Star Chefs Team Up for Wellness Week

03282018_IHWSH_aescottdesignsphotography-7

It’s no secret that prolific chef-restaurateur Ryan Pera — Coltivare, Revival Market, and about a million forthcoming restaurants — is a busy guy. But his wife, Lori Choi, can keep up. A vascular surgeon by day, she founded I’ll Have What She’s Having in 2017. Her nonprofit raises healthcare funds for female food and beverage industry workers, and is celebrating its first-ever WellWeek Oct. 7-13, a series of events that promote mental health awareness.


The initiative kicks off on Sunday with the Depressed Cake Shop, a bake sale and cake auction at Silver Street Studios, “to remind us that one in five Houstonians can have trouble appreciating the sweetest things about life,” says Choi.

On Monday at The Dunlavy, a Happy Birth Day pop-up dinner, prepared by chefs Jane Wild (The Dunlavy), Jill Bartolome (Aqui) and Dawn Burrell (Kulture), benefits the Shades of Blue Project, which supports minority women with postpartum depression.

And throughout the week, restaurants — including Feges BBQ, Morningstar, Nancy’s Hustle, Paulie’s, all of Pera’s popular spots, and more — will offer a mocktail or “depressed” dessert on their menu, to spark conversation. “We're aiming to stimulate conversation and chip away at the stigma associated with mental illness that may prevent our friends and loved ones from seeking the help they need,” says Choi. Proceeds from the campaign benefit Legacy Community Health mental health services, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Southern Smoke Foundation.

For more on Choi and Pera, see “Make It a Double! H-Town Power Pairs,” CityBook’s list of Houston’s most dynamic duos, in this newsletter and in the October issue out now.

Wellness+Giving Back
Cool for ‘Schools’! CIS Wants to Transport You to a Whimsical ‘Wonderland’ at Milestone Gala

CIS 2024 Gala Honorary Co-Chair Judy Tate, Co-Chair Lauren Brollier, Co-Chair Cassie Milam, Honorary Co-Chair Kirby McCool

WHETHER YOU PREFER Alice, the Mad Hatter or the Queen of Hearts, Communities In Schools of Houston’s A Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary GalaA Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary Gala is not to be missed! Join in the celebration for a whimsical good time on Thursday, April 4th, at the luxurious Post Oak Hotel.

Keep Reading Show less

IN THE SEVENTH annual portfolio, meet luminaries from all walks of life who have helped make Houston — and beyond — a better place. Sponsored by Valobra Master Jewelers

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

SINCE OPENING IN 2019, it’s been hard to get a reservation at Traveler’s Table, the global-cuisine eatery on Westheimer. Now, a more accessible version of the popular resto — yet, still stylish and modern with environs designed by Gin Braverman — is opening this week on Montrose Boulevard at West Gray.

Keep Reading Show less
Food