food

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

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.

Thirty chefs are competing including new Michelin star laureates Chef Michaela Arzola of March and Chef Felipe Botero of Le Jardinier. Other restaurants participating include Uchi, Okto, The Kennedy, Hidden Omakase and Leo’s.

In a first for The Truffle Masters, a cocktail competition has been added! VIP guests will be able to to sample creations by Javier Ruano of BCN/MAD, Afzal Kaba of Musaafer, Fredy Nunez and Mo Jalal of Wild and Wooster’s Garden before a panel of judges will award The Truffle Masters' first-ever Cocktail Master. Cheers!

Southern Smoke Foundation is dedicated to providing emergency relief, mental health services and financial assistance to food and beverage industry workers in crisis. Founded by Chris Shepherd, Southern Smoke has distributed over $10 million in direct assistance to hospitality professionals facing medical emergencies, natural disasters and unexpected hardships.

The competition takes place The Revaire and tickets are available here.

promoted

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less
parties

SNL’s Armisen Headlines Laugh-Filled Fete for Children at Risk

Amy Pierce, Sippi Khurana, Dr Namrata Sharma Goel and Ruchi Muchejee (photo by Daniel Ortiz)

A BIG CROWD turned up at the Post Oak Hotel for the Children at Risk gala, raising some $360,000 focused on “understanding and addressing the root causes of child poverty and inequality,” per its mission statement.

Keep Reading Show less
parties

A Night Among the Stars: St. Jude Gala Soars to $1.65 Million with Out-of-This-World Celebration

Jacob Powers and Priscilla Dickson

SpaceX Crew - Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, Anna Memon, Jared Isaacman

STREAMERS FILLED THE air at the end of the night as 500 guests at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital gala celebrated raising a record $1.65 million.

Keep Reading Show less