Houston Restaurants Will Distribute a Staggering Number of Free Meals This Week
Plus, a Houston restaurant bans Texans exec Jack Easterby, and more dining intel
Welcome to AM Intel in the time of coronavirus, a round-up of the city’s newest bits of restaurant-related intel. Follow Eater on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date details on how COVID-19 is impacting the city’s dining scene.
Houston restaurants continue food giveaways
Even as temps through Houston warm, many Houston restaurants and organizations continue to provide free meals, water and more support to residents affected by last week’s extreme freeze. Montrose restaurant Riel has partnered with The Lee Initiative and will hand out more than 500 meals to affected seniors this week. The Houston Rockets are hosting a massive water distribution site at Toyota Center starting today, and Lucille’s 1913 has plans to distribute 4,00 meals and 2,000 bottles of water to residents of Fort Bend County on February 24.
In addition, Bludorn has launched a monthly dinner series through May to benefit the newly-created Winter Storm Relief Fund from the Southern Smoke Foundation. The first dinner will take place March 11 and will feature chefs Matthew Peters, formerly of Per Se in New York, and Travis Swikard, former executive chef of Boulud Sud. Details and reservations for the dinner series can be found here.
Chuy’s Restaurant says Texans exec Jack Easterby is not welcome to sit at the table
It’s been a rough year for Houston sports fans, with several of the city’s stars being traded to other cities. But football fans may have had it the worst, with both JJ watt and DeAndre Hopkins, a miserable 4-11 season, and Deshaun Watson requesting a trade. Many fans point to the Texans front office as the source of the team’s troubles — specifically, executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby. Now, a Westchase Tex-Mex restaurant has specifically indicated that Easterby is not welcome to a seat at the bar.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the Chuys at 9350 Westheimer Road has several signs up at the bar “reserving” seats for celebs such as Denzel Washington and Selena as a way to encourage social distancing. But one sign indicates exactly who can’t site there — reading “RESERVED FOR Anybody other than Jack Easterby For social distancing.” No word on if Easterby, who was a former team chaplain before rising to the ranks of his current position, is welcome at Watson’s cheesesteak franchise Lefty’s.
B.B. Italia to close temporarily in midst of relocation
B.B. Italia will soon be moving to a new spot near its current Energy Corridor location, but will have to close its doors temporarily while the move takes place. A press release from the restaurant indicates that the current location. at 14795 Memorial Drive, is no longer a fit, with most offices in the Energy Corridor closed due to the coronavirus. The restaurant’s owner, Benjamin Berg, said he hopes the new location will let the restaurant better serve the residents of the neighborhood. The new address is expected to be announced in the next few weeks, and to open in the next 2-3 months. In the meantime, fans of the restaurant can still order B.B. Italia’s pizzas, pasta and more from Berg Hospitality’s cloud kitchen, Fair Food Co.
