web exclusive

Festive Foodie Fun

’Tis the season! Holiday happy hours and family-friendly activities abound. Here are some of the best bets for the days leading up to Dec. 25.

12.12

Danton’s

During the restaurant’s final days as Danton’s — it’s moving to the former Mockingbird Bistro space in 2019, and will be called Eugene’s — raise a glass of Almond Joy, made with vanilla vodka, coconut rum, frangelico and half and half. It’s served in a martini glass with a candy-coated topping of coconut flakes and chocolate sauce.

Fig & Olive 

On Dec. 13 and 20, sip “Chestnut Cup” cocktails — rum, chestnut syrup, walnut liqueur, Aquafaba foam and seasonal spices — to the sounds of DJ-spun holiday remixes at the Fa La La La Fig happy hour, 4-7pm.

Four Seasons Hotel

Decorate ornaments, cupcakes and gingerbread houses during afternoon tea, 12-4pm, on Dec. 15 and 22 at the beautifully adorned Four Seasons. The kiddos will stay busy while the adults sip and snack on traditional tea offerings — plus a glass of prosecco.

La Fisheria

Seeing a show Downtown this season? Begin or end the evening at La Fisheria, with the Snow-Top cocktail served in a glass rimmed with cinnamon and brown sugar; or the White Christmas Margarita made with coconut milk and topped with cranberry garnish.

The newly revamped Uptown restaurant has two chances to catch Santa himself next weekend: Join him for a family-style brunch (orange brioche French toast? yes, please!) and photo ops from 11am-3pm on Dec. 22 and 23. Plus: mimosas for mom and dad, and a gingerbread house to decorate for the kiddo! Merry merry.

Poitin

There’s extra reason to celebrate the season if you live in the 77007 zip code: Enjoy 50 percent off bottles of wine on Mondays, with valid ID.

Yauatcha

The Galleria is festive as it is — but Yauatcha is spicing things up further, with delicious new seasonal desserts: the Mandarin spice bar — mandarin and white-chocolate mousses, marmalade and spice cake — and the pecan tart with dulce de leche. They’re perhaps best enjoyed as the finale to the restaurant’s new dim sum brunch, 11am-4pm on weekends.

AT TOP: Decorating gingerbread houses at Quattro in the Four Seasons

Dispatches
promoted

Fall Philanthropy Report: Easter Seals of Greater Houston ‘Impacts Where People Need Us the Most’

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less