Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
Local Table is bringing its crowd-pleasing, family-friendly vibe to Missouri City with the opening of its sixth location on Monday, February 23, at 3434 FM 1092 Rd. The new outpost will offer semi-private dining, an expansive patio, and a custom mural by Shelbi Nicole. Led by Executive Chef Sue Nowamooz, the menu features a mix of familiar favorites and fresh crowd-pleasers, from the cast-iron spinach artichoke dip and baked goat cheese to signature entrées like the kabob plate, ahi tuna poke bowl, and honey ginger-glazed salmon, along with pizzas, tacos, and plenty of plant-based options.
Comfort Foodies, owned by husband-and-wife team Elsa and Jeff Matthews, has been serving its signature blend of Latin-Caribbean flavors and Southern soul food since 2020. Now, the Houston-based comfort food favorite is expanding with a new Missouri City location at 8731 Highway 6 in the Sienna subdivision. The new 3,000-square-foot restaurant will seat up to 60 guests and introduce a full bar with specialty cocktails, dedicated bar seating, and Thursday and Friday happy hours—a long-awaited addition that adds a more social vibe to the brand’s community-driven roots. The space will also allow Comfort Foodies to expand its dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering services, while supporting the continued growth of its frozen empanada line.
Happenings
Navy Blue is hosting a major culinary collab on Thursday, February 26, welcoming New Orleans standout Dakar for a one-night-only dinner celebrating modern Senegalese flavors. Led by chef Serigne Mbaye, Dakar recently landed No. 6 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 and was named Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2024. The special pop-up at chef Aaron Bludorn’s Rice Village seafood restaurant (2445 Times Blvd.) will feature a four-course seated menu blending West African influences with a contemporary touch, plus exclusive original artwork created for the night by Martellus Bennett (MR. TOMONOSHi). The cost is $105 per person, and tickets can be purchased via OpenTable.
Former James Beard Award semifinalist and acclaimed pop-up chef Suu Khin, the talent behind Burmalicious by Suu, is bringing the bold, layered flavors of Burmese cuisine to Montrose with a special Burmese Noodle Night at Cucharita Bakery (315 Fairview St.) on Saturday, February 28, with seatings at 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Known for showcasing the vibrant balance of sweet, sour, salty and herbal notes that define Burmese cooking, Khin will offer an à la carte menu highlighting traditional dishes and street food favorites like tea leaf salad, lemongrass fish noodles, pork ribs vermicelli, duck puffs and a comforting sticky rice dessert soup. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended and can be made at theburmalicious.com.
Craft Pita is teaming up with Winnie’s once again for the third annual Habibi Night, happening Saturday, February 28 at 6 p.m. at Winnie’s (3622 Main St., Ste. A). The one-night-only party aims to bring a taste of Beirut straight to Houston through a lively celebration of Lebanese culture, food, and music. Led by chef Raffi Nasr, alongside Winnie’s co-owners Graham Laborde and Benjy Mason, the collaboration features a playful, Lebanese-inspired menu that blends both concepts’ signature styles. Expect a mezze-style spread of shareable bites like halloumi fries and za’atar chicken wings with labneh ranch; and entrées that lean into fun mashups, including a fried shrimp shawarma sandwich, the HabibiLT with beef bacon and toum, and the over-the-top Sloppy Joseph stacked with chili cheese Fritos and pimiento queso. Quench your thirst with arak cocktails, arak on ice, and boozy frozen mint lemonade, plus hookah and Arabic Afro House music by Dr. House for a full-on celebration.
Sonoma Garden Oaks is turning up the friendly competition with France vs. Italy: A Sommelier-Led Wine Showdown on Sunday, March 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. The walk-around tasting will feature 30 curated wines poured by Sonoma’s in-house sommeliers and special guest fine wine reps, spotlighting the distinct styles, traditions, and terroir of both countries. Guests can snack on cheese and charcuterie while sipping—and cast their vote for the winning nation by purchasing bottles. Top-selling wines from the victorious country will later be featured by the glass and in a special flight at both Sonoma locations. Tickets are $35 and include access to the tasting plus event-only wine deals.
While Backstreet Cafe undergoes rebuilding, the River Oaks restaurant is keeping its acclaimed wine dinners alive with a series of pop-ups at sister restaurant Hugo’s. The next installment takes place Tuesday, March 3, spotlighting the wines of Paradigm Winery with a multi-course pairing dinner. The evening begins with a 6 p.m. sparkling reception and passed apps, followed by a seated dinner at 6:30 p.m. featuring courses like tuna crudo with ’24 Paradigm Rosé, confit duck leg paired with ’21 Paradigm Merlot, and braised short rib alongside ’16 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon. Tickets are $130 per person, and reservations are available at hugosrestaurant.net/news-item/backstreet-pop-up-paradigm-wine-dinner.
On the Menu
Street to Kitchen has introduced a $19 lunch box special, offered Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., that delivers a thoughtfully composed midday feast. Diners can begin with starters such as garlic chive pancakes before selecting from a lineup of entrées—green curry, pad see ew, massaman curry, drunken noodles, and more. Each lunch box is complemented by vegetable soup and a side of vegetables served with roasted chile dip, rounding out a satisfying spread.
Burger Bodega is teaming up with Fluff Bake Bar for a limited-time collaboration running February 18 through February 28. Chef-owner Abbas Dhanani and pastry star Becky Masson have transformed some of Fluff’s most beloved treats into two over-the-top specialty shakes available exclusively at Burger Bodega (520 Washington Ave.) The Couch Potato Cookie Dough Shake channels Fluff’s signature sweet-and-salty cookie, blending in potato chips, pretzels, corn flakes, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. Meanwhile, the Veruca Salt Cake Shake riffs on the bakery’s decadent devil’s food cake with salted caramel buttercream, chocolate crunchy pearls, and a pretzel finish.
Kolache Shoppe’s Memorial Shoppe has partnered with chef Aaron Bludorn and Bar Bludorn for a limited-time savory special: the Reuben Kolache. Inspired by the restaurant’s refined take on the iconic sandwich, the collaboration tucks tender short-rib pastrami, tangy housemade sauerkraut, melted Gruyère and Russian dressing into Kolache Shoppe’s signature pillowy dough, delivering a mashup that’s equal parts comfort food and chef-driven indulgence. The special is available exclusively at the Memorial location through Sunday, March 1, and comes with an added bonus—guests who purchase a Reuben Kolache will receive a cocktail card redeemable for a complimentary drink at Bar Bludorn.
Molina’s Cantina is giving margarita lovers a new reason to toast, rolling out limited-time premium margaritas served in oversized, take-home souvenir shakers available at all locations for $17.95. Shaken tableside for extra flair, each margarita features Don Ramón Tahoma Blanco tequila, crafted using a traditional process that presses agave with a volcanic stone wheel to create a complex, nuanced flavor.
Via 313 has rolled out a limited-time pie, available through Sunday May 3, showcasing the Detroit-style pizza shop’s continued creativity in the kitchen. The Big Dill Pizza, a briny-meets-savory pie topped with dill pickles, provolone, garlic, bacon, dill ranch, fresh cracked pepper, and smoked sea salt, is now available at all locations for $17.
