What began as a young professionals’ soirée has gracefully pirouetted into one of Houston’s most anticipated culinary-meets-culture nights.

And this year’s Raising the Barre delivered a standing ovation-worthy performance. Hosted at Caracol, the fan-favorite tasting event drew nearly 160 guests on May 4, where balletomanes (and those who love them) mingled, noshed, and toasted to an artful cause.

Co-chaired by Duyen and Marc Nguyen and Dr. Tatiana Sorkin and Michel Coret, the springtime soirée raised nearly $110,000 for Houston Ballet, supporting its mission to inspire a lasting love for dance through performance and education. But this wasn’t your typical rubber-chicken charity dinner. Here, dancers became muses and sous chefs, joining forces with Houston’s culinary stars to serve up an inspired four-course meal, each dish a storytelling moment in its own right.

Each course hit the table like a pas de deux.

Chef Aaron Bludorn kicked things off with soloist Danbi Kim, channeling her Korean childhood through a delicate sesame-crusted hamachi, balanced by gochujang vinaigrette and marinated cucumbers. Chef Chris Williams and demi-soloist Estheysis Menendez served a soul-warming lobster stew with plantain fufu and jalapeño pesto, a dish rooted in global tradition and personal memory, honoring the dancer’s Cuban heritage and her mother’s love of herbs and wellness.

Then came the entrée: Chef Hugo Ortega teamed with principal Chase O’Connell for picanha a las brazos, a coulotte steak celebration dressed in pasilla mole and earthy mushroom zacahuil. The duo riffed on Chase’s ritualistic pre-performance steak dinners, adding Ortega’s signature Latin American soul.

Pastry powerhouse Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar partnered with first soloist Gian Carlo Perez to close out the show with a guava pastelillo topped with cream cheese ice cream and honey, a nod to his Cuban childhood sweets.

Adding to the evening’s thoughtful twist, those lush floral centerpieces didn’t just wilt away post-party. Thanks to Houston nonprofit Bloom Again, the arrangements were repurposed and delivered to local hospitals and care facilities, offering cheer beyond the ballroom.

Among those soaking up the delicious scene were Beth Muecke, Patti Murphy, Ann Bean, Dr. Patrick Benge, Susan Binney, Jennifer Kushner, Kristy Bradshaw, Lindsey Brown, Andrea Medina, Lenni and Bill Burke, Anne and Albert Chao, Jo Furr, Mitchell George and Stanley Curtis Jr., Paula Whitten-Doolin, Victoria Gutierrez and Nick Pierce, Carey Kirkpatrick, Deborah and Edward Koehler, S. Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, Liliana Soltero and Mike Hawkins, Yana and Warren McFatter, Kris and Richard McGee, Teal and Jeffrey Reamer, Julie Kent, Jim Nelson, Melissa Reihle, and Laura and Brannon Robertson.

  

Photo by Melissa Taylor

Houston Ballet danced united with some of Houston's top chefs for Raising the Barre.