Dine on delicious dishes and enjoy our picks for the top food and drink events taking place around Houston in January 2021.
Kick start 2021 with a return-to-life New Year’s Day brunch; continue the festive celebrations with an all-Champagne dinner; learn a new skill with virtual cooking classes and more.
Check out our picks for culinary happenings in Houston and online in January 2021.
Top 10 Food & Drink Events/Offers in Houston This Month: January 2021
- New Year’s Day Brunch at Backstreet Cafe | Friday, January 1 – Chef Hugo Ortega’s Backstreet Cafe will be serving an à la carte brunch menu on New Year’s Day, complete with stellar Bloody Marys and black-eyed peas for good luck. Dine on spiced avocado toast, skirt steak & eggs, cheddar chive biscuit eggs benny, brioche French toast, spaghetti carbonara, and more. Call 713-521-2239 for reservations. 11am to 3pm.
- New Year’s Brunch Weekend at The Original Ninfa’s | Friday, January 1 through Sunday, January 3 – Both the Navigation and Post Oak locations will be offering brunch all weekend long, with specials including $10 Pomegranate Rum Spritz drinks and a $12 Red Chile Pork Posole, a traditional Mexican soup that doubles as a hangover cure. 10am to 2pm.
- Frerejean Freres Champagne Dinner at Artisans Cuisine and Savoir-faire | Tuesday, January 5 – Artisans restaurant is teaming up with Houston-based specialty wine and spirits brand builder BCI to host an all-Champagne dinner with Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger of France’s famed Taittinger family. The five-course dinner (including an amuse bouche) will feature five Frerejean Freres champagnes, introduced by Taittinger. $100 per person, plus tax and gratuity and reservations are required. Call 713-529-9111. 5:45pm.
- Bakin’ Biscuits with Victoria on Zoom | Saturday, January 9 | Virtual – Underbelly Hospitality pastry director Victoria Dearmond is spilling the secret to her killer biscuits in a virtual cooking class. Each class includes a kit with all the ingredients to bake a batch of 10 biscuits and fresh lemon curd using local Meyer lemons; pitchers of mimosas or a pack of bacon sausage can be added for those who want a full brunch spread. Kits can be picked up on Friday, January 8 between noon and 5pm at Underbelly. $45. Zoom class begins at 1pm.
- Vegan Chili with Matt Staph on Zoom | Sunday, January 10 | Virtual – Learn to make an epic vegetarian chili with One Fifth Mediterranean’s chef de cuisine Matt Staph. The chili kit, which serves two, includes jalapeño cornbread (vegetarian), Texas red beet chili (vegan), almond sour cream (vegan) and a bottle of rosé. Pick up the kit at One Fifth between noon and 5pm on Saturday, January 9. $100. Zoom class begins at 5pm.
- I’ll Have What She’s Cookin’ series: Art of the Sourdough Crumb on Zoom | Saturday, January 16 | Virtual – The women’s health advocacy group I’ll Have What She’s Having is hosting the ultimate breadmaking class on Zoom, featuring cookbook author and naturally-leavened baker Sarah Owens and Golden Bagel’s chef Jane Wild. Each kit includes essential baking tools, an autographed copy of Owens’ James Beard award-winning book Sourdough, and a class kit that includes a sourdough starter, artisan cheese by Houston Dairymaids, charcuterie by Revival Market, marmalade by Dandelion Cafe and more. Kits can be delivered or picked up on Friday, January 15. $150; $30 for access to videos only. 2pm to 4pm.
- Nick Fine Cooks For Kids: “Spaghetti with a Chance of Meatballs” on Zoom | Sunday, January 17 | Virtual – Underbelly Hospitality culinary director Nick Fine is teaching a kids cooking class on Zoom, covering veggies and ranch, garlic bread, pasta and meatballs, and cannoli. Kids of all ages are welcome to join. Kits serve four and include all menu ingredients; pickup is available on Saturday, January 16 at Underbelly from noon to 5pm. $55. Zoom class is from 4pm to 5:30pm.
- Hirsch Vineyards Wine Tasting with Jasmine Hirsch, Chris Shepherd & Matthew Pridgen on Zoom | Friday, January 22 | Virtual – Winemaker Jasmine Hirsch, Underbelly Hospitality wine guy Matthew Pridgen and chef Chris Shepherd take to Zoom as they chat about all things Pinot. Tasting kits include a bottle of 2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir “San Andreas Fault” Sonoma Coast, and guests can add on a charcuterie board from Georgia James to snack on during class. Kits can be picked up on Thursday, January 21 between noon and 5pm at Underbelly. $130. Zoom wine tasting begins at 6pm.
- The Chalet at Rosie Cannonball | Seasonal – The team at Rosie Cannonball team is bringing the après ski experience to Houston, transforming its summery Spritz Patio into a cozy gathering spot with fire pits, warm drinks and a food menu that evolves as the weather gets colder. Get into the Alpine spirit with dishes like mushroom arancini, cacio e pepe, pork schnitzel sandwich, and cider doughnut holes; slurp oysters alongside a bottle of Krug; and sip cocktails like The Erin Ros(i)e, a frozen Irish coffee and an ode to the Southern bar, Erin Rose, located in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
- Oyster Happy Hour at Brennan’s of Houston | Seasonal – Oyster fans can celebrate the season in style with $1 oysters during Brennan’s famous 7-7-7 happy hour. A rotating selection of freshly shucked Gulf or East Coast oysters on the half shell will be available for a steal during at the Courtyard Bar. Tuesday through Friday from 4pm to 7pm.
Social Distancing & COVID-19
Businesses and organizations in Houston have opened under modified protocols, following guidelines administered by local health officials, the State of Texas and CDC. At this time, guidance from experts urges people to continue wearing face masks when in public spaces, practice social distancing of at least six feet, limit your touching of surfaces and frequently use hand sanitizer or soap and water to keep your hands clean.
Although vaccines have been approved and distribution has begun, supplies are still limited. Health officials have severely cautioned that it will take until late spring 2021 before the U.S. might be able to expect a level of herd immunity. In the meantime, masks are strongly advised to help curb the increasing spread of COVID-19 this winter.
Before heading out, take time to familiarize with your destination’s requirements or restrictions at this moment, and be sure to contact them ahead of time with any questions or concerns.
Find More Things to Do in Houston All Year Long
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