'Best Cellars' Returns with Fine Wine, Fab Food — and Big Names

Dave Rossman
'Best Cellars' Returns with Fine Wine, Fab Food — and Big Names

Nick and Jennifer Altman and Leah and Blake Nommensen

AFTER A TWO-YEAR hiatus, the Best Cellars wine dinner, benefiting the Martell Foundation, returned to the Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District.


Nearly 200 guests raised a glass (or several) to cancer research, and also enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by some of the city's finest chefs. Chef Chairman Mark Cox rounded up talent including BCN's Luis Roger, Le Jardinier's Alain Verzeroli and Felipe Botero, and Musaafer's Mayank Istwal to create plates that paired beautifully with rare fine wines from the cellars of local collectors.

The event, chaired by Franelle Rogers, included an exciting live auction as well as an afterparty with a performance by Texas-country singer-songwriter George Birge.

Tracy and Valerie Dieterich

Amalia and Brian Stanton

T.J. and Margaret Farnsworth

Anthony Zogheib and LeTricia Wilbanks

Cathy and David Herr

Mark Cox, Franelle Rogers and Robert Sakowitz

Chef Alain Verzeroli and Franelle Rogers

Lesha Elsenbrook, Caroline Kenney and Denise Monteleone

Dean Putterman, John Obsta and Ed Finger

Kimberly and James Bell

Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin

Julia Gonzalez and Thor Egeli

George Birge

Jim and Jane Brann and Laura and Jerry Kent

Jan and Robin Lindley

Jill and Christian Varas

Parties

Dandelion Cafe owners Sarah Lieberman and J.C. Ricks with Mireya Villarreal of GMA, Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown of Southern Smoke Foundation (photo by Shane Dante Photography)

THE SOUTHERN SMOKE Foundation, established by chef Chris Shepherd, has only been around for seven years — but that's long enough to have helped hospitality workers through hurricanes, freezes, a pandemic, and countless other personal situations requiring emergency relief.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

A detail of Konoshima Okoku's 'Tigers,' 1902

THROUGHOUT THE HOT — and hopefully hurricane-free — months of summer, visitors to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston can step through a portal and experience another era with Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan, on view through Sept. 15.

Keep Reading Show less