Holy guacamole, there are a lot of events for hungry Houstonians to check out. Here is your updated culinary calendar:
Wednesday, October 30, 6:30 pm: AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse) hosts its annual Home Safe Home tasting event with chefs John Sheely (Osteria Mazzantini and Mockingbird Bistro), Kiran Verma (Kiran’s), Neal Cox (Olivette/The Houstonian) and several others. It’s an evening of wine-ing and dining in one of Houston’s most beautiful private homes. Guests can now purchase tickets ($250 each) with all proceeds going to AVDA.
Wednesday, October 30, 6 pm: Tango & Malbec (2800 Sage) will host a wine dinner featuring five courses paired with five wines from Bodega Tapiz wines of Mendoza, Argentina. Priced at $82 per person, this dinner requires reservations in advance. For more information or to purchase your seats, call 713-629-8646.
Sunday, November 3, 7 pm: This isn’t the kind of food fight that you want to miss. Several months ago we published a SideDish blog about the Hippo Kitchen. The Food Fight Against Cancer is a throwdown of sorts that will be hosted by Hippo Kitchen chef and Food Fight founder Angela Anderson. Some of Houston’s nationally recognized restaurants will gather at Sparrow Bar + Cookshop (3701 Travis) to showcase specialty dishes that feature cancer-fighting ingredients. Guests will vote for their favorite plate. To see the list of competing restaurants and purchase your ticket (proceeds from the $125 tickets benefit Halo House), click here.
Monday, November 4, 8 am to 5 pm: Interested in breaking into the restaurant industry? Here’s an opportunity to pick the brains of bartenders, purveyors, restaurateurs and chefs from all over Houston. Or, perhaps you’d like to beef up your social media program, learn about food trends or better understand the complexities of the TABC. Brush up on several aspects of the restaurant business in one intense, informative and mind-expanding day at the Second Annual GHRA Restaurant Summit at the Hilton Hotel on the University of Houston campus. Sponsored by the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, the day’s speakers include Sean Beck of Backstreet Cafe and Hugo’s (discussing industry trends in cocktails and mixology), Joe Abuso (catering business development ) and dozens of other professionals who have left their mark on the world of Houston restaurants. Check out the GHRA information page for the full list of speakers and seminars — there are 12 in all — and to register. Tickets for the full day are $120 and includes a networking lunch prepared by Haven’s Randy Evans.