Houston’s Night Of Michelin Chefs and Latin Excellence — BeDesign Knows How To Keep It Stylish

There is a certain Latin elegance that BeDesign owners Adrian Dueñas and Marcelo Saenz embody, an elegance that is reflected not only in their Houston emporium of contemporary high-end European design but also in their lifestyle. Which often overlaps into their business. They entertain with style both at home and in their Montrose store.

Consider the recent Chef Series No. 2, the second dinner soirée spotlighting a remarkable chef serving a sophisticated contingent of designers, architects and friends, a gourmet feast in the store’s second floor state-of-the-art Molteni & C flagship kitchen. The culinary magic was in the hands of Bastion Collection Chef Felipe Botero of Houston Michelin-starred restaurant Le Jardinier.

The kicker being that Botero would be serving dinner not only to the savvy clutch but also to fellow Michelin starred chef Luis Roger of BCN, who had been the designated chef at BeDesign‘s Chef Series No. 1 last year.

Dueñas and Saenz’s invite promised “an extraordinary evening celebrating the art of living where design, gastronomy and conversation meet in perfect harmony.” There is no doubt this night delivered on that. With cocktails on the ground floor, a seated dinner on the second and an art exhibition on the third.

The evening was framed by the latest Molteni&C collections including sofas, dining tables and armchairs creating a luxe tableau suggesting an elegant Italian residence.

Beyond the incredible meal which began with crab salad topped with a generous serving of caviar, the evening included a give-and-take between this writer Dueñas and both chefs. Perhaps most interesting was Roger’s question posed to Botero: If you were not a chef what would you be? His answer? An accountant.

Mouths dropped. Seriously?

Botero explained that he grew up in a household that was driven by organization and self-discipline, two cultivations that apply to accounting as well as to the structured culinary world.

The stylish Houston evening concluded with a move to the third floor where BeDesign had cleared an entire section to create a space for sophisticated artwork. Here, Houston’s McKay Otto was the first to show in the impromptu gallery. His works will remain on display through February.

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