Shelby's social diary

Houston's top chefs put on the foodie night of the year — and some pay $15,000 to $25,000 per table for it

March of Dimes Signature Chefs gala chairs Gina and Dr. Devinder Bhatia and Susan and Mike Plank kicked it up a notch in the ballroom of the Hilton-Americas Houston for the annual blockbuster fundraiser. For the first time, the entire throng, numbering 700 this year, was seated for dinner after grazing through a line of taste sensations presented by 15 of the city's top toques.

In previous years, some two dozen chefs had put their best food forward while most of the crowd sampled and the big guns (those paying $15,000 and $25,000 a table) had a full meal served by a stellar chef's team. Friday night, culinary honoree Robert Del Grande and his RDG + Bar Annie cohorts served the high donors while the hotel served dinner to the remainder of the crowd. Also new this year were wines provided by Becker Vineyards from the Texas Hill Country and vodka and scotch tasting stations.

Among those cooking samples for 700 were Culinaire's Barbara McKnight offering roasted yellow tomato bisque with smoked crawfish sauce, Damian's Napoleon Palacios serving caesar salad and Michael Pellegrino of Max's Wine Dive presenting braised beef sliders. Guests swooned also over the offerings from Mr. Peeple's Pedro Silva, Up's David Coffman, Kiran's Kiran Verma and more. Chef Mark Cox of Mark’s American Cuisine won Best Culinary Creation for his Muscovy duck with autumn root vegetables and cider.

Joining Del Grande in taking bows were community honorees Rosemary Schatzman and Vanessa Sendukas and corporate honoree Franco Valobra, who once again donated one of his fab pieces of jewelry for the live auction. Guest speaker was March of Dimes national board chair Laverne Council.

Themed Une Bonne Nuit dans le Jardin, the event raised more than $725,000.

Savoring the tasteful evening were guests including honorary chairs Marci and Steve Alvis, auction chair Katherine Le, Matt Schatzman, Perry Sendukas, Candice and Lonnie Schiller, Julie Brown, Lori and Dan Wolterman, Holly A.N. Smith and Austin Alvis, Rachel and Tom Regan, Tara and David Wuthrich, Audrey and Brandon Cochran and Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu.

Following the dinner and program, Yvonne Washington & the Mix revved up the party engines with music for the New Orleans-themed after-party.

Holly A.N. Smith and Austin Alvis at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs event.

Photo by © Michelle Watson CatchLightGroup.com

Holly A.N. Smith and Austin Alvis at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs event.

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RIP, Wally

Texan Wally Funk, oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87

Wally Funk aboard Blue Origin New Shepard

Photo courtesy of Blue Origin

The 82-year-old Wally Funk became the oldest person to go to space on July 20, 2021.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.

Funk died Wednesday, July 8 at her apartment in an assisted living facility in Grapevine, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O'Dell said Thursday. O'Dell, who described herself as Funk's caregiver, said she was by Funk's side. Funk had fallen a couple of times recently and had an infection in her leg.

“It took its toll,” O'Dell said in a phone interview.

Wally Funk became a hometown hero in Grapevine. Facebook/Wally Funk's Space for Race

Funk was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space. In 2021, she got her chance aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. At the time, the 82-year-old was the oldest person to go into space, though the record was later broken by “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate. They were both 90.

Bezos chose Funk as an “honored guest” to ride alongside him and two others on an up-and-down hop from West Texas aboard his Blue Origin rocket.

In interviews after the 11-minute flight, Funk enthusiastically told reporters, "I loved every minute of it. I just wish it had been longer.”

Wally Funk in her '20s as a flight instructor. Facebook/Wally Funk's Space for Race

She became a hometown hero when she returned home to Dallas-Fort Worth; the city of Grapevine threw a parade for her history-making experience.

“Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted Thursday on X.

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This story contains material from CultureMap story archives.

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