Houston’s Big Brunch Brings Out Top Chefs, Raises $225,000

This is No Ordinary Meal

By Shelby Hodge // Apr 9, 2019

Photography Daniel Ortiz

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Joy Winkler Chapman, Yelena Grinina, Tracy Faulkner, and Rachel Fischer at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Bob & Ellen Sanborn, Buddy Steves at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Larry Wisniewski and Krista Frazier at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Chef chair David Cordúa, Susannah & Chris Watt at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Justin and Sarabeth Gaddis at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Paul Dewey, Rashena Flagg, Lisa Hernandez, and Alyssa Purcell at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Donald Bowers, Erich Almonte at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Courtney Robb, Kristen Schrag at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Marcus & Rhee Decuir at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Megan Pasquini, Kira Borlenghi at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Regina & Larry Payne at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Fallon Huff, Carie Lawson at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Anne & Mike Nemer at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Richard & Diana Logan at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Jacquie Baly, William Taggart at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Rory & Kayla Tolunay at the Children at Risk and Attack Poverty Big Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

What: Children At Risk and Attack Poverty “The Big Brunch — A Bridge to the Future”

Where: The Ballroom at Bayou Place

PC Moment: It was a hat party. It was a food fest. And it was a generator for the two nonprofits that recorded a shared $225,000 take by the end of the day. Hats were derigueur for the mid-morning fete that included a hat competition as well as a feast of brunch-inspired bites from some of the city’s leading chefs. And with chef David Cordúa joining Tracy and Harry Faulkner, Joy Winkler Chapman, Theresa Hildreth, Fallon Huff and Carie Lawson as event chairs, the cornucopia of yummy delights were no surprise.

Among chefs presenting brunch fare were Kiran Verma of Kiran’s Restaurant, Dominick Lee of Poitín Bar & Kitchen; Brandon Silva of Wooster’s Garden; Brandi Key, Kelly Laudadio and Jorge Valencia of LMN Hospitality; David Skinner of Eculent; and Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar. And, of course, as expected with any serious brunch, the Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s and vino flowed.

PC Seen: Children at Risk president and CEO Bob Sanborn, Attack Poverty president and CEO Richard Logan, Ericka Bagwell, Curry Glassell, Jenny and Steve Kinne, Kayla and Rory Tolunay, Buddy Steves, Melissa Wilson, Winnell Herron, Susannah and Chris Watt, Jacquie Baly, Krista Frazier and Larry Wisniewski.