Two restaurant newbies celebrated summer openings, beginning with Bosscat Kitchen & Libation’s bars inside The James and The Ivy apartment buildings in River Oaks. Residents and guests can enjoy signature cocktails from Bosscat’s bar director Matt Sharp, plus an exclusive menu of light bites. More foodie fun awaited at Poitín, Sawyer Yards’ newest arrival. The restaurant’s grand-opening bash benefited the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, and was full of funky touches like undercover comedians from The Secret Group and a drag show by Blackberri and friends. There was no shortage of beverages or bites — the pork belly apps were nicely washed down with colorful cocktails and beer from neighboring Holler Brewery and Green Flash Brewing Co.
Leadership in Action: For Bianca Bucaram, ‘Strong Network and Family’ Are Essential
Get to Know Bianca:
Bianca Bucaram, founder of The Bucaram PR Group and BXM Music, is a dynamic force in the public relations industry. She is known for her tenacity, empathy, and bilingual communication skills. As a local publicist with national reach, she blends local insights with broader impact, telling compelling stories that foster business growth and create opportunities.
Her ability to connect influencers, businesses, and nonprofits has set her apart, promoting prominent personalities while supporting meaningful causes.
How did you get to where you are today?
Bianca’s journey to success is marked by passion, persistence, and strategic storytelling. She founded The Bucaram PR Group, focusing on lifestyle clients, celebrities, and community leaders. Her firm has grown by blending traditional media outreach with relationship building, event management, artist development and more achieving significant results for her clients across various industries, including entertainment, fashion, sports, and music.
Who do you credit?
Bianca credits her success to her strong network of mentors, her family, and the community she serves. She acknowledges the support of her clients and the invaluable partnerships she has built over the years. Bianca is also deeply inspired by her commitment to giving back to her community, which continues to fuel her work in public relations and philanthropy.
What lessons have you learned that might enlighten and inspire others?
Bianca emphasizes the importance of showing up with kindness, resilience, and authenticity in everything you do. She has learned that building strong relationships and maintaining a positive attitude can open doors to opportunities that might otherwise remain closed. Bianca’s work ethic and dedication to her clients underscore her belief in the power of consistency, strategic planning, and adaptability in the ever-changing PR landscape.
What’s new in your life or work that you’re excited about?
Bianca is excited about her ongoing philanthropic work, including her involvement with the Global Empowerment Mission, where she has helped raise millions for disaster relief efforts. She is also thrilled about expanding her PR firm’s reach, after starting BXM music -- working with a diverse range of clients, and continuing to make an impact both locally in Houston and globally. Her efforts in supporting organizations like Maestro Cares, Marc Anthony’s nonprofit and creating successful campaigns reflect her passion for creating real change through her work.
She has been recognized as one of Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, named among the 100 Coolest People in the City by Houston CityBook, and received awards including the Woman of the Year in Advertising & Public Relations by the Ecuadorian American Chamber of Commerce. Her dynamic leadership continues to influence the industry while supporting charitable causes close to her heart.
At Marigold Club, Amid Martinis and Oysters, VIPs Alight to Toast CityBook’s Leaders & Legends
MANY OF THE city’s who’s-who gathered at the city’s buzziest venue to toast Houston CityBook’s 2024 “Leaders & Legends,” presented by The Village of River Oaks.
About 100 guests filtered past fabulous autos from event sponsor Bentley Houston into Chef Austin Waiter’s red-hot Marigold Club in Montrose on a balmy pre-holiday evening. They came to sip gin “Marigold Martinis” and other signature cocktails, and to nibble beautiful classics such as tartare of beef filet with whole grain mustard and thyme and freshly shucked Mere Point oysters in shallot mignonette. But mostly guests, along with reps of event sponsor Valobra Master Jewelers, were there to gladhand and celebrate this year’s class of honorees.
This 2024 group included Community Artists Collective co-founder Michelle Barnes, Recipe for Success and Hope Farms founder Gracie Cavnar, “Enchilada Queen” and cookbook author Sylvia Casares, hot Hamsa and Doris Metropolitan restaurateur Itai Ben Eli, and Raz Halili, whose Texas fishery is the first fully certified-sustainable fishery in North America.
Other 2024 leaders and legends included University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator, former Rice University president David Leebron, playwright ShaWanna Renee Rivon, jeweler and philanthropist Franco Valobra, and energy exec Bobby Tudor, who’s leading the effort to keep Houston the world’s energy capital — even as the industry pivots to sustainability and a greener future.
CityBook editor and CEO Jeff Gremillion made brief remarks and toasted each honoree. Jim Gray, founder and CEO of The Village parent company The Aspenwood Company, also welcomed the crowd.
“Leaders & Legends, our beautiful annual portrait collection, is the most revered and prestigious content we produce all year,” says Gremillion. “And the Leaders & Legends party — a lovely, lowkey affair at which honorees past and present can hobnob with other VIPs in a posh but relaxed setting — has become a highlight of the Houston social calendar.
“Everyone is talking about the Marigold Club, and we were delighted to partner with Chef Waiter and his amazing team for this year’s party. The attention to detail was extraordinary, and the food was elegant and delicious. Everyone had a wonderful time.”
Waiter’s complete menu also included chicken liver mousse gougères with preserved citrus jam and Argentinian shrimp cocktail with lemon and chives — all passed on silver trays by bow-tied and white-jacketed servers. For dessert, Marigold proffered chocolate friandswith chocolate cremeux, brûléed treacle tarts with citron crème and Earl Grey tarlets.
This year’s iteration of Leaders & Legends, created by Gremillion and Executive Publisher Lisa Holthouse, is the seventh for CityBook. Past honorees include Nobel laureate Jim Allison, billionaire mogul Tilman Fertitta, boundary-breaking prima ballerina Lauren Anderson, Astros owner Jim Crane, lifesaving medical researchers, civil rights leaders, artists, activists, fashion designers, members of congress, Olympic medalists, Tony- and Grammy-winning musicians, and top-tier philanthropists like Margaret Alkek Williams, Cynthia Petrello, Becca Cason Thrash and Lynn Wyatt.
The fall “Leaders & Legends” issue of CityBook is available on newsstands all over the city. The holiday issue hits at Thanksgiving.
Rubens Franz, Katia Lessa and Bernie Cantu
Phoebe Tudor and Connor Walsh
Bob and Gracie Cavnar and David Leebron
ShaWanna Renee Rivon
The Marigold Martini
Raz Halili
Jacquie Baly and James Craig
Brandon Weinbrenner and Todd Ramos
Tom and Robin Segesta
Austin Waiter
Shane Dante, Vanessa Iturbe, and Lin and Itai Ben Eli
Outside the Marigold Club
Felipe Riccio and Carrie Brandsberg Dahl
Dana Ely, Meredith Clark, Caimen Schneider and Shannon Waiter
Shawn Lynch, Jentry Kelley, Thy Mitchell and Kyle Denton
Leila Perrin and Beth Wolff
Tartare of beef filet with whole grain mustard and thyme
Jim Gray
Bill Stubbs, Lisa Holthouse and Kurt Grether
Jason Fuller
Samantha and Raz Halili
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- Your New Favorite Afternoon Tea: The Marigold Club - Houston CityBook ›
CITIZENS FOR ANIMAL Protection (CAP) is having a very merry holiday season, having raised a record-breaking $1 million at its annual gala in November.
With a theme of "Best in Snow," a seasonal play on the funny flick Best in Show, the glam gala took place at The Post Oak Hotel, where animal lovers (and their furry friends!) reveled in sparkling holiday decor. Event co-chairs Angela Hernandez and Carson Brown were thrilled with the turnout, which topped 700.
Guests were welcomed with espresso martinis from the ice bar, sponsored by Sire Spirits and Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi, and spent plenty of time perusing the Bourbon and Bubbles pull (more than 100 bottles!) and the silent auction. Once inside the blue-and-white-hued ballroom, the crowd cheered on the evening's honorees, who strutted their stuff alongside their pets. Andy Cerota and his pup Maxwell were crowned as the 2024 Celebrity Pets of the Year, with Dana and Blake Fertitta and their dogs Belle and Zoe were first runners-up.
Galagoers were also moved by the story of CAP’s Celebrity Canine Hero Award recipient, Bram Kohlhausen and his service dog Chip. And emcee Frank Billingsley was joined by Brittany Franklin during the "Paws Up" portion of the evening as well as the live auction.
Andy Cordes and Dawsel White
Steve and Daphne Savva with Jenga
Brenda and Bob Wempe, Paige Fertitta
Sandi Mercado, Jackie Clark
Carson Brown, Bram Kohlhausen and his service dog Chip, and Angela Hernandez
Robert Tijerina, Patrick Lancton
Champagne parade for live-auction winner
Patricia and Sig Cornelius
Chris and Kendall Hanno
Nick and Allison Boulle with Belle
Daniel Irion and Kirk Kveton
Marcellus Upshaw, Sandra Cooper Smith
David and Kirby Lodholz with Chucky
Liz and Peter Carragher
Dean Putterman and Ed Finger
Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman
Ember Strand, Frankie Demeris
Gloria and Frank Meszaros