Rodeo Collabs Create Fun Foods
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo means fun, food, and fantastic animals. And you don’t have to go anywhere near NRG Stadium to enjoy the magic of rodeo season. It seems like everyone is wearing cowboy boots and hats and talking with a twang. And as for that food, many local restaurants have special menu items with a nod to the rodeo. That doesn’t necessarily mean your local eatery is serving up funnel cake or fried something on a stick, but there’s plenty of other interesting creations out there. Everything from sweet to savory to wet your whistle.
Take, for instance, Truth BBQ and Crave Cupcakes’ collaboration, the Smoke & Honey cupcake creation. An $8 sweet corn cupcake topped with barbeque sauce with honey frosting. But wait on top of the frosting are slices of melt-in-your-mouth brisket and candied jalapeño! Now that’s a sweet treat that screams rodeo. At Truth BBQ in the Heights and both Kirby and Uptown locations of Crave Cupcakes.
Or try the Giddy Up cookie from Pudgy’s Fine Cookies and Nan & Company Properties. This cowboy cookie is full of oats, chocolate, coconut, and pecans. Five dollars a cookie or $48 per dozen. Order at pudgysfinecookies.com.
One last sweet treat. Over at Buttermilk Baby in the Heights a midway-inspired soft serve ice cream that tastes of popcorn and M&Ms. All through March you can lick the sweet and salty Carnival Crunch for $8.99 for 12 oz. or go big for $9.99 and get a 16 oz. bowl.
And there are plenty of savory rodeo-inspired bites around town as well. Pinhco Burgers + Kebobs on Katy Freeway offers the Smokestack Smash Burger with two Angus beef patties topped with smoked Gouda jalapeño jam, applewood-smoked bacon and chipotle aioli, all tucked between two buttery, toasted brioche buns. Pair that with a side of Churro Fries, fry-sized churro batter that is piped, fried until golden, tossed in cinnamon sugar and served hot with dulce de leche for dipping. It’s not quite a funnel cake but it is the next best thing in midway delights.
And does it get more Texan than barbeque and Vietnamese pho? Gaitlin’s BBQ and Pho Prime are teaming up for a rodeo menu (at both restaurants through March) that includes Texas Po Dip, a 10-hour smoked brisket stacked on a toasted bolillo. Layered with Pho Prime’s garlic and herb butter, spicy aioli, pickled red onion, fresh basil, and cilantro, served with Pho Prime’s signature pho broth for dipping. Also, on the menu a Pitmaster’s Pho that has brisket swimming in broth simmered with beef knuckle bones, beef short rib, brisket, and oxtails.
All Goode Co. BBQ locations are programming events during rodeo (think country music and armadillo races) and serving up their Southern Smoke Full Tilt Smoky Dog, featuring chopped brisket, crushed barbecue chips, cheddar and house pickles with proceeds benefitting Southern Smoke Foundation, the nonprofit that provides financial support to food and beverage workers during times of need.
Molina’s Cantina celebrates rodeo season with that quintessential Texas dish, the chicken fried steak. All locations of this Tex-Mex tradition will be serving up Molina’s Jalapeño Chicken Fried Steak of top round steak with a house taco seasoning blend, double dredged in seasoned flour and egg and fried until golden and crispy. It’s smothered in spicy cream gravy, folded with roasted, diced jalapeños and served with crispy fries and charro beans. At $16.95 this a meal fit for a cowboy king.
Wash it all down with the JW Marriott Houston Downtown’s Ranch Water, a rodeo themed Milagro Tequila with fresh lime and soda for a crisp refreshing drink. Martini lovers will appreciate the Silver Spur made with Reyka Vodka, olive brine, and dry vermouth. There’s also the Cattle Baron’s Mary through March. A classic Bloody Mary made with Reyka Vodka, house Bloody Mary mix, and Eden Grow cherry tomato garnish. Rounding out the lineup, the Desert Ember offers a cozy blend of Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky, coffee, and simple syrup.
Now that’s a roundup of goodness celebrating Houston’s rodeo heritage that you might crave all year long.
