Ballet Dancers and Top Houston Chefs Heat Up The Kitchen For a Worthy Cause
The City's Best In Performing Arts and Restaurants Raise the Barre
BY Shelby Hodge // 05.13.25
Chef Chris Williams, demi-soloist Estheysis Menendez at Houston Ballet's 'Raising the Barre' dinner held at Caracol (Photo by Melissa Taylor)
Foodies hold on to your napkins because if you weren’t among the 160 lucky diners at Houston Ballet’s “Raising the Barre” dinner at Caracol, you’ll need that napkin to cry in. In the kitchen were four of H-town’s favorite chefs — Aaron Bludorn, Chris Willliams, pastry chef Rebecca Masson and host chef Hugo Ortega, each of whom partnered with ballet company dancers in the kitchen.
(Photo by Melissa Taylor)
Partnered respectively with soloist Danbi Kim, demi soloist Estheysis Menendez, first soloist Gian Carlo Perez and principal Chase O’Connell, the Houston chefs created dishes that reflected or were inspired by food from the dancers’ childhood/homeland. O’Connell swayed from that tradition opting to work with Ortega on a steak dish, a culinary salute to his pre-show ritual of enjoying a steak dinner.
No ordinary steak entree in Ortega’s hands. It was Picanha a las Brazos, a delicate grilled coulotte (sirloin) accompanied by black beans, mushroom zacahuil and pasilla mole. This is a dish that turned out so well that it might even be added to Caracol’s menu.
Bludorn and Kim presented a refreshing sesame crusted hamachi, accented by perilla, gochujang vinaigrette, marinated cucumbers and nori rice. This is Aaron Bludorn’s inspired take on a dish from Kim’s childhood in Korea. For the second course, Menendez and Williams created a decadent lobster stew, highlighted by jalapeño pesto, citrus panko and plantain fufu. The dish honored the demi soloist’s global background with a nod to Cuba through the plantains.
Fluff Bake Bar owner and pastry chef Masson and first soloist Gian Carlo Perez concocted Pastelilos de Guayaba. Drawing from his Cuban roots, the decadent dessert featured a rich cream cheese ice cream topped with a honey drizzle- reminiscent of the sweet treats he would make after school. Masson also gifted everyone departing with polvorónes shortbread cookies
The playful evening of Houston chefs and ballet dancers was chaired by Duyen and Marc Nguyen and Dr. Tatiana Sorkin and Michel Coret, who led the dinner $110,000 in proceeds, surpassing the goal for the Houston Ballet event.
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PC Seen: Houston Ballet artistic director Julie Kent, Kristy Bradshaw, Kelley Lubanko, Leigh Smith, S. Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, Anne and Albert Chao, Jo Furr, Beth Muecke, Patti Murphy, Laura and Brannon Robertson, Lindsey Brown, Victoria Gutierrez and Nick Pierce, Carey Kirkpatrick, Liliana Soltero and Mike Hawkins, and Lenni and Bill Burke.
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