Top Houston Hotel Chef Wows With a Special Four-Course Wine Dinner — Don’t Sleep On Post Oak Hotel’s Roger Altamirano
When a Vital CanCare Dinner Provides a Rare Chance To Shine
BY Shelby Hodge //
Cheers to the T.J. Farnsworth table at CanCare's 'Hope Uncorked' dinner. (Photo by Jacob Power)
Seldom do hotel chefs get to exercise their chops at the highest level as they are most often tasked with creating/cooking meals for crowds of 500, 700 even 1,000 people. But when CanCare hosted its fourth annual wine dinner at The Post Oak Hotel, executive sous Chef Roger Altamirano was given the opportunity to strut his culinary stuff for a mere 150 diners. He soared.
The four course dinner, paired with wines provided by table hosts, delivered at a level not experienced outside of a fine dining restaurant. Picture salmon beetoot gravlax with blinis and beets; foie stuffed quail with cauliflower mousseline, blueberry wine sauce and heirloom carrots; dessert tastings of dark chocolate mousse, pear compote, vanilla sponge cake, salted caramel and vanilla chantilly.
Much admired retired chef Mark Cox consulted with Altamirano on the amazing, beautifully executed menu.
Franelle Rogers and Robert Sakowitz chaired the “Hope Uncorked” fundraiser that saw more than a dozen table hosts provide wines, paired with the menu, for their table guests We didn’t count the glasses on neighboring tables, but the head table had no less than nine wine glasses per setting. At our table of 10 that would be a crystal jungle of 90 wine glasses.
Wine hosts for the evening were Lisa Blackwood and Steve Newmyer, Lesha Elsenbrook and Ellie Francisco, Margaret and T.J. Farnsworth, Mignon and Steve Gill, Cathy and David Herr, Caroline and Gary Kenney,
Alexis and Michael Leiser, Dean Putterman, Dr. Madaiah Revana, Elizabeth and Alan Stein, Kimberly and Guy Stout, Kim and Mike Weill as well as Rogers and Sakowitz.
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
For those unfamiliar with the good works of CanCare, president and CEO Darcie Wells explained that the nonprofit pairs cancer patients with survivors who have traveled the same journey. CanCare volunteer Ken Tubman, who lost his wife to cancer, spoke on the power of having a survivor by your side and the hope that it brings to the patients.
It was a lively evening that was not slowed by the three-piece live auction conducted by Stephen Lewis. A highlight? An Alexana Winery trip in Oregon, donated by Dr. Madaiah Revana, went in spirited bidding for $13,000.
PC Seen: Kirby and David Lodhol, Gaye Lynn and Stuart Zarrow, Denise Monteleone, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Stephen Gill, Rose Cullen, Cathy Brock, Shelley and Lee Boyer, Kristen Cannon, Jodi and Josh Skorupski, Mark Berman, Fady Armanious, and Bill Baldwin, Karen and Murry Penner, Barbara and Peter Forbes, Gregg Reyes and Paola Montoya.
