What:Houston Cellar Classic.
Where: The Tasting Room in Uptown Park.
The scoop: A crowd of over 900 oenophiles packed The Tasting Room for this 13th annual event that pairs over 100 wines from around the world with bites presented by seven top restaurants. While those who splurged on VIP tickets got to sip on fancy vintages from Dom Perignon, Stags' Leap, and Veuve Clicquot, all of the attendees found plenty of tempting choices.
After carefully evaluating dishes from each restaurants, a panel of media judges (including this writer) selected Slow Dough Bread Co as the winner. Chef Michael Pelligrino earned a $500 Lasco gift card for his dish, dubbed the Three Little Pigs. It consisted of an all-natural hot dog on an expertly toasted Slow Dough bun topped with bacon-tomato jam, goat cheese, and cracklin' crumbs. Opting for something slightly fancier, the attendees selected Max's Wine Dive's fried lobster risotto balls as their favorite dish.
The event also had a charitable component. This year, 100 percent of the net proceeds supported Genesys Works, a nonprofit that transforms the lives of disadvantaged high school students through skills training, meaningful internships, and impactful relationships.
Who: Laura and Jerry Lasco, Jonathan Horowitz, Grace and Paul Coonrod, Thomas Nguyen, Aleesia Fuselier Thomas, Marian Davenport, Lindsey Smith, Kim Hardin, Dominique McGhee,Lorenia Vazquez, and Craig Vance.
Slow Dough's winning team.
