Party Watch

Fab female chefs serve up divine dishes for Houston women's group's birthday bash

I'll Have What She's Having IHWSH fall pop-up Geri Vine MD, Sidra Unas MD, Adrian Harvey Mass MD, Candice Perfetto MD

Geri Vine, MD, Sidra Unas, MD, Adrian Harvey Mass, MD, and Candice Perfetto, MD

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

What: I’ll Have What She’s Having "Happy Birth Day" Pop-Up

The scoop: I’ll Have What She’s Having, the local organization that unites doctors with people in the restaurant industry to promote women's health, celebrated its first anniversary with this one-night only pop-up under the chandeliers at The Dunlavy. The event raised $8,500 for Shades of Blue Project, a local non-profit committed to helping uninsured women gain access to the psychiatric help they need when dealing with post-partum depression. This illness affects as many as one in four minority women, according to organizers, and bringing awareness is near and dear to IHWSH.

The event paired non-alcoholic beverages with each course to celebrate WellWeek, IHWSH's spotlight on mental health. The mocktails were incredibly creative and flavorful, including the Crystal Visions (blackberry, kaffir lime) by Anvil bartender Kehlen Scott and the Smoked Cocoa (coffee, hickory salt, and vanilla).

Chefs Jane Wild (The Dunlavy), Jill Bartolome (Aqui), and Dawn Burrell (Kulture) prepared an impressive, seven-course meal. Our favorites savory dishes included Wild's heirloom okra with honeycrisp apples, squash, cinnamon, and shallot and Burrell's jerk lamb with rice and peas. Bartolome, who earned the CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Best Pastry Chef in 2018, stunned the crowd with her poached pair with milk chocolate, caramel, and lemon cake.

The recent event is one of three components of WellWeek. Events also include Sunday's Depressed Cake Shop, which raised $11,000 for The Montrose Center and National Alliance for Mental Illness - Greater Houston, and a citywide program of special non-alcoholic cocktails and desserts being served by bars and restaurants such as Anvil, Public Services, Coltivare, UB Preserv, and more.

Who: Ryan Pera and IHWSH founder Dr. Lori Choi, Lucy Puryear, Shades of Blue Project founder and CEO Kay Matthews, Claire Smith, Kate McClean, Otto Sanchez, Cat Nguyen, Erin Smith, Jody Stevens, Carla Gomez, Nuray Taylor, and Chelsea Padon.

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Mary Clarkson is the co-owner of Avondale Food & Wine in Montrose and a frequent co-host of CultureMap's weekly podcast, "What's Eric Eating."

This event raised $8,500 for the Shades of Blue Project.

I'll Have What She's Having IHWSH fall pop-up Dunlavy crowd

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

This event raised $8,500 for the Shades of Blue Project.

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Party Watch

Bayou a Drink? Cocktails in Bloom draws a colorful crowd of Houstonians

Buffalo Bayou Partnership Cocktails in Bloom 2025

Courtesy of Buffalo Bayou Partnership

Laura Massad, Cynthia Dehlavi, and Meredith Kruz.

What: 2025 Cocktails in Bloom benefiting Buffalo Bayou Partnership

Courtesy of Buffalo Bayou Partnership

Laura Massad, Cynthia Dehlavi, and Meredith Kruz.

Where: Lost Lake in Buffalo Bayou Park

The Scoop: A vibrant swirl of color, cocktails, and community took over Lost Lake as nearly 200 supporters gathered for the fourth annual Cocktails in Bloom. This breezy outdoor affair — one of Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s signature spring events — celebrated the organization’s work to transform Houston’s historic waterway into a destination of trails, parks, and unforgettable spaces.

As golden hour lit up the lush landscape, guests dressed in garden-party glam strolled the lakeside scene, drink in hand. Flora and Giant Texas Distillers kept spirits high with fresh, seasonal pours, while Chef Christian Hernandez and a who’s-who of local food favorites — Barbacana, Burger Bodega, Kin Dee, and more — offered bites that felt picnic-perfect but plated with flair.

A lively soundtrack from Lou Alejandre and Houston Groove Society gave the evening a cool, jazzy edge, and the Quick Draw Photobooth had attendees lining up for playful sketches and snaps. Nature met nightlife in the most Houston way possible. Under the stars, with a cocktail in hand and a cause in mind.

Who: Judy Nyquist, Jennifer and Tadd Tellepsen, Josep Prats, Sarah Newbery, Bryce Hairston Kennard, Stacy and Scott Humphries, Matt Assiff, Zion Escobar, Mark Conely, Maggie Tsang and Isaac Stein, and Sallie and Bob Wright.

buffalo bayou partnership parks fundraisers