Dish-Houston

This Saturday is the 17th annual Sing for Hope benefit for Bering Omega Community Services.

Founded by internationally renowned opera singer and former Omega House volunteer, Camille Zamora, this event not only raises critical financial support for one of Houston’s most important and effective HIV/AIDS service providers, but also is one of the most unique and truly enjoyable evenings on Houston’s fall social calendar. Camille gathers a cast from around the nation to perform on the Wortham stage and deliver an evening of classical opera arias and popular Broadway show tunes.

The event is chaired by Angelica & Ed Chapman and Dr. Roland Maldonado & Joel Bickley and Gabriela & Daniel Dror will serve as this year’s Honorees for Sing For Hope. The gala will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2011, where the evening will include a Prelude dinner, Opera and an on-stage Encore! champagne reception for all sponsors. New this year we have our Sing For Hope After Party and we encourage everyone to join this exciting and fun crowd for some late nite bites, dancing and entertainment.

It's not too late to get tickets to the event itself and or just the after party. Celebrate the arts while raising money and awareness for those living with HIV/AIDS in the Houston Community. For tickets, email Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@beringomega.org or call her at 713-341-3760.

Monday night saw some of Houston's culinary stars come out for a celebration if giving back thanks to CNN 650's resident foodie, Cleverley Stone. Hosted by Pappas Bros. Steak House, Houston Restaurant Week founder and chair, Cleverley Stone, announced that a record $240,000 was raised for the Houston Food Bank during the 2009 event. Eighty-four restaurants participated in the city-wide culinary event, held Aug. 10–23; 64 restaurants extended their special menus through Aug. 31 following the success of the first two weeks of the event. Participating restaurants offered three-course gourmet dinners for $35 per person and pledged five dollars from each special meal sold to the Houston Food Bank.

“My most heartfelt thank you goes out to participating restaurants, Houston Restaurant Week sponsors, the event committee, the Houston Food Bank and the 48,000 Houstonians who joined in the effort to fight hunger in our city. Without the support of our generous community, we would not have been able to raise a record-breaking $240,000 to make the 2009 event the most successful to date,” said Cleverley Stone, founder and chair of Houston Restaurant Week.

“This event provided a great opportunity for everyone in the community to support the Houston Food Bank and at the same time have a fine dining experience. We sincerely appreciate the time, effort and expertise of Cleverley Stone, and we can’t thank her enough for her leadership and generosity in organizing the event. We’re so pleased with the results and are already looking forward to another successful Houston Restaurant Week next year,” said Brian Greene, president and CEO of the Houston Food Bank.

Established in 2003, this year’s Houston Restaurant Week raised more than three times last year’s total of nearly $80,000. Approximately 48,000 Houstonians dined at 84 participating restaurants throughout the greater Houston area; last year’s event attracted 53 participating restaurants. To date, the event has raised more than $356,000 to support hunger relief in Houston.

Seen in the crowd: Cleverley Stone, Kim Padgett, Kimberley Park, Edward Sanchez, Dr. Roland Maldanado, Ashley Allen with The Health Museum, David Cordua with Cordua Restaurants, Arthur Mooradian with Del Friscos

Oh wow what an amazing "soft opening"! This was a full blow out! Festari for Men has moved to the new building right next to the new RDG/Bar Annie. The new digs are GORGEOUS and actually very similar in layout to the former store. The layout was so perfect, why mess with it? The food and drinks were stellar and the crowd was beautiful. Debbie Festari was GORGEOUS in her short green leopard one shouldered dress and short sassy perfectly coiffed hair and delicious heals! Rudi Festari was casual in a light colored suit and yellow shirt. Also among the crowd aside from DISH-Houston of course were Robin and Charles Reimer, Dr. Roland Maldonado and Joel Bickley, Edward Sanchez, Carlos Hernandez of Houston's new Mercer Club, Yvette Gallucci, Mahek Sheh and Jeremy Little, Photographer Daniel Ortiz, Renee and Fernando Somoza, Dr. Michael and Rachel Brown.

It was fun to catch up with new and old friends! We all headed next door to RDG/Bar Annie for drinks. DISH enjoyed dinner with Robin and Charles Reimer. The dinning room is beautiful and simple all at the same time. Elegant and refined without being pretentious. The food is brilliant. The portions aren't too big and the white tail is devine! We all ordered different desserts and not one was lacking! Not too rich so you could actually enjoy them! People seen in the crowd in addition to the Festari group that had moved over were Mark D. Sullivan, Manfred Jachmich from So Vino, Jennifer Stein, Jim Parker and so many more! A great time was had by all!

The evening wound up at the new Mercer Club! You absolutely want to check that out when you can! It's the old Uropa but there is nothing OLD about this place! It's hot, hip, new and FUN! Ask for Carlos when you go and tell him DISH sent you!