Houston Restaurant Weeks cooks up some culinary excitement

It’s easy to see why local diners get excited about Houston Restaurant Weeks — even in a pandemic. Take a look at the menu of just one participating restaurant.

The three-course dinner at Maison Pucha Bistro, the sophisticated Frenchinspired restaurant in the Heights, begins with a choice of Ecuadorianstyle shrimp ceviche, beet salad with black pepper herb goat cheese, or gazpacho with chive oil. Entrée selections include smoked salmon with green pea risotto, petit filet mignon with roasted potatoes and green peppercorn sauce, and vegetable bouillabaisse in saffron tomato broth.

And for dessert? Pistachio crème brûlée, Grand Marnier crepes or fruit in mojito syrup and lime sorbet.

At $35 per person ($20 for a similar lunch menu), it’s an example of the culinary thrills in store for intrepid foodies during the 2020 edition of Houston Restaurant Weeks.

This year’s event, which runs through Sept. 7, plays out against a very different dining landscape. More than 200 restaurants have signed on for this year’s campaign — a fundraiser for the

Houston Food Bank — but are operating, like all Texas restaurants, at 50 percent capacity for dine-in service.

Because the restaurant community continues to struggle during the pandemic, there are significant changes to the traditional HRW model this year. Participating restaurants will make a $1 donation per meal instead of the typical $3 to $7 donation. And takeout and delivery options are available in addition to dine-in menus.

Though all participating restaurants could use the business, here are some standouts.

Houston Restaurant

Weeks

See the full list of participating restaurants and their menus at houstonrestaurantweeks.com. In most cases, walk-ins are welcome; the site offers reservation information. Prix-fixe lunch is priced at

$20; dinner menus are $35 or $45; some restaurants are offering brunch for $20.