Top 10 Food & Drink Events/Offers in Houston This Month: May 2022

Dine on delicious dishes and enjoy our picks for the top food and drink events taking place around Houston in May 2022.

May brings the return of tasty events, from a springtime wine festival on the bayou to a charitable Celebrity Chef takedown against cancer. There’s also a “May the Fourth Be With You” dinner for Star Wars fans, mint julep–fueled Kentucky Derby parties, and a wild game bbq cook-off.

Here’s a look at this month’s culinary fun:

Top 10 Food & Drink Events/Offers in Houston This Month: May 2022

• 2022 Celebrity H-Town Chefs Against Cancer at Four Seasons Hotel Houston | Wednesday, May 4 – Following a two-year hiatus, Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown will once again host this culinary occasion, featuring a dozen of Houston’s best restaurants joining for a night of food, drink, entertainment, and impactful fundraising. This year’s participating restaurants and chefs include Richard Sandoval and Rafael Villalpando of Toro Toro, Bayou & Bottle’s Richard Sandoval and Godstime Ebeagbor, Jose Arevalo of Brennan’s of Houston, Guard & Grace’s Troy Guard, Uchi’s Kevin Tien, and more. $175. 6:30pm to 9pm.
• Star Wars Dinner at MAX’s Wine Dive: Washington | Wednesday, May 4 – Star Wars fanatics can go on a culinary journey with Max’s themed dinner inspired by the iconic film. The four-course menu features a Millennium Falcon black bean cake with romesco sauce and an arugula salad; the Dianoga Tentacles octopus dish with roasted fingerling potatoes and chorizo; a third course Tauntaun Ribs with cheese grits; and the Carbonite Caramel, made with coffee jelly drizzled with salted caramel, almond brittle, and whipped cream. $100 per person. 7pm.
• Talk Derby to Me at the Rustic Downtown | Saturday, May 7 | No Cover – The Rustic will be hosting its annual “Talk Derby to Me” Kentucky Derby watch party, featuring live music kicking off after the race, plus drink and food specials, and a best dressed contest with prizes. 10am to 1am.
• Kentucky Derby Day Party at Julep | Saturday, May 7 – Julep on Washington Avenue invites locals to break out their best hats and bowties for its annual Kentucky Derby Day Party, featuring house cocktails (including mint juleps!), Champagne, a Topo Chico station, two main bars, a whiskey bar, tacos from Cochinita & co., a live DJ set and a Vinyl Ranch pop-up shop, along with the live stream of the Kentucky Derby. $10 and up. Noon to 6pm (bar open until 2am).
• Brenner’s Wine Fest at Brenner’s on the Bayou | Saturday, May 7 – Head to Brenner’s on the Bayou for its annual spring Wine Fest, where you’ll be able to sample a wide variety of award-winning wines alongside live music and bites from Landry’s concepts in a beautiful, bayouside atmosphere. This year’s event will be celebrated Kentucky Derby–style, with a Derby Hat Contest and the Derby shown at Blue Bar. $150. 2pm to 6pm.
• Kentucky Derby Tasting at the Tasting Room: CityCentre | Saturday, May 7 – Chef Beto Gutierrez’s decadent Kentucky Derby menu is inspired by the widely-known race, with expert bourbon pairings to go along with it. Dine on Bacon Wrapped Scallops with watermelon salad and a chipotle honey glaze paired with Maker’s Mark 46; Pan Seared Pork Belly served with white cheddar grits and smoked pecan cajeta and Basil Hayden’s; Roasted Ribeye with horseradish whipped potatoes and bourbon-peppercorn demi paired with Buffalo Trace; and a Blueberry Cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream and a salted bourbon caramel sauce, paired with Angel’s Envy. $75 per person. 4pm. 
• Monthly Wine Tasting: Tour of Argentina at Rainbow Lodge | Wednesday, May 11 – The classic lodge restaurant’s monthly wine tasting is a fun and educational walk-around happy hour and tasting that showcases three premium wines from a specific winery or region alongside paired bites; with May’s tasting featuring a tour of Argentina. Tickets include two tasting portions of each wine, and two tasting portions of each of the paired bites, plus the opportunity to purchase the wines at a discount. $55. 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Yaga’s Children’s Fund Wild Game BBQ Cook-Off at Galveston’s Pier 21 | Friday, May 13 & Saturday, May 14 – The annual wild game cook-off returns to the island, offering a two-day, family-friendly event to benefit the Yaga’s Children’s Fund and its support of more than 25 Galveston County organizations. The fun kicks off with a VIP Sponsor Party on Friday, followed by a Saturday morning 5k fun run with the cook-off and beer tasting to follow. $25 and up. Times vary.
• The Taste of Louisiana Festival 2022 at Crown Festival Park | Saturday, May 21 – Festival goers are invited to experience 360 degrees of Louisiana food, music, and culture at the annual Taste of Louisiana Festival. Expect a lineup of Louisiana food vendors, arts and crafts, live entertainment across two stages, the Bayou Crawfish and Beer Garden, chef demos, a kid zone and more. $15 and up. 2pm to 9pm.
• CultureMap Tastemaker Awards at Silver Street Studios | Wednesday, May 25 – This annual foodie event celebrates Houston’s top restaurant and bar talent, as selected by their peers, offering a signature tasting event and awards ceremony, hosted by the legendary Bun B. $75; $125 for VIP. 7pm (6pm for VIP).