The city-wide event provides diners with the opportunity to sample special menus at Houston’s restaurants, while helping fight hunger in Houston.

“Houston Restaurant Week offers an inspired opportunity to take action on behalf of families and individuals who suffer from hunger,” said Brian Green, CEO of the Houston Food Bank. “Each diner at a participating restaurant will provide 15 meals for a hungry child or adult in southeast Texas.  Those meals are provided each week to 137,000 individuals who turn to food pantries, senior centers, soup kitchens and shelters for nourishment.”

This year, Houston Restaurant Week will showcase more than 100 restaurants, spanning popular favorites to new hotspots. All participating restaurants will offer a prix fixe, three-course gourmet dinner menu for $35 per person, with $5 of each dinner sold benefiting the Houston Food Bank. New to Houston Restaurant Week 2010, select restaurants will also offer two-course lunch menus for $20, donating $3 of each lunch sold to the Houston Food Bank. All Houston Restaurant Week meals exclude beverages, tax and gratuity.

Houston Restaurant Week was established in 2003 by restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone, host of “The Cleverley Show” on CNN 650 Radio News and contributor to Fox 26 Morning News. To date, the event has raised more than $356,000 to fight hunger in Houston.

“Houston Restaurant Week is a great occasion for Houstonians to experience our impressive array of dining options at prices that won’t break the bank, all while helping to fight hunger,” said Cleverley Stone, founder and chair of the event. “Last year, we raised a record-breaking $240,000, with 100 percent of funds raised donated to the Houston Food Bank. We hope to raise even more this year to support the Houston Food Bank in their mission to provide food for the hungry in 18 southeast Texas counties.”

The event is by reservation only. Reservations can be made throughout Houston Restaurant Week. For the latest Houston Restaurant Week information, including restaurant listings, menus, sponsor information, and reservations, visit www.HoustonRestaurantWeek.com.

Tickets are on sale now at the Recreation Center for $2 a person. Children one and under are free.

Residents are encouraged to bring their own dinner, blankets and lawn chairs.

Alcohol and glass containers are not permitted.

For more information contact the Recreation Center at 713-662-8280.

Elephant Open House

What does a 10,000 pound animal eat for breakfast?  How do you give an elephant a pedicure?

Meet the Houston Zoo’s elephants Methai, Tess, Tucker, Shanti, Baylor, and Thai and the Houston Zoo elephant care team on July 31 from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and learn about elephant diets, care, training, and more at the July Elephant Open House.

Tour the state-of-the-art elephant barn at the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat.  Each elephant “bedroom” in the barn will highlight a different aspect of elephant care.  The Elephant Open House also includes a continental breakfast.

Have your picture taken with one of the Houston Zoo’s elephant herd for $25 per sitting.  Photos will be printed on-site, and make a great memento of your morning with the elephants.

For more information or to purchase tickets on line, visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/elephant-open-house/.    Tickets are $65 per person, non-member and $55 per person for Zoo members.  Children UNDER 4 years of age are free.  Capacity is limited to 100 guests.

Donuts and Dinosaurs

This summer, dinosaurs are making a comeback at the Houston Zoo.  On July 31 the Zoo gates open early at 8:30 a.m. for an early morning tour of the Houston Zoo DINOSAURS! exhibit, followed by donuts, of course, and a special dinosaur lecture and presentation in the Zoo’s Brown Education Center by Dinosaurs Rock of Texas.  Touch real dinosaur eggs and dino poop and dig for fossils.

Register and purchase your tickets on-line at http://www.houstonzoo.org/donuts-and-dinos/.  Tickets are $21 for member adults, $16.50 for member children (ages 2-12), $25 for non-member adults and $20.50 for non-member children (ages 2-12).  For further information or if you have questions, call Group Tickets at 713-533-6754 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Donuts and Dinosaurs Schedule

8:30 – 9 a.m. Gates open, check-in/registration, access to Dinosaurs! before the Zoo opens.

9 – 9:30 a.m. Continental breakfast inside the BEC Auditorium

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Dinosaurs Rock of Texas presentation and Fossil Dig

Joni Rodgers is a cancer survivor and author of "Bald in the Land of Big Hair."

Two Houston women – one an actress, the other a New York Times bestselling author – will cross paths July 31, during a production of “Bald in the Land of Big Hair.”

“Bald in the Land of Big Hair” will be performed at 7 p.m. at the Main Street Theater, 4617 Montrose Blvd., on Saturday.

The play is based on the book by Joni Rodgers, a Houston resident, who wrote about her personal experience with cancer.  Rodgers will be in the audience during the performance.

Lisa Hamilton, a Clear Lake resident, will portray Rodgers in the production of “Bald in the Land of Big Hair.” Hamilton has performed at the Alley Theater and other local venues.

Steve Ford, son of the late President Gerald Ford, will be a featured guest at the event in honor of his mother, Betty Ford, who fought breast cancer in 1974.

A panel discussion with Steve Ford, Joni Rodgers, Co-founder and CEO of The Rose Dorothy Weston Gibbons and Founder Survivor of Pink Ribbons Project Susan Rafte will follow the production.

Pink Ribbons Project, a nonprofit organization that supports the fight against breast cancer, is presenting the event, which will benefit The Rose, a 24-year-old nonprofit breast cancer organization that provides screening, diagnosis and access to treatment for all women, regardless of their ability to pay.

Houston-based Hope Tree Home Loans and KUHF-FM, Houston Public Radio, are major sponsors of the event.

Tickets are available for $100. Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $1,000.

To purchase tickets or learn about sponsorship opportunities, call Michelle Hansen at The Rose, 281-464-5165.

The night includes unlimited bowling for 2 hours (6 p.m. to 8 p.m. or 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.), a BFR 2010 event bag and free shoe and ball rental.  Tickets are $25 per person for adults and $10 per person for children ages 5 to 12.  Non-bowling tickets are available; $10 for adults and $5 for children. Visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/bfr for more details.

For more information about Bowling for Rhinos and to make reservations, visit www.houstonzoo.org/bfr or call 713-533-6500.  Reservations may be made in advance or at the door; but, advanced reservations are recommended because of limited bowling spaces.

Donations can be sent to: The Houston Zoo, Attn:  Bowling for Rhinos, 1513 Cambridge, Houston, TX  77030. Make checks payable GHCAAZK (Greater Houston Chapter of American Association of Zoo Keepers) and note: BFR 2010.

About AAZK

This year, 60 AAZK chapters across the nation will participate in BFR.  The chapters will add to the more than $3.7 million BFR has raised since its inception in 1990.   One-hundred percent of all donations benefit the Bowling for Rhinos Foundation and its work to preserve and protect Rhinos and their habitats.  BFR supports three sanctuaries that protect rhinos and their unique ecosystems: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, Africa; the Bukit Barisa Selatan National Park in Java, Indonesia; and Ujung Kulon National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia.

About Rhinos

The rhinoceros has been on earth for over 50 million years, and it is believed that over 100 separate species existed.  Today, only five species of rhino survive: White, Black, Indian, Sumatran and Javan.  Only the white rhino with a population of 4,600 seems to be somewhat safe from extinction. In 1960, 60,000 black rhinos roamed Africa. Today only 2,500 remain in isolated populations. On the Asian continent, the Indian population remains at 2,000. The Sumatran rhino population is believed to number 200 and the Javan species is the most endangered with only 47 animals surviving.

Bienvenu’s idea for her new cookbook, Cooking up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans, was inspired by Hurricane Katrina and the recipes lost during the disaster.

Bienvenu is the author of “Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux?” and co-author of four cookbooks with Emeril Lagasse.

In her new cookbook, Bienvenu compiled 250 authentic recipes along with the stories about how they came to be and who created them.

Bienvenu grew up in southern Louisiana and had worked with working with Ella Brennan and Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse at Commander’s Palace.

She’ll discuss her experiences in New Orleans and will demonstrate how to cook these dishes:

• Roosevelt Hotel Shrimp Remoulade

• Masson’s Oyster & Artichoke Soup

• My Mama’s Crab Chops with Tartar Sauce served with Café Degas’ Stuffed Red Peppers & Toasted French Garlic Bread

• Chocolate Pot de Crème

The class costs $65. To register, click here.

On July 22, Central Market, 3815 Westheimer, will be cooking up food from Down Under for $40 a person.

The menu for July 22:

• Smoked Salmon “Summer Roll” with Herbed Cucumber Salad & Soft Goat Cheese

• Beetroot & Rockette Salad with Aussie Blue & caramelized Macadamia Nuts

• Chilled Celeriac Soup with Apple Slaw & Lemon Yogurt Drizzle

• Yabbies on the barb with Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Bake and OZ Pink Salt Crust

• Grilled Lamb Chops with Grilled Summer Vegetables

• Cheeses from Australia with Wild Honey, Australian Damper Bread, Lavosh, Water Wheel Crackers & Dried Fruits

• Wattleseed Crème Brulee, Lemon Myrtle Pound Cake with Quandon (Peach) Compote & Berry Pavlova

The wines are (may vary depending on availability):

• Yalumba Riesling

• Oxford Landing Viognier

• ShooFly Buzz Cut White

• Yalumba Sangiovese Rose

• The Wishing Tree Shiraz

• Betts and Scholl OG Grenache

• The Chook Sparkling Shiraz

To register, click here.

Join them for grilling and enjoy an evening of toe-tapping music, free of charge. Experience what summer nights are all about in Houston.

Concerts will take place on Central Market’s patio, 3815 Westheimer.

July 17 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Something Unique

Come capture the right groove while Something Unique sets the right mood.

July 18 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Corona Beach Band

Enjoy the sights, sounds and great food as The Corona Beach Band jams.

July 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

RhythmZone

Come and enjoy the perfect mix of familiar favorites with the sounds of RhythmZone.

July 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sonny Boy Terry

Join Central Market for one of Texas’ top harmonica players and devoted blues recording artists.

July 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Luther and the Healers

Come listen to the great sounds of this Texas-based blues singer.

For more information contact Central Market at 713-386-1700

The tournament will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

The winners in the five divisions will be awarded trophies. Competitors advanced to the tournament because they are the best of the 400 Harris County girls and boys who played in the five-week, preliminary rounds at countywide neighborhood agencies’ sites.

Three-on-3 Basketball, added to the Street Olympics in 1998, is designed to teach leadership, discipline and the value of teamwork.

The Street Olympics program, which Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee started 24 years ago, provides free educational and social activities for youth.

For more information, visit www.streetolympics.org.

The Audrey Jones Beck Building, 5601 Main Street.   Permanent collection: selections of European art until 1920 and American art until 1945.  Katsura: Picturing Modernism in Japanese Architecture, Photographs by Ishimoto Yasuhiro, through Sept. 12; The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture, through Aug. 29.

Creation Station: At the Moulin Rouge – This week´s theme: Looking at dancers from Paris, France.  At Creation Station, families can drop in anytime and create art with an MFAH teaching artist. Each week, explore a different work of art and learn a new art-making technique.

Recommended Ages: 4+.  From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program. When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.   July 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and July 18, 1 to 4 p.m.

Summer Storytime, Bring your family and explore the museum together with Summer Storytime. Family friendly Summer Storytime tours introduce young learners to the world of art through hands-on gallery activities, close looking, and the reading of one to two storybooks in MFAH galleries. Drop-in Summer Storytime Tours last one hour and are offered every Thursday and Friday at both 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Reservations are available for groups of 10 to 30 people. Contact the Education Department at 713-639-7858 to schedule your group Summer Storytime tour.  One hour Summer Storytime tours meet in the lobby of the Beck Building.  July 15 and July 16, 10:15 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Gallery Investigations, This week´s theme: Looking at dancers from Paris, France
Gallery Location: 225.  Uncover details and insights about works of art from around the world with an MFAH educator at this interactive gallery experience. Drop in anytime.

Recommended Ages: 4+.  From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (also held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sketching in the Galleries, This week´s theme: Looking at dancers from Paris, France
Gallery Location: 225.   Observe, learn, and create surrounded by art. An MFAH teaching artist guides your sketching experience in the galleries. Drop in Free with general museum admission. From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Members’ Tour: How Did They Do That ? Ceramics, Marveling at a completed work of art on view at the museum, do you ever ask yourself “How did they do that?” Find out the answer this summer by examining the process artists use to create works of art. The Members Tour each month will focus on different materials frequently found across the MFAH collection — oil painting, gold, and ceramic — and explores how various artists employed each medium to achieve distinctive visual effects. Discover subtle details in works of art that reflect the materials used to make them and gain a new appreciation for familiar works of art on these tours.  July 10, 17, 24, 31: Ceramics: Throwing, coiling, slabbing, firing, glazing, incising: discover these processes, along with their tools and materials, all used in making ceramics. Travel around the globe and through time to explore this universal medium that connects objects from the Neolithic Age to new contemporary art forms. Advanced registration required. RSVP today at rsvp@mfah.org or 713-353-1550. Reservations are available on a first come, first served basis.  July 17, 11 a.m.

Join them for grilling and enjoy an evening of toe-tapping music, free of charge. Experience what summer nights are all about in Houston.

Concerts will take place on Central Market’s patio, 3815 Westheimer.

July 10 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tanya Nolan

Come and enjoy the unique sounds of this multi-instrumentalist and singer of R&B, Jazz, Tejano, and Hip-Hop.

July 11 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Snit’s Dog & Pony Show

Grab a friend and dance the night away to this American roots Rock n’ Roll band.

July 17 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Something Unique

Come capture the right groove while Something Unique sets the right mood.

July 18 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Corona Beach Band

Enjoy the sights, sounds and great food as The Corona Beach Band jams.

July 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

RhythmZone

Come and enjoy the perfect mix of familiar favorites with the sounds of RhythmZone.

July 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sonny Boy Terry

Join Central Market for one of Texas’ top harmonica players and devoted blues recording artists.

July 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Luther and the Healers

Come listen to the great sounds of this Texas-based blues singer.

For more information contact Central Market at 713-386-1700

Holiday heat and holiday traffic can be a bear.  The zoo has gathered some tips in the Frequently Asked Questions below that will help with visits to the zoo over the holiday weekend.

Q: Is the Fourth of July a free day at the Houston Zoo?

A: The Fourth of July is no longer a free day at the Zoo. However, our guests can buy discount tickets in advance of their Zoo visit at any Fiesta Mart grocery store in the greater Houston area.  Visit the courtesy booth of any Fiesta Mart in the Houston area to purchase an adult Zoo admission for $9 and a child Zoo admission for $6.  For more information, visit the Houston Zoo on-line at http://www.houstonzoo.org/hours/.

Q: On busy holidays I can never find a place to park. Is there an alternative to parking in Hermann Park?

A:  Parking is limited in Hermann Park.  However, off-site parking is available just a short walk from the Zoo’s Medical Center gate at Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, 6400 Fannin.  The garage charges for parking, but Saturday and Sunday rates are just $6 per car.  For more information, visit the Houston Zoo on-line at http://www.houstonzoo.org/directions/.

Q: What if I don’t want to drive? Does METRO serve the Houston Zoo?

A:  Both METRORail and METRO buses are good alternatives to navigating the holiday traffic.  And you can save $1 off your adult Zoo admission when you present any METRO bus or METRORail ticket at the Zoo admission booth (one offer per person).

METRORail stations at Fannin and Cambridge and Fannin and Sunset serve the Zoo as well as 5 METRO bus lines. For a METRORail schedule visit the Zoo on the Web at http://www.houstonzoo.org/directions/ for links to METRO rail and bus schedules.

Q: What’s the best time to visit the Houston Zoo?

A:  Our animals are most active and the crowds are usually smaller first thing in the morning (Zoo gates open at 9 a.m.) or late in the afternoon, especially in the heat of the summer.  This time of year the Zoo closes at 7 p.m. (last ticket sold at 6 p.m.).

Q: Can we bring our own refreshments when we visit the Zoo?

A: Absolutely! But please don’t bring glass bottles, alcoholic beverages or straws.  And please pack out what you bring into the Zoo.

Q: Do you have any other suggestions for a summertime Zoo trip?

A:  Always check the weather forecast before you come.  But don’t let a little rain keep you away.  The Houston Zoo includes several indoor exhibits – the Tropical Bird House, the Reptile House, the Kipp Aquarium and the Natural Encounters Building.

Wear comfortable clothing, especially loose fitting light fabrics (especially in summer) and shoes that are suitable for walking.

Take your time and enjoy your stay.  By spending a little extra time at each exhibit you’ll give our animals an opportunity to demonstrate natural behaviors such as grooming, courting and scent-marking.

Parents can add to their child’s Zoo experience with simple but engaging games and exercises.  For example, pick a letter of the alphabet and see how many animals you can find whose names start with that letter.

The festivities kick off with a big parade starting at the corner of Mapleridge and Bellaire Blvd.

Parade participants need to line up at the Bellaire Triangle between 8:30 am and 9:30 am. The parade will begin at 9:30 am. parade participants will exit the Bellaire Triangle on to Bellaire Blvd. and head east to turn right on South Rice Ave. The parade will pass the festival site, Bellaire Town Square, and turn right on to Jessamine. Registration to participate in the big parade was June 25.

A Children’s Parade will lead the big parade with decorated trikes, bikes and wagons. Participants will gather in the parking lot in front of CNB Bank, 5123 Bellaire Blvd. There is no need to pre-register for the kid’s parade.

The city’s festival will begin immediately after the parade in Bellaire Town Square, behind City Hall.

Enjoy carnival games, a petting zoo, dunking booth, rock wall, inflatables and much more. Food will be sold by local vendors and civic groups.

Entertainment by The E. Nicole Band and The Johnny Dyson Band will be available for all to enjoy.

Admission into the festival is free; carnival games and food are an additional cost.

For more information or to be a part of the festivities, call the Bellaire Parks and Recreation at 713-662-8280.

Visit an Open Rehearsal on July 19, and see what all the fun is about. You can join in the singing, try some dance steps, or just come to watch and socialize.

Houston Choral Showcase performs pop, jazz, swing, show tunes, patriotic pieces and holiday songs, with choreography, staging and sparkling costumes. At the Open Rehearsal you’ll get a sampling of some favorites from the recent June show and a taste of the music planned for the fall season.

The Open Rehearsal with Houston Choral Showcase will be July 19 at 7 p.m., at Zion Lutheran Church in The Heights, 3606 Beauchamp.

Come a little earlier, at 6:30 p.m., to share in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the group’s membership in the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce. Houston Choral Showcase will perform one or two songs during that time.

More information can be found at www.houstonchoralshowcase.org.

Creation Station: Life of the Cowboy, This week´s theme: Looking at art of the American West.  At Creation Station, families can drop in anytime and create art with an MFAH teaching artist. Each week, explore a different work of art and learn a new art-making technique. Recommended Ages: 4+.

From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program. When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Summer Storytime, Bring your family and explore the museum together with Summer Storytime. Family friendly Summer Storytime tours introduce young learners to the world of art through hands-on gallery activities, close looking, and the reading of one to two storybooks in MFAH galleries. Drop-in Summer

Storytime Tours last one hour and are offered every Thursday and Friday at both 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Reservations are available for groups of 10 to 30 people. Contact the Education Department at 713-639-7858 to schedule your group Summer Storytime tour.  One hour Summer Storytime tours meet in the lobby of the Beck Building.  July 1 and July 2, 10:15 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Gallery Investigations, This week´s theme: Looking at art of the American West
Gallery Location: 111.  Uncover details and insights about works of art from around the world with an MFAH educator at this interactive gallery experience. Drop in anytime. Recommended Ages: 4+.

From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (also held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing. July 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sketching in the Galleries, This week´s theme: Looking at art of the American West- Gallery Location: 111.   Observe, learn, and create surrounded by art. An MFAH teaching artist guides your sketching experience in the galleries. Drop in Free with general museum admission.

From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 2, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission to MFAH, 1001 Bissonnet St., is $7 for adults; $3.50 for seniors, students with ID, and children 6 to 18; free for 5 and under.  Free admission for all on Thursdays and first Sunday of each month. Free admission on weekends for ages 18 and younger with a public library card. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12:15 to 7 p.m.

The 2010 Southwest Foodservice Expo will be at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston June 27 to 29.  Influential restaurateurs will mingle with leading suppliers at the largest foodservice trade show in the region.

“As one of the largest, most inclusive foodservice tradeshows in the nation, the community of sharing and collaboration at Expo is extraordinary,” said Texas Restaurant Association CEO Richie Jackson.  “Industry professionals who attend the show are guaranteed to walk away with countless ideas for improving their own business operations.”

Hundreds of exhibitors will fill more than 200,000 square feet of the George R. Brown Convention Center and thousands of foodservice professionals will benefit from three days of networking, education, culinary demos and competitions.

“This year we are excited to have first-time exhibitors showcasing the latest technology innovations such as touch screen tables, digital signs and menu-labeling systems, as well as a new Food Nutrition Center featuring sessions on how to comply with the latest nutritional standards that are at the forefront of the nation’s health movement,” said TRA Vice President Expositions Mel Forehand.

The Education Idea Center features sessions on topics ranging from the state of the industry, federal health care reform and social networking to restaurant construction, operations and marketing.  These sessions are free to attendees, and speakers represent some of the leading restaurant companies in the country, including Brinker International, Pizza Patron and Z’Tejas.

Of course, there is no shortage of celebrity chefs.  The winner and runner-up of Top Chef Season 6, Michael Voltaggio and his brother Bryan Voltaggio, will demonstrate their culinary skills and creativity at the Culinary Showcase on June 28.

Houston chefs Randy Evans (Haven), Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s), Michael Dei Maggi (The Rockwood Room), Danny Trace (Brennan’s of Houston), Mark Schmidt (The Rainbow Lodge) and Kiran Verma (Kiran’s) will shine a spotlight on the dynamic local restaurant scene while sharing their expertise with attendees through education sessions and culinary demos.

For more information or to register for the 2010 Southwest Foodservice Expo, visit www.swfoodexpo.com.

Central Market, 3815 Westheimer, will serve up and sample the best from local neighbors who raise and grow the homegrown tastes of Texas, starting Friday through July 4.

Customers will have the opportunity to meet the farmers, growers, ranchers, cheesemakers, brewmasters and entrepreneurs who are creating the tastes of home.

During Big State, Big Taste all Texas wines will be 20 percent off with the purchase of three or more. Top chefs from across the state are making their presence known as well. The uniquely Texan products by big names like Kent Rathbun, Jim Severson, David McMillan, and Dean Fearing will be featured during Big State, Big Taste.

Central Market is taking it up a notch with their state-inspired demos that are so hot they make Tex-Mex look tame. Nothing says summer like freshly baked peach cobbler pie, the delights of Texas Tea on a summer’s eve, or that juicy bite into a Pederson’s Sausage and Padrino Tamales. They’ve spared nothing; after all, everything is bigger in Texas.

Local greats like Cooper Farms and Springer Farms prove everything is better as well. Big State, Big Taste representatives from each will be on hand to speak with customers about their products, farm and farming.

Cooking School Highlights:

June 26, 6:30 p.m.                 Patti Ramsey, Big State, Big Flavor

June 28, 6:30 p.m.                  Monica Pope, Big State Big Taste

Visit Central Market’s Cooking School for reservations.

On Saturday, the Zoo is hosting Donuts and Dinosaurs with the gates opening at 8:30 a.m. for an early morning tour of the Houston Zoo Dinosaur! exhibit and a special dinosaur lecture and presentation in the Zoo’s Brown Education Center by Dinosaurs Rock of Texas.

Touch real dinosaur eggs and dino poop.  Dig for fossils and enter to win an authentic prehistoric specimen.

Register and purchase your tickets online at http://www.houstonzoo.org/donuts-and-dinos/.  Tickets are $21 for member adults, $16.50 for member children (ages 2-12), $25 for non-member adults and $20.50 for non-member children (ages 2-12).  Tickets may also be ordered by phone when you call Group Tickets at 713-533-6754 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Donuts and Dinosaurs Schedule

8:30 to 9 a.m. Gates open, check-in/registration, access to Dinosaurs! before the Zoo opens.

9 to 9:30 a.m. Continental breakfast inside the BEC Auditorium

9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dinosaurs Rock Texas presentation and Fossil Dig

Donuts and Dinosaurs ticket holders may parking in the Houston Zoo main parking lot off Hermann Park Drive and enter through the Zoo’s main entrance.  Please bring a copy of the confirmation letter you received when you purchased your tickets.  Your Donuts and Dinosaurs ticket includes all-day Houston Zoo admission.

DINOSAURS! At the Houston Zoo features10 life-like animatronic dinosaurs presented in a wooded, landscaped setting.  The Houston Zoo’s horticulture department selected plant species for the exhibit that represent those found in the fossil record, including cycads, ferns, ginkos, and monkey puzzle trees.

State-of-the art electronics control the dinosaur’s fluid, choreographed movements, punctuated by spine chilling roars.

Created by Billings Productions of McKinney, Texas, each dinosaur is built on a steel frame and covered with an intricately designed foam rubber ‘skin’ and painstakingly hand painted.

Cooking classes for children ages 5 to 12 will take place for $40 a class at Central Market, 3815 Westheimer. Classes are taking place now until July 22.

Students will learn how to make a variety of kid-approved snacks, including baked French fries, fresh butter cookies, and mini-pepperoni pizzas, in classes ranging from “Cookie-Palooza” to “Pizza Party”.  Older students will even have the chance to develop safe, beginner knife skills and grilling basics.

A sampling of classes includes:

Cupcake-Mania – These little cakes make the perfect snack: Vanilla Surprise; S’Mores Cupcakes; Peanut Butter & Jelly Swirls; and Orange Flower Cupcakes.

Breakfast Basics – Learn to scramble, bake and fry: Omelets; Baked Bacon; Pancakes; and Buttermilk Biscuits.

Mama Mia – Discover these Italian classics: Focaccia; Homemade Fettuccini with Alfredo Sauce; and Brutti ma Buoni (Italian Meringue Cookies).

Mama’s Little Dumpling – Explore the world of sweet & savory dumplings: Pork Pot Stickers; Vegetable Dumplings with Dipping Sauce; and Apple Dumplings with Ice Cream.

International Noodle Celebration – Learn to make these favorite noodle dishes: Mac ‘n Cheese; Chicken Chow Mein; and Fresh Pasta with Tomato Sauce.

To register for the classes, visit www.centralmarket.com.

Beginning June 20, the MFAH will exhibit 70 of these photographs, presenting the images, for the first time, un-cropped and as Ishimoto had originally intended for them to be seen.

For the last 50 years these photographs have been known only from the landmark 1960 book Katsura: Creation and Tradition in Japanese Architecture, by architect Tange Kenzo with an introduction by Walter Gropius. For that publication, Tange rigorously cropped and sequenced the photographs to promote his agenda in a debate that consumed post-occupation Japan’s cultural elite in the mid-1950s: that of the vital relevance and existence of tradition in their efforts to define modernity.

Against this backdrop, the show will explore the nuanced and complex relationship between architecture and photography, and the profound impact these photographs had on the public’s interpretation of Japanese tradition in modern architecture.

“The MFAH received a major gift of 300 photographs from Ishimoto Yasuhiro last fall, and the collection of some 400 photographs now includes work from all of the artist’s major series, including Katsura,” said Dr. Peter C. Marzio, MFAH director. “This is the first time that so many of Ishimoto’s famous photographs of Katsura will be on view in Houston, and the first time that the uncropped images will be shown in such depth.”

“The 1960 Katsura book is regarded as one of the most important books of an architect’s interpretation of built environments through photography in the 20^th century – on par with

Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock’s The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 (1932),” commented Yasufumi Nakamori, assistant curator of photography, MFAH, and curator of the exhibition. “But the book also represented a perspective specific to postwar Japanese culture. Its images and ideas crystallized the Japanese interpretation of Bauhaus esthetics and functionalism, and gave a cue to a younger generation of Japanese architects in mid-century Japan, including Tange Kenzo and Horiguchi Sutemi, who had been struggling to locate tradition in their modern designs. To Tange, the book was a visual manifesto for his postwar design philosophy, and proved that the function-based expressions of pre-modern Japanese architecture were still relevant, coupled with new architectural technologies and materials.”

MFAH hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:15 to 7 p.m.  The museum is closed on Monday, except for holidays.

Admission to this exhibition is included with general admission to the museum.  General admission is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children 6 to 18, students, and senior adults (65+); admission is free for children five and under.  Admission is free on Thursday, courtesy of Shell Oil Company Foundation.  Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday for children 18 and under with a Houston Public Library Power Card or any other library card.