CULINARY WALKING TOUR HEADS DOWNTOWN
BEST BITES HOUSTON COMBINES DINING WITH HISTORY AND CULTURE.
The newest culinary walking tour is downtown.
Houston’s downtown food scene is hopping, and Best Bites Houston wants to be your introduction to it.
Best Bites Houston is a new walking tour that takes 16 guests on a three-hour expedition combining architecture and history with food and drink. Founded by Star Gilani, the walking tour sets off at 4 p.m. every Saturday from Discovery Green and stops at five restaurants and bars for private tastings with chefs and hospitality professionals. Between each stop, Gilani will educate the group on Houston’s architectural landmarks, historical homes and other points of interest.
Gilani — a graduate of the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston with a passion for food, travel and tourism — has established relationships with a number of downtown restaurants and bars that will be included in tours, including Brasserie du Parc, Phoenicia Specialty Foods & MKT Bar, Reserve 101, Kulture and the Rustic. Tour stops vary, but could include beer flights and tamales at the Rustic, chicken shawarma at Phoenicia, pomegranate mojitos from Kulture, authentic French crepes at Brasserie du Parc and cocktails and dessert at Reserve 101. Live music also may be on the docket.
Gilani worked with Preservation Houston, a nonprofit historical preservation and advocacy group, and Visit Houston, the city’s marketing and tourism arm, to research and collect historical and cultural information for her tours.
“We chose downtown because it is one of the few pedestrian-friendly areas that really showcases the diversity, architecture and culture of Houston through its food and other offerings,” Gilani said. “Plus, there are many options for local transportation to and from downtown.”
Best Bites Houston is officially launching this week, although Gilani already has conducted a number of tours during a soft-opening phase.
Admission is $65 for adults, which includes two beverage pairings at tour stops. VIP admission, $75, offers a drink pairing at each stop. Tickets for children 12 and younger are $45. Book at bestbiteshouston.com.