parties

High Cotton: Pete Bell and Co. Host Spectacular Cook-Off Shindig to Open Rodeo Season

Painted Peacock Photography
High Cotton: Pete Bell and Co. Host Spectacular Cook-Off Shindig to Open Rodeo Season

Sanette Austin, Michelle Brady, Stacey White, Chasity Spiller

FAMOUS FOR NEVER doing anything halfway, Cotton Holdings and CEO Pete Bell opened Rodeo season strong with a 10,000-square-foot chandelier-and-red-roses-bedecked tent dubbed the Cotton ’Q Club, hosting hundreds of guests at Rodeo Cook-off.

Cotton — the disaster and infrastructure support services company that served as title sponsor of the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, aka “Cook-off,” for the second year in a row — has developed a reputation for lavish entertaining, and its Rodeo digs lived up to the rep.

“The cedar-framed ‘tent’ was completely draped in navy paneling with antler and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling,” explained a Cotton representative. “The room was decorated with seven-foot-tall mosaic horses draped with blankets of red roses by Flora & Eventi, antique mirrors, saddles and mounted taxidermy.” The latter came straight from Bell’s ranch, the rep added.

Cotton Culinary, an award-winning subsidiary or Cotton Holdings, put out a decadent spread. Apps of fried oysters, fried quail, and Figgy Piggy sliders with pork belly and fried brie were followed by barbecued rib-eye with Astro Alex Bregman’s Breggy Bomb sauce, as well as lobster mac ’n’ cheese, twice-baked potato casserole, and, for dessert, bread pudding with Jack Daniels cream sauce.

Also on the menu on opening night: a surprise performance by Grammy-nominated country artist Cole Swindell.

The souped-up tent also boasted a special VIP room, the “Gold Pony” lounge, where the décor featured white roses and disco-ball accents. VIPs in attendance included hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta, designer-milliner Teressa Foglia, TV personalities Chita Craft and Derrick Shore, and Cotton execs Bryan Michalsky, James Scaife, Johnny Slaughter, Russel White and Zinat Ahmed.

Tilman Fertitta and Pete Bell

Cole Swindell performs

Teressa Foglia, Tyler Wild, Zinat Ahmed

Norbert Tran, Travis Bice, Russell White

Samantha Knight, Lauren Halle, Bill Sisson, Madeline Dill

Over 650 guests joined Cotton Holdings and Quanta Services in the Cotton 'Q Club

Travis Bice, Hayden Layne, Matt Thompson, Louis Martinez, Jesse Luke

Cotton Holdings CEO Pete Bell and Quanta Services CEO Duke Austin

Entry Sign to the Gold Pony VIP Lounge

From Your Site Articles
Parties
promoted

Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

Keep Reading Show less
food

Thompson Hotel’s Toca Madera Is Latest ‘Vibe Dining’ Destination to Bring the Heat

The patio at Toca Madera (photo by Connie Anderson)

EXPERIENTIAL, OR “VIBE,” dining has been trending for a few years now in Houston, from restaurateurs who assume that diners want more than just a meal. Well, they all just got some stiff competition with the opening of Toca Madera in the Pavilion at The Allen.

Keep Reading Show less
Food
real estate

Summer Real Estate Report: Crunching the Numbers!

The pool at Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Woodlands

IS A HEALTHY, balanced real estate market finally here? Per HAR data, the answer is ... kind of? Inventory is at the highest level since 2011, prices are holding steady, and the city and metro area continue to grow in population. Having lost population after Harvey and Covid, the city welcomes significant yet sustainable growth — and a housing market that can handle it.

Keep Reading Show less
Home + Real Estate