Eat Well, Do Good: Houston top restaurants jump into AIDS Foundation's Dining Out for Life

On one night each year, participating restaurants donate a significant portion of their food sales to help fight HIV and AIDS. For this year's edition of AIDS Foundation Dining Out for Life Thursday (April 24), organizers have added more restaurants, including some of Houston's trendiest eateries, and expanded the hours to include breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"This is a opportunity for everyone to participate and be a philanthropist," says AIDS Foundation Houston development director Ron Goines. "You don't have to do anything but invite your friends, have a meal and you have provided housing and support services for our clients."

Ambassadors from the organization, as well as corporate supporters, will be on hand at each restaurant Thursday night to thank diners for helping the cause of HIV prevention, education and treatment in the greater Houston area by dining out. Representatives from Wells Fargo will be at The Phoenix on Westheimer and Walgreens pharmacists will be ambassadors at Bombay Pizza in downtown Houston.

AIDS Foundation Houston helps the most vulnerable with housing and supportive services to make sure they stay on their medication. And it focuses on prevention, encouraging those in high-risk groups to get tested and to always practice safe sex. The foundation hopes to raise $30,000 from the evening. Goines points out that:

• $25 will provide HIV prevention materials to at-risk youth
• $50 will provide five HIV test kits
• $100 will help provide one month’s worth of groceries for two families
• $250 will help provide one HIV individual transportation to monthly doctor visits
• $500 will help purchase basic household items for two previously homeless families

Goines credits restaurateur Monica Pope, chair of this year's Dining Out For Life, for convincing more restaurants to participate. "It is such a first-class list of restaurants," he says, with such establishments at Brasserie 19, Fleming's River Oaks, Sorrel Urban Bistro, Thanh Phoung in Pearland and "both Coppas" (Coppa Ristoriante and Coppa Osteria) participating for the first time.

The list of 28 restaurants includes:

Américas River Oaks — 2040 W. Gray

Barnaby’s Midtown—414 W. Gray

Barnaby’s Original — 602 Fairview

Barnaby’s Memorial— 5750 Woodway

Barnaby’s River Oaks — 1701 S. Shepherd

Baby Barnaby’s — 602 Fairview

Beaver's — 2310 Decatur

Bombay Pizza Co. — 914 Main

Bombay Pizza Co. — 636 Hwy 6, Suite 100, Sugar Land

Brasserie 19 — 1962 W. Gray

Brio Tuscan Grille — 3029 Kirby

Canopy — 3939 Montrose

Coppa Ristorante — 5555 Washington

Coppa Osteria — 5210 W. Gray

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse River Oaks — 2405 West Alabama

Ibiza — 2450 Louisiana, Suite 200

Last Concert Café — 1403 Nance

Niko Niko's Montrose — 2520 Montrose

Niko Niko's Market Square — 301 Milam

RDG Bar Annie — 1800 Post Oak

Shade — 250 W. 19th St.

Sorrel Urban Bistro — 2202 W. Alabama

Sparrow Bar + Cookshop — 3701 Travis

Taco's A Go-Go Midtown — 3704 Main St.

Taco's A Go-Go Heights — 2912 White Oak

Thanh Phuong Pearland — 3236 E. Broadway

The Phoenix (formerly Firkin & Phoenix) — 1915 Westheimer

Tila's Restaurant & Bar — 1111 S. Shepherd

In other activities, the Starbucks at 3407 Montrose Blvd. will host the 10th Annual Silent Art Auction, featuring artwork from Houston artists, on Thursday. Proceeds from the day-long silent art auction benefit AIDS Foundation Houston and Dining Out For Life.

"Dining Out at the Ball Park" will take place on Saturday (April 26) when the Houston Astros take on the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. Discount tickets are available for the game and $5 from each ticket sold will benefit AIDS Foundation Houston. To receive the discount, click on the "T" icon next to the Saturday, April 26 game and enter password AFH in the offer code/password box and press OK.