{"id":229439,"date":"2025-09-15T19:08:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T19:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/229439\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T19:08:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T19:08:11","slug":"a-delicious-september-for-a-great-cause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/229439\/","title":{"rendered":"A Delicious September for a Great Cause"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 If there was ever a time to eat your way through River Oaks Shopping Center, it\u2019s now. All September long, some of Houston\u2019s top restaurants are joining forces for a farm-to-table challenge supporting Urban Harvest, the nonprofit championing local farms, farmers markets, and fresh food access across the city.<\/p>\n

The concept is simple but brilliant: each restaurant sources seasonal ingredients from local farms and transforms them into creative dishes you won\u2019t find on the menu any other time. Ten percent of sales go straight back to Urban Harvest, making every bite a little more meaningful.<\/p>\n

And trust us, these dishes are anything but ordinary.<\/p>\n

Leo\u2019s River Oaks: Tomatoes Like You\u2019ve Never Seen Before<\/b><\/p>\n

At Leo\u2019s River Oaks, Executive Chef Kirk Thompson took on the humble tomato and turned it into art. His menu includes a tomato and Bavarian cream tart topped with a silky tomato gel made from produce grown at Atkinson Farms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about balance,\u201d says Thompson. \u201cThe richness of the cream cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes. It\u2019s simple, but elevated.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Mediterranean-inspired garlic bread topped with cheese and tomatoes to delicate tarts that look almost too pretty to eat, Leo\u2019s proves that local ingredients can shine on a fine-dining stage.<\/p>\n

Zanti: Ricotta, Ricotta, and More Ricotta<\/b><\/p>\n

Next door at Zanti, owner Santiago \u201cSanti\u201d Pelaez and Executive Chef Hilario Zamora are obsessed with one thing: ricotta.<\/p>\n

\u201cRicotta is so versatile,\u201d says Pelaez. \u201cWe use it in everything – salads, desserts, even with heirloom tomatoes and basil sorbet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, you read that right. Basil sorbet. And it works.<\/p>\n

Zanti\u2019s ricotta once came from Italy, but thanks to the Urban Harvest partnership, they\u2019ve sourced it locally, giving diners fresher, creamier flavors while cutting down the miles from farm to table.<\/p>\n

Brasserie 19: Steak Lovers, Don\u2019t Worry<\/b><\/p>\n

At Brasserie 19 (or B19, as the regulars call it), Executive Chef Michael Hoffman brings serious flavor with tri-tip steak paired with tomatoes stuffed with roasted oyster mushrooms and creamy goat cheese from Dapper Goat Dairy in Weimar, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen local farmers pick produce at its peak, you taste the difference,\u201d says Hoffman. \u201cIt\u2019s fresher, it\u2019s better for the community, and the flavors speak for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

One bite into those stuffed tomatoes and you\u2019ll agree.<\/p>\n

Beyond the Plate: Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n

For Carol Burton, Urban Harvest\u2019s Director of Permaculture, this collaboration is about more than just great food.<\/p>\n

\u201cLocal produce isn\u2019t just delicious,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about community health, supporting farmers, and improving food access in underserved neighborhoods. Our mobile markets even double SNAP dollars so families can stretch their budgets on fresh, local food.\u201d<\/p>\n

So yes – your dinner really does make a difference.<\/p>\n

How to Taste the Magic<\/b><\/p>\n

Through September, you can sample these farm-to-table creations at Leo\u2019s River Oaks, Zanti, and Brasserie 19, along with other River Oaks Shopping Center favorites like Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina and State Fare Kitchen & Bar. Each restaurant is featuring special dishes crafted from locally sourced ingredients, with 10% of sales benefiting Urban Harvest\u2014the Houston nonprofit dedicated to farmers markets, community gardens, and improving food access across the city.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a win for your taste buds, local farmers, and Houstonians who need better access to fresh food. To learn more about the farms involved, visit UrbanHarvest.org<\/a>. Then grab a friend, order a drink, and prepare to taste the best of Houston – local, fresh, and for a cause.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 If there was ever a time to eat your way through River Oaks Shopping Center, it\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":229440,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[123874,123865,7179,4345,123871,123873,123870,123867,104277,32958,123869,123868,36006,123872,104271,358,3187,123866],"class_list":{"0":"post-229439","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-farm-to-table-houston","9":"tag-food-drinks","10":"tag-food-and-drinks","11":"tag-houston","12":"tag-houston-chefs-local-food","13":"tag-houston-dining-for-a-cause","14":"tag-houston-farm-to-table-challenge","15":"tag-houston-food-events","16":"tag-houston-foodies","17":"tag-houston-life","18":"tag-houston-local-farms","19":"tag-houston-restaurant-specials","20":"tag-houston-restaurants","21":"tag-seasonal-dishes-houston","22":"tag-seen-on-houston-life","23":"tag-texas","24":"tag-tx","25":"tag-urban-harvest"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115209889643573082","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}