What 2024 Two Saints and a Taco Tasting partygoers remember from this year’s sold-out Alumni Association Scholarship fundraiser is a culinary celebration that featured tacos, brews, and generosity, raising $94K.
University of St. Thomas-Houston’s Alumni Association outdid themselves once again in their annual performance of “fun” fundraiser planning. As promised, the action unfolded inside the festive atmosphere of the Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Adding to the buzz were celebrity chef judges, beloved co-chairs, past scholarship recipients, and restaurants competing for “best tacos” in town.
Student Scholarships at the Heart of the Event
Special moments sprang up during the evening, but none more exceptional than the words from Alumni Association Scholarship recipient Jason Brown ’23. Brown inspired the crowd with his story of how the scholarship not only enabled him to attend UST but his time at St. Thomas deepened his faith.
Fantastic Co-Chairs and the Winning Restaurants
Amazing event Co-Chairs Marcia Galatas, M.Ed ’95, and Rodney Galatas, MBA ’11, oversaw the revelry as alumni-owned El Hidalguense beat the other competing restaurants to win the People’s Choice Award for best taco.
However, the second competition for the Judge’s Choice Award went to Galtin’s BBQ.
Celebrity Judges Were Culinary Heavy Hitters
This year’s judges were culinary heavy hitters with two, Chefs Jassi Bindra and Paul Friedman, returning from last year.
Bindra is co-owner and executive chef of Amrina, a fine-dining Indian restaurant in The Woodlands. He also gained fame for dominating an episode of Food Network TV’s reality cooking competition show, “Chopped.”
Friedman is a master chef who has had over 50 successful restaurant concepts abroad. Currently, Chef Paul owns The Chef’s Table where he demonstrates “his lifetime love affair with food.”
Chef Victoria Elizondo, owner of Cochinita & Co., is a fast-rising star on the culinary scene. She uses food to honor her community and heritage, wrote a successful book called “Taco-tastic!,” has been a James Beard semi-finalist, and caught the attention of CBS Saturday Morning.
Finally, Chef Trinidad Machete, owner and head chef at the mouthwatering Gordo Niños, rejoined Two Saints and a Taco Tasting this year as a judge after winning the People’s Choice and the Judge’s Choice trophies for many years in a row!
Director of Alumni Relations Amy Youngblood said, “I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone—our sponsors, co-chairs, the participating restaurants, the judges, and our amazing alumni. Your support for our Alumni Scholarship Fund truly reinforces the vital role that education and faith play in our community.”
By the end of the evening, attendees left in happy spirits with full hearts and the satisfaction of having supported the future of UST-Houston students through scholarships.