I have a real soft spot for this place because my house was just a few blocks away. I mean, my house is still there but, sadly, this lovely restaurant is now gone.

Rotisserie for Beef & Bird was one of Houston’s premier fine-dining restaurants for more than two decades. Opened in 1978 by chef Joe Mannke, who had previously served as executive chef at the Hyatt Regency’s Spindletop, the restaurant operated at 2200 Wilcrest in west Houston and became particularly known for prime beef, roasted meats and an unusually adventurous selection of wild game—including axis deer, wild boar, pheasant, quail and duck. Real Texas stuff.

Mr. Mannke is an interesting fellow, too. Lives in my neighborhood. He wrote a book called Wanderlust: The Life of a Globetrotting Chef with Houston food writer John DeMers. Published around 2006–2007, it’s part memoir and part cookbook, following Mannke from his childhood in Europe and apprenticeship in Munich through culinary jobs in South Africa, New York, Bermuda, Boston, Disney World and eventually Houston, where he opened Rotisserie for Beef & Bird in 1978. It also includes recipes collected throughout his career. Worth a read for sure.

Anyhoo Rotisserie for Beef & Bird had an extensive wine program that also earned acclaim, including a 1997 Houston Culinary Award for Outstanding Wine Service, and the restaurant was among the Houston establishments that helped promote Texas wines during the industry’s early growth in the 1980s. By 1999, Zagat readers ranked Rotisserie for Beef & Bird among Houston’s five most popular restaurants, and Forbes later named it one of the city’s best business restaurants, describing it as an elegant, linen-napkin destination. The restaurant eventually closed, but Mannke remained part of Houston’s dining scene through Bistro Le Cep, which he opened nearby on Westheimer (big fan of the coq au vin, personally).

So many Houstonians remember Rotisserie for Beef & Bird fondly. Which brings us to this mug. Which I badly want to keep and just drink good wine out of on occasion, but I’m kind of out of room for Houston collectibles in my house.

The graphics sport a classic rotisserie illustration that served as the restaurant’s logo. Today it offers a wonderful retro feel, and, to my mind, suited the classic and tasteful experience of the restaurant beautifully. Heavy ceramic construction gives the mug a satisfying heft that modern coffee mugs sometimes don’t quite capture. This original Rotisserie for Beef & Bird coffee mug remains in good overall condition. Suitable for a display piece or everyday use.

Details

• Original Rotisserie for Beef & Bird coffee mug

• Heavy ceramic construction

• Original restaurant graphics

• Good overall condition

• Suitable for display or everyday use

• Pan-roasted antelope with caramelized apples in zinfandel sauce not included

You may not be able to order the Rotisserie for Beef & Bird’s famous Texas Wild Game Dinner with its medallions of axis deer, wild boar, pheasant, quail and duck. But you can still snag this mug. Whether it spends its future on a shelf or holding your morning gourmet coffee, it's ready for another service.