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    NFL Brunch Off

    'Brunch-off' between top chefs offers sneak peek at major Super Bowl party

    Clifford Pugh
    Dec 19, 2016 | 2:53 pm

    While the Texans were facing off against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at NRG Stadium, another titanic battle was taking place a few miles away at Third Coast.

    At the plush newly-renovated Texas Medical Center restaurant, Café Annie chef Robert Del Grande and Michael McKinney, the chef at Restaurant Orsay in Jacksonville, participated in a good-natured "Brunch-Off," along with Third Coast chef Jon Buchanan, to tout one of Super Bowl LI's top events — the Taste of the NFL extravaganza on February 4.

    Del Grande whipped up Mexican-style scrambled eggs with BBQ brisket and tomatillo salsa for the hungry crowd. It's a great brunch dish because it can be prepared ahead of time and heated when guests come over, he explained. "And now with all the salsas on the market, you just pick one up in the grocery store and you're two minutes away from a good breakfast."

    True to his Southern roots, Jacksonville chef Michael McKinney created a mouthwatering dish of poached eggs with pork belly, greens, and grits while Buchanan stayed true to Texas traditions with smoked turkey enchiladas with Evil Twin Stout mole, black beans, crema fresca, pico de gallo and avocado.

    Guests, who paid $35 for the brunch and unlimited mimosas, ate heartily as the friendly waitstaff delivered large portions of all three brunch dishes tableside.

    The Taste of NFL’s founder Wayne Kostroski, who had flown in from Minnesota for the kickoff preview brunch, told CultureMap that it was a great way to offer a hint of what's to come at the Taste of the NFL, which will be held at the University of Houston the night before the Super Bowl. Chefs representing all 32 teams, plus eight other chefs, including Buchanan, who will represent the Texas Medical Center restaurant, will prepare their finest dishes for a crowd expected to number several thousand.

    "It has has everything," Kostroski. "If you love food and you're a foodie, you've just gone to foodie heaven with all these chefs. If you're a sports enthusiast, the room is filled with current athletes and Hall of Famers. We have celebrities. Alyssa Milano will be back; she calls this her favorite event of the year. Then we close with a national act that we will announce the first of the year. So you get to work off all those calories while hooting and hollerin' with the band."

    All proceeds to go food banks in each NFL city, with the Houston Food Bank receiving a larger share since Houston is the host city for the Super Bowl. "You're going to spend money on Super Bowl weekend (with) all sorts of parties; this one you know it goes to a good cause," Kostroski said.

    Also on hand was Houston Oilers great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea and his wife Pat. Bethea said he supported the cause because "anyone can be one paycheck away" from going hungry. "This is very important for the city and the people that it serves, so I'm looking forward to being a part of it," he said.

    Del Grande, who participated in the first Taste of the NFL party in Minneapolis in 1992 on behalf of the-then Houston Oilers, recalled "it was a just small band of pirates (including Stephen Pyles and Bobby Flay) up there cooking. We did the first one in the lobby of an office building. It was minus 20 degrees outside, but it was fun.

    "We did sea scallops with a tomatillo sauce, which was really brand new. It's been an interesting time when (the event) went from passing hors d'oeuvres to these food stations. It keeps evolving and gets bigger and bigger."

    When Del Grande returned as Houston's representative in San Francisco last February before Super Bowl L to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Taste of the NFL, he served nearly 3,000 people.

    For the gathering at U of H, he plans to serve Texas flatiron steak on a salad with Texas smoked cheddar and beef cracklings. "I was going to do Gulf Coast seafood but a lot of people are doing seafood that are flying in. Since it's in my hometown, I'm the last one to decide, because I want to give everyone else flying in, shipping stuff in, to do what they want to do first. Beef is normally the hard one to ship and cook and prep, but we have the home court advantage," he said.

    "And every event I've done, whenever you serve beef, the line is long. People want to know, where's the beef? And we've got the beef. It will be a lot of cutting and slicing, but it will be good."

    Kostroski said ticket sales are brisk and he expects the event to sell out by the time the NFL playoffs roll around in mid-January. Tickets are $700 and can be purchased on the Taste of the NFL website.

    Michael McKinney, chef of Restaurant Orsay in Jacksonville, demostrates how he whips up poached eggs with pork belly, greens,and grits.

    Taste of NFL brunch preview, Michael McKinney
      
    Photo by Cody Duty/Texas Medical Center
    Michael McKinney, chef of Restaurant Orsay in Jacksonville, demostrates how he whips up poached eggs with pork belly, greens,and grits.
    super-bowl
    news/society

    Mission Continues

    Spirit of Spring Gala honors 30 years of healing and hope in Houston

    Joel Luks
    Jun 6, 2025 | 12:45 pm
    Children’s Assessment Center Gala 2025
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
    Ed Emmett and Adrian Garcia.

    The ballroom at The Houstonian welcomed more than 400 guests gathered for the Spirit of Spring 30th Anniversary Gala, celebrating the enduring mission of The Children’s Assessment Center (The CAC). The evening proved both a tribute to three decades of service and a forward-looking pledge, culminating in a fundraising total that exceeded expectations.

    Children\u2019s Assessment Center Gala 2025
      

    Photo by Daniel Ortiz

    Ed Emmett and Adrian Garcia.

    Chaired by philanthropic duo Sam and Kasteena Parikh, the night began with a swirl of activity. A lively social hour offered a kaleidoscope of attractions — raffles, a photobooth, a caricature artist, and coveted wine and jewelry pulls — designed to loosen up wallets while lifting spirits. It was a lighthearted start to an evening rooted in something far more profound: the protection and healing of children affected by sexual abuse in Harris County.

    Former sports broadcaster Lisa Malosky emceed the program, guiding the audience through stirring testimonials and community honors. More than 20 individuals and partner organizations were spotlighted for their unwavering support of The CAC’s work over the past 30 years, a testament to the collaborative muscle it takes to protect the most vulnerable.

    “We are grateful to our dedicated community partners and individual supporters for their unwavering belief in our mission, collaboration and support of our services,” said Kerry McCracken, executive director. “Our vital work can only be sustained through the generosity of all those who deeply care about the children and families we serve. With their help, we can continue to bring hope to children who have experienced sexual abuse in Houston.”

    In attendance were Russell and Glenda Gordy, Christopher DeClaire, Elaine Stolte, Honorable Ed Emmett, Ken and Kathy Wells, Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman, Mike Lowenberg, Rob Wilson, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Adrian Garcia, Joan Huffman, Teneshia Hudspeth, Honorable Ted Poe, Honorable Julian Ramirez, Honorable Bruce Bain, Kieth Seaous, Brady Crosswell, Adam Peters, and David Key.

    fundraiserschildren's assessment center
    news/society

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