas. Stay tuned to win gift cards to delicious spots like Zinc Bistro & Wine Bar, Boudro’s Texas Bistro, The Toasted Yolk, Eunice, Relish Restaurant & Bar, Salt Traders Coastal Cooking, Hopdoddy and Pitchfork Pretty. We post the link to enter every week on our newsletter and across all our social media platforms: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Ouzo Bay and Loch Bar Team Up to Honor Veterans
Where: Loch Bar, 4444 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX 77027 & Ouzo Bay, 4444 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX 77027
When: Monday, November 11, 2019 (Open to close – Veteran’s Day)
In honor of Veteran’s Day this Monday, November 11, Ouzo Bay and Loch Bar, invites all active duty and military veterans in to enjoy signature staples at half-off the regular price. Guests can choose from signature items like Ouzo Bay’s savory Australian lamb chops and locally-raised lamb shanks or selections from the in-house fish market like the light and delicate Aegean Bronzino, the classic Atlantic Sea Bass, and buttery Hawaiian Kona Kampachi.
Attending military personnel can also dive into decadent delights next door at Loch Bar. Boasting one of the largest raw bars in Houston and an expansive whiskey list of more than 300 labels, Loch Bar features seafood classics like the New England Lobster Roll, Maryland-style Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and Grilled East Coast Oysters soaked in white wine with maitre’d butter. The Eastern Shore Fried Chicken served halved or whole, coated in house batter and plated with fries and chilled pasta salad is also a must-have.
Houston Chefs and Pitmasters Will Join Forces to Put an End to Childhood Hunger in America
Where: Truth BBQ, 110 S Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007
When: November 13th, 6pm
On November 13th, Pitmaster Leonard Botello IV (TRUTH BBQ, winner of Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters), will host the Houston No Kid Hungry Dinner presented by Citi, an exclusive multi-course event to benefit No Kid Hungry‘s work to end childhood hunger in America. The dinner will feature nationally renowned guest chefs Bobby Matos (Superica, Houston), Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar, Houston), Erin Smith and Patrick Feges (Feges BBQ, Houston) and Nick Wong (UB Preserv, Houston), all united for a cause: making sure all children in this country have the healthy food they need, every day.
The dinner will be preceded by a reception with cocktails served by mixologist Vanessa Dworakowski (La Lucha, Houston) and will feature a live auction in which guests can bid on a variety of luxury culinary and travel items. All proceeds from the event support No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger across the country and right here in Texas. Get your tickets here.
Boudro’s Serves Free Thanksgiving Dinners to USO and Military Members for Over 20 Years
Where: Boudro’s Texas Bistro, 421 E. Commerce, San Antonio, TX 78205
When: November 28th, 2019, 11am – 3pm
Boudro’s Texas Bistro, San Antonio’s long-standing downtown icon, has been sharing their love for the military community in Military City USA and giving back to them during the holiday season for more than 20 years.
Every Thanksgiving, they host their annual FREE 3-course Thanksgiving feast, in partnership with the USO San Antonio, to all active duty, guard, reserve, retired service members and their families! It’s their way to say thank you for everything they do and to give back to those who have given up so much.
To make reservations, they will need to sign up for a time slot of their choosing here. On Thanksgiving day, arrive at least 15 minutes early at the downtown USO center (203 West Market Street, San Antonio, TX 78205) and bring their military ID to pick up their wrist band for entry to Boudro’s Texas Bistro.
Reserve your time slot here!
New Fall Menu at Relish Restaurant & Bar
Where: Relish Restaurant & Bar, 2810 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX 77098
When: Mon-Thur: 7am-9pm
Fri: 7am-10pm
Sat: 10am-10pm
Sun: CLOSED
Temperatures are dropping just in time for the release of Relish Restaurant & Bar’s new seasonal menu. The River Oaks neighborhood hotspot has introduced new additions to their expansive dinner menu including. Executive Chef Dustin Teague really wanted to add more “shareables” to the menu, perfect for group dinners with appetizers like The Fried Pickled Okra is pickled in-house using Relish’s pickle brine used to make their bread and butter style pickles, served with a side of creole aioli.
Chef Teague wanted to show that Fall salads can be satisfying – not just lettuce served in a bowl so, they’ve added salads like, the Roasted Beet is reminiscent of a salad Teague ate in Napa, California and pairs together gorgonzola cream, candied pistachios, maple lemon vinaigrette, crispy bread crumbs, lemon zest and baby kale. Along with entrees that let the seasonal ingredients take center stage and created hearty, earthy dishes perfect for the fall and winter. New additions include a Pappardelle & Mushrooms Pasta includes crispy prosciutto, winter mushrooms, fresh herbs, parmesan, white wine and black pepper. Check it out all season long!
Ninfa’s Uptown Grand Opening Week
Where: The Original Ninfa’s Uptown Houston, 1700 Post Oak Blvd.
When: November 11-15
The Original Ninfa’s Uptown Houston (1700 Post Oak Blvd.) will host a weeklong Grand Opening celebration featuring complimentary Happy Hour food, tequila tastings and charity beneficiaries from dinner sales during the week of Nov. 11-15.
Each day from 3-6 p.m., the restaurant will offer complimentary Happy Hour appetizers including Chef Alex Padilla’s Fajita Burger Sliders, Oyster Shooters, Chile-Lime Chicken Wings, and assorted Street Tacos (Chicken Tinga, Beef Fajita, Carnitas, Fish and Octopus). Monday, Wednesday and Friday will feature complimentary tequila tastings during Happy Hour led by Beverage Consultant Linda Salinas, including with Tequila Ocho (Nov. 11), Carmen Villareal of Casa San Matias (Nov. 13) and El Tesoro Tequila (Nov. 15).
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, SportsRadio 610 AM will broadcast live from the restaurant from 2-6 p.m. with hosts Clint Stoerner and former Houston Texans Pro Bowler Wade Smith. All profits from dinner that evening will benefit The Wade Smith Foundation, which supports community youth programs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston and focuses on literacy and education. On Thursday, Nov. 14, Ninfa’s Uptown will donate profits from dinner to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, which is dedicated to curing leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers
3 Nights, 3 Different Charities for benjy’s Friendsgiving
Where: benjy’s, 2424 Dunstan Rd, Houston, TX 77005
When: November 19-21
benjy’s, recently re-opened with an all-new menu and atmosphere will be hosting their own version of Friendsgiving before the holiday. The location has chosen three nights the week before Thanksgiving where each night 25% of proceeds will be donated to a local charity. They will be taking reservations on these nights and it is open to anyone that would like to come out and support! Plus, guests can snap a piece of the night’s action and get their holiday photo opp with family and friends in benjy’s Friendsgiving selfie frame. Tag @benjys_houston #benjys #friendsgiving. Please let me know if you would like any additional information or make a reservation, benjys.com.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 — Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 — Children’s Assessment Center
Thursday, November 21, 2019 — Friends of West University Parks
The 55th Annual Austin Trail of Lights
Where: Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, USA
When: December 10-23
The official public Grand Opening of the Trail will be on Tuesday, Dec. 10 where admission will be free. The Trail will remain open Dec. 10 – 23 with general admission gates open at 7:00 p.m. every evening. General admission for children under 12 is always free at the Austin Trail of Lights. There will be a general admission fee on seven of the 14 nights of the event. Early entry ZIP Fast Pass, Platinum passes, parking, and shuttle tickets are also available for purchase on select nights. Calendars for ticket availability and online ticket purchases are available at www.AustinTrailofLights.org.
PSST! Don’t forget that a new season of Goodtaste With Tanji started on October 5th, 2019 and we have a Houstonian Staycation Giveaway for all who sign up for our newsletter. Sign up now!
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