Sold out in 24 Hours

New Houston restaurant's hottie chef wows CultureMap insiders in first Dine Around Houston night

We're not sure how many of those who signed up for CultureMap's inaugural Dine Around Houston event were on board to get up-close-and-personal with Eleven XI's dreamy chef Kevin Bryant, but by all accounts his sophisticated Kobe beef corn dogs and Eleven XI burgers were a hit with the sellout crowd of 150.

And, yes, he was on the scene, setting more than a few hearts aflutter as he oversaw the special CultureMap menu.

Guests arriving for the early evening dinner fete, were greeted in the parking lot by two hulking 2013 Ram 1500s, a luxurious four-passenger behemoth that when fully loaded, including the V-8 engine, prices in around $48,000. Ram brand advocate Randy Escobar had the deets for interested parties. Dr. Romy Mitchell gave the trucks a once-over, observing, "I'm a big Texas girl. I could drive one of those." And, she noted, with Houston's road repair deficiency a big guy like the Ram could come in handy.

Diners filled the restaurant, its upstairs party room and the bar, the cross-section representing CultureMap readers ranging from University of Houston staffer Renia Butler, to ob/gyn specialist Dr. Damla Dryden, Saint Arnold's Jeremy Johnson, corporate attorney Jennifer Howard and Ram's Curtis Jeffries.

Also in the mix were April and Hilton Lasalle, Wayne Gresham, Mary Nurre, Mary Carol Edwards, Caitlin Barnett, Catarina Gonzales Cron, Dr. Angela Sturm, Stephen Butler, Leslie Pruski and Julia Ambler.

Tickets to the dinner event, featuring Saint Arnold brews, were sold out in little more than 24 hours. Houston Dine Arounds are fundraisers linked to selected nonprofits. The first event benefited the young professionals group PULSE

CultureMap will be hosting five more similar gatherings in the coming months with invitations posted in promo alerts. You can sign up for those in the "Be a CultureMap Insider" box on the right side of our home page.

Julia Ambler, center, and Caitlin Barnett are served at Eleven XI during CultureMap's Dine Around Houston.

11 Eleven XI Restaurant & Bar Dine Around July 2013 Waiter, Julia Ambler, Caitlin Barnett

Photo by © Roswitha Vogler Photosbyrovo.com

Julia Ambler, center, and Caitlin Barnett are served at Eleven XI during CultureMap's Dine Around Houston.

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Water Works

Buffalo Bayou gala unveils major trail expansion to honor $100M gift

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Representative Christina Morales, Council Member Mario Castillo, and Representative Gina Hinojosa.

Houston’s beloved waterway had its moment in the moonlight.

The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park was the backdrop for the 2025 Buffalo Bayou Partnership Gala. Held in November, the Milestones in Motion soirée evinced that progress looks especially good under twinkling lights and driftwood chandeliers

Chaired by Richard Dawson and Lynn and Ty Kelly, the classy and chill party took full advantage of Houston’s rare perfect fall weather. Upon arrival, attendees sipped cocktails from Giant Texas Distillers and nibbled on City Kitchen Catering hors d’oeuvres while soaking in smooth jazz from Houston Groove Society. Those who arrived early scored exclusive twilight tours of the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, a haunting underground space that feels part art gallery, part time capsule.

Guests then ascended to a tented dinner on the Brown Foundation Lawn, styled by Bergner & Johnson with gauzy fabric and organic textures that nodded to the bayou’s earthy charm. As the sun set and the three-course dinner landed on tables, Collin Cox, BBP chair emeritus, welcomed guests and introduced Mayor John Whitmire, who reflected on the city’s ongoing transformation.

Then came the big news.

In honor of a landmark $100 million gift from the Kinder Foundation, BBP unveiled the new Kinder Trail, a vital connector from US 59 to Lockwood Drive, and Kinder Bridge, which will link Japhet Creek Park to Tony Marron Park. Both projects are centerpieces of the nonprofit’s eastward expansion plan.

BBP board members Gaynell Floyd Drexler, Mary Hinojosa Kelly, and Bo Fraga closed the program by sharing personal reflections on Buffalo Bayou’s history and future as a space that has shaped their lives and the city itself — regardless of the way one might pronounce “bayou” or “bayoh.”

Showing their love partnerships matters were Judy Nyquist, Nancy and Rich Kinder, Sis Johnson, Kenneth and Delaina Allen, Meg and Dick Weekley, Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman, Emily Keeton, Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones, Charlie Jenkins, Carrie and Al Pepi, Christian Menefee, Sallie and Bob Wright, Christina and Matt Altenau, Iris Tian and Tim Latimer, and Anne and Tom Olson.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Representative Christina Morales, Council Member Mario Castillo, and Representative Gina Hinojosa.

parks fundraisers