Houstonian hosts ‘Urban Cowboy’ dinner party — and ‘all that that implies’
“Urban Cowboy” and the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa are both synonymous with the Bayou City.
The 1980 film starring John Travolta, Debra Winger and Gilley’s, a Texas-sized honky-tonk, personifies love and loss in cowboy country. The Houstonian — part members-only club, part hidden resort — is a greenspace destination for locals and out-of-towners alike.
So when the 40th anniversaries of the cult classic and popular destination overlapped this summer, the Houstonian toasted the dueling milestones with a Gilley’sthemed celebration, “Dinner & A Movie Date Night: Urban Cowboy.”
Tickets to the fourcourse dinner with wine pairings sold out fast. Some 75 guests arrived dressed in their Westernwear finest and, in light of COVID-19, were presented with the option to selfpark or valet. Before entering the socially distanced shindig, each attendee completed a health form and had their temperature taken. Then they were granted admittance into the hotel’s ballroom — er, Gilley’s.
To help paint an authentic scene, the legendary bar’s co-owner and namesake, Mickey Gilley, loaned his mechanical bull from the film’s central storyline, El Toro, for the festivities. There were other cinematic touches, too. Gilley — who has a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the film — phoned in to welcome the crowd before opening credits rolled. Dew Westbrook, the inspiration for Travolta’s character, joined real-life Gilley’s regulars-turned-castmembers Jessie Mapes, Norman Tucker and Gator Conley in the audience.
Manor House chef Roland Soza whet appetites with garlic butter shrimp on skewers — though #sorrynotsorry, they’re off-menu. Houston-centric TV commercials featuring a young
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and Astros players in retro uniforms streamed overhead before executive chef Neal Cox and sommelier Dat Le introduced their themed feast.
The culinary duo shared the inspiration behind each dish. For the first course, baconwrapped Bandera quail with jalapeño jack cheese and a mezcal glaze was a nod character to Wes Hightower’s well-known line, “If you eat the worm, you’re gonna see visions.” In addition to a 2014 Bergstrom ‘Sigrid’ Chardonnay, diners received a mezcal shot and worm timed with Hightower’s own swig from the bottle onscreen. Because legend has it that Travolta’s favorite Tex-Mex dish during filming was a seafood enchilada at Ninfa’s, it was paired with a 2015 Graci Etna Bianco. The main course, a “Bullrider’s Special with Fixins,” was pulled straight from the original Gilley’s menu: a post oak-grilled Texas strip with late-night potato hash and 2013 B Cellars “Blend 25.” Slices of wedding cake made the rounds for dessert, as did Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne NV.
Later, two-steppers slipped back into their masks and danced to the Allen Brothers Band. Proceeds from the Houstonian’s silent-auction offerings, including spa packages and a hotel stay, raised $7,500 for the Houston Police Officers’ Union “Assist the Officer” program.
Eventgoers went home with a small carton of dry rub from the restaurant Tribute at the Houstonian in their swag bags. Because of high demand, organizers repeated the entire evening the next day. It was quite the shindig, and, as the movie line goes, “all that that implies.”