Urban Harvest Sows a Never-Ending Feast, Reaps $100K

Daniel Ortiz

Katherine Chambers, Chris and Jennifer Laporte, Heather Houston

TOP CHEFS TEAMED up to raise $100,000 for Urban Harvest’s community gardens. The night began with open-air cocktail hour in the upstairs lounge and patio of Georgia James. Around 200 supporters sipped a fall cocktail made with Tito’s, and also indulged in the Champagne cart provided by Madame Zero. Bottoms up!

Janna Roberson, Urban Harvest’s Executive Director, ushered guests downstairs to the ultra-chic main dining room, where a six-course, family-style dinner awaited. Georgia James’ Scott Muns took on the first course: beef rillette and sourdough bread. Next up was Elaine Won of Dumpling Haus, who served perfectly crispy fried shrimp wontons. The third course was prepared by Matthew Hamilton of Rosie Cannonball; he created generous portions of butternut squash and mushroom pasta. Brasserie 19’s Michael Hoffman took the fourth course with roasted chicken and caramelized turnip, followed by Tim Reading of the not-yet-opened Leo’s, who cooked up pork loin with toasted Texas pecans.

For dessert, you ask? Hoffman and Hamilton collabed on a to-die-for panna cotta. (Yes, everyone made room.)

Urban Harvest provides community-garden programming, farmers markets, gardening classes and youth education to Houstonians.