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    Shelby About Town

    YPs support St. Luke's, Yigal Azrouël on his way, Pet Set parties & TUTS leadingladies brunch

    Shelby Hodge
    Jun 22, 2012 | 2:21 pm
    • Yigal Azrouel, pictured with model Zuzanna Bijoch, headlines Nov. 1 for Catwalkfor a Cure.
      Yigal Azrouel/Facebook
    • Jason and Lindley Arnoldy chair St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital System YP group.
      Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Robert and Meaghan Rubey flank Lindsay Holstead at the Pet Set party atTootsies.
    • Amy Pierce, left, with Chloe Dao at Theater Under the Stars' Leading Ladiesspring social.
      Photo by Roswitha Vogler/Photosbyrovo.com
    • Rebecca McElroy, left, and Jodi Eisenhardt at Pet Set.

    No summer doldrums on the social scene even now that the solstice has arrived. If the young professionals and arts groups aren't holding gatherings around town, then they are meeting up to plan their big fall fundraisers. Case in point, is St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital System's launch of its YP group: PULSE (Professionals United to Lead St. Luke's Episcopal).

    Chairs Lindley and Jason Arnoldy did the soft sell on the new organization with a low-key recruitment gathering at Fleming's River Oaks. Restaurant GM Sam Governale, St. Luke's Episcopal Charities director of programs and events Sylvia Forsythe and SLEH's vice president Jon Gossett welcomed those eager to learn more about the new group.

    Among those lending an ear to the SLEH message were David Cordua, Annie McQueen, Christopher Joseph, Dr. Taylor Brown, Brittany Sakowitz, Kevin Kushner, Lauren Baughman and Max Barrett. Membership info and upcoming event details are available from SLEH programs and events coordinator Elizabeth Weiss (eweiss@sleh.com).

    Yigal Azrouël heading to H-Town

    What's not to love about a hip young designer bringing his line and his charm to the catwalk? Just ask Laura Arnold, Kelli Blanton and Jennie Segal, who are over the moon with confirmation from Saks Fifth Avenue that the dashing designer will headline their Nov. 1 Catwalk for a Cure luncheon. The trio is chairing.

    Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation founder Melissa Bellinger is spreading the word about the Hotel ZaZa event that will honor Houston-based handbag designer Alexandra Knight.

    A big bow WOW for Pet Set

    Houston pet owners LOVE their four-legged friends and few are more dedicated to the friendly animal kindgom than members of Pet Set. They gathered at Tootsies earlier this week to stir excitement for the Sept. 28 Be Fierce & Fabulous bash at Hotel ZaZa.

    Fierce and fabulous in their own right, soirée chairs Courtney Hopson, Kara Howes and Meaghan Rubey led the party pack that donated to Pet Set, perused the summer sales offerings and found sustenance for socializing in the hors d'oeuvres and libations presented by Jim Benton.

    Pet lovers included Lindsay Holstead, Stacie Cokinos, Stacy Walker, Pamela Radford, Trish Summers, Fady Armanious, Jeff Hall, Jennifer Simmons and Rebecca McElroy.

    Chloe Dao and TUTS

    Theatre Under the Stars calls them their Leading Ladies, the group of femmes that embraces the mission of musical theater education in Houston. That group gathered at the Rice Village Dao Chloe Dao boutique for a fundraising brunch that despite Tuesday's torrential rains was a success.

    Fifteen percent of each purchase was donated to the Leading Ladies' Pink Stiletto Fund, which supports TUTS education programs.

    Sampling brunch bites and mimosa from Phoenicia Specialty Foods were Leading Ladies co-founder Amy Pierce plus designer Choe Dao, Phoenicia's Meredith Tcholakian, Stephanie Swingle, Anne Bunting, Pattie Dodds, Shelley P. Smith and Paula Mott.

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    Michelin Stars

    Superstar Spanish chefs return to Houston for dinners with a purpose

    Joel Luks
    Dec 19, 2025 | 10:30 am
    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.

    Hope and Opportunity Dinner Texas Children's Hospital

    Courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital

    Jordi Roca, Ignacio Torras, and Joan Roca.

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