BEST OF ITALY WINE DINNER at Hawthorn ~ Wednesday, March 20, 7 pm
Hawthorn (3200 Kirby) is hosting a dinner that marries unusual Italian wines with six courses prepared by chef Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio. Reservations for this special dinner are required, and the cost per person is $120, all inclusive. To reserve your seats call 713-523-3600. More details can be found here.
Houston Barbecue Festival at the Bayou city event center ~ Sunday, March 24, 1 to 5 pm
The $40 general admission ticket includes entrance to this inaugural event featuring Houston’s best pitmasters as well unlimited samples; the $80 VIP ticket (sold out) includes entry an hour earlier than the regular ticket and unlimited samples from the barbecue vendors, as well as an event tee shirt and one drink ticket. Note: All tickets must be purchased in advance; no tickets will be sold at the gate. There will be a full bar selling mixed drinks and beer at the event. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit the Houston Barbecue Festival website.
Ash Bash ~ March 25 – 30
Former Duff Beer Distribution head Ash Rowell recently passed away, and in celebration of his life there will be a series of beer events in which donations will be made to Texas Children’s Hospital of Houston:
- ✒Monday, March 25: From 2 pm to 2 am, Liberty Station will donate 20 percent of all draft sales to Texas Children’s Hospital.
- ✒Tuesday, March 26: Hay Merchant will offer a beer dinner featuring breweries and beers that Ash Rowell and Duff brought to Houston. There are 32 seats available; the dinner will comprise five courses and commence at 6 pm. Seats are $75 each and can be reserved by calling Hay Merchant at 713-528-9805. All proceeds will go to Texas Children’s Hospital.
- ✒Wednesday, March 27: For every Duff beer sold, Flying Saucer Downtown will donate $1 to Texas Children’s Hospital.
- ✒Thursday, March 28: For every Duff beer sold, Flying Saucer Sugar Land will donate $1 to Texas Children’s Hospital.
- ✒Saturday, March 30: From noon to 10 pm Cottonwood will be featuring special keg and cask tappings, and 20 percent of all draft sales to go to Texas Children’s Hospital.
Go Pig or Go Home at Kata Robata ~ Sunday, April 14, 5 to 9 PM
Benefitting OKRA, tickets to the 2013 Go Pig or Go Home suckling pig throwdown are sold out — but keep your eyes peeled on SideDish, because we’ll be giving away a pair of tickets valued at $150. The list of competitors (right) is pretty intense!
Kiss My Grits ~ Thursday, April 18, 7 to 10 PM
The third annual Kiss My Grits competition will be held at Ralph Smith Photography Studios (5226 Elm Street) and features chefs entering their best grits recipes for the title of winner. Competing chefs include Danny Trace (Brennan’s), Michael Pellegrino (Max’s Wine Dive) and Elliot Kelly (RDG + Bar Annie). Proceeds of tickets ($100 for general admission, $80 per person for members of Young Texans Against Cancer) go to The Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, The Stehlin Foundation, HEROES for Children and The Clayton Dabney Foundation. To purchase tickets and for more information, click here.
Sweet and Savory Dinner ~ Sunday, April 29, 4 to 8 pm
Pastry chef Rebecca Masson will lead an all-female team of chefs in another foodie fete in her savory-and-sweet series of fundraisers, this installment titled “Bitches for Bitches.” The series benefits Lucky Dog Rescue, a 501c3 charity dedicated to providing rescue services, vet care, foster care and adoptive placement to stray and abandoned dogs. Tickets, $125 per person, are limited and expected to sell out again. To see the entire line up of contributing talent and to purchase tickets, click here.
Del Frisco’s Down Under Wine Dinner ~ Wednesday, May 1, 7 pm
Celebrating the global release of the 2008 Penfolds Grange Shiraz, chefs from all 10 of the Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak Houses will collaborate on a dinner menu that pairs specially created dishes with a selection of wines including the 2008 vintage of Penfolds Grange Shiraz, which received a perfect score from Lisa Perrotti-Brown of The Wine Advocate. Tickets for the Houston dinner are $200 each and require advance reservations. Call 713-355-2600 to reserve your seats.