With comfortable seating indoors and outdoors — loungers included — and lovely downtown views it was only a matter of time before the Montrose neighborhood's new Whole Foods Market morphed into a social gathering spot. Buffalo Bayou Partnership jumped at the opportunity to host its first Gourmet Gathering to benefit the organization's trendiest advocates there and the location seemed more than fitting.

Whole Foods has the Bayou Bar. Buffalo Bayou Partnership has the Bayou Buddies.

Bayou Buddies — a young professional supporters group — flocked to the shiny, modernist and eco-conscious Whole Foods Market Montrose to mix and mingle and delight in gourmet regional treats. Pulling in a mixed assemblage of 50 new and old friends looking to connect, the casual-and-relaxed get together was the first on-site event between the locally-centered grocer and the nonprofit conservation organization.

The two entities truly have a lot in common. Whole Foods Market has gone through great lengths to use sustainable materials, re-purposing where possible, installing green lighting, collecting rain water and providing convenient access for those with electric cars.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership continues to green-up the city by transforming and revitalizing Houston's main urban waterway.

Both the summer breeze and the locally-sourced brews plus vino refreshed friends of the historic bayou last week. The scene was enhanced by genteel jazz courtesy of local bassist/composer Thomas Helton and visiting New York pianist Robert Boston.

Whole Foods staff was on hand to provide expert advice on choosing from among the slightly hoppy Stash IPA grisette from Austin's Independence Brewing Company, Conroe's own Southern Star Brewing Company's seasonal farmhouse ale Walloon on tap and Whole Foods exclusive McPherson Cellars wine blends from Lubbock.

Mixing and mingling were Kristy Bradshaw, Steve Dolman, Brian Thorp, Shmuel Gordon, Frazier King, Hazel Ganze, Kevin Schott, Carly and Marc Peacher, Ashleigh Holloway, Hannah Palmer, Journey Macfarlane, Matt Lawson, Bubba Rathore, Rebecca Marraffa, Tiffany Smith, Jennifer Doctorovich, personal trainer extraordinaire Cari Shoemate, Nancy Mathé, Nick Espinosa, Meghan Miller, Eliza Wright and Tom Broughton with Sarah Swift.