Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Ron Powers gave an emotional speech about his family’s struggles with mental illness at the Hope and Healing Center & Institute’s Chrysalis Award luncheon. … Career and Recovery Resources’ Barrier Breaker Award lunch, honoring Ed and Gwen Emmett and Philamena and Arthur Baird, raised more than $250K. … A lively Sunday brunch at the Four Seasons doubled as a fundraiser for the Great Age Movement, which promotes learning and socialization among seniors. Jazz performances and ballroom dancing dazzled the crowd of 200. … Designer David Peck and his wife chaired the Judy’s Mission Possible lunch at the Houstonian, raising funds for early-detection and ovarian cancer research at MD Anderson. … The Latin Women’s Initiative’s annual fashion show lunch was as festive as ever, featuring designs by Andrés Otálora — and tequila shots. … At River Oaks Country Club, the Mayor’s Literacy Breakfast honored the Houston Dynamo and Dash teams.
This morning, Dandelion Cafe owner Sarah Lieberman appeared on GMA to share how Hurricane Beryl and the resulting power outages affected the city's food community. Southern Smoke Foundation joined the morning show to surprise Lieberman's employees with $4,800 in disaster relief funds. CashApp also surprised the all-day cafe, which has a second location on the Rice campus, with a $10,000 donation.
As Houston is painfully aware, more than 2.2 million people lost power after Beryl whipped through the area, and restaurants paid a particularly high price in lost food and revenue. Lieberman estimates that around $50,000 worth of food, including staples like milk and eggs, had to be thrown out. Upon the power being restored, she and her team spent two days cleaning, restocking and prepping before reopening July 17 with a limited menu.
“Not only did we lose revenue and stock, but our employees suffered from the lack of work,” she said. “Some of these employees have been with us since I opened the cafe in 2016. We can only try to recoup some of this loss through the generosity and support of our community and customers.”
Six employees of Dandelion Cafe received individual relief funds from Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation. Per a release, the group visited with additional interested staff members about the application process following the GMA appearance. Since Beryl, SSF has received more than 800 applications for financial assistance from food and beverage workers in crisis.
Foodies, Mark Your Calendars: Pop-Ups, Culinary Stars and a Hot Sauce Contest Coming Soon
GET YOUR SUMMER fix of family fun, Japanese delicacies, Houston hot sauce and local produce at these eclectic pop-ups!
Summer Jam at Moody Center for the Arts
Summer Jam event
Break away to Summer Jam July 20, from 12-5pm at the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University. This family-friendly event offers an indoor farmers market, art activities, games, music from DJ Perez and complimentary drinks from Saint Arnold Brewery. The Moody has activated both floors of the cool building and the theater, in addition to the gallery spaces, allowing guests to see the current exhibition Resonant Earth. Stay the whole day for an interactive planetarium, local food vendors, face-painting, and a scavenger hunt. The event is free and $6 parking will be available in West Lot 4. A schedule of events can be found here.
Uchiba x Oheya Takeover
Oheya by Uchi
Back by popular demand, Uchiba, Uchi’s dynamic izakaya- inspired cocktail bar and restaurant, will pop-up at omakase spot Oheya, July 22-23. Indulge in nine courses of top tastings, exclusive cocktails and local beers. A peek of the menu reveals shrimp katsu skewer, pho wagyu dumpling and “watermelon perfect pair” with goat cheese and fig chutney.
Hope Farms Hot Sauce Competition
Hope Farms entrance
Who makes the best hot sauce in Houston? Get ready for some fiery competition Aug. 3 as Recipe for Success presents its inaugural “Comin’ In Hot” Pro-Am Hot Sauce Competition.
The event takes place at Hope Farms from 11am-1pm. Five Houston chefs will battle it out along with daring Houstonians who can enter the competition via registration (amateur spots are limited to 10). A $5 donation, which you can make online, will give you a taste of all the entries and chance to judge the best hot sauces from among all the contestants. Sip free beer from Saint Arnold Brewing, savor Hope Farms botanical beverages, groove to the music, and play yard games. Don’t miss out on this spicy showdown – click here to get your tickets!
Diaspora Dinner at Guard & Grace
Chef Tristen Epps
Chef Tristen Epps, a 2024 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef South, has moved back to Houston ten years after leaving his post as sous chef of the Four Seasons Houston for jobs in NYC, Denver and Miami. He intends to make his mark on the Houston culinary scene with Buboy, an Afro-Caribbean tasting menu concept slated for a 2025 debut. Epps is kicking things off with a pop-up dinner series taking over the private dining space at Guard & Grace Friday and Saturday nights between July 19 and August 3. Each night, he’ll present an intimate seven-course dinner highlighting Afro-Caribbean foodways explored through the lens of modern cuisine and Houston’s global influences.
Michelin Guide
It’s official: the Michelin Guide, the authority on fine dining, is coming to Texas! Inspectors have already started scouring Houston, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth, but plan to zoom in on San Antonio for its first edition, according to a press release. In partnership with Travel Texas, San Antonio has been touted as the Culinary Capital of Texas and one of two U.S. cities named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. The inaugural edition of The Michelin Guide Texas will be announced later this year.