Previous Tours
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
Underbelly’s Chef Chris Shepherd and Oxheart Restaurant's Chef Justin Yu highlighted the eating traditions of the Chinese New Year—the centuries-old celebration that marks the end of the winter season. The pair dug into dumplings, savored hot pot dishes, vegetarian offerings and classic Chinese celebratory fare. The tour even included a stop at a Chinese bakery for traditional New Year Cakes.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Meet the Houston family responsible for South American mainstays like Churrascos, Americas, Amazon Grill and Artista, plus learn where the culinary clan dines in their down time. Chef David Cordua and his chef-restaurateur father Michael teamed up to uncover their favorite eateries, one under-the-radar-outpost at a time.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Food trucks are sweeping the nation, find out what’s driving the trend in H-Town—one street vendor at a time. Underbelly's executive chef Chris Shepherd and Beaver’s executive chef Jonathan Jones made their way through the city’s top mobile menus.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Pita, hummus and baba ghanoush, oh my! Tour attendees found out where to find the most authentic Middle Eastern cuisine in the city with the help of chef Monica Pope (of t’afia and Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters fame) and chef-restaurateur Hugo Ortega (of Montrose’s Mexican mainstay Hugo’s). Fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks served at a Memorial-set Persian grill delighted, as did visits to a Pakistani mom and pop spot and a 60,000-square-foot Middle Eastern market.
Sunday, September 28, 2011
Restaurateur-chef Hugo Ortega—of Montrose’s Hugo’s—and cookbook author Robb Walsh explored the foods of the Americas. The duo highlighted a selection of South and Central American restaurants, ‘traveling’ from Brazil to Argentina to Peru to El Salvador and Guatamala, among other culinary excursions. Among the day’s outings, guests delighted in slow-roasted, straight-from-the-skewer selections at an inner-loop churrascaria and sampled flakey empanadas at a family-owned Argentinean restaurant.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Haven's Chef Randy Evans, Pesce's Chef Mark Holley and Fluff Bake Bar's Rebecca Masson took guests on a tour of the comfort food restaurants that take them back to their childhood. From a momma-approved pie shop and a Cajun-inspired soul food joint to an old-fashioned fried chicken spot and an old-school barbecue classic, this group experienced the true flavors of the south.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Chef Chris Shepherd and Robb Walsh introduced attendees to roasted pork and smoked duck at a Chinese BBQ spot, grilled out at a hole-in-the-wall Korean restaurant, took on Mexican-style barbecue and made room for fall-off-the-bone ribs at a family-owned, Bayou City staple.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Pigs have recently been on the front burner of some of the nation’s most sought-after kitchens—much to the dismay of animals of the porcine variety. But these days, the culinary masterminds are leaving little behind, thanks to an emphasis on nose-to-tail cooking and a little epicurean wherewithal. Tag along with Underbelly’s Chef Chris Shepherd and Pilot Light Restaurant Group's Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner and Chef Terrence Gallivan as they share their favorite places to find, buy and delight in the city’s best pork. Head to a sustainable shop in the Heights to learn about locally raised heritage pigs, before heading out in the city to taste how different cultures put their spin on the savory meat.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
As home to the largest Vietnamese population in Texas and the third-largest in the U.S., it’s safe to say that Houston is well-versed in the art of Vietnamese culture and cuisine. Chef Ryan Pera of Revival Market and Chef Bryan Caswell of Reef, Stella Sola (and The Next Iron Chef) shared their favorite spots to find pho, bò bía and bánh mì.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Explore the hidden gems of Houston's new Chinatown and beyond--the places you might never find without a translator and plenty of insider knowledge. Chefs Chris Shepherd and Randy Evans took attendees to stops for delicious Thai and Malaysian food, some of the best Indian food in the city and a massive Vietnamese grocery.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Monica Pope (of t’afia and Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters fame) showcased the best Mediterranean menus and markets the city has to offer: A west Houston-set store for 55,000 square feet of international delicacies; Lamb shanks and some of the best hummus in town; A European-style market in The Heights and a Mediterranean-inspired wine bar in Midtown.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Although the tension between the Korean and Japanese communities doesn't seem to be subsiding, on March 20, the two will cast out the drama-at least for the day-while their respective cuisines take the local mainstage. Join Chef Ryan Pera of Revival Market and Chef Chris Shepherd of Catalan as they scope out the city's prime places for eastern-Asia-inspired fare. Settle in for Japanese tapas at a sleek kata robata, satisfy your craving for kimchi and bbq at a couple of Spring Branch-set Korean restaurants, before exploring an Asian grocer loaded with hard-to-find ingredients and artfully-prepared pastries.
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011
Anyone that's ever driven down Long Point Road in West Houston's Spring Branch district knows that it's a melting pot within the city's culinary scene. Bryan and Jonathan will take you on a diverse and well-edited selection of their favorite undiscovered haunts.
Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011
The duo dug into roasted pork and smoked duck at a Chinese BBQ spot, grilled out at an off-the-beaten-path Korean restaurant, took on Mexican-style barbecue and made room for fall-off-the-bone ribs at a family-owned, Bayou City staple.
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
Explore the hidden gems of Houston's new Chinatown—the places you might never find without a translator and plenty of insider knowledge. Join Catalan's Chef Chris Shepherd as he visits a hole-in-the-wall spot for unforgettable Beijing-style Peking duck that's so popular, guests have to order it a day in advance. Other tour highlights include stops for delicious beef-soup dumplings, pan-fried pot stickers-you can even grab a frozen bag to go-and fried chicken.
Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010
Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy the best homestyle fare the city has to offer. Haven's Chef Randy Evans and Pesce's Chef Mark Holley take guests on a tour of the comfort food restaurants that take them back to their childhood. This is your chance to experience the true flavors of the south.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010
There's nothing like mom's home cooking. Get an inside look at local food, and go behind the scenes and in the kitchens that helped some of Houston's most-loved chefs get their start. Discover the city's rich history and cultural diversity during three tour stops, two of which will be at Chef Pope and Chef Davis' actual momma's houses for home-cooked food and southern hospitality.
Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010
The wildly-popular Houston Culinary Tours may’ve sold out, but Texas Highways readers are getting an insider treat! This fall, for one day only, Catalan’s Chef Chris Shepherd and Tex-Mex Cookbook Author Robb Walsh are teaming up for a special Space City World BBQ Tour—only available to Texas Highways fans. Join the duo as they dig into roasted pork and smoked duck at a Chinese BBQ spot, grill out at a hole-in-the-wall Korean restaurant, take on Mexican-style barbecue and make room for fall-off-the-bone ribs at a family-owned, Bayou City staple.
Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010
Anyone that's ever driven down Long Point Road in West Houston's Spring Branch district knows that it's a melting pot within the city's culinary scene. Join Catalan's Chef Chris Shepherd as he guides guests on a diverse and well-edited selection of their favorite undiscovered hole-in-the-walls. From wallet-friendly taco trucks and authentic Thai food to Korean barbecue and Mexican fried chicken, savor an eclectic mix of cuisines all within a stone's throw of one another.
Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010
Meet the personalities behind some of the city's most exotic, family-owned restaurants. Join Catalan's Chef Chris Shepherd and Haven's Chef Randy Evans as they invite guests to the under-the-radar places they head to on their nights off. Get your Malaysian fix with Cantonese dim sum, sample melt-in-your-mouth goat curry at a European-style Indian grill, experience made-to-order roti canai at a high-tech Malaysian restaurant and settle in for a bowl of hot-and-spicy pho at a Vietnamese staple in Chinatown.
Sunday, July 25
Shop where the chefs shop! Learn the inner-circle's go-to spots for finding exotic fruits and spices. Discover the hidden gems offering up live abolone, frozen mochi and pungent durian. Stop by one of the largest Asian superstores in the region, sample delicious, housemade pierogies at the city's only Polish grocery/restaurant and dive into a spicy plate of housemade som tum at a converted Thai grocery store.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy the best homestyle fare the city has to offer. Haven's Chef Randy Evans and Pesce's Chef Mark Holley take guests on a tour of the comfort food restaurants that take them back to their childhood. This is your chance to experience the true flavors of the south.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Experience the best of Houston's new Chinatown. Join t'afia's Chef Monica Pope and Stella Sola's Chef Justin Basye as they visit four of their favorite must-see Asian hotspots. Tear into fresh-from-the-oven taftoon bread and spicy hummus at a Persian grill, snag a flavorful Bánh MÎ sandwich at a family-owned French-Vietnamese joint, sample spicy fare at one of the city's best Thai restaurants and venture past lobster-and-crab-filled aquariums for hot pot soups and authentic Chinese-Vietnamese food.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Explore Houston's Mexican heritage with a tour of the Mexican market scene on Airline Drive. After hot chocolate and pan dulce at a Mexican bakery, Tex-Mex cookbook author Robb Walsh will take guests to a Mexican spice market and on a walking tour of Houston's biggest produce market. There, learn about the dried chiles, heirloom beans and other exotic ingredients found in the little stalls behind Canino's. The tour concludes at Hugo's.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Shop where the chefs shop! Learn the inner-circle's go-to spots for finding exotic fruits and spices. Discover the hidden gems offering up live abolone, frozen mochi and pungent durian. Stop by one of the largest Asian superstores in the region, sample delicious, housemade pierogies at the city's only Polish grocery/restaurant and dive into a spicy plate of housemade som tum at a converted Thai grocery store.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Experience the best of Houston's new Chinatown. Join t'afia's Chef Monica Pope and Reef's Chef Bryan Caswell as they visit four of their favorite must-see Asian hotspots. Tear into fresh-from-the-oven taftoon bread and spicy hummus at a Persian grill, snag a flavorful Báhn Mî sandwich at a family-owned French-Vietnamese joint, dig into potato-and-veggie-packed samosas at a hole-in-the-wall Indian place and venture past lobster-and-crab-filled aquariums for hot pot soups and authentic Chinese-Vietnamese food.
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
Learn about the four styles of Texas barbecue author Robb Walsh shares in his recently-released book, Legends of Texas Barbecue, Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses. Meet the pit bosses manning the grills and savor African-Texan barbecue brisket and ribs, Mexican barbacoa served with tortillas and salsas, old-fashioned Cowboy barbecue and Central Texas-style Czech and German meat market treats. Wrap up the tour at the World's Championship BBQ Cook-Off. Guests will receive wristbands for the Club No Minor tent, sponsored by Beaver's, El Patio and Whole Foods Market.
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