Done in good taste
Top Chefs cook for very exclusive tables in Houston foodie paradise
Max Wine Dive diners raise their paper cuts in a toast with the Opus One fruitpunch.
Congrats to Linn Energy general counsel Charlene Ripley and The Events Co.'s Richard Flowers for once again chairing the most delicious fundraiser of the year. How could "Bon Vivant Houston" be anything less than tantalizing with 23 chefs cooking table-side for 10 dinner guests each — all in the same room at the same time?
When this tasty evening began three years ago, a dozen chefs joined in. For the 2012 dinner, chefs were turned away as the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom could hold only 23 cooking stations and 23 elaborately-decorated dinner tables.
As Elizabeth Stone of The Stone Kitchen explained of the fundraiser's growing popularity, "I love this event. It's so much fun and it's for a great cause (Youth Development Center). It's a time where all the chefs can come together and have fun and not in a competitive mood."
When this tasty evening began three years ago, a dozen chefs joined in. For the 2012 dinner, chefs were turned away.
And have fun they did. As Brian Robertson of the San Luis Resort in Galveston said, "We get to do the courses that we want without having to stick to a certain menu." It's the ulitmate opportunity for the chefs to strut their culinary stuff.
None could have been more creative than Michael Pelligrino and his team from Max's Wine Dive — pizza with black truffles, Opus One fruit punch, wine pong, etc. Le Mistral's David Denis wowed with his magical duo of chocolate desserts. Haven chef Randy Evans sated his diners with a trio of raw oysters from Louisiana followed by a pork belly with scrambled eggs course and then tile fish with grits followed by ribye with black truffles and crepes for dessert. Hungry yet?
We swooned once again over the chicken-fried oysters served by the Branch Water Tavern's David Grossman.
In a spontaneous moment of generosity, four leading chefs, all of whom either made or are making their mark at Brennan's, joined forces for a live auction item — dinner for 10, prepared in the buyer's home with all four chefs preparing a course. That gem sold three times for a total of $42,000 and then the instigator in this offering, Mark Holley of Pesce, threw in a solo dinner that went for $8,000. Joining Holley in this fundraising effort were Evans, Danny Trace and Javier Lopez, both currently at Brennan's.
Kudos to all the chefs who donate their time, talent, food and wine for the 10 diners lucky enough to sit down at their tables. Rounding out the talented lineup were Reef's Bryan Caswell, Abuso Catering's Andrew LaRue, Oceanaire Seafood's Skip King, Lemond Catering's Reginald Martin, the Hilton Americas' Ruffy Sulaiman, Catering by Culinaire's Barbara McKnight, the Barbed Rose's Jason Chaney, Hotel Granduca's Renato De Pirro, Hotel ZaZa's Adam West, Jim Benton Catering's Jim Benton, Valentino Vin Bar's Cunninghame West, Soren Pederson of Sorrell Urban Bistro, Maurizio Ferrarese of Quattro, Luis Rubio of La Griglia and Jeff Schnitzer of the Foundation Room at House of Blues.
Other than the 230 statisfied diners, few could have been more pleased with the evening than Mary Nell Jones, YDC executive director, who glowed over the $200,000 raised.
Dispalying their best table manners — Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Carol and Mike Linn, Kirby and Scott McCool, Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, Lilly and Thurmon Andress, Lynn Mathre, Kimberly and Chuck Yates, Cleverley Stone, Leisa Holland-Nelson, Melinda and Sam Stubbs, Lynn Mathre and Stewart O'Dell.
