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Houston’s food and beverage scene always has a lot going on — but how to choose what to spend your time and money on? Houston Food Finder editor Phaedra Cook and associate editor Mario-Sebastian Berry are sharing their personal picks below to help you decide. 

If you happen to be in or near Pearland this month, there are several fun things going on. You can find the details in this article. 

Submit your upcoming special or event for consideration in a future “5 Things” by emailing us.

A MasterChef Winner Is Offering Friday Lunch Pop-ups at Her Spring Branch Restaurant

Mario says “As a dutiful Houstonian, I am all for more Vietnamese lunch options — and more budget-friendly choices. I say bring it on!”

Beginning on Friday, April 18, The Blind Goat, the Spring Branch modern Vietnamese restaurant from MasterChef season three winner Christine Hà, is testing out lunch service with a new lunch pop-up menu available every Friday from from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring affordable lunch boxes for just $15. For now, the lunch boxes are only available for online orders for pick-up or delivery. Orders can be placed on the website.

Options include shaking beef, Vietnamese chicken curry and tofu and vegetables stir-fried in tamari and Maggi seasoning. All lunch boxes come with wok-fried green beans and steamed jasmine rice. Tofu spring rolls and Vietnamese egg rolls filled with pork, shrimp, carrots and wood ear mushrooms are also available for $2. The beverage selection includes tea, sodas and Vietnamese iced coffee.

Can’t make it on a Friday? Use the promo code THEBLINDGOAT for 15%-off online orders for pick-up or delivery at Stuffed Belly — Hà’s nearby burger and sandwich concept —  now through Thursday, April 30. Place your order online.

Snag Your Tickets Now to Taste of the Nation, a Big Houston Chef Showcase & Tasting Event

Phaedra says, “Taste of the Nation” is a great event in Houston, and this is the first one since 2023. These are always a total blast and a real who’s who of top Houston restaurant chefs. Plus, it’s for a good cause. I’m glad to see this is back.” 

Taste of the Nation is returning to Houston on Thursday, April 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. This year, Silver Street Studios at 2000 Edwards is hosting the huge tasting event, which features over 40 Houston restaurants and bars. Expect a bevy of small bites and sips of craft cocktails, beer and wine. The event, hosted in various cities across the country, raises funds for No Kid Hungry, a program from non-profit Share Our Strength that fights childhood hunger. 

This year, the Houston chefs chairing the event are Evelyn Garcia of Jūn and Dawn Burrell (both “Top Chef” finalists), Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ, Ryan Pera of Coltivare, Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar, as well as James Beard Award-winning bar owner Alba Huerta of Julep. In addition to the tastings, guests will be able to enjoy cooking and mixology demonstrations and interactive games. 

All-Access Tickets cost $200 and include early entry 45 minutes ahead of general admission ticket holders, a reusable tasting plate and an exclusive bite and beverage pairing. General admission tickets are $150. Go online to buy tickets. Attendees are encouraged to carpool, rideshare or take public transportation.

Michelin-Starred Houston Restaurant Hosts Lauded Kemah Chef for a Collaborative Dinner

Phaedra says, “I’ve had the pleasure of dining at both Ishtia and Musaafer within the last year. Istwal and Skinner are both admirable chefs, and I can only imagine the creative courses these two are going to come up with. This will surely be a memorable, elegant experience.” 

Musaafer, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in The Galleria at 5115 Westheimer, is welcoming acclaimed chef David Skinner of Ishtia and Th_Prsrv in Kemah. On Tuesday, May 7, Skinner and Musaafer’s chef, Mayank Istwal, are collaborating on the 4-Hands Dinner, which will combine the Indigenous ingredients showcased at Ishtia with Indian fine-dining. The dinner includes 10 courses. Tickets are $145 per person plus tax and gratuity, and there are two seatings: 5:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Reservations can be made on OpenTable. (Due to the special event, Musaafer’s regular dinner menu will be unavailable.) 

Restaurant News To Read

A New Steakhouse Is Coming To Uptown Houston

Mario says “Details on the restaurant’s offerings are scant, but we do know a few tidbits about the folks behind the upcoming steakhouse near the Galleria.”

A new restaurant is joining Caracol on the first floor of the BBVA Compass Plaza at 2200 Post Oak this spring. King Steak is a Texas-style steakhouse from real estate developer and restaurateur Johnny Vassalo. Vassalo, who goes by “Johnny V”, is the founder and owner of multiple locations of Mo’s Irish Pub across Texas, Wisconsin and Indianapolis, as well as its sister concept Mo’s… A Place for Steaks, which closed its Houston location in 2016 after a decade in business. (The original Milwaukee location has been in operation since 1998.)

For King Steak, Vassalo has brought on chef Eric Aldis, who has over 20 years of experience as a chef, manager and culinary director at hotels and restaurants such as Federal American Grill, The West End Marina and Restaurants, Mark’s American Cuisine, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Mo’s Irish Pub. 

The West Coast Meets The Gulf Coast This Spring

Mario says “If you live in the River Oaks or Montrose neighborhoods, you can soon take a trip to California wine country in your own backyard.”

Succulent Fine Dining, a West Coast-themed farm-to-table concept from a’Bouzy owner Shawn Virene, is coming to 1180 Dunlavy at Regent Square. The restaurant is taking over the space that was previously home to Underbelly Hospitality’s Pastore, and aims to deliver a dining experience akin to those you’d find at scenic Napa Valley wineries (not unlike Mutiny Wine Room in the Heights.) The menu, which realizes the restaurant’s vision with seasonal offerings you might find on the California coast, was developed by executive chef David Buckley, a San Diego Culinary Institute graduate whose resume includes Sorriso and The Woodlands Resort as well as San Diego restaurants Vistal Bar + Restaurant, Town and Country Resort and The Fishery, and Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, Hawaii. Beverage director Erica Lee, formerly of Nobu, is curating a worldly selection of wines with select domestic offerings. Expect the second-floor patio to become a local hotspot when Houston weather allows it.

Phaedra Cook and Mario-Sebastian Berry