parties

Ben Berg in His 'Prime': Opens Lucky No. 13 with a Fun, Food-Filled Bash

Michelle Watson
Ben Berg in His 'Prime': Opens Lucky No. 13 with a Fun, Food-Filled Bash

Stacy and Jason Johnson

COMBINE AN INTERESTING location, pretty people, fab food and Ben Berg's prowess — and a bit of actual fire — and you have the grand opening bash for Houston's hottest new restaurant.

Dozens of foodies filed in to Prime 131, the live-fire steakhouse and sushi spot from Berg Hospitality, which recently opened in a revamped industrial space called The Docks at Timbergrove. Pulling inspo from New York's trendy Meatpacking District back when it was still a tad grungy in the '90s, Prime 131 welcomed guests with Cosmopolitans and Tequila Sunrises. Bites like tuna tartare and lobster toast were passed around the space, which was a factory in a previous life, while other food was cooked over open flame at live-fire stations — Wagyu sliders and New York Strip, to name a few.

Further setting the tone for a fun night was muralist Donkeeboy, who created a New York-street-art-inspired piece onsite, and tunes from DJ Bories, who played grunge and hip-hop tracks accompanied by a live saxophone.

Besides sampling the juicy offerings fresh off the grill, guests got to try a selection of premium sashimi, nigiri and signature rolls at the sushi bar. They later wandered into the private-dining space to find an entire room dedicated to decadent desserts like mini Basque cheesecakes and citrus-meringue tarts.

Berg himself took to the mic to thank guests for supporting the opening of his thirteenth restaurant, and sent them on their way with a fire-themed swag bag (think s'mores and Palos Santos sticks).

The evening benefited Southern Smoke Foundation.

Wesley & Cassie Sinor, Lesli & John Giannukos

Alan & Roz Pactor, Robin & Tom Segesta

Ben Berg

Shephard Ross, Jonathan Levine

Shelley Ludwick, Lisa Hoover

Cindy & Allen Case

Roz & Alan Pactor

Dana Barton, Robert Clay

Russell & Stacie Jones, Lisa & Tom Laird

Disney & Max Harris

Ellie Francisco, Ben Berg, Michael Francisco

Melanie Camp

Executive Pastry Chef Ruchit Harneja, Leigh & Franck Savoy

John & Kristen Berger

Gail McCleese, Bradley Lau

Meg Reynolds, Sarah Schriever

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Food
art

Mystical New Show Depicts Artist’s Beautiful, Startling Narcoleptic Visions

'Technicolor Tombstone'

THERE IS A pivotal scene in The Matrix where Morpheus (played by a thoroughly in-shape Laurence Fishburne) prepares the film’s hapless hero (played by a pre-John Wick Keanu Reeves) for his jump into the proverbial rabbit hole by asking him, “Have you ever had a dream . . . that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
art

With Violins and ‘Virtual Turntables,’ a String Quartet’s Collab with a DJ Will Make You Rethink Classical Music

Apollo Chamber Players and, right, DJ Spooky

CAN MUSIC EXPRESS the sound of a melting ice cap? It’s a question Houston’s Apollo Chamber Players and New York-based composer, author, and multi-media artist Paul Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky, will explore Nov. 18 at the Burke Baker Planetarium in “Canceled,” a concert of works for string quartet, digital electronics, and A.I. generated visuals.

Keep Reading Show less