Latin Restaurant Weeks, a two week initiative promoting Latino-owned restaurants in the Houston area, will launch on June 2. Running until June 16, participating restaurants will offer prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. Organizers have also announced three ticketed industry events. A restaurant business panel called La Mesa on June 5, a catering showcase called ¡Sabor! on June 12 and La Sorpresa, a five-course, secretive pop-up dinner on June 15. Tickets and information for all three can be found on the Latin Restaurant Weeks Eventbrite page.

According to co-founder Karinn Chavarria, a portion of the participating restaurants’ registration fees will be donated to the Hispanic Health Coalition (HHC) for their annual ¡Vive tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving! health fair. Chavarria told ABC13 her company plans to “provide a workshop during [HCC’s] health fair to educate the underserved community and provide them with tangible tools to lead a healthier life through sustenance.”

Over 25 restaurants are expected to participate including Alicia’s Mexican Grille, Gauchos Do Sul, Los Cucos, Mucho Mexico, Sofrito Houston and Sweets By Belen. Each one will feature prix-fixe menus ranging from $15 to $25 per person for lunch and from $30 to $50 per person for dinner. At a recent media preview, Houston Food Finder was invited to sample selections from participating restaurants, including a refreshing and inspired ceviche from Sofrito Houston that features a coconut milk-based gazpacho and cilantro puree.

This initiative joins Black Restaurant Week, a similar community-focused promotional mission that has been highlighting black-owned Houston restaurants since 2016. Both concepts are inspired by the long-running Houston Restaurant Weeks, an annual charity drive generating funds for the Houston Food Bank. However, unlike Houston Restaurant Weeks, Latin Restaurant Weeks is not a charity drive, but rather a for-profit event aimed at generating business for minority-owned, potentially undiscovered restaurants.

Like the restaurant-focused promotion, the affiliated events will spotlight and celebrate Latino business owners. The La Mesa business panel will feature moderated talks by industry experts on restaurant operations, marketing, capital management and more. The ¡Sabor! catering showcases will feature over 25 Latino caterers, live music and a bartending competition, while La Sorpresa hopes to add a layer of intrigue with its secret location and undisclosed list of participating chefs.

Organizers are also partnering with the Houston Dynamo, so watch for surprise appearances by players at participating restaurants.

Interested diners can learn more about Latin Restaurant Weeks, its founders, participants and the Hispanic Health Coalition by visiting their website. These prix-fixe menus will only be available from June 2 until June 16, so start planning your itinerary now to make the most of this unique two-week initiative.

Carlos Brandon