‘Chopped’ Champion Chef Becky Brown Opens Malibu Barbie Cafe Pop-Up in Houston | Eater Houston
"An immersive, traveling pop-up created by Mattel in partnership with Bucketlisters channels 1970s Malibu beachside and has toured cities including New York, Chicago, Miami and Minneapolis’s Mall of America; it's currently staged at Junction HTX on Washington Avenue through mid-October. Chef Becky Brown — a Chopped winner who also competed on MasterChef — leads a bright, farm-to-table menu that mixes homemade and fresh ingredients to evoke an "endless summer" vibe: West Coast Wave salads with chickpea tahini (option to add grilled chicken), bright pink beet hummus with fresh pita, a vegan Cali‑flower bowl of roasted cauliflower, quinoa, scallions and tahini, and cheesy smash burgers with grilled onions and a secret sauce for a diner-esque feel. Brunch offerings include pink confetti pancakes topped with whipped cream and shimmering cinnamon-sugar, thick-cut maple bacon, and gooey grilled cheeses made with gruyère, cheddar and gouda plus fig jam and fresh fig. The bar program, overseen by Nyeri Stepanian, features flirty, fruity cocktails such as a Groovy Arnold Palmer (sweet tea vodka, peach, lemonade and mint) and beach mojitos (rum, St. Germain, lime and mint) with chef touches like dried dragon fruit. The pop-up pairs food with interactive attractions — face painters, a rollerskating rink and photo ops including a life-sized doll box, lifeguard chair and beachy backdrops — sells themed memorabilia, and offers $25 tickets (via the Bucketlisters app or website) that include a food and merchandise credit." - Brittany Britto Garley
