Macie Kelly/Houston Public Media
The 2024 Houston Restaurant Weeks will kick off on Thursday, Aug. 1, and end on Sept. 2, with a goal of increasing traffic in restaurants, collecting food donations and expanding Houstonians’ palates.
The 21st annual fundraiser invites local foodies to try different restaurants with multiple-course menus at a set, and usually lower, price. A percentage of the revenue goes to the restaurant’s local food banks, such as the Houston, Montgomery and Galveston food banks, said Katie Stone, the Houston Restaurant Weeks President.
“This is just one of the incredible aspects of the event is that restaurants get to participate at the same time they are feeding people,” Stone said. “It’s a win (for the) restaurant, win for diners, a win for the food bank.”
Stone encourages making reservations since this month marks many restaurants’ busiest season. She said most restaurants will have a separate physical menu for the fundraiser in addition to their regular menu. Still, she suggests telling the restaurant staff that you are participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks.
Menu prices range from $25 to $55 which results in $3-$7 in donations. Visit the foundation’s web page for a full list of restaurants, menus and prices.
Cleverley Stone, Stone’s mother who was nicknamed the “Diva of Diving”, started Houston Restaurant Weeks in 2003 as a week-long event that generated $5,913 in donations. Katie Stone said her mother had a mission to bring attention to all restaurants in Houston, and especially smaller restaurants.
Since its opening, the foundation has gathered over $18.8 million, which equates to 56.4 million meals that went to help relieve food insecurity, according to its website. It also expanded to a month-long event to maximize the benefits.
“Because it’s not a one-week event (and) because the diners have a month to plan out their excursions and their visits, they take advantage of it,” Stone said. “It brings families together. It brings friends together.”
Houston Restaurant Weeks also aims to expose visitors to different restaurants and dining styles. Stone said some restaurants will offer meals at a lower price. For example, Stone said if the total cost of the Houston Restaurant Weeks menu is $39, but one single dish typically costs $35, visitors can eat the three courses offered on the menu for the price of one entree in the regular menu.
“That’s really what helps us to attract diners in the doors, not only once, but multiple times,” Stone said.
On July 15, the foundation released this year’s menu which welcomed dozens of new restaurants participating in the fundraiser.
New to Houston Restaurant Weeks
1891 American Eatery and Bar | 702 E 11th St., Houston, TX 77008
1891 American Eatery and Bar serves modernized American classics to honor Houston’s Historic Heights while creating a “pub vibe” with eight beer taps and creative cocktails. Their Houston Restaurant Weeks’ $25 brunch includes one mimosa and two courses, and the lunch includes one non-alcoholic drink with two courses. The $39 dinner offers three courses with options like crab fritters, truffled brisket, steak, salmon and apple bourbon bread pudding or coconut panna cotta for dessert.
The restaurant will donate $3-$5 for each meal sold. Visit 1891’s Houston Restaurant Weeks menu for more details.
a’Bouzy | 2300 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098
They call themselves “Houston’s Champagne-fueled hot spot,” and offer hundreds of wine and champagne labels to pair with their locally sourced dishes. a’Bouzy offers vegetarian and gluten-free options in their $55 Houston Restaurant Weeks dinner menu. The dinner consists of four courses which come with their daily welcoming bite, and includes options like shrimp bisque, coq au vin, truffle pasta and salted caramel cheesecake.
The restaurant will donate $7 for each dinner sold. Visit a’Bouzy’s Houston Restaurant Weeks menu for more details.
Bludorn | 807 Taft Street, Houston, TX 77019
Located in the heart of Montrose, Bludorn features rotating seasonal menus and global wines. Their three-course dinner costs $55 and offers arugula salad, salmon, pork loin, potato gnocchi and desserts.
The restaurant will donate $7 for each dinner sold. Visit Bluedorn’s Houston Restaurant Weeks menu for more details.
Le Jardinier
Le Jardinier, housed in the Museum of Fine Arts, serves French cuisine created by Michelin-starred Chef Alain Verzeroli and global hospitality group The Bastion Collection, which has locations in New York and Miami. The two-course $25 brunch and lunch menus include salmon benedict, roasted chicken, golden risotto and desserts. The $55 dinner menu includes a three-course meal with burrata, garden salad, striploin and dessert.
The restaurant will donate $3-$7 for each meal sold. Visit Le Jardinier’s Houston Restaurant Weeks menu for more details.
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