Foodies, get ready! Your favorite River Oaks spots are teaming up with Urban Harvest for a September-long farm-to-table feast. Imagine gourmet dishes crafted with the freshest local ingredients, all while supporting a fantastic cause. What delicious, locally-sourced masterpiece will you try first?
A unique culinary collaboration is set to transform the dining scene in Houston’s upscale River Oaks Shopping Center, as a selection of its esteemed restaurants partners with the renowned non-profit Urban Harvest. This month-long initiative, running from September 2-30, promises an exclusive farm-to-table experience, featuring limited-edition dishes crafted with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, with a significant portion of sales dedicated to supporting Urban Harvest’s vital community programs.
Urban Harvest stands out as a cornerstone of Houston’s local food movement, operating one of the region’s only non-profit-run farmers markets. Its overarching mission is to enhance access to fresh, local food across Greater Houston through various avenues including farmers markets, community gardens, and educational initiatives. The organization prides itself on sourcing all its produce and products from farmers, ranchers, and vendors located within a 180-mile radius of the city, ensuring genuine local support.
The four participating River Oaks restaurants have made a firm commitment to integrate ingredients exclusively from Urban Harvest vendors into their special menu additions. Each establishment has thoughtfully selected a key farmers market ingredient to highlight, showcasing their culinary artistry and the exceptional quality of local produce in truly innovative gourmet dishes designed for diners seeking a unique experience.
Among the featured creations, one restaurant will present a tantalizing grilled tri-tip beef dish, perfectly complemented by a mushroom and goat cheese-stuffed tomato. The earthy mushrooms are carefully cultivated in Tomball, while the creamy chèvre originates from a dedicated farm in Waelder, underscoring the hyper-local sourcing that defines this unique partnership.
Another establishment, specializing in authentic Mexican fare, will delight patrons with an appetizer of toasted masa cake topped with mesquite-charred gourmet mushroom tinga from Lone Star Mushrooms. This is followed by a Mexico City-style quesadilla brimming with roasted mushrooms sourced directly from the same Tomball cultivator, highlighting the versatility of local fungi.
Further culinary explorations include a posh Italian restaurant incorporating rich ricotta from a fourth-generation family farm in Moulton into a variety of dishes. Diners can anticipate three distinct presentations of the creamy cheese, including Spring Garden Ricotta, cannelloni stuffed with ricotta and jumbo lump crab, and a sweet ricotta-filled dessert cannoli, offering a comprehensive tasting journey.
Rounding out the offerings, a dinner-only New American restaurant will feature vibrant tomatoes from Spring. These will be showcased in both an innovative heirloom tomato and thyme martini and a savory tart made with broiled heirloom cherry tomatoes, demonstrating sophisticated use of seasonal produce and contributing to Houston’s diverse dining landscape.
Crucially, ten percent of all sales generated from these special menu additions will be directly channeled back to Urban Harvest. This vital funding will bolster the non-profit’s initiatives aimed at transforming food accessibility and promoting sustainable food practices throughout the Greater Houston area, reinforcing the community-centric nature of this collaboration.
Lauren Granit, general manager of River Oaks Shopping Center, emphasized the dual purpose of this venture, stating, “Our partnership with Urban Harvest is about bringing the community together through food while celebrating local talent.” She added that the collaboration not only highlights the “kitchen inventiveness” of the talented chefs but also “showcases the bounty of local artisan food purveyors,” creating a truly impactful and memorable culinary event for Houstonians.
