Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
Craft Pita is joining NRG Stadium as a stadium vendor for the upcoming Houston Texans season. On Saturday, August 16, the Texans’ first home game, the popular Mediterranean restaurant will begin serving up chicken kabob pitas, rice bowls, and hummus with pita to Texans fans at the Club Level on the 50-yard line. The lineup of dishes will also feature Mediterranean nachos, a new stadium-exclusive item
The Waffle Bus debuted a new outpost in Cypress at 10615 Fry Road, following locations in the Heights, Montrose, and a drive-thru in Derby, Kansas. The budding brand, which launched 15 years ago as a food truck, is known for its buttermilk fried chicken waffle sandwiches, smashburgers, honey butter chicken biscuits, loaded waffle fries and dessert waffles in varieties like strawberry and cream, and S’mores.
La Calle Tacos is slated to open a new location at 2920 Riverby Road at the East River development this November. The third outpost of this popular Houston taqueria known for its street tacos and rambunctious atmosphere, will feature seating for 240 guests, with a bar and patio overlooking Buffalo Bayou. The menu will be the same as its sister locations, down to the daily specials like Margarita Monday and Taco Tuesday.
A third outpost of Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette is opening in the former Gratify space at 5212 Morningside Drive in Rice Village this fall. After undergoing a complete transformation, the restaurant will showcase an additional 550-square-feet of indoor dining space, with seating for 112 in the main dining room, 18 bar seats, and 50 seats on the patio. The Rice Village locale will boast the same all-day dining experience as its sister concepts, offering lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, and happy hour.
Happenings
Montrose Cheese & Wine is celebrating its sixth year with food and wine specials. Between Thursday, August 14 and Saturday, August 16, enjoy complimentary tastes of Hager Matthias ‘PUR’ Sekt 2019, as a nod to the bar’s opening year; $6 frozé and frozen sangria; and 10% off all 6-packs, doubly discounted from its usual 5%. And, beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, guests can indulge in hot dogs topped with raclette served on Slow Dough pretzel hoagies with a side of tangy toasted sesame slaw and mustard, while supplies last.
HiFi at the Finn is hosting a Bring Your Own Vinyl Night: 90s Edition on Wednesday, August 20 from 4 to 9 p.m. Guests are invited to bring their favorite 90s records to spin, as they sip cocktails. The staff will vote on the standout track of the night, with the winner given HiFi swag. Spend $10 or more during your visit, and get parking validated for up to two hours.
On Friday, August 22 at 5:30 p.m. the Marigold Club is hosting a summer Krug soiree, during which the wine team will guide guests through a tasting of Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème and the newest release from Krug, Grande Cuvée 172ème paired with an assortment of seasonal canapés. Reservations can be made via OpenTable.
Both Houston-area locations of Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar are hosting Dazed and Delicious, a week of no-brainer deals for students, teachers, and families gearing up for the start of the new school year. Among the daily specials are the ‘Meat’ & Greet pulled pork sandwich for $3 on Monday, August 18; $7 wings on Wingman Wednesday, August 20; Hall Pass happy hour on Thursday, August 21 featuring $3 G&T slushees all day; and Weekend Reset featuring a sandwich, half side, and michelada or mimosa or bloody mary for $20 on Sunday, August 24.
Bandista is hosting bartender Mike Prador from Mexican cocktail bar, Sabina Sabe, for an exclusive two-night pop-up on August 25 and 26 celebrating the flavors and traditions of Oaxaca. Sabina Sabe was named #54 among the Best Bars in North America. During the pop-up from 6 to 11 p.m., five of its house cocktails, featuring the Lost Explorer’s tequila and mezcals, will be showcased, along with Sabina Sabe’s dedicated playlist. Reservations for 90-minute seatings are required, with proceeds benefiting Camp H-Town.
On the Menu
Molina’s Cantina has updated its menu to include quesabirria tacos and a margarita flight. The Tijuana-inspired tacos, available now for $15.95, are stuffed with shredded, slow-braised beef and cheese, pan-fried, and served with rice, beans, and birria consomme for dunking. Pair them with the flight, which features a trio of mini margaritas for $15, in flavors like lime, peach, blackberry, strawberry, mangonada, and sandia.
Lick Honest Ice Creams is celebrating the start of the school year with four new limited-edition scoops, available from Friday, August 22 through late September, when the focus shifts to fall favorites on September 26. The imaginative new flavors include caramel corn, a sweet cream corn ice cream with caramel swirls; apple butter crisp, a vegan flavor made with coconut milk ice cream, spiced apple butter, and crunchy gluten-free streusel; and fig and fromage, a flavor that combines locally sourced fig jam and Fromage Blanc. Parents have as much reason to celebrate, and can enjoy the boozy back porch iced tea, which packs in a blend of Steeping Room black tea with Paula’s Texas lemon and grapefruit liqueurs.
Pincho’s Burgers + Kebabs continues its collaboration series with Saigon Hustle to showcase a Vietnamese-inspired smashburger, available for $11.99 through September 1. The flavor-packed handheld is stacked with double smashed Angus patties, pickled carrots, radishes, fresh cucumbers, chopped cilantro, and a spicy, creamy chili-crisp mayo made with local Connieyama’s ERRRTHANG!! Garlic Chili Crisp, on a toasted Bread Man brioche bun.
Kira has collaborated with Pudgy’s Fine Cookies to create a one-of-a-kind cookie that reflects the restaurant’s flavor forward approach. Made with kokuto sugar, toffee, Valrhona Satilia chocolate, and a trio of seaweeds, kombu, nori, and aonori, the cookie is finished with a drizzle of lobster butter caramel, crafted from slow-caramelized lobster shells repurposed from Kira’s own signature temaki. Large enough for two to share, the large-format cookies are available in limited quantities at Kira for dine-in through the end of the year.
PJs Coffee has unveiled its menu of fall classics, available through Tuesday, November 4. Along with returning fan favorites like the pumpkin latte and bananas foster cold brew, PJs has debuted a new praline chai latte, which combines warm chai, sweet praline syrup and steamed milk, which can be served hot, iced or frozen.
