JoseGrinan's Blog

Dishing out Dollars for Culinary Excellence

 

Close to a 150 restaurateurs, food suppliers, and folks who represented restaurant related services and products, gathered in the main ballroom at the Houstonian Tuesday night to induct the incoming president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association. I served as the emcee for the event.

 

This year’s new president is Ricardo Molina of Molina’s Restaurants. Congratulations! Molina succeeds Carl Walker of Brennan’s Restaurant, who’s been at the helm of the organization for the past two years.

 

Normally, these restaurant owners would be dishing out scrumptious plates of food. But on this night they were dishing out dollars to two young men, who have shown promise as future restaurateurs.  Both have demonstrated a passion for the industry and others noticed. Now, the two are being rewarded for their efforts with the Hospitality & Culinary Arts Scholarship. They both received $5,000 dollar scholarships to further perfect their culinary skills and business acumen.

 

Gabriel Gomez is a student at HCC with a GPA of 3.4. He donates most of his time to Navidad en el Barrio, which helps less fortunate children. He’d like to become the Executive chef at his own restaurant by age 35.

 

And, Jeff Jenkins is currently a student at the Conrad Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and plans to become a chef, owner, operator and investor in restaurants.

Reliant has underwritten this annual event for more than half a dozen years. It’s President and CEO, Mark Jacobs was the night’s guest speaker.

(l-r) Mark Jacobs, Reliant, Ricardo Molina, incoming GHRA president, Carl Walker, outgoing GHRA president, and Carmelo Mauro, Texas Restaurant Association president.

 

Among the guests offering congratulations and words of wisdom to the scholarship recipients was Rosemary Garbett, founder of Los Tios Mexican Rstaurants.

 The GHRA has been in existence since 1949. And among its membership are many, if not most, of Houston’s fine dining restaurants.

Throughout the year, in addition to running their restaurants, members raise money for charitable causes and to cover the costs of the annual scholarships.

Now, what word would you use to describe a very good meal?

Yummy?

Scrumptious?

Delectable?

Tasty?

Lip smackin’? (but only for barbecue and Cajun food)

Delicious?

Sabroso?

Exquisite?

If these don’t work for you, what’s your word to describe a very good meal?