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Champagne and Caviar Dreams: Luxurious Spread Awaits Diners at Symphony Fundraiser

Daniel Ortiz
Champagne and Caviar Dreams: Luxurious Spread Awaits Diners at Symphony Fundraiser

Jordan Williams, Ryan Russell

THE CHAMPAGNE AND caviar were flowing as 20 chefs participated in the first annual La Nuit Du Caviar event benefitting The Houston Symphony League.

Three-hundred guests were greeted with freezer martinis from chef David Skinner of Kemah’s star restaurant Eculent, then sampled bites from top chefs. Each creation included the night’s ingredient du jour: caviar. The creations ranged from Phat Eatery’s shrimp dumpling — topped with a healthy scoop of caviar — to vanilla ice cream mixed with caramel syrup and caviar from Uptown hotspot Turner’s.

As guests enjoyed live music from the Houston Symphony, they voted on their favorite bite of the night. Chef Jassi Bindra of Amrina in The Woodlands served a caviar crisp with yellow fin tuna, avocado and Granny Smith apple, garnering the grand prize.

The event honored Houston restaurant celebs Mimi and Robert Del Grande and Benjamin Berg for their contributions to the city’s culinary scene, and Houston Symphony president John Rydman and his wife Lindy for their work with various Houston cultural institutions. The event is a spin-off of the popular Truffle Masters dinner, held annually.

Anna Kaplan, Carey Kirkpatrick

Bobby Hilliard, Greg Fown, Kristin and Eric Howard

Emily Smith, Jessica Meyerson

Lukkaew Srasrisuwan, John Newinn

Matthew and Danielle Sokol

Sally and George Abisalloum

Sharonda Belford, Sidney Lacey

Stacey and Al Lindseth

Tajana Surlan, Van Nguyen

John Rydman, Diane Roederer, Lindy Rydman

Ryan O. Harris

Chef Jassi Bindra of Amrina giving his acceptance speech for People’s Choice Award winner

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Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

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Children’s Museum Supporters Go Goth-Glam at Million-Dollar Gala

Alexander's Fine Portraits

THE CORINTHIAN WAS the scene for a haunted happening benefiting Children’s Museum Houston. The decidedly adult bash was filled with dark allure, gothic glamour, and generosity to the tune of $1.14 million, the second-highest total in the event’s history.

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‘You’re the Inspiration’: Generous Donors Give $6.2 Mil to Kids’ Charity as Famous Band Takes Stage

Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

Morris Smith, Tilman Fertitta and Toni Smith

THE HOUSTON CHILDREN'S Charity gala is always anticipated, thanks to the big-deal musical acts brought in to entertain; this year it was Chicago. But the headliners this year were the generous donors, who seemed to surprise even event organizer with their largesse, with a total till of $6.2 million, a record.

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