Celebrations for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo got underway over the weekend with the 23rd annual Uncorked event — a food and wine competition featuring more than 3,000 entries from around the world.
Thousands of cowboy-boot-clad visitors packed NRG Center on Sunday evening for the competition that named several local restaurants and wine vendors best in class.
Cotton Culinary, a special events catering company, won the first-place award in the People’s Choice category and Gus’s Fried Chicken won second place.
Creole Kitchen and Daiquiris took home the first-place award in the outstanding showmanship category. Coppa Osteria, an Italian eatery in Rice Village, won first place in the tasty tradition category, while Robinette Company Caterers also won gold in the trailblazer appetizer category.
The Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon was selected as the Grand Champion Best of Show, the highest prize for wine vendors.
The sold-out event showcased nearly 500 award-winning wines and thousands of food entries from a record 25 countries, according to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Over 200 entries came from Oregon-based vendors, the featured region in this year’s event.
Jason Gould, an executive chef of Common Bond Cafe, served croissant sandwiches as a line extending from his booth continued to grow into the night. He said he’s seen more local restaurants featured this year and recalled the rodeo event in its early days as a chef-driven hangout for local restaurateurs to chat about the business.
“There were a couple years there where there was a lot of change, which is important as well, but I think the rodeo for local Houston restaurants is really, really important,” Gould said.
Tom Kilgore opened the 5 Fifty-Five Vineyard and Winery in North Texas with his wife about two years ago. On Sunday night, the couple prepared to showcase a Malbec made from Hill Country grapes.
"I think the Texas wine industry is really having a moment," Tom Kilgore said. "I think we're starting to get some recognition that folks are kind of noticing us."
It's the couple's first year participating in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
"We've had the opportunity to go around and sample some wines and some foods," Kilgore said. "You couldn't have a better time than coming here. It's amazing."
At another booth, Giselle Hauser handed out plastic bags with samples of cakes in several flavors — cookie butter, strawberry cheesecake, banana pudding and key lime strawberry. She started her company, Guzel Cakes, in 2018 after leaving her job in the oil industry.
"On a Friday night, I made the cake,” Hauser said. “On Monday, I went into business and took a chance, and shortly after that, I was in H-E-B, and it just took off after that."
Her company won second place in the Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award category on Sunday night.
Tiffany Utterson wandered through the booths with her family Sunday night and sampled foods ranging from a smoked duck gumbo to a boar and rabbit bite over a risotto cake. Utterson and her husband have attended the rodeo's wine and best bites competition for at least six years.
"I love how fun and festive it is," Utterson said. "I love to participate in the voting and find the best bite in Houston. I love how much hype comes with it, and the restaurants are so appreciative of your feedback."
Rodeo celebrations will continue this week with the rodeo's annual Bar-B-Que Contest starting on Thursday. The Houston Rodeo runs from March 2 through March 22.
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