Order takeout to enjoy chef Philippe Verpiand’s special three-course prix fixe menu at home ($46 per person). The restaurant will be open beginning at 11 a.m. with features including deviled eggs with crumbled bacon and fresh herbs, lobster bisque, flat iron steak with Bordelaise sauce and sunny-side-up egg, and creamy Tahitian creme brulee.
Caracol, 2200 Post Oak, 713-622-9996 Chef Hugo Ortega’s coastal Mexican restaurant will be offering a three-course menu for $52 per person and $15 per child ages 10 and under. Curbside pickup is available for features including creamy lobster soup, wood-roasted Gulf oysters, skirt steak chilaquiles, Mexican chocolate tres leches and more.
Despite The Green Light, Houston’s Restaurateurs Are Reluctant To Raise Occupancy Or Ditch Masks
After a year of lockdowns, closures, occupancy limits, social distancing and face coverings, Texas restaurants have been given the green light to reopen at full capacity.
The removal of statewide mandates on occupancy and masks will allow businesses to operate as they see fit, offering a path back to pre-pandemic normalcy. But despite the business opportunity presented by the changes, many restaurateurs told
Bisnow they are reluctant to rush back to full dining rooms and naked faces.
Instead, some Houston restaurant owners and operators are opting to keep limited occupancy and masks for both staff and customers for the foreseeable future, preferring to take their cue from official health agencies and national disease experts rather than from Texas politicians.
Bloom & Bee, 1600 W Loop South, 346-227-5139 The Christmas To-Go Family Pack ($260, serves 4-6) features cream of celeriac with chive oil, baby kale and endives salad, carved prime rib au jus, family-style sides like mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus and a traditional chocolate yule log. Orders must be placed by December 21. In addition to holiday a la carte items from herb-crusted rack of lamb to seafood gumbo, Brennan’s is offering a Christmas Eve Smoke Prime Rib Feast for preorder ($350 to serve 2-4 or $700 to serve 6-8). Orders must be placed by December 18 at 3 p.m. and picked up on December 22 or 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
cookies and sweets kissed with chili, bergamot and cardamom;
muffins studded with carrots and quinoa and an impossibly silky
chai custard pie. Enjoy them either on Pondicheri’s newly created, posh patio space or at home via takeout or delivery.
Brooke Viggiano, contributing writer, Houston Press
Favorite Barbecue Pop-Up
Smoked birria de res queso taco served with consommé and brisket tamales from JQ s Tex Mex BBQ.
Photo by David Leftwich.
JQ s Tex-Mex BBQ: In the best of times, pop-ups give chefs, especially up-and-coming chefs, opportunities to showcase their innovative creations. In the worst of times, like now, pop-ups are also a means of survival. For