Marsala-braised brief ribs and sundried tomato unfold on cayenne pepper toast took two of the highest prizes on the Rodeo season’s food-and-wine-focused kickoff occasion. Held on the Sunday earlier than the cook-off begins, the annual Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Greatest Bites Competitors drew a bought out crowd of greater than 6,000 folks to NRG Heart.
Greater than 100 eating places served meals on the occasion. Attendees have the chance to style nearly 500 of the award-winning wines from the 2024 Rodeo Uncorked! Worldwide Wine Competitors. The annual competitors drew nearly 2,900 entries from 20 international locations, together with 558 from Texas and 314 from Napa County, this 12 months’s featured area.
Whereas attendees loved all of the meals and wine, a panel of judges manufactured from cooks, media, and influencers awarded prizes in varied classes. They acknowledged a spread of dishes that included a pistachio tart from Cultivated F+B, the restaurant on the Lancaster Resort; a Bayou Soften slide from Texas consolation meals restaurant State Fare; and three desserts from Guzel Truffles, a bakery in Memorial. As soon as once more, hen tenders from Elevating Cane’s took house one of many coveted prizes, and we’re sure it pairs properly with Champagne Bollinger Particular Cuvée Brut Champagne AOC, NV, the wine competitors’s Grand Champion Better of Present.
Cotton Culinary regained its title of successful Individuals’s Selection with a “Forager’s Feast,” whereas second place went to the crispy Thai shrimp from Davis Road at Hermann Park.
A number of the favorites from the non-winners included a hen tikka slider from Pink Dot Delicacies, a basic tamale from Henderson & Kane, a scorching canine from Heights wine bar Padre’s, and the meat carpaccio pizza from Pizaro’s. Houston basic Brennan’s drew an extended line for its savory crawfish cheesecake.
Greatest Bites serves because the unofficial kick-off to Rodeo season forward of the path rides and barbecue cook-off. Those that missed the festivities have the chance to pattern among the successful wines within the Rodeo’s wine backyard, and lots of the bottles will probably be auctioned off on the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Public sale & Dinner on Sunday, March 2.
Right here’s the total listing of winners:
Individuals’s Selection
1st: Cotton Culinary — A Forager’s Feast
2nd: Davis Road at Hermann Park — crispy Thai shrimp
Excellent Showmanship
1st: SheShe Treats
2nd: Brothers Produce
Tasty Custom Award
1st: Cultivated F&B — Pistachio tart with citrus and elderflower cremeux and strawberry macaron
2nd: Elevating Cane’s — Rooster fingers, toast, and Cane’s sauce
Trailblazer Appetizer
1st: Robinette & Firm Caterers — Sundried tomato unfold on cayenne pepper toast topped with candied bacon
2nd: State Fare Kitchen & Bar — Bayou Soften Slider (smoked brisket patty, melted pepper jack cheese, zesty pico slaw and candy and spicy jalapeno bacon jam)
third: Jamaica Paradise Kitchen — Paradise Bites
Lone Star Entrée
1st: North Italia — Braised brief rib marsala
2nd: Merlion Restaurant — Shrimp Raad Prick (shrimp in Thai basil pink curry sauce with cilantro and shallots, served over jasmine rice)
third: Grace Italian Kitchen — Boneless brief rib with pancetta risotto and molasses bourbon glaze
Two-Steppin’ Dessert
1st: Guzel Truffles — Banana pudding cake, strawberry cheesecake, vanilla pudding with cookie butter
2nd: Hudson Home — Key lime pie
third: Principally Chocolate — Home-made Turkish pistachio and sesame seed paste folded with crispy phyllo shreds cooked in brown butter
Rookie Award
The Cheesecake Queen — Key lime mini cheesecakes
