Forget Monday night football — at least on Sept. 24. For that's the night that almost a dozen Houston Texans will don aprons and serve dinner for charity dollars on behalf of Owen Daniels' Catching Dreams Foundation. The other day Daniels and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House GM Arthur Mooradian cooked up interest in the tight end's annual Celebrity Waiter fundraiser with a tasty lunch in the restaurant's wine cellar.
Daniels, along with his Catching Dreams Foundation board members Mooradian and Bo Bothe, shared intel on the much anticipated fundraiser. You'll love the Texans lineup set to serve: Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Shaun Cody, J.J. Watt, Garrett Graham, James Casey, Ben Tate, David Hunter and Chris Meyers.
They'll be serving the four-course dinner and wine pairings while Silver Eagle Distributors presents the hefty silent auction. Tickets are $250 or $350 for VIP status and can be reserved here.
Guild rising at Up
With Houston Ballet's Nutcracker Market little more than nine weeks away, the Ballet Guild (which has been working all year on the mega-fundraiser) savored a little pre-Market socializing at Up in Highland Village. Restaurant owner Haidar Barbouti hosted the gathering that welcomed new guild members to the fashionable fold.
Barbouti provided the vino and the taste treats — spicy tuna crispy rice, short rib pizza, duck lettuce wraps and Up's special macaroon sampler.
Market chair Patti Murphy, guild president Jian Short and Houston Ballet executive director Jim Nelson were among those welcoming new guild members including Krissy Richmond and Amira Naser. In the mix were Houston Ballet director of individual giving and special events Patsy Chapman, Tua Burke, Gaylon Gullquist, Denise Malone, Sharon Erskin, Phyllis Ullman and Pamela Staples.
Happy Birthday Margaret
Much beloved philanthropist Margaret Alkek Williams blew out the candles on the soufflés at Tony's Wednesday night when close friend Beth Madison pulled out all the stops for an elegant birthday dinner in the fashionable restaurant's wine room.
Beth did everything she could to make this a "Margaret" evening from hiring her favorite florist, Flowers by Nino to ordering her favorite dishes including sliced peaches with chocolate soufflé.
Among the 47 of Margaret's favorite people were her son and daughter-in-law Charles Williams and Randa Duncan Williams plus Houston Grand Opera artistic and music director Patrick Summers, Alley Theatre managing director Dean Gladden and wife Jane, Jan Duncan, Peggy and Bill Barnett, Joanne King Herring, Ed Djerejian, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Mary Ann and David McKeithan, Ellie and Michael Francisco and Ralph Burch.
