Asia Society Toasts Next Month’s Tiger Ball with Swanky Steak 48 Event

Asia Society Toasts Next Month’s Tiger Ball with Swanky Steak 48 Event

Bonna Kol, Grace Cavnar, Claudia Contreras

MANY HOUSTON ORGANIZATIONS have had to rethink their in-person fundraisers over the past year, including Asia Society, which moved its annual glam gala to June.


A more intimate cocktail kickoff last week, channeling the main event's Incredible India theme, eased supporters back into the idea of group gatherings and celebrated a timely mission of strengthening relationships and encouraging engagement among the people of Asia, AustralAsia and America.

Dozens of patrons gathered at Steak 48 in River Oaks District, greeted by event chairs Gracie and Bob Cavnar, Claudia and Roberto Contreras, and Eileen and Kase Lawal in an upstairs private-event space. Trays of delicious bites — truffled-topped New York strip, crispy shrimp deviled eggs — were passed around as guests enjoyed catching up face-to-face, chatting about June's Tiger Ball and also about how Asia Society plans to support Covid-relief efforts in India, the beautiful country and culture that inspired this year's gala.

Ann and Jay Cuclis

Brenda and Marc Watts

David Leebron, Y Ping Sun

David Webster, Rose Chen

Moez and Sultana Magalij

Mustafa Tameez, Eileen Lawal

Steve Alvis, Cecilia Brown

Sultana, Mimi Levine, Kathy Goosen

Sylvia Quan, Lily Foster

Parties

Denise Reyes and Matthew Healey (photo by Katy Anderson)

THE OPERA BALL, one of Houston’s perennially elegant, must-hit galas among the society set’s top tier, tilted marvelously mod and disco-deluxe this year, with sophisticated Spanish hints, thanks no doubt to ball chairs Isabel and Ignacio “Nacho” Torras. They are, of course, the arts patrons behind two of Houston’s most popular and trendy restaurants — MAD and BCN Taste & Tradition.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with Emeril’s Reserve Caviar

THE POP-UP CULINARY trend — when great chefs from elsewhere take over a local restaurant for a night or two — continues to be a hot in Houston. But as the novelty of the concept fades to been-there-done-that, pop-up purveyors must be increasingly clever to attract savvy foodies.

Keep Reading Show less
Food