Entree Fondue from Melting Pot
Well known for its diverse and delicious food, Houston is the place to host the huge foodie event in 2024, Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW). Running from August 1st to September 2nd annually, this event features the city’s most popular fine-dining restaurants.
Now, don’t be scared by the word fine-dining. It does not necessarily mean garish dishes with ridiculous prices, especially during Houston Restaurant Weeks. The participating restaurants will serve specially priced, multi-course prix fixe menus. The price for brunch or lunch is $25, and dinner is either $39 or $55. If you compare the HRW menus with the original menus from HRW restaurants, you could easily find out that most of the prices are 20-40% off. Some restaurants also provide the option to take out.
Another perk of HRW is that it benefits not only the foodies, but the wider Houston community. Besides being the promotion campaign for Houston restaurants, it is also the largest annual fundraiser for Houston Food Bank, America’s largest food bank. For every meal sold from the HRW menu, the restaurants will donate money to Houston Food Bank, and for every dollar donated, Houston Food Bank will generate three meals.
With the background information of HRW in mind, here is my secret list of HRW restaurants :)
1. Roma Ristorante (Italian)
As one of the best Italian restaurants in Houston that is located in Rice Village and right next to Rice Village Apartment, Roma has to be on my list. They serve traditional Italian cuisines made of fresh ingredients. Tiramisu is not on their HRW menu, but no one would regret ordering it, and they would assemble it at the table for you to watch. Besides the absolutely delicious food, Roma also provides excellent dining experience with the artistic plating and adorable patio.
Address: 2347 University Blvd, Houston, TX 77005
2. Melting Pot (Swiss fondue)
If you are a cheese lover who also likes hot pot, Melting Pot is the spot to go to. Their HWR menu is a 39$ dinner, including three pots. The first one is cheese fondue, and my all-time favorite is loaded baked potato cheddar with little bacon bits. The second one is a main course which is a wine soup base with different kinds of meat. It comes with various dipping sauces and it’s really fun to figure out your favorite one. The third course is the famous chocolate fondue, which I think anyone would love easily without explanation. Also very importantly, the fruits, vegetables, and breads for the cheese fondue, as well as the fruits, candies, and cookies for the dessert fondue are UNLIMITED! Help yourself!
Address: 6100 Westheimer Rd Suite #146, Houston, TX 77057
3. Le Colonial (Vietnamese)
Le Colonial serves French-Vietnamese fusion food, combining perfectly the delicacy of French cuisine and the passion of Southeast Asian cuisine. The traditional Vietnamese dishes like Sui Cao Chien (pan-fried dumplings) and Goi Cuon (chilled shrimp summer roll) are modified with a twist in their flavor and texture, and it is great fun to explore and be surprised. Known for its exotic decoration, this two-story restaurant is also a popular spot to take pretty photos. Reservations are recommended since this place gets crowded fast.
Address: 4444 Westheimer Rd Suite G-140, Houston, TX 77027
4. Da Gama Canteen (Indian)
Da Gama is a modern Indian restaurant. Since the dishes are Indian fused with Portuguese, the spice used is slightly subtler than traditional Indian cuisine. So, it would be a great starting point for people who are new to Indian cooking. Not on the HRW menu, but Crab pani puri is a must-try. Pani puri is a popular Indian street food of crispy, hollow, fried dough shells stuffed with potato, peas, and onion. Da Gama has successfully modified this already delicious street food to another level with richly flavored crab. The canteen is also known for their cocktails, so don’t miss out if you’re there.
Address: 600 N Shepherd Dr Suite 520, Houston, TX 77007
5. Oporto Fooding House & Wine (Portuguese)
Oporto shows their sincerity to the customers by including two signature dishes, Portuguese squid fried rice and crab & avocado crostini, in their HRW menu. Besides, there’re so many restaurants in Houston serving Tiramisu, but there’s something special with the Portuguese Tiramisu, Bolo De Bolacha. I couldn’t tell because I’m not a professional chef, but it tastes magical and it’s also on the HRW menu. Also, fun fact with their HRW menu, the dinner menu is also available during lunch time, so if you go for lunch with someone, there will be many great options to choose from.
Address: 125 W Gray St #500, Houston, TX 77019
6. Coppa Osteria (Italian)
Okay, here’s another Italian place in Rice Village but not only because I’m addicted to Italian food. It’s just that good with the perfect antipasti, pizza, and pasta. It’s also really cute and romantic that they put a little candle on every table during dinner. And most importantly, they have the most generous HRW menu. The dishes worth nearly $100 at the regular menu only cost $55 with HRW. It’s like stealing! And if you ever go, make sure you have enough space in your stomach because the portions there are huge.
Address: 5210 Morningside Dr, Houston, TX 77005
These restaurants are just a small part of Houston Restaurant Weeks, and there are hundreds of restaurants serving diverse and delicious cuisines with discounted prices. Have fun exploring!
About the author:
Rui Liu is from China and is a current Ph.D. student in Chemistry. She got her B.S. in Chemistry at College of William and Mary in 2021. Read more.
Further Reading:
Exploring Houston One Cup At A Time
A Taste of Africa in Houston: Discovering African Markets around Rice University
A One-Woman Adventure: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream