Houston Private School’s Hogwarts Dining Room Serves as Grand Stage for City’s Top Chefs
One Extraordinary Sunday Supper
BY Shelby Hodge // 11.05.19Pitmaster Ara Malekian, Chef coordinator Kate McLean, Roost chef Kevin Naderi (Photo by Emily Jaschke)
Farm-to-table dining was surely never tastier than when 25 of Houston’s leading chefs combined their culinary skills in one kitchen for Urban Harvest’s 25th anniversary Sunday Supper, this year’s event held in the Hogwarts-reminiscent dining hall at St. John’s School. Yes, the entire menu, including hefty hors d’oeuvres, was fresh-from-the-fields, fresh-from-the-barnyard.
The extraordinary chef support and supply of fresh ingredients comes as no surprise to those who’ve visited Urban Harvest’s Saturday farmers market, where you might find chefs Chris Shepherd, Mark Holley and Richard Kaplan perusing the offerings from the more than 70 vendors who present their products in the St. John’s School parking lot at Buffalo Speedway.
Tony’s former chef who has added food writing to her skill set, Kate McLean organized the two dozen plus one toques, all of whom when not in the St. John’s School kitchen on this night were out front mingling with guests. Lucky for organizers, it was a beautiful night for enjoying cocktails and savoring the vast array of appetizers in the dining hall courtyard.
Joining the chef-centric party were El Topo, Avondale Food & Wine, Tony’s chef Austin Waiter, Politan Row, El Meson, Little Kitchen HTX, Killen’s, Eunice chef Drake Leonards, Harlem Road BBQ, Weights and Measures chef Richard Kaplan, Roost chef Kevin Naderi, Currant Kitchen, Sparrow Cookshop chef Monica Pope, Picos, UB Hospitality, Nobie’s and Harlem Road Texas BBQ’s Ara Malekian all contributed. Imagine all of those chefs maneuvering back and forth in the dining hall’s kitchen.
When it came time to be seated for dinner, the 288 guests gathered around circular tables where servers presented platters of the chef-prepared courses, each served family style.
Chefs in the kitchen included Dominick Lee of Poitín, Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s, David Cordua of YUM Hospitality, and Felipe Riccio of Rosie Cannonball. The menu featured Dos Brisas Delicata squash, La Lira Rossa Ravioli, Liberty Provisions Lamb Biryani, Masala Medley and Mole Coloradito. The dessert course was Salted Chocolate Cremeux, Rio Grande Organics Pecan Shortbread and Candied Meyer Lemon Anglaise.
And what would dinner be without libations? Wine from Dionysus Imports complimented the dinner while earlier guests sipped on signature cocktails — Garden Variety with Wheatley Vodka, Apple Spiced Old Fashioned with Cutwater Rye Whiskey and Turnip Up The Beet with Roxor Gin. And St. Arnold Brewing Company provided the brewskies.
The event raised more than $100,000 for Urban Harvest programs including community gardens, youth education and farmers markets. Thanking all for their participation was Tyler Horne, Urban Harvest’s director of farmers markets. The next Sunday supper will be held in May at the oh-so-chic Tony’s.