This will not be a column filled with provocative, pie-in-the-sky predictions about what's going to happen in Houston barbecue in 2017, I promise. Like most humans, I'm notoriously bad at predicting the future, so I'll just stick with what I know.
HOUSTON, TX — It's never to early to put this red-letter date on your calendar: The Houston Barbecue Festival takes place on April 9, 2017, and pre-sale discount tickets are now on sale. Get yours now, save some money, and make some friends and loved ones happy in the process when you give them access to the meatopia.
In a recent article by CultureMap Houston, Harlem Road Texas BBQ is listed as a top, upcoming destination:
“… a sense of the highest-profile, most-exciting new openings that people will be talking about between now and February…”
Swiss-trained chef Ara Malekian will meld French technique with a love of all things Texas at this barbecue joint in Richmond. Malekian has hosted a number of pop-ups around town where he’s served luscious beef ribs, peppery brisket, and house made sausages. If he can execute consistently, the Sugar Land area will have its first destination barbecue joint.
With a focus on sustainable ranching practices, The Butcher's Ball brings together Texas's top chefs, butchers, and ranchers for a day of demonstrations and tastings using meat from 44 Farms. But that's not all The Butcher's Ball is about. Join us Sunday, October 9th for an incredible celebration of food, drink, music, and art at one of Brenham's most prestigious venues, all while supporting Foodways Texas and Urban Harvest.
The University of St. Thomas is dedicated to becoming a greener, more eco-friendly campus. With that it mind, the Sustainability Committee, in collaboration with the Environmental Science and Studies Department, is planning a week’s worth of activities seeking to raise awareness for sustainability on campus.
And the finalists for your favorite CHEF are Richard Knight, Ara Malekian, Monica Pope and Annette Burnam - all dedicated to incorporating fresh, real ingredients in their dishes and supporting our local growers.
Attention to detail is chef Ara Malekian's trademark. When preparing a dish, he considers each ingredient in an effort to create a unique culinary experience. For example, the Swiss-born executive chef, who always wears a cowboy hat, only smokes his meat with oak wine staves - pieces of the barrels that retain the flavor of the vintage they held.
Non-profit organization and local food pioneer Urban Harvest teams up with chef Monica Pope for a farm-to-fork fundraising dinner benefitting its namesake youth education program. Sunday Supper at Sparrow will feature dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients from local farms including Tejas Heritage Farms, Plant it Forward Farms and Sustainable Harvesters.