When the curtain went up at the Kennedy Center on Monday night for the evening celebrating the lifetime largesse of former President George H.W. Bush, there were a number of influential Houstonians in the audience — beyond the expected political types.

Oil services mogul Keith Mosing (Frank's International CEO) and wife Alice were key to the success of the entertainer-studded evening hosted by the Points of Light Institute. They winged to D.C. on Sunday on their private jet, by way of Nashville, where it was wheels down long enough to pick up Carrie Underwood and Sheryl Crow, who were part of the talented line-up. Also on board, were Triten Corp. CEO John Scott Arnoldy and wife Jana and her daughter, Blair Barrett.

Of course, Maria and Neil Bush were there. Among the endless playful quips of the evening, Neil referred to former President Bill Clinton as his brother from another mother. The event was billed as the first time since President Barak Obama's inauguration that the four former presidents appeared together. Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush rounded out the elite White House alumni.

Also making the trip from Houston were Ginny and LE Simmons, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Cathy and Joe Cleary and Bobbie and John Nau.

On their toes

Houston Ballet Ambassadors (minimum membership $3,200) were treated to a lavish cocktail buffet on Monday night when Cindi and Dr. Franklin Rose opened their Memorial swankienda for more than 120 balletomanes. Swell parties are part and parcel of the Ambassadors membership that also includes top ticketing opportunities.

On this evening, Lily Paxton orchestrated decorations for the indoor-outdoor party and for which Michael Nee of Elegant Events and Catering by Michael provided the feast. As is her tradition, Cindi filled in with a few dishes of her own including fennel and potato pancakes, eggplant and olive caponata and five different kinds of homemade cookies.

Circling the buffet tables were guests including Houston Ballet managing director C.C. Conner, Lynn Wyatt, Nancy Marcus Golden, Patsy Chapman, Jacqueline Baly Chaumette, Erica Rose, Ben Rose, Nancy and Erik Littlejohn, Cindy Garza Farmer, Allison and Dr. Jack Jenson, Judy Nichols and Ted Pound.

A tasty test run

Restaurateur Paul West opened the doors to the Owners Room at his soon-to-open Greatfull Taco on Shepherd near Fairview to a group of friends for a special night with Chef Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio.

Digging in to the plates of grilled veggies, house-made hummus, lobster and ricotta ravioli and grilled King Salmon was Houston Texans quarterback Matt Shaub with wife Laurie, Houston Symphony maestro Hans Graf and wife Margarita, Vicki West and soloists from the symphony's performance the previous night.

The yummy fare was washed down with a fine selection of wines and champagne selected by Graf, a serious oenophile.

Oysters & tartar sauce

It was no ordinary celebration of two decades of dedicated service when Phyllis and Tony Mandola saluted long-time waiter David Purdie. As he said on his Facebook page: "That wonderful family presented me with an Italian cream cake, a nice bottle of wine, a pint of Caesar dressing, AAAaaaddd......an all-expense paid trip to Napa Valley!"

David walked into Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen in 1991 for an oyster po'boy and he fell in love with the tartar sauce and with Tony's warm demeanor. He signed up on the spot and has been pleasing diners there ever since.

Sight 'ems

Astros owner Drayton McLane in the spotlight at El Real, where numerous fans approached him for photos and autographs . . .

Carolyn Farb and Kinky Friedman lunching at La Griglia where Karen Johnson and Janet Gurwitch were tete-a-tete at another table . . .

Debbie Festari, Elizabeth Petersen, Elizabeth Dorsey and Natalie LeFevre Staudinger in from Germany enjoying a Girl's Night Out at Philippe Restaurant + Lounge where Sheridan and John Eddie Williams held court at another table . . .

Karen and Byron Hood lunching with his Morgan Stanley Smith Barney colleague Cece Morgan at Philippe where the packed lunch crowd included at various tables George Ball, Lou DeLone, Patrick Evans and Joyce Goodman . . .

Houston Symphony CEO Mark Hanson lunching at Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen with Mike Stude and Cornelia Long . . .

Cerón and his Cerón Salon crew having dinner at Ava after doing hair and make-up for the Naeem Khan runway show at next-door Tootsies.