Houston’s Top Chefs Do Table Service in This Foodie Dream Night: 28 Kitchen Geniuses Get Creative For a Worthy Cause

Potente/Monarch Hospitality chef Danny Trace might have remained in the glow of Minute Maid Park Monday night for the Houston Astros home opener but before he relinquished his post at the annual Bon Vivant dinner, he created a five-course menu which in the able hands of chef Jorge Xiquin had his table of 10 swooning. Consider, for example, his to-die-for entree — Amarone braised veal cheeks with Texas mushroom risotto and Covey Rise squash.

Trace and 27 other of the city’s most notable chefs put their best culinary creations forward in the ballroom of the Royal Sonesta Hotel for the ninth annual fundraiser during which the chefs cook for a handful of very lucky diners. Among the chefs, Olivier Ciesielski wowed his table, guests  as he poured liquid nitrogen over the dry ice before it chilled his tropical ceviche course.

“It’s a fun night. There is no competition between the chefs here. Everyone just wants to have a good time and cook something special,” Ciesielski said in his charming French accent.

While the 288 guests savored every bite, they raised a net $170,000 for Youth Development Center‘s enrichment programs  benefiting the underserved in the Fifth Ward. The funds are much needed for the program that is expanding its profile, moving into a new 20,000 square foot home that will allow for expanded programming and room for more youngsters’ after-school tutoring classes.

Ah, the aromas that filled the ballroom as guests poured in to take their seats: the fresh-from-the-oven brioche from Hotel ZaZa’s station, the axis venison chop roasting in chimichurri from chef Elizabeth Stone‘s SilverStone Events corner, and the Wagyu beef with prosciutto simmering at Jonathan’s the Rub space. Chef Jonathan Levine was also working on meatballs marinara, a special request from the host that purchases his table year after year.

We had hoped to snag Artisan’s chef Jacques Fox for the evening, but he went to the top table buyer, who seems to make the largest contribution each year in order to have first dibs on his favorite chef.

The coterie of contributing chefs included Alice Blue’s Kent Domas, Ara’s Robert Graham, Brenner’s on the Bayou’s Ryan Braden, Capital Grille’s Ricardo Vargas, Cherry Block’s Felix Florez, Edison & Patton’s Jordan Economy, El Meson’s Pedro Garcia, Grotto Downtown’s Sean Hochstein, Harlem Road Texas BBQ’s Ara Malekian, Harolds’ Richard Knight, Helen Greek Food and Wine’s William Wright, Hotel ZaZa’s Dan Landsberg, Hubbell & Hudson’s Austin Simmons, Izakaya’s Jean-Philippe Gaston, Killen’s STQ’s Teddy Lopez, Kuu’s Adison Lee, Maison Pucha’s Manuel Pucha, Reef’s Brian Caswell, Riel’s Ryan Lachaine, Roost’s Kevin Naderi, 1600 Bar and Grille’s Jose Quintanilla, Sud Italia’s Maurizio Ferrarese and Weights + Measure Fernando Rios. 

Applause, applause for chairs Rob Hallett of Grenadier Energy Partners, Kristen Barley of Spindletop Charities, Richard Flowers of The Events Company, and Melissa and Doug Fordyce of Lazard for the record turnout of chefs and guests.

Who: YDC board chair Jennifer Whitley and husband Ryan, YDC executive director Mary Nell Jones, Sabrina Hallett, Rita and Wade Smith, Marcia and Flo Mata, Bonnie Hellums and Carol Stith, Patrice and Pete McKinney, Cynthia and Bucky Allshouse, Patricia Oliver, Marilyn and George DeMontrond, Patsy Fourticq, and Laura and Doug Kelly.