A one-of-a-kind evening with some of the world’s top culinary talents to celebrate the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Chef Tom Cunanan is the chef owner of Soy Pinoy and winner of the 2019 James Beard Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic. He first gained experience in kitchens across Washington, D.C., including Vidalia, Bibiana and Ardeo + Bardeo, where he was executive chef. In 2015, Chef Cunanan opened the beloved Filipino restaurant, Bad Saint, trailblazing a path for Filipino cuisine in the U.S. In 2016, Bad Saint was recognized by Bon Appétit magazine as one of the best new restaurants in the country. In 2017, Eater named it one of the 38 essential restaurants in America. After being named a finalist in both 2017 and 2018, Chef Cunanan won the 2019 James Beard Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic. In 2022, Chef Cunanan became a partner in Soy Pinoy in Houston, Texas.
Chef Christopher Haatuft is the head chef and founder of Lysverket, which was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2022. He is a Norwegian chef and restaurateur who runs several restaurants in Bergen, Norway, as well as Golfstrommen in Houston, Texas. Chef Haatuft’s unique entry into the Norwegian culinary scene and subsequent success have led some to refer to him as the “Punk-Chef Godfather” of Neo-Fjordic cuisine. An apprenticeship at a restaurant in Norway at the age of 25 subsequently blossomed into chef positions in cities such as Paris and New York City, where he spent time in the kitchens of high-end farm-to-table restaurants Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the three Michelin-starred Per Se. At the age of 32, he moved back to his native Norway to open his now one-Michelin Star restaurant Lysverket. A few years later, Chef Haatuft became one-half of the partnership behind Golfstrommen, which was ranked the No. 1 restaurant on the Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants of 2022. He is deeply involved in sustainability efforts and his role as an advisor in the impact fund Astanor Ventures.
Chef Rebecca Masson is most recognizable from her victorious appearance on “Top Chef: Just Desserts” and as the standout mention in Southern Living, where her Houston-based, sweet tooth haven of a storefront, Fluff Bake Bar, was named one of the “South’s Best Bakeries.” The Wyoming native learned the trade at Le Cordon Bleu school in Paris. After graduating, she worked her way through many famed New York City kitchens, eventually becoming head pastry chef at The Red Cat with Executive Chef Jimmy Bradley. Since her arrival in Houston, she has generated a cult following, earning the nickname of Houston’s “Sugar Fairy.” During this time, Chef Masson received much acclaim, which led to positions with Houston-based and nationally noted chefs and restaurateurs, including Charles Clark and Chris Shepherd, as well as a role with HEB Central Market, before stepping out on her own to create Fluff Bake Bar in 2011. Chef Masson moved Fluff to the Heights neighborhood in 2020. Her pastries and confections have received notable coverage in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Texas Monthly, the Houston Chronicle, Culture Map, Saveur and TimeOut, among many others.
Jarmel Doss, beverage director of FAM Hospitality, is a Chicago native and began her hospitality career while attending the University of Chicago. After years of working in bars throughout the city, her path led her to The Aviary, known as one of the best bars in the world, where she spent seven years. Throughout her time in Chicago, Ms. Doss won many bartender competitions, including first place in Chicago Stars, third place in Shake it Up National Classic and in the Top 10 in Diageo Presents World Class for two consecutive years. Ms. Doss then moved to Miami in late 2021 to help open Higher Ground at the Arlo Hotel. In 2023, Ms. Doss moved to Houston and is now beverage director at FAM Hospitality, where she oversees the beverage concepts for Return to Sender and Address Unknown at POST Houston and at FAM’s concept Koko Ni in Denver, Colo.
Sommelier
