As part of his commemorating the 18th anniversary of his Salum Restaurant, Chef Abraham Salum hosted the Turtle Creek Park Conservancy‘s Luminary Dinner for its top donors. Despite the wet and cold night, the turnout amazed organizers with the number of guests doubling last year’s inaugural dinner. Returning this year were 2022 Honorary Co-Chairs Pat and Charles McEvoy, who joined 2023 Honorary Chair Pam Busbee. Here’s a report from the field.
It was all about the numbers when Abraham Salum opened his beloved Uptown restaurant to host the second Luminary Dinner honoring top donors and advocates of The Turtle Creek Conservancy on a rainy evening that did not hinder attendees like Camille and Dave Fournier, Truist Bank executive Renda Mathew and husband Russell Hayward, Jeff Jones, Sue Krider, Jane Lerer, Sarah Allegro, Lisa Roossien, Rachal Segal, Millie Courson, Claudia and Jerry Stool, Page Tucker and Charlotte Hawthorne from enjoying a sumptuous multi-course dinner which was curated especially for the event and to commemorate Salum’s 18th anniversary.
“It’s always a tribute to a great event when 100 percent of the guests show up on a cool, rainy night,” said one guest as the festivities began. The second annual dinner doubled in attendance from the initial event last Fall.
Speaking of numbers, Conservancy President Tiffany Divis reminded guests of the major landscape additions to the park during 2023. Twelve separate landscape areas have been renovated or updated with 18 specially-selected ornamental trees, hundreds of native shrubs, ground cover and perennials, flagstone paving, stone walls and edging, benches and, last, but not least, 980 bags of mulch.
After the business of “growing the park” was covered, Tiffany thanked inaugural Luminary Dinner Honorary Co-Chairs Pat and Charles McEvoy who were seated with this year’s Honorary Chair Pam Busbee and her daughter Beverly Dealey Glenwinkel.
Guests feasted on Autumn-inspired Brussels sprout salad followed by selections of roasted sea bass, beef tenderloin Oscar with crab or pumpkin ravioli with shrimp. Dessert was a selection of triple chocolate brownies, classic crème brulée and miniature bourbon bread pudding with crème anglaise.
Other Conservancy notables at the dinner included Board Chair Bob Kriscunas and his wife Suzy, fashion designer Michael Faircloth and partner David Davis, Park Cities Preservation Society loyalist Lucinda Burford and husband Barry, longtime park donors Lynn and Peter Dauterman and Sami Arslanlar and John Clutts who hosted the Conservancy’s Day at the Races fundraiser Patron Party at their Preston Hollow home last Spring.
* Photo provided by Turtle Creek Park Conservancy