February 2010

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002houston | february 2010 | volume 12 | issue 134

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volume 12 | issue 134 letter from the editor Photography by Cody Bess

Behind the scenes at the Power Couples in January 2010. Munching on Freebirds’ prototype of their queso mac and cheese. Addictive!

No

matter how much you hate or love Valentine’s Day the fact remains that February is the month of love.

Thank Saint Valentine or Hallmark for that one. I for one have always CARLA VALENCIA de MARTINÉZ hated and loved the 14th simultaneously. Hated it for all the expectations it brings, for wanting a boy to slip an anonymous love note in my locker, or a boyfriend to do something special, and now a husband who has been known to leave a fresh can of illy coffee in the passenger seat of my car. And loved it for the times that love note, flower or random surprise from aforementioned husband magically appeared.

In this issue, you won’t find cheesy valentines overload, but you will find a few references and some suggestions on what you can do that day on page 82 in Before We Go. We also chatted with six Power Couples starting on page 40. Some of these couples work together, some don’t. Some you know, some you probably have never heard of. But that embodies what 002houston is all about. Bringing you local news and local people who enrich our community with their contributions.

This is a big city – as of January 1, 2010, the City of Houston census was at 2,257,412. By that count we’ve still got a long list of people to cover!

We are off and running in this census year (every ten years, in case you forgot that elementary school trivia) and 2010 was off to a great start with our Fashiontini event at the Hotel Sorella.

Check out the pictures on our website at www.002mag.com.

While you’re there click on the “sign up” button to make sure you get our invitations, like that Fashiontini one. We’re here to help keep you hip. current. cool.

PUBLISHER alejandro martinéz ext 16 a.martinez@002mag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | CREATIVE DIRECTOR carla valencia de martinéz ext 13 c.valencia@002mag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR victoria bartlett ART DIRECTOR alex rosa ext 17 arosa@002mag.com LIFESTYLE EDITOR beatrice valencia ext 11 bvalencia@002mag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR pixie ibañez ext 10 pixie@002mag.com ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER william king ext 18 w.king@002mag.com ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES carlos valencia ext 12 cevalencia@002mag.com jarrod klawinsky ext 15 jklawinsky@002mag.com ACCOUNT PAYABLES isabel terraso ext 14 isabel@002mag.com PHOTOGRAPHERS kim coffman, kennon evett, jill hunter, jaime lagdameo, gabriella nissen, daniel ortiz, jack potts, anthony rathbun, cody bess, sofia van der dys CONTRIBUTING WRITERS michael garfield, sandra gunn, reyne haines, travis jones, nadia michel, tim moloney, sandra ramani, jenni rebecca stephenson, lance scott walker, scott ward CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS alexander’s fine portraits, bernard bauri, jack thompson, ed schipul, janette beckman

POWER COUPLES Cover shot by Cody Bess make up by Sandra Mata and Danielle Doyle for the perfect face OOPS: be hip.current.cool

@ 002MAG.COM 002houston Magazine is published monthly by NODO Magazine, L.L.C., 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002. Copyright © 2010 by NODO Magazine L.L.C. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

002houston Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial, nor do the publishers assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear.

For subscription information, call 713.223.5333x14 or send a check or money order for $35.00 to 002houston Magazine, 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Carla Valencia de Martinéz

Editor at Large | Fashion Director

002HOUSTON MAGAZINE 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C | HOUSTON, TX 77002 713.223.5333 | FAX 713.223.4884 | LETTERS@002MAG.COM FACEBOOK: 002HOUSTON | WWW.002MAG.COM

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4 letter from the editor 8 table of contents 10 contributors 12 houston map 14 downtown map

table of contents february 2010

40 POWER COUPLES

4 letter from the editor 8 table of contents 10 contributors 12 houston map 14 downtown map 16 uptown map + party pics 18 calendar 20 museum district 22 art houses + museums + exhibits 24 nonprofit christopher’s fun run 25 gish at the movies

40

48 things I like love 50 destination: egypt 52 it’s cool to make your sweetheart some homemade valentines

54 ARCHICHAT: REAL ESTATE STYLE 56 where to live 57 architecture+design: bath console

54 26 26 FOR ART’S SAKE: THE STARCK CHAIR PROJECT 28 phone shot 29 spacetaker

58 60 62 64

002 profile: el matador foods tools + toys + gadgets restaurant listings dinewrite: fruit palette

30 born cool. grow hip

32 BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP

power

couples

66 CHEF’S SPECIAL: CULINARY TOURS

homemade

heartsome

valentines

66 32

16 uptown map + party pics 18 calendar 20 museum district 22 art houses + museums + exhibits 24 nonprofit christopher’s fun run 25 gish at the movies 26 for art’s sake: the starck chair project 28 phone shot 29 spacetaker 30 born cool. grow hip. 32 beauty is only skin deep 34 people of Houston 35 wise guy 36 let me call you sweetheart 37 on our radar 38 costumes for cocktails 39 retail wrap: european wax centers 40 48 things I like love 50 destination: egypt 52 it’s cool to make your sweet-

70 new restaurants 72 the scene

archichat: real estate style 56 where to live 57 architecture+design: bath console 58 002 profile:

foods

74 DIDDY ROCKS

el

60 tools

+ toys +

gadgets 62 restaurant ings 64 palette 66

listfruit

chef’s special:

culinary tours 70 new

74

39 RETAIL WRAP: EUROPEAN WAX CENTERS

39

76 recording: henry darragh 77 club + lounge review : community bar 78 nightlife 80 sip codes 81 scene | cd reviews 82 crossword puzzle + before we go

restaurants 74

72 the scene

diddy rocks 76

recording: henry darragh 77

club + lounge review: com-

munity bar 80

sip codes

78

nightlife

cd reviews 82

crossword puzzle before we go

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matador

dinewrite:

34 people of Houston 35 wise guy 36 let me call you sweetheart 37 on our radar 38 costumes for cocktails

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+

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kim coffman, gabriella

contributors

sofia

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kennon evett, jill hunter, jaime lagdameo,

nissen, daniel ortiz, jack potts, anthony rathbun,

van der dys, michael garfield, sarah gish, reyne

haines,

travis

jones,

stephenson, lance

sandra SANDRA MATA

CODY BESS

RYAN BOOTH

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gunn,

nadia scott

michel, jenni

rebecca

walker , scott

tim moloney, sandra ramani

ward,

Senior Makeup / Hair Artist for The Perfect Face Since a young age Sandra had the opportunity to “practice” her hair and makeup techniques on her large family. This bilingual beauty is frequently requested for her always bubbly attitude and generously gifted hair and makeup abilities. Since joining The Perfect Face Sandra has had the opportunity to be the Key makeup artist for the live-aired Miss Texas USA Pageant and the basketball playoffs with ESPN. You’ll find her daily painting the faces of local celebs, beauty queens and gorgeous brides. In her (hard to come by) free time she loves shopping and enjoying life with her husband and golden retriever, Leia.

I’m a documentary portrait photographer. I currently reside in Houston, Texas, with my wife Jessica. Although I have had a passion for photography throughout my life, it was never something I thought I could earn a living doing. Instead, I studied graphic design throughout college. It was not until seeing an extensive portfolio of photographer Keith Carter did I commit to a career behind the camera. I’m a photographer, I record moments, I witness events, and I capture them. So whether I’m shooting a portrait or someone on the street, to me I’m documenting the journey. www.codybess.com

Ryan is a Visual Media Producer based in Texas. Trained in audio, video and photo production, he has been methodically gathering the necessary skills to become a multi-faceted, multimedia storyteller. He is equally comfortable behind a recording console as he is traipsing, camera in hand, through the Cambodian countryside. For Ryan, everything comes back to story. His media work can be found scattered all over the internet on artist and label websites, in print publications, on the radio, in a gallery or two, and even occasionally in movie theaters. Clients have included EMI, Universal and the Provident Music Group (as well as numerous NGO and corporate clients). His photography work can be found at http://www.ryanbooth.net and he blogs at http://blog.ryanbooth.net.

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houston map

What's hip.current.cool? Get on our list, e-mail us at events@002mag.com to make sure you're invited.

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Downtown......................................1 Holocaust Museum.........................2 Galleria..........................................3 Uptown Park..................................4 River Oaks Park.............................5 Rice Village....................................6 Highland Village............................7 Memorial City................................8 Town & Country Village..................9 CityCentre...................................10 Sam Houston Race Park..............11 Katy Mills...................................12 Sugar Land.................................13 Zoo ............................................14 Museum District..........................15 George Bush Intl. Airport............16 Hobby Airport.............................17 Space Center Houston.................18 Kemah........................................19 Miller Outdoor Theatre................20 Contemporary Arts Museum........21 Houston Museum of Fine Arts......22 Children’s Museum......................23 Houston Museum of Natural Science..24 Houston Arboretum.....................25 Houston Theater District..............26 The Woodlands............................27

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EVENT CHRISTMAS TAILS WHY TO BENEFIT LUCKY DOG RESCUE WHERE HOTEL ICON WHEN DECEMBER 1

Kudos to the many pastry chefs who created amazing one-of-a-kind gingerbread houses that were later auctioned off, raising a substantial amount of money to benefit Lucky Dog Rescue, a nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to providing care for man’s best friend. Guests munched on savory bites and sipped on some signature cocktails compliments of Hudson Ferus Vodka. Congratulations to Rebecca Masson of Shade and Canopy Restaurant for taking home the first place!

Jodie Eisenhardt

check out more pictures @ 002mag.com

Kristen Cannon, James Craig

Sandy Collet, Millicent Gerdes

Lucky Dog - house detail

Natacha Leonards, Marcy DeLuna

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Photography by The Photo Boutique

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EVENT ELAINE TURNER HOLIDAY EVENT WHY TO BENEFIT THE WOMEN’S HOME WHERE ELAINE TURNER BOUTIQUE WHEN DECEMBER 10

Elaine Turner’s Holiday soiree was a dazzling success. Shoppers certainly brought along their holiday spirit: Guests donated gently used handbags and shoes for The Women’s Home and in exchange for their generosity received fabulous discounts and coupons. Some very lucky ladies even won pairs of Boo flats in Pailet, a Bella clutch and Hazel Smyth jewelry. The crowd nibbled on some decadent cake balls and sipped on plenty of champagne. Lovely!

Missy Rentz, Elaine Turner

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Janice Hall, Bea Mieth

Jim Turner, Carly Burns

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Ashley Rachnar

Sissy Shuffield, Andrea Mitchell

Christi Schirmer

Heather McLeskey, Heather Dornbusch

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Photography by The Photo Boutique

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calendar february SUNDAY February 1-28, Administaff Holiday Balloon. See Houston’s magnificent downtown skyline as never before – floating 350 feet above Discovery Green! Visit discoverygreen.com for a detailed schedule and more!

PERFORMING ARTS + CONCERTS + SPORTS + FESTIVALS + GENERAL INTEREST MONDAY

Alley Elizabeth Gilbert Benefit Reading for the UCross Foundation 7:30pm Toyota Aeros vs. Abbotsford Heat 7:05pm

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Alley Wonderland 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm HOB Timbaland 7pm Toyota Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors 7:30pm

Toyota Get Motivated Business Seminar 8am

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Alley Wonderland 2:30 & 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 7:30pm Jones HS: Red Carpet Oscar Party 7:30pm Reliant Arena- Sesame Street Live: 123 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends 2 & 5:30pm Stages A Picasso 3pm | Almost Maine 3pm Wortham HGO: Tosca 2pm

Alley Wonderland 2:30 & 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 7:30pm H obby DWDT: Romeo & Juliet 2pm | TUTS: Miss Saigon 2 & 7:30pm Jones SPA: Stomp 3 & 7pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 3pm | R&P- Anansi The Spider & The Middle Passage 3:30pm Stages A Picasso 3pm | Almost Maine 3pm Toyota Aeros vs. Chicago Wolves 4:05pm Warehouse Live The English Beat w/ special guest Fishbone 8pm

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February 12-14, 27th annual International Piano Festival presented by The University of Houston Moores School of Music. For more info and festival schedule, call 713.743.3313.

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HOB The Take Action Tour w/ We the Kings, Mayday Parade, A Rocket to the Moon & There for Tomorrow 6pm Stages Almost Maine 7:30pm

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Alley Wonderland 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Stages A Picasso 7:30pm Toyota Aeros vs. Peoria Rivermen 7:05pm Wortham Da Camera: A Little Day Music 12pm | HGO: Tosca 7:30pm

Texas Heart Institute to Honor Jan and Dan Duncan with Prestigious Denton A. Cooley Leadership Award, 7pm at Hilton Americas. Contact Marc Mattsson at 832.355.3792 for more info.

check out our full calendar @ 002mag.com

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WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

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Alley Wonderland 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm HOB 90.1 KPFT’s Lonestar Jukebox presents Troubadour Tuesdays 5pm Meridian Living Sacrifice: War of Ages 6:30pm

Alley Wonderland 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm HOB Flogging Molly Green 17 Tour 6pm Meridian Retribution Gospel Choir 7pm Stages A Picasso 7:30pm Warehouse Live Local Licks: Local Musicians Playing Local Licks 8pm Wortham HGO: The Turn of the Screw 7:30pm

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Trio Solisti in Stude Concert Hall on the campus of Rice University. Presented by Houston Friends of Music. To purchase tickets, call 713.348.5400 or visit HoustonFriendsofMusic.org.

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Alley Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm HOB Cowboy Mouth 6pm Toyota Rockets vs. Utah Jazz 7:30pm Verizon Merle Haggard 8pm

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 7:30pm Stages A Picasso 7:30pm

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Family Connections Tour with Allison Dubois, 7-9pm at Houston Hobby Airport Marriot. Tickets and information available at www.allisondubois.com.

THURSDAY

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Alley Wonderland 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Reliant Arena- Sesame Street Live: 123 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends 7pm Stages A Picasso 7:30pm | Almost Maine 7:30pm Warehouse Live New Found Glory 6:30pm Wortham HGO: Concert of Arias 7:30pm

February 6, Tenth Annual Virtuosi Concerto Competition, 9am-4pm at The Virtuosi Studio, Memorial City Mall. For more info, visit virtuosiofhouston.org.

Alley Wonderland 7:30pm | Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm | DWDT: Romeo & Juliet 8pm Stages A Picasso 7:30pm Warehouse Live Aaron Watson 7pm Wortham NPR: Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! 7:30pm

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Alley Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm H obby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm HOB Toology, A Tribute to Tool & Nevermind, A Tribute to Nirvana 7pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 7:30pm Meridian Days of New 7pm Stages A Picasso 7:30pm

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February 18-19, Shecky’s! Girls Night Out, 5-10pm at The Crystal Ballroom in Rice Hotel. For more info, visit scheckys.com.

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby Masquerade: Camelot 2pm | TUTS: Miss Saigon 2 & 7:30pm Jones HS: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony 2:30pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 3pm Stages A Picasso 3pm | Almost Maine 3pm

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Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition, 6:30pm at Reliant Center, benefiting The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo®. Log on to rodeohouston.com or call 832.667.1128 for more info.

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Alley Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby Masquerade: Camelot 2pm | BIH: Cirque Dreams – Illumination 2 & 7:30pm Jones HS: Mike Cavanaugh sings Billy Joel & More 7:30pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 3pm Toyota The Lipizzaner Stallions 2 & 6pm Wortham HB: La Bayadère 2pm

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Toyota JayZ 7pm

Warehouse Live The James Reese Band 8pm VOX-The Rob Seible Singers. “Salon VOX,” 8pm, at Houston Baptist University, Belin Chapel. Madrigals, chansons, part songs and party music spanning five centuries. For info, call 832.331.1704 or visit VOX-RSS.com.

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS:

For additional information, please call 713.524.9839 or visit rothkochapel.org.

February 3, Twelve Moments of Spirituality and Healing,12pm. Christian meditation guided by Betty Adam.

February 11, Amiri Baraka, Living Legend, 7pm.

February 20, Chanting in the Chapel, 9 & 11:30am. Monks from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert near Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby BIH: Cirque Dreams – Illumination 8pm HOB Henry Rollins- Spoken Word 7pm Jones SPA: Band of the Irish Guard 7:30pm

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February 25, 1st Annual Toast and Treasures, 6-9:30pm at Ruggles Grill.

Kickoff for Houston Area Women’s Center annual Race Against Violence. Visit toastandtreasures.com for more info.

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Alley Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby BIH: Cirque Dreams – Ilumination 8pm HOB Yes 7pm Toyota Rockets vs. Orlando Magic 7:30pm

St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Friends of Nursing Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show, 11:30am at Hotel ZaZa. Presented by TOOTSIES. Contact Marianne Dwyer at 832.355.3796 or mdwyer@sleh.com.

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 7:30pm Hobby BIH: Cirque Dreams – Illumination 8pm H OB Rebelution w/ SOJA & Zion I 7pm Jones HS: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 7:30pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 7:30pm Toyota Aeros vs. Manitoba Moose 7:05pm Warehouse Live Killswitch Engage 7pm Wortham HB: La Bayadère 7:30pm

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HOUSTON ARBORETUM & NATURE CENTER Pre-registratio n is required for the activities/events listed below. Call 713.366.0421 or vi sit www.houstonarboretum.org for more information.

February 13, A Valentine’s Evening at the Arboretum, 5-8pm. Stroll under the stars in a nature sanctuary inside the Loop. Enjoy Tapas on the Trails. Reservations are required.

For more info, call 713.681.8433 or visit houstonarboretum.org.

February 4, 11, 18 & 25, Y oga on the Way Home, 5:45-6:45pm. $15 per session or $10 per session when registering for a month.

February 6, Tadpole Troopers: Weird Insects, 9-10:15am, 10:45am-12pm OR 12:15pm. Ages 3 to 5 with an adult. $13 for members; $26 for non-members.

February 6, Natura list Explorers: The Stink on Pollution, 9-11am OR 1-3pm. Ages 5 to 8. $15 for members; $30 for non-members.

February 6, EcoTrackers: Pollutio n Soluti on, 9-11am. Ages 9 to 12. $15 for members; $30 for non-members.

February 20, Tadpole T roopers: Weird Insects, 9-10:15am OR 10:45am-12pm. Ages 3 to 5 with an adult. $13 for members; $26 for non-members.

February 20, Environmentally Friendly Pest Management, 1-5pm. $30 for members; $40 for non-members.

February 26, Appalachian Basket Making, 9am-4pm. Fee includes all materials: $65 for members; $75 for non-members.

February 26, Home School Cla ss: Tu rtle Time, 1:30-3pm. Ages 5 to 12. $15 for members; $25 for non-members.

February 27, The 411 on Ecosystems: An In troductio n to the Arboretum, 9am-12pm. $20 for members; $35 for non-members.

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NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? TRY ONE-STOP SHOPPING AT

WWW.HOUSTONTHEATERDISTRICT.ORG FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Alley Wonderland 8pm | Mrs. Mannerly 8pm HOB Band of Heathens in the Bronze Peacock w/ the Trishas 7pm | Jud Johnson Band – CD Release Concert 7:30pm | Jones HS: Red Carpet Oscar Party 8pm Meridian Sondre Lerche 7pm Reliant Arena- Sesame Street Live: 123 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends 10:30am & 7pm Stages A Picasso 8pm | Almost Maine 8pm Toyota The Harlem Globetrotters 7pm Warehouse The Standard 9pm Wortham HGO: Tosca 7:30pm

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Alley Wonderland 8pm | Mrs. Mannerly 8pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm Jones SPA: Stomp 8pm Main Street R&P- Anansi The Spider & The Middle Passage 7:30pm Stages A Picasso 8pm | Almost Maine 8pm Toyota Aeros vs. Grand Rapids Griffins 7:35pm Verizon Jim Gaffigan 8pm Warehouse Live The Expendables 8pm Wortham NPR: Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! 7:30pm | Da Camera: The Spirit of England 8pm

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 8pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 8pm | Masquerade: Camelot 8pm HOB Reckless Kelly w/ Sarah Pierce 7:30pm Jones HS: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony 8pm Meridian D.R.I. 6:30pm Stages A Picasso 8pm | Almost Maine 8pm Warehouse Live The Soundtrack of Our Lives 8pm

Alley Wonderland 2:30 & 8pm | Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 8pm H OB Theory Of A Deadman w/ Halestorm, Adelitas Way and Taking Dawn 6:30pm Jones HS: Red Carpet Oscar Party 8pm Reliant Arena- Sesame Street Live: 123 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends 10:30am, 2 & 5:30pm | Stadium- Monster Jam 7pm Stages A Picasso 8pm | Almost Maine 8pm Toyota The Harlem Globetrotters 1:30pm | Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers 7:30pm Warehouse Live G.Love & Special Sauce 8pm Wortham HGO: The Turn of the Screw 7:30pm | Da Camera: Ben Allison & Man Size Safe 8pm

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Alley Wonderland 2:30 & 8pm | Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 8pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 2 & 8pm | DWDT: Romeo & Juliet 8pm Jones SPA: Stomp 5 & 9pm Main Street Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business 1 & 4pm | R&P- Anansi The Spider & The Middle Passage 7:30pm | A Number & Machinal 8pm Reliant Arena: H-Town Blues Festival 7pm Stages A Picasso 8pm | Almost Maine 8pm Toyota Aeros vs. Grand Rapid Griffins 7:35pm Wortham HGO: The Turn of the Screw 7:30pm | Mercury Baroque & DWDT: Romeo & Juliet 8pm

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Alley Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 8pm Hobby TUTS: Miss Saigon 2 & 8pm | Masquerade: Camelot 8pm HOB Gov’t Mule 7pm Jones HS: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony 8pm Main Street Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business 1 & 4pm | A Number & Machinal 8pm Meridian The Red Chord 6:30pm Stages A Picasso 8pm | Almost Maine 8pm Toyota Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers 7:30pm

Debutantes Run Wild! DiverseWorks Gala, 7:30pm at The Bell Tower on 34th. Visit diverseworks.org for more info.

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 8pm Hobby BIH: Cirque Dreams – Illumination 8pm| Masquerade: Camelot 8pm H OB Keb’ Mo’ 7pm Jones HS: Mike Cavanaugh sings Billy Joel & More 8pm Main Street A Number & Machinal 8pm Toyota Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs 7:30pm

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PLAN AHEAD: March 6, Annual Race Against Violence presented by The Houston Area Women’s Center.

Visit hawc.org for more info.

March 2, 15th Annual Celebration of Families Luncheon benefiting Family Services of Greater Houston, 12pm at the River Oaks Country Club.

For more info, visit familyservices.org/events.

Alley Mrs. Mannerly 2:30 & 8pm H obby BIH: Cirque Dreams – Illumination 2 & 8pm | Masquerade: Camelot 8pm Jones HS: Beauty & the Beast 10 & 11:30am | HS: Mike Cavanaugh sings Billy Joel & More 8pm Main Street Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business 1 & 4pm | A Number & Machinal 8pm Toyota Aeros vs. Texas Stars 7:35pm Warehouse Live Tegan and Sara 7pm Wortham HB: La Bayadère 7:30pm | Dance Houston: The Edge – Hip Hop From Across Houston 8pm

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TO PURCHASE TICKETS, PLEASE CONTACT

ALLEY THEATRE: alleytheatre.org CWMP: woodlandscenter.org HOBBY CENTER: 713.315.2525 thehobbycenter.org HOUSE OF BLUES: hob.com JONES HALL: 713.227.3974 joneshall.org MAIN STREET THEATRE: 713.524.6706 mainstreettheatre.com MERIDIAN: merdian.com MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE (MOT): milleroutdoortheatre.com

MINUTE MAID PARK: astros.mlb.com RELIANT PARK: reliantpark.com STAGES REPERTORY THEATRE: 713.527.0123 stagestheatre.com TOYOTA CENTER: 1.866.4HOU toyotacentertix.com VERIZON THEATRE: verizonwirelesstheatre.com WAREHOUSE LIVE: warehouselive.com WORTHAM CENTER: 713.237.1439 worthamcenter.org

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museum district erences; in her case, the Holocaust. She puts this conflict on display in all her pieces, which offer evidence of our own ambivalence toward the beauty of artistic expression and the social impact it creates.

1. THE MENIL COLLECTION www.menil.org

Contemporary Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan (b. 1960) is known for his witty embrace of semantic shifts that result from imaginative plays with materials, objects and actions. This will be the artist’s first solo show in Texas.

The exhibition will focus on recent large-scale works that premiered in Europe in 2007 and will feature sculptures that range in tone from the melancholic and politically contentious to the decidedly irreverent.

Exhibit opens February 12.

2. HOUSTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY www.hcponline.org

9. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON www.cmhouston.org

U.S. The exhibition is one of the most significant exhibitions of blacksmith objects in decades. This wonderful exhibit educates audiences about the processes used to create historical and contemporary ironwork.

6. LAWNDALE ART CENTER www.lawndaleartcenter.org

Step inside the new design exhibit, Building Brainstorm, a kid-friendly studio environment inspired by the philosophy and aesthetic of mid-century designers Charles and Ray Eames and filled with architectural plans, photographs, models and authentic building elements. The show features interactive workbenches and job sites that equip diminutive designers to brainstorm creative solutions for architectural and engineering challenges. Also, unleash the tiger within, come and celebrate the Lunar New Year Wonderweek, February 11 thru 17.

10. THE HEALTH MUSEUM www.thehealthmuseum.org

HCP´s 2010 Print Auction! Exhibit on view thru February. Auction will be held on February 25 at the Houston Junior League.

3. THE ROTHKO CHAPEL www.rothkochapel.org

An intimate sanctuary available to people of every belief, this modern meditative environment was inspired by the paintings of American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko. The Chapel serves as both art museum and public forum and hosts a range of educational programs, inter-religious dialogues and symposia on critical issues.

4. BYZANTINE FRESCO CHAPEL MUSEUM www.menil.org/visit/byzantine.php

The only intact examples of 13th-century Byzantine wall painting of this size and importance in the Western Hemisphere, these masterworks were stolen by thieves from a chapel in the Turkish occupied town of Lysi, cut into pieces and smuggled off the island of Cyprus.

Rescued and restored by the Menil Foundation, the dome and apse now reside on a longterm loan from the Church of Cyprus in an intimate chapel designed by award-winning architect Francois de Menil.

5. HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT www.crafthouston.org

Iron: Forged, Tempered, Quenched, on view thru May 16, 2010, celebrates the rich history of American blacksmithing by bridging historical and contemporary works and illustrating the wide variety of blacksmithing techniques and processes currently practiced in the

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Dare to Go Further, on view thru February 27, explores Robert Hodge, Lovie Olivia and Michael Kahlil Taylor’s interest in cross continental interactions, specifically the conditions of war ridden countries of the African continent and how it affects them as artists of the African Diaspora personally. In an attempt to focus and shed light on often overshadowed individual stories of native Africans and African-Americans as a result of lost or altered history, the three artists deliberately, cleverly and vividly expose these stories. In a form of visual narratives, mixed media, sculpture and painting, the artists dissect the adaptation and mutability of race and culture.

7. BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com

The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum pays tribute to African-American military history from the Revolutionary War to modern times. During the 1860s, soldiers of the 10th U.S. Calvary were nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers” for their fierce fighting ability and bravery.

8. HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON www.hmh.org

The Book of Memory, open February 2, is an exhibit that showcases samples of work by artist Bela Gold.

For several years, Gold’s work has been a reflection of the complexity of contemporary culture. Her work is defined by a contrast between beauty and cultural ref-

Backyard Monsters, on display thru May 9, 2010, is a 6,000sf exhibit, a tour through what you’ve been stepping on in your own backyard. It’s where you are the size of the bug and the bugs are enormous! The giant animatronic insects move and make the chirping, clicking noises bugs make. The 8-foot tall robotic insects include a tarantula, ants, a wasp, caterpillar and a big, beautiful monarch butterfly. Visitors will also experience insect specimens and education stations.

11. HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE www.hmns.org

Fabergé: Imperial Jeweler to the Tsars: Discover the spectacular designs of Carl Fabergé, a master goldsmith and legendary jeweler who is still celebrated for his inventive design and meticulous craftsmanship.

Perhaps best known for the Imperial Easter Eggs created for the Russian Royal family, the House of Fabergé also fashioned jewelry and luxurious gifts for many ruling families of Europe as well as other wealthy patrons.

Exhibit on view through April 4.

12. HOUSTON ZOO www.houstonzoo.org

Valentine’s Dinner and Wild for Love Lecture: Join Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi on Saturday, February 13, for a lighthearted look at courtship in the

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common man and woman to celebrity status.

Hendricks’s stylistic renderings connect the art movements of American realism and post-modernism while touching upon many of the art movements of the 1960s and 70s – pop art, photorealism, minimalism, even black aesthetic nationalism.

16. THE JUNG CENTER OF HOUSTON www.junghouston.org

animal kingdom. (Adults 21+ only, please). Princess Day: A Benefit for Frog Conservation – What would a princess be without a frog? What would a frog be without a princess? Princesses come together for the Zoo’s first Princess Day. 13. RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY www.ricegallery.org

Chalda Maloff: Virtuous Realities, on view thru February 26, exploits the powerful aesthetic potential of the digital medium. Her abstract paintings evoke emotion, sensuality and spirituality. Above all, they reflect an abiding optimism and faith in the order of our world.

17. CZECH CENTER MUSEUM www.czechcenter.org

The Czech Center Museum Houston works to preserve, record and celebrate the language, scholarship and arts of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Slovakia.

18. JOHN C. FREEMAN WEATHER MUSEUM www.wxresearch.org

The John C. Freeman Weather Museum is helping keep the community in the know in regards to the different aspects of weather, as well as science, history and safety. Visitors can make their own weather forecast at the WRC Weather Studio, view satellite and radar images of hurricanes, and learn how tornadoes form in the Tornado Chamber and much more!

El Anatsui: New Installation, on view thru March 14. A native of Ghana and resident of Nigeria since 1975, El Anatsui has experimented throughout the years with a variety of media including wood, ceramics and paint.

Although Anatsui was a respected artist and teacher in Africa for more than thirty years, he was little known internationally until ten years ago when he began creating dazzling suspended sculptures made from liquor bottle tops and metal foil collars from the bottle necks. Seen throughout the exhibition are Anatsui’s reliance on indigenous materials and his awareness of what they can reveal.

14. THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON www.mfah.org

The MFAH presents important additions to the museum’s design collection, created by some of the most renowned designers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Recent Accessions in Design, on view thru February 21, features objects that demonstrate aesthetic significance and technical innovation in all media. Among the works on view are examples by international figures such as Gae Aulenti, Mathias Bengtsson, Shiro Kuramata, Gerrit Rietveld, Wieki Somers and Ettore Sottsass.

KEY TO SYMBOLS



PARKING RESTAURANT SHOPPING SNACKS FREE ADMISSION

15. CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTON www.camh.org

Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool, on view thru April 18, is the first painting retrospective of the American artist and includes over 50 works from 1964 to the present. He is best known for his life-sized portraits of ordinary people living in his urban northeast community of Connecticut Barkley L. Hendricks’s bold portrayal of his subject’s attitude and style elevates the february 10 | www.002mag.com .21

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art houses+museums+exhibits

1.

1. diverseworks| 2. bering & james gallery 3. art league houston | 4. gremillion & co. fine art

MUSEUMS 1940 AIR TERMINAL MUSEUM www.1940airterminal.org 8325 Travelair Rd. 713.454.1940

ART CAR MUSEUM www.artcarmuseum.com 140 Heights Blvd. 713.861.5526 Thru March 5, Ron Hoover: A Retrospective

BLAFFER GALLERY www.class.uh.edu/blaffer UH Main Campus, Ent. 16, 713.743.9530 GALVESTON ARTS CENTER www.galvestonartscenter.org 2127 Strand St. 409.763.2403

HERITAGE SOCIETY www.heritagesociety.org 1100 Bagby 713.655.1912 HOUSTON FIRE MUSEUM www.houstonfiremuseum.org 2403 Milam 713.524.2526 MUSEUM OF PRINTING HISTORY www.printingmuseum.org 1324 W. Clay St. 713.522.4652 MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN HISTORY 7502 Fondren Rd. 281.649.3997

ORANGE SHOW www.orangeshow.org 2401 Munger 713.926.6368

ART LEAGUE HOUSTON www.artleaguehouston.org 1953 Montrose Blvd. 713.523.9530 Thru February 26, Wishing Well for Houston BARBARA DAVIS GALLERY www.barbaradavisgallery.com 4411 Montrose 713.520.9200

BETZ GALLERY www.betzgallery.com 1208 W. Gray 713.576.6954

BOOKER-LOWE GALLERYwww.bookerlowegallery.com 4623 Feagan St. 713.880.1541 CANAL ST. GALLERY www.canalstreetgallery.com 2219 Canal St. 713.223.2219 Thru February 19, Alegro a Color by Rolando Rojas COMMUNITY ARTISTS’ COLLECTIVE www.thecollective.org 1413 Holman 713.523.1616

COMMUNE ON NORTH www.communeonnorth.com 2437 North Blvd. 713.526.3875 CAROLINE COLLECTIVE www.carolinecollective.cc 4820 Caroline St. 713.825.4613

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM www.tsu.edu/museum 3100 Cleburne Ave. 713.313.7145

CTRL GALLERY www.ctrlgallery.com 3907 Main St. 713.523.2875

ART HOUSES

DAKOTA GALLERY www.dakotaframing.com/dfp/dakotagallery.asp 2324 Shearn St. 713.523.7440

AEROSOL WARFARE GALLERY www.aerosolwarfare.com 2110 Jefferson St. #113, 713.503.5714

ANYA TISH GALLERY www.anyatishgallery.com 4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.524.2299

APAMA MACKEY GALLERY www.mackeygallery.com 628 East 11th St. 713.850.8527 ARCHWAY GALLERY www.archwaygallery.com 2305 Dunlavy 713.522.2409 Opens February 5, Mary Lee Gray ARTSCAN GALLERY www.rudolphprojects.com 1836 Richmond Ave. 713.807.1836 22. february 10 | www.002mag.com

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BERING & JAMES GALLERY www.beringandjames.com 805 Rhode Place #500, 713.524.0101 Opens February 6, Birds of Music: North America’s Songbirds by Heather Bause

PROJECT ROW HOUSES www.projectrowhouses.org 2521 Holman 713.526.7662

18 HANDS GALLERY www.18handsgallery.com 249 West 19th St. 713.869.3099

2.

ELDER STREET GALLERY www.elderstreetartist.com 1101 Elder St. 281.250.4889 FOTOFEST www.fotofest.org 1113 Vine St. 713.223.5522

G GALLERY www.ggalleryhouston.com 301East 11th St. 713.822.4842 Thru February 28, Sparkling Relevance

GALLERY 1724 www.gallery1724.com 1724 Bissonnet St. 713.523.2547 GALLERY SONJA ROESCH www.gallerysonjaroesch.com 2309 Caroline 713.659.5424 Thru February 27, Dirk Rathke

GITE GALLERY www.thegitegallery.com 2024 Alabama St. 713.523.3311

DARKE GALLERY www.darkegallery.com 5321 Feagan 713.542.3802

GOLDESBERRY GALLERYwww.goldesberrygallery.com 2625 Colquitt 713.528.0405 Thru February 13, What Lies Beneath by Holly Wilson

DEBORAH COLTON GALLERY www.deborahcoltongallery.com 2445 North Blvd. 713.869.5151

GREEN HOUSE GALLERY www.greenhouseartgallery.com 716 W. Alabama St. 713.535.6462

DESANTOS GALLERY www.desantosgallery.com 1724 Richmond 713.520.1200 DIVERSEWORKS www.diverseworks.org 1117 E. Freeway 713.223.8346 Thru February 20, The New Normal February 12 & 13, Sõ Percussion: Imaginary City DOMY BOOKS www.domystore.com 1709 Westheimer 713.523.3669

GREMILLION & CO. FINE ART www.gremillion.com 2501 Sunset Blvd. 713.522.2701 Thru February 13, Steven Alexander GUTHRIE CONTEMPORARY 2734 Virginia St. 713.522.8086

HCC-CENTRAL GALLERY www.centralfinearts.info 3517 Austin 713.718.6600

HOUSTON LANDMARK GALLERY www.houstonlandmarkgallery.com 1200 McKinney 713.927.8800 HOUSTON STUDIOS 746 Walnut St. #100, 713.223.0951 HOLLYWOOD FRAME GALLERY www.hollywoodframegallery.com 2427 Bissonnet 713.942.8885

HOOKS-EPSTEIN www.hooksepsteingalleries.com 2631 Colquitt St. 713.522.0718 Thru February 13, Robert Pruitt INMAN GALLERY www.inmangallery.com 3901 Main St. 713.526.7800 JOAN WICH & CO. GALLERY www.joanwichgallery.com 4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.526.1551 KINZELMAN ART CONSULTING www.kinzelmanart.com 3909 Main St. 713.533.9923

KOELSCH GALLERY www.koelschgallery.com 703 Yale 713.626.0175 Thru Feb 20, Artist Group Exhibit

LAURA RATHE FINE ART www.laurarathe.com 2707 Colquitt 713.824.3575

LAURA U COLLECTION www.lauraucollection.com 1840 Westheimer 713.522.0855

LAZZARA ART GALLERY www.gallerialazzara.com 5400 Mitchelldale St. 713.681.0681

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LOVETT INN ART GALLERY www.lovettinngallery.com 501 Lovett Blvd. 713.522.5224

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4.

M2 GALLERY www.gallerymsquared.com 325 W. 19th St. 713.861.6070

McCLAIN GALLERY www.mcclaingallery.com 2242 Richmond Ave. 713.520.9988 Opens February 4, Norman Bluhm McMURTREY GALLERY www.mcmurtreygallery.com 3508 Lake St. 713.523.8238 Thru February 13, Sara Williams MEREDITH LONG GALLERY www.meredithlonggallery.com 2323 San Felipe 713.523.6671 MIDTOWN ART CENTER www.midtownartcenter.com 3414 La Branch 713.521.8803

MOODY GALLERY www.moodygallery.com 2815 Colquitt 713.526.9911 Thru February 13, The Camel’s Back by Michael Kennaugh MOTHER DOG STUDIOS 720 Walnut 713.229.9760

NAUHAUS GALLERY www.texascollaborative.com 223 E. 11th St. 713.261.1409 Opens February 6, Richard Soler NOLAN-RANKIN GALLERIES www.nolan-rankingalleries.com 6 Chelsea Blvd. 713.528.0664

O’KANE GALLERY www.uhd.edu One Main St.@UHD 713.221.8042 PARKERSON GALLERY www.artnet.com/gallery/837/parkerson-gallery.html 3510 Lake St. 713.524.4945 PEEL GALLERY SHOP www.peelgallery.org 4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.520.8122 POST GALLERY www.postgallery.com 2121 Sage, Ste. 390, 713.622.4241

POISSANT GALLERY www.poissantgallery.com 5102 Center St. 713.868.9337 REDBUD GALLERY www.redbudgallery.com 303 E. 11th St. 713.862.2532 RETRO GALLERY www.retrogallery.com 1839 W. Alabama 713.522.7074

RUDOLPH PROJECTS I ARTSCAN GALLERY www.rudolphprojects.com 1836 Richmond Ave. 713.807.1836

SICARDI GALLERY www.sicardi.com 2246 Richmond Ave. 713.529.1313

SPACE125 GALLERY www.haatx.com 3201 Allen Parkway 713.527.9330 STUDIO SEVEN 1107 East Freeway 713.224.5555

TALENTO BILINGUE www.tbhcenter.com 333 S. Jensen Dr. 713.222.1213

THE ARTFUL CORNER www.theartfulcorner.com 3423 White Oak Dr. 713.426.4278 THOM ANDRIOLA www.newgallery.net 2627 Colquitt 713.520.7053

THORNWOOD GALLERY www.thornwoodgallery.com 2643 Colquitt St. 713.528.4278 Thru February 9, Temples: The Human Figure in Art VAUGHAN CHRISTOPHER GALLERY www.vaughanchristopher.com 1217 S. Shepherd 713.533.0816

WADE WILSON ART www.wadewilsonart.com 4411 Montrose #200, 713.521.2977 Thru February 13, Joseph Cohen: Forging the Path of Concrete WATERCOLOR ART SOCIETY www.watercolorhouston.org 1601 West Alabama 713.942.9966 WINTER STREET STUDIOS www.winterstreetstudios.net 2101 Winter St. 713.862.0082

XNIHILO GALLERY www.xnil.org 2115 Taft St. 713.622.1846

ZARPOSH INDIA GALLERY www.zarposhindia.com 2702 Ashford Oak Dr. 713.668.2948

be hip.current.cool @ 002MAG.COM

february 10 | www.002mag.com .23

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nonprofit

by Nadia Michel

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FAMILY FUN AND A CAUSE, TOO THE 4TH ANNUAL CHRISTOPHER’S HEART FUN RUN | saturday, february 6, 2010 sam houston downtown park opening ceremony is at 8am to register for christopher’s heart fun run, visit www.umdf.org

YOU KNOW HOW SOME PEOPLE TAKE PERSONAL TRAGEDY AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING REALLY GOOD? DEBRA SHINDLER IS ONE OF THOSE REMARKABLE PEOPLE. WHEN HER SON CHRISTOPHER DIED AT THE AGE OF 11 OF MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE, DEBRA STARTED CHRISTOPHER’S HEART FUN RUN. THE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE ELUSIVE DISORDER IS NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR. If mitochondrial disease seems unfamiliar to most, it’s because the problems it can cause are so diverse. Mitochondrial disease is a genetic defect that can manifest itself in any organ, causing anything from deafness to learning disabilities to heart disease – and usually in more than one at a time. According to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, about one in 4,000 children in the United States will develop mitochondrial disease by the age of 10 years.

1,000 to 4,000 children per year in the United States are born with a type of mitochondrial disease.

“Christopher was officially diagnosed with mitochondrial disorder only 6 months before he died,” explains Shindler. Because of the wide variety of symptoms it causes, diagnosis is not always easy.

A muscle biopsy can be necessary, implying the child must EVENT START TIMES undergo anesthesia and surgery. Analyzing the Opening Ceremony 8am sample is another lengthy 5K Wheel Chair Race 8:10am challenge. “Our results had to be 5K Run 8:20am 5K Walk 8:30am sent to two American and two foreign 1 Mile Walk 8:40am doctors for review,” she adds.

Packet Pick-up information: Thursday, February 4, Luke's Locker, 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd, Suite J-100, Katy, 4-7pm

Friday, February 5, Luke's Locker, 1953 West Gray 4-7pm Saturday, February 6, Race Registration Table, Sam Houston Park, 6:30-7:30am

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Mitochondrial disease is a group of disorders caused by breakdowns inside a body’s cells.

Mitochondrial DNA is responsible for burning food and oxygen in order to generate energy.

When it fails, poisons can accumulate inside the body and prevent other chemical reactions that are important for the cells to survive.

Looking back, Shindler says, there were plenty of signs that something was amiss early on.

Christopher was born with poor muscle tone, was always a little shorter than normal and underwent strabismus surgery at an early age. “He was a

beautiful child, though. People often looked at him and thought nothing was wrong. But with this disease, he could go from great to almost dead in the space of an hour.”

Ultimately, it was a heart attack that took his life.

While researching the disorder in an attempt to understand her son’s ever multiplying health problems, Shindler discovered there was no cure for the disease, and few treatments were available to relieve symptoms or slow the progression of the disease.

To help change this grim outlook, she began working with the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization.

Established in 1996, the UMDF has provided more than $5 million in grants to support the research that may lead to a less invasive diagnosis and ultimately a cure. Through events like Christopher’s Heart Fun Run, Shindler hopes to raise awareness about mitochondrial disorders.

Over the last few years, there have been exciting advances in the care of patients with mitochondrial diseases. In 2007, Dr. Mary Kay Koenig joined the faculty in the Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, establishing the only specialized care in the region. Koenig’s treatments showing promise include vitamin supplements and diet therapy. She sits on the local board of the UMDF and works with support groups to help families cope. Also, researchers are looking into spindle transfer, where the nuclear DNA is transferred to another healthy egg cell leaving the defective mitochondrial DNA behind, which has been successfully carried out on monkeys at the Oregon Health and Science University. This therapy would be helpful in preventing the genetic transfer from mother to child.

The goal for 2010’s Christopher’s Heart Fun Run is to raise $100,000 for the UMDF. What began as small group effort in 2007, with 97 participants and only $18,000 raised, is now a significant fundraiser and a fun family event.

This year’s event features a Kid’s Corner with face painting, games and food from California Pizza Kitchen. Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital’s popular mascot, Topper, will also be on hand to cheer everyone on. “We really strive to make this a fun family event,” says Shindler. Runners and walkers often show up in costumes or special t-shirts, vying for awards like Most Creative or Loudest.

002houston February 10:002houston

gish at the movies

By Sarah Gish

1/21/10

3:46 PM

ART FILMS ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL… TAKE A FRIEND TO ONE!

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS and RICE CINEMA The Museum of Fine Arts (mfah.org) has a very exciting program this month, the annual “Festival of Preservation” organized by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The archive is one of several national ones dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of film history and culture; this Festival showcases those efforts and this is its first stop in Houston. Twenty films will be unspooling all month and the complete schedule is online. The films span several decades, starting in the 1920s with Vitaphone Varieties 1927–1931 (2/28, 5pm), a rare compilation of thousands of shorts produced by the Vitaphone Corporation that features recordings originally made on large phonograph discs of musicians, vaudeville acts and radio stars between 1927 and 1930. Included in the mix are a couple of great John Sayles films, The Brother From Another Planet [screening 2/26, 7pm as part of the Contemporary Arts Museum (camh.org) Teen Council Film Fest] and Return of the Secaucus 7 (2/27, 7pm). They’re also screening Heather Korb’s gem, Third Ward Blues (2/7, 4pm) for “Target Free First Sunday” (note: this film is recommended for 13+). The “Iranian Film Festival” that premiered at the MFAH in January continues at Rice Cinema (ricecinema.edu) with Shirin (2/5, 7pm) and A Man Who Ate His Cherries (2/6, 7pm). Rice also has an “Ang Lee Retrospective” of the Taiwanese filmmaker’s earlier films, Pushing Hands (2/19, 7:30pm), The Wedding Banquet (2/20, 7pm) and Eat Drink Man Woman (2/21, 7pm).

OPERA, HORROR and FREEBIES High culture on the big screen continues this month at the Rave Motion Pictures Yorktown 15 (ravemotionpictures.com) with Verdi’s opera Otello (2/11, 7pm and 2/14, 1pm) and the ballet version of Don Quixote (2/25, 7pm and 2/28, 1pm). The Last Station opens 2/12 at the River Oaks Theatre (landmarktheatres.com) which also has several midnighters: Hitchcock’s Rear Window (2/5-6); Rocky

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Horror Picture Show (2/13 only); and The Evil Dead (2/19-20).

DiverseWorks (diverseworks.org) has updated their ongoing “Flickerlounge” with 35mm, a series of shorts compiled by Robert Flowers. While lounging in the lounge, check out their current exhibition, “The New Normal,” which has a video by Kota Ezawa that creatively re-uses the “leaked” videotape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s honeymoon!

HoustonPBS’s “Community Cinema” (communitycinema.org) program at Rice Cinema features Eyes of Me (2/16, 7pm) which is about a school for special needs students. Free movies are on every month at the Brazilian Arts Foundation (brazilianarts.org) the third Fridays; at Domy Books (domystore.com) Mondays-Fridays at 8:30pm; and at Dean’s Credit Clothing (myspace.com/deanscreditclothing) on the first Thursdays (organized with the Houston Film Commission, houstonfilmcommission.com).

AURORA PICTURE SHOW and ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE Alamo Drafthouse (drafthouse.com) is hosting some cool events this month: West Oaks is hosting a “special feast screening” of the new documentary Blood into Wine (2/19, regular showing on 2/20) and a special screening of the Lon Chaney silent film The Unknown (2/27, 7:30pm) which will be accompanied by live music from the eclectic Austin band The Invincible Czars. There is also a screening of Food Inc. After seeing that one, I can promise that no one will be ordering the chicken sandwiches! The beat goes on at the Aurora Picture Show (aurorapictureshow.org) with their mobile screenings: DiverseWorks is the spot for Because the Night (2/6, 7pm), a series of shorts inspired by Patti Smith’s song; the Aurora Video Library will have Playing on the Edge of Real (2/7, 1pm); and Shadowbox Cinema (2/27, 7pm) will be on view at Frenetic Theater. For those without plans on Valentine’s Day (or who are just plain cynical about the whole roses/flowers thing), catch “It’s Not You; It’s Me,” a compilation of short films about the battle scars of relationships screening on 2/14, 5pm at Block 7. Who needs love anyway?!

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for art’s sake

Interview by Lance Scott Walker Main portrait by Sofia van der Dys

THE STARCK CHAIR PROJECT

www.starckchairproject.blogspot.com

Alexandra Gaisbauer | Stephanie Webb | Wendy Brown

STARTING IN 2008, NATIVE HOUSTONIANS WENDY BROWN, ALEXANDRA GAISBAUER AND STEPHANIE WEBB LAUNCHED THE STARCK CHAIR PROJECT, AN ART ENDEAVOR WHEREIN THEY PHOTOGRAPHED THREE CLEAR PHILIPPE STARCK CHAIRS IN VARIOUS LOCALES, INCLUDING MENIL PARK AND JONES HALL PLAZA, WITH A LARGE FORMAT STYLE CAMERA. THE LADIES THEMSELVES ALSO APPEAR IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS. A COLLECTION OF THAT WORK WILL BE ON VIEW AT DEAN’S MONTROSE THROUGH FEBRUARY 28.

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SO, FOR ALL OF YOU, THIS APPEARS TO BE YOUR FIRST VENTURE INTO THE WORLD OF LARGE FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHY. BEFORE THIS, WHAT HAD EACH OF YOU BEEN WORKING WITH? AND WHAT WAS THE SPECIFIC CAMERA YOU USED FOR THE STARCK PROJECT? STEPHANIE: For the project we used a 4x5 Land Camera. Before that, I shot on a Canon AE-1 P and Rolleiflex medium format. Wendy helped me out with this incredibly long self-portrait project; we learned how to use a strobe with the Rolleiflex. I’m surprised I still use that camera actually – we both wanted to throw it out of the window!

WENDY: Working with the 4x5 was a completely new experience for me.

Before we were given the opportunity to fiddle with the monster of an apparatus, I’d been fooling around with vintage Polaroid cameras for a couple of years, mainly an SX-70. The instantaneous ability to access a taken shot with a Polaroid camera allowed me to quickly figure out exactly what I wanted in a photograph and what effects inspired me.

ALEXANDRA: I had recently come across my father’s old SX-70, so I was experimenting with Polaroids for the first time. Exciting!

I was also shooting medium format with a Hasselblad, but I have always wanted to play with a real camera – a large format 4x5, which was used for the Starck Chair Project. It’s amazing what you can see under that focusing cloth (once you get used to the world being upside down, of course)!

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING SHOT FOR THIS PROJECT?

STEPHANIE: That’s interesting that he said that, and we run around placing his chairs in water, under bridges and alleyways. I wonder how he would feel about it...

WENDY: This is something I really dig about Philippe Starck and something I also consider when appreciating design or utilizing a well-designed object – in my own home, or workspace, or even when framing a shot. While we were shooting, the juxtaposition of the designer chairs in unconventional placement seemed to guide us. In my opinion, the environment complements the object and vice versa.

ARE THESE FOREMOST PORTRAITS OF YOURSELVES, OF CHAIRS OR OF THE DIFFERENT SETTINGS? STEPHANIE: The project has nothing to do with the chairs really. Yeah, I know, it’s called the Starck Chair Project. It’s about the process, the adventure. What isn’t shown at Dean’s (it’s on the blog) are the photographs of us setting up the camera, walking around carrying all of this equipment and three chairs. We have sketches of photographs and lists of places we want to shoot.

So, yes, the photos are portraits of us, and three chairs, and of places we frequent. But the project is a portrait of the progress we made together.

DO YOU HAVE INTEREST IN MEETING OR WORKING WITH PHILIPPE STARCK? WENDY: A better question would be, does Philippe Starck wanna do business with us?

Heh. No, of course, I’d love to meet Philippe Starck. I’d love to hear what he thinks about us putting his chairs in Barton Springs.

STEPHANIE: I’d have to say Poison Girl. Up Starck Chair Project collection | Chase Tower to that point we were accustomed to shooting during the day and alone. At the bar, people were everywhere asking us questions and trying to sit in our chairs. And that strand of lights! It was defiWHAT IS NEXT FOR EACH OF YOU? nitely an adventure.

ALEXANDRA: I’m in the process of designing my very own darkroom, which ALEXANDRA: The most challenging shot for me was Allen’s Landing. It had will definitely allow for large format printing! been a long, hot Houston day. Carrying three chairs and a very bulky camera around town all day can be tiring. Our tripod also decided it would be a good STEPHANIE: I’ve started on a 365-day project. And I’m sure the three of us time to break a leg. We wrestled with the length of the cable release, the will start a new project together as well, even if it’s just us putting on dresses uneven concrete steps and the perspective. But in the end we managed, all the and posing in front of PAKS food store. As for the Stack Chair Project, we hope while trying our best to ignore the lingering urine smell commonly found near to show the full project somewhere. We want people to see all of our candid overpasses. shots, sketches and most of all, our mistakes.

STARCK HAS SAID THAT WHEN HE CREATES AN OBJECT, HE DOES NOT APPROACH IT IN TERMS OF THE OBJECT ITSELF, BUT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE UNIVERSE SURROUNDING THE OBJECT: WHO WILL SIT IN THE CHAIR, WHAT IS THEIR UNIVERSE LIKE... . THE PLACE WHERE HIS OBJECTS EXIST SEEMS ELEMENTAL IN DEFINING THE OBJECTS. WHEN YOU REMOVE THE ENVIRONMENT, HOW DOES THE OBJECT CHANGE?

WENDY: I’m going bowling tonight.

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phone shot email us at phoneshot@002mag.com

Coping with Houston’s recent Arctic freeze Joe Arellano |Email submission

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT OUR PHONES AND THEIR LITTLE BUILT-IN CAMERAS? WE'RE CONSTANTLY SNAPPING SHOTS OF OUR FOOD, PARTIES, ETC., AND SHARING THEM IN THE OFFICE, ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. HERE’S WHAT MADE THE CUT THIS MONTH.

The legendary Acapulco cliff divers. Wait! I think I just saw Elvis. Ah, that's where he’s been hiding all these years!

Pixie Ibañez | 002 Associated Editor

Frozen!

Corey Smith | Email submission

Front row tickets! priceless......

Alejandro Martinez | 002 Publisher 28. february 10 | www.002mag.com

Mmmmmmmm...donuts...

Beatrice Valencia | 002 Lifestyle Editor

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Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Mercury Baroque present Romeo & Juliet February 11 & 13 @ 8pm, February 14 @ 2pm Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Mercury Baroque once again team up for the ultimate performing arts mash-up – Romeo & Juliet.

This multi-disciplinary production brings Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers to life like never before, with Walsh’s contemporary choreography set to a Vivaldi score arranged by Antoine Plante and performed live on period instruments by Mercury Baroque. While dancers take the lead roles, actors and opera singers portray others – all delivering Shakespeare’s text at pivotal moments.

Adding to the “wow” factor of this production is an award-winning design team. Cullen Theater @ Wortham (501 Texas Avenue). Tickets starting at $24.

Visit www.dwdt.org or call 832.251.0706.

Mildred’s Umbrella presents The Flu Season February 23-March 13 (Thursday-Saturdays, Mondays) @ 8pm Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company presents the Houston premier of playwright Will Eno’s The Flu Season, winner of the 2004 Oppenheimer Award for best New York debut. The Flu Season is a reluctant love story, in spite of itself. Set in a hospital and a theater, it is a play that revels in ambivalence and derives energy from its doubts, whether a love story is ever really a love story. Midtown Art Center (3414 LaBranch at Holman). Tickets $15. www.mildredsumbrella.com

February 12 @ 9pm Join us for a celebration of all things anti-love! If an allnight love song extravaganza on the dance floor won’t cure you, try the Shoot Your Ex! target practice or the Violent Video Game Therapy Room… or maybe share your most intimate 14-year-old secrets at the Breakup Stories Diary Reading. Still nursing that broken heart?

Take comfort in Breakup Food à la Lorena Bobbitt skewers and fried Twinkies®! Frenetic Theater (5102 Navigation). Tickets $5. www.freneticore.net DiverseWorks presents S Percussion’s Imaginary City February 12 & 13 @ 8pm Imaginary City, the newest work by Brooklyn’s S Percussion, has been described as “brilliant” by the New York Times and “astonishing” by Billboard Magazine. The virtuosos of S Percussion collaborate with filmmaker Jenise Treuting to capture the sounds and images of several cities – from Tokyo to Helena’s vast skies, Denver’s mountains through the heartland of Cleveland, and Burlington’s New England landscape to the urban jungle of Houston – to emphasize the uniqueness and commonalities between the various cities. With music based partially on invented instruments, the experimentation blurs the lines between sound and vision to create an artistic metropolis. DiverseWorks (1117 East Freeway). Tickets PayWhat-You-Want. www.diverseworks.org

Photography by Janette Beckman

Photography by Gabriella Nissen

LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! ANOTHER VALENTINE’S DAY IS UPON US… ARE YOU ANXIOUS? FEAR NOT, FAIR LADIES AND GALLANT GENTLEMEN – FACE FEBRUARY 14 WITH FAITH! FAITH THAT YOU WON’T SCORE A DINNER spacetaker RESERVATION AT YOUR FIRST CHOICE, THAT A SHAKY ECONOMY WON’T artscene PRECLUDE PRICE GOUGING ON ROSES, AND THAT HUGH GRANT WILL PROBABLY GET THE GIRL IN THE END. THINK BACK ON SIMPLER TIMES WHEN

By Jenni Rebecca Stephenson ANYTHING WORTH SAYING COULD BE PRINTED ON SWEETHEARTS AND THE BEST VALENTINES CAME FROM YOUR MOM. NOW KEEP THIS MAGICAL TIME IN MIND AS YOU MAKE THE BEST OF THIS HALLMARK® HOLIDAY OVER CHAMPAGNE, HUMOR OR HEMLOCK. AND REMEMBER, WHETHER CELEBRATING YOUR CELIBACY OR TOASTING TRUE LOVE, THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS CONVIVIAL AS A NIGHT OF CULTURE.

F*ck Love, Let’s Party! An Anti-Love Celebration at Frenetic Theater SAVE THE DATE! AFTER SPOILING US ON VALENTINE’S, WE WOULDN’T LET THE BOYS MISS THIS: On March 3, the Menil Collection hosts MEN OF MENIL, a night supporting the Menil’s education and outreach programs. The men-only event will include professional demonstrations by champion nine-ball pool players, an extraordinary seated dinner by Jackson Hicks, fine wines, an outdoor cigar bar, plenty of good company and a chance to hone your pool skills. Tables and limited number of single tickets are available. For details, contact Elsian Cozens at 713.525.9451 or elsian@menil.org. february 10 | www.002mag.com .29

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I’TS NEVER TOO EARLY TO START TEACHING YOUR KIDS THE IMPORTANCE OF DRESSING WELL AND PROJECTING SELF-CONFIDENCE. A CHILD THAT HAS GOOD SELF-IMAGE WILL DEVELOP A HIGHER SELF-ESTEEM, AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE FOUNDATION FOR A CHILD’S WELL-BEING AND THE KEY TO SUCCESS AS ADULTS. KIDS LOVE TO ROLE-PLAY – WE OFTEN FIND THEM SWIMMING IN OUR STILETTOS, DRAGGING OUR BRIEFCASES AND PLAYING WITH OUR HIGH-TECH PHONES (ACCIDENTALY DIALING OUR BOSS – NOT A GOOD THING!). SO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DRESS UP; THEY’LL FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS, AND WHO KNOWS, THAT MIGHT EVEN BE THEIR FUTURE SALARY! HERE ARE SOME COOL ITEMS TO GET THEM STARTED.

kids

By Pixie Ibañez Photographed by Kennon Evett

incorporated

LADIES: Esquimau Cardigan, Denverse blouse, Duree skirt and Cloe shoes @ Jacadi. Mini link chain bracelet, Nardles handbag @ Neiman Marcus.

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CHAPS: TUMI Flap Zip Cross Body briefcase and T.F Laurence Blazer w/ gold buttons @ Neiman Marcus. Document2 pants, Daffyon shirt, Divan sweater and Eric shoes @ Jacadi.

Photography by The Photo Boutique

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EVENT MUSE – HILA GRAHAM TRUNK SHOW WHY TO BENEFIT TEXAS CHILDREN’S CANCER CENTER WHERE MUSE WHEN DECEMBER 8 Muse and local jewelry designer Hila Graham played host to a Secret Santa party.

The bubbly bubbled and the jewelry sparkled as guests shopped for their favorites from Hila’s acclaimed holiday collection. Naughty or nice didn’t matter, the pretty ladies got to check items from their wish list, and at the same time passed on some generosity, so patients at Texas Children’s Hospital could wake up to a full stocking on Christmas Day. Now that’s the holiday spirit!

Susan Sanders

Christine Hoffer, Celina Stabell

check out more pictures @ 002mag.com

Craig McLemore, Valerie Dittner

Susan Sanders, Cindy Garza, Mary Hart

Tana Lundquist, Tena Faust

Lexie Boudreaux, Nicole Fertitta

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Vamp it up with Estee Lauder’s Ultra Violet nail polish. Neiman Marcus

NO MATTER THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMY THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT NEVER FAIL TO ABOUND: LIQUOR, CHOCOLATE AND BEAUTY. HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS SPRING FROM THE BOUNTY OF BEAUTY THAT MADE ITS WAY ACROSS 002HOUSTON HEADQUARTERS. Photography by Gabriella Nissen

By Carla Valencia de Martinez

Genius, seriously. L’Oreal’s Go 360 Clean has a little green scrubber that not only pops out of the facial cleanser bottle, BUT it also suctions to your shower.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, at Kiehl’s in Highland Village – You gotta sleep – why not replicate skin’s natural lipids for optimal skin repair while dozing off to lavender scented oils.

Pretty genius, Votre Vu’s Duette, moisturizing lip balm and hand crème – the perfect bedside accoutrement. www.votrevu.com

Previous luxurious face lifting formula. Neiman Marcus

The crème-based organic formula of Beau Baume promises to obliterate even the toughest stubble. www.votrevu.com

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Pressed powder gets a playful facelift in Sisley’s Phyto-Poudre Compacte. Neiman Marcus

What holds over 50 patents, with four years in development plus hours of lab work, and renews and rejuvenates skin? La Mer’s Regenerating Serum.

Available at Neiman Marcus in March.

This little pen packs a punch in your quest for über white teeth. Paint on Liquid Smile’s professional strength formula at night after brushing and sleep! Repeat every night until pen is empty. Innovative Aesthetics, 713.468.8759

Sisley’s Modern Fuchsia lip star gloss is the perfect shade to beckon spring! Neiman Marcus

We’re obsessed with anything from Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess collection. We’re ready to be slathering on the body oil spray in the spring and summer!

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1

2

VIELKA RIVERS

ERIK BECHTOL

age 30 sign Aries origin Latina occupation Owner, MERCER salon 5555 Washington Suite R

age 30 sign Leo origin Caracas, Venezuela occupation Model Agent – Page Parkes Corporation

people of houston Photography by Anthony Rathbun

3

1. VIELKA RIVERS •WHAT IS THE WORST FASHION TREND YOU LOVED? Shoulder pads.

•IF YOU NEVER HAD TO WORK, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Invent something.

•WHAT WAS THE BEST CONCERT YOU EVER ATTENDED? Metallica.

•WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO HANG OUT? Anywhere on Washington.

EBONY JARMON age 31 sign Aquarius occupation Owner of Ets…Lash Studio

•HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? New York Girl.

2. ERICK BECHTOL •WHAT IS THE WORST FASHION TREND YOU LOVED? Converse! So glad they’re back…

•IF YOU COULD MEET A CELEBRITY, WHO WOULD IT BE? Jennifer Aniston. I have a lot of respect for that chick.

•WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Wine. And cook. (You gotta have something to eat with the wine.)

•WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIAN? Chris Garneau.

•WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? The Red Violin.

3. EBONY JARMON •WHAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? My BlackBerry.

•WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Visiting saltwater and freshwater fish stores.

•WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIAN? Sade.

•WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Transformers.

•IF YOU COULD ONLY WEAR ONE COSMETIC PRODUCT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Etsetera Eyelash Extensions.

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GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

By Tim Moloney

HELLO, LOYAL READERS, AND WELCOME TO THE BUSINESS ISSUE OF 002HOUSTON. IN PLACE OF MY USUAL SNARKY COMMENTS AND SHAMELESS PRODUCT SHILLING, THIS MONTH WE’RE GETTING SERIOUS. IN TODAY’S TOUGH ECONOMY, NO JOBS ARE GUARANTEED. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR CAREER DESTINY BY GOING OUT ON THEIR OWN AND STARTING BUSINESSES. WHAT MOTIVATES THEM? WHAT INSPIRES THEM? WHAT KEEPS THEM GOING AND MAKES THEM SUCCESSFUL? THIS MONTH, WE’RE GOING TO FIND OUT. I decided to sit down with a group of friends, all small business owners, and see what insight they could impart. Joining the discussion were COURTNEY HILL FERTITTA, owner of Courtney Hill Interiors; lawyer ANDREW SEERDEN of the Seerden Law firm; and REBEKAH JOHNSON, who heads up event planning firm Bergner and Johnson.

TM: SO, WHY DID YOU ALL DO IT? Andrew: I simply wanted to be my own boss and reap the rewards of my own work. While my prior boss was great and my time working for a big law firm was invaluable, I wasn’t cut out for the more “corporate” environment.

Rebekah: For me, it was twofold: my business partner at the time, Sarah Bergner, had just gotten divorced and wanted to turn her hobby business into a full-time business. I had just returned from New York because I realized there that I would never own my own business and I no longer wanted to schlep flower buckets for

other people. I had worked for her before I went to New York and when she offered me a partnership, I jumped at the chance.

Courtney: I did it when I came back from New York, too. I had put in six years at a firm there, and my husband and I moved back to Houston. I started to think about interviewing, and then thought – I think I can do it, have my own firm.

TM: WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF DOING YOUR OWN THING? Andrew: The risk: financial, stability, sanity, restful nights.

Courtney: Learning the business side of running a company. I knew a ton about interior design, but had to learn how to run a business pretty quickly.

Rebekah: The hardest part is the responsibility for and to the employees.

TM: OK, SO WHAT’S THE BEST PART THEN? Rebekah: For me, it’s the constant challenge of new projects and the complete lack of boredom.

Andrew: The reward – autonomy, autonomy, autonomy. And perhaps one day, financial reward. A sense of pride in building a successful business.

Courtney: You have a little more of a flexible schedule. Watching your company grow. That’s really exciting.

TM: SO WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE GOING OUT ON THEIR OWN? Andrew: Work hard, first and foremost. Understand and control/minimize overhead/costs. Keep your eyes and ears open to those that have gone before you.

Rebekah: Make sure you love what you are doing, because you will be consumed by it.

Courtney: Even creative people have to know and understand business. And like Andrew said, I think there’s a lot of wisdom out there. Talk to as many people as you can who are older and wiser and learn from them. Be prepared. Go for it.

LEAN OUT WITH LAYN Even if your business leaves you little time for fitness, here are some quick tips from our resident trainer pal, Layn Bowers of Houston Gym: “To all you wise guys out there who know how smart it is to invest in your health and well-being, but only have about 30 minutes to work out at lunch, it’s best to focus on compound movements. The three most physically involved compound movements would be the squat, pull-up and push-up. If you can’t do a pushup on the floor, then do it on an incline off a bench. If pull-ups are too difficult, then use the lat machine and do a pull-down. The rep range should stay between 20 and 30 if toning and endurance are your objectives. If you’re already toned, focus on a weight that allows you to do 10 to 15 reps to add a little muscle size. Any questions? Ask your trainer or you can ask me at leoben0220@yahoo.com.

THAT’S IT, GUYS! GET BACK TO WORK AND HAVE A GREAT MONTH!

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Let Me Call You Sweetheart

by Reyne Haines

There is one day in February that excites women across the country…Valentine’s Day. A day she hopes to be showered with flowers, chocolates and a great dinner with the love of her life.

Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day (or St. Valentine’s Day as it is really known) was not created by Hallmark. There are a few schools of thought that surround St. Valentine and who he was. The Catholic Church recognizes three saints named Valentine or Valentinus who were martyred. One story claims Valentine was a priest living in Rome during the 3rd century. During this time, marriage became outlawed because soldiers were thought to be stronger if they were without a family. Valentine did not agree with this law and continued to marry couples against the wishes of Emperor Claudius II. Once Claudius learned of this betrayal, Valentine was jailed.

According to one legend, Valentine sent the first “Valentine” greeting. He was in prison and fell in love with a young girl who visited him while there. It is said he sent her a letter and signed it “From Your Valentine” – an expression we still use today.

Americans began exchanging handmade cards as early as the 1700s. The first mass-produced cards were designed by Esther A. Howland in 1840. Howland, often referred to as the Mother of Valentine’s Day, added ribbon and lace to her

line of cards. They also offered images of turtle doves, cupids, hearts and lover’s knots in gold and silver. She placed an ad for her cards in The Daily Spy, and quickly realized the demand for her cards was more than she could handle on her own. She hired friends to assist her and was quickly making $100,000 a year.

Some of Howland’s cards sold for up to $50 apiece. That price today is equivalent to $1,200. The oldest Valentine’s greeting by Howland is on display at the British Museum.

The Victorian Era prompted the mailing of Valentine’s Day cards. Before this time, they were hand delivered as the cost of postage was very high. In the late 1890s the postal service implemented the “penny post” which made sending cards a lot more affordable. It was very popular at this time to exchange cards and also to display your card collection.

It is estimated that over one billion Valentine’s Day cards are purchased each year. Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday for card giving (behind Christmas, of course). Try being a little adventurous this year. Instead of heading over to your favorite card shop for a little poetic delight, why not hit your local antique shop, pick out a beautiful postcard from the turn of the century, and then take it to be mounted and framed. Something she will certainly cherish for years to come!

Reyne Haines is the co-host of The Art of Collecting on NBC and an appraiser of Fine Art/Antiques. reyne@reyne.com

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002+magazine

on our radar Redesigning Downtown: A Style Competition at One Park Place Three of Houston’s top Interior Designers – Renea Abbott, Chandos Dodson and Michael Stribling – compete to win best design for a one-bedroom deluxe apartment in the sky at downtown’s new landmark residential high rise, One Park Place at 1400 McKiney Street. Tour the three units for $10, with proceeds benefitting Discovery Green, and cast your vote! Tours start February 17 (thru May 2), running every Wednesday through Friday from noon-2pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5pm. For more information, call 713.868.5933 or visit www.oneparkplacehouston.com

Artistic venue Grayco Partners is opening two new seven-story towers at 5353 Fannin with a twist. Not only is the project a luxurious living option, but it’s an opportunity to give back to the community.

Venue Paint Project is a public art installation and tribute to the city of Houston. Spearheaded by Houston artist Kermit Eisenhut, who gathered eight other fellow local artists – Salli Babbitt, Ruben Coy, Richard Fluhr, Jerrie Gast, Liz Conces Spencer, Suzanne E. Sellers, Tra Slaughter and Wendy Wagner – to express their interpretations of Houston streetscapes, the 4’ x 6’ pieces will hang outside on the Fannin side of the apartment building. On display through February 11, they will be auctioned off at an event with proceeds benefitting Art League and Lawndale.

texyoga NO, NOT THE HAIR THING. THIS VALENTINE’S DAY GET HIM SOMETHING HE’LL USE AND NOT ANOTHER ROBOTIC CAT OR SOMETHING. PATRICK RYAN AND NICK CUBERO CREATED TIX4HIM.COM – A CONCIERGE SERVICE DEVOTED TO HELPING WOMEN FIND THE PERFECT TICKETS FOR THE MEN IN THEIR LIVES BY CREATING A COMPLETE PROFILE TO PAIR HIM WITH THE PERFECT SEATS TO THE PERFECT EVENT OR GAME.

Extreme makeover No – really, in this case. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition takes it local with high school sweethearts, Melissa and Larry Beach. The Beaches have been married for 23 years and have fostered 80 children, the majority deemed “unadoptable” by society’s standards. When Hurricane Ike swept across the Texas Gulf Coast the Beach family evacuated, returning to a severely damaged home. The family recently had the two FEMA trailers they were given taken back and have been living completely cramped in one small trailer in the backyard, with two adults and nine children, plus medical equipment.

Recently they were nominated for the rebuild project by the entire Kemah city council, state representatives and local congressmen, and Extreme Makeover along with volunteers began building a new home for them in January. Local corporation Cosentino, maker of Silestone Natural Quartz, has donated Silestone surface applications not only to the Beach residence but to all homes this season.

Futbol update THE USA BID COMMITTEE RELEASED THE FINAL LIST OF CITIES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE OFFICIAL BID BOOK TO FIFA – AND HOUSTON HAS MADE THE CUT! THAT MEANS HOUSTON COULD BE THE SITE OF A FUTURE WORLD CUP MATCH. THE LIST HAS BEEN NARROWED DOWN TO 18 CITIES, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED BY FIFA AND REPRESENT ALL FOUR TIME ZONES AND EVERY CORNER OF THE COUNTRY, MAKING THIS A TRULY NATIONAL BID. CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST OF CITIES – HTTP://GOUSABID.COM/CITIES.

THIS MONTH JOIN THE LAUNCH OF THE TEXAS YOGA ASSOCIATION (TYA) AT THE TEXAS YOGA CONFERENCE. THE TYA PROVIDES LOCAL RESOURCES TO TEXAS STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STUDIOS AND ADVOCATES FOR THE COMMON INTEREST OF THE TEXAS YOGA COMMUNITY. THE TEXAS YOGA CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD FEBRUARY 19-20, 2010, AT UNITY CHURCH IN HOUSTON, WITH SPECIAL GUEST BOLLYWOOD/SHAKTI DANCE WORKSHOP WITH HEMALAYAA FEBRUARY 21 FROM 2-5PM. TO REGISTER, GO TO WWW.TEXASYOGACONFERENCE.COM AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.TEXYOGA.ORG.

Getting sketchy with it Houston Dr. Sketchy is a monthly artist booze-up meets Burlesque model meets sassy, sexy life drawing club. Think art class... without the class. They meet at Avant Garden, 411 Westheimer, and make every second Sunday of your life a little bit better and a whole lot hotter. Grab your sketchpads, pencils, paint, cameras, clay, embroidery hoop or protractor. All artistic skill levels are welcome! They’ve got crayons and naughty coloring pages for the artistically inhibited and a full bar to keep you socially lubricated. Tickets are $10 + tips for your model. www.houstonsketchy.com Photo by Ed Schipul

Just for men

architecture Rice Design Alliance, with support from the Consulate General of Mexico, kicks off its annual spring lecture series on February 3 at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This year’s program is Mexico City Surging: DF Architecture, a lineup of young architects and urban planners helping to shape the burgeoning Mexico City landscape and coincides with Mexico’s year-long celebration of the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence. The third largest metropolitan area in the world, Mexico City’s architectural treasures are unmatched in the Western Hemisphere, with its abundance of Pre-Colombian and Colonial structures. To purchase tickets for the series in advance, visit www.ricedesignalliance.org.

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costumes for cocktails Styling by Beatrice Valencia Photography by Sofia van der Dys Illustration by Cynthia Bogart

BIRDS of a FEATHER

ANTHROPOLOGIE - 10-127 CityCentre 713.973.0561 NEIMAN MARCUS - 2600 Post Oak Blvd. 713.621.7100 BARNEY’S COOP - 5015 Westheimer Rd. 713.986.5113 HIGH GLOSS - 1131 Uptown Park Blvd. 713.961.7868 HEB - 9710 Katy Fwy. 713.647.5900

I fell for the bird pattern on this top. It’s sweet and understated. Leifsdottir Bird blouse @ Neiman Marcus | I have this newfound love for flair fit jeans. They’re universally slimming and I like the vintage vibe. Joe’s Jeans @ Anthropologie | The height is subtle for a loafer wedge and the comfort is perfect for work or play. Marc by Marc Jacobs wedges @ Neiman Marcus | I know what you’re thinking. Qvc.com, what?! Zoe created luxurious pieces at affordable prices.

This faux-fur is just as soft as the real thing… minus the whole killing animals detail. | Rachel Zoe faux-fur vest @ qvc.com | After scouring stores for the perfect fluffy scarf, I found it! I can’t stop wearing it either. It’s turned into my “Linus blanket.” | Blue cashmere wrap by Armand Diradourian @ Barney’s Coop | This nude is ideal for my skin tone. It doesn’t look as though my fingers go on forever because it has a slight pink/red undertone. | OPI Nail Lacquer in Barefoot in Barcelona @ HEB | Dad’s vintage Gucci has become my new obsession.

Vintage Gucci timepiece, stylist’s own | The moment I saw their estate/vintage pieces, it was love at first sight. I immediately scooped up 2 bracelets. There is nothing like an original piece with a little history. Vintage bracelet @ High Gloss

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retail wrap Photography by Jill Hunter

EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF WAXING AND WHY IT’S BETTER THAN SAY, SHAVING OR LASERING? When done correctly, waxing removes the hair from the root, leaving soft and smooth skin. Shaving not only leaves the hair feeling thick and coarse but also interferes with the natural direction of regrowth. Shaving stimulates hair growth and only lasts for a couple days. Waxing actually slows hair growth and lasts much longer, usually up to 4 weeks, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth. Also, it is very difficult to shave some areas of your body whereas waxing can be applied to most areas of your body. Our wax is so pliable that men and women can actually wax hard to reach areas like inside their nose or ears. Laser Hair removal can be very expensive and painful usually requiring multiple visits to treat the same area. Laser hair removal does not work on everyone and only works on certain skin types and hair color.

IS WAXING REALLY PAINFUL? No, it is virtually painless. European Wax Center‘s proprietary wax is stripless, which allows faster application and less pain. Higher quality wax means higher quality waxing. The gentle, all natural beeswax is formulated in Paris, and European Wax Center utilizes a unique four-step process – cleanse, protect, wax and rejuvenate – to ensure a purifying, fast, virtually painless experience.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GET INTO THIS BUSINESS? My wife, Kristina, and I are also involved with Massage Envy. We were the Regional Developers for Central and South Texas and also owned and operated 2 Massage Envy locations in the Greater Houston area. Massage Envy’s growth story is legendary and when a close associate approached me about European Wax Center in May 2008, I saw the opportunity to be involved, at a very early stage, in another incredible growth story. My wife and I went out to the European Wax Center’s corporate office in Fort Lauderdale and tried out the waxing process. We absolutely loved it. In fact, we loved everything we saw and learned about European Wax Center. Soon after, we signed up as Regional Developers for Texas. Since then, we have opened up 2 of our own locations in Houston (River Oaks and Galleria) and plan to open up 1 more. We have also partnered in the Philadelphia Region of European Wax Center and are currently working on opening up 2 locations in that market.

JUDD MILLER | EUROPEAN WAX CENTERS

Regional Developer and Franchise Owner | years in operation 1½ years in Houston, 6 years in Florida | 5 Houston area locations (River Oaks, Galleria, West U, Bunker Hill@I-10 & Copperfield) | 866.773.4929 | www.waxcenter.com

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WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER WAX CENTERS? We specialize in waxing. That is all we do. Even though our wax is expensive, our prices are not. Our locations are very spa-like and appeal to both men and women. Our business model is unique as well.

We want to make it convenient and affordable to get waxed by opening 30 Houston area locations and offering waxing services at prices that are significantly cheaper than our competition. Customer Guests that join our loyalty programs receive additional discounts (up to 30% off of services and retail products). If a customer guest is a member of one location, they can receive discounts at all locations, nationwide. It’s perfect for busy people who can’t afford downtime, anyone who fears waxing might be too painful and those craving a bit of self-indulgence during hard times. It is also great for people who travel a lot. We now have locations that are open or coming soon in 15 states.

ANY NEW ADVANCEMENTS IN THE WAXING INDUSTRY? Yes. European Wax Center is revolutionizing the waxing industry. With our high-quality wax, virtually pain-free process and discounted prices, we plan to open 30 Wax Centers in the Houston area and over 1,000 nationwide within the next 3 to 4 years. 5 Houston area locations are currently open and League City, Clear Lake, Royal Oaks, Pearland and Meyerland are coming soon. We want to make waxing convenient and affordable to all Houstonians.

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FOR BEST WAXING RESULTS, GUESTS SHOULD

1. Wax regularly. Waxing every 4 weeks will allow the hair to grow in thinner and finer and will ease out with less pain on each visit.

2. Follow the recommended at home care maintenance. Using the EWC Exfoliating body wash, EWC Post Wax Exfoliate and the EWC Ingrown Hair Serum will ensure that guests have the best waxing results with no bumps, ingrown hairs or breakouts.

3. Start saving money today. European Wax Center makes it easy to save. You can easily jump on a package and start saving today or share your experience with friends and family. Guests receive $5 off for each guest they refer and it’s unlimited, so they can refer as many people as they like. Plus, customers can try us out for FREE on their first visit. Women can get a FREE Bikini Line, Under Arm or eyebrow waxing. Men can get a FREE ear, nose or eyebrow waxing.

4. Don’t shave. Shaving not only leaves the hair feeling thick and coarse but also interferes with the natural direction of re-growth. After shaving, guests will start over as if it was their first time waxing.

5. Relax. Let your Wax Specialist take care of everything.

for more retail wraps go to 002mag.com

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URSALINE AND DARRYL HAMILTON

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INTERVIEWS BY Tim Moloney and Carla Valencia de Martinez | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Cody Bess | ASSISTED BY Ryan Booth| HAIR AND MAKEUP BY Sandra for the Perfect Face

FEATURED IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE A VARIETY OF LOCAL FACES WHOSE BOND TOGETHER HAS CREATED A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OR MADE THE OTHER PARTNER A BETTER, STRONGER PERSON. WE SHOT THEM ALL ON LOCATION, LOVED WATCHING EACH COUPLE INTERACT, ALLOWING US GLIMPSES INTO WHAT MAKES EACH RELATIONSHIP WORK. SOMETIMES, BEING ONE IS SO MUCH EASIER, BUT HERE THESE PAIRS PROVE THAT TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE…ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CAN FIND A DELICATE BALANCE.

The first thing you notice about them is that they are so damn good-looking. Then you realize they are nice, charming and smart. Ursaline and Darryl Hamilton are fixtures on Houston’s charity and social circuits, but I don’t know a more down-to-earth couple.

Darryl, from Baton Rouge, and Ursaline, a Phoenix native, met during the San Francisco Giants spring training session in Scottsdale, AZ, where Ursaline was attending ASU. Mutual friends brought them together at a birthday party. Darryl, as baseball fans will know, was a pro baseball player with the Giants, and the gorgeous Ursaline was a professional model with the Ford Agency and a full-time student.

They were married January 29, 2000, in an outdoor wedding in the rose garden at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Phoenix. “This is where we were staying when Darryl proposed marriage to me and we thought it would be a wonderful place to get married because of our love of the resort and its architecture,” says Ursaline.

“Our relationship works because ultimately we love each other and have a mutual respect for each other,” says Darryl. “Life is full of unexpected twists and turns but as long as she and I are parallel on the journey and never lose sight of each other, we will continue to go the extra mile for each other’s happiness.”

Tim Moloney

Today, after a 14-year playing career, Darryl continues to work in MLB but in a different capacity now – he’s with the Commissioner’s Office in New York, dealing in matters concerning on-field operations. Ursaline continues to model locally, as well as produce fashion shows through her production company URSALINE llc. She also does “style” segments on local television shows. february 10 | www.002mag.com .41

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NANCY AMES AND DANNY WARD Married 34 years, Nancy Ames and Danny Ward are partners in life and business. Their special events company, Ward and Ames, stages spectacular openings, charity galas, corporate parties, political celebrations, product launches and entertainment events in Houston, the United States and throughout the world.

“I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen,” says Ward of first glimpsing his wife – a fixture on TV variety and game shows in the 1960s and 70s – for the first time, “and she had – and has – this great aura, this great strength.” Counters Ames, “I just thought he was the most brilliant musician I’d ever heard.”

Today, Ames serves as the creative director of the company and Ward is the director. “I’ve got the easy part, being the imagineer,” says Ames. “Without Danny, there would be no business. He’s smart and he’s steady, and that carries over into our relationship. I know that I can always really count on him.”

“Working together gives you a sensitivity to what the other person is going through on a daily basis,” says Ward. “If I’m going to be late for dinner, she knows why. If she has to fly somewhere on a moment’s notice, I understand. That’s something not everyone can say.”

Any couples they admire? “I’d have to say Barbara and George Bush,” says Ames, “They’ve been married 60-something years and have such a successful partnership, so solid. I think they’re more in love than ever.”

Tim Moloney

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DR. ANTHONY AND SANDY NIKKO Medical Director of Nikko Cosmetic Surgery Center and Nikko Medical Group Originally from Saigon, Vietnam, Sandy and Anthony left the country when they were about nine years old. Their parents wanted them to have a better future, education and life. They met in high school; Sandy had just turned 17 and Anthony was working at a bakery at Sharpstown Mall. Sandy says, “I saw him and thought he was the most handsome man.” They’ve been together through high school, medical school, residency and most recently their twin 5-year-olds, a boy and girl who bring laughter to their lives with their constant chatter and questions.

Sandy runs the accounting and marketing part and is a constant presence in her husband’s business. Dr. Nikko is well known for his work in cosmetic surgery of the face, for body sculpting and as an innovator bringing new techniques to Houston.

Together they have built a successful business and a thriving family as well as continuing to give back to the community.

Their drive comes from their mutual support for one another and their personal goals. When they’re not working, Sandy likes to plan spontaneous trips. They spend time with their kids, most recently taking them to Disneyland. This power couple truly appreciates how blessed they are in their lives. They love to share their time and success with the community. “We support each other and I think that’s powerful, and we love each other and I think that’s powerful to have in a community,” Sandy shares.

Carla Valencia de Martinez

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HEIDI AND SHANE BATTIER Forward, Houston Rockets Originally from Birmingham, Michigan, this duo is incredibly down to earth amidst the public life Shane leads. Traded to Houston from Memphis over four years ago, the Battiers love Houston. “The weather is fantastic, lots of restaurants, it’s just a great place to live,” says Shane. The couple met in their seventh grade math class. Shane says, “II knew… I was the new kid in school in seventh grade and I walked in and I saw this chick with braces, awesome bangs, and little chicken legs and I knew – that’s the one.” Did Heidi know as well? “I’m going to go ahead and say, being the slightly more superficial one of the group, it took until the freshmen year of high school when the seniors on the basketball team decided it was time for Shane to let go of his Kid n’ Play high top phase. He walked into the all-school assembly with that shaved down and I was like ‘hey.’ ” Their “never boring family” always has a good time. When Shane is in off-season, the Battiers, with their nineteen-month-old in tow, escape the Houston heat for their home base of Michigan. “We try to be a normal couple,” says Heidi. ‘With Shane’s job, yes, it is a little more high profile, but at the end of the day, and one of the things I was always concerned about, now that we have a child and will have more, is that people think ‘oh wow, what a cool job’ and it is a cool job … but at the end of the day, it’s just your dad’s job. And your buddy’s dad is a doctor and his job is amazing’ cause he can save people. Shane’s always done such a good job of saying you know the day that you retire, no one cares who you are anymore. So if you do your best and take advantage of the opportunities you have while you are playing…like we’ve finally been able to get our foundation off the ground.” The Battier Take Charge Foundation launched last month and they have their first karaoke event coming up in April. Through the foundation, the Battiers hope to raise enough money in 2010 to give away several college scholarships. www.takechargefoundation.com Carla Valencia de Martinez

Heidi Battier’s MAKEUP BY Danielle Doyle for the Perfect Face | LUNCH PROVIDED BY Freebirds Burritos | FURNITURE AVAILABLE AT High Fashion Homes | CLOTHING FROM Neiman Marcus

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ALBINA AND ROGER RIPPY Founders of YogaOne Studio This duo created an unlikely bond over yoga. Albina, who moved to the US at the age of 16 from Kazakhstan to go to school, is a CPA, and Roger is the lawyer from Fort Worth, Cow Town. “Yup, boring day jobs first,” says Roger. “There’s the office me, and then the yoga me.”

After running a marathon, Roger was on the quest for the next big thing when Albina suggested they go to a hot yoga class. Roger loved the first class, confessing, “I remember it was Darla’s studio and I thought it was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Just getting through that one class that first time.” “This is where our yoga life started,” Albina chimes in. It took about ten years after that fateful first yoga class for their now joint dream to become a reality.

The pair met at La Strada over ten years ago and are expecting their second girl. Today their family life is what they like to call “Hurricane Karina,” after their daughter. Influenced by their parents, Roger the peacemaker and Albina the stubborn one balance each other with a calm that is instantly noticeable when they are around each other. “My mother is very strong and driven, so I’ve learned a lot from her.”

Couples they admire? “Our parents,”they both share. “When I first met Roger’s parents, they always held hands and gave each other kisses and I thought that was very sweet,” says Albina.

Carla Valencia de Martinez

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BETSY AND TOD EASON A chance meeting at a fraternity party at Texas A & M in 1992 brought Tod and Betsy Eason together, and they’ve been together ever since.

Betsy, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, today works as a neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group Houston Southwest, practicing primarily at Memorial Hermann Southwest, the largest level 3 NICU outside of the Texas Medical Center. Tod, a native of Boerne, is a venture capitalist who always seems to be doing a million things at once….working with culturemap.com, investing in and helping to produce movies (including recent Golden Globe winner Crazy Heart), doing a little oil and gas, some healthcare – you get the picture.

On paper, they sound like Very Serious People, but having known these two for years, I can’t think of a more fun couple. Only they could drag me to the Renaissance Festival, if that’s any indication of their power. “What I love about Tod is that he loves life,” says Betsy. “He’s not one of those people who waits around for things to happen, he just goes and does them, does them now and on his own terms.”

Not coincidentally, that means they travel a lot. “Rome, the South of France…we like to go places we’ve never been and study the art and the history,” she says. “I”d love to go to China or Russia.”

After 14 years of marriage, they show no signs of slowing down. “The best thing about Betsy,” says Tod, “is that she doesn’t take herself too seriously, but she’s totally dedicated to what she does. And she’s pretty hot.”

Tim Moloney

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things i like love

By Carla Valencia de Martinez Photography by Gabriella Nissen

I am a package buyer; if it’s pretty I want it. Luckily for me, Hamarikyu Gardens perfume by MaryPierre for Anthropologie is not only pretty, it smells pretty darn good.

It’ll be perfect for humid, sticky days.

Sweet lemon, bergamot zest, verbena saffron, green roses, violet leaf, soft amber and creamy musk.

I’ve been lugging around my recyclable totes for a while now and they end up scattered all over my car. My friend Marzi recently gave me this super cute and efficient 4 pack of Envirosax. So tiny and compact and these bad boys are S-T-R-O-N-G. www.envirosax.com

There’s something wildly nostalgic about necklaces with hidden solid perfume.

Estée Lauder releases them on occasion and they always get it right! This one is scented with their Bronze collection – beachy, clean and fun fragrance.

I love my CHI hair dryer and flat iron with their non-damaging ceramic. And last month a CHI ceramic clothing iron made its way across my desk. Genius! If this bad boy protects my clothes, like my hair tools protect my hair, we’re in business!

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This thing rocks. I have a different charger, reader, docking station, protector and holder for every gadget I own. There’re so many, I can’t keep track anymore! I lost the cable to my camera, which means I can charge it (’cause the cable is only to transfer images to my computer) but I can’t take the images off the darn thing. Radio Shack stocks this digital 6 slots card reader, it’s like having a mind reader in the palm of your hand.

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When Polaroid threatened to disappear, it quite literally broke my heart. But then my eyes set vision on the Fujifilm, Instx min7S in white and it was all aflutter again! I think Polaroid never disappeared, but I love my Japanamation inspired upgrade. Urban Outfitters.

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destination

By Sandra Ramani

EGYPT

W

HENEVER I ASK PEOPLE TO NAME THEIR TOP 5 DREAM DESTINATIONS, ONE PLACE GETS A SHOUT OUT TIME AND TIME AGAIN: EGYPT. WHETHER BECAUSE OF ITS WEALTH OF ICONIC MONUMENTS, EXOTIC AURA OR THE OLD-SCHOOL GLAMOUR ASSOCIATED WITH EXPLORING THE NILE, THE COUNTRY SEEMS TO BE ON EVERYONE’S GOTTA-GO LIST – MINE INCLUDED. WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT THERE LATE LAST YEAR, THOUGH, I WAS SURPRISED BY HOW MUCH THERE WAS TO THE COUNTRY BEYOND ALL THE ANCIENT ATTRACTIONS. I HAD EXPECTED TO BE AWED BY THE PYRAMIDS AND HUMBLED BY ALL THE HISTORY, BUT I HADN’T COUNTED ON FINDING MODERN HOTSPOTS, STYLISH SHOPPING, A DIVERSE CULTURE AND SOME OF THE FRIENDLIEST LOCALS AROUND. To cover all of Egypt’s major attractions, from Alexandria to a legendary Nile cruise, would require a long trip, but for a whistlestop highlights tour, check out:

CAIRO Starting your trip in Cairo – a city of nearly 7 million people – is a real trial by fire. New York, Tokyo and London have nothing on the crowds and traffic here. Luckily, the core neighborhoods are easily walkable, taxis are cheap and plentiful, and residents are quick to help with directions.

WHERE TO GO: To get a feel for the city’s energy and rhythm, take a walk along the Corniche-el-Nile, a main riverside thoroughfare connecting the core downtown neighborhoods. At the north end of the boulevard you’ll find upscale retail and business complexes like Nile City, Arkadia Mall and the World Trade Center, while further south lies Midan Tahir, the main town square and site of the incredible Egyptian Museum, as well as leafy Garden City, home to grand 19th- and 20th-century mansions. To the east of downtown sits Old Cairo, famous for the mosques and endless Khan el-Khalili bazaar; to the west – across a pedestrian bridge from the Corniche – is trendy Zamalek, a neighborhood of chic apartments, cafes and boutiques set on Gezira island. Several residential suburbs surround central Cairo, the most famous of which is Giza – home to the Pyramids.

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WHERE TO EAT: Try yummy street foods like falafel in fresh pita and signature Egyptian koshary, a carb-tastic combination of rice, lentils, macaroni, onions, tomato sauce and spices.

For something sit-down, head to Zamalek, where L’Aubergine serves an eclectic menu of fresh pastas, salads and curries with a Mediterranean slant, and Maison Thomas has been making Cairo’s favorite hand-crafted pizzas since 1922.

WHERE TO STAY: The new Fairmont Nile City is a gorgeous, Art Deco-inspired hotel set along the Corniche and boasting sweeping views of the river. Along with stylish rooms with all the latest amenities, you’ll find several gourmet restaurants, a wine bar, a rooftop pool, buzzing nightlife spots and Cairo’s largest spa. www.fairmont.com/nilecity.

LUXOR Considered the world’s best “open-air museum,” this lush, Nile-side city in southern Egypt is chock-full of significant sites. The town has limited new construction and visible modern renovations within its limits, so Luxor retains a charming, old-world atmosphere. It’s a place where people take promenades along the river in the evenings and while away the afternoon at an outdoor café – all under shadow of the most impressive ancient temples and monuments.

WHERE TO GO: The Luxor and Karnak temples, Valley of the Kings (home of King Tut’s tomb), Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens – it’s all here, along with much more.

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Spend a few days exploring the sights and learning about the art, ceremonies and advances of these ancient civilizations. Guides can be arranged through most hotels or the tourism office.

Apart from the history, don’t miss the central market complex, where you can pick up Egyptian cotton scarves and textiles, jewelry, furniture and souvenirs at lower prices than in Cairo. Luxor is also famous for its production of alabaster and onyx pieces (vases, tabletop items), and a series of artisan workshops are located near the Valley of the Kings ruins.

WHERE TO STAY: Built in 1886, the iconic Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel is set in the city center, on the banks of the Nile. Elegant rooms and five-star service help keep the places up to the standards the celebrities and royalty have enjoyed for decades.

A DIVERSE CULTURE AND SOME OF THE FRIENDLIEST LOCALS AROUND

THE DESERT Egypt is home to about 45 different tribes – including Siwa, Farafra, Nubian and Sinai – each of which boasts its own style of dress, music, food and social structure. One of the best places to learn about the various tribes is at the annual Characters of Egypt Festival, which takes place each fall along the Red Sea. There, representatives of several tribes come together to sing, compete in athletic competitions, and talk with guests about their customs and beliefs – often over a homemade meal.

Visit www.charactersofegypt.com for details on the 2010 event.

USEFUL SITES

for more destinations go to 002mag.com

www.egypt.travel (official tourism site) www.icroc.com (Cairo free listings guide) ww.ancientegypt.co.uk (a useful primer on ancient Egyptian life, history and gods) www.charactersofegypt.com (website of the tribal festival)

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make your sweetheart some homemade valentines Photography by Jaime Lagdameo Shot on location at Voice in the Hotel Icon

HOW ABOUT THIS YEAR YOU SHOW YOUR SWEETHEART HOW MUCH YOU CARE AND GET A LITTLE CRAFTY? 002’S HEARTBREAKIN’ FOOL LEARNS HOW TO MAKE THE BISOU OR KISS IN FRENCH, ONE OF SEVERAL SPECIALTY COCKTAILS CREATED BY ANVIL’S BOBBY HEUGEL FOR HOTEL ICON. DON’T FORGET THE POWER OF AN OLD-FASHIONED HOMEMADE VALENTINE TO LEAVE YOUR BELOVED SWOONING.

FOR THE COCKTAIL YOU’LL NEED • 2 oz cognac • 1 oz lemon juice • ¾ oz simple syrup • 4 oz Rosé Champagne • Rose petal for garnish

for more it’s cool to, go to 002mag.com

Strain into a Champagne flute.

Float the Rose Champagne on top and add the rose petal garnish.

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In a shaker with ice, add the cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake to chill ingredients.

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FOR THE VALENTINE YOU’LL NEED • Doilies • Construction paper in red and pink • Scissors • A glue stick • Glitter (if you dare)

Fold your construction paper in half and cut a half heart. Fold the doily in half and do the same only smaller – with a Sharpie® or a pen write your love note. Grab your glue stick and smear it on the backside of the doily, avoiding the lacey part, and adhere to the larger cutout of the heart. You can add glitter if you’re daring.

And voila!

Deliver your sweet love a delectable concoction along with your personalized valentine.

Special thanks to Manuel De Moya, food & beverage director of Hotel Icon. february 10 | www.002mag.com .53

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By Sandra Gunn, a native Houstonian and Realtor. Her firm, Sandra Gunn Properties, specializes in the unique and prides themselves on being architects of community. | www.sandragunn.com Hair by Riaro | Makeup – Asher at Kuhl-Linscomb | Earrings – 22kt Gold by Nancy Chapman at Sloan/Hall

archichat

Photography by Jack Potts Shot on location at Mo’s restaurant

REAL ESTATE + DEVELOPMENT STYLE RANDALL DAVIS, LARRY LEVINE, GEOFF JONES, DERECK DARNELL

WE’VE TOASTED IN THE NEW YEAR WITH CHAMPAGNE AND HOPE! BEFORE OUR RESOLVE IS BROKEN, WHAT DO THE ICONS OF HOUSTON’S REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT EXPECT FOR 2010? I HAVE MY OPINION AS REAL ESTATE IS MY PASSION AND PROFESSION, SO I CORRALLED LOCAL DEVELOPERS TO SHARE OUR IDEAS, GETTING LARRY LEVINE AND RANDALL DAVIS TO (MORE OR LESS) SIT DOWN FOR A PHOTO SHOOT AT MO’S…A PLACE FOR STEAKS. SHOULD WE REFILL OUR COSMOS, BUY OR SELL, OR PLAN A EULOGY? RANDALL DAVIS, Owner Randall Davis Company Your Houston condo projects are sold out. Tell me about your other out of town ventures. Sapphire in South Padre. 230 units, 130 sold. Looking for a repeat of 2009 when I sold 40 units from March-September. Also, Diamond Beach Galveston on the West End which was completed at end of summer 2009.

116 units, 58 sold. Cautiously optimistic that sales this summer will “blow the doors off” as it has a $4 million amenity package including the largest pool in Texas, lazy river and indoor pool. It truly has to be seen to be believed.

Plan for 2010? 2010 seems to be shaping up like 2009, concentrate on your own deals and hope a troubled viable opportunity at a sizable discount comes your way.

What’s up with Sonoma? Sonoma is on indefinite hold by the landowner.

How are your rental loft projects like Hogg Palace? Loft rentals are holding steady as my historic buildings still have cachet, panache and reasonable rates.

What can Obama do to help get real estate back on course? Offer a 1-year window (only) for home buyers at a Fannie-Mae backed mortgage of 4%- 20 year amortization. This would clean up the massive excess inventory of unsold homes.

LARRY LEVINE, President of Levcor, Inc. Current holdings? Retail centers in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Laredo, Waco, Sherman, Eagle Pass, McAllen, Yuma, Arizona and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Plan for 2010? Take care of our existing portfolio and try to buy existing retail projects.

What are you seeing different in your tenant mix now and 3 years ago? Tenants are more cautious and expanding at a slower pace. Rents are lower than the last few years and will continue that way for at least 3-4 years until the market absorbs all the vacant boxes.

Tell me about the centers in McAllen and why those are attractive.

Diversity! These markets are more attractive because the border is counter-cyclical and caters not only to the United States but also to Mexico, which is a huge market!

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larry levine | sandra gunn | randall davis

Happy Spot? We are very excited about Post Oak Plaza. We are striving to make it in the new shopping destination on the west side of town. We have been selective in our marketing to create the right tenant mix that caters to all ages. Masraff’s, Angler’s Edge, Meredith O’Donnell, Five Guy Burgers, Tasti-D-Lite and many more tenants have committed to our project.

GEOFF JONES,

Principal/Developer, Houston Pavilions, L.P. (not pictured)

Current real estate holdings? Houston Pavilions ($200 Mil; four blocks Downtown; approximately 560,000 square feet of retail/office with a 1,600 space parking garage, numerous smaller commercial properties in and around metropolitan Houston.

Your thoughts on 2010? We expect 2010 to be an improvement over 2009.

For those experienced developers who are intrigued with the notion of “timing the market,” 2010 might be the perfect year to visit your architect in order to be prepared for a potential shortage in commercial space in 2013.

If you were Obama, what would you do to reactivate the real estate market? I believe the economy is gradually improving. We should keep interest rates low and allow the markets to perform. As for the ever-burgeoning debt, it would have been incurred by either of the 2008 presidential candidates. The only significant difference between them was their disagreement over where and how money should be spent. I don’t believe anyone can credibly deny that the massive amount of recent government spending was necessary. This is (was) no ordinary recession. It’s “guns and butter” economics, but in either event, the money needed to be spent in order to get things pointed in the right direction again.

What is the Latest at the Pavilions? The Pavilions will be unveiling a number of new fashion tenants over the next six to eight months. The addition of these tenants, when coupled with the 264,000 square foot occupancy of NRG in late summer, will bring the project to completion.

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Any advice to the new Mayor that would help Houston move forward real estatewise? I would advise the Mayor to update and refine the City’s signage and lighting ordinances. We have one of the most beautiful skylines in North America and yet it seems profoundly underemphasized. There are multiple ways to tastefully light up the City in order to show off one of its greatest assets. How we present ourselves physically to the rest of the world is terribly important. Paris is not known as the City of Lights for nothing.

DEREK DARNELL, Vice President, Pelican Builders (not pictured) Current projects? Highland Tower, Audley Place and Maison Fontaine.

Biggest hurdles? The market should steadily improve. Virtually all new construction has come to a halt. With less new construction and improving demand 2010 should be better than 2009. Biggest hurdle is financing for new ventures.

What is the company’s plan for 2010 and 2011? Very simply, sell our current projects and continue to look for new ways to finance new ventures.

How are sales at Highland compared to projections? Given the market turmoil that began at the end of 2007, sales are not quite what they were projected but not far off. What is encouraging is the fact that the market fundamentals in Houston are in balance. We see strong demand and the pricing for quality built in-town homes/condos is still holding. The biggest difference we see in this market isn’t pricing or lack of demand; it’s the pace of sales. Buyers have more time to make decisions and therefore the buying process takes longer.

What can the new Mayor do to assist in encouraging more high-density projects?

I think it starts with educating the surrounding neighborhoods. Clear development guidelines will also enable the development community to understand their risks. It is still hard to believe that a city of our size really doesn’t have many mixed use areas where people live and can walk to lifestyle attractions.

Outside of one small segment in Midtown, it doesn’t exist in Houston.

SANDRA GUNN,

Sandra Gunn & Associates LP

Current focus? Listing and selling homes, high rises, townhomes and lofts with significant lease work due to demand. While we have always represented numerous developer clients, to date in 2010 we aren’t seeing any of that. Our smaller builders are on hold waiting for lending restrictions to ease. However, several of our past developers are actively seeking distressed projects to take over from lenders.

Biggest hurdle? Educating sellers and buyers as to current market conditions. Most sellers are ruled by emotion and feel their home is special and worth more than the comps; buyers do not understand that homes are (usually) already priced with the market and they will not see huge discounts off the list price.

Outlook? My firm, Sandra Gunn Properties, is busy for this time of year. I spoke with Rosie Meyers at John Daugherty, Laura Lee Klemp and Cathy Blum at Greenwood King, Stephanie Pollard with Semmler Pollard and they echo the same. People have to live somewhere. They may scale back, move to a home with more space for new children or be relocating and rent in Houston for a bit before they make their final decision. Bottom line…everyone moves at some point!

Sandra’s Takeaway… While shopping the Internet may create doom and gloom for some retail projects, buyers will seek out the unique and want to touch and feel it. Bottom line : It is time to hold on to what you have so you can eat, toast to hope, and pray! .

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where to live "LIVE THE LOFTY LIFE AT CITYCENTRE"

YALE/PARKER

KIRBY LOFTS

Off 45N, exit Yale/Parker, left on Parker, left on Yale, look for the gates and palm trees on your right

917 MAIN (HEART OF DOWNTOWN)

DEVELOPERS

+ BUILDERS PLACE YOUR P R O P E RT I E S HERE – EMAIL

US AT LETTERS

@002MAG.

COM LOCATION

AMBIENCE

AMENITIES

UNITS/ROOMS

WITHIN REACH

PRICE

12808 QUEENSBURY LANE, SUITE 112, HOUSTON TX 77024 At Beltway 8 and I-10W, allows convenient access to the Energy Corridor, the Westchase Business District, Downtown, The Galleria and both Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports.

THE LOFTS East & West Buildings are set amid a unique 37-acre, self-contained community in the prestigious Memorial area.

Hip new community with charming one- and two- story single family homes

Originally the Kirby Lumber Co., built in the 1920’s

Urban lifestyle is redefined at THE LOFTS CITYCENTRE. Choose from two different contemporary finish selections for a customized look for your loft: Espresso or Blonde cabinetry, in addition to warm espresso, ash oak or bright bamboo wood flooring.

Feast on gourmet meals prepared from your open kitchen with its custom granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and premium side-by-side refrigerator. Enjoy amenities including an on-site fitness facility and resident lounges-terraces with Wi-Fi and flat panel TVs. And, whenever you decide to leave the comforts of home and venture into the wild, the exciting lifestyle of CITYCENTRE will be at your doorstep.

Custom designed, great style, wood floors, high ceilings, two-car garage. Stainless steel GE appliances, granite counters. Designer natural stone tile selections, jetted tubs, separate showers with frameless doors. Security alarm, smart house and surround sound prewire, backyard, palm trees, tropical landscaping, gated community.

¾-inch oak hardwood floors in living and kitchen, granite countertops, Penthouse level, stainless appliances, separate tub and shower in Master Bath, 2 and 3 levels units. 24/7 fitness center, direct access to 7-mile tunnel system with cafes, shopping, medical, etc., and MetroRail at the front door of building.

Sphisticated one, one-study, two, two-study and three bedroom LOFTS, each range from 627 sf to 1511 sf.

3 to 4 bedrooms

2/3 Bedrooms with up to 2 ½ baths.

TOWN & COUNTRY Village shopping centers and entertainment in the NEW CITYCENTRE makes THE LOFTS CITYCENTRE Houston’s most exciting new place to call home!

8 miles north of Downtown

MetroRail, Houston Pavilions, Discovery Green Park, Theatre District, Angelika FilmCenter, Minute Maid, Toyota Center and Reliant Park.

$1,163 for 1 bedroom. Ranges to $2,345 for 3 bedrooms. *ALL PRICES INCLUDE: LifeTime Athletic Onyx Membership, Concierge, Pest Control, Trash-Recycling Pick up, AT&T Internet, Cable & Phone*

CONTACT

56. february 10 | www.002mag.com

To schedule an appointment, contact THE LOFTS Office at: 713.463.4663 or email: theloftoffice@gmail.com View floor plans: www.theloftcitycenter.com

$187,000 to $275,000

sales@miradorbuilders.com 713.520.0932 www.miradorbuilders.com open house Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5

Sales from $150,000 (ONLY 3 UNITS LEFT); Lease from $1600

Terry Stanfield (Downtown’s #1 Realtor since 2004), Heritage Texas Properties Downtown, 214 Travis, Houston, TX. 77002, 713.227.5406 cell 713.582.6871

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architecture + design

HARDWOOD BATH CONSOLE The natural beauty of Stone Forest’s wooden console reflects the characteristics of the tree it was made from.

It’s tailored and refined and perfectly in its element in a rustic ranch, modern home or eclectic abode.

Creatively constructed, it brings a modern element that is organic and clean to its surroundings and is designed from sustainable hardwood using traditional mortise and tenon joinery – only a true artisan can assemble and craft each component. The console can accommodate two sinks or be used as a side table.

Hardwood Bath Console and Beveled Round Vessels in White Onyx are available at Elegant Additions showroom, 713.522.0088.

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002 profile Photography by Jaime Lagdameo

DAVID CABELLO

EL MATADOR FOODS, INC. TITLE: DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS | YEARS THERE: 9

EL MATADOR FOODS WAS FOUNDED BY EUGENE YBARRA IN 1960. IN THE EARLY YEARS, THE OPERATION CONSISTED OF JUST FIVE EMPLOYEES MAKING APPROXIMATELY 200 DOZEN TORTILLAS PER HOUR. FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS THEY CONTINUED ON AS A SUPPLIER AND IN 1989, EL MATADOR FOODS, INC. ESTABLISHED ITSELF AND BEGAN SELLING PRODUCTS AT A RETAIL LEVEL – CORN AND FLOUR TORTILLAS AND CAFE STYLE TORTILLA CHIPS. TODAY, EL MATADOR FOODS, INC. IS PROUD TO BE A ‘NICHE’ MANUFACTURER OF THE FOLLOWING FINE MEXICAN PRODUCTS: TORTILLA CHIPS, CORN TORTILLAS, FOUR TORTILLAS, SALSA, MARGARITA MIX, SPICES, TACO SHELLS, TOSTADA SHELLS AND CORN HUSKS. THEY ALSO SPECIALIZE IN PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING CHOCOLATE, CINNAMON APPLE AND STRAWBERRY FINE DESSERT TORTILLAS. THEY STILL MANUFACTURE DAILY AND ARE PROUD TO SERVE SOME OF THE LARGEST RESTAURANT CHAINS AND GROCERS IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF NORTH AMERICA.

IS THIS YOUR INTENDED CAREER PATH? IF NOT, HOW DID YOU GET HERE? Most of my work has involved the food industry in one aspect or another, so I believe that from when I can remember, when I started to think about what I wanted to do with my life, it dawned on me that people have to eat, therefore, I could make my livelihood by being in the manufacturing sector of the food industry.

WHAT IS EL MATADOR? WHAT DO YOU DO? El Matador Foods, Inc. is a family-owned business that was incorporated in 1989 by the Ybarra family. Mr. Eugene Ybarra and his son Russell were inspired to produce their own tortillas and chips for the restaurants that were also owned by Mr. Ybarra, as a way of controlling cost and quality of the “mainstream” products that were being consumed in their Tex-Mex restaurants. Their second notion was to establish themselves as a supplier, not only for their own locations, but restaurants outside of the family business throughout the Houston area. Today, we are a fullfledge tortilla and chip supplier that distributes products in Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana, through local, regional and national suppliers.

ANY SPECIALTIES? We have the ability to produce flavored tortillas such as Spinach/Herb, Sundried Tomato/Basil, Chipotle, Cilantro wraps and specialty dessert wraps in Strawberry, Cinnamon/Apple and Chocolate flavors.

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WHY HOUSTON? Our company founder was born in the Houston area, therefore he chose to establish and grow his business through vision and perseverance, in a city that had experienced growth even through economic crises that date back to the 70’s and 80’s.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? A fireman.

FAVORITE BOOK? The Bible/The Way In Is The Way On. FAVORITE BAND? Led Zeppelin.

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION? My wife.

BIGGEST LIFE LESSON LEARNED? Not to take the people you love for granted.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Picking watermelons during the summers in middle school.

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1/21/10

WHAT DEFINES HOUSTON AS YOUR "HOMETOWN"?

This is the longest we have lived in a city outside of San Antonio, and our daughters grew up here.

TEXANS STILL HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BRAGGING. WHAT WOULD YOU BRAG ABOUT? That Texas could survive as its own country without a president.

IF YOU COULD STOP AND DO ANYTHING YOU WANTED TOMORROW, THIS WEEKEND, WHENEVER – WHAT WOULD IT BE? Go to a missionary trip in a third world country to help children.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER A HIDDEN TREASURE OF HOUSTON? The piney scent after afternoon rain.

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SAYING OR LIFE MOTTO? We’re only here on borrowed time.

HOW MANY SONGS ARE ON YOUR IPOD®?

WHAT’S THE NEWEST ONE? 1500 plus / Meet Me Halfway by BEP. IF WE COULD INTRODUCE YOU TO ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? (YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WE KNOW!) David Robinson – this is a man who could have let his fame get the best of him as many professional athletes have, but instead he used it in a godly fashion to help and inspire the community as well as underprivileged children.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN HOUSTON? Eat, Eat and Eat!

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LOGITECH SPEAKER LAPDESK N700 You’re already using your laptop to listen to music, play games and watch movies. You’re already using it on the couch and on the bed but how comfortable is that? This allin-one accessory provides a theater-like experience on your laptop for all the comfort in the world. The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 has integrated stereo speakers, a built-in fan and a wide, padded base. Whether you’re on the couch or in bed, the viewing angle of your screen and the padded base help you sit in a more comfortable position. Meanwhile, a quiet, efficient fan circulates air under your notebook, and the heat-shielding design helps keep laptop heat off your legs and lap. Best feature: set-up is as easy as plugging in a single USB cable.

tools+toys+ gadgets

By Michael Garfield

KLIPSCH LIGHT SPEAKERS This is one of those “how come I didn’t think of this” products: speakers that hide in your light bulbs. A perfect item that should appeal to haters of wires and unnecessary gadgetry. Screwing into any normal Edison socket, the Klipsch Light Speakers fit seamlessly into a can-style light or into any old lamp. Yes, every lamp in your house could, in theory, be a speaker.

The Light Speaker kit comes with a transmitter which connects to a PC, CD player or iPod and sends the audio to up to eight of the light bulbs with two separate zones.

Needless to say this is a bright idea! $599 for complete kit www.klipsch.com

$79.99 www.logitech.com

PHILIPS ACTIVA MP3 PLAYER

SAMSUNG CL80 CAMERA Point-and-shoot cameras are great for the “technically challenged.” They keep getting smarter and easier, with features to quickly email and upload photos to the Internet. Samsung just released a winner with the CL80 model. The bottom of the camera has a 7-degree tilt to it so that the camera angles up when placed on a flat surface. That little bit of an angle makes it much easier to get good self and group portraits. Smart. You want quality shots?

You got them here with 14 megapixels, 7x optical zoom and 720p HD-quality movie capture. It also has built-in Wi-Fi for direct uploads to sharing sites or sending to e-mail addresses.

Wishing that your MP3 player would act more like a personal trainer? Me neither, but Philips is banking on finding an audience of motivation-starved fitness types for its newly announced Activa MP3 player. To put a new spin on working out with your MP3 player, the Activa gives gym rats real-time voice feedback on their performance. The voice can be switched off (for those who prefer not to be nagged) so you can play music that matches the tempo of your workout. The device has a clip-on design and comes preloaded with a collection of up-tempo music, sport headphones with ear hooks and cable clip management. $129.99 | www.activa.philips.com

$499 | www.samsungcamera.com

Michael Garfield is known as “The High-Tech Texan®.” His radio program airs on The 9-5-0 weekdays from 9am-11am and Saturdays 11am-2pm. Visit his website at www.hightechtexan.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @hightechtexan.

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Photography by Alexander’s Fine Portraits

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EVENT 2009 HOUSTON POLICE FOUNDATION GALA WHY TO BENEFIT HOUSTON POLICE FOUNDATION WHERE THE FERTITTA’S HOME WHEN OCTOBER 17

The Fertittas sure know how to entertain...and I’m not referring to the Kemah Boardwalk. More than 500 guests attended the second annual Houston Police Foundation True Blue Gala expecting a traditional party, but there is nothing traditional when it comes to these parties. HPD’s SWAT team members treated guests to a oncein-a-lifetime demonstration. Dressed in full gear, they scaled the River Oaks mansion in rappelling formation; a helicopter swooped into the grounds and recreated a bomb and shootout scenario complete with special effects. What a blast!

Chief Harold Hurtt, Loretta Hurtt, Tilman and Paige Fertitta

Allie Thompson, Seliece Fulweber, Jan Carson, Carol Sawyer

Carol and Ron Hunton

Donna Speer, Laura Ward, Tami Ernst

Ed McMahon, Charles Ann Gumina

Emily and Holcombe Crosswell

check out more pictures @ 002mag.com

The Fertitta’s home february 10 | www.002mag.com .61

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restaurant listings

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Courses inside the Art Institute of Houston 1900 Yorktown. 713.353.3644 DANTON'S GULF COAST SEAFOOD www.dantonsseafood.com 4611 Montrose. 713.807.8883 Eddie V’s Prime Seafood 12848 Queensbury Ln. 832.200.2380 www.eddiev.com

american

*17 inside Hotel Alden 1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800 www.aldenhotels.com

FOUNDATION ROOM | HOB 1204 Caroline. 832.667.7800 www.houseofblues.com

foundation room *17

Artista In the Hobby Center 800 Bagby. 713.278.4782 www.cordua.com Americas www.cordua.com •1800 Post Oak Blvd. 713.961.1492 •21 Waterway Ave. 281.367.1492 Barnaby’s www.barnabyscafe.com •5750 Woodway. 713.266.0046 •1701 S. Shepherd. 713.520.5131 •414 West Gray. 713.522.8898 •604 Fairview. 713.522.0106 •602 Fairview. 713.522.4229

Daily Review Café www.dailyreviewcafe.com 3412 West Lamar. 713.520.9217 Glasswall www.glasswalltherestaurant.com 933 Studemont. 713.868.7930

Haven www.havenhouston.com NEW 2502 Algerian Way. 713.581.6101 HEARSAY GASTRO LOUNGE www.hearsayhouston.com 218 Travis St. 713.225.8079

Beaver’s www.beavershouston.com 2310 Decatur St. 713.864.2328

Benjy’s www.benjys.com •2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602 •5922 Washington Ave. 713.868.1131

BISTRO ALEX www.bistroalex.com 800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy., CityCentre 713.827.3545 Block 7 Wine Company 720 Shepherd Dr. 713.572.2565 www.block7wineco.com Boom Boom Room 2518 Yale St. 713.868.3740 www.theboomboomroomhouston.com Bowl www.eatbowl.com 607 Richmond. 832.582.7218

Branch Water Tavern NEW www.branchwatertavern.com 510 Shepherd Dr. 713.863.7777

Canopy www.canopyhouston.com NEW 3939 Montrose Blvd. 713.528.6848

Cava Bistro www.cavabistrohouston.com 300 Main St. 713.229.9504

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Ray’s Franks & More 1302 Nance St. 713.224.6441

RDG | Bar Annie www.rdgbarannie.com 1800 Post Oak Blvd. 713.840.1111 Ruggles Green www.rugglesgreen.com 2311 West Alabama. 713.533.0777

Textile www.textilerestaurant.com 611 W. 22nd Street. 832.209.7174 Shade www.shadeheights.com 250 W. 19th St. 713.863.7500

THE CHELSEA GRILL www.chelseagrill.com 4621 Montrose Blvd. 713.942.9857 The Grove www.thegrovehouston.com 1611 Lamar. 713.337.7321

The Rockwood Room NEW www.therockwoodroom.com 5709 Woodway Dr. 832.251.3663

Voice Hotel Icon 220 Main. 832.667.4470 www.hotelicon.com YARD HOUSE www.yardhouse.com 800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy., CityCentre 713.461.9273

Open City www.ochouston.com 2416 Brazos. 713.522.0118

Polo’s Signature www.polosignature.com 3800 Southwest Frwy. 713.626.8100 Post Oak Grill www.postoakgrill.com 1415 S. Post Oak. 713.993.9966 Quattro www.fourseasons.com 1300 Lamar. 713.276.4700

yard house

asian Auntie Chang’s Dumpling House www.auntiechangs.com 2621 S. Shepherd. 713.524.8410 Kam’s [chinese] 4500 Montrose Blvd. #C. 713.529.5057

Kubo’s www.kubos-sushi.com 2414 University Blvd. #200. 713.528.7878 LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE [vietnamese] 801 Congress St. 713.547.0444 www.lesgivrals.com

Kraftsmen Baking www.kraftsmenbaking.com 4100 Montrose, #C. 713.524.7272

bar-b-que ra sushi Straits www.straitsrestaurants.com 800 West Sam Houston Parkway N. 713.365.9922

Sushi Raku www.sushi-raku.com NEW 3201 Louisiana. 713.526.8885

UPTOWN SUSHI www.uptown-sushi.com Uptown Park. 713.871.1200

Beaver’s www.beavershouston.com 2310 Decatur St. 713.864.2328 Goode Company TX Barbecue www.goodecompany.com 5109 Kirby. 713.522.2530 Luling Bar-B-Q Bar 138 West Gray. 713.520.6400

Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue www.pizzitolas.com 1703 Shepherd. 713.227.2283

breakfast

uptown sushi Zake www.zakesushilounge.com 2946 S. Shepherd. 713.526.6888

11th St. Café 748 E. 11th St. 713.862.0089 Avalon Drug Co. & Diner •2417 Westheimer. 713.527.8900 •12810 Southwest Frwy. 281.240.0213

Zushi www.zushihouston.com 5900 Memorial Dr., #102.

713.861.5588

CAFÉ ROSÉ www.bistroalex.com/cafe-rose 800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy., CityCentre 713.827.3545

bakery+ coffee+others

Crave Cupcakes www.couture-cupcakes.com 1151 Uptown Park Blvd. 713.622.7283

Antidote Coffee 729 Studewood. 713.861.7400 www.antidotecoffee.com

Empire Café www.empirecafe.net 1732 Westheimer. 713.528.5282

Café Brasil 2604 Dunlavy. 713.528.1993

Fountain View Café 1842 Fountain View. 713.785.9060

Coco’s Crepes www.cocoscrepes.com 218 Gray St. 713.521.0700 Don Diego Coffee www.dondiegocoffee.com 208 Travis. 713.228.3560 The Coffee Groundz www.coffeegroundz.net 2503 Bagby. 713.874.0082

Tiny Boxwood’s www.tinyboxwoods.com 3614 W. Alabama St. 713.622.4224 Diedrich Coffee www.diedrich.com 4005 Montrose. 713.526.1319

les givral’s kahve

Inversion Coffee House 1953 Montrose, #A. 713.523.4866 www.inversioncoffee.com

Taft Street Coffeewww.taftstreetcoffee.org 2115 Taft. 713.522.3533

The Lake House www.thelakehousehouston.com 1600 McKinney. 713.337.7320

Mariposa Neiman Marcus 2600 Post Oak Blvd. 713.621.7100 ext. 2166

Noe www.noerestaurant.com Four Riverway. 713.871.8177

RA SUSHI www.rasushi.com •3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800 •12860 Queensbury Ln. #234 713.331.2792

Tart Café www.tartcafe.com 4411 Montrose. 713.526.8278

hearsay

McCormick and Schmick’s •1151 Uptown Park. 713.840.7900 •1201 Fannin St. 713.658.8100 www.mccormickandschmicks.com

Pagoda [vietnamese] www.pagodabistro.com 4705 Inker St. 832.673.0400

More Than Cakes www.morethancakes.com 1100 West Dallas. 713.652.5132 Rustika Café 3237 Southwest Frwy. 713.665.6226 Sugar Baby's Cupcakes www.ilovesugarbabys.com 3310 S. Shepherd. 713.527.8427 The Breakfast Klub www.thebreakfastklub.com 3711 Travis. 713.528.8561 The Buffalo Grille www.thebuffalogrille.com •3116 Bissonnet. 713.661.3663 •1301 S. Voss. 713.784.3663

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LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE - 801 Congress St. #101, Houston, TX 77002 | 713.547.0444 | www.lesgivrals.com Coming Soon... 4601 Washington Ave. | Houston, TX 77007 Best “Lunch Spot” 2006 Best “Vietnamese” 2005, 2006, Best “Sandwich” 2004, 2005 - AOL City Guide, City Search, Houston Press.

Best “Cheap Eats” 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, Best “Take Out” 2008, Best “Downtown Restaurant” 2007 A favorite among 002houston staffers, LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE is set to open at 4601 Washington Avenue. The yummy French Vietnamese restaurant known for its sandwiches, noodle dishes and pho is opening up a new beautiful space. Expect a full bar, large patio and new additional items fusing current items with monthly changing options. Plus they’ll be open late!

THE FRUIT PALETTE www.thefruitpalette.com 2413 Rice Blvd. 713.523.7848

cajun+creole+ southern Houston’s This Is It Soulfood 207 W. Gray. 713.659.1608 www.thisisithouston.com Mardi Gras Grill www.mardigrasgrill.net 1200 Durham. 713.864.5600 Treebeards •315 Travis. 713.228.2622 •1117 Texas. 713.229.8248 •1100 Louisiana. 713.752.2601 •700 Rusk. 713.224.6677 Zydeco Louisiana Diner 1119 Pease. 713.759.2001

european+french

ARTURO’S www.arturosuptown.com Uptown Park. 713.621.1180 MIA BELLA www.miabellatrattoria.com •2006 Lexington St. 713.237.0505 •320 Main. 713.237.0505 •110 Vintage Park. 281.251.8930 •1201 San Jacinto – Houston Pavilions 832.319.6673 Mingalone www.mingalone.com 540 Texas. 713.223.0088

Ristorante Cavour Hotel Granduca. www.granducahouston.com 1080 Uptown Park. 713.418.1000

Valentino + Vin Bar Hotel Derek. www.valentinorestaurantgroup.com 2525 West Loop South. 713.850.9200

latin ANDALUCIA [spanish} Houston Pavilions 1201 San Jacinto St. 713.651.1081

FREEB!RDS WORLD BURRITO www.freebirds.com •3745 Greenbriar. 713.524.0621 •528 W. Bay Area Blvd. 281.557.2300 •6940 FM 1960 West. 281.444.3336 •9774 Katy Fwy. #700. 832.358.0300 •1923 Taylor, # F. 713.862.0080 •1640 Lake Woodlands. 281.419.8011 •11302 Broadway. 281.741.3337 CATERING 888.392.2287

freebirds

Guadalajara del Centro 1201 San Jacinto. 713.650.0101 www.guadalajarahacienda.com Habaneros Mex-Grill NEW 3017 Milam. 713.523.1010

Brasserie Max and Julie [french] 4315 Montrose. 713.524.0070 www.maxandjulie.net

Café Piquet [cuban] 6053 Bissonnet. 713.664.1031

Irma’s [mex] •22 N. Chenevert. 713.222.0767 •1314 Texas. 713.247.9651

Charivari Specialty [european] 2521 Bagby. 713.271.7231 www.charivarirest.com

Cielo Mexican Bistro www.cielomexicanbistro.com 300 Main St. 713.229.9500

Feast [european] www.feasthouston.com 219 Westheimer. 713.529.7788

Cyclone Anaya’s [mex] 309 Gray St. 713.520.6969 www.cycloneanaya.com

The Lemon Tree [peru] www.thelemontreeonline.com 12591 Whittington. 281.556.0690

indian

El Meson [cuban] 2425 University. 713.522.9306

Kiran’s www.kiranshouston.com 4100 Westheimer. 713.960.8472 Narin’s Bombay Brasserie 3005 W. Loop South. 713.622.2005 www.narinsbombaybrasserie.com Shiva Indian Restaurant 2415 Times Blvd. 713.523.4753 www.shivarestaurant.com

italian

ARCODORO www.arcodoro.com 5000 Westheimer. 713.621.6888

Tila’s [mex] www.tilas.com 1111 S. Shepherd. 713.522.7654

El Tiempo Cantina [mex] •3130 Richmond. 713.807.1600 •5602 Washington. 713.681.3645 •1308 Montrose. 713.807.8996 www.eltiempocantina.com

for more restaurant listings go to 002mag.com

Rioja www.riojarestaurant.com 11920 Westheimer. 281.531.5569

SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE 901 Commerce @ Travis.

713.229.9715 www.meatballs.com A Warehouse Full of Food, Friends, Families and Fun! Great Kids Menu! Large and Small Groups Welcomed. Open 7 Days A Week.

Deliveries and Catering Available.

Tacos a Go-Go www.tacosagogo.com 3704 Main. 713.807.8226 Yelapa Playa Mexicana NEW 2303 Richmond Ave. 281.501.0391

mediterranean +greek Droubi Bros.

•507 Dallas. 713.625.0058 •919 Milam. 713.571.6800

Cafe Lili [lebanese] www.cafelili.com 5757 Westheimer. 713.952.6969

NIKO NIKO’S www.nikonikos.com 2520 Montrose. 713.528.1308

TINTOS www.tintosrestaurant.com 2015 West Gray. 713.522.1330

Dolce Vita Pizzeria y Enoteca 500 Westheimer. 713.520.8222 www.dolcevitahouston.com

Frank’s Pizza www.frankspizza.com 417 Travis. 713.225.5656 Pink’s Pizza www.pinkspizza.com •710 West Gray. 713.521.7465 •1403 Heights Blvd. 713.864.7465 Star Pizza www.starpizza.net •77 Harvard. 713.869.1241 •2111 Norfolk. 713.523.0800

steak+chops Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse www.flemingssteakhouse.com •2405 W. Alabama. 713.520.5999 •788 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. North.

713.827.1120 Laurenzo’s Grille NEW www.laurenzosgrille.com 4412 Washington. 713.880.5111

Morton’s www.mortons.com •5000 Westheimer. 713.629.1946 •1001 McKinney. 713.659.3700

MO’S www.mosrestaurants.com 1801 Post Oak Blvd. 713.877.0720

mo’s niko niko’s

El Patio [mex] •6444 Westheimer. 713.780.0410 •2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181 El Rey [cuban-mex] •233 Main. 713.225.1895 •910 Shepherd. 713.802.9145

Picazo Restaurant Bar & Grill 1421 Preston. 713.236.1300 www.picazodowntown.com

tinto’s Lucio’s [new american latin] 905 Taft. 713.523.9958

Maria Selma [mex] www.mariaselma.com 1617 Richmond. 713.528.4920 Ninfa's The Original 2704 Navigation Blvd. 713.228.1175

Saffron Moroccan Cuisine 2006 Lexington. 713.522.3562 www.saffronhouston.com

pizza

Candelari’s www.candelaris.com 6002 Washington. 832.200.1474 Bombay Pizza Co. NEW www.bombaypizzaco.com 914 Main St. 713.654.4444

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse www.pappasbros.com 5839 Westheimer Rd. 713.780.7352 Spencer’s Steaks & Chops 1600 Lamar. 713.577.8325 www.spencersforsteaksandchops.com

Strip House www.theglaziergroup.com 1200 McKinney. 713.659.6000 Shula's Steakhouse Hyatt Regency 1200 Louisiana St. 713.375.4777

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FRUIT-TASTIC!

dine write

By Beatrice Valencia Photography by Kim Coffman

2

1. Frozen Fruit Bars | 2. Salad Station 3. The Fruit Palette | 4. Strawberries Salad 5. Fruit Bars Station

2413 Rice Blvd.

Houston, TX 77005| 713.523.7848 www.thefruitpalette.com

HOURS:

Monday thru Saturday - 10am-8pm Sunday - 10am-7pm

sample menu selections

natural fruit delicacies

• Frozen Fruit Bars • Fruit Shaved Ice: Strawberry, Watermelon, Pineapple, Mango, Lime • Low-fat / Light Frozen Bars

fruit Aguas

• Premium Agua: Watermelon, Melon, Lime, Orange, Hibiscus, Tangerine • Exotic Agua: Strawberry, Papaya, Mango, Pineapple • Exotic Light Agua: Strawberry, Piña Colada, Coconut, Walnut, Eggnog

salads

• Tropical Mango: Romaine lettuce, spring mix, mango, hearts of palms, black olives and grape tomato served with mango vinaigrette • Avocado Passion: Romaine lettuce, spring mix, avocado, goat cheese, grapefruit, red onion and orange served with lime vinaigrette • Palette Salad: Romaine lettuce, spring mix, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, bacon, feta cheese, candied walnut and grape tomato served with red pepper creamy dressing

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F

RUIT JUST GOT A LOT MORE EXCITING THAN A SMOOTHIE. GET YOUR DAILY SERVING OF FRUITS IN THIS ONE-STOP FRUIT SHOP. MAKING ITS DEBUT IN RICE VILLAGE, THE FRUIT PALETTE OFFERS DINERS A VARIETY OF FRUIT AGUAS, SALADS, FROZEN FRUIT BARS AND MORE THAT WILL HELP YOU EAT/DRINK ALL THE FRUIT REQUIRED. YOU’D MAKE YOUR MOTHER PROUD! A friendly, energetic staff that is passionate about the concept is a good sign that you’ll be not only learning about this new spot but enjoying it too. You can taste all the different fruit aguas before you commit to any so you get a feel for the difference between a fruit water and a fruit juice.

3

waters to create a cocktail. For example, the tropical cocktail is papaya, pineapple and mango water combined.

Refreshing and ideal for quenching thirst.

If you need to warm up look no further than their fruit teas.

The tea bags have actual pieces of fruit in them. Warm fruit teas are offered along with coffee if you need some caffeine.

After sampling the watermelon, strawberry and roasted almond tea, I couldn’t resist but take a roasted almond tea to go with me on this frigid day. I didn’t even have to add sugar to it.

Fruit aguas are very common in Mexico. It’s different from a juice because it’s the natural juice straight from the fruit. Very little (if any) sugar is added minus all the preservatives plus other coloring, flavoring that juices contain. The flavor is natural and different from what you would taste from a carton purchased at the grocery store. It’s literally fruit water.

Fruit aguas/teas and cocktails are just a starting point.

Need lunch? Then try their salads with fresh fruit.

A phenomenal way to get a fruit serving in at lunch without even thinking about! The palette salad packs a punch of antioxidants with strawberry, blueberry and blackberry served atop romaine lettuce, spring mix, grape tomatoes, crumbles of feta cheese and bacon with a red pepper creamy dressing. It’s delightfully fresh; there’re no hidden calories so it’s figure friendly. All six salads can have chicken or tuna added for the extra protein.

We tasted the watermelon, strawberry, pineapple (my favorite) and mango. I suggest tasting them to find your own flavor. Some, like strawberry, are naturally sweeter than others like the watermelon. They take the fruit agua concept even further by offering fruit cocktails. No adult beverage here, folks. This is a combination of the fruit

I have a sweet tooth and the frozen fruit bars give me a fix without the thousands of calories a typical dessert might contain. Individually packaged, the fruit bars are made inhouse. Flavors range from the water-based watermelon, strawberry, mango to crème bars like the key lime pie (their most popular), even non-fruit cookies and crème with

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chunks of Oreo! Had to taste that one. It’s awesome. Especially when you get to a chunk of Oreo. My favorite water-based bar is the lemon. It’s like having a frozen margarita bar. I see myself craving and devouring them in the warmer months to come.

I must’ve looked in need of a more substantial dessert because out of nowhere I’m presented with a tres leches adorned with strawberries. I’m a HUGE tres leches fan! This recipe is one of the owners’ mother’s recipe so you know it’s going to be good. (And you know you’ll never get this recipe either.) This homemade version is just the right amount of sweetness to the milk sauce.

The Fruit Palette enables you to get your daily fruit serving or just enjoy fruit for breakfast, lunch or dinner while fully disclosing the preparation process. The kitchen is exposed to diners so they are able to see the process of washing fruit, making aguas, making the frozen fruit bars – even salads are prepared in front of you the moment you order. You get to see each component so you know exactly what you are served. What you see is really what you get at the Fruit Palette.

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the chef’s special

Photography by Sofia van der Dys Shot on location at Whole Foods

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HOUSTON CULINARY

TOURS

Chris Shepherd | Catalan

Bryan Caswell | Reef, Little Bigs and Stella Sola

66. february 10 | www.002mag.com

Hugo Ortega | Hugo’s and Backstreet Cafe

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Monica Pope | T’afia and Beaver’s

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Randy Evans | Haven

Mark Holley | Pesce

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HOUSTON CULINARY

TOURS

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WHERE DOES THE CHEF FROM YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT GO TO EAT? NOW YOU CAN JOIN HOUSTON’S BRIGHTEST CHEFS ON TOURS OF THE SMALL, INTIMATE ETHNIC RESTAURANTS WHOSE RECIPES HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. SEVEN CHEFS AND A TOP FOOD CRITIC – ALL WITH THE CREDENTIALS AND REPUTATIONS – SHARE THE LESSER KNOWN SIDE OF HOUSTON’S FOODIE SCENE. MASTERMINDS WHOLE FOODS MARKET AND THE GREATER HOUSTON CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU,

BRYAN CASWELL (REEF, LITTLE BIGS AND STELLA SOLA), MARCUS DAVIS (THE BREAKFAST KLUB AND MARK HOLLEY (PESCE), RANDY EVANS (HAVEN), HUGO ORTEGA (HUGO’S AND BACKSTREET CAFÉ), MONICA POPE (T’AFIA AND BEAVER’S), CHRIS SHEPHERD (CATALAN) AND HOUSTON CHEFS

REGGAE HUT),

PRESS FOOD WRITER ROBB WALSH MAKE UP THE TOURS. TOURS TAKE A MAXIMUM OF 16 PEOPLE – 16 FOODIES, THAT IS. FULL DETAILS ARE AT WWW.HOUSTONCULINARYTOURS.COM. HERE 002HOUSTON IS ABLE TO WRANGLE TOGETHER A FEW OF THE CHEFS FOR SOME QUICK SOUNDBITES.

F A V OR I TE L A TE N I G HT S P O T F OR A B I T E ?

W H AT UT E N S IL C AN YO U N O T L I V E W I TH O UT ?

MONICA POPE 13 Celsius for charcuterie, cheese & wine.

MARK HOLLEY La Tapatia Taqueria on Richmond.

CHRIS SHEPHERD Anvil bar & Refuge.

HUGO ORTEGA Cafe Annie (now RDG).

BRYAN CASWELL Branch Water Tavern.

RANDY EVANS Mai’s.

MARCUS DAVIS BB’s on Montrose.

MONICA POPE OK, I hope he doesn’t get offended, but my cook Benjy who has been with me for close to 20 years. I simply can’t live without him.

He is the most consistent, organized, conscientious, dedicated cook I’ve ever worked with. And he is a fabrication machine – he can break down fish, meat and fowl like nobody’s business.

MARK HOLLEY At the restaurant – needle nose pliers; at home – wine opener.

HUGO ORTEGA VitaMix Blender.

BRYAN CASWELL Cake tester. Perfect for checking internal temperatures and doneness of vegetables.

B E S T BR E AK F AS T ?

CHRIS SHEPHERD Lola’s.

BRYAN CASWELL breakfast klub – fried pork chops & eggs.

B E S T BR UN C H? MONICA POPE I can shamelessly say Beaver’s!!

Chef Jonathan Jones has created the most outrageous brunch menu in town with four different kinds of Bloody Marys, a “Taco Truck” section on the menu and extreme dishes, like the towering “SpamWOW,” that are perfect for Sunday FunDay (after too much fun on Saturday night).

CHRIS SHEPHERD HK Dim Sum. HUGO ORTEGA Most likely I am working during brunch but once in a while I go for menudo and tongue tacos at La Mexicana.

W H AT IN G R E D I E N T C A N Y O U N OT L I VE W I TH O UT I N TH E KI T C H E N A N D W HY ?

MONICA POPE Salt, because it makes food taste like it should.

MARK HOLLEY Fresh ground black pepper because it has a completely different flavor.

CHRIS SHEPHERD Salt. Need I say more.

HUGO ORTEGA Cilantro, because of its aroma, flavor and versatility.

BRYAN CASWELL Eggs – they can do so much.

68. february 10 | www.002mag.com

W H A T ’S Y O U R P E T P E E V E ?

BRYAN CASWELL Breakage, anywhere, anytime.

RANDY EVANS Cooks that never taste their food before they send it out to the dining room.

F A V OR I T E AF F O R D A B L E WI N E ?

MARK HOLLEY Greg Norman Pinot Noir.

CHRIS SHEPHERD Miner Viognier.

HUGO ORTEGA Veuve Cliquot Champagne and Willamette Pinot Gris.

BRYAN CASWELL Innocent Bystander.

RANDY EVANS Dry Creek Fume.

F A V OR I TE P L A C E FO R D E SS E R T ?

MONICA POPE Feast. Their sticky toffee pudding is one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten.

MARK HOLLEY Gelato Blu. CHRIS SHEPHERD London Sizzler Sweet’s shop.

HUGO ORTEG My brother Ruben’s apartment!

(Ruben Ortega is pastry chef for Hugo’s & Backstreet Cafe) BRYAN CASWELL Textile. Sandalio is the man!

RANDY EVANS Shipley’s on Ella.

MARCUS DAVIS Not Just Donuts.

W H O A RE YO U R F A VO RI T E C HE F , RE S TA U RA N T A ND DI S H? CHRIS SHEPHERD Momma Patel, London Sizzler, goat Biriyani.

HUGO ORTEG Chef ~ Diana Kennedy; Restaurant ~ Bouchon; Dish ~ Wood-grilled Catfish with blistered tomato salsa at Goode Co. Seafood.

RANDY EVANS Michel Richard, Central, Panéed Trotter.

MARCUS DAVIS Mark Holley.

MUFFI N –

FAVORITES

MONICA POPE Any of the muffins at Tiny Boxwoods.

BRYAN CASWELL Cranberry.

S ON G –

MARK HOLLEY The theme from Monday Night Football.

CHRIS SHEPHERD “One Particular Harbor”

by Jimmy Buffett.

HUGO ORTEGA “Asi Fue” by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel.

W R I TI NG U TE N SI L –

HUGO ORTEGA Got a new MacBook for Christmas – just learning how to use it!

BRYAN CASWELL Zebra G-301 stainless retractable.

DE S TINA TIO N –

MONICA POPE Tomales Bay, California.

MARK HOLLEY Hawaii.

CHRIS SHEPHERD Coastal Mexico – anywhere with a view and a cocktail in my hand.

S HOE –

MONICA POPE My Sanita chalkstripe work clogs: funky fashion meets function.

CHRIS SHEPHERD Sandals, baby, sandals.

BRYAN CASWELL Rod Laver tennis shoe.

RANDY EVANS Lucchese boots.

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new restaurants

NEW RESTAURANT?

be hip. current. cool @ 002mag.com

EMAIL US AT

LETTERS@

Photography by Jack Thompson

002MAG.COM

SUSHI RAKU (means happy)

BRANCH WATER TAVERN

THE ROCKWOOD ROOM

3201 LOUISIANA | 713.526.8885 www.sushi-raku.com

510 SHEPHERD DRIVE | 713.863.7777 www.branchwatertavern.com

5709 WOODWAY DR. | 832.9463 www.therockwoodroom.com

CUISINE SUSHI/JAPANESE

CUISINE AMERICAN ARTISANAL

CUISINE ICONIC AMERICAN

CHEF TAKA SEKIGUCHI

CHEF DAVID GROSSMAN

CHEF MICHAEL DEIMAGGI

I just found a second sushi favorite and it’s close to my work. Besides the fact that the space is beautiful with 60,000 lbs of red ocean rope and various commissioned paintings as well as antiques. THE FOOD PARALLELS THE EXQUISITE ART AND SURROUNDINGS. Owner Patrick Chiu is a delight and was not messing around when he created Raku. The fish is flown in from a Japanese fish market weekly and it’s so good, that it runs out almost as quickly as FedEx delivers it. On the night we went, super chef Taka prepared some specials for us. I am still dreaming about the edamame hummus, creamy and rich but green, absolutely addictive. A perfectly seared bay scallop atop a corn ginger puree with beech mushrooms and a chrysanthemum is the perfect combination of color and flavors. The tontoto – a 12 hr braised Berkshires pork jowl falls apart in its reduced au jus and burgundy. And the slow-roasted Texas Kobe short rib is cooked to perfection. My favorite is the snapper sample from aforementioned market – Tsukji Fish Market. The red snapper, black snapper and golden eye snapper secure Raku’s happy spot in my heart. PS. Lunch specials won’t cost more than $12 in and out.

Carla Valencia de Martinez

70. february 10 | www.002mag.com

Located in the old Cue & Cushion, this revamped tavern will have you doing a double take when you drive by. The change is so dramatic it’s almost unrecognizable. Rest assured, they put an easy to read (and see) sign right on the front so you know you’re in the right spot. Oh, and the loads of parked cars out front will be a pretty good indication you’re about to embark on a pretty amazing dining experience. If I were to sit here and rave about my whole meal, I would need the entire page. I would then have a not-so happy editor so I’ll stick to the details that left me speechless. AFTER BEING SEATED, RATHER THEN SERVING BREAD THEY SERVE…BISCUITS! It’s ingenious! Warm, flaky, delicious fresh biscuits are a great starter to any meal. You have to share their bacon-wrapped prawns served with white cheddar grits and a slow poached egg. It’s indulgent and oozy, and you’ll be very happy you just shared it and didn’t devour it yourself. Their vermillion ceviche with blood orange, chili and miso, on the other hand, is something you might want all to yourself.

Served with some crispy chips to scoop, it’s amazingly fresh and full of citrus. Every bite is shockingly delicious. For my entrée, I had the seared scallops on polenta angnolotti with tomato confit, olive and truffle butter. I’ve never had scallops “act” like a comfort food but these were just that – cooked to perfection. The burst of the tomato in each bite along with the combination of the truffle butter was absolutely decadent. I was nearly full food comatose after this, but you HAVE to save room for dessert. I’ve never had anyone sell me on dessert before until I came here. And I am someone who thinks dessert is the most important part! If you like cheesecake it is IMPERATIVE that you try their crème fraiche cheesecake with blueberry compote. Ignore the blueberry part for now. They’ve officially reinvented the wheel, so to speak! One bite and I was speechless. Floored.

Astounded. It’s like fluffy clouds of cheesecake. It’s like eating air (if you could, that is), it’s so light. The attention to detail with the meal that is followed through to the dessert is unlike any other dining experience. I will be doing more than a double take. I will be doubly back!

CALLING ALL DON AND BETTY DRAPERS! LOOKING TO DINE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT GOES THE WAY OF THE RAT PACK DAYS, THEN YOUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED. With chefs sporting fedoras, Frank tunes playing in the background (Sinatra, for those of you have no idea what I’m talking about), transformation to another era is part of the dining experience.

Iconic American dishes from the post-WWII era, like rich prime roasted rib and charbroiled steaks, abound on the menu. On my visit, this Betty fell head over heels for their Plumpers. Little sliders of Kobe beef with caramelized onions on rye bread are served with a tartar sauce concoction that is the perfect complement to the juiciest slider my mouth has ever bit into. No exaggeration. I was very excited to see an endive salad on the menu too. I love endive and can rarely find a salad of endive. Not just endive added to it but with it as the main star. Served with gorgonzola cheese, caramelized walnuts with a Dijon vinaigrette in a vintage wooden bowl, it was exactly what I’ve been looking for. The sandwiches we tasted, the Eula and Cheese grill (both great) came with the most addictive homemade potato chips. They’re thin and perfectly crispy.

The best surprise came at dessert. The pastry chef treated us with her experimental apple fritters. I say experimental because we were her guinea pigs, so to speak, to try them first. For an experiment, she’s on to something. Apples are baked or fried in funnel cake batter and dusted with powdered sugar and served with a vanilla anglaise. The combination of the anglaise with a bite of fritter is more than experimental – it is proven to be delicious. She got thumbs up all around from us. This Rat Pack throwback will have you singing its praises in no time.

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EVENT: 4th ANNUAL FERRARI FESTIVAL WHY: TO BENEFIT THE TEXAS CHILDREN’S CANCER CENTER | WHERE: HIGHLAND VILLAGE WHEN: DECEMBER 6

Compiled by Pixie Ibañez

The event rode full throttle! More than 1,000 car aficionados flocked the festival for a chance to view a rare assortment of 50 preeminent Italian automobiles ranging from the rare vintage Ferrari classics to the sleeker, more current models.

Ferrarians battled the cold temperatures with the help of some hot chocolate and tasty cider and nibbled on some very yummy bites from Escalante’s, RA Sushi, PF Chang’s and Tasti D Lite.

Events / Photo Credit Ferrari - The Photo Boutique Haute or Naughty - Kim Coffman Dance into the Decade – Bernard Bauri for www.lastnightpics.com

check out all the parties in houston @ 002mag.com 72. february 10 | www.002mag.com

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WHAT: HAUTE OR NAUGHTY WHY: TO BENEFIT YOUNG TEXANS AGAINST CANCER WHERE: SUSHI RAKU WHEN: DECEMBER 16 Sultry, stylish and simply superb! The new Sushi Raku was the perfect venue for Jeff Shell’s latest holiday bash benefiting Young Texans Against Cancer. The place was packed to the gills; every nook and cranny was crawling with a sexy and chic crowd eager to taste some of the city’s freshest and most artfully prepared sushi. The fab crowd and luscious décor made this night feel more like midtown Manhattan. Not only did the food take center stage, a bevy of Neal Hamil beauties modeled lingerie and swimsuits from La Mode Lingerie making this night a very haute one.

CHECK OUT ALL THE PARTIES IN HOUSTON @ 002MAG.COM EVENT: DANCE INTO THE DECADE WHY: NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY WHERE: ARTISTA @ HOBBY CENTER WHEN: DECEMBER 31

Following Cordua’s annual tradition, 250 Houstonians gathered at the Hobby Center to welcome the New Year in style. Guests were treated to a fantastic four-course feast prepared by Food and Wine Magazine Hall of Fame chef Michael Cordua. After indulging their taste buds, guests danced the night away shaking it to the sounds of Houston’s own Mango Punch. With the downtown skyline as a backdrop the decked out party danced into the decade in what was a truly memorable evening. No one left empty-handed with raffle gifts including tickets from Continental Airlines and Texas vs. Patriots.

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I

t’s finally my turn, and I am taken into Diddy’s suite, which is already full of people. There’s his camera crew for his reality show, a slew of assistants, Cîroc people and a Cîroc bar – no, I didn’t have a drink, but I should have…

So I place my bag on the floor and go to sit in the chair across from P. Diddy when one of his handlers moves the chair behind me and I literally fly up, head over heels to the ground – totally loosing my glamour in front of Diddy.

But I jumped right back up laughing hysterically, and here’s what follows: OK! We haven’t even started and I already made you laugh! And I haven’t even had a drink yet!

Tell me about Diddy – Dirty Money DIDDY It’s myself, Dawn and Keelena. It’s my new group for Last Train to Paris. Last Train to Paris is a love story about finding love, losing love and getting it back again. You know, I wanted to reinvent the way I present music to people on this album, and I’ve always been a fan of three member groups. Guy and Loose Ends and Soul II Soul. But I’ve never seen one guy and two females and it enables me to tell this love story. I hooked up with these two young ladies who are great writers, great recording artists, great artists, performers and together we made Dirty Money.

Tell me about the grill you’re wearing in the video?

DIDDY Yeah, yeah…I did it at press play, you know throughout the years I’ve always had a bottom grill and I don’t wear it out. It helps me get into character.

DIDDY I’ll make sure it gets edited out (laughing). I’ll make sure. I will.

Oh, sure I believe that one…

DIDDY Turning back to the camera crew – Make sure that gets edited out…(laughing again).

(Although I swear I saw him wink at the crew…)

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When did you realize that you needed to diversify your career?

DIDDY I just took it project by project. I was always inspired by Motown and Berry Gordy and he did the movie Mahogany and the clothes that were in there would have been a great collection ’cause that movie inspired so many collections after that. And he had his own tour – The Motown Review – which I thought could always have been a television show or a documentary of behind-the-scenes and

DIDDY

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ROCKS RECENTLY SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS BREEZED THROUGH TOWN DURING HIS WHIRLWIND TOUR OF CÎROC’S LAST TRAIN TO PARIS PROMO TOUR INTRODUCING HIS NEW BAND, DIDDY – DIRTY MONEY, AND TO PREMIERE CÎROC’S NEWEST VARIANTS, COCONUT AND RED BERRY. HIS FLIGHT WAS SLIGHTLY DELAYED AND A HANDFUL OF REPORTERS WAITING TO TALK TO HIM WAITED ABOUT AN HOUR.

By Carla Valencia de Martinez Photography by Cody Bess

how he made the groups. So I said those are ideas that now can be done, and I just want to take advantage of it.

How do you choose these sorts of partnerships like the Cîroc one?

DIDDY Well, Cîroc was always a dream of mine. To be involved in and participate in a vodka. Because I drink a lot of vodka and I’m a connoisseur and when I tasted Cîroc I just sort of fell in love with it. And Diageo and I were going to go and develop my own vodka but once I tasted this, I was like let me get my hands on this and go remarket it to the people. I don’t think people understand that it’s made of grapes and not potatoes, or how smooth it is, and how luxurious it is.

How do you drink it?

DIDDY I’ve been drinking it on the rocks lately; you know my favorite is lemonade or lemonade and grapefruit juice – which is a weird combination.

What does 2010 have in store for you?

DIDDY Aw man, I just know in my heart it’s going to be a big year creatively and artistically.

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recording

By Lance Scott Walker Photography by Anthony Rathbun

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HENRY DARRAGH

H

ow do you strike the balance between your originals and the standards? I mean, when you’re thinking about recording in advance, do you think about doing a record that’s half and half or do you try and write as much original material as you can?

I don’t think I wrote those specifically for a record; I didn’t think in my head ‘okay, I want to do a project and I wanna write songs like this…’ Those just kind of came naturally, and as far as the standards that I picked, I just tried to pick ones that I really like and that I haven’t heard recorded a million times. The song “Tell Her for Me,” that was a song I’d found in an old encyclopedia, and I could only find one recording, which was a doo-wop version. So I did a reharmonization of it… so the cover song that wasn’t mine, I just thought it was perfect to record because it really hadn’t been.

Have you run into anybody who knows the song?

No, I have not (laughs). And I think it’s… Selma and Morty Craft that wrote it, and that wasn’t a pair of songwriters’ names that I’d heard of.

You’ve had a sort of combination of formal and informal training along the way – where do you think your most important musical lessons have come from?

Well, it had to be in college, because as far as formal training, that was I guess the classical side in school and taking lessons… but that’s not entirely true because I started lessons from about the time that I had been playing trombone a year – from then on all of my trombone teachers also played jazz, and could improvise, and knew what jazz was. But I didn’t really sort of ‘get it,’ until I took theory. So learning counterpoint and Theory 1 and all of those classes helped make the chord changes make sense, how I could come up with a melody on the fly.

When did you get out and start playing around the jazz scene in Houston?

Right away. When I was 18 at San Jacinto (College), I started doing Big Band and Dixieland gigs, but it was all on trombone. I didn’t start taking piano until then. I took it when I was 6 and then quit, and I was just kind of selftaught and didn’t have piano lessons again until college. I had all kinds of bad habits. I thought that you hold the pedal down the whole time, makes it sound cool…

Have the gas full throttle.

Right! So I started right away doing society gigs. So it was really neat to get to work right away. And after a couple of years I might have done a piano gig, but it might have been a school gig or whatever… I didn’t really work as a pianist until 2003, 2004.

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Well, having then had that formal training behind you and then getting out and playing in the Houston jazz scene, what did you draw from it? Were you really influenced by everything you were hearing?

Absolutely, and I think that had a lot to do with my teachers, because my schooling, with piano – there were guys I would go hear play like Bruce Dudley and Paul English that… part of my jazz education was going to other people’s gigs.

And English is a standard. That guy has been playing around Houston forever.

Yeah! And I was real fortunate that Bruce Dudley was my first teacher. I got to hear him when he came through last year and played Cezanne with his wife. He’s just ridiculous… a world-class jazz pianist that was teaching at a junior college in Pasadena, Texas! So just studying with those guys was a big influence, and Ray Dillard – I took theory with Ray and then took private percussion, but we talked about composition… I didn’t really want to be a percussionist; I just kind of wanted to soak up more information on music from him.

What about the difference between composing or playing from the trombone to the piano – is that a huge swing for you, or do you find a similarity between those instruments?

Well, with the piano it’s… I guess I can see lines in my head when you ask that question. With the trombone there’s only one line that I play, and with piano it’s… it’s certainly easier to compose with. You can see everything right there.

It’s all laid out for you. With a trombone you gotta kinda find your way along, I guess.

Right, and you really have to know your horn. I think somebody could not know the piano and still come up with some songs.

That’s encouraging. You have a combination of real gigs such as the Mucky Duck and then sort of hired gigs like the River Oaks Country Club, playing a brunch or the like. Do you go into those gigs with a different mindset?

Not really. I feel fortunate to get to play what I want to play. I don’t generally go ‘well, I can only play this stuff here.’ The only thing that’s really different is that when I did my release party – and I don’t often get the opportunity to play gigs like that – listening rooms where people are going specifically to hear me. You know, maybe somebody will show up at the restaurant that meant to, but by and large most of the stuff I do is background.

That’s why I ask.

Well, yeah… so I guess I do. I guess I didn’t think about it because it’s so seldom that I do that specific, where it’s more like a concert.

You get to let loose a little bit more.

And not just that – I need to entertain. There’s another element. I’m not going to be in a restaurant and talk about the composer of this song, or what show it came from or make jokes – they don’t want that. As I talk out loud more, I realize that I do have a different mindset, because some of the gigs – they don’t want a singer – and I feel freer doing that. What I do is play and sing. But like when I played the River Oaks Country Club, it’s just a solo piano gig and I’m not gonna sing any.

The jazz version of ‘shut up and play,’ gigs where they don’t want you to sing.

Right! Exactly – and I think they told that to Nat King Cole.

I think there’s a story of him playing a hotel in New York, and being told not to sing or he might lose his gig.

We see how that worked out for that hotel.

I’m sure he stayed there frequently once he hit it.

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club+lounge review

By Travis Jones Photography by Daniel Ortiz

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COMMUNITY BAR | GETTING BACK TO BASICS; GETTING BACK TO HOUSTON 2703 smith st., houston, tx 77006 | 713.526.1576

ometimes you just want a bar that reflects you. Not the you after a two-hour grooming session, cramming your toes into expensive loafers and making sure you’ve stuffed your wallet enough to appease the flashlight wielding valet gods, but the you who just got off work and needs a cold beer. Not the you who sighs and gets ready for a night of trying-to-be, but the you who’s happy with having made it through the grind of another work week.

Sometimes you just want Community.

Community Bar on 2703 Smith St. is the bar you would open yourself if you could. Hence, it’s the most appropriately named bar in Houston; Community is a bona fide reflection of the balance Houston strikes between gritty character and gentile charm. Upon entry, the first thing you’ll notice is that there’s not too much to notice. What you see is what you get; the space is simple, clean and devoid of tacky, leopard print upholstery and all that other garbage most places try and pass off as comfortable. The layout is linear with a bar that stretches to greet patrons in the back, tables and benches near the front and two mini-lounges to either side. While these small curtained rooms with plush benches and soft candle lighting are a quaint getaway-within-a-getaway, they are hardly the main ingredients of the Community Bar atmosphere.

The atmosphere at Community Bar doesn’t lean on crutches like blaring music, flashing lights or DJs you pretend to have heard of to be downright cool. Instead, it relies on the tried and true formula of combining quality of service, respect for one’s roots and a genuine care for customers, all without gouging folks on price. Open every day of the week, Community Bar keeps happy hour simple and knocks a dollar off everything in the house from 5 to 8, Monday through Friday. They have a small but meticulous selection of hand-crafted cocktails including a sweet tea mojito and the crowd favorite Geranium, a zingy blend of Tito’s Texas Vodka, St. Germain liqueur, grapefruit juice and soda. The beer list is basic, but subject to lively change depending on the season, and the wines on the list will make your tongue dance.

The service is quick on bustling weekend evenings, but only as quick as you want it when they’re not as busy. In other words, the ladies and gentlemen behind the bar at Community are there for

more than just providing libations. They serve the role of psychiatrist, drinking buddy, confidante, sportscaster and second family to a bevy of Houstonians from 25 to 55 years of age. And that’s all in one night. Just like my exgirlfriend. Except they cook better.

Actually, cooking is not really the word for it. Let’s try this: “Chef Bob,” as he is affectionately referred to by his constituency, Community Bar’s owner and rumored second cousin to The Most Interesting Man in the World from the Dos Equis commercials, carefully crafts cuisine inspired by his global travels in a successful attempt to shake up your sad preconceptions of “bar food.” On the Community Bar menu, cheese fries include whole milk mozzarella and cilantro-lime ranch. Pizza turns into house favorite “Thai Pie” on grilled naan bread smothered in smoked chicken, mushrooms and explosively zesty green curry sauce.

Community’s Tuesday steak night and Wednesday taco night have been known to bring vegetarians to tears of joy for having seen the light.

Sometimes Houston just needs a bar that reflects Houston.

Not the Houston that tries to be New York or San Fran or Vegas, but the Houston that’s home to space cowboys and oil men. The fashion-forward and the just plain backward.

The Houston that’s tough, yet charismatic and intelligent enough to realize that no amount of glitz and glamour can replace a cold Saint Arnold’s, some Mexican food and a Bayou City sunset. Community Bar fits right in.

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BARS + CLUBS + LOUNGES + WINE BARS 002 night life

downtown

511CLUB 511 Main. 713.221.8833

A+ BAR inside Alden Hotel 1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800 www.aldenhotels.com

LONE STAR SALOON 1900 Travis. 713.757.1616

galleria+uptown

LUCKY STRIKE LANES & LOUNGE 1201 San Jacinto. 713.343.3300 www.bowlluckystrike.com

MOLLY’S PUB 509 Main. 713.222.1033 www.mollyspubs.com

CLUB ICE/MANTRA 711 Main St. 713.225.3500 www.mantrahouston.com

THE COTTON EXCHANGE 202 Travis. 832.507.5906 www.cottonexchangelounge.com DEAN’S CREDIT CLOTHING 316 Main. 713.227.3326 www.myspace.com/ deanscreditclothing

DIVE LOUNGE inside the Aquarium 410 Bagby St. 713.223.3474 EIGHTEEN TWENTY 1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535 www.myspace.com/1820bar ETTA’S LOUNGE 5120 Scott. 713.528.2611

FLYING SAUCER 705 Main St. 713.228.7468 www.beerknurd.com

HOUSE OF BLUES 1204 Caroline. 1.888.40.BLUES www.hob.com/houston JET LOUNGE 1515 Pease. 713.659.2000 www.thejetloungehouston.com LA CARAFE 813 Congress. 713.229.9399 LIVE SPORTS CAFÉ 407 Main. 713.228.5483 www.livesportscafe.com

BLANCO’S 3406 W. Alabama. 713.439.0072 www.houstonredneck.com

BELVEDERE 1131 Uptown Park. 713.552.9271 www.belvedereinfo.com

NOTSUOH 314 Main. 713.409.4750 www.notsuoh.com

BLVD 610 LOUNGE 3005 West Loop. 832.875.3997 www.blvd610.com

C&F DRIVE INN 6714 N. Main. 713.861.0704 CHAR BAR 305 Travis. 713.222.8177 www.charbarhouston.com

BAR 12•21 MORTON’S 5000 Westheimer. 713.629.1946 www.mortons.com

THE BLACK SWAN (Omni Hotel) 4 Riverway. 713.871.8181 PETE’S DUELING PIANO BAR 1201 Fannin. (Houston Pavilions) 713.337.7383 www.petesduelingpianobar.com RED CAT JAZZ CAFÉ 924 Congress. 713.226.7870 www.redcatjazzcafe.com

SAMBUCA JAZZ CAFÉ 909 Texas Ave. 713.224.5299 www.sambucarestaurant.com SHADOW BAR 213 Milam. 713.221.5483 www.theshadowbar.com

SHAY MCELROY’S 909 Texas Suite A . 713.223.2444 www.mcelroyspub.com STATE BAR & LOUNGE 909 #2-A Texas. 713.229.8888 www.thestatebar.com

THE B.U.S. 1800 Texas. 713.222.2287

TOC BAR 711 Franklin. 713.224.4862 www.tocbar.net VENUE 719 Main. 713.236.8150 www.venuehouston.com

PLANETA BAR-RIO 6400 Richmond. 832.251.9600 PAPARRUCHOS 3055 Sage. 713.212.3178 www.paparruchos.com

RESERVE 101 1201 Caroline. 713.655.7101 www.reserve101.com

THE BREWERY TAP 717 Franklin. 713.237.1537

CLUB 26 TEN 2610 Sage. 713.974.4000 www.myspace.com/club26ten

RA SUSHI 3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800 12860 Queensbury. 713.331.2791 www.rasushi.com

REMINGTON BAR St. Regis Hotel 1919 Briar Oaks Ln. 713.403.2631 www.theremingtonrestaurant.com RICHMOND ARMS 5731 Kirby. 713.523.9999

5920 Richmond. 713.784.7722

ROXY 5851 W. Alabama. 713.850.ROXY www.myspace.com/roxyhouston

THE TASTING ROOM 1101-18 Uptown Park. 713.993.9800 114 Gray. 713.528.6402 2409 W. Alabama. 713.526.2242 www.tastingroomwines.com WILD WEST 6101 Richmond. 713.266.3455 www.wildwesthouston.com

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ONION CREEK 3106 White Oak. 713.880.0706 www.onioncreekcafe.com

PANDORA 1815 Washington. 832.296.6220 ABSOLVE WINE LOUNGE NEW 920 Studemont St., #150 281.501.1788 www.absolvewinelounge.com BEER ISLAND 2631 White Oak. 713.862.4670 BIG STAR 1005 W. 19th. 281.501.9560 www.bigstarbar.com

BLUE LABEL LOUNGE 4500 Washington. 713.861.9910 www.bluelabellounge.com BLOCK 21 2420 Washington. 713.337.1410 BOOM BOOM ROOM 2518 Yale. 713.868.3740 www.myspace.com/ boomboomroomhouston

CORKSCREW 1919 Washington. 713.864.9463

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heights + washington

COSMOS CAFÉ 69 Heights. 713.802.2144 www.cosmoshouston.com

DAN ELECTRO’S GUITAR BAR 1031 E. 24th St. 713.862.8707 www.danelectrosguitarbar.com

DARKHORSE TAVERN 2207 Washington. 713.426.2442 www.dhtavern.com DUBLINER LOUNGE 4219 Washington. 713.861.2300

EI8TH 5102 Washington. 713.880.3500 KOBAIN 33 Waugh. 713.862.9911 www.kobain.net

MANOR ON WASHINGTON 4819 Washington. 713.426.0123 www.manoronwashington.com NOX 4701 Nett. 281.701.4248 www.noxhouston.com

PEARL BAR 4216 Washington. 713.863.5337 PORCH SWING PUB 69 Heights. 713.880.8700

REBEL’S HONKY TONK 5002 Washington. 713.807.7040

www.rebelshonkytonk.com

REIGN 4105 Washington. 713.869.0404 SAWYER PARK SPORTS BAR 2412 Washington. 713.863.9350 www.sawyerparkhouston.com THE CORKSCREW 1919 Washington. 713.864.9463 www.houstoncorkscrew.com THE DIRT 222 Yale. 713.426.4222 www.dirtbar.com

THE DRINKERY 4115 Washington. 713.426.3617

THE DRAKE 1902 Washington. 713.861.9600 www.thedrakebar.com

THE LOT 4212 Washington. 713.868.5688 www.thelothouston.com

THE SOCIAL 3730 Washington. 713.426.5585 www.thesocialinfo.com

midtown

13 CELSIUS 3000 Caroline. 713.529.8466

3RD BAR 2600 Travis. 713.526.8282 BLOCK 21 2420 Washington Ave.

BOND LOUNGE 2700 Milam. 713.529.2663 www.bond2700.com

COACHES 2204 Louisiana. 713.751.1970 www.coachesjv.com

CHRISTIAN’S TAILGATE 2000 Bagby. 713.527.0261 www.christianstailgate.com DECO 510 Gray. 713.659.4900 www.decohouston.com

EL PATIO 2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181 www.elpatio.com EPIC 3030 Travis. 713.862.4810

FIX LOUNGE 2707 Milam. 832.281.2101 FRONT PORCH PUB 217 Gray. 713.571.9571 www.frontporchpub.com

HOWL AT THE MOON 612 Hadley. 713.658.9700 www.howlatthemoon.com

IBIZA LOUNGE NEXT DOOR 2450 Louisiana. 713.520.7300 www.ibizaloungenextdoor.com KOMODO’S 2004 Baldwin. 713.655.1501

LEON’S LOUNGE 1006 McGowen. 713.659.3052 THE MAPLE LEAF 514 Elgin. 713.520.6464 www.themapleleafpub.com

THE MINK/THE BACKROOM 3718 Main. 713.522.9985 www.minkonmain.com

OPEN CITY 2416-A Brazos. 832.483.8357 www.ochouston.com RED DOOR 2416 Brazos. 713.526.8181 www.reddoorhouston.com

RICH’S 2401 San Jacinto. 713.759.9606 SAINT DANE’S BAR + GRILL 502 Elgin. 713.807.7040

STATUS 2404 San Jacinto. 713.659.5400 www.myspace.com/statushouston SWIVEL 2621 Milam. 713.222.2057 www.swivelhouston.com

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THE ROOF

2800 Travis. 713.522.4900

THE WET SPOT 160 W. Gray. 713.523.7768 TIPSY CLOVER 2416 Brazos. 713.524.8782

UNION BAR 2708 Bagby. 281.974.1916 www.myspace.com/unionlounge WHISKEY CREEK 2905 Travis. 713.526.4225 www.whiskeycreekhouston.com

XO BAR & LOUNGE 2611 San Jacinto. 713.651.9900 www.myspace.com/xohouston

ZEPPELIN 3101 San Jacinto. 713.521.7300 www.myspace.com/zeppelin713

montrose + shepherd

ABSINTHE 609 Richmond. 713.528.7575 www.absinthelounge.com

AGORA 1717 Westheimer. 713.526.7212 www.agorahouston.com

ANVIL+REFUGE 1424 Westheimer. 713.523.1622 www.anvilhouston.com AVANTGARDEN 411 Westheimer. 832.519.1429 www.avantgardenhouston.com

BARTINI 1318 Westheimer. 713.526.2277 BOHEME WINE & CAFÉ BAR 307 Fairview. 713.269.0859 www.barboheme.com

BOONDOCKS 1417 Westheimer. 713.522.8500 www.myspace.com/boondocksbar BYZANTIO 403 W. Gray. 713.520.6896 www.byzantiohouston.com

CATBIRDS 1336 Westheimer. 713.523.8000 www.catbirds.com

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CEZANNE JAZZ CLUB 4100 Montrose. 713.522.9321 www.blacklaboradorpub.com

THE TAVERN 1340 W. Gray. 713.522.5159 www.thetavernongray.com

www.guavalamphouston.com

www.myspace.com/thevelvetmelvinpub

GUAVA LAMP 570 Waugh. 713.524.3359

THE DAVENPORT 2115 Richmond. 713.520.1140

THE FLAT 1702 Commonwealth. 713.521.3528 GRIFF’S 3416 Roseland. 713.528.9912

THE HARP 1625 Richmond. 713.528.7827 LOLA’S 2327 Grant. 713.528.8342

LZ PUB 2239 Richmond. 713.522.7118 MCELROY’S PUB 3607 Sandman. 713.524.2444 www.mcelroyspub.com METEOR 2306 Genesee. 713.521.0123 www.meteorhouston.com THE NEXT DOOR 2020 Waugh. 713.520.1712

www.myspace.com/thenextdoorgallery

NUMBERS 300 Westheimer. 713.526.6551 www.numbersnightclub.com

PRAVADA 2815 S. Shepherd. 713.533.1200 www.pravadahouston.com PRIVE 910 Westheimer. 713.526.6551 www.privelounge.com

POISON GIRL 1641-B Westheimer. 713.527.9929

VELVET MELVIN 3303 Richmond. 713.522.6798 VINTAGE 2108 Kipling. 713.522.4200

museum district

MONARCH LOUNGE Hotel ZaZa 5701 Main 713.526.1991 www.monarchrestauranthouston.com ZIMM’S MARTINI & WINE 4321 Montrose. 713.521.2002 www.zimmsbar.com

outer loop

300 HOUSTON BOWLING 925 Bunker Hill 713.461.2431 www.300houston.com

DENIM BAR 16090 City Walk. 281.275.5925 www.theburningpear.com THE DERRICK TAVERN 1127 Eldridge. 281.759.4922 www.thederricktavern.com

FIREHOUSE SALOON 5930 Southwest Frwy. 713.977.1962 www.firehousesaloon.com HUSH 15625 Katy Frwy. 713.330.4874 www.hushonline.com

VINE WINE ROOM 12420 Memorial Dr. 713.463.8463 www.vinewineroom.com VINO 100 11693 Westheimer. 281.759.4100 www.vino100houston.com

SCOTT GERTNER’S SKYBAR 3400 Montrose. 713.520.9688

www.msypace.com/scottgertnersskybar

THE STAG’S HEAD 2128 Portsmouth. 713.533.1199 www.stagsheadpub.com

BAM BOU 2540 University. 713.521.7222 www.bambouhouston.com

BRIAN O’NEILL’S 5555 Morningside. 713.522.2603 www.brianoneills.com BRONX BAR 5555 Morningside. 713.520.9690 ERNIE’S ON BANKS 1010 Banks. 713.526.4566 www.erniesonbanks.com

YARD HOUSE 800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy., CityCentre. 713.461.9273 www.yardhouse.com

rice village

ARMADILLO PALACE 5015 Kirby. 713.526.9700 www.thearmadillopalace.com

MUGSY’S 3200 Kirby. 713.526.5595

RED ROOM 2736 Virginia. 713.259.9952

ROLL-N SALOON 4200 San Felipe. 713.622.7487 THE BIG EASY 5731 Kirby. 713.523.9999 www.thebigeasyblues.com

KAY’S LOUNGE 2324 Bissonnet. 713.528.9858

THE GALLANT KNIGHT 2511 Bissonnet. 713.942.9940 www.thegallantknight.com

THE GINGER MAN 5607 Morningside. 713.526.2770 www.gingermanpub.com

THE WINE BUCKET 2311 W. Alabama. 713.942.9463 www.thewinebucket.com

LITTLE WOODROW’S 5611 Morningside. 713.521.2337 www.littlewoodrows.com

THE LOUNGE AT BENJY’S 2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602 www.benjys.com

VOLCANO www.2349 Bissonnet. 713.526.5282

river oaks + kirby

BLANCO’S 3406 W. Alabama. 713.439.0072 COVA 5600 Kirby. 713.838.0700 5555 Washington. 713.868.3366 www.covawines.com DOWNING STREET 2549 Kirby. 713.523.2291 www.downingstreetpub.com

KENNEALLY’S IRISH PUB 2111 S. Shepherd. 713.630.0486

www.myspace.com/poisongirlbar.com

SOUTH BEACH 810 Pacific. 713.529.7623 www.southbeachthenightclub.com

BAKER STREET PUB 5510 Morningside. 713.942.9900 www.bakerstreetpub.com

LIZZARD’S PUB 2715 Sackett. 713.529.4610 MERCER LOUNGE 3302 Mercer. 713.627.1132 www.mercerhouston.com

THE RED ROOM 2736 Virginia St. 713.520.5666 www.redroomhouston.com

UNDER THE VOLCANO 2349 Bissonnet. 713.526.5282 www.cabomixmex.com

warehouse district

EIGHTEEN TWENTY 1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535

LUCKY’S PUB 801 St. Emanuel. 713.522.2010 www.luckyspub.com

THE GREEN ROOM 813 St. Emanuel. 713.225.5483 THE MERIDIAN 1503 Chartres. 713.225.1717 www.meridianhouston.com

PASHAA ULTRA LOUNGE 2010 McKinney. 713.344.0305 www.myspace.com/pashaahouston WAREHOUSE LIVE 813 St. Emanuel. 713.225.5483 www.warehouselive.com

MEZZANINE LOUNGE 2200 Southwest Frwy. 713.528.MEZZ www.mezzaninelounge.com

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sip codes

By Beatrice Valencia

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4:39 PM

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Restaurateurs, club/bar owners, pubbers, etc., if there is a special event or something you would like the public to know about, email me at bvalencia@002mag.com and I will help spread the word for you. See you out!

APPARENTLY, I WAS SO EXCITED TO DIVE RIGHT INTO THE NITTY-GRITTY THAT I FORGOT TO WRITE AN INTRO THIS MONTH! I’M NOT GOING TO WASTE THIS SPACE WITH MY RAMBLING ON LOVE OR WHERE YOU SHOULD GO FOR VALENTINE’S DAY OR ANY OF THAT STUFF. I HAD SOME GREAT DINING EXPERIENCES THAT WILL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. AND WHO KNOWS, THEY JUST MIGHT BE WHERE YOU DINE FOR… VALENTINE’S DAY! OHHHH IT COMES FULL CIRCLE… HAPPY DINING!

STRIP HOUSE- 1200 McKinney St. 713.659.6000 www.striphouse.com Their 5th Anniversary 5 courses for $55 menu is the best deal in town.

Available through the 28th, this special menu allows you to taste a little of everything Strip House has to offer. You start with a rich and heavenly lobster bisque cappuccino that has bits of chopped lobster and chives. I may say cappuccino but the serving is a bit bigger than a coffee mug. A fresh take on a caprese salad is done with a grilled tomato. Served with bufala mozzarella, balsamic glaze, basil and a topping of micro greens and red onion. Served at room temperature, the cheese is moist, creamy and simply falls apart like butter. A perfectly seared scallop is served third with edamame succotash drizzled with black truffle butter and corn broth. Seasoned quite simply, it’s a beautiful combination of flavors. For your entrée, a lightly crusted (w/ peppercorn and sea salt) 6oz. filet mignon in a bordelaise sauce with black truffle creamed spinach and goose fat potatoes seal the deal.

The filet is beautifully cooked, so perfectly seared that you can see the gradual color change of temperature.

The goose fat potatoes are all the rage too with goose fat becoming the new “darling” of butters. It provides the slightest crust encompassing each bite of potato.

The meal doesn’t end there! For dessert, the Strip House profiterole is served with chocolate malt and espresso ice cream with hot fudge sauce. If you have room at this point (which you know you always do for dessert), it’s the perfect kick of sugar you need to lift you out of the food coma that is quickly taking over your body. It’s a substantial amount of food and at a great value. And we all could use some of that!

Honorable mention: You MUST try their beef jerky on the bar menu. It’s out of this world outstanding. Trust me and order two because you won’t want to share after you taste their strip steak version of this roadhouse classic. It’s mind-blowing!

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DISTRICT 7- 501 Pierce 713.751.0660 www.district7grill.com I know two things: One, buffalo meat is leaner than turkey meat, and two, their buffalo burger is DELICIOUS. I usually order turkey burgers. It’s still a burger but at least I’m trying to be smart about my burger choice. While District 7 offers both, I had never tasted the Buffalo Burger before though my fiancé orders it all the time.

Naturally, I copied him. 6oz, of buffalo meat (only 3% fat!), lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and “Dispread” are served atop artisan bread along with steak fries. I’m not sure what their “Dispread” consists of but the combination with the artisan bread and this burger is outstanding! I didn’t even eat the steak fries. OK, I ordered mine with a salad, but my fiancé had fries and I didn’t even steal one – just so I could have room to eat this ENTIRE burger. It’s a messy burger but a tasty one. I used to just crave any burger, now I crave District 7’s Buffalo Burger.

FREEBIRDS WORLD BURRITO- 1923 Taylor Ste F. 713.862.0080 www.freebirds.com By now, I’m hoping for your sake that they’ve included the mac n’ cheese on their menu.

We had a chance to taste their “prototype” at a photo shoot last month and it received a thumbs up from everyone on set. It’s like queso and macaroni pasta elbows combined to have a party! It’s not your regular tasting mac n’ cheese but it also hasn’t been fancied up with say…truffle oil. The flavor is like queso.

Seriously. The cheese has a bit of a spicy kick. It’s the most ingenious combo as of yet. Order online too with their “on the fly” setup.

HOUSTON ZOO UPDATE: Join your Houston Zoo’s young supporters group, Flock, and meet like-minded individuals looking to make an impact. If you’re a member or not, attend the events below to either get a taste of what we to do before joining or attend just for fun! I look forwarding to seeing you at the ZOO! February 4, Kick-off for Beastly Brunch, 7-9pm at Momentum Audi. Presented by Flock, Houston’s young supporters group for the Zoo, and Momentum Audi.

Open to all. For info, visit www.houstonzoo.org/flock.

February 28, Beastly Brunch, 11-2pm at the Houston Zoo. Free for Flock members. $25 tickets for non-members pre-sale or $40 the day of event. For info, visit www.houstonzoo.org/flock.

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cd reviews By Lance Scott Walker

Radar Bros | The Illustrated Garden (Merge) Radar Bros are that friend of your parents that they’ve known forever and that you like and are always happy to see. When your parents tell you that he’s coming over, you say ‘Aw, that’s great. It will be good to see him!’ And then he comes over and it’s really great to see him and he sits at the kitchen table with all of you drinking coffee while someone prepares food in the kitchen and then you all eat and afterwards you watch some football on the telly and everyone hangs out and then after a while he ends up back at the kitchen table with a bottle of whiskey and starts talking about his problems, cries a little and becomes sort of a drag before apologizing and pointing out how it’s getting kind of late and then slipping out the side door and going home. Then, maybe a year or so later, your parents tell you that he’s coming by that afternoon and you say ‘Aw, that’s great! I haven’t seen him in a while!’

Boy Eats Drum Machine | Hoop + Wire | (Tender Loving Empire) The problem is that when he swallowed it, he didn’t quite swallow it whole; he chewed it. And when he chewed it, he gave it too many options. There was too much latitude – allowing for a molar to depress a button and possibly get stuck. And it did! On one of the preset beats. I think maybe it was a Yamaha, because the… no, I think it was a Roland 880. For the country music beats. One of the country music beats got stuck and now it’s just going loops and that’s what he’s sort of forced to sing over. Bummer. Maybe it was an Alesis. I’m still not sure. Just shoulda swallowed it whole, that’s all.

Rauelssen | La Siembra, La Espera y la Cosecha | (Hush) Okay, I’ll play this one straight. Unlike the above reviews. Spaniard Raúl Pastor Medall writes lush pop songs on acoustic guitar that don’t so much tread water in the fact that they are acoustic (like far too much acoustic music) but rather use the guitar as a tool (read: instrument) in this complex web of compositions. And while it doesn’t hurt that he sings in Spanish, it also doesn’t hinge on it. Where Medall really hammers things home on this, his second full-length, is in his supreme balance of the orchestra of sounds he has brought together. The fabric of this record is tight, and in that, the nuances of the tiny dynamics (I mean, it is acoustic) come alive, as well as his wonderfully subdued sense of melody. Piano, voice and guitars all. This is old school.

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BEFORE WE GO RA SUSHI Head over to RA Sushi for their Valentine’s Day sushi specials and for their French Kiss cocktail available only for a limited time. Ketel One, Crème de Coco Godiva, Bailey’s and Captain Morgan’s combine into an intoxicating dessert-worthy libation. It’s the perfect ending to any of their new additions on the menu like the RA chips and salsa: Deliciously fresh spicy tuna tartare mixed with cucumber, avocado and fresh salsa are served in a bowl serving as the “salsa” with wonton chips adorning the rim for their take on a Tex-Mex classic.

CHEZ NOUS Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th, Chez Nous will offer a special Valentine’s menu: 3 courses with ample choices in each for $95 per person excluding tax, tip and beverage. This includes valet parking, Champagne flutes & entertainment (strolling accordion player). Call for seatings 281.446.6717

HEARSAY

OO2CROSS WORD NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND HOUSTON ACROSS 1. After-bath powders 6. Spicy sauce 11. Precious stone 14. Dostoevsky novel, with “The” 15. Pacific or Atlantic 16. Company with a brand featuring a dog and a phonograph 17. Dickens character or Houston area neighborhood 19. Very long time period 20. They may have forks 21. Cambodian cash 23. Trigonometric ratios 27. Half of an infamous criminal duo 28. Czech captial 29. Tablecloth blotches 31. Year in old Rome 32. Pottery fragment 33. ___ Beta Kappa 36. Amusement park lure 37. Cowboy’s leggings 38. Bird on a Canadian dollar 39. Sushi fish 40. Quench

41. Monumental stone heap 42. Words of tribute 44. Fair-haired lady 45. Sealed the bathtub 47. Appliance for Pop-Tarts 48. Bordeaux byebye 49. Burr who dueled Hamilton 51. Bender 52. Houston neighborhood just inside the North Loop 58. Yuck!

59. Cozy 60. Broadcast booth sign 61. Take-home pay 62. Annoying sorts likened to nasal mucus 63. Croupier, at times

DOWN 1. Spasm 2. Hubbub 3. Back talk 4. One who walks a beat 5. Breastbone 6. Where to find couch potatoes 7. Etcher’s supply 8. Marvin and Majors 9. Mineo, of cinema

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10. Robot that looks human 11. Neighborhood near Bush Intercontinental Airport 12. Serious bacteria 13. Parsonage 18. Mechanical way of learning 22. Tavern 23. Bowler’s pickup 24. Bert’s buddy 25. Romantic-sounding neighborhood in Houston’s near Northwest 26. Malaria symptom 27. Shops where the spirits aren’t free?

29. Trembling 30. Finish line ribbon 32. Catch a fly 34. Mongolian group

35. Word with city or circle 37. Clump of earth 38. Neighbor of Cambodia 40. Detectives 41. Loud, repeating noise 43. Guitar’s little cousin 44. Rude person 45. Acadian 46. Words of wisdom 47. Deuce beaters 49. Cannonballs and bullets 50. Help a hooligan 53. Charged element 54. Genetic “messenger” 55. Acorn, eventually 56. Contend 57. To do this is human

JANUARY ANSWERS

Two super small (15 people max per seating) reservation-only seatings at 7pm and 8:45pm. Reservations at the bar available as well. $75 pre-set menu. A dessert bar (with a chocolate fondue fountain and other treats) will be set up in the upstairs area.

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR 3 romantic nights, 2 outstanding entrées, 1 exceptional Champagne.

February 12, 13 or 14 enjoy a romantic sharing menu for two and receive a $25 Valentine’s Card to use on a future rendezvous at Fleming’s. Space is limited and tables are in demand, so don’t delay!

MO’S…A PLACE FOR STEAKS Chef Eric Aldis’ Special Valentine’s Menu will be available on February 1314. Special Valentine’s Menu starts at $100 dinner for 2 and includes sharing an Australian Lobster Tail and a 12 oz. Prime Filet or $55 dinner for 1 includes an 8 oz. Prime Filet with Kung Pao Crab. Valentine’s Day Brunch on the 14th is $42 per person and is served from 11-3pm. For detailed info, call 713.877.0720.

TINTO’S Special Valentine’s menu and live Flamenco music. 713.522.1330

DANTON’S $45, 3-course prefix menu on Saturday the 13th, along with 2 regular seatings on Sunday. Brunch will feature their live music and their signature brunch buffet and $2 mimosas. 713.807.8883

CHELSEA GRILL Celebrate Valentine’s Day to the tunes of your favorite love songs with live music from local fab duo, “Bubba & Greg,”. 713.942.9857

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002houston February 10:002houston

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4:43 PM

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