parties

'Best Cellars' Returns with Fine Wine, Fab Food — and Big Names

Dave Rossman
'Best Cellars' Returns with Fine Wine, Fab Food — and Big Names

Nick and Jennifer Altman and Leah and Blake Nommensen

AFTER A TWO-YEAR hiatus, the Best Cellars wine dinner, benefiting the Martell Foundation, returned to the Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District.

Nearly 200 guests raised a glass (or several) to cancer research, and also enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by some of the city's finest chefs. Chef Chairman Mark Cox rounded up talent including BCN's Luis Roger, Le Jardinier's Alain Verzeroli and Felipe Botero, and Musaafer's Mayank Istwal to create plates that paired beautifully with rare fine wines from the cellars of local collectors.

The event, chaired by Franelle Rogers, included an exciting live auction as well as an afterparty with a performance by Texas-country singer-songwriter George Birge.

Tracy and Valerie Dieterich

Amalia and Brian Stanton

T.J. and Margaret Farnsworth

Anthony Zogheib and LeTricia Wilbanks

Cathy and David Herr

Mark Cox, Franelle Rogers and Robert Sakowitz

Chef Alain Verzeroli and Franelle Rogers

Lesha Elsenbrook, Caroline Kenney and Denise Monteleone

Dean Putterman, John Obsta and Ed Finger

Kimberly and James Bell

Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin

Julia Gonzalez and Thor Egeli

George Birge

Jim and Jane Brann and Laura and Jerry Kent

Jan and Robin Lindley

Jill and Christian Varas

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People + Places
promoted

Duos, Trios and Teams: ‘Next-Generation’ Mother-Daughter Leppert Duo Debuts

Al Torres
Duos, Trios and Teams: ‘Next-Generation’ Mother-Daughter Leppert Duo Debuts

Clare Leppert and Clementine, the Cavachon. Leigh Leppert and Benny, the Bernedoodle.

HOW DID YOU come together as a team? This fall, we are celebrating the introduction of an exciting real estate collaboration between Clare Leppert, longtime Houston Realtor®, and daughter Leigh Leppert. Clare shared a 20+ year real estate partnership with her mother, Bette Carpenter, until Bette’s death in 2016. Having worked solo for several years, Clare in 2021 was awarded Houston Business Journal’s No. 2 Luxury Realtor® in Houston. Leigh, who has been working in marketing for the past decade, has always shared a passion for real estate and watched Clare successfully balance family and career. We are excited to re-create the next generation of a mother-daughter duo at Compass!

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food

Crawfish Season Has Arrived. Here's Where to Get Crackin'!

Orleans Seafood (photo by Becca Wright)

FORGET MARCH MADNESS — mudbug madness has arrived. Fans think the little critters taste like baby lobsters, so they can’t gobble up enough. Here’s where to hit for the most badass boils in town.

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Food
film

This Weekend: MFAH Puts Black Female Directors in the Spotlight with Film Fest

'Alma's Rainbow'

THIS WEEKEND, FEB. 3-5, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Through the Lens of African American Women, a mini-festival of four films and one short, all directed by Black women. The lineup was curated by UH graduate Autumn Johnson, who interned with the MFAH film department last summer and produced the short film This is Real Life, which has earned 70,000 views and counting on YouTube. As Houston is home to such talented Black female film directors as Candice D’Meza, Lisa E. Harris and Brittany Bass, and this being Black History Month, the festival is timely and will resonate with anyone interested in great, independent filmmaking.

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Art + Entertainment