• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Houston First
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    For Omega House

    Better than Animal House: Young professionals show plenty of skin in hot togaparty

    Joel Luks
    Jul 15, 2012 | 4:46 pm

    The notorious scene from Animal House may have inspired many frats to throw similar costumed symposia, in the ancient sense of the word. But that roll-out-of-bed-wearing-the-bed look just wouldn't do for the citizens carousing Greco Roman-style at Bering Omega Community Services' young professionals board Toga Party Saturday night at Craft Salon.

    Rather, these 130 Caesars and Aphrodites wrapped their physique with more than a tunic and adorned themselves with gold armbands, cuffs, gladiator skirts, laurel wreaths, hats and Roman sandals — though without covering too much. After all, what's a toga social without showing some skin?

    Chairs Nick Espinosa, Liz Gorman, Paul Pettie and Jerry Guerrero stripped down to the bare necessities to collect donations of unused sheets for Omega House.

    Efforts not to stare at Jeremy Fain's silver sequined cloak, matching high heels and medusa wig were futile. As the femme fatale he was worthy of the top prize for best costume, for which he took home a basket of many bottles of serious booze. Not far behind were Rebecca Bertrand in a Texas-themed toga and Kevin Messenger in iron man duds.

    Chairs Nick Espinosa, Liz Gorman, Paul Pettie and Jerry Guerrero stripped down to the bare necessities to collect donations of unused sheets for Omega House, the organization's hospice serving those with late stage HIV/AIDS.

    Bacchus would have been proud.

    Adding to the chatty bacchanal were club and Top 40 tunes by DJ Soultower606, sliders grilled onsite by The Counter and a wealth of liquids by Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Dripping Springs Texas Vodka and Barefoot Wine.

    Coming, seeing and conquering in full regalia were Mark Donaldson, Matthew Barré, Lauren Levicki, Kari Govin, Tim Sullivan, Aimee Mudd, Mandie Sanchez, Sal Migliara, Sara Brown, Stephen Jones, Maneesh Singal, Jeremy LeBlanc, Brad Deaton, Carlos Meltzer, Sean Williams, Steven Carlton, Matt Neufeld, Kod Odimgbe, Katherine Ross, Cara Crafton, Owen McCormack, Susan Oehl and Jeff Gremillion.

    unspecified
    news/society

    5-Course Feast

    Houston Food Bank chefs' dinner serves up generosity and gourmet flair

    Joel Luks
    May 8, 2026 | 10:30 am
    Houston Food Bank Chefs' dinner 2026
    Photo by Emily Jaschke
    William Crutcher, Benchawan "Chef G" Jabthong Painter, David Skinner, Ope Amosu, and Alejandra Salas.

    Houston’s culinary crowd traded kitchen heat for philanthropic firepower on May 5 as the Houston Food Bank hosted its 26th Annual Chefs’ Dinner at Hotel ZaZa Museum District.

    The evening of haute cuisine and thoughtful giving served up more than a five-course feast. The gourmand affair delivered a major boost for food-insecure families across southeast Texas.

    Event chairs Farah Ahmed and Tahir Qadir rallied an energetic room of foodies, philanthropists, and civic leaders, capping the evening with remarks that inspired a flurry of last-minute generosity. A surprise anonymous matching gift of up to $25,000 sent donations soaring, with more than $61,000 raised during the dinner alone.

    The menu read like a Houston restaurant hit list. Guests dined on creations from Benchawan “Chef G” Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen, Ope Amosu of ChopnBlok, David Skinner of Eculent & Ishtia, William Crutcher of Monarch at Hotel ZaZa, and pastry chef Alejandra SalasAl.

    Meanwhile, Doe and Henry Florsheim accepted the 2026 Barbara Falik Humanitarian Award for their longstanding commitment to food security efforts. Brian Greene, president and CEO of Houston Food Bank, also shared details about the organization’s upcoming groundbreaking for its newest building while outlining the food bank’s long-term vision and continued work serving the community.

    The event raised $633,640, enough to provide more than 1.9 million meals to the community.

    Not bad for a Tuesday night.

    Seen on the scene were Teresa and Jose Ivo, Monique Abernathy, Gordon Murray, Michele and Jeff Dodson, Cathy Easter, Sarah and Ken Fisher, Joan Hessidence and Rick Wall, Colleen and Michael Keegan, and Drs. Ruth Lopez and Steve Turley.

    Houston Food Bank Chefs' dinner 2026

    Photo by Emily Jaschke

    William Crutcher, Benchawan "Chef G" Jabthong Painter, David Skinner, Ope Amosu, and Alejandra Salas.

    chefsfundraisershouston food bank
    news/society

    most read posts

    Tomball barbecue trio spins up new tavern devoted to pizza and burgers

    Over-the-top burger chain comes to Houston and more popular stories

    Why Yemeni coffeehouses are booming in Houston and across the U.S.

    Loading...