Master Chefs

One of the most star-studded events in the food world rightfully came to H-Town. The James Beard Foundation broadcast its 2019 nominees during a ceremony in Houston, and on the eve of the announcement, the city’s top chefs hosted a Friends of James Beard benefit dinner at Hugo Ortega’s Caracol. Each of the several courses — plus the cocktails! — was crafted by a Beard-nominated or -winning chef, including Ortega, Robert Del Grande, Chris Shepherd, Justin Yu, Bobby Heugel and many others.

Paula Murphy and Quy Tran
Justin Yu, Chris Shepherd, Robert Del Grande and Hugo Ortega

Justin Yu, Chris Shepherd, Robert Del Grande and Hugo Ortega


Smoked brisket fritters by Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan

Party People
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!

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AS THE HOLIDAYS loom closer with celebrations and travel in the works, now is the time we start thinking about how to feel and look our best.

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People + Places

Julie Kent, Lauren Anderson, Stanton Welch

AN ELEGANT DINNER on the Wortham stage for dance patrons followed the opening night performance of the Houston Ballet over the weekend, a glittering first foray into what’s shaping up to be a typically busy fall social season.

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