food

Eat Well, Give Back! Delicious Ways to Help Houstonians

Eat Well, Give Back! Delicious Ways to Help Houstonians

Chris Shepherd (photo by Kirsten Gilliam)

THIS WEEK OFFERS delicious ways to give back to the community following last month's historic winter storm.

Rainbow Lodge has announced a month-long pre-fixe special menu, from which $5 will be donated to the Houston Food Bank in an effort to help the organization meet increased demand while replenishing its stock of goods. Every dollar donated to the Houston Food Bank generates three meals for community members in need, which means with each Rainbow Lodge purchase, 15 Houstonians will be fed!

Rainbow Lodge

The Houston Food Bank Rescue Menu includes an appetizer of fried Texas quail with cheddar grits and bourbon-bacon gravy; a choice between pan-seared snapper and a grilled 10-ounce bison ribeye for a main; and a dessert of either croissant bread pudding or chocolate mousse torte with toasted marshmallows. The $75 menu also includes a half-bottle of red or white wine.

Meanwhile, in Montrose, Aaron Bludorn has partnered with several nationally acclaimed chefs to launch a Collaboration Dinner series benefiting Chris Shepherd's Southern Smoke Foundation, which recently announced a new fund earmarked for winter-storm victims. The first dinner takes place on March 11 at Bludorn, and features Per Se alum Matthew Peters and Bouloud Sud's former exec chef, Travis Swikard. Both guests have solo projects set to launch in Austin and San Diego respectively; the pandemic has delayed the openings, but Houstonians will be among the first to preview the chefs' new menus. Future events in the Collaboration series will feature La Condesa's Rick Lopez and Suerte's Fermine Nunez. Reservations can be made online.

And yesterday, a special Southern Smoke Chicken sandwich, created in collaboration with Shepherd, was available for one day only at the Montrose and Rice Village locations of Shake Shack. The creation boasted hand-breaded chicken, Shepherd's bacon sausage, pickled jalapeno mustard, cherry peppers, shredded lettuce and spicy bacon jam. A portion of proceeds went straight to Southern Smoke's Winter Storm Relief Fund.

Food
music

With New Concept Album, Jacob Hilton Processes Mental-Health Struggles

Dakota Garrett

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

Al Torres

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less