You don't want to miss this.
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Will you come to dinner on November 3?

2025 Chef Brigade

Founding Chefs 

Randy Evans – H-E-B Restaurants; formerly Brennan’s & Haven

Pedro Garcia – El Meson 

Greg Martin – Retired; formerly Bistro Menil & Café Annie 

Barbara McKnight – Culinaire 

Ryan Pera – Coltivare, Eight Row Flint 

Claire Smith – Retired; formerly Daily Review, Canopy, Shade & Alice Blue

With

David Buckley – Succulent

Erik Cruz – Georgia James

Dominick Lee – Augustine

Lucas McKinney – Josephine’s

Sebastien Laval & Adam Paul — Jackson & Co. collaborating 

Featuring

Presenting Sommelier

55Seventy

It is my honor and joy to invite you to join Will and me in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Recipe for Success Foundation at this year’s Delicious Alchemy Banquet on November 3. For two decades, Gracie and Bob Cavnar have poured their hearts into reimagining how children and families connect with food, health, and one another. This fall, we will gather in their honor to raise a glass—and raise vital support—for the work they so boldly began at their own kitchen table.


If you have ever attended Delicious Alchemy, you know this is no ordinary gala. The Houston Chronicle calls it “the ultimate dinner party”—and with good reason. On this extraordinary night, ten acclaimed chefs will come together to craft an unforgettable ten-course feast. From twilight cocktails in the Cavnar Foundation Chef’s Garden to the long king’s table set in the United Healthcare Gathering Barn—festooned with farm-grown flowers illuminated by flickering candlelight, the evening is designed to delight every sense while fueling a mission that changes lives.


Recipe for Success has always been about more than just food—it’s about transformation. From teaching children to love their vegetables, to providing fresh produce for vulnerable families, to training the next generation of urban farmers, the Foundation’s work ripples out across our community. And none of it is possible without you.


This year, in celebration of our 20th anniversary, we are excited to introduce a special giving opportunity: the $20,000 Visionary Bon Vivant. Along with exclusive seating and recognition, Bon Vivants will enjoy an elevated wine flight and private butler service. This intimate evening serves as our way of expressing gratitude for your extraordinary commitment to the next twenty years of impact.


That’s why we are asking you to be part of this milestone year in a meaningful way. Whether as a Bon Vivant, an Epicurean host, or an individual seat, your participation does more than secure your place at the table—it fuels programs that teach, empower, and inspire healthier futures for thousands of children and families. Together, we can ensure that the next twenty years of Recipe for Success are as bold and impactful as the first.


Please join us around the table for an enchanting evening and an enduring cause. With your help, we can raise a toast to Gracie and Bob’s vision and keep this work thriving for decades to come.


With gratitude and anticipation,

Virginia McMullen
Chair-Delicious Alchemy Banquet and 20th Anniversary Celebration

I am sick to miss this fabulous dinner, but would like to support your work with a donation.

Chaired by Virginia & Will McMullen honoring founders, Gracie and Bob Cavnar, this delicious evening of food and wine features 10 extraordinary chefs creating 10 exquisite courses celebrating 20 years of Recipe for Success Foundation's impact.

READ ABOUT OUR OG'S WHO HELPED GRACIE CREATE AND LAUNCH RECIPE FOR SUCCESS FOUNDATION IN 2005

Founding Chef, Randy Evans taught monthly cooking classes to 4th graders at our pilot school, MacGregor Elementary for ten years, during his tenure at Brennan's, and as he created and launched his own restaurant, Haven. Randy regularly hosted the annual winner of our "My Favorite Food" storywriting contest to an experience as sous chef in his professional kitchen and treated his classes to lunch in his restaurant. He regularly cooked for our fundraisers and went with us to the White House to showcase our work for chefs from across the country. Dozens of Randy's recipes remain in the culinary cannon of our Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ curriculum.

Founding Chef, Pedro Garcia taught monthly cooking classes to 4th graders at our pilot school, Gross Elementary for our entire eight-year pilot there. Pedro regularly treated his classes to lunch at El Meson, which was frequently the first time they had visited a full service establishment. He often cooked for our fundraisers, frequently showcasing his enormous paella pan for delighted guests. Pedro went with us to the White House in 2012, to showcase our chef driven initiative to inspire thousands of chefs from across the country to get involved in their own community's schools. Pedro most recently taught a class at Hope Farms with the help of his 7-year-old granddaughter.

Founding Chef, Greg Martin taught cooking classes to 4th graders at our pilot schools, MacGregor and Rodriguez Elementaries, during his tenure with Cafe Annie and after launching his own restaurant, Bistro Menil. On Randy's departure, Greg assumed the honor of hosted the annual winner of our "My Favorite Food" storywriting contest to an experience as sous chef in his professional kitchen. He has regularly cooked for our fundraisers through the years, both in private homes and at Hope Farms, including several Chefs in the Fields dinners and as a regular fixture for Delicious Alchemy. Greg's cooking classes for both adults and kiddos at the farm are always popular.

Founding Chef, Barbara McKnight taught monthly cooking classes to 4th graders at our pilot school, Briscoe Elementary throughout our decade-long program there. She took exceptional pleasure in helping the kiddos make the connection between the produce growing in their garden to the dishes they created together in the kitchen--the backbone of our Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™. She went with us to the White House to showcase our work for chefs from across the country and serves on our Executive Board of Directors, mobilizing her entire team to for our fundraisers each year.

Founding Chef, Ryan Pera taught cooking classes to 4th graders at our pilot school, Henderson Elementary, during his tenure with The Grove and after launching his own restaurant Coltivare and hospitality group, Agricole. Ryan regularly appeared as a featured chef as a part of our appearances at festivals throughout the city, especially Discovery Green. His Revival Market hosted our Eat This! Summer Campers each year, awarding their best product with space on his shelves. He regularly cooks for our fundraisers including inaugurating our Chefs in the Fields dinner when his team built the the fire station at the farm.

Founding Chef, Claire Smith taught cooking classes to 4th graders at our pilot school, NQ Henderson, while attracting national attention for her groundbreaking approach to food in her growing Houston restaurant group, including Daily Review, Canopy and Alice Blue. She loved hosting her kiddos for field trips to Canopy, giving them etiquette tips and special taste treats. Claire regularly cooked for our fundraisers through the years, both for small dinners in private homes and as a regular fixture for Delicious Alchemy. She is coming out of retirement to help celebrate our twentieth anniversary year.