It's the height of the white truffle season and connoisseurs of the aromatic, rough gems from Alba, Italy, are wallowing in the rich delights prepared by just a handful of chefs across the city.

When billionaire Fayez Sarofim stepped out to celebrate his birthday recently, he headed to Da Marco and ordered a full serving, $95 a plate, for starters. Before dinner was over, he was contemplating ending the meal with Da Marco's white truffle ice cream (inspired by a dish from Milan), an unusual treat that requires a special fondness for the earthy flavor.

Da Marco chef/owner Marco Wiles and wife Gloria vacationed (a busman's holiday for sure) in Alba for two weeks in October exploring the center of the universe as far as white truffles are concerned, visiting the forests where truffles are harvested and sampling the dishes of Alba's top restaurants.

Venerable restaurateur Tony Vallone has been serving white truffles to Houston gourmands for more than two decades and has a coterie of devotees who consume as much as three kilos a week. At $2,700 to $2,900 a pound, this is eating way high on the hog. That translates into $135 a plate for the top of the line Alba truffles. Among those relishing the dishes (diner's choice of truffle risotto or truffles with pasta) at Tony's are Sheridan and John Eddie Williams and Carol and Mike Linn.

Catalan chef Chris Shepherd has white truffles, not as a regular menu item, but on call-ahead status. Recently, Shepherd hosted a "Wine Me, Dine Me" dinner for Apex Group owner Josh Aruh and 10 friends featuring seven courses, four of them generously laced with white Alba truffles. He repeated the dinner for the following night for another customer. The rich morsels are also a fall tradition at Arcodoro where dishes include risotto, ravioli, fettucini and more with prices ranging from $45 to $95.

White truffle season runs mid-November through mid-December and wholesale market costs range from $1,800 to $2,900 depending on supplier and demand. You can get your own Alba truffles via the Internet at approximately $263 an ounce or more than $4,000 a pound. Bon appetite!

Birthdays galore

So Thanksgiving week is not the time for big celebrations other than turkey day itself. But what to do when your birthday falls during this time of feasting? You or your friends throw a party anyway.

Maritza and Dr. Vicente Valero, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center breast oncologist, opened their home for two dozen chums of Ileana Treviño to help her celebrate a not-so-special birthday. Husband Michael

Treviño did most of the cooking.

Among the well-wishers were Sandy and Dr. Barney Barrett, Carol and Michael Linn, Soraya and Scott McClelland and Nancy Ames and Danny Ward.

A big one

Attorney Chris Bell crossed the half-century mark Saturday night at Eldorado Ballroom where close to 150 fans turned out to wish him well. Because the space is now owned by Project Row Houses, Bell asked that in lieu of gifts, donations be made to the non-profit. Organizing the bash were the birthday boy's wife Allison Bell plus June Deadrick of Centerpoint Energy and Heidi Kirkpatrick Hedrick of Lone Star Strategies.

Celebrants rocking to the sounds of Commercial Art included a number of politicos such as City Controller and mayoral candidate Annise Parker, Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, State Rep. Carol Alvarado and state representative candidate Billy Brisco. Also in the mix were the Bells' two children, 13-year-old Atlee and 11-year-old Connally, plus Dave Strickland, Miya Shay, Jim Jard, Michael Moore and loads of former Bell staffers from his City Hall and D.C. days as well as former campaign staffers.

Lady friends

Donna Vallone was caught by total surprise last week when her book club (Tony's Literary Society or TLS) partners threw a birthday lunch at Susan Krohn's River oaks home. The ladies hosting the ladies who lunched were Sandy Barrett, Randa Duncan, Alina Garcia, Carol Linn, Soraya McCleland, Ileana Treviño, Sheridan Williams and Krohn.