food

Chef-Prodigy’s Culinary Consultancy Is Already Cooking Up Delicious New Ideas

Kirsten Gilliam
Chef-Prodigy’s Culinary Consultancy Is Already Cooking Up Delicious New Ideas

ON THE HEELS of helping to open Downtown's The Nash restaurant, in the base of the historic Star (formerly Texaco) Building, young chef Omar Pereney has announced his new consultancy firm, Culinary Matters.

The business will assist food entrepreneurs in all aspects of opening a restaurant, from developing a menu to branding, food styling and interior design. He's enlisted the help of 10 team members who will together "provide a holistic approach" to startups (or establishments looking for a refresh!).

Omar Pereney

Houstonians may be familiar with Pereney from his stint with then-celebrated seafood standout Peska at BLVD Place. At the time, the Venezuela-born chef had just turned 21 — barely old enough to fully partake in his restaurant's offerings — but he'd already spent nearly a decade in kitchens, and hosted several seasons of food-television shows in Latin America.

Now, Pereney brings his worldly approach to what he deems to be a "progressive" agency. "We want clients to enjoy the process," he explains. "They need to be up to their elbows in food, cocktails, tasting wines and playing along with us as we create a solid plan, brand and concept." He describes what Culinary Matters offers as a safe environment for experimenting.

His colleagues include culinary specialist Chris Cai; beverage specialist Deidre Goodhue; wine specialist Jaime de Leon; pastry chef Jio Dingayan; creative director Kim Lewis Design; photographer Kirsten Gilliam; recruiter Niki Vu; and strategist McKenzie Loock. He's also enlisted the help of his father, Omar Pereney, Sr., as IT director.

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

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

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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parties

Symphony Springs to Life with Floral-Fabulous Fete

Jacob Power and Priscilla Dickson

Chairs Brady and Zane Carruth, Brittany and Adam Clark

IT ALREADY FEELS like spring in Houston and the spring social season is here with it! 375 guests donned in white-tie flocked to The Post Oak Hotel for the annual Houston Symphony Ball, one of the city’s most anticipated and A-list galas.

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Parties
food

The Truffle Masters Returns — with a New Competition — Benefitting Southern Smoke

THE TRUFFLE MASTERS is returning for its 11th year on March 3rd. Now a Houston tradition of sorts, the competition sees top chefs creating a dish using black truffles all benefitting Southern Smoke.

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