It’s been a festive fall season for DiningOut! The Denver-based publication and events company debuted its food-focused site in Houston in September, with stories highlighting news, events, and the best of the city’s culinary talent, before throwing its second annual Rare Steak Championship in October. This week, festivities continued with an official launch party, sponsored by Buckhead Meat & Seafood, celebrating DiningOut’s path forward in the Space City.
On the evening of Monday, November 4, more than a hundred guests gathered at Avant-Art Gallery in Upper Kirby to toast the launch of DiningOut Houston.
DiningOut’s publisher, Jeff Suskin, and Director of Operations, Shalisa Pouw, were in attendance, along with Dining Out Houston’s Managing Editor, Megha McSwain. The trio were joined by a celebrated group of local chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality professionals, publicists, and food and lifestyle influencers who have shown unwavering support of the brand since it landed in Houston.
DJ Gabe Bizonee kept the energy high as guests arrived, with many stopping to pose for photos on the red carpet before roaming the contemporary art gallery. Whimsical pieces, like Anna Sweet’s Red Sprinkle Donut sculpture, on display throughout the modern space served as a vibrant, and fitting, backdrop for the evening.
As guests mixed and mingled, they were presented with savory bites like crab cakes with remoulade, pea arancini, green ceviche with shrimp, and burrata crostini from Berg Hospitality. At the bar, Berg Hospitality staff kept thirsts quenched by shaking up cocktails like a pink gin martini and the Rangoni negroni, courtesy of Rangoni Gin, with Pandemonium Wines and Stella Artois rounding out the evening’s beverage offerings.
A screen behind the bar showcased scenes from DiningOut’s past Rare and Top Taco festivals, giving the crowd a glimpse of the company’s breadth of work and teasers of what’s to come.
Suskin took a moment to address party guests, giving them a brief history of the DiningOut brand and how it has evolved since he first launched the print publication in 1998. He discussed DiningOut’s expansion into event production in 2014 with DiningOut Events, which has produced such large-scale events as Top Taco, Chicken Fight!, Rare, and the Wedding Party. McSwain expressed gratitude, and urged the crowd to stay connected as DiningOut Houston amps up its coverage in the new year.
As they departed, guests were treated to iced cookies from Dessert Gallery, decorated with the DiningOut HTX logo—a sweet reminder of the hip new platform dedicated to Houston’s illustrious food scene.
