Up in Smoke

Julie Soefer
Up In Smoke
THEY SAY WHERE there's smoke, there’s fire. Such is the case with the Southern Smoke dinner, during which five of Houston’s hottest chefs serve smoked meats. On Nov. 6, the HOUBBQ Collective — Underbelly’s Chris Shepherd, Oxheart’s Justin Yu, Coltivare’s Ryan Pera, and Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan of The Pass and Provisions — join many other highly sought-after chefs at the second-annual fundraiser, in hopes of topping last year’s $184,000 till for the MS Society. The donation will be made in honor of Shepherd’s friend and former sommelier, Antonio Gianola, who was diagnosed with MS in 2014.
Wellness+Giving Back
Wellness Pro LeBrina Jackson on Gratitude at the Holidays: It’s a ‘Reset Button for my Mind’

LeBrina Jackson

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Ally Shell and Martijn van Koolwijk

BLAME IT ON the Moon! Mercury Chamber Orchestra’s 2025 gala at the Thompson hotel — themed “Moonlight Serenade and chaired by Ally Shell and Martijn Van Koolwijk — was a night of glamour and big band vibes, raising more than $350,000 for the company.

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Art+Culture

Glenda and Russell Gordy and Alicia and Garrett Gordy (photo by Wilson Parish)

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