Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Hotel ZaZa Museum District
Reception: 6:30 PM | Dinner: 7:00 PM
Join Houston’s most acclaimed chefs for an extraordinary five-course dinner, each dish thoughtfully paired with exceptional wines. Building on 25 years of impact, this signature event has brought together culinary excellence and collective strength in support of our shared mission: providing food for better lives.
When our neighbors need us most, your partnership transforms this exceptional evening into lasting impact across Southeast Texas.
SAVOR THE EXPERIENCE
On May 5, supporters of the Houston Food Bank gathered at Hotel ZaZa Museum District for the organization’s 26th Annual Chefs’ Dinner—an unforgettable evening celebrating culinary excellence, philanthropy, and community impact. Thanks to the incredible generosity of attendees, the event raised an extraordinary $633,640, helping provide more than 1.9 million meals for neighbors across Southeast Texas.
Event Chairs Farah Ahmed and Tahir Qadir welcomed guests and inspired the room with heartfelt remarks that sparked an outpouring of support. The evening’s giving was elevated even further when an anonymous donor pledged to match up to $25,000 in contributions made that night, helping drive more than $61,000 in additional donations during the program.
Guests enjoyed an exceptional five-course wine dinner crafted by some of Houston’s most celebrated culinary talents, including Chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen, Chef Ope Amosu of ChòpnBlọk, Chef David Skinner of Eculent and Ishtia, Chef William Crutcher of Monarch and Hotel ZaZa, and pastry chef Alejandra Salas.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2026 Barbara Falik Humanitarian Award to Doe Florsheim and Henry Florsheim in recognition of their longstanding commitment to strengthening food security and supporting families in need.
During the program, Brian Greene, President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, shared exciting updates about the organization’s future, including plans for the groundbreaking of its newest facility and the continued expansion of services designed to meet growing community needs.
The evening brought together an inspiring group of civic and community leaders, all united by a shared commitment to helping the nearly one million food-insecure individuals living across the 18 counties served by the Houston Food Bank.
2026 PHOTO GALLERY
Relive the magic of the 26th Annual Chefs’ Dinner through our photo gallery, capturing the chefs’ culinary artistry and the delightful atmosphere shared by our guests. Click here for the full gallery, or look through some of the highlights below.
FEATURED CHEFS 2026
The culinary vision for Savor the Moment is coming into focus and we’re thrilled to introduce the extraordinary talent who will transform Hotel ZaZa into an unforgettable evening of flavor, artistry, and impact. These culinary artists represent Houston’s vibrant food scene at its finest, bringing their creativity and expertise to support our community’s most vulnerable neighbors.
Chef David Skinner | Eculent & Ishtia
A 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist, David Skinner is a Choctaw chef whose restaurant Ishtia was named one of Texas Monthly’s Best New Restaurants of 2025. His 18-course Indigenous tasting menu and live-fire cooking honor ancestral traditions through immersive storytelling.
Chef Ope Amosu | ChòpnBlọk
A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist, Ope Amosu’s ChòpnBlọk earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and was named one of The New York Times’ Best Restaurants in America for 2025. Raised in Houston as a child of Nigerian immigrants, he brings bold West African flavors and warm hospitality to Montrose.
Chef Benchawan “Chef G” Jabthong Painter | Street to Kitchen
The 2023 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Texas, Chef G earned back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands for Street to Kitchen’s unapologetically authentic Thai cuisine. Learning to cook at age six in her grandmother’s Central Thai restaurant, she brings bold, complex flavors to Houston with no shortcuts or compromises.
Chef William Crutcher | Monarch, Hotel ZaZa Museum District
Rising from line cook to Chef de Cuisine, William Crutcher creates meticulously handcrafted menus at Monarch that honor classical French technique. His culinary journey began in his grandmother’s Fulshear kitchen, where he taught himself French cooking from encyclopedias after losing his mother at age eight.
Chef Alejandra Salas | Pastry Chef and Consultant
Chef Salas is a Houston pastry chef and consultant whose résumé spans Bar Boulud, The French Laundry, and Bludorn, where she earned a 2021 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Pastry Chef of the Year nomination. Shaped by a childhood across Barcelona, Lima, and Mexico City, her desserts translate a life of movement into moments of pure presence — each one a reminder that the sweetest things deserve to be savored.
Chef Axel Dirolf | Houston Food Bank
Director of Culinary Services, Axel Dirolf is a Certified Executive Chef who brings European training and large-scale operational expertise to Houston Food Bank’s mission. From prestigious international hotels to theme parks and airline catering operations, he now ensures sustainable systems and standards reach more than 1 million families across 18 southeast Texas counties.
THE BARBARA FALIK HUMANITARIAN AWARD
The Barbara Falik Humanitarian Award honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to food security in our community, embodying the spirit and dedication of its namesake.
A Visionary Advocate
Barbara Falik was a tireless advocate, addressing food insecurity in Houston for over 18 years. Her grassroots determination and innovative thinking led to the creation of the Red Barrel Program, which became a cornerstone of food collection efforts in our community. Through her visionary leadership, the Red Barrel Program expanded to include over 250 grocery stores across Houston, providing more than 514,000 meals annually to those in need.
For nearly two decades, the Barbara Falik Humanitarian Award has recognized outstanding contributions to food security in Houston. Past recipients include:
- 2025: The Keegan Family, whose transformative support revolutionized our ability to nourish Houston’s most vulnerable children through the state-of-the-art Keegan Kitchen
- 2018: The Astros Foundation, whose volunteers packaged over 89,000 meals for those in need
- 2014: ABC-13, recognized for their Share Your Holidays Food Drive, which has been serving the community for over 35 years
- 2012: Scott McClelland, Armando Perez, and H-E-B, for their transformative partnership with the Houston Food Bank
The 2026 Barbara Falik Humanitarian Award is presented to Doe and Henry Florsheim, whose leadership has supported Houston’s food security efforts for decades.
Henry has served on the boards of the Houston Food Bank and DePelchin Children’s Center and currently chairs IM Houston. Doe served as Board Chair of the End Hunger Network before its merger with the Houston Food Bank and has twice chaired the Chefs’ Dinner. She continues her work with Children at Risk and the Baylor College of Medicine.
Together, their service across nonprofits and community organizations reflects a shared belief: building a healthier, well-nourished city requires long-term commitment and steady leadership.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR INVESTMENT
Your support of Houston Food Bank helps provide 120 million nutritious meals each year to over one million neighbors through 1,600+ community partners. By backing Chefs’ Dinner, you’re investing in more than food—you’re building systems that promote wellness, dignity, and resilience. Consistent access to healthy meals strengthens families, improves learning, boosts productivity, and empowers communities to thrive.
HOST COMMITTEE
The evening was made possible with support from the following Host Committee members:
Booker Family Foundation
Michele Dodson & Jeff Dodson
Sarah Fisher & Ken Fisher
Doe & Henry Florsheim
Joan Hessidence & Rick Wall
Colleen Keegan & Michael Keegan
Ruth Lopez & Steve Turley
The 26th Annual Chefs’ Dinner was a powerful reminder of what is possible when a community comes together—raising critical funds that will help provide nutritious food, essential resources, and hope for families throughout Southeast Texas.
For more information about Chefs’ Dinner please contact Adrien Turner at ATurner@houstonfoodbank.org