parties

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

Parties
music

With New Concept Album, Jacob Hilton Processes Mental-Health Struggles

Dakota Garrett

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

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Art + Entertainment
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

Al Torres

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

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