Houston Influencers Take Over River Oak District’s Steak 48 to Launch the Social Season

Since landing in Houston with a beefy splash in 2016, Steak 48 has been consistently playing the good neighbor, opening the doors of its swank River Oaks District locale for the benefit of the city’s beloved nonprofits and saluting those who churn the cauldron of good works. On a recent evening, the steakhouse extraordinaire hosted a lavish but intimate dinner party for a select clutch of those who keep Houston rocking, rolling and giving.

Yours truly was official host for the “Launch the Season” evening that took place in a chic upstairs dining room where conversation focused not only on the pervasive delta variant of COVID-19 but also on the cautious return of charitable benefits, if not to the level of 2019’s uninhibited partying.

The true host of the evening was Steak 48 and the always-charming Oliver Badgio, chief brand officer of Prime Steaks Concepts, who jetted in from headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the evening.

“Houston is such a wonderful city in large part because of the philanthropic pursuits of so many people,” Badgio says. “We were honored that Shelby chose Steak 48 to launch the season, and the dinner was just a small token of our gratitude and appreciation for all the people that make our adopted city, Houston, the incredible place that it is.”

Since opening its doors, Steak 48 has, among other philanthropic efforts, hosted an End of Summer bash in 2018 for influencers and shortly after that a Houston Texans/March of Dimes benefit dinner, and in January of 2020 a fundraising dinner for 150, chaired by Becca Cason Thrash, benefiting the effort to rebuild Notre Dame.

The River Oaks District hot spot fêted key influencers in a big way on this late summer evening with flowing wines, passed hors d’oeuvres and an exceptionally generous menu including the popular crispy shrimp and Hawaiian poke, a choice of salad and a full array of meaty options. Filet mignon, New York strip, bone-in ribeye or tomahawk Berkshire pork chop or perhaps Chilean sea bass? Add  a host of sides and irresistible desserts. The assessment of the evening was unanimous — perfection on every level including service, food and surroundings.

PC Seen: Houston Ballet Trustee and executive board member  Beth Zdeblick and Nick Zdeblick, 2021 Woman of Distinction and Best Dressed honoree Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell and attorney Derrick Mitchell, Advent International operating partner Janet Gurwitch and McGuire Woods partner Ron Franklin, Tenenbaum‘s Tony Bradfield and Dr. Kevin Black, hair stylist to the stars Ceron, publicist Kathryn Smith and entrepreneur Jeff Smith, PaperCity publisher Monica and attorney Curtis Bickers, Allison and Kyle O’Neill, Kelley and Jeff Scofield, Public Content‘s Mark Sullivan, philanthropist and 2021 Best Dressed honoree Hallie Vanderhider, Tootsies Fady Armanious, Boulevard Realty’s Bill Baldwin, public relations guru Dancie Ware and attorney Jim Ware, Realtor Neal Hamil, and architect and University of Houston professor Shafik Rifaat.