food

The Truffle Masters Returns — with a New Competition — Benefitting Southern Smoke

The Truffle Masters Returns — with a New Competition — Benefitting Southern Smoke

THE TRUFFLE MASTERS is returning for its 11th year on March 3rd. Now a Houston tradition of sorts, the competition sees top chefs creating a dish using black truffles all benefitting Southern Smoke.

Thirty chefs are competing including new Michelin star laureates Chef Michaela Arzola of March and Chef Felipe Botero of Le Jardinier. Other restaurants participating include Uchi, Okto, The Kennedy, Hidden Omakase and Leo’s.

In a first for The Truffle Masters, a cocktail competition has been added! VIP guests will be able to to sample creations by Javier Ruano of BCN/MAD, Afzal Kaba of Musaafer, Fredy Nunez and Mo Jalal of Wild and Wooster’s Garden before a panel of judges will award The Truffle Masters' first-ever Cocktail Master. Cheers!

Southern Smoke Foundation is dedicated to providing emergency relief, mental health services and financial assistance to food and beverage industry workers in crisis. Founded by Chris Shepherd, Southern Smoke has distributed over $10 million in direct assistance to hospitality professionals facing medical emergencies, natural disasters and unexpected hardships.

The competition takes place The Revaire and tickets are available here.

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Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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Gwen Stefani, Amal Clooney and Others Arrive in Houston This Weekend for Major Downtown Conference

A giant astronaut now looks over Discovery Green where the PCMA conference will host its opening event

AMAL CLOONEY, LIZ Cheney and Brené Brown will be in Houston this week to speak at the Professional Convention Management Association’s annual conference. Houston First is bringing the conference — for meeting-planners who work on behalf of companies and associations to book conventions — to town. Houston First president and CEO Michael Heckman has referred to the event as “the Super Bowl of our industry,” as the organization hopes to book $200 million in new incremental business over the next five years.

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New Year, New Mocktails: Here Are Some Decidedly Not-Boring NA Concoctions to Try Now

Windsor Fire cocktail at Marigold Club

HOUSTON BARS AND restaurants are making the most of Dry January by revamping their cocktail and mocktail lists. Increasingly, patrons are searching for non- and low-alcoholic options to capitalize on health and wellness benefits — and the city's best mixologists are taking note. Standard offerings like a virgin mule or a fun lemonade remain, but read on for some of the more inventive mocktails you'll find on menus around town!

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Food