Photos by Samantha Jane Beatty
Styling by Todd Ramos
Model Jerry Raines for Neal Hamil Agency
Grooming by Briana Dai
Photography assistance by John Lewis
Styling assistance by Tyler Treadwell
Shot on location at The Barn at Four Pines Ranch in Crosby
Stephanie Chou, Mandy Kao, Brigitte Kalai, Pitsami Norm, Mable Tang, Alice Mao Brams, Cindy Cheng, and Sippi Khurana
The evening honored Sabria and Kevin Lewis for their decades-long commitment to that same mission of inclusivity and international understanding. More than 500 guests turned out to toast the couple, and were greeted by dhol drummers before heading inside the Pavilion, which was erected in the parking lot and encompassed some of the area's existing trees.
Unsurprisingly, the food, provided by City Kitchen, was delectable: short ribs braised in soy and sake; deviled quail eggs with tahini and za'atar; and medallions of fried eggplant topped with jumbo lump crab; miso-glazed seabass (hungry yet?!).
When they weren't eating, guests perused silent-auction items — the spread included two Harry Winston timepieces, a first-class trip to Santa Monica, and original works of art by Tsherin Sherpa and Richard Tinkler. Then DJ Alx lured galagoers onto the dance floor, where the party continued.
Y. Ping Sun, David Leebron and Mei Leebron
Albert and Anne Chao
Bonna Kol and Tripp Carter
Sushila Agrawal, Dr. Renu Khator, and Aparna Manjunath
Chinhui and Eddie Allen
Starlee Sykes and Al Vickers
David and Heidi Gerger and Sabria and Kevin Lewis
David Harvey, Nancy C. Allen, and Eddie Allen
Shiang Ling and George Yang
Donna Fujimoto Cole and Robert Berryman
Roberto and China Contreras
Emily Hanley and Feifei Ma
Rishi and Michelle Varma
Geraldina and Scott Wise
Peter and Theresa Chang and Kathy and Glen Gondo
Kathy and Marty Goossen
Mohsin and Farhina Imtiaz
Laxmi Anirudh Sarwal and Temsiri Lao
Moez and Sultana Mangalji
Margaret Alkek Williams and David Wuthrich
Leslie and Brad Bucher
Leigh and Reggie Smith
Lily and Charles Foster
The Cadillac
Now open near Memorial City, Via 313 brings authentic Detroit-style pizza to Houston. Named for Detroit's area code, the restaurant offers rectangular pizzas that are delightfully crispy on all four sides, but oh-so-perfectly fluffy in all the right spots. Everything — right down to the cream-cheese drizzle on the cinnamon sticks, which you should probably save room for — is made from scratch in-house. You can build your own, but The Cadillac is one of the signature pizzas that is a must-try: A savory blend of cheeses, including gorgonzola, is topped with thinly sliced prosciutto and fig preserves, and it's all doused in a balsamic glaze. Pizzas take around 20-25 minutes, and are worth the wait.
Spicy chicken karage (photo by Shawn Chippendale)
The River Oaks dinner-and-a-show hot spot has rolled out new happy-hour and tasting menus. Available Wednesday through Friday, 4:30-7pm, HH offerings include the spicy chicken karage, hamachi tacos and other bites for $10, plus sushi rolls and nigiri for $8-$12. Alternatively, score a whole bunch more sashimi, nigiri and maki for $50 — the Sushi Flight tasting menu is a great deal, and comes with an optional $20 Champagne pairing. There's also a five-course tasting menu for $75 (wine pairing $35), boasting a grande finale of peanut-whipped ganache with milk-chocolate cremeaux and salted-caramel ice cream. Sweet!
The famous Seattle bakery pops up at 8th Wonder Brewery on March 22 (4-6pm). For the uninitiated, a piroshky — not unlike a kolache — is a freshly baked, handheld pie filled with sweet, savory, veggie or vegan options. Also score Seattle-famous goods like Pikes Place chowder! Pre-order here.
Bananas Foster (photo by Kimberly Park)
To toast its 57th year in business, Brennan's of Houston — which calls a John Staub building, originally built for the Junior League, home — is cooking up some great specials. Featuring food inspired by the 1968 Junior League Cookbook, a three-course brunch is a steal for $33, featuring Hawaiian banana bread pain perdu — and Banana's Foster, of course. The three-course lunch ($57) is also a great deal, made even better with a $0.25 martini. For dinner, three courses are $67 (in celebration of the grand opening in 1967), and include your choice of an entree: How do we choose among Gulf fish almondine, peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin Paillard, and crabmeat Imperial?!
Some will recognize Mandito's to mean "Little Armando's," which is great news for lovers of Armandos in Upper Kirby: Mandito's has opened its newest outpost in Katy, bringing approachable, family-friendly cantina food to the west side. Like the original in Round Top and its second location in Bellaire, Mandito's Katy serves tried-and-true fajitas, margaritas, and family packs that make dinner a cinch. Bonus for parents: Dine on the patio and watch the kiddos run amok on the Stableside greenspace at Falcon Landing!