On Friday, October 5, celebrity chefs gathered at The Eye at The Joule for the tenth annual Burgers & Burgundy event hosted by The Joule Hotel, presented by Chef John Tesar & Terri Provencal, with hosts Bryan Loving, Jim Sheehan, and Southwest Lending, benefiting DIFFA/ Dallas (The Dallas Chapter of Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS). Guests mingled in front of the iconic Dallas landmark as they sipped on cocktails while listening to tunes by DJ Steffi Burns. Partygoers sampled a wide variety of mouthwatering burgers created by John Tesar (Knife, Knife Burger), Justin Brunson (Celebrity Chef, Old Major; Denver, CO), Tim Rattray (Celebrity Chef, The Granary; San Antonio, TX), Josh Smith (Moody’s Delicatessen; Boston, MA), Mat Urban (Commissary), Nick Walker(CBD Provisions), Bruno Davaillon (Bullion),Sharon Van Meter (Taco y Vino), Blaine Staniford (Grace), Mariel Street (Liberty Burger), Josh Sutcliff (Mirador), Coner Seargeant (Wheelhouse), and Rodman Shields (Common Table).
The night also featured a silent auction of restaurant experiences, gift cards to exclusive retailers and hotel stays; this auction directly benefited DIFFA/Dallas. This evening would not have been possible without the help of event sponsors such Ben E. Keith, 44 Farms, Starbucks, Impeccable Rosé, and Ketel One. Burgers & Burgundy event chair, Jim Sheehan, was joined by hosts Bryan Loving and Southwest Lending as they mingled with enthusiastic guests including, Clint Bradley, Brittanie Buchanan Oleniczak, Justin Bundick, Jim DiMarino, Carol Quist, Mohammed Jaber, Steve Weir, Greg Haynes Johnson, Matt Wilkerson, Ronak Assadi, David Gonzalez, Allan Knight, Cearan Henley, Carol Hatton, Allane O’Neil, Lainie Krister, Meagan Camp, Neil Patel, Lindsey and Michael Miller, Ron Corning, Leah Pasant, Sami Abboud, Reed Robertson, Julian Leaver, Darin Kunz, and Christie Whitten. DIFFA/Dallas Chair, Lee Borchert, thanked everyone for making this event successful year after year and Steve Noviello announced the much-anticipated 2018-2019 DIFFA/Dallas Style Council Ambassadors. Joining the prestigious Style Council are Carlos Guzman, Dr. David Brahm, Dr. Steven Pounders, Gina Zuccet, Julie Lloyd-Miller, Lael Brodsky, Lana Constantine, Larry Oliver, Lea Fisher Liller, Lindsay Jacobs, Nickki St. Goeorge, Parker Williams, Paul Hollowell, Verona Martinez, Vodi Cook, and Zoe Bonette. Style Council Ambassadors will be representatives of DIFFA/Dallas as ambassadors to the community for the 2018-2019 season.
DIFFA/Dallas’ Holiday Wreath Collection will be held on Thursday, November 15 at the Fashion Industry Gallery from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This year’s theme is Marche de Noel. Tickets are $50 per person. For more information regarding tickets or how to get involved, please visit www.diffadallas.org.
