Shelby About Town

Lance Armstrong & Matthew McConaughey get on board, the Roses hit Broadway andUSO Bells ring at Rodeo

Lance Armstrong, from left, Edith and Darrell Royal and Matthew McConaugheyaddressing a joint legislative committee in Austin.
Photo by Mark Matson
Ava Late, left, and Melissa Edwards at the Alzheimer's announcement in Austin.
Photo by Mark Matson
Cindi Rose, from left, Book of Mormon star Andrew Rannels and Dr. Franklin Roseat the New York fundraiser.
Photo by Chris Owyoung
Don Jordan and Liberty Bells, from left, Heidi-Marie Ferren, Renee VeronicaFreeman and Kirbi Jo Long at RodeoHouston.
Courtesy Photo
Out of her California garden and touring The Menil Collection, Alice Waters madethe Houston rounds.

All it takes is a few heavy-hitter celebrities to garner attention and that's just what Lance Armstrong and Matthew McConaughey provided in Austin earlier this week for the launch of the statewide Darrell K Royal Fund for Alzheimer's Research.

The two were on hand for the official introduction of the fund that was made to a joint legislative committee by Edith Royal, wife of famed University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal, certainly a celeb in his own right, who suffers from the disease. She spoke on the difficulty of caring for those in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's and the importance of Texas-based research.

This new effort will fund collaborative research across the state. Look for loads of support from Kate Stukenberg and Melissa Edwards (formerly Melissa King), both of whom serve on the Texas Council for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. Edwards was in Austin for the announcement.

Houstonians Corby Robertson and Joe Jamail serve on the fund board along with San Antonio biz mogul Red McCombs, Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin, University of Texas coach Mack Brown and others.

The Roses on Broadway

Cindi and Dr. Franklin Rose hobnobbed with Great White Way glitterati Monday night when they attended the "Broadway Belts for PFF" charity fundraiser. The musical evening in New York raised funds for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, founded in 2000 by Franklin Rose's father, Albert Rose and Michael Rosenweig, both affected by pulmonary fibrosis. (Albert Rose succumbed to the disease in 2002.) Today, Dr. Daniel Rose, Franklin's brother, serves as foundation CEO.

Scores of Broadway performers gathered to honor the memory of Associated Press theater critic Michael Kuchwara, who died of lung disease in 2010. The musical evening was hosted by award-winning actress and devoted Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation advocate Julie Halston. The all-star cast included Tony nominees Adam Pascal (Memphis) and Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) among others and with special guest star Joel Gray. It was a heady night for the Roses who rubbed shoulders with the Broadway talent.

Patriotic partnership

Long-standing RodeoHouston executive committee member Don Jordan was front center at Reliant Stadium Wednesday when he arranged for the USO Liberty Bells from USO New York to perform during the opening ceremony of the Armed Forces Appreciation Day at the rodeo. Jordan and Lavonne Cox and Denis DeBakey hosted the ladies in Jordan's suite for posh viewing of the Kid Rock concert.

Before settling in at the suite, the Bells were introduced to various Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo honchos including rodeo legend Louis Pearce Jr., whom they serenaded; Ed McMahon; Darryl Schroeder; Danielle and John Ellis and others.

Jordan first met the Bells in 2010 when they peformed at the USO Auxiliary Gift of Freedom luncheon that honored Jordan and his wife, Barbara. He had been working to bring them back to Houston for the rodeo since that time.

Sight 'ems

Famed San Francisco bay area chef and author Alice Waters, in town to speak to the Progressive Forum, touring The Menil Collection on Thursday with her great friend Adelaide de Menil, who was in from New York for opening the exhibition Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective and closing of the Byzantine Chapel . . .

Kristen Cannon celebrating her 35th birthday in the bar at Tony's with more than two dozen family members and friends sitting down for dinner, including parents Janeen and Julian Feritta, plus Elizabeth and Zack Fertitta, Courtney and Jason Feritta, Julie and Tony Sanchez, Carrie Carson, Heather Pray and Laura and John Spalding . . .

Ladies lunching at Brasserie 19 including Karen Mayell and Terrie Turner at a window table and Liz Decker, Laura Goldberg and Beth Muecke at another and Denise Monteleone and Kathy Goossen at another.

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Michelin Stars

Superstar Spanish chefs return to Houston for dinners with a purpose

Hope and Opportunity Dinner Texas Children's Hospital

Courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital

Jordi Roca, Ignacio Torras, and Joan Roca.

Leave it to Houston to blend avant-garde gastronomy with generosity, stirring up a one-two punch of flavor and philanthropy.

Over two intimate evenings, Isabel and Ignacio “Nacho” Torras opened their private home for the Hope and Opportunity Dinners,an affair that embraced the neurodiverse community with epicurean delight.

The dinners, limited to 100 guests per night, were a collaborative recipe honoring the missions of Texas Children’s Duncan Neurological Research Institute and The Genuine Cup, the nonprofit arm of The Genuine Foundation. With a thematic throughline of “Hope” and “Opportunity,” guests were treated to a nine-course menu..

The culinary talent? Flying in from their famed El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, Michelin-starred brothers Joan Roca (head chef) and Jordi Roca (pastry chef), along with sommelier Marta Cortizas, teamed up with chef Luis Roger of Houston’s Michelin-starred BCN Taste & Tradition. The menu, a poetic composition of bold Spanish flavors and delicate textures, was elevated further by thoughtful wine pairings.

Far from a solo act, the Roca brothers worked in sync with some of Houston’s culinary luminaries: Felipe Riccio (March), Mayank Istwal (Mussafer), David Skinner (Eculent), Felipe Botero (Le Jardinier), Mary Cuclis (Kriti Kitchen), and Emmanuel Chavez (Tatemó). Service each evening was led by 27 young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supported by 10 coaches.

One dinner honored Whitney and Jim Crane, whose Astros Foundation has become a pillar of Houston philanthropy, and Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi, whose groundbreaking neuroscience work continues to shape the future of medicine. The second dinner spotlight fell on Laura Arnold, co-founder of Arnold Ventures LLC, and Dr. Debra F. Sukin, president and CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital, both champions for equity and innovation in their fields.

The evenings ended with cookbook signings by the Roca brothers, a fitting souvenir from two nights where food was both an experience and a vehicle for change. The events raised more than $400,000.

Showing up for science and inclusion were Monica and Yordon Alvarez, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Carlos Correa, Molly and Crownover, Paula and Reginald DesRoches, Pam and Keith Fullenweider, Adrienne and Jared Crane, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Phoebe Tudor and Tudor, Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, and Penny and Paul Layne.

Courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital

Jordi Roca, Ignacio Torras, and Joan Roca.

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