Mold Remediation in Montrose, MI

What’s happening, team! Let’s talk about cool stuff to look forward to this month. All sorts of food and wine events give us a chance to eat and drink delicious things! Let’s get your calendar booked up, here we go!

There are lots of great wine events coming up this month that you should have on your list.

November 7 - Iron SommelierLindsey and I love this event and make it out almost every year. Sommeliers from all over the city battle it out gladiator-style for bragging rights and the Iron Sommelier title. The auction is always fantastic, and they have a wine pull that is one of my favorites! Iron Sommelier supports the Periwinkle Foundation that provides a community of healing for kids with cancer through camps, arts, and survivor programs.

November 13 - Wine dinner with Ray Isle at Marigold ClubRay Isle is the wine editor for Food & Wine magazine and a good friend. His palate is awesome, and his wine knowledge is off the charts. His book, The World in a Wine Glass, is one of the best books on wine out there. Let’s just add the talented skills of chef Austin Waiter, master sommelier June Rodil, and the Marigold Club team, and you will be in for an amazing evening.

November 14 - Fireside chat with Ray Isle, Julie Dalton, MS, and Keith Goldston, MS at the Post Oak HotelIf you didn’t get to the dinner on the November 13, then head out to this! It should be the ultimate way to nerd out on wine with some of the smartest wine pros in the business, as Ray Isle talks to two master sommeliers, Keith Goldston and Julie Dalton. It’s your opportunity to get a book signed by Ray, taste fine wines, and enjoy light bites. RSVP to postoakhotel@nextjenpr.com. Space is limited.

November 14-15 - Holiday Champagne Tastings at Pappas Bros. SteakhouseI love a good tasting, and I can’t think of a better pairing than Pappas Bros. And champagne. Heck yes! Steven McDonald, MS always holds It down when it comes to tastings. I looked at the lineup of Champagne he’s selected, and this is no different. They will have a Special Club table, so you know where to find me! The restaurant will be serving snacks, but make sure you make reservations for dinner after the tasting.

November 16 – Spain Wine Class at 13 Celsius13 Celsius is holding a beautiful Spanish wine class with Cyrus Tolman of Rootstock Wines. Tempranillo, Granacha, and Albarinio will be flowing.

November 19 – Gundlach Bundschu Wine Dinner at Brennan’sBrennan’s of Houston will be hosting a wine dinner with Gundlach Bundschu Winery, and I’m going to say that the menu looks amazing! Gundlach Bundschu is the oldest, family-owned winery in Sonoma. You’ll have the opportunity to taste their Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Estate Cab along with a four-course dinner at Brennan’s.

November 23 - Holiday Shopping at AOCWho doesn’t love a good shopping trip, especially to AOC where Brandon Kerne, MS puts together a heck of a list!

One of my favorite wineries Miner Family Winery is offering 20-percent off all large format bottles aka A BIG BOTTLE SALE! We all know I love a big bottle especially when showing up to Thanksgiving and all the holiday parties. Let’s just say you look like a rock star when you roll in with a big ass bottle of Gary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir in your hands. They make the most memorable gifts as well — how about a 3 Liter bottle of Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot?

Use the code BIG20 at checkout. Shop wines here.

November 24 - Camerata’s Annual Holiday Wine SaleSpeaking of shopping trips, one of my favorite Montrose wine bars is having its annual holiday sale. You’ll get to taste up to 50 wines from 10 distributors. My friend Ryan Lachaine will be serving his famous butter burgers, so you know it’s a party.

If you can’t make the sale, the wines will be available for purchase online from noon on November 23 until 6 pm on November 24.

Now let’s look at some food events on the horizon as well!

November 7 - Kelsey Barnard Clark at Williams SonomaLet’s head on out to Williams Sonoma Highland Village to welcome Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark and celebrate her new book Southern Get-Togethers. I will be there 6-7 pm to walk through a tailgate demo with Kelsey! Since 15 percent of the store sales during the event go to Southern Smoke, I think it’s time to revamp your kitchen!

November 10 – High Tea with Khushbu Shah at Marigold Club and November 12 - Khushbu Shah Pizza Party at Rosie CannonballTwo different events with our good friend Khushbu Shah, the former restaurant editor of Food & Wine magazine and author of the new book Amrikan. These two events are very different and very cool, a high tea at Marigold Club and a pizza party at Rosie Cannonball. These parties will both have the flavors of India and some Khushbu magic!

November 17 - Table to Stage with Tom ColicchioI am so very excited about this one because I get to talk with chef Tom Colicchio! I have long admired Tom and what he has done, not only as a chef and TV personality but what he has done to create a path for so many chefs. His thought process of cooking is what we are going to dive deep into as we discuss his new book, Why I Cook. This event is at House of Blues, tickets are $50, VIP is sold out, and books will be on sale with our friends at Kinded Stories. Get some signed books for your holiday gifts!

November 20 - Fifth anniversary dinner at Guard and Grace benefiting Southern Smoke FoundationCongratulations to the team at Guard and Grace on five years. To celebrate, they are throwing a party! Chef-owner Troy Guard and his team will be cooking with friends Drake Leonards, Aaron Bludorn, Bobby Matos, and the crew from Blood Brothers! Get down!

I know there are many more great food and wine events happening around the city, but this is a good start!

One more thing I would like to tell you about is the Southern Smoke Bottle Club. This is a club that we started to help people get their hands on amazing single barrel whiskeys and other spirits that are picked by our team and me. We only have a few more spots available because we are only taking 125 members to ensure plenty of goods for the club!

Our first pick, which new club members still have limited access to, is an Elijah Craig 10-year Barrel Proof pick that is outstanding, and we’re in the process of scheduling a virtual tasting for club members with Elijah Craig’s national ambassador! Members: Keep an eye on your inboxes for the details!

The next pick will be a Maker’s Mark Private Selection, which will be released at a holiday party/bottle share at my house! This club isn’t just bourbon either. We have single barrels from our winery friends as well, including a reserve barrel with Hirsch Family Vineyards. Remember my interview with Jasmine Hirsch? She is awesome, and so are her wines. We’ll also have single barrels of tequila, mezcal, maybe even very special balsamic vinegar from Italy. Whatever else I can get my hands on! GET IN THE CLUB!!!

The Houston dining scene is a fickle one. Restaurants come and go and rarely leave a lasting impression, but Mi Luna Tapas Restaurant & Bar isn’t one of those places. Formerly located in Rice Village (the space is now Frnds Restaurant & Lounge, which opened in 2023) during its heyday as a prime area for Houston nightlife, its regulars mourned its closing in 2018. It was, after all, the original “vibe dining” — a fun, communal dining experience. But Mi Luna is back and now located at the latest entertainment hub, the Montrose Collective, at 888 Westheimer. Houston Food Finder reported on the owners plans for a comeback in August, and the beloved Spanish tapas eatery debuted to the public on October 7.

Before its official opening, Houston Food Finder was invited to a sneak preview party. The nostalgia washed over me as I walked into the resurrected Mi Luna. Just like that, it was 2004, and I was in capri pants and a tube top having sangrias with girlfriends on a Thursday night before we hit up Gatsby across the way or Bronx Bar down the street.

Invoking nostalgia seems to be the goal of owner and Bella Restaurants Group CEO Youssef Nafaa, “I want to keep the new Mi Luna as close to the old Mi Luna as possible,” he said. “The idea is to be able to experience different dishes that create great conversations and a social atmosphere that people are losing these days. Everybody is stuck on their phones. Eating is a lot more than just eating. Eating out needs to be an experience — meeting people and trying things that you cannot make at home.”

The reminiscing starts with a familiar sign that greets guests — the iconic red awning is now painted on the wall of the hostess area. The new space is smaller but feels more spacious, and the large windows provide a bright contrast to the former more cavernous space. The bar is open and looks out onto the patio and the breezeway. The outdoor space was a big draw for the Rice Village location and won’t be any different here. The décor is sprinkled with nods to Spain with portraits of bull fighters and flamenco dancers. The large lighting fixtures have a romantic glow in the evening, and eyes are drawn to the raised platform stage when there is live entertainment, which will include flamenco dancing by Solero Flamenco, a Houston-based national touring company, on Fridays and Saturdays. Acoustic guitar performances will set the stage for weekend brunching.

The menu features many of the fan favorites such as the paella Valenciana, a mix of fresh seafood, rabbit and chicken baked in saffron rice, gambas al ajillo, shrimp sautéed in lemon garlic olive oil with red chili peppers, chicken and beef empanadas and patatas bravas, crispy potatoes with spicy brava sauce. My personal favorite was always the pinchos de carne, grilled, skewered beef tenderloin with saffron rice, caramelized onions and harissa aioli. It is just as I remembered it. New additions to the menu include Jarrete de Credo Estodao, braised pork shank served with white bean and chorizo ragu, rape con miel, monkfish with toasted almonds in a honey saffron cream sauce and rabo de toro a la Sevillana, braised oxtail with chickpeas.

The beverage menu will feature an extensive selection of more than 100 Spanish wines, specialty cocktails – such as the Meet Me at Mi Luna, a blend of gin, Campari, egg white, lemon juice and agave garnished with a strawberry; the Mango Ahumado, crafted with mezcal, mango, lime juice and agave and Inviero en Calamocha, St. Germain and prosecco with cucumber, mint and lime juice. But it wouldn’t be Mi Luna without the housemade Sangria which is available by the glass or pitcher. The tasty mixture of red wine, brandy, dark rum, apple and orange brings back a lot of memories.

Mi Luna has chosen an ideal area, space and time to reopen — the Montrose neighborhood and particularly the Montrose Collective is as vibrant as ever and Houstonians are always looking for a gathering place for food and drink — nostalgia sells and so does a glass of sangria and tapas to share. Mi Luna is open Monday through Wednesday from 3 to 11 p.m., Thursday from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m, Saturday from 10 to 2 a.m and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Plans for an extensive happy hour are also forthcoming. Reservations are recommended and can be made on the website.

Minh Truong

Minh Truong is an avid lover of the Houston food scene and has written about it since 2011, starting as a freelance contributor for the Houston Press. She never stops exploring all that Houston has to offer.