November 2008

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002houston | november 08 | volume 10 | issue 119

hip.current.cool guide

002mag.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 table of contents 6 letter from the editor 8 houston map 10 downtown map 12 002news | uptown map 14 calendar 16 museum district 18 exhibits+museums+art house listings 20 scene | living smart: garth jowett

48 49 CHESTER PITTS 50 AMAZING RACE GALS 51 GTAC

34 21 what’s up downtown 22 gallery: workshop houston 23 spacetaker 24 for art’s sake: sarah reynolds 25 gish at the movies 26 non-profit: houston wellness association 28 destination: arrabelle

41 30 born cool. grow hip.

32 people of houston

34 002 HITS THE STREET new feature 36 costumes for cocktails 38 retail wrap: finish strong 40 4 greats

41IT’S COOL TO STRETCH new feature

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49 52 002PROFILE: NADIA COMANECI

53 the 9th annual latin grammy awards: muy caliente!

54 brain excercise 56 architecture + design: maserati 58 archichat: a brave new world

50 60 62 64 65

where to live business profile: dr. herzog wise guy finance

51 66 vroom, vroom 67 tools+toys+gadgets 68 restaurant listings 70 dine write: textile

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42 things i love

44 LOPEZ FAMILY GOLD

46 46 LAURA WILKINSON 47 TYRONE SMITH 48 SAMPSON CLAN

73 DAN AYKROYD | SOUL MAN 74 sip codes 75 cd reviews

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72 new restaurants

76 club review: saint danes 78 002 nightlife 80 recording: craig “bbc” long 82 crossword puzzle | before we go

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Photography by Sofia van der Dys |Hair by Elia Graves at Jose Eber salon and Makeup by Pati + Trixi

I LOVE November! Family, Thanksgiving, my firstyear wedding anniversary, elections…

Oh yeah, that pesky thing…by the end of this month we’ll have a new man running this country.

Regardless of who you choose, no doubt you’ll be needing something unrelated to read – and lucky you! – you’re holding it in your hot little hands.

It’s our sports issue, and although I know a lot about sports I’ll quote from my interview with offensive lineman a.k.a. funnyman Chester Pitts: “Girl, you don’t know shit about football, do you?”

Our interview got a lot better after that!

We scoured the city for a variety of athletes that you don’t regularly hear about and have filled CARLA VALENCIA de MARTINEZ pages with some great photography of them in action. You’ll recognize a legend in her own right in this month’s 002profile, snagged the day before we went to print!

For those of you who missed New Restaurants in last month’s issue, it’s back! Ike kept many powerless, hence we couldn’t try new restaurants. Also, don’t forget to submit your cover designs for our cover contest! Visit our website for details at 002mag.com. We’ve added a few new columns like 002 hits the street and it’s cool to _____, so be sure to check them out and tell us what you think!

And in the spirit of sports, last month the House of Blues opened its doors and we snagged an interview with Dan Aykroyd. We also got to attend the Grand Opening Party complete with a live Blues Brothers performance. Public Relations man-about-town Jeremy Little with On the Mark PR sent me the following email that night on my BlackBerry: Keep a look out for this man: His name is Jay, and he isn’t nearly as creepy as he appears in this photo (which is deliberately embarrassing). His mission is to save you a seat in the Foundation Room (access permitting) in the event that you wear extremely fashionable yet uncomfortable shoes, as you have sometimes been known to do.

volume 10

issue 119

PUBLISHER alejandro martinéz ext 16 a.martinez@002mag.com EDITOR AT LARGE | FASHION DIRECTOR carla valencia ext 13 c.valencia@002mag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR victoria bartlett ART DIRECTOR alex rosa ext 17 arosa@002mag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR | EVENTS beatrice valencia ext 11 bvalencia@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

isabel terraso ext 14 isabel@002mag.com beenish ahmad beenish@002mag.com PHOTOGRAPHERS sofia van der dys, anthony rathbun, kim coffman, jill hunter, daniel ortiz, kennon evett, gabriella nissen, dax sunga, emily dwyer, steve harris, aaron m. sprecher, jack potts, michelle watson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS john medina, cody bess, martin pietz, jesus r. salvador, carlos damian, allen s. kramer, sopheavy than, jenny antill CONTRIBUTING WRITERS michael andre adams, allison bagley, brant croucher, chris dunn, michael garfield, sarah gish, patricia gras, sandra gunn, sarah hill, jarrod klawinsky, nadia michel, hal lynde, myles mellor, pete radowick, justin travis, lance scott walker INTERN lindsay hagood FOR SUGARLAND SALES

TAEKWONDO: A FAMILY AFFAIR Photography by Sofia van der Dys Makeup Edward Sanchez Clothes Neiman Marcus

Of course, I never got the message and my favorite sport of wearing fashionable shoes gave me sore feet for days, but this is Jay and his girlfriend. Thanks for saving my spot!

002houston Magazine is published monthly by NODO Magazine, L.L.C., 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002. Copyright © 2008 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.

Carla Valencia - Editor at Large Fashion Director 6. november08 002houston

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

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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 Loehmann’s................................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

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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NEWSWORTHY SEE Best-selling author and PBS travel expert Rick Steves will bring his unique brand of travel know-how to the University of Houston Cullen Performance Hall at 7pm as part of the HoustonPBS Elevate Lecture series Friday, November 14. Backpack Diplomacy: Europe and Beyond will offer valuable advice on how to travel simply, safely and comfortably anywhere in the world. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for HoustonPBS members and students. HoustonPBS.org or call 713.743.8459.

RETAIL Anthropologie will join the CITYCENTRE project located adjacent to the Memorial Villages in Houston, Texas. Anthropologie will take 11,500 square feet of the new $500 million dollar mixed-use development. • LUSH, the self-appointed cosmetic grocer opened last month at Macy’s in the Galleria, First Colony Mall and Willowbrook. • Through a partnership with Brad Pitt, 100% of net profits from the sales of Kiehl’s Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser will benefit JPF Eco Systems, a charitable organization that supports global environmental initiatives.

COMMUNITY Hermann Park Conservancy has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation to dedicate The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Bridge in the new Lake Plaza in Hermann Park. Lake Plaza is one of several Park improvement projects totaling over $45 million to be completed for the Park’s centennial in 2014. Lake Plaza is a new community gathering space that will offer a café, dining terrace and new main Hermann Park Railroad station named Kinder Station, gift shop, volunteer building, and public restrooms.

FITNESS FIT Athletic has added two new pieces of equipment as part of a half million dollar addition of the newest fitness and cardio equipment. The New Leaf Metabolic Assessment and Training Program measures how efficiently a body burns calories at rest and exercising. The new Cardio WAVE with two new features: Multiplanar Cardio Exercise and ErgoStride, to activate the gluteus, stabilizer muscles of the backbone and lower limbs on three different planes of movement.

“Indoctrination” Course of Legion Fitness & Development is a new concept of an outdoor boot camp workout designed to create a community of individuals (30 max) interested in improving health and physical appearance as well as networking and building skills to enhance personal and professional lives The two-week, Monday through Friday, course was developed and is instructed by former members of the US Military Special Ops Command. Workouts begin at 5:15am, rain or shine, and last 90 minutes. $250, LegionFD.com.

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CALENDAR

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november 08

SUNDAY

Alley Cyrano de Bergerac 2:30 & 7:30pm | The Secret Order 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby BIH: Frost/ Nixon 2 & 7:30pm | Uptown Dance Co.: Dance Infusion 6pm Jones HS: Rodgers & Hammerstein 7:30pm Main Street …And L.A. is Burning 3pm MOT KPFT Fall Concert Series 4pm | Barrage 7:30pm Stages Wallflower 2pm | Always…Patsy Cline 2pm Toyota Aeros vs. Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins 4:05pm Wortham Da Camera: A Little Day Music 12pm | HG: Beatrice and Benedict 2pm

PERFORMING ARTS + CONCERTS + SPORTS + FESTIVALS + GENERAL INTEREST

MONDAY

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, PLEASE CONTACT: MERIDIAN meridianhouston.com ALLEY THEATRE alleytheatre.org MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE (MOT)milleroutdoortheatre.com CWMP Current Season Ends Due To MINUTE MAID PARK Hurricane Ike…. houston.astros.mlb.com woodlandscenter.org MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOBBY CENTER 713.315.2525 mfah.org thehobbycenter.org MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE HOUSE OF B LUES hob.com hmns.org JONES HALL 713.227.3974 RELIANT PARK reliantpark.com joneshall.org STAGES REPERTORY THEATRE MAIN STREET THEATER 713.524.6706 713.527.0123 stagestheatre.com mainstreettheater.com

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WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

PLAN AHEAD

THEATER DISTRICT OUTDOOR cityofhouston.gov TOYOTA CENTER 1.866.4HOU.tix houstontoyotacenter.com VERIZON THEATER verizonwirelesstheater.com WAREHOUSE LIVE warehouselive.com WORTHAM CENTER 713.237.1439 worthamcenter.org GENTE DE TEATRO gentedeteatro.org

Hobby Houston Chamber Symphony: Two Titans of the Twentieth Century 7:30pm Stages Wallflower 12pm Warehouse Live Mudvayne 7pm

November 1-30, Texas Renaissance Festival, 9am-dusk, Saturdays & Sundays & Thanksgiving Friday. texrenfest.com

Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm HOB Joe Satriani US Tour ’08 7:30pm Toyota Rockets vs. Boston Celtics 7:30pm

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THURSDAY

Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm HOB Kottonmouth Kings 8pm Meridian Soulfly TBA MOT Young Audiences of Houston: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters 11am Warehouse Live The Legendary Pink Dots 9pm Wortham HB: Cullen Series – Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal 8pm Willow Boutique Pink Night, 6-9pm. Shopping, wine, food and a great cause! 20% of proceeds from the night will benefit Susan G. Komen. 713.527.7100.

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December 1 Toyota The Eagles 8pm December 2 Alley The Santaland Diaries opens 7:30pm Verizon Duran Duran 8pm December 3 Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Pilgrimage 2008.

713.662.2266 December 5 Glasstire and Fresh Arts Coalition’s 6th annual holiday soirée, Mirror Ball, 8pm 713.850.0939.

Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm HOB Blues Traveler 8pm Main Street …And L.A. is Burning 7:30pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 7:30pm Verizon Maxwell Live ’08 Tour 8pm Warehouse Live And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Dead 8pm

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Buffalo Bayou Ball, 7pm, along the Sabine Promenade. buffalobayou.org Alley The Secret Order 2:30 & 7:30pm | Inprint Reading Series – Natasha Tretheway & John Edgar Wideman 7:30pm HOB Cobra Starship w/ Forever The Sickest Kids, Hit The Light And Sing It Out Loud 7pm Jones HS: Schubert’s Mass 2:30pm Main Street …And L.A. is Burning 3pm Meridian Agent Orange TBA MOT Ann Hampton Callaway & UH Jazz Orchestra | KPFT Fall Concert Series 4pm Reliant: Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens 12pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 3pm Verizon Kathy Griffin 7:30pm

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Alley The Secret Order 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby Menopause: The Musical 2pm Jones HS: Tchaikovsky’s Second Plus Jon Kimura Parker 2:30pm | MOT KPFT Fall Concert Series 4pm | Minute Maid Park MADONNA 7:30pm | Reliant: Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure 1:30 & 5:30pm Toyota Aeros vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4:05pm Wortham Indo-American Assoc.: Acrobatic Dances of India 8pm

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Alley A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm The Secret Order 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 8pm | Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor 3 & 7:30pm Toyota Aeros vs. Hamilton Bulldog 5:05pm

HOB Matisyahu 8pm MOT Young Audiences of Houston: Story of The Lone Star State 11am Warehouse Live A Cursive Memory 7pm

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Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm Hobby Menopause: The Musical 8pm

November 11, TEXAS LATIN GRAMMY’S® CELEBRATION, 7-10pm at the House of Blues. Tickets are $50 and very limited to the public. 512.328.7997 or visit grammy.com/texas.

November 12, Jose Feliciano, Ednita Nazario, Carlos Santana plus more, will perform at the 2008 LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY PERSON OF THE YEAR TRIBUTE EVENT HONORING GLORIA ESTEFAN. 310.314.8281, visit ticketing@grammy.com or call the PR Boutique at 713.599.1274.

Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm HOB Dragonforce w/ Turisas & Powerglove – Ultra Beatdown Tour 7pm Toyota Coldplay 7:30pm

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Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm (SOLD OUT) HOB Redman, Method Man w/ Termanology 8pm Toyota Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks 7pm

Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm Hobby Menopause: The Musical 8pm Jones HS: Tchaikovsky’s Second Plus Jon Kimura Parker 8pm Reliant: Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure 7:30pm Toyota 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards

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November 13-16,The Nutcracker Market at Reliant Center, 8am-12pm. reliantpark.com Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 8pm | Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor 8pm HOB The Black Crowes w/ Buffalo Killers 8pm Meridian John Waite TBA Toyota Metallica 7pm Wortham SPA: Chava Alberstein 8pm

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November 20-23, The Greek Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral complex. greekfestival.org

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HOB Hot Topic & Revolver Magazine Present Dir En Grey w/ The Human Abstract 8pm Meridian Eagles of Death Metal 7pm Reliant Arena: Celtic Thunder 8pm

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Alley A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 2pm | HOB In Flames 8pm Jones HS: Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concert 2:30pm | Main Street But Not Goodbye 3pm Toyota Aeros vs. Milwaukee Admirals 4:05pm Wortham HB: The Nutcracker 2pm

Alley The Secret Order 7:30pm Hobby Menopause: The Musical 8pm Meridian Whitelion 7pm MOT Young Audiences of Houston: Sangam 11am Reliant: Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure 7:30pm Warehouse Live Of Montreal 9pm Wortham HGO: Beatrice and Benedict 7:30pm

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Warehouse Live Devin The Dude 9pm Wortham Tree Lighting Ceremony 11am

THANKSGIVING Uptown Tree Lighting Ceremony, 4pm-7pm at Uptown Houston on Post Oak Blvd. uptown-houston.com

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59th Annual HEB Holiday Parade, 9am, Downtown. hebparade.com

Photo by Drew Donovan

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

DUE TO HURRICANE IKE SOME EVENTS MAY BE POSTPONED. PLEASE CHECK BEFORE ATTENDING. FRIDAY

SATURDAY Alley Cyrano de Bergerac 2:30 & 8pm The Secret Order 2:30 & 8pm Hobby Broadway In Houston: Frost/ Nixon 2 & 8pm HOB Willie Nelson 9pm Jones HS: Rodgers & Hammerstein 8pm Main Street Theatre …And L.A. is Burning 8pm MOT An Evening with Jerry Jeff Walker & The Flatlanders 7:30pm Reliant: Carrie Underwood 7:30pm Stages Repertory Theatre Wallflower 8pm Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Toyota Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 7:30pm Warehouse Live The Crystal Ball: A Kinky Fairytale 9pm Wortham HGO: Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci 7pm SPA: Bossa Nova Orchestra 8pm

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Novembe r 1 & 2, International Quilt Festival at George R. Brown Convention Center. quilts.com

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Alley The Secret Order 8pm Hobby Ars Lyrica: Rockin’ Rococo 7:30 | HOB An Evening with Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience 10:30pm Jones HS: Schubert’s Mass 8pm Main Street …And L.A. is Burning 8pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Verizon Maxwell Live ’08 Tour 8pm Warehouse Live Mickey Avalon 9pm Wortham HB: Cullen Series – Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal 8pm

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Alley The Secret Order 8pm Hobby Menopause: The Musical 8pm HOB Leslie w/ Simply Cookie 7:30pm | Who’s Bad: The World’s #1 Michael Jackson Tribute Band 10:30pm Jones HS: Music of The Eagles 7:30pm Meridian Gary Hoey 7:30pm Reliant Stadium: Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure 7:30pm | Arena: Rock Band Live 7pm Wortham HGO: Beatrice and Benedict 7:30pm | Houston Metropolitan Dance: Quirky Works 8pm

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Alley The Secret Order 2:30 & 8pm HOB Minus The Bears w/ Annuals and 27 9pm Jones HS: Schubert’s Mass 8pm Main Street …And L.A. is Burning 8pm Meridian MetalFest 11am MOT “An Intimate Evening” with Ann Hampton Callaway 7:30pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Verizon Kathy Griffin 7:30 & 10pm Warehouse Live The Dirty Dozen Brass Band 9pm Wortham HGO: Beatrice and Benedict 7:30pm

November 8, Waugh Bridge Bat Colony Pontoon Boat Tours, Downtown in Buffalo Bayou. buffalobayou.org.

Alley The Secret Order 2:30 (SOLD OUT) & 8pm Hobby Menopause: The Musical 2 & 8pm Jones HS: Tchaikovsky’s Second Plus Jon Kimura Parker 8pm Meridian Madonna Hard Candy Tour Official Pre-Party TBA Reliant Stadium: Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure 11:30am, 3:30 & 7:30pm | Arena: 97.9 The Box Los Magnificos Car Show & Concert Toyota Rockets vs. New Orleans Hornets 7:30pm Verizon Kem 7:30pm Wortham Da Camera of Houston: Miguel Zenon Quartet 8pm

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Bayou Buddies Bash, 5pm, along the Sabine Promenade. buffalobayou.org Alley A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm | The Secret Order 2:30 & 8pm Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 8pm | Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor 3 & 8pm H OB B.B. King 8:30pm Jones SPA: Song and Dance of West Africa 8pm Main Street A Little House Christmas 1 & 4pm Meridian JMG Monster Metal Showcase TBA Reliant Cycle World International Motorcycle Show Toyota Aeros vs. Worcester Sharks 7:35pm Verizon Ron White 7:30 &10:30pm

Alley A Christmas Carol 7:30pm | The Secret Order 8pm Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 8pm | Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor 8pm HOB B.B. King 8:30pm Reliant Cycle World International Motorcycle Show Verizon Ron White 7:30pm

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Photo by Drew Donovan

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Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 8pm Jones HS: Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concert 8pm Main Street But Not Goodbye 8pm Meridian Texas Trash Devastation & Friends 8:30pm Toyota Aeros vs. Milwaukee Admirals 7:35pm Wortham HB: The Nutcracker 7:30pm

Alley A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm Hobby Masquerade Theatre: The Music Man 2 & 8pm HOB Arc Angels 9pm Jones HS: Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concert 8pm Main Street But Not Goodbye 8pm | A Little House Christmas 1 & 4pm Meridian The Misfits 8pm Wortham HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

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MUSEUM DISTRICT 1 . THE menil.org

MENIL

COLLECTION

Organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art, Art and Power in the Central African Savanna features art from four different African cultures: the Chokwe, the Luluwa, the Songye and the Luba. In all four cultures, social, political and economic changes during the 19th century. Thru February 15, 2009 Max Ernst: In the Garden of Nymph Ancolie organized by the Museum Tinguely, Basel, is supplemented locally by work from The Menil Collection.

Imaginary Spaces: Selections from The Menil Collection presents a selection of Giovanni Piranesi’s 19th century etching series, Carceri d’Invenzione (Imaginary Prisons), Giorgio De Chirico’s paintings of alienating cityscapes and Michael Heizer’s drawings for sculptural space in the desert from 1969, among other examples, thru March 1, 2009. November 18, Da Camera’s Hommage à Max Ernst: A Musical Collage, 7:30pm, dacamera.com.

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 long-term loan from the Church of Cyprus in an intimate chapel designed by award-winning architect Francois de Menil.

5. HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT crafthouston.org

Recognized as a true master of 20th-century ceramic art,

this comprehensive retrospective presents seminal works produced by Warren MacKenzie over a 50-year period (1948-2006). Warren MacKenzie: Legacy of an American Potter will run thru November 30.

6. LAWNDALE ART CENTER lawndaleartcenter.org

2 . HOUSTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY hcponline.org

Friday, November 1, from 4 – 8pm, HCP will hold its 2008 Annual Print Sale.

This is a great opportunity to get a head start on your holiday shopping while supporting local artists and HCP’s educational initiatives. November 6 thru January 10, 2009, ViewFinder: New Images from Texas Artists with FotoFest presents works by emerging Texas artists using lens-based media. Curated by Arturo Palacios and Risa Puleo. Picturing Ike, thru December 1, takes a look at what happened before, during and after the storm through the eyes of the people who experienced it.

3. THE ROTHKO CHAPEL 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.

4 . BYZANTINE FRESCO CHAPEL MUSEUM menil.org/Byzantine

Home to 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,

8. HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON hmh.org

Mark your calendar because Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, is in town in the form of his political cartoons. Dr. Seuss Wants You! will run thru February 1, 2009. Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) was described by Eleanor Roosevelt as a “one-man army,” using art as a weapon to garner support for the social and political issues in which he believed. Observe A OneMan Army: The Art of Arthur Szyk, thru February 8, 2009. Lives R e m e m b e r e d : Photographs of a Small Town in Poland 18971939, thru January 30, 2009, captures the ordinary lives of the residents during the years leading up to the Nazi invasion.

9. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON cmhouston.org

On exhibit thru January 19, 2009, Moneyville is flipping the coin on financial literacy.

10. THE HEALTH MUSEUM thehealthmuseum.org

Don’t miss Lawndale’s Day of the Dead / Día de los Muertos, including exhibit and events, thru November 8.

Pleasing Punch, November 21 thru January 10, 2009, features work by AJ Liberto and Jesse Robinson. Their work realizes the gravitational force of objects, that link that holds together and creates disastrous collisions, despair and ultimately a drifting blissful calm. Also on exhibit November 21 thru January 10, 2009: Flowback, featuring the work of Mequitta Ahuja; Once Removed, featuring the work of Anne Maries Nafziger; Personal Panoptican, featuring the work of Cory Wagner; and To Whom It May Concern, featuring the work of Emily Sloan.

7. BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM buffalosoldiersmuseum.com

Check out this permanent exhibition that impressively chronicles the Buffalo Soldiers and pays tribute to AfricanAmerican military history from the Revolutionary War to modern times.

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Thru January 4, 2009, get ready to go under the knife at Zap! Surgery: Beyond the Cutting Edge, which takes you behind the scenes to experience the science behind surgical techniques, and the Museum’s Fall special exhibit Einstein gives you new insight into the life and work of Albert Einstein.

11. HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE hmns.org

On exhibit thru January 11, 2009, Stones from the Sky: Ariel Landscape Photos by Michael Collier is an exhibit of 45 color images featuring aerial photographs of American landscapes that highlight particular geologic concepts taken by geologist, photographer and pilot Michael Collier from his Cessna plane. Native Americans: The Gordon W. Smith Collection, thru March 15, 2009, exhibits a large collection of Native American artifacts from 1928 – 1943.

Get a rare peek inside a real dinosaur, when advanced scientific technology meets Leonardo, a stunning new “mummified” dinosaur specimen with 90 percent of its skin intact. Dinosaur Mummy CSI: Cretaceous Science

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Investigation is world premiere exhibition, which runs thru September 7, 2009. Body Worlds 2 & The Brain – Our Three Pound Gem: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies is on exhibit thru February 22, 2009.

12. HOUSTON ZOO houstonzoo.org

Round up the family because Thanksgiving,admission is free!

the

day

after

13. RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERYricegallery.org Michael A. Salter: too much will be on view November 6 – December 14.

14. THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON mfah.org Thru January 19, 2009, The Sounds I See: Photographs of Musicians. Opens November 15, Learning by Doing: 25 Years of the Core Program at the MFAH, Part II. This second of a two-part exhibition concludes the 25th anniversary of the Core Program at the Glassell School of the MFAH. Over the past 25 years the Core program has become an internationally regarded platform, a destination for curators and critics seeking new talent, and a respected forum for artists and critics to discuss, debate, and develop their work. Learning by Doing focuses on the experimental nature of the Core program, tracing its evolution through the work of its artists. The show presents a selection of paintings, drawings, photographs, and assemblages that have entered the collection since 1986, when the MFAH began collecting the work of Core fellows. The collection now numbers over 160 examples, and the exhibition will bring to light both familiar works and pieces that have never been exhibited in Houston before.

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With its permanent exhibition, the Czech Center Museum works to preserve, record and celebrate the language, scholarship and arts of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesi and Slovakia.

16. THE JUNG CENTER OF HOUSTON cgjunghouston.org

Transformation, November 1 thru November 25, features the work of Linda Peyton Huff, an artist whose work relates to psychology, history, mythology and cosmology, as well as current events. 7, Jung Center Lecture: Why Music Matters, 7-9pm at The Jung Center. $15 ($10 Jung Center members). For more information, call 713.524.5678 or visit www.musiqahouston.org

18. JOHN C. FREEMAN WEATHER MUSEUM wxresearch.org

A project of Weather Research Center, this Houston-based nonprofit educational research organization’s goal is to reach as many people as possible and educate them about weather and weather safety.

KEY TO SYMBOLS 17. CZECH CENTER MUSEUM czechcenter.org

15. CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTON camh.org

A look at experimental music scores as works of visual art, Perspectives 163: Every Sound You Can Imagine traces the development of musical notation, from the first wave of experimental notation in the 1950s through its resurgence in the late 1990s, when it sprang off the page and into video, photography, sculpture and new media. Get the experience thru December 7. Cinema Remixed & Reloaded: Black Women Artists and the Moving Image Since 1970 is a groundbreaking exhibition chronicling the contributions that black women have made and continue to make to video art. Featuring almost 50 works by 44 artists and spanning three decades, the exhibit will run thru January 4, 2009.

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PARKING RESTAURANT



SHOPPING SNACKS FREE ADMISSION

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ART HOUSES+MUSEUMS+EXHIBITS museums

ART CAR MUSEUM artcarmuseum.com 140 Heights Blvd. 713.861.5526

ART LEAGUE OF HOUSTON artleaguehouston.org 1953 Montrose 713.523.9530 BLAFFER GALLERY UH Campus, Ent. 16, 713.743.9530 class.uh.edu/blaffer

GALVESTON ARTS CENTER galvestonartscenter.org 2127 Strand St. 409.763.2403 HERITAGE SOCIETY heritagesociety.org 1100 Bagby 713.655.1912

HOUSTON FIRE MUSEUM houstonfiremuseum.org 2304 Milam 713.524.5395 MUSEUM OF PRINTING HISTORY 1324 W. Clay 713.522.4652 printingmuseum.org thru January 17, Branched & Rooted: the Evolution of a Series by Orna Feinstein ORANGE SHOW orangeshow.org 2402 Munger 713.926.6368

PROJECT ROW HOUSES projectrowhouses.org 2501 Holman 713.526.7662 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM tsu.edu/museum 3100 Cleburne Ave. 713.313.7145

art houses

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

AEROSOL WARFARE GALLERY aerosolwarfare.com 2110 Jefferson ANYA TISH GALLERY anyatishgallery.com 4411 Montrose 713.524.2299

BERING & JAMES GALLERY beringandjames.com 805 Rhode Place #500, 713.524.0101 BETZ GALLERY betzgallery.com W. Gray. 713.385.1408 thru December 31, Art Cadeaux

BOOKER-LOWE GALLERY bookerlowegallery.com 4623 Feagan St. 713.862.8364 CANAL ST. GALLERY canalstreetgallery.com 2219 Canal St. 713.223.2219 opens November 8, Leandra’s World of Fantasy

COMMUNITY ARTISTS’ COLLECTIVE 1501 Elgin 713.523.1616 communityartistscollective.org COMMUNE ON NORTH communeonnorth.com 2445 North Blvd.

CAROLINE COLECTIVE carolinecollective.com 4820 caroline. 713.825.4613 CTRL GALLERY ctrlgallery.com 3907 Main St. 713.523.2875

DARKE GALLERY darkegallery.com 5321 Feagan 713.542.3802 thru November 22, Joseph Cohen, Paint as Evidence DEBORAH COLTON GALLERY 2500 Summer St. 713.864.2364 deborahcoltongallery.com thru November 4, A Time for Change thru December 13, Qatar Narratives: A Country Expressed by Its Own Voices, Echoing: Angelbert Metoyer DESANTOS GALLERY desantosgallery.com 1724 Richmond 713.520.1200

DIVERSEWORKS diverseworks.org 1117 East Main at Naylor 713.223.8346 opens November 14, Thrive November 21 & 22, Jonah Bokaer, The Invention of Minus One, performance @8pm

ARTSCAN GALLERY rudolphprojects.com 1836 Richmond 713.807.1836

DOMY BOOKS domystore.com 1709 Westheimer 713.523.3669

ART STORM artstormhouston.com 4828 Caroline St. 713.568.8174

BARBARA DAVIS GALLERY barbaradavisgallery.com 4411 Montrose 713.520.9200

3.

2.

4.

5.

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

APAMA MACKEY GALLERY mackeygallery.com 628 East 11th Street. 713.850.8527 ARCHWAY GALLERY archwaygallery.com 2013 West Gray 713.522.2409

1. vaughan christopher gallery | 2. redbudgallery | 3. diverseworks | 4. canal st. gallery | 5. darke gallery

1.

FOTOFEST fotofest.org 1113 Vine Street 713.223.5522

G GALLERY 301 East 11th Street 713.822.4842 redbudgallery.com/gGalleryIndex.html November 2 thru 22, Brent Kollock: Temptation to Exist

GALLERY 1724 gallery1724.com 1724 Bissonnet 713.523.2547

GALLERY SONJA ROESCH gallerysonjaroesch.com 2309 Caroline 713.659.5424 thru November 1, John Clement: Alee opens November 8, thru December 27, Soledad Arias – Snippets GOLDESBERRY GALLERY goldesberrygallery.com 2625 Colquitt 713.528.0405 thru November 29, Strange Bedfellows

GREEN HOUSE GALLERY greenhouseartgallery.com 716 W Alabama St. 713.535.6462 GREMILLION & CO. FINE ART gremillion.com 2501 Sunset Blvd. 713.522.2701 GUTHRIE CONTEMPORARY 2734 Virginia St. 713.522.8086

HCC-CENTRAL GALLERY centralfinearts.info 3517 Austin 713.718.6570 HOUSTON LANDMARK GALLERY 1200 McKinney 713.927.8800 houstonlandmarkgallery.com HOUSTON STUDIOS 707 Walnut St. #100, 713.223.0951 18. november08 002houston

HOLLYWOOD FRAME GALLERY 2427 Bissonnet 713.942.8885 hollywoodframegallery.com HOOKS-EPSTEIN GALLERY hooksepsteingalleries.com 2631 Colquitt St. 713.522.0718 thru November 29, The Art of Politics

JOAN WICH & CO. GALLERY joanwichgallery.com 4411 Montrose 713.526.1557

KINZELMAN ART CONSULTING kinzelmanart.com 3909 Main Street 713.533.9923 KOELSCH GALLERY koelschgallery.com 703 Yale 713.626.0175

LAURA RATHE FINE ART laurarathe.com 2707 Colquitt 713.527.7700

LAURA U COLLECTION lauraucollection.com 1840 Westheimer 713.522.0855

LOVETT INN ART GALLERY lovettinngallery.com 501 Lovett Blvd. 713.522.5224 M2 GALLERYm2-houston.com 325 W. 19th St. 713.861.6070

002houston November 08:002houston

MCCLAIN GALLERY mcclaingallery.com 2242 Richmond 713.520.9988

MCMURTREY GALLERY mcmurtreygallery.com 3508 Lake St. 713.523.8238 thru November 29, Lance Letscher: Machines, Buildings and Books MEREDITH LONG GALLERY 2323 San Felipe 713.523.6671 meredithlonggallery.com

MIDTOWN ART CENTER midtownartcenter.com 3414 La Branch 713.521.8803 MOODY GALLERY moodygallery.com 2815 Colquitt 713.526.9911

MOTHER DOG STUDIOS 720 Walnut 713.229.9760 home.earthlink.net/~motherdogstudios/ motherdogstudios MOXIE moxiehouston.com 2307 Dunlavy 713.807.7994

NAUHAUS GALLERY texascollaborative.com 223 E. 11th St. 281.615.4148 NOLAN-RANKIN GALLERIES 6 Chelsea Place 713.528.0664 nolan-rankingalleries.com

O’KANE GALLERY uhd.edu One Main St.@UHD 713.221.8042

PARKERSON GALLERY artnet.com 3510 Lake St. 713.524.4945

PEEL GALLERY SHOP peelgallery.org 4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.520.8122 POST GALLERY postgallery.com 2121 Sage, Ste. 390, 713.622.4241 "by appointment only"

POISSANT GALLERY poissantgallery.com 5102 Center St. 713.868.9337

REDBUD GALLERY redbudgallery.com 303 E. 11th St. 713.862.2532 thru November, RICHARDS 2: A Collaborative Exhibition by Nola Richards and Ryder Richards

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RETRO GALLERY retrogallery.com 1839 W. Alabama 713.522.7074 RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY 6100 Main St. 713.348.6069 ricegallery.org RUDOLPH PROJECTS I ARTSCAN GALLERY 1836 Richmond 713.807.1836 rudolphprojects.com SICARDI GALLERY sicardi.com 2246 Richmond 713.529.1313

SPACE 125GALLERY haatx.com 3201 Allen Parkway 713.527.9330 STUDIO 1107 East Freeway 713.224.5555

TALENTO BILINGUE tbhcenter.com 333 S. Jensen Drive 713.222.1213 TANSU tansustyle.com 321-B West 19th 713.880.5100

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

THORNWOOD GALLERY thornwoodgallery.com 1201 Birdsall 713.861.2787 VAUGHAN CHRISTOPHER GALLERY new

1217 South Sheperd vaughanchristopher.com WADE WILSON ART wadewilsonart.com 4411 Montrose #200, 713.521.2977 WATERCOLOR ART SOCIETY 1601 West Alabama 713.942.9966 watercolorhouston.org

WINTER STREET STUDIOS winterstreetstudios.net 2101 Winter Street 713.862.0082 XNIHILO GALLERY 2115taft.org 2115 Taft St. 713.622.1846 thru November 24, Striations

ZARPOSH INDIA GALLERY zarposhindia.com 1951 Richmond 713.668.2948

events+news

The 6th Annual Houston Book Fair will take place at the Museum of Printing History on Saturday, November 8, from 10am-5pm. From moderately priced used books to rare and collectible volumes. printingmuseum.org/bookfair.html.

19. november08 002houston

Photography by Kim Coffman

002houston November 08:002houston

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EVENT CHOOSE LOVE GALA WHY TO BENEFIT PLANNED PARENTHOOD HOUSTON

& SOUTHEAST TEXAS WHERE HILTON POST OAK WHEN OCTOBER 4

James and Wendy Rodriguez

Nearly 350 ladies and dapper gentlemen decked out in red were in attendance to celebrate love and to honor Elyse and Bob Lanier.

Weeks after Ike, guests clamored over Cosmo Kisses, the signature cocktail of the evening, while eyeing silent auction prizes like a SmartCar and trips to Paris, Argentina and Cabo San Lucas.

Katherine and Mark Yzaguirre

Dr. Red Duke, Kim Padgett, Shireen Taylor, Dr. Lucho Rossman

Edward Sanchez, Nicole Haagenson

Guests Dancing

A

LIVING SMART WITH PATRICIA GRAS

Xavier Pena, Veronica Gomez, Roseanne Rogers, Dr. Aashish Shah

Living Smart airs on Sundays at 3pm and repeats Thursdays at 1pm.

GARTH JOWETT Unfortunately September 11th and the Iraq war will be two painful events I will experience in my lifetime. I say this because both events have caused a tremendous amount of death, tragedy and conflicts thus affecting how I see the world around me.

and sharpening religious and cultural differences, media has an even bigger role to play. Although it appears we get much more information, it often happens to be less than accurate. The media can be used as a major propaganda tool and we need to be “media literate” to understand both sides of a debate, argument or issue and base our IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THE CENTURY judgments on that knowledge.

After reading many books on both topics, I realized how little historical and cultural context we get in our news.

OUR CHILDREN WILL LIVE IN We are also seeing a lot of fragmen– THE CENTURY THEY WILL, IN The philosopher Umberto Eco said, “A tation in news coverage and of FACT, SHAPE – MEDIA LITERACY democratic civilization will save itself course advocacy news, from the left WILL NOT BE A LUXURY; IT WILL only if it makes the language of the BE A NECESSITY. Linda Ellerbee image into a stimulus for critical reflecand the right with a biased commitjournalist, television producer ment to the truth. tion, not an invitation to hypnosis.” Jowett agrees, so much of what we watch on TV or In light of this, I realized the importance of listen on the radio is meant to create a kind of media literacy in our times and invited Garth hypnosis and not a stimulation for thought. “If you Jowett, PhD, a media literacy and propaganda expert overstimulate people they will start to question things from the University of Houston to enlighten us on how but if you hypnotize them so they simply accept everyto become better media consumers. thing, that’s a totally different situation.”

In a world fraught by wars, terrorism, global warming

As for getting the truth, Jowett warns, “There is no 20. november08 002houston

GARTH JOWETT + PATRICIA GRAS absolute truth. One man’s truth is another man’s lie or propaganda. So there is no objective truth, but I think for an individual the best way to achieve something close to truth is to expose himself to a variety of sources of information. I read both the Huffington Post and Drudge Report every morning and I compare the way they present stories and out of that comes some sort of middle ground.”

Share your experiences by either calling 713.743.8513 or email livingsmart@houstonpbs.org. Missed a program? View streaming videos of past Living Smart shows on Google Video.

Type in the search term “Living Smart” in quotation marks. Patricia Gras is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, and the producer and host for “Living Smart with Patricia Gras.” Blog: patriciagrasblogspot.com

002houston November 08:002houston

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PETE RADOWICK IS COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONVENTION & ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES DEPARTMENT.

Hurricane Ike created havoc for the schedule at Toyota Center, creating postponements (comedian Carlos Mencia) and reschedulings (chiefly, the Eagles moving to December 1). Not a major hardship in the bigger picture, mind you, but an inconvenience nevertheless.

The better news is that everything is back on track and November’s lineup offers plenty of star power, beginning with the Latin Grammy Awards on November 13. This marks the first time Houston will host the Latin music showcase, which will be broadcast live to the world.

Tickets are not cheap, starting at $125 and topping out at $450. As this is written, tickets to the Latin Grammys are available online through Ticketmaster, at the Toyota Center box office, via phone at 866-446-8849 (or TDD line at 877-820-0008) and at participating Houston area Randalls stores.

Rock ‘n roll aficionados will get a double shot at Toyota Center when English alternative rock band Coldplay returns to Houston on November 18, followed hot on their heels by veteran metal band Metallica, which arrives for its gig on November 20.

Appealing to a largely different audience is the popular

International Quilt Festival, which runs through Sunday, November 2, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

More than 1,000 booths for shopping and more than 2,200 quilts and pieces of art are expected to be on display. This is a worldwide attraction that brings in tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world. It’s truly worth a look-see if you’ve never attended this colorful, global event.

On the other edge of downtown, in the Theater District, Verizon Wireless Theater will be the forum for two popular comedians. Kathy Griffin will hold forth for three shows during the course of November 8-9, while Ron White will also perform his stand-up act three times on November 2122. In addition, R&B artist Maxwell performs at the same venue on November 6-7.

This is also a busy month for the resident companies that perform in the Theater District. Working in reverse order, Houston Ballet and Alley Theatre both begin their traditional holiday shows at the end of the month.

The ballet company’s annual presentation of The Nutcracker opens on the Friday night after Thanksgiving, November 28, and will continue with dozens of shows 21. november08 002houston

through Christmas on Wortham Center’s Brown Theater stage. A word to the wise: tickets for each of these performances sell quickly.

The Alley’s production of A Christmas Carol opens well before Thanksgiving, on November 19, and, as its name implies, runs through late December on the Alley’s Hubbard Stage.

Two other Theater District stalwarts, Houston Grand Opera and Houston Symphony, also have things going on this month. HGO runs with Beatrice and Benedict through November 14 at Wortham. The symphony opens the month with a look and listen at Rodgers & Hammerstein at Jones Hall on November 1-2. On ensuing weekends, the orchestra delves into the music of Schubert, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

A final plug: Wortham Center will have its annual treelighting event in the Grand Foyer at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 26. There will be lots of cookies and punch on hand, along with appearances from Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker cast. It’s a free event and the kids love it.

002houston November 08:002houston

THE GALLERY

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By Regina Panis Photography Jesus R. Salvador

WORKSHOP HOUSTON: LIFE IS LIKE RIDING A BICYCLE….

a

car has been the ultimate (and sometimes only) transportation of choice to take the majority of Houstonians either down the street or across town on any given day, with public transportation or scooters as an option for some who mainly live inside the Loop. Bicycles, on the other hand, haven’t been given enough credit for what they can do, reduced to the recognition of transport among bike messengers downtown and kids in the suburbs. They are hardly an option for the long haul.

The founders of Workshop Houston saw the potential in what the two-wheeled wonder can teach the youth of Third Ward in the Bike Shop. They provide not only a place for do-it-yourself repairs, but also a community for youth programming, a hands-on mentoring approach with after school and summer activities and events.

The Shop opened in 2003, providing a place for youth to learn and become productive and promoting recycled bicycles as an affordable means of transportation in Houston’s Third Ward. The success of the Bike Shop has managed to hold the attention of some of the youth it helped, long enough to become volunteers with the nonprofit organization.

Workshop Houston’s founders, Seth Capron, Katy Goodman, Benjamin Mason and Zach Moser, met while attending Oberlin College in Ohio. There, they collaborated on projects such as running a cooperative Bike Shop and implementing arts education programs in local schools. They also organized a parade, which quickly became an annual holiday for the small rural town. Through teamwork, they helped Moser, a Houston native, win the Compton Mentor Fellowship, a post-graduate award given to students who show outstanding promise in community-based work. Even though the fellowship money was considered an individual award, all four moved to Houston in the summer of 2003 and lived off the money together during their first year in a small apartment, working constantly to open the Bike Shop that same year.

Goodman says they moved to Houston because “it seemed like a city that had space for what we wanted to do” and is an “open, receptive community.”

As some of the youth became teens, they grew away from the bike program.

“Through our interactions,” Goodman says, “we saw how hard the lives of some of

our participants were. We were also seeing many of them getting kicked out of school and going to jail.”

This proved something else was needed to encourage them to stay in a positive environment. The Teen Shops, created in January 2006, was a team effort based on the need to give something else to the teens of Third Ward. They obviously needed more than the Bike Shop to stay occupied. The shops consist of: Chopper Shop (a fully equipped welding/metal fabrication studio), Beat Shop (a music production studio/practice space), Style Shop (a fashion design/silkscreening studio) and Scholar Shop (to strengthen the areas of struggle in academics).

BECOME A MEMBER!

address 3615 sauer, houston, tx 77004 | phone 713.807.7911 | website workshophouston.org

•$35 basic membership •$60 family

membership

•$100 buddy

membership

•$200 pal membership •$500 friend

membership •or: contribute any other amount

The founders of Workshop Houston’s bicycle wheels don’t stop turning there. When asked about future plans, Goodman says they “are currently working to complete the new campus” which they moved to last year, adding that the team is “extremely excited to finish this process because of the collaboration and synergy this will allow for the programs.” She says it is with this achievement the organization is poised to reach the next level of what it can offer to its participants. “The site will truly be a beacon for the young people of Third Ward who so desperately need supportive community, encouragement to educate themselves and outlets for creativity.”

The youth of Houston’s Third Ward have been blessed with a support system of a nurturing atmosphere from Workshop Houston through the five shops housed by the organization. THEIR MISSION FROM THE BEGINNING HAS BEEN TO USE HANDSON PROJECTS AND DYNAMIC COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH YOUTH EXPLORE NEW KNOWLEDGE AND POWER ON THEIR OWN TERMS. The importance lies in that “given opportunities, support and resources to do something positive and creative, youth will find the greatest satisfaction in finding their own path to success,” Goodman says, “and learning your potential in this way is extremely empowering.” Who knew bikes had such horsepower?

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002houston November 08:002houston

SPACETAKER ARTSCENE

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By Chris Dunn

T

he thirteenth day after Samhain was considered a day of evil and misfortune in Medieval times. On this day, the dead and other spirits run amok. Legend has that if a person is born on this day and it falls on a Friday, they will be stricken with the evil eye. The character of Sadie Hawkins was born in the comic strip Lil’ Abner on November 13, 1947, dancing into the cultural bank of America as the spinster daughter of Hekzebiah Hawkins, one of Dogpatch’s founding fathers. The “homeliest gal in all them hills,” Sadie (and her father) grew frantic waiting for suitors. When she reached the age of 35, out of despondency, he gathered all the eligible bachelors of Dogpatch and declared it “Sadie Hawkins Day.” A foot race was decreed, with Sadie trying to run down the town’s unluckily unmarried men. The one caught had to marry her.

Two years after Sadie appeared, a double-page spread in Life magazine proclaimed, “On Sadie Hawkins Day, Girls Chase Boys in 201 Colleges” and printed pictures from Texas Wesleyan. By 1952, Sadie Hawkins Day was reportedly celebrated at 40,000 different locations. The day became a female-empowering event that was established before the modern feminist movement gained traction. Chase down some art this month.

6 & 7, 6pm VIEWFINDER: New Images from Texas Artists @ FotoFest & HCP FotoFest and Houston Center for Photography (HCP) join forces in a first-ever exhibition collaboration to commission and present a new show of emerging Texas photographic artists. The organizations have commissioned Arturo Palacios (Director, Art Palace, Austin) and Risa Puleo (Assistant Curator of American and Contemporary Art, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin) to co-curate the exhibit, the third in the Talent in Texas series. Viewfinder explores the wide scope of photographic art practiced today from traditional filmbased still photography to video and installation work.

Attendance = no dinero.

16, 2pm The Ottavia Project @ Barnevelder Movement/Art Complex A new Houston Performing Arts Company debuts! Divergence Vocal Theater Presents: The Ottavia Project.

Murder & Mayhem in Ancient Rome – a scorned woman, a love quadrangle and assassins afoot. A theatrical fusion of selections from Claudio Monteverdi’s opera, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and the play Octavia, attributed to Seneca, with piano works of Bach and Rameau. (Octavia selections in English, Poppea selections in Italian with English supertitles.)

After party, immediately following the performance, meet the company, and mini-fundraiser, featuring sitar and santoor dreaminess from Aaron Ray Hermes of Audio Telepathy. Hors d’oeuvres and donation bar.

(Wear a full Roman regalia toga, get in free!

Otherwise 20 ducats, a.k.a. cash money.)

Photo by Kristin Basta

1, 6, 7 & 8 THE STRANGERER by Mickle Maher @ DiverseWorks One of the books on President Bush’s 2006 vacation reading list was Albert Camus’ absurdist tale of senseless murder, The Stranger. In hopes that the French philosopher might shed some light on the recent political clime – or vice versa – Mickle Maher’s new play The Strangerer collides several of Camus’ works with the first Bush/Kerry presidential debate in 2004. The formalities of the debate are overturned as Bush and Kerry struggle with the question not of if or why an innocent man should be killed (the man in question being moderator Jim Lehrer), but rather what is the proper manner in which to go about killing him. The Strangerer is part political satire, part classical drama and part contemporary debate. A murder mystery with the murderers in plain view. Don’t debate on the decision to experience The Strangerer – only 15 dead Washingtons (a.k.a. warm, soft cash).

21, Adam Zagajewski and Sarah Rothenberg: Damaged Romanticism @ Rothko Poet Adam Zagajewski and pianist Sarah Rothenberg present an evening of readings, performance and conversation inspired by the themes and ideas of the recent Blaffer Gallery exhibition, Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion. This program is presented by the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. No damage to the wallet (a.k.a. gratis.)

5-7 Winter Holiday Art Market @ Winter Street Studios This fun-filled, three-day affair kicks off on Friday night from 6 -10pm with pre-shopping, a DJ, food and drinks.

Saturday the sale begins at noon and continues until 8:30pm; food and libations provided for happy hour.

Sunday the market will be open from noon to 5pm with a champagne brunch. Sponsors for this year’s art market include Silver Eagle, Red Bull, 002houston magazine, Barefoot Wine, Beaver’s Ice House and El Patio.

Attendance only requires love of art (a.k.a. free).

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002houston November 08:002houston

FOR ART’S SAKE

10/22/08

3:04 PM

Page 24

By Allison Bagley Photography Anthony Rathbun

ARTIST SARAH REYNOLDS if museum walls could talk: a behind-the-scenes look at the decades that made the world take notice of houston’s art scene ANDY WARHOL hobnobbed with collectors.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed an expansion of The Museum of Fine Arts. The de Menils shook up the scene when they settled into their modernistic home and commissioned Mark Rothko for a chapel near St. Thomas University.

From 1950 to 1975, Houston was a boom town in more ways than one. And because of the dedication and unrivaled talent of a few, the city became a recognized hub for not only commerce, oil and aerospace engineering, but the visual arts as well.

Sarah “Sally” Reynolds has documented the decades that put Houston’s art scene on the map in a labor of love she calls “Houston Reflections: Art in the City, 1950s, 60s and 70s.” The collection of first-hand accounts includes an 18-hour audio CD of the actual interviews and is a resource for artists, patrons and anyone interested in the rich history of the Bayou City.

“It seemed to be a period that hasn’t had a lot of attention,” Reynolds says. “I was concerned that we would lose the access to the memory of that time and transition in Houston. Once you lose that memory, you lose it in many ways. You can do research and write, but there’s something a little different about the oral history. It intrigued me.”

The book includes the stories of such art world notables as David Addickes, James Surls, Earlie Hudnall, Kermit Oliver and Gertrude Barnstone.

Oliver, who during the captured years was an art student at Texas Southern University, says Reynolds’ project “points out that there were vibrant, varied experiences from a lot of different standpoints. It shows a distinction between perspectives, from a cultural as well as an educational standpoint” in how Houston’s “art fabric developed.”

Like many of the African-American artists included in the tome, Oliver nurtured his love in the arts and also found a social outlet at TSU during a time in which Houston was still largely segregated. In fact, when Oliver’s professor John Biggers was awarded the Purchase Prize at an MFAH competition, he wasn’t allowed to enter the museum to claim his price. In many ways, Oliver says, these years represent what “seemed to be the renaissance that was here in Houston.”

Alison de Lima Greene, a curator at MFAH, calls the book “an indelible record of this dynamic era. A brilliant archival project, ‘Houston Reflections’ will be a resource for generations to come.”

The author’s long career as an art curator, consultant and dealer – and now historian – began just where the book ends. In 1975, Reynolds was asked to lead the art program for her employer, Zapata Oil Company, giving her a chance to meet artists and work with galleries to stock the company’s offices with fine art. Those connections eventually helped her to line up interviews with artists for her book. “They were all gracious, willing and delighted. I have completely been enriched by doing this project.”

Her research also documents the many gallerists and patrons that were key in Houston’s development. No record of local arts could be complete without spotlighting Dominique and John de Menil. The pages touch on the family’s unparalleled commitment to helping Houston arts become recognized by the East and West Coasts, and beyond. “It’s hard to think about Houston at that time and not really hone in on their aesthetic and commitment on all fronts,” Reynolds says. “They were avant-garde for Houston, on the edge. But they never gave up with their vision and their view and their commitment.”

So what’s next for our metropolis, and what might the next art historian document?

“I think you’re going to have continuing vitality and diversity,” Reynolds says. “It will be interesting to see how the city grows and the demographic changes, how that’s reflected in our visual arts. The pool of resources for artists is growing for Houston, and the collector base continues to grow.”

Reynolds sums it up best by excitedly describing a recent visit to Rice Gallery, where she and a friend marveled at a new installation. “We looked at each other and said, ‘God bless artists because of what they bring to their art!’”

"HOUSTON REFLECTIONS" IS PUBLISHED BY RICE UNIVERSITY PRESS. THE HARDCOVER IS AVAILABLE FOR $95 AT MFAH, THE MENIL COLLECTION, BRAZOS BOOKSTORE AND RIVER OAKS BOOKSTORE. 24. november08 002houston

002houston November 08:002houston

GISH AT THE MOVIES

10/22/08

3:04 PM

Page 25

By Sarah Gish

RIVER OAKS THEATRE and more

Ike did a number on us and I have to admit that the first thing I did the day after was to drive by the River Oaks Theatre to check on its marquee (which was fine) and the second thing was to look for movies for my family and me, so I was extremetly grateful that the Edwards Weslayan Theatre (edwardscinemas.com) was one of the first theatres to open for business! The River Oaks Theatre (landmarktheatres.com) has two bookings this month: I’ve Loved You So Long (11/14) and Milk (11/26). KUHF-FM (kuhf.org) is wrapping up their very cool “Silent Film Concert Series” that’s been taking place at Discovery Green with Phantom of the Opera accompanied by Golden Arm Trio. The Health Museum (thehealthmuseum.org) has opened “The McGovern 4D Theater”, which marks the introduction of this level of theater technology to Houston. And over at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (mfah.org), they’re bringing the very important “15th Annual Texas Filmmakers Showcase” on November 1 at 7pm which is a program organized by the Houston Film Commission to spotlight the best short films and videos in the state.

They’re also bringing My Winnipeg, a look at filmmaker Guy Madden’s hometown, as well as Coming to America on November 21 at 7pm in conjunction with a lecture by costume designer Deborah Landis.

HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY debuts Mayor White recently directed a group of film personnel to create a nonprofit film festival dedicated to enriching Houston’s cultural environment through the art of cinema, mixedmedia performances and installations and out of that was born the nonprofit Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS), which will present screenings, performances, guest lectures and the annual “Houston Media and Cinema Arts Expo” each November. This year’s Expo will

take place November 20–23 and will feature Sleep Dealer on November 20 at 7pm at the River Oaks Theatre; a conversation titled “Alex Rivera: Video and New Media Works” on Friday, November 21, at 7pm with film expert Margarita De la Vega-Hurtado (location tbd); and on November 22 at 7pm at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston there will be “Lynn Hershman Leeson: Screening and Conversation, Part 1”, with “Part 2” on November 23 at 2pm. HCAS will grow to a week-long festival with concurrent events throughout Houston in 2009 so stay tuned! There’s no website yet, so for more information, email cinemartsociety@gmail.com. Rave Motion Pictures (ravemotionpictures.com) and DigiScreen have been presenting films of classic operas and ballets from the Royal Opera House based at Covent Garden in London this fall; this series wraps up with Romeo and Juliet on November 2 at 1pm at the Rave Yorktown 15, 15900 Yorktown Crossing near Highway 6. Tickets are $20/each (hey, highbrow culture is gonna cost you!).

REAL FILMS and the MYDOLLS Real Films (realfilms.org) travels to the Aurora Picture Show (aurorapictureshow.org) on November 1 at 7pm for The Perfect Cappuccino, a journey that traces the origins and current social meaning of the cappuccino in the larger context of the expansion and mass standardization of our culture. Also at the Aurora: “Tapas: A Sampler of Cinema and Media from The Americas” on November 15 at 8pm and November 16 at 3pm. Artist Ximena Cuevas and curator Margarita De la Vega-Hurtado (she’s a busy gal this month!) will both be in attendance. Let’s save the Astrodome!

Astrodome Studios (astrodomestudios.net), the project being proposed to Harris County as a visionary new use for the Houston Astrodome, has launched their website and posted a petition for us to sign which will let Harris County officials know that we support this concept. Trish Herrera’s kick-ass girls’ band, the Mydolls, is coming together for a festival of great Houston alternative and punk bands on November 15 at notsuoH (notsuoh.com) at 314 Main Street (that’s Houston spelled backwards, kids). The festival starts at 8pm and the Mydolls will grace the stage around 11pm.

Get the documentary on them, A World of Her Own, at Sound Exchange (soundexchangehouston.com).

ART FILMS ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL… TAKE A FRIEND TO ONE! 25. november08 002houston

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NON-PROFIT

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By Sarah Gajkowski-Hill Photography provided by HWA

HOUSTON WELLNESS ASSOCIATION: DOING GOOD BY DOING WELLNESS address 410 pierce street, suite 202, houston, tx 77002 | phone 713.357.9515 | email info@houstonwellness.org | website houstonwellness.org/?id=1

D

IET, EXERCISE AND STRESS LEVEL. IF YOU HAD TO GIVE YOURSELF A GRADE RIGHT THIS SECOND ON THESE THREE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE, HOW WOULD YOU FARE? THE HOUSTON WELLNESS ASSOCIATION IS BETTING THAT NEARLY THE ENTIRE CITY IS GETTING BELOW AVERAGE SCORES REGARDING THEIR STRESS LEVEL POST-HURRICANE IKE. AND THAT’S TO BE EXPECTED—ONE CAN’T PREVENT A HURRICANE. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE THINGS WE CAN PREVENT? AND HOW COME SO MANY PEOPLE’S IDEA OF STRESS RELIEF INCLUDES A COCKTAIL AND SOME COMFORT FOOD RATHER THAN PROVEN STRESS-RELIEF TACTICS SUCH AS DEEP BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND A VEGETABLERICH DIET? WE’RE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN A NATION WITH OVER 300 MILLION PEOPLE. WE BOAST ONE OF THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTERS IN THE WORLD. SO HOW COME HOUSTON IS SO UNHEALTHY, AT ONE TIME EVEN NAMED ONE OF THE TOP FIVE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY FOR OBESITY BY MEN’S FITNESS MAGAZINE?

of improving quality of life; secondly, it will convince most employers – with concrete financial statistics – that a healthier employee has better morale and is more productive.

There are many reasons and Bill White, our dutiful mayor, made the issue of Houstonian’s health a priority by inaugurating the Houston Wellness Association in 2006. Executive Director Jonathan Lack and his amazingly efficient staff of two plus one intern have since set about establishing ten committees which have to do with health and wellness in Houston – and their motto is: Doing good by doing wellness.

A Houston Wellness Symposium will be held November 13 and 14 at Minute Maid Stadium and Union Station. Booths manned by a multitude of small business owners who wish to promote their various programs and products will be there to network and use the skills they learn from speakers to gain a competitive advantage. Among the speakers is Richard H. Carmona, M.D., 17th Surgeon General of the United States and president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute. The first day of the Symposium will focus on the epidemic of obesity in Houston – especially during childhood. The presenters will discuss everything to preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes in children to how we can promote exercise in HISD schools, emphasizing that a healthy lifestyle is a learned behavior. The second day will focus on why employers should support a healthy lifestyle for their employees. Houston has one of the highest number of uninsured people of any U.S. city at 30% – but 80% of those people are employed. A good way to target this population, Lack and other HWA supporters reason, is to reach out to small business owners who cannot afford to offer their employees health insurance. To teach them how to avail themselves of alternate programs and methods of teaching wellness will serve the primary purpose

Decisions we make about health are determined just as much by our cultural background and the way we were brought up as by our personal preferences. That’s why the committees are directed at different groups of people with different needs within the community. For instance, there is a mental health committee, a nutrition committee and a membership committee that recruits new businesses to join the quest for a healthier city. The demographics of each group need to be carefully assessed and then a healthy lifestyle can be “sold” to them. To paraphrase Lack, no one goes to the grocery store and then says that they didn’t buy cereal because they were given too few choices of types of cereal.

People do say, however, that they don’t exercise because the options they were given were not appealing and there weren’t enough choices made available. The HWA’s belief is that if the Symposium (and regular membership) can offer a multitude of possible choices for healthy behavior, then there will be an appropriate choice for everyone. A Wednesday night volleyball league might work for a young working couple with no kids, whereas a lunchtime yoga class sponsored by one’s office might work for another individual.

And small businesses are offered the incentive of having their business grow due to exposure within the HWA. Even if you consider yourself a pretty active individual, the conference can introduce you to sports, alternative medicine, and fun, new ways to exercise – did someone say salsa lessons?! – that you didn’t even know our city offered.

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Check out www.houstonwellness.org/?id=1 to find out more, to enroll for the Symposium or view their post-Ike tips and youtube video clips at youtube.com/watch?v=ctl0TUwIKlc and youtube.com/watch?v=pSJP0iz_XUI .

Photography by Sopheavy Than

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EVENT SWING! BACKSTAGE AFTER PARTY WHY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BACKSTAGE

KICKOFF EVENT WHERE JONES HALL WHEN AUGUST 29 Houston Symphony’s YPB kicked off the season in high gear with backstage access to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy after their show. The sold out crowd helped build membership with the budding young organization. Bites were generously provided by Whole Foods, wine by Be Friends, and Stone Mill Pale Ale donated the beer. All guests were left to do was jump, jive and wail the night away!

Catherine and Glenn Taylor

James Galloway, Sydney Sheng, Lalana Pundisto

Carey Kirkpatrick, Michael Krajewski, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy String Bass player Dirk Shumaker, Katie Kuersteiner, Lisa Lee

Kevin Hormann, Marty Thompson

Be Friends wine bottle (wine sponsor)

Tony Prisk, Brandi Hennessey

Nicholas Phillips, Jennifer Mok, Whitney Hutchens, Travis Harper

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DESTINATION

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By Alexandre Rosa Photography by Jack Affleck

HOTEL | RESORT ARRABELLE AT VAIL SQUARE | LOCATION VAIL, COLORADO address 675 lionshead place, vail, co 81657 | phone 866.662.ROCK or 970.754.7777 | website arrabelle.rockresorts.com summer activities golf, whitewater rafting, hot air ballooning, fishing, horseback rides + cattle drives, hiking/walking, mountain biking, sporting clays | spa rockresorts spa®

spa

rooftop pool

T

o say that The Arrabelle at Vail Square is a luxury resort is an understatement. Located just steps away from the Eagle Bahn Gondola at the base of Vail Mountain, inside the recently revamped Bavarian-style Lionshead Village, 100 miles west of Denver, it’s no surprise that despite its young age – opened in January 2008 – The Arrabelle has won several awards and critical kudos.

restaurant’s forte, however you can order delicious and generous breakfasts or savor a couple of drinks from the bar in the evening.

By now it’s a well-known fact that The Arrabelle provides the best there is for skiing, ice skating, sleigh rides and snowboard aficionados – during winter. However, summertime offers unlimited outdoor opportunities to explore the idyllic climate and pristine beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Hot air ballooning, rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding, biking, hiking and golfing, to name a few. Private guided tours can be easily arranged to maximize your convenience and security so you can just kick back and enjoy your daily activities.

The spacious rooms are a perfect blend of romantic European chalet spirit with modern touches. Huge built-in wood closets, elegant fireplaces, flat-screen televisions, verandas gazing out at the majestic mountain views and original paintings inspired by the local scenery provide the ultimate comfort yet cozy sensation. Featuring double door entries, WHERE TO EAT heated marble flooring, double sink marCenter V ble vanities and more flat-screen TVs, the The Wildflower: 970.476.5011 bathrooms are simply a dramatic showGelato Rimini Cioccolato: case of lavishness. riminichocolate.com The outstanding attention to detail and hospitality makes your stay an extraordinary experience that’s hard to match. An assigned butler per floor is guaranteed to take care of your needs 24/7. This ultimate personalized service will spoil rotten even the most needy of the guests.

Open pastures, running-free livestock, original homesteader cabins dating 200 years, live music entertainment and spectacular traditional cuisine (you just can’t have enough of those baby back BBQ ribs), 4 Eagle Ranch is a time-travel experience. Play horseshoe golf or roast your marshmallows over an open fire and take in the overwhelming sight of the straight-out of the classic Marlboro commercial landscape.

As you go through the vegetation you’ll learn the many medicinal properties of the local plants that have been used by the native Indians for generations.

SPA After all the physical activities you’ll need a little professional help winding down. The brand new RockResorts Spa at The Arrabelle is a luxurious state-of-the-art retreat. Dedicated not only to improve your health, well-being and relaxation but also to stimulate all your senses. Its contemporary design, rich textures, smooth colors and lighting submerges you in a state of Zen from the moment you walk in. The spa offers a variety of treatments using organic ingredients indigenous to the Rockies. Among them, the Vin Chaud (Hot Vine) Indulgence, a combination of wine essence and Dead Sea salts combined to detoxify, exfoliate and brighten the skin. A full-body vinotherapy massage – rich in antioxidants and exquisite aroma – will ease sore muscles and rejuvenate the senses. A minifacial and complimentary glass of Vin Chaud are part of a grand finale.

Timberland Tours will have any first-time whitewater rafters riding with enough confidence and grace on a class 3 river like the Eagle River. The goal here is to pay attention to the instructors’ guidance and paddle as hard as you can to dodge rocks and sudden drop-falls and, of course, mastering

If you just want to chill out for a second and let all the goodness sink in, you can enjoy the outdoor pool and jacuzzi on the rooftop. Get some exercise at the ultra-modern fitness center or just grab a traditional Italian hand-crafted creamy gelato from the Rimini Gelato at Vail Square.

WHAT TO DO Timberline Tours: timberlinetours.com 4 Eagle Ranch: 4eagleranch.com Trailwise Guides: trailwiseguides.com

Feast with finesse at Center V Brasserie located at the terrace of The Arrabelle. This romantic restaurant offers an unpretentious sophisticated ambience. Classic French cuisine is this

getting under the freezing water – quite a thrill.

Get ready to explore the wilderness. Let the guys from Trailwise Guides help you pick the perfect trail for your level of expertise.

Climbing about 11,700 feet above sea level, the Deluge Creek Trail offers a steep and narrow climb in the beginning, flattening out after a couple of miles.

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WHILE ON A RECENT TRIP TO THE ’BURBS, I CAME ACROSS A FANTASTIC STORE SPECIALIZING IN THE HOTTEST NEW KICKS. SNEAKER LAB RECENTLY OPENED IN KATY AND HAS A GREAT SELECTION OF STYLISH SNEAKERS FOR KIDS. WHETHER YOU ARE SHOPPING FOR YOUR WEE BITTY BABY OR SUPERTRENDY TWEEN, SNEAKER LAB HAS IT COVERED. THE GOOD NEWS: A NEW LOCATION IS COMING SOON TO THE GALLERIA. AND THE EVEN BETTER NEWS: THEY HAVE SHOES FOR MOMMA AND DADDY, TOO!

By Lindsay Hagood

Nike Dunk Low Premium $62.99

Nike Dunk Low $33.99 and up.

All sneakers from Sneaker Lab sneaker-lab.com 22756 Westheimer Pkwy., Suite 120 281.395.1165

Nike Dunk Low $45.99 – $57.99

WHO SAYS SKATEBOARDING IS ONLY FOR BOYS? THIS UTTERLY ADORABLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION SCREAMS “GIRL POWER!” Barbie Pink Princess Mini Skateboard $40, fao.com

SCORE SOME SMILES… Texas TicKids, a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization, is “changing lives, one ticket at a time.” It’s a great concept: Corporations and individuals can donate their unused tickets to sporting events, the theatre, the symphony and the like.

After all, empty seats often go to waste. Why not give a child, who otherwise may not be afforded the opportunity, the chance to be exposed to the thrill of a ball game or the magic of a theatrical production? TicKids services 209 charities and has received 30,959 tickets to date. For more information, call 713.741.KIDS or log on to texastickids.com.

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Photography by Beatrice Valencia

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EVENT RACE FOR THE CURE速 WHY FOR SUSAN G. KOMEN FOUNDATION WHERE ALLEN PARKWAY WHEN OCTOBER 4

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Over 30,000 runners, walkers and joggers squeezed together on Allen Parkway to Race for the Cure for breast cancer bright and early on Saturday.

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1

PEOPLE OF HOUSTON

2

SHARON REITMAN

KAREN PITCOCK

age 45 sign Cancer origin Erie, PA occupation Owner Smart Meals, Inc. smartmeals.com

age 41 sign Cancer origin Houston, Texas occupation Founder, Team Teen

Photography by Aaron M. Sprecher

3 ROGER RIPPY age 37 sign Cancer origin Fort Worth, Texas occupation Attorney/ Co-Owner of YogaOne Studios

1. SHARON REITMAN Where is you favorite place to shop? Central Market in Highland Village.

If you could meet a celebrity, who would it be? Madonna.

If you never had to work, what would you do?

Animal rescue, charity work and local politics.

What was your most memorable moment?

Diagnosed with breast cancer at 38 years old.

2. KAREN PITCOCK What is the worst fashion trend you loved? The lace collar that tied.

If you could meet a celebrity, who would it be?

Kristin Armstrong. I look forward to reading her articles in Runner’s World magazine and can relate to the bond she shares with her ‘running sisters’.

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?

A 12-passenger van for Team Teen. This would make transportation much easier to the 5K races.

What was your most memorable moment?

My first half marathon. I think that is the point in my life when I realized I could do anything I put my mind to.

3. ROGER RIPPY Where is your favorite place to shop?

It’s a tie: the hardware store/ Spec’s.

What is one thing you can’t live without? Love.

What is your favorite sport? Surfing, hurricane dodging.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

To stop wanting things.

Where is your favorite place to hang out? Aside from home, Onion Creek, although they have beautiful jukeboxes at The Harp and Poison Girl.

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002houston magazine hits the streets Interview and Photography by Lindsay Hagood

CORNE

R OF WESTH

EIMER

YUNG CHRIS CHOREOGRAPHER If you could be great at any sport, what would it be?

Dance is a sport, so I’d stay in dance because it’s the best sport ever.

It’s physical and you can express yourself through art. No boundaries, no rules.

SAMUEL MUSTON QUANTUM PHYSICIST (HE JOKES, HE JOKES) If you could be any star athlete for a day, who would it be?

Muhammad Ali.

MARGO HARRISON SHOPGIRL If you could be great at any sport, what would it be?

I would be a mountain climber…for the view.

SUE HARDWICK GRANDMOTHER If you could be great at any sport, what would it be?

Tennis.

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AND D UNLAV Y

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10/23/08

COSTUMES FOR COCKTAILS

9:43 AM

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Styling by Beatrice Valencia Photography by Gabriella Nissen Illustration by Cynthia Bogart

Rococo 1993 W. Gray St. 713.526.2048 An ultra-cool new boutique in the River Oaks Shopping Center that carries AMAZING lines new to the Houston scene. You must check it out!

Payless Memorial City Mall, Gessner Rd. 713.984.1638 Neiman Marcus 7 2600 Post Oak Blvd.

713.621.7100

6

THIS OUTFIT IS A NO-BRAINER FOR THE COLDER MONTHS AHEAD. THE ONLY THING THAT’S MISSING IS A HOT CUP OF COFFEE AND YOUR FAVORITE PASTIME.

1

intellectually

INCLINED…

4 9

3

2

1. Add a pop of color! Coming or going, the color block is on the back as well. By Francine color block flutter sleeve blouse $235 | 2. Comfortable slacks with a rich texture and the golden buttons are a plus. Hunter Dixon high waist slacks $350 | 3. The ultimate cozy cardigan. It’s so soft people will have a hard time keeping their hands off you.

Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent 100% cashmere cardigan $400 | 4. This piece is sophisticated in an unconventional sense. Fallon chain link necklace $275 | 5. A few tough touches show you’re no pushover. Fallon brass stud bangle $138, Fallon steel stud bangle $264 | 6. Good hair day? Bad hair? Who cares! Keep your heat where it should be with this nubby sweater-like fedora. Hat Attack Buji Baja fedora $58 | 7. My ultimate dream scarf! There’s so much fabric it could be a blanket. Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent 100% cashmere scarf $350 | 8. Super-cute flats at a super-great price. Lela Rose charcoal gray satin bow flats $34 @ Payless | 9. A bold scent will keep strangers captivated in your presence. Vera Wang Look Eau de Parfum Spray $45-90 @ Neiman Marcus 36. november08 002houston

5

8

Photography by Anthony Rathbun

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EVENT THE HIP EVENT WHY TO GET THE SCOOP ON FALL FASHION

MUST-HAVES WHERE MARIPOSA AT NEIMAN MARCUS WHEN SEPTEMBER 25 Fashionistas, the fashion savvy and the curious escaped the Ike aftermath for a night of fashion enlightenment featuring a fierce fashion show, bites, beats and cocktails. Our editor, Carla Valencia, hosted while Saddlerock provided some Rosé and VitaminWater hiptinis were passed around. Those opting for a healthier, non-alcoholic beverage sipped on Glowell.

y

…

Narguess Arjomand, Christopher Mitchell, Naz Arjomand

Jeff Schell, Alton LaDay, Kristine Mills, Jacques M. Borisewitz

Model

Marzi Petris, Carrie Bozkurt

Vita Provenzcano, Michael Yafi

Daphne Ellis, Traci Smith, Taylor La Shae, Austin Smith

Tiffany White, Brandi Holmes, Deurance Morris

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RETAIL WRAP

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Photography by Sofia van der Dys

NAME RAYMOND COOPER | BOUTIQUE FINISH STRONG SPORTS

address 6426 washington ave/14620 memorial dr | phone 713.861.9779 /281.497.0600| website finishstrongsports.com

A SHOE IS MADE UP OF THREE PARTS; THE UPPER, THE MIDSOLE AND THE OUTSOLE.

GETTING A PROPER SHOE FIT Unfortunately, many Houstonians utilize unqualified shopping options, including big-box sporting goods stores, websites or mall-based locations commonly resulting in a purchase and usage dissatisfaction (or worse, including discomfort or injury), making it impossible to otherwise get the most out of an exercise routine. Finish Strong Sports is locally owned and their mission is to outfit you perfectly.

All legitimate running and walking shoes are, by design, technical pieces of equipment intended to complement certain types of feet. These benefits, however, are only realized if the wearer is truly appropriate for the product. “It bothers me to know many Houstonians are running or walking in shoes not ideally suited for them!” owner Raymond Cooper tells us. “And, let’s face it, proper footwear selection can be a confusing and somewhat intimidating process. At Finish Strong Sports we have a very thorough, easy to understand process designed to properly ‘Fit Your Feet.’ The process consists of three steps: BIOMECHANICS – understanding pronation (foot movement) tendencies using gait analysis FOOT CHARACTERISTICS – looking at arch type, foot width and inconsistencies with either foot, and taking into account injuries and potential use of orthotics FIT, FEEL & RIDE – getting your feedback on how each recommended shoe matches your foot characteristics and how it feels while running or walking HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE SHOE IS RIGHT FOR YOU? It should match the arch you inherit from your parents and feel comfortable all around.

There are three basic types of feet. Simply, people have high, normal and flat arches (feet). High arch feet are good stabilizers but need help absorbing shock on impact. Normal arches flex too much and need help stabilizing the arch. Usually, a flat arch is very flexible and needs a lot of support. Shoes are designed with these three foot types in mind.

Your feet absorb up to three times your body weight when they strike the ground.

If you are having pain or injury from your knees, lower back, hips, shins or feet, you should check into your shoes. Copper says, “Just because the shoe fits doesn’t mean you should wear it.”

HOW SHOULD YOUR SHOES FIT? They should fit comfortably in the length, arch, width and heel.

The heel should fit snugly with little or no slippage.

The mid-foot should fit comfortably snug but not too tight.

The toe-box should have enough room to wiggle your toes.

Because feet swell during exercise, allow a thumbnail’s width between the length of your longest toe and the end of the shoe.

Many Houstonians’ exercise routine falls short because of improper shoes or they stay in the shoes too long. A good pair of shoes should last 400 to 500 miles of walking or running or six months of everyday wear.

Wearing the right shoe will enhance comfort, prevent injury and increase performance.

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SO, RUN OR WALK BY FINISH STRONG SPORTS AND LET THEM "FIT YOUR FEET"!

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ONE GREAT LIFETIME OF FITNESS

ONE GREAT Bowling Alley?

opened shop within the 37-acre CityCentre in Town & Country. LifeTime Fitness is known for its exclusive and luxurious LifeTime Athletic centers and the new, 140,000-square-foot athletic club will be complemented by CityCentre’s unique blend of upscale retail shops, fine dining, state-of-the-art offices and distinct metropolitan homes set in a pedestrian-oriented environment. The company’s first three-story prototype development nationally and its fourth location in Houston, with more than 400 pieces of the finest cardiovascular and resistance machines, beautifully appointed Pilates and yoga salons, dedicated group fitness and cycle studios, indoor and outdoor pools, relaxing whirlpools, and multiple gymnasiums and squash courts, the club will leave little to want. Additionally, CityCentre LifeTime Athletic will provide a richly appointed, full-service day spa offering the latest in massage and relaxation therapy, and a comprehensive range of body, hair, nail and skin care services. Additional information is available online at lifetimefitness.com/city-centre.

OH yes, 300 Houston is an upscale bowling and entertainment center, coming to Bunker Hill where the old Lanes used to be. Minutes from Memorial City Mall, this will be 300’s eighth location nationwide. With 39 state-ofthe-art lanes with Xtreme lighting & sound system these are definitely not your average lanes. With two full-service bars and a casual upscale dining menu, 300 will add to an already diverse scene for Houstonians. Club 300 is the VIP room with seven lanes and a dedicated bar. Anyone ready for some Rock N’ Bowl?

ONE GREAT HOLIDAY PARADE There is nothing I look forward to more on Thanksgiving Day than the H-E-B holiday parade. I may be 26 but instantly I’m transformed to an antler headband-wearing, 5-year-old with hot cocoa – OK, coffee now – and all. A tradition since 1949, Santa makes his grand entrance to kick off the holiday season. The 2008 holiday parade theme is Hooray for Hollywood and will feature performers, celebrities and sports stars. The parade begins at 9am on Thanksgiving morning, November 27, in downtown. The parade is free to the public other than the several early birds who purchase reserved seating. Proceeds from these tickets sales benefit the Houston Festival Foundation Inc. education programs and the Houston Chronicle Readers are Leaders program. If you can’t make it out of the house that early, tune into Channel 11 KHOU for live coverage of Tom Turkey and Santa Claus making their way through Downtown. hebparade.com Beatrice Valencia

ONE GREAT LIGHT (OK, HALF A MILLION) But who’s counting? The 23rd Annual Uptown Holiday Lighting will take center stage as usual as Houstonians and out-of-town visitors come together in the Galleria area for the free event featuring festive music by the Houston Concert Band and Salvation Army Harbor Lights Choir, holiday characters, clowns, larger than life Santa’s reindeer, 12-foot tall snowmen, a special appearance from Santa and Houston’s largest sing-a-long. The whole night concludes with an awe-inspiring fireworks extravaganza set to holiday music. Thanksgiving Evening, Thursday, November 27, 4pm; fireworks begin at 7pm.

For more information, call 713.621.2504 or visit uptown-houston.com.

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stretch

IT’ S COOL TO ________.

Proper stretching allows maximum benefit for both health and performance while reducing the risk of potentially painful injury to muscle and connective tissue. Stretching requires an understanding of the body structure and how it functions. It is very important to hold each stretch for the intended 20-30 seconds.

As told to 002’s cool stretching man by Lea Ann Bratcher, Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA, NASM, BS-Kinesiology at the Houstonian Club. | Photography by Daniel Ortiz

STANDING QUADRICEPS STRETCH Flex the knee holding the leg you are stretching just above the ankle; do not hold the foot.

Start with the thigh far enough in front of the pelvis that there is no awareness of tension in the ‘quad’.

Find the first gentle tension in the middle of the ‘quad’ by pulling the leg back with your hand.

Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

STATIC KNEELING THIGH AND HIP STRETCH Kneel with front leg bent at a 90º-degree angle.

Rotate back leg slightly inward.

Draw in belly button and squeeze the glutes.

Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

STATIC CHEST STRETCH Stand on the side of a stable surface with one arm supported on the upper thigh.

Place opposite arm in a 90/90 position or straight on surface.

Draw belly button inward and slowly rotate the trunk forward around support arm until a slight stretch is felt in the front of the shoulder.

Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

SITTING GROIN STRETCH In a seated position with the back straight, place heels together starting well away from the body.

Allow the legs to fall laterally.

Bring the feet toward the pelvis a little at a time until that first gentle tension is felt in the groin muscles.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

STANDING HAMSTRING STRETCH Keep back straight.

Bend knee while extending opposite leg.

Flex the foot of the extended leg.

Lean forward slightly from the waist until the first gentle tension is felt in the hamstring muscle.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Switch sides and repeat.

STATIC UPPER-BACK STRETCH Stand in front of a table or stable surface waist to chest height.

Place arm on surface with thumbs pointed straight up in the air.

Draw belly button inward.

Slowly lower body until a comfortable stretch is felt.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Switch sides and repeat.

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THINGS I LIKE LOVE

10/22/08

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By Carla Valencia de Martinez Photography by Gabriella Nissen

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas! Mrs. Meyers hand soap. $9.99 Mrsmeyers.com

Love this tee! We should have all been wearing it a few months ago! Too bad there was no way of letting people know that Mary Collier was selling these to benefit the Red Cross and the SPCA. Now you know. $15, 713.523.5503

La Bella Vita charm bracelet by Missoni is adorable! One of the charms cleverly holds solid perfume for last second touch-ups. Available with either Missoni original or Acqua solid perfume. $50 at Neiman Marcus

This is genius – Blondes vs.

Brunettes Powder Puff gals, you’ll need these. Cleatskins slip over cleated shoes to take athletes from the field into the world. Made from SKINTEK™ rubber, the compressed molded rubber is flexible and durable. $17.95 and up Cleatskins.com. For more information on Blondes vs. Brunettes and their annual Powder Puff Football Game to raise awareness and support for the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, visit www.blondesvsbrunettestex.org.

Shaving in the shower while you’re wet and slippery has never made much sense to me, but now eos (the evolution of smooth) has created a shaving cream that not only works but its ergonomic bottle is slip-proof, won’t leave a rust ring on the tile and is easy to recycle. Eos doesn’t smell like cheap men’s cologne or fruit punch, just soft natural fragrance. $4.99 at target

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It doesn’t get more basic than Gratefulimages paper products. I love these notecards with my name. Created by a family of artists here in Houston, their watercolor notecards are beautiful as well. Support local business!

Gratefulimages.com

Pretty sure I’ve already rambled on about how much I love anything amber scented; luckily it seems to be a trend in perfumes lately which means I can try things other than my standby Whole Foods Amber Oil. Estee Lauder’s Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is rich and comforting. $65 and up at Neiman Marcus.

Back to the hand soap! (And wait there’s more) Love British green queen Liz Earle’s line! The botanical Orange Flower Hand Wash and Hand Repair are super gentle and smell insanely, well, botanical. $19.50 | $38, lizearle.com

Not gonna lie, now that I’m married, my husband wants in on the whole things I love deal… so although this is all him, I gotta say I kinda love it too. OUTDOORCHEF’S City Grill is a compact gas kettle grill for small spaces. It has an interior flip funnel that allows you to bake, say, a flat bread pizza or flip the funnel and grill some burgers.

Plus it looks nice on our terrace. About $170, outdoorchefusa.com

Beautiful packaging and pure vegetable oval soaps make Fresh’s holiday soaps fantastic! They come in Frankincense, Myrrh and Gold; $45 for all 3 at Neiman Marcus 43. november08 002houston

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Interview by Lance Scott Walker Photography by Sofia van der Dys Makeup by Edward Sanchez All Clothing from Neiman Marcus

LOPEZ FAMILY GOLD

THIS PAST SUMMER, FOUR HOUSTONIANS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO BE SIBLINGS WENT TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN BEIJING. IN FACT, THEY WERE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM—TAEKWONDO—AND, YES, THEY’RE ALL THAT GOOD. BY NOW, YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD OF THEM AND ANYONE WHO HAS FOLLOWED THEIR STORY KNOWS THAT THEY BROUGHT HOME TWO BRONZE MEDALS (STEVEN AND DIANA) AND ONE SILVER (MARK). THIS CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE GAMES. IN FACT, IT TOOK PLACE ON THEIR LAST NIGHT IN HOUSTON, THE NIGHT BEFORE THEY LEFT FOR BEIJING. BELOW IS A SNAPSHOT OF HOW THEY FELT BEFORE THEY HEADED OUT FOR THE BIGGEST FAMILY OUTING OF THEIR LIVES.

JEAN LOPEZ

(COACH)

In coaching the Olympic team and coaching your siblings for so long, when you get to Beijing will it feel like you’re coaching two teams at the same time?

No, I see them as athletes when I’m in my coaching role. I can’t have my personal, emotional side of things as a brother manifest itself; otherwise that’s a recipe for disaster. So I think a huge component of our success is that I’ve been able to separate both roles.

Are you doing anything different this time, being that all of you are now involved on the big stage?

You do the same thing that’s gotten you there. You don’t try to do anything that’s going to change the formula of success, whether it’s the World Championships or the Olympics. The perspective that I’ve given them is that they need to approach the Olympics like it’s any other tournament. As much as you can. As much as possible. Of course, you’ve got the distractions of the media, sometimes you have obligations to sponsors and to other things, but when it’s all said and done, I try and make these guys have the approach that it’s another day at work. And I think the more that they feel like they can go out there and fight to win, they’re 80% ahead of the competition.

STEVEN LOPEZ

(WELTERWEIGHT)

It can’t be lost on you that with all of your success, there will be pressure on your younger siblings. Do you look at that and say ‘good, I’m glad there’s pressure on them‘?

You know, I think with our family, something we have going for us is that we thrive under pressure. I think they’ll live up to the pressure, you know? That’s what gets your adrenaline going, that’s what gets the fire going and actually when we compete internationally we compete under—and I’ll put this in quotes—under “hostile conditions” where everyone is heckling, booing, whistling and just cheering against United States, whether it be because of politics, because of envy or just because it’s the United States. So there is a sort of level of expectation on them just for the reason of them being a part of this family. But secondly, because, yeah, I’ve won the last two gold medals in the last two Olympics, so there is a certain level of expectation but I don’t think it’s going to be the sort of pressure that will work against them. I think it will be a competitive pressure that will help them do what they set out to do.

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This year, with all four of you there, will it be any different for you, or once you’re on the mat will it be the same as it was four years and eight years ago?

Hopefully I’ll be able to do the same thing, and when I say ‘the same thing,’ it’s the end result of winning a gold medal. But I think the biggest difference is I just can’t wait until the opening ceremonies, of just being able to walk into that stadium filled with 90,000 people and looking to my left and right and seeing my brothers and sister. I shared that experience with Jean in 2000 and 2004, but now, to have the great experiences that we’re going to have and the memories that we’re gonna have after these Olympics—that’s what I’m really looking forward to.

Out of all the awards and achievements, how does “People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People” rank?

It’s funny because it just kind of tells you where people stand as far as the Olympics or winning gold medals. For me, the gold medal is what’s important, but with People Magazine, nevermind that I won the gold in 2000 and 2004, they’re like ‘Oh my god! You’re one of People’s Hottest Bachelors!’

And that kind of catapulted me into the media, but it’s cooler that I was in last week’s People with my family. It was cool, it was fine, I got a lot of attention, I got a lot of mothers giving me their daughters’ emails – but it was all fun.

What you’re saying is that award goes on a different shelf.

Exactly.

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DIANA LOPEZ (FEATHERWEIGH T)

Your narrow miss in 2004 had to build character for you. What was the most important thing you took away from that?

I think the most important thing from not making the Olympic team would be just staying true to myself and staying on my path, not quitting. I always believe things happen for a reason. I was in Athens and I saw the girl who I lost to win a silver medal and of course that brought tears to my eyes, but my brother saw me in that situation and he said, ‘You know what, Diana? That coulda been you, and now you just go back home and train hard and you’ll be there one day.’

How sweet was it to beat your old nemesis Nia Abdallah this year?

For me, I beat her two times before this one, so…

Well, I mean in the same situation.

Oh yeah, the same way she beat me I beat her, so I think everything comes around full circle. God works in mysterious ways.

MARK LOPEZ

(FEATHERWEIGHT)

In starting off so young, you had to be sort of consumed with Taekwondo. Do you remember a point in growing up where you could sort of step away and see it from the outside?

There was a point when I started playing football – I was ten or eleven – and I was kind of thinking ‘maybe I should just concentrate on football, maybe give Taekwondo a rest.’ And my family just said ‘okay, if that’s what you want.’ So I took a little time off and it wasn’t too long that I started missing Taekwondo a lot and never again wanted to get away from it. But if I could sort of bring myself out of this circle of Taekwondo, looking in I would see it as a great sport and something that’s really helped me develop as a human being and has brought my family together.

I asked Steven about his People Magazine Eligible Bachelor award. You feel like you need to edge out your older brother and get on that list next?

Well, I would if I could, but I just recently got engaged, so I don’t think I’m gonna be on that list anyways.

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LAURA ANN WILKINSON olympic diver 31 (ON NOVEMBER 17;

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAURA!)

Wilkinson started in gymnastics; lucky for us she realized soon that she would be no Mary Lou Retton and followed other gymnasts she’d known into the world of diving. If you were like us, you were glued to your TV sets watching her flip, point and pike her way dive after dive for what would be the last time. She announced her retirement prior to Beijing and for our photoshoot, she had been a month and a half out of the water. “I’m in denial. I feel like I’m on a long break.” She’s not used the “normal life thing yet,” asking Edward Sanchez who’s doing her makeup, “What’s a good eye makeup remover? I used to just get in the water and it would come off.”

For now, she’s created the Laura Wilkinson Foundation to build a new pool since the Woodlands facility that’s been like a second home to her is being demolished in January.

She’s also focusing on fun things like learning how to ski and taking a vacation in December.

And, no, she doesn’t have a pool at home and “I don’t want one.”

FAVORITES: PERFUME CHLORINE IS MY MOST COMMON SCENT STORE TARGET MUSICIAN JERRY CAMP MOTTO I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST, HE STRENGTHENS ME. laurawilkinson.com

Photography by Sofia van der Dys | Makeup by Edward Sanchez | Alberta Ferretti dress at Neiman Marcus

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TYRONE SMITH olympic long jumper Born on the island of Bermuda and raised in Chicago, as a Junior level athlete he started to compete for Bermuda in Track and Field. Smith went to Beijing for Bermuda competing in the long jump and was the highest place finisher for Bermuda, taking 7th in his round of 22 and 15th overall – missing the finals by 3 centimeters. But he’s not crying over spilled milk! Tyrone is full of life and enjoys it to the fullest. When he’s not training 6 days a week, he can be found watching movies or soaking in the Midtown nightlife scene. UH alum Carl Lewis manages Tyrone and legendary Coach Tom Tellez, who was the head coach of UH track and field for 22 years, coaches the athlete. When Tyrone’s career is over on the track he plans to attend law school to become a sports agent.

FAVORITES: FOOD CHICAGO STYLE PIZZA!!! SONG “WE MAJOR,” KANYE WEST SHOE NIKE AIRFORCE 1 IDEAL WOMAN EVA MENDEZ MOVIE "TOP GUN" JumpTyroneJump.com

Photography by Sofia van der Dys | Styling by Beatrice Valencia | Ralph Lauren shirt and pant; Orifinal Penguin vest all at Neiman Marcus

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CHRIS KEITH SAMPSON HEATHER SAMPSON CJ SAMPSON astros pitcher | wife | future player

Sampson is a right-handed, Major League pitcher for the Houston Astros.

After playing for the Texas Tech University Red Raiders, he started his Major League Baseball career on June 2, 2006, when he entered a blowout game for the Houston Astros against the Cincinnati Reds in relief of starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez. He got married at home plate of Minute Maid Park over the 2006-07 offseason and as we were shooting him the couple was getting ready for a late honeymoon and anniversary trip to Cabo San Lucas. On May 15, 2007, Sampson was with his wife, Heather, as she delivered the couple’s first child, an 8-pound, 14-ounce boy named C.J. The next day Sampson pitched 6 innings, giving up 7 hits, allowing 1 run and struck out Barry Bonds in a 2-1 victory. Before the game the umpires made him take off his hospital wristband.

CHRIS’ FAVORITES CANDY BABY RUTH SONG “WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN” KENNY CHESNEY ACTOR DENZEL WASHINGTON SCENT THE SMELL OF PUMPKIN PIE BAKING IN THE OVEN VACATION CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO HEATHER’S FAVORITES CANDY REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS SONG CHANGES OFTEN BUT RIGHT NOW IT’S “ALL SUMMER LONG” KID ROCK ACTOR CHARLIZE THERON SCENT FRESH CUT GRASS VACATION CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

Photography by Sofia van der Dys | His own suit, Etro shirt; Carmen Marc Valvo gown all at Neiman Marcus

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CHESTER MORISE PITTS II offensive lineman | houston texans Pitts ain’t your average football player. He has a plan. And he’s freaking hilarious; the man should have his own talk show, but until he does, corresponding for Ellen DeGeneres does him just fine. Pitts is the only Texans player to start all 96 games in franchise history. He’s played the most consecutive snaps for the Texans at 3,884 and he’s only missed six plays in six seasons. At his photoshoot, Sofia van der Dys, the photographer, asked him to stand up straight, “Show us your abs.”

“What? Do I look like I have abs? I don’t lift weights to look good.” Pitts is super involved in the community – it’s important to him. “I’m the reigning champ when it comes to involvement and appearances.

Everyone can’t do the kids – it came easy to me.” What’s next after the days of glory end for Pitts? “I’m blessed. I’ve got opportunities, broadcasting, businesses and real estate. Some people can’t see past a day, I’ve got a jump start on my life.”

FAVORITES: CANDY KIT KAT SONG "LIFE OF THE PARTY" SNOOP DOG DESIGNER PUFFY CARTOON CHARACTER BABY HUEY MEAL CAPITAL GRILL’S CRAB CAKES; VIC & ANTHONY’S QUAIL; FLEMING’S LOBSTER TEMPURA AND POTATOES; PAPPAS’ FILET; ANYONE CAN DO THE BROCCOLI

Photography by Sofia van der Dys

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KELLY CRABB | CHRISTY COOK amazing race contestants Kelly and Christy are best friends and have been through everything together. Both were college athletes, sorority sisters and worked for the same company in Houston for a number of years and have seen each other through the good and bad.

After an emotionally tough year of both suffering through the aftermath of failed marriages, they decided to audition for CBS’s repeat Emmy award-winning hit reality travel show, The Amazing Race. These girls will not settle for second best. With successful sales careers and an inspiring sense of independence, the Texas twosome is in it to win. They trained for months including hiking, running miles with backpacks, weight-training, kayaking, map reading and language study. Kelly works as a sales representative, but is currently developing a dance instruction business and is truly an entrepreneur at heart. Christy is a business development representative for a title insurance company, and has written a comical autobiography about her disastrous, short-lived marriage. The two also aspire to develop an active wear line and both currently reside in Austin, Texas. The Amazing Race comes on CBS Sunday nights at 8 pm/ 7 central.

KELLY’S FAVORITES MAKEUP MAC COLOR BLACK, BUT NOW I’M PARTIAL TO TURQUOISE HISTORICAL FIGURE ???? SPORT ANYTHING OUTDOORS HOLIDAY NEW YEARS I SUPPOSE CHRISTY’S FAVORITES MAKEUP MAC COLOR TURQUOISE HISTORICAL FIGURE JESUS SPORT CHEERLEADING | FOOTBALL HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS EVE

Christy Cook

cbs.com, kellyandchristy.com, kellycrabb.com, christydcook.com

Kelly Crabb

Photography by Sofia van der Dys | Makeup by Wendy | Hair by Joel Ray at Hairy Situations in Austin Etro, Dolce & Gabbana trench coats at Neiman Marcus

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VILLE JANSSON | NICLAS KROON general manager + co-owner | club manager + tennis director + co-owner There is a new club in town. The Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club officially opened its doors in the summer, taking the place of the University Club. Over $4 million was spent on renovations and upgrades, creating a more exclusive facility for members. The now-80,000-squarefoot space houses nine newly resurfaced tennis courts, an extensive fitness center, executive grade locker rooms and two dining options, one casual and one more formal. Membership will be limited to less than 1,000. The club will invite touring professionals to use the club as a home base for training and development. Membership initiation fees range from $2,000 to $10,000. For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact Blair DiSesa at 832.325.5100 or email blair.disesa@thegtac.com. www.mygtac.com

Niclas Kroon

Ville Jansson

Photography by Jack Potts

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002 PROFILE

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Photography by Kennon Evett

NADIA COMANECI

FAVORITES: TOP 3 SONGS BEE GEES, CHICAGO, CELINE DION HISTORICAL FIGURE EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER SHOP LA & NYC DRINK FLAVORED SPARKLING WATER DO YOU VOLUNTEER? Yes, Special Olympics and Muscular Dystrophy.

DO YOU RECYCLE? Yes, plastic.

DO YOU SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGES FLUENTLY? Yes, Romanian, French, English, Italian, Spanish.

WHAT MAGAZINE—OTHER THAN 002 NATURALLY—WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FEATURED ON THE COVER OF? ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO EAT PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST OR CEREAL FOR DINNER? Pizza for breakfast as long as its dinnertime somewhere else in the world.

SLIPPERS OR BARE FEET AROUND THE HOUSE? Both.

WHAT AWARDS HAVE YOU WON? I.O.C. Olympic Order twice.

ARE YOU NAMED FOR ANYONE? IS ANYONE NAMED AFTER YOU? My mom named me Nadia after a movie she saw that had a ballerina named Nadia, which means hope in Russian. After the Olympics, 150 girls in Canada were named Nadia.

DO YOU HAVE A GARDEN? FLOWER OR VEGETABLE? Yes, flowers.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SAYING OR LIFE MOTTO? Don’t pray for an easy life, pray to be a strong person. Impossible is nothing.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF? My two-year-old son, Dylan.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON THE COMPUTER EACH DAY? Not more than one hour.

DO YOU WATCH TV SHOWS OR MOVIES ON THE INTERNET? A little bit.

CAN YOU HEM A SKIRT? I have been sewing since I was nine.

WHO DO YOU CARRY PHOTOS OF IN YOUR WALLET? My husband and my son.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Romania.

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY? Celebrated with my husband.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? Crispy Chicken Sandwich from Browns in Oklahoma.

WHAT’S ON YOUR KEY RING? Keys from the car, houses, office and gym.

HOW MANY SONGS ARE ON YOUR IPOD®? 1,000.

WHAT REALITY SHOW DO YOU WATCH? WHAT HOLIDAY WOULD YOU DECLARE? Christmas.

WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY? Always look forward and try to be positive.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR HOME? I can do everything I want.

At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, a 14-year-old Romanian dynamo captured the hearts and minds of the world with her gracefulness and perfection. We came to know this Romanian heroine simply as “Nadia.” By the end of the 1976 Olympic games, Nadia Comaneci earned seven perfect 10s, three gold medals, one bronze, one silver and countless fans. More than 30 years after scoring a perfect 10, winning means something different to Nadia today. Today, winning means spending time with her husband, former Olympic gymnast Bart 52. november08 002houston

Connor and their two-year-old son, Dylan. It means finding time to express herself through meaningful work, family and friends. And, as Nadia shared with a room full of women in Houston in October, it means taking time to look as good on the outside as she feels on the inside. Nadia has teamed up with Allergan, the makers of BOTOX® Cosmetic, to share this message of what it means to achieve your “personal best” and is revealing her tips for staying in shape, balancing work life and family, and why she made the choice to be treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic.

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Vicente Fernandez

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Gloria Estefan

Buika

Juanes

Kany Garcia

MUY CALIENTE!

By Nadia Michel

Vicente Fernadez photo by Martin Pietz, Juanes Photo by John Medina

T

HE LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS ARE COMING TO HOUSTON NOVEMBER 13, AND, YES, IT IS A BIG DEAL. 15,000 PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO FILL THE TOYOTA CENTER FOR THE EVENT. THE SHOW WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD. AND FOR A FEW DAYS, DUBBED LATIN GRAMMY WEEK, HOUSTON WILL BE AWASH IN RED CARPETS, GLAMOROUS PARTIES AND HOT LATIN ROCK STARS.

Now in their ninth year, the Latin Grammys were originally broadcast in English on CBS. In fact, the popular Latin-American sitcom star George Lopez hosted the show – in English – only four years ago at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. In 2005, The Latin Recording Academy left CBS and made a deal with the Spanish-language Univision Network in a bid to better serve its diverse audience. That shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying the show, though. According to Abaroa, “Thirty percent of attendees are not Latino.” Those who don’t speak Spanish, he says, “will understand the flavor and happiness of the music.”

Buika, Café Tacuba and Vicente Fernandez are just some of the nominees who have been causing a commotion in the Latin world. Along with Kany García and Juanes, their music is nominated for Album of the Year. Other categories, like Best Rock Song and Best Alternative Music Album, dispel any misconception that these awards are all about salsa or meringue.

The number of non-Latino attendees is usually up to sixty percent at the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year event, happening this year at the George R. Brown Convention center November 12. Gloria Estefan is being honored with a star-studded concert and dinner for her global impact on music and culture. Guest artists will play tribute to Estefan by performing some of her songs. Although honorees themselves are never scheduled to perform, they usually end up on stage.

“One year, Ricky Martin was being honored and he ended up performing song after song. I couldn’t get him off stage,” says Abaroa.

While they may be less well-known to Americans, Latin artists have no shortage of fans. “Last year, we had 80 million viewers worldwide, 12.3 million in the U.S. alone,” says President of the Latin Recording Academy Gabriel Abaroa. Compare that to the 17.5 million American viewers during this year’s English-language Grammy Awards, and the importance of the event for the Latin music industry and its players is clear. “These awards have a big impact on their careers,” says Abaroa.

In an effort to keep it fresh, the Latin Grammys are produced in a different city every year. They’ve been in New York, Miami and Las Vegas. “We were looking for a city that is able to give us a terrific airport, with direct flights to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo,” explains Abaroa. The vibrant Latino population, a first-rate venue like the Toyota Center and an abundance of hotel rooms were also factors in selecting Houston for this year’s Grammys. Of the 15,000 attendees, at least 50% are expected to be from other cities. That translates into a nice tourist rush for Houston.

Of course, changing venues is also a clever way of avoiding playing second fiddle to all the other award shows that happen in L.A. “We took a few measures to add personality to these Grammys,” says Abaroa. A self-described dreamer, Gabriel Abaroa makes sure all the events surrounding Latin Grammy Week exceed the expectations of even the most demanding divas. He is also rather pragmatic. “If I could go back in time, I would not have named this the Latin Grammys. People who are not Latin sometimes feel excluded,” he says.

Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Texas-born Vikki Carr, Cheo Feliciano, Astrud Gilberto, Angélica María, María Dolores Pradera and Estela Raval. Simón Díaz, Larry Harlow and Juanito Márquez will be honored with the Latin Recording Academy Trustees Award. The award recipients will be acknowledged at a special ceremony on November 12 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston.

If there is any doubt as to who might be interested in these – ahem, Latin – awards, Gabriel Abaroa has it all straightened out: “This is produced for anyone who likes Latin beer, enjoys a taco or who might use salsa instead of ketchup.” Isn’t that, like, everyone?

The 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards will air at 8pm Eastern/ 7pm Central on the Univision Network. Tickets to the event can be purchased at www.toyotacenter.com. Prices range from $125-$450.

For information on purchasing tickets or tables to The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute to Gloria Estefan, please contact The Latin Recording Academy ticketing office at 305.576.0036 or e-mail Laras@grammy.

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BRAIN

EXCERCISE

5

Photography by Gabriella Nissen

6 1

4 2 3

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8

7

9 1. Arcadia Publishing, Galveston: A City on Stilts, arcadiapublishing.com (Proceeds benefit the re-building of Galverston) | 2. Stephen P. Leatherman and Jack Williams, Hurricanes: Causes, Effects and the Future, voyageurpress.com | 3. Ralph Gibson, The Sounds I See: Photographs of Musicians,, mfah.org/shops | 4. David McGlynn, The End of the Straight and Narrow, tamu.edu/upress | 5. (Standing on stacked books)

DailyCandy, The DailyCandy Lexicon: Words That Don’t Exist But Should, dailycandy.com/book | 6. Jenna McEachern, 100 Things Longhorns Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, triumphbooks.com | Ed Housewright (Foreword by Tony Dorsett), 100 Things Cowboys Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, triumphbooks.com | David Magee, Playing to Win: Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, triumphbooks.com | Adam Jones, Rose Bowl Dreams: Life, Loss, Redemption and the 55. november08 002houston

Triumph of Texas Longhorn Football, stmartins.com | Bob Lilly with Kristine Setting Clark (Foreword by Roger Staubach), A Cowboy’s Life, triumphbooks.com | 7. (Scattered cards) Eckhart Tolle, card deck based on A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, newworldlibrary.com | 8. Pablo Neruda, INTIMACIES: Poems of Love, harpercollins.com | 9. Swarovski’s Unbridaled, assouline.com

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ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

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Photography provided by Maserati

MASERATI GRANTURISMO | STYLED BY PININFARINA

NEED WE SAY MORE?

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ARCHICHAT

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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. sandragunn.com Photography by Carlos Damian

ARCHITECT, PHILOSOPHER, INTELLECT, HUSBAND, FATHER, WES ANDERSON FAN. WE MET AT HIS MONTROSE OFFICE ONE AFTERNOON…FULL OF LIGHT, SURROUNDED BY TREES, A TEAM THAT LAUGHS AND IS FILLED WITH A SENSE OF WONDER OF WHY THE PUBLIC WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY EFFORTS. IT IS THAT SENSE OF MODESTY THAT CONTINUES TO INTRIGUE ME AS I WORK WITH THESE AMAZING MULTI-FACETED PROFESSIONALS YEAR AFTER YEAR. I COULD BE WRONG BUT I REALLY FEEL THAT ARCHITECTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PUBLIC FOR SO LONG THAT THEY DON’T EVEN REALIZE THE PROFOUND IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WORK ON THE WORLD. THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS CAPTURED TO CREATE THE SPACE THAT FERNANDO BRAVE’S FIRM INHABITS. THEREIN LIES THE FOUNDATION FOR HIS FIRM. Fernando graduated from the University of Houston with a Master of Architecture degree in 1988. Before moving to Houston in 1987, he completed a six-year undergraduate architecture program at the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, where he later taught design studio and architectural history. Currently he is a third-year design studio professor at UH. THE FOUNDER OF BRAVE / ARCHITECTURE, A FULL-SERVICE, AWARD-WINNING ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN FIRM, Fernando, a LEED® Accredited Professional, has lectured on Green Architecture and other topics. His work has been featured in Architectural Record, Texas Architect, The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Architectural Guide, American School & University magazine and other publications. He is also the recipient of many awards including several private competitions.

Along with projects from art galleries to large institutional projects for the YMCA, the Houston Community College and UH, his portfolio includes work performed pro bono for nonprofit institutions. He has also been, and continues to be, a part of numerous boards including those of The Rice Design Alliance, the Houston Chamber Orchestra, the Houston Archeological and Historical Commission, and the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

SPECIALITY? I would like for my practice to be considered a general practice. I call myself a generalist.

I have a fundamental problem with specialty architecture. The line between specialty and “cookie-cutter” prototyped projects is very thin, often misunderstood or abused.

WHAT DROVE YOU TO ARCHITECTURE? I am still trying to find that out. Maybe the illusion that putting things in their place would lead to a better environment or to an easier, less complex life.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT IT? Finding the right relationship between objects. Tuning and bringing into balance the space in between what we build.

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CURRENT PROJECTS? An art gallery for Cicada on West Alabama across from the Menil, a few projects for the YMCA of Greater Houston, diverse educational projects of all levels of education, a women’s shelter and a few other public projects. Close to 30 projects in all.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOME. I live with my wife, Marcela, and our four children (Ivan-17, Axel-15, Alana-12, Anouk-10) in a house I designed and built in the West End or Rice Military in 1996. It is inexpensive, funky, welcoming, flexible and fun.

WHAT STRUCTURE DO YOU WISH YOU HAD DESIGNED? Globally it would have to be Le Corbusier’s convent of La Tourette. Here in Houston it would have to be the Pennzoil Plaza because I consider it one of the most influential buildings ever built in this city.

HOW DID YOU COME TO LIVE/WORK IN HOUSTON AND WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO MAKE THIS YOUR HOME? I followed my then fiancée and now wife Marcela, and I enrolled at UH. The plan was to stay here for a year or two. Houston is a huge magnet. This is a great city, full of opportunities, very welcoming, friendly and constantly wanting to be discovered; sensual in that way.

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FERNANDO BRAVE | A BRAVE NEW WORLD

WHAT BUILDING DO YOU WISH YOU COULD REMODEL? The Astrodome. Because it is in Houston and because as far as I am concerned, nobody has been able to come up with a viable solution that considers the large impact that such structure had around the world at its time. I would propose to turn it into the World Museum of Space Exploration, and would have, for instance, the soon-to-be-retired Space Shuttle hanging inside it. It would be a mega-scale theme park that would attract a worldwide audience year-round.

BEST PLACES IN HOUSTON TO HANG OUT? Besides my backyard patio?

WHAT STAMP OR IDEA DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE ON THE WORLD AND WHY? I am humble about that. I would like to leave some good structures and great spaces that are recognized for what they are rather than for who designed them.

I would like to leave my children the desire for passion, in whatever field they choose.

When I am gone, I want people to look at my life in general, my work, my teaching, my community service, my family life, and finally, at a distance, understand what it was all about, and think of me.

FAVORITES: LINCOLN LOGS OR ERECTOR SET? LEGOS! MEAL I HAVE SOME 200 COOKBOOKS. ANYTHING GOOD GOES. MUSSELS, ITALIAN, SUSHI, ANYTHING ON THE GRILL! MOVIE A CLOCKWORK ORANGE STORE WHOLE EARTH PROVISION ON ALABAMA CITY TAOS, NEW MEXICO STRUCTURE ROBERT MAILLART’S BRIDGES MUSEUM THE MENIL COLLECTION, OBVIOUSLY… IF YOU WERE NOT AN ARCHITECT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? I’D BE AN ARCHITECT ALL OVER AGAIN… YOUR MOTTO STAY FOCUSED!

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WHERE TO LIVE THE AMALFI AT HERMANN PARK

FALL CREEK

THE KIRBY LOFTS

917 MAIN ST., DOWNTOWN HOUSTON

LOCATION

3 HERMANN MUSEUM CIRCLE, BETWEEN TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND THE MUSEUM DISTRICT

JUST EAST OF U.S. 59 AND SOUTH OF BELTWAY 8 IN HUMBLE.

AMBIENCE

Our luxurious Mediterranean styling and strong Italian influence transport residents to the famous Amalfi Coast in Italy, for an environment unlike any other, all right here in the heart of Houston.

Elegant homes located in a friendly, golf-course community surrounded by a naturally wooded landscape.

In the heart of Downtown Houston’s central business district

AMENITIES

The Amalfi at Hermann Park will offer a complimentary concierge, dry cleaning valet service, resort-style pool, heated lap pool, a 24-hour state-of-the-art cardio fitness center, 2 garden courtyards with water features and BBQ grills, 24hour Cyber café, business center and resident lounge w/free WiFi, 5 elevators (4 resident and 1 freight) and a 5 1/2 story parking garage with multi-level access to apartment homes.

Residents enjoy a wealth of amenities, including The Park at Fall Creek, a 10-acre recreation complex with junior Olympic pool, water playground, slides and spray park. A second pool, four lighted tennis courts, parks and hike-andbike trails add to the fun. Another plus: Redstone Golf Club is located in the community as is Fall Creek Elementary, a state-of-the-art campus that opened in August.

Direct access to 7 ½-mile tunnel system, 24/7 fitness center, some units with balconies overlooking Main St., and MetroRail stop at the front door; units with granite countertops and oak hardwood floors, large closets and large bathrooms.

420 units including Studios, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments, some with lofts, hardwood floors, private patios and walk-in showers.

Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, custom Italianinspired cabinetry, 9- or 10-ft. ceilings and double crown molding are standard features in every apartment

Many of Houston’s top builders offer designs in Fall Creek, with prices from the $150,000s to the millions that fit any lifestyle.

Homes are available in all neighborhoods, with sizes starting from 1,600 square feet and up.

Studios, 1bedroom/1bath, and 2 bedrooms/2 baths

Located on the corner of Almeda and Hermann Drive, directly across the street from the Hermann Park Golf Course and just down the street from the new Hotel ZaZa and Mecom Fountain, our location is ideal for anyone wanting easy access to the Texas Medical Center or Rice University. We even offer complimentary shuttle service Mon-Fri back and forth from each of these destinations. Our centralized location affords easy access to Midtown, Downtown and Rice Village.

Just 8 miles from Bush Intercontinental Airport and 15 miles from downtown Houston, the Texas Medical Center, the museum district, the arts district and much more.

Direct access to Downtown’s tunnel system, 2 blocks from House of Blues/Houston Pavilions, few short blocks from Discovery Green Park, Theatre District, Minute Maid, Toyota Center, Bayou Place, George R. Brown Convention Center and MetroRail.

UNITS/ROOMS

WITHIN REACH

PRICE

CONTACT

Studios starting at $1245, 1 bedroom at $1345, 2 bedrooms at $1830, 3 bedrooms at $2200 * $1500 concession available on select units with a 12-month lease

For leasing information, please contact The Amalfi leasing office at 866.922.2380 or by email at HermannPark@archstonemail.com

$150,000s to $2 millions

www.fallcreekhouston.com 281.458.8000 60. november08 002houston

From $74,900 to $219,900 with all utilities paid in monthly HOA Terry Stanfield w/ Heritage Texas Properties-Downtown at 713.227.5406 tstanfield@heritagetexas.com and www.heritagetexas.com Downtown’s #1 Realtor

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BUSINESS PROFILE

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Photography by Cody Bess

CLINT HERZOG, D.D.S. | FLOSS

Dr. Clint Herzog grew up in south Texas, graduated from Texas A&M in ’96 and was top-ranked at UT San Antonio Health Science Center in 2000. After running one of the most successful and well-respected cosmetic dental practices in Dallas, he created the concept of Floss, a high tech practice providing the full range of dental services, including cosmetic dentistry, at an in-network price. He has fused his small town upbringing with the latest in the dental profession to create a “New experience in dentistry.” He has served on the Dallas police review board, is involved with DASA (Dallas All Sports Association) and was an honorary chair for DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids) Dallas. He and Breah have been married for almost five years and enjoy traveling and hanging with friends at the lake. They lead Bible studies for married couples at their home and are extremely involved in many areas of the Dallas social and charitable scene. They also have a 19-month-old daughter, Parker, who is usually toted along with them. “If you ever start feeling too good about yourself, have a battle of the wills with a one-year-old. But seriously, she is the best thing for us because she reminds us to have fun in life.”

He is excited about bringing this new concept to Houston. “Houston reminds me a lot more of home.” You can catch up with him and his family in the Midtown area starting November 10.

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIALTY? I do everything in dentistry from cosmetics to implants and wisdom teeth.

WHERE DID YOU DO YOUR RESIDENCY? UT San Antonio (#1, I am sure I will hear about that from my other docs).

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD? I like to b.s. with people and fix stuff and that is what I do all day. I also like the art in the science of dentistry.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEDICAL TV SHOW, AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE SHOW THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH REALITY? Grey’s Anatomy, it reminds me of the school atmosphere. (Everyone was in everyone else’s business, but a lot of fun.)

WHAT WOULD YOU PUT ON A PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATE? Daddy.

WORK SHOES? Sometimes I like to dress up but it is nice to be able to wear tennis shoes and scrubs.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE ABOUT GOING TO THE DOCTOR? Waiting. I don’t like to wait for anything. I am sure my staff is laughing at that one…..

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOUR PATIENTS WOULD DO TO HELP YOU CARE FOR THEM? Just full communication. Having a relationship in full communication is key, so I can best help them.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE FOOD PYRAMID? Is candy on that pyramid? I love candy, mostly sour candy.

WHAT ARE YOU SQUEAMISH ABOUT? Not a damn thing. Dental school cures you of that. After a year of snacking in the gross anatomy lab while studying, I don’t think anything will ever compare.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE IF YOU WEREN’T A DENTIST? Pro golfer, entrepreneur, writer.

WHAT’S THE LONGEST STRETCH YOU’VE EVER STAYED AWAKE? 56 hours. I hated studying and I would wait till the last minute.

DO YOU WATCH THE CSI PROGRAMS? Definitely CSI Miami. Horatio take off the shades…no, put them back on.

IF YOU COULD FIND A CURE FOR ANY DISEASE, WHICH WOULD IT BE? Laziness.

DID YOU HAVE A MENTOR? My mentors have been helpful, but ultimately I think it is most important to find your own way.

FAVORITES: FOOD CYCLONE ANAYA’S STORE NORDSTROM BOOK A NEW EARTH AIRLINE SOUTHWEST SCENT MY DAUGHTER’S BABY SMELL 62. november08 002houston

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EVENT CELEBRATION OF CHAMPIONS WHY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH AT

TEXAS CHILDREN’S CANCER CENTER WHERE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

Photography by Allen S. Kramer

WHEN SEPTEMBER 25

Honorary chairs Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio hosted the luncheon and fashion show, which featured a tribute to special champions – children who are long-term survivors of cancer. Texas Children’s Cancer Center is the largest hematology and oncology program in the nation.

Dan Duncan, Jan Duncan, Dr. David Poplack

Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio

Courtney Lanier Sarofim, Bob Graham

Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show

Tyson Faust, Robert Stokes, Tena Faust

Carmen Mach, Patty Biggio, Jill Gracely

Sidney Faust, Terry Zmyslo, Judi Holmes

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wiseguy

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BY BRANT CROUCHER

W

HEN IT COMES TO HOUSTON SPORTS, I PUT ON FOR MY CITY.

IT’S EASY TO FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVES WITH RESPECTS TO OUR FAIR TOWN’S SPORTS SCENE – WE’VE CERTAINLY HAD OUR FAIR SHARE OF GUTWRENCHING, WHY-DOES-GOD-HATE-US MOMENTS OVER THE DECADES. WE’VE WITNESSED A 32-POINT LEAD EVAPORATE IN AN OILERS PLAYOFF GAME. WE’VE SEEN OUR BELOVED ASTROS SWEPT RIGHT OUT OF THE WORLD SERIES. EVEN THIS LAST MONTH WE WATCHED A 27-10 4TH QUARTER LEAD OVER THE RIVAL COLTS FUMBLED AWAY (CUE BENNY HILL THEME MUSIC) ON THE WAY TO ANOTHER “OH-FER” START FOR THE FRUSTRATING TEXANS. BUT WHY SPEND TIME WALLOWING IN WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN?

Houston, We Have Earl Campbell With the first pick overall in the 1978 draft, the Houston Oilers selected Texas Longhorn AllAmerican and Heisman Trophy winner EARL CAMPBELL. The Tyler Rose’s abilities were already wellestablished but the entire nation was treated to an awe-inspiring performance when the Oilers faced-off against the Miami Dolphins in a Monday Night Football game his rookie year (yes, we once played pro football on Monday nights). Campbell ran wild on the Dolphins defense, rolling up 199 yards and 4 TDs en route to a 35-30 Oilers win. He’d later run off with awards for Offensive Rookie of the Year and league MVP.

Oilers’ ‘D’ Grounds Chargers A successful 1979 campaign found the OILERS with an 11-5 record (including a win at Dallas) which was good enough for the AFC wild-card spot. After a gutsy performance by the Houston defense (can you imagine?) in a 13-7 Wild Card Game win over the Denver Broncos, the boys in blue

were set for an AFC Divisional Game date with the San Diego Chargers (can you imagine?). The Oilers offense played without several key starters (including the aforementioned Campbell), yet still managed to pull out the win – and a shot at an AFC Championship – despite being significantly outgained in total yardage.

had the storyline – they came from behind, winning games in dramatic, this-is-our-destiny fashion; and they had the hardware – they actually closed the deal and brought home the trophy. We had a parade. Oh, happy day.

Scoreboard, Big D Scott Steps Up, Shuts Giants Down The 1986 Astros needed just one win to clinch the NL-West Division. On September 25, ace Mike Scott put together a performance for the ages, pitching a no-hitter – a feat which had never before been done by any team to clinch a division title. The right-handed slinger struck out 13 batters in a dominant display which all but secured the NL Cy Young award. The ’Stros missed their shot at the World Series, dropping a 16-inning thriller against the Mets, but Astros fans still fondly remember the 1986 team as one of the best in the franchise’s history.

We Are the Champions The Houston Rockets’ 1994 and 1995 championships are easily Houston’s two greatest sports moments (not to diminish the Comets’ five-straight). I won’t spend much time on the Clutch City days as I believe they speak for themselves. They had the players – OLAJUWON and later, Drexler; they 64. november08 002houston

In 2002, professional football was officially back on the menu in H-town.

Everyone knew the odds of an upset against the alleged “America’s Team” were long.

Nobody told the Texans, however, as future “Ryan Leaf Award for QB Excellence” candidate DAVID CARR led the upstart Texans to a 19-10 win over the northern Texas aggressors. It was only the second time in the history of the NFL that an expansion team won its first game.

Egg on the face of Dallas fans combined with the hope of great things to come for Houston makes this a personal favorite sports moment – five mediocre follow-up seasons notwithstanding.

OF COURSE, THIS LIST IS FAR FROM COMPREHENSIVE; IT’S JUST A FEW PERSONAL FAVORITES. THE ROCKETS’ 2008-2009 SEASON JUST STARTED, SO HERE’S TO HOPING FOR MORE MEMORABLE SPORTS MOMENTS WITH ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE.

Photography by Kennon Evett

THIS IS THE SEASON FOR GIVING THANKS AND I’LL GIVE YOU A FEW REMINDERS AS TO WHY WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR HOUSTON SPORTS. I PRESENT TO YOU A FEW OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS IN HOUSTON SPORTS HISTORY THAT EVERY HOUSTON WISE GUY SHOULD KNOW.

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FINANCE

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by Hal Lynde, Managing Director, Morgan Keegan Photography by Daniel Ortiz

IT’S TIME AGAIN…YEAR-END TAX PLANNING – START NOW! WITH SO MUCH VOLATILITY IN THE STOCK MARKET, DON’T FORGET TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR END OF YEAR TAX PLANNING. IF YOU DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOUR INVESTMENTS ARE TAXED YOU MAY FIND YOUR SELF WITH AN UNEXPECTED TAX BILL. WHAT ARE YEAR-END INVESTMENT DECISIONS? hal lynde Year-end investment decisions may sometimes result in substantial tax savings. Tax planning may allow you to control the timing and method by which you report your income and claim your deductions and credits. The basic strategy for year-end planning is both to time your income so that it will be taxed at a lower rate, and to time your deductible expenses so that they may be claimed in years when you are in a higher tax bracket. In terms of investment planning, investing in capital assets may increase your ability to time the recognition of some of your income and may help you to take advantage of tax rates that are lower than the ordinary income tax rates. You have the flexibility to control when you recognize the income or loss on many types of investment assets. In most cases, you determine when to sell your capital assets. In some cases, however, shifting potential capital gain income to other taxpayers through gifting may be an appropriate strategy.

TIMING YOUR CAPITAL GAIN RECOGNITION. Careful timing of when you sell capital assets may help you to reduce your federal income tax liability. For example, if it’s late in the year and you want to sell a capital asset, you can wait until January to sell it so that you realize your capital gain or loss next year (assuming that you have a calendar tax year). This strategy is particularly useful if you are in a higher marginal tax bracket in the current year and expect to be in a lower one in the following year. Timing can also be important because capital gain income increases your adjusted gross income (AGI). Itemized deductions and personal exemptions may be phased out or decreased if your AGI in a given year exceeds a specified threshold.

PLAN YOUR YEAR-END CAPITAL GAIN AND LOSS STATUS. Planning the time when you recognize capital losses may also be important. If you expect to recognize a capital gain this year, you should review your portfolio for possible capital losses that can be used to offset the gains. If you have any capital loss carryforwards, you should review your portfolio for capital gain opportunities to make use of such carryforwards. In general, net capital losses are deductible dollar-for-dollar against net capital gains. Excess losses are allowed to offset up to $3,000 ($1,500 for individuals filing married, filing separate tax returns) of ordinary income per year. Losses over and above the limit may be carried forward indefinitely.

Consult your CPA or financial advisor to understand your year-end investment tax planning options.

For a free consultation, call the Lynde Group at Morgan Keegan 713.840.3640.

DON’T MISS HAL’S MARKET UPDATES AT 6:40AM AND 3:40PM AS CAPTAIN CASH ON 94.5 THE BUZZ. 65. november08 002houston

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VROOM, VROOM

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By Michael Andre Adams Images provided by Lincoln and Jaguar

DOWNRIGHT SULTRY SEDANS

A

2009 JAGUAR XF

n elegant front grill says Bentley (Continental GT Coupe) at a glance, until you zoom in to catch the centered, sexy Jaguar emblem. Sleek sidelines give the illusion of a coupe with four doors, suggesting the ability to perform.

Sidelines include body louvers reminiscent of the XK, sporting the Jaguar logo. From behind (often a man’s favorite view) you’ll stare with amazement at the wide track design enhanced by polished chrome accents to include that sexy Jaguar emblem. • The interior design is thoughtful, courteous and convenient, with the options we expect in a luxury car of today including: heated and cooled seats; memory for the seat, power tilt wheel and side view mirrors; iPod® connection (conveniently located in the center console) with full integration for total con-

trol on the 7-inch touch screen; Bluetooth integration and Jaguar SmartKey system for keyless access to unlock/lock, stop and start the car. • Start the engine and the JaguarDrive Rotary Gear Selector rises from the center console into the palm of your hand while at the same time the dashboard vents rotate into the open position to provide comfort in the epitome of style. And when you shut it down, they retract! This feature will leave passengers spellbound and speechless. And forget about a glove box handle—it opens by touch, or your proximity thereof. • At the supercharged trim level ($62,975) the engine ascends from 300 to 420 horsepower, the Bowers and Wilkins 440watt/13 speaker system comes standard, as does the blind spot monitoring system, bi-xenon headlamps, front parking monitoring, rear camera and 20-inch wheels, to name a few.

PRICE: $49,975 Luxury / $55,975 Premium | ANNUAL FUEL: $3,124 (15,000 miles @ $3.96/gallon-Premium) | FLOSS POINTS: Overall style and performance

L 2009 LINCOLN MKS AWD SEDAN

incoln stepped up their game with this allnew, full-size luxury sedan of European appeal. Exterior highlights include a chrome front grill and upswept hood with a more full-figured body with clean, elegant lines and occasional chrome accents that say “I’m balling” from the moment you’re in sight. • Designers gave it a clean interior with a simplistic dashboard featuring a rich wood strip accented by an exciting chrome strip. Comfortable king-sized seats covered in butter soft, chromium-free leather come with standard heat/cool function. • Kudos for conveniences such as fully automatic windows (up/down, front and rear) and a start key, seat, steering wheel and side view mirror memory, a start button and SYNC. Perhaps one day they will replace the keyless pad with keyless recog-

nition for the door locks, as well as fully integrated iPod system to access playlists, etc., from the convenient touch screen on the dash. • Pocketbook love to Lincoln for the two-speed fuel pump that runs on a low setting – requiring less energy, when conditions allow! Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off (ADFSO) shuts off fuel flow to the injectors when the driver backs completely out of the throttle with the vehicle in fifth or sixth gear, such as exiting onto a freeway off ramp. And with gas prices going crazy, that’s hot! • Of note in terms of available options is the adaptive headlamp feature with automatic high beams in required situations in which they turn on, then off – if and when oncoming traffic is sensed. • Best of all, they maintained the pillow-soft ride for which Lincoln is legendary, with much more agile handling.

PRICE: From $39,105 / $45,600 Righteous! | ANNUAL FUEL: (15,000 miles @ $3.72 gallon-Regular) | FLOSS POINTS: Optional Power Rear Window Sunshade 66. november08 002houston

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By Michael Garfield Michael Garfield photography by Kennon Evett

A POWERCOST MONITOR

A HULU.COM

Electricity is a sneaky thing. We use it daily yet we really don’t know how much we use or how much it costs until the monthly bill arrives. Here’s a solution – the PowerCost Monitor: a wireless device about the size of a small digital clock which displays real-time power information. The system includes a sensor unit which attaches to the power meter itself. Once fastened in place, the sensor reads the amount of electricity the household is consuming and transmits the information wirelessly to the PowerCost Monitor, located inside the home. Studies have shown that monitoring your electricity through devices like this can reduce monthly bills by 5-20%. Even if it saves only a few bucks per month, reducing power usage is a good thing. $150 | bluelineinnovations.com

Watching TV shows on the Internet shouldn’t be any more difficult than watching them on TV. The major network websites now offer streaming video of their popular shows after they have run on air. But Hulu.com offers a onestop place to see some both recent shows and some of your favorite reruns. Hulu is a joint venture between NBC and FOX but the library goes much deeper beyond those networks. Shows can be streamed on demand, usually beginning the day after they air on TV, with only minimal commercials—one-hour TV episodes take about 45 minutes to watch on Hulu. The site offers several ways to view shows including spectacular wide screen and a pop-up screen to watch the shows while you work on your PC. Free | Hulu.com

A XOBNI

A NUBRELLA

So many people seem to live in “email hell” that it is hard to organize your conversations and contacts. A company called Xobni makes an add-on for Microsoft Outlook that helps you organize your flooded inbox. Xobni extends Outlook by offering fast search, conversation threading, a social networking platform and many other features designed to make email better.

When you select an email within Outlook’s main Mail view, the Person Profile panel appears giving users some facts about the sender of that message including how many emails sent to or received from them. This plug-in is a must-have for heavy email users. And in case you were wondering about the name, Xobni is “inbox” spelled backwards. Free | xobni.com

TEXTING WHILE WALKING IS DANGEROUS BUT NUBRELLA IS HERE TO HELP ANYWAY. THIS UMBRELLA WHICH FASTENS TO THE BODY WITH A HARNESS AND LOOKS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN A BUBBLE BOY COSTUME AND STROLLER COVER, ALLOWS SHAMELESS USERS TO STAY DRY AND HANDS-FREE ON RAINY DAYS. THE NUBRELLA CLAIMS TO BLOCK WIND CHILL AND BE MORE AERODYNAMIC THAN YOUR AVERAGE UMBRELLA. TOO BAD IT DOESN’T ALSO CUSHION BLOWS TO THE HEAD WHEN YOUR FERVENT MESSAGING LEADS YOU STRAIGHT INTO A LAMPPOST. $49.99 | nubrella.com

MICHAEL GARFIELD IS KNOWN AS "THE HIGH-TECH TEXAN®" TO MILLIONS OF RADIO LISTENERS AND TV VIEWERS. HE CAN BE HEARD AND SEEN ACROSS MANY MARKETS DISPERSING TECHNOLOGY NEWS AND TIPS. HIS RADIO PROGRAM AIRS IN HOUSTON ON THE 9-5-0 EVERY SATURDAY AT 11AM. VISIT HIS WEBSITE AT HIGHTECHTEXAN.COM. 67. november08 002houston

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RESTAURANT LISTINGS Open City ochouston.com 2416 Brazos. 713.522.0118

american

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

mccormick and schmicks

Polo’s Signature 3800 Southwest Frwy. 713.626.8100 polosignature.com

ARTISTA In the Hobby Center 800 Bagby. 713.278.4782 cordua.com

Post Oak Grill postoakgrill.com 1415 S. Post Oak. 713.993.9966

artista

Antone’s •810 Capitol. 713.224.4679 •2724 West T.C. Jester. 713.686.4338 •4520 San Felipe. 713.623.4464 Antone’s Catering. 713.977.4000

AMERICAS cordua.com •1800 Post Oak Blvd. 713.961.1492 •21 Waterway Ave. 281.367.1492 Benjy’s 2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602 benjys.com

Tart Café tartcafe.com 4411 Montrose. 713.526.8278

Daily Review Café 3412 West Lamar. 713.520.9217 dailyreviewcafe.com

SPINDLETOP Hyatt Regency Houston 1200 Louisiana St. Houston, TX 77002 713.375.4775 spindletopathyatt.com Spindletop, atop the Hyatt Regency Houston, features innovative steak and seafood fare.

The elegant atmosphere creates the perfect setting for business dinners and special occasions. CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Glass Wall glasswalltherestaurant.com 933 Studemont. 713.868.7930 Gravitas gravitasrestaurant.com 807 Taft. 713.522.0995 La Strada lastradahouston.com 322 Westheimer. 713.523.1014

SoVino sovinowines.com 507 Westheimer. 713.524.1000

spindletop

Max’s Wine Dive maxswinedive.com 4720 Washington. 713.880.8737 McCORMICK AND SCHMICK’S •1151 Uptown Park. 713.840.7900 •1201 Fannin St. [Houston Pavilions] 713.658.8100 mccormickandschmicks.com/houston.com

Noe noerestaurant.com Four Riverway. 713.871.8177

oceanaire

The Grove thegrovehouston.com 1611 Lamar. 713.337.7321

Voice inside Hotel Icon 220 Main. 832.667.4470 hotelicon.com

RA SUSHI [japanese] rasushi.com 3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800

The Buffalo Grille thebuffalogrille.com •3116 Bissonnet. 713.661.3663 •1301 S. Voss. 713.784.3663

les givral’s kahve

Monsoon Wok & Lounge 1200 McKinney, #103.

713.571.SAKE monsoonhou.com

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

Franklin Street Coffee House 913 Franklin. 713.236.8433

Kraftsmen Baking kraftsmenbaking.com 4100 Montrose #C. 713.524.7272

Mango Beach [snow cones] 2304 White Oak Swirll [frozen yogurt] •1944 West Gray.

•15955 City Walk. swirlls.com Taft Street Coffee 2115 Taft. 713.522.3533

Goode Company Texas Barbecue goodecompany.com 5109 Kirby. 713.522.2530 Luling Bar-B-Q Bar 138 West Gray. 713.520.6400 zushi

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

Thelma’s 1020 Live Oak @ Lamar. 713.228.2262

asian 26TEN SUSHI [japanese] NEW 2610 Sage. 713.974.4000

Bright & Early 4825 Washington. 713.934.8234

11th St. Café 748 E. 11th St. 713.862.0089

Café Brasil 2604 Dunlavy. 713.528.1993

Avalon Drug Co. & Diner •2417 Westheimer. 713.527.8900 •12810 Southwest Frwy. 281.240.0213

ra sushi

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cajun+creole+ southern

BB’s Kitchen thebetterbite.com 2710 Montrose. 713.524.4499

Soul On The Bayeaux 3717 Dowling. 713.528.0732

Zake [japanese] 2946 S. Shepherd. 713.526.6888

The Coffee Groundz coffeegroundz.net 2503 Bagby. 713.874.0082

Rustika Café 3237 Southwest Frwy. 713.665.6226

bar-b-que

Teahouse teahousebeverage.com •104 Main. 713.228.3063 •2089 Westheimer. 713.526.6123

Antidote Coffee 729 Studewood. 713.861.7400 myspace.com/antidotecoffee

Auntie Chang’s Dumpling House 2621 S. Shepherd. 713.524.8410 auntiechangs.com

Fountain View Café 1842 Fountain View. 713.785.9060

Te House of Tea teaagora.com 2402 Woodhead. 713.522.8868

BEAVER’S beavershouston.com 2310 Decatur St. 713.864.2328

bakery+ coffee+tea+others

Empire Café empirecafe.net 1732 Westheimer.

713.528.5282

Houston’s This Is It Soulfood 207 W. Gray. 713.659.1608 thisisithouston.com

UPTOWN SUSHI uptown-sushi.com Uptown Park. 713.871.1200

ZUSHI JAPANESE CUISINE 5900 Memorial Dr., #102.

713.861.5588 zushihouston.com

The Breakfast Klub thebreakfastklub.com 3711 Travis. 713.528.8561

kubo’s

Mak Chin’s [pan asian] makchins.com 1511 Shepherd. 713.861.9888

Skyline Bar & Grill Hilton-Americas 1600 Lamar. 713.577.6139

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

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

LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE [vietnamese] 801 Congress St. 713.547.0444 lesgivrals.com

Bowl eatbowl.com 607 Richmond. 832.582.7218

Monarch inside Hotel ZaZa 5701 Main. 713.527.1800 monarchrestaurant.com

Gigi’s Asian Bistro 5085 Westheimer. 713.629.8889

Shade shadeheights.com 250 W. 19th St. 713.863.7500

Boom Boom Room 2518 Yale St. 713.868.3740 theboomboomroomhouston.com

Lake House Waterside Cafe Discovery Green North Side. thegrovehouston.com

Fish [japanese] fishhouston.com 309 Gray. 713.526.5294

KUBO’S [japanese] kubos-sushi.com 2414 University Blvd. #200 713.528.7878

Ruggles Grill rugglesgrill.com 903 Westheimer. 713.524.3839

Tiny Boxwoods tinyboxwoods.com 3614 W. Alabama St. 713.622.4224 Diedrich Coffee diedrich.com 4005 Montrose. 713.526.1319

Kam’s [fine chinese cuisine] 4500 Montrose Blvd. #C. 713.529.5057

Quattro inside The Four Seasons Hotel 1300 Lamar. 713.276.4700 fourseasons.com

THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM 5061 Westheimer. 832.487.8862 theoceanaire.com

Bistro Lancaster 701 Texas Ave. 713.228.9502

Azuma [japanese] azumajapanese.com •909 Texas. 713.223.0909 •5600 Kirby. 713.423.9649

breakfast

Baby Barnaby’s barnabyscafe.com 602 Fairview. 713.522.4229

beaver’s

Mardi Gras Grill 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

Bistro Toulouse bistrotoulousehouston.com 5750 Woodway, #174. 713.977.6900 Brasserie Max and Julie [french] 4315 Montrose. 713.524.0070 maxandjulie.net

Café Montrose [belgian] cafemontrose.com 1609 Westheimer. 713.523.1201 Charivari Specialty Restaurant [european] 2521 Bagby. 713.271.7231 charivarirest.com

indian

Indika indikausa.com 516 Westheimer. 713.524.2170

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Page 69

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

italian

ARCODORO arcodoro.com 5000 Westheimer. 713.621.6888 ARTURO’S ITALIANO arturosuptown.com Uptown Park. 713.621.1180 Divino Italian Restaurant 1830 W. Alabama. 713.807.1123 divinohouston.com Mia Bella 320 Main. 713.237.0505 Mingalone Italian Bar & Grill 540 Texas. 713.223.0088 mingalone.com RISTORANTE CAVOUR inside Hotel Granduca. granducahouston.com 1080 Uptown Park. 713.418.1000

latin

1308 CANTINA [mex] 1308cantina.com 1308 Montrose. 713.807.8996 Café Piquet [cuban] 6053 Bissonnet. 713.664.1031

Las Alamedas [mex] lasalamedas.com 8615 Katy Frwy. 713.461.1503

El Meson [cuban] 2425 University. 713.522.9306

The Lemon Tree [peru] 12591 Whittington. 281.556.0690

El Patio [mex] •6444 Westheimer. 713.780.0410 •2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181

TIO PEPE [spain] Romano’s Flying Pizza 5213 Cedar St. Tacos a Go-Go tacosagogo.com Bellaire, TX 77401 1528 W. Gray. 713.526.1182 3704 Main. 713.807.8226 713.667.4409 Star Pizza starpizza.net tiopeperestaurant.net tio pepe Best PAELLA and SANGRIA in mediterranean+ •77 Harvard. 713.869.1241 •2111 Norfolk. 713.523.0800 Houston! greek Houston’s original and still most authentic Droubi Bros.

Spanish cuisine. steak+chops •507 Dallas. 713.625.0058 Newly renovated. Under new management.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House •919 Milam. 713.571.6800 delfriscos.com Lucio’s [new american latin] 5061 Westheimer. 713.355.2600 NIKO NIKO’S nikonikos.com 905 Taft. 713.523.9958 2520 Montrose.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse 713.528.1308 Maria Selma [mex] mariaselma.com 2405 W. Alabama.

1617 Richmond. 713.528.4920 713.520.5999 Saffron Moroccan Cuisine niko niko’s flemingssteakhouse.com 2006 Lexington. 713.522.3562 Molina’s Cantina [mex] saffronhouston.com 4220 Washington. 713.862.0013 Morton’s mortons.com molinasrestaurants.com •5000 Westheimer. 713.629.1946 pizza •1001 McKinney. 713.659.3700 NINFA'S THE ORIGINAL

El Rey [cuban-mex] •233 Main. 713.225.1895 •910 Shepherd. 713.802.9145

el tiempo

EL TIEMPO CANTINA [mex] •3130 Richmond.

713.807.1600 •5602 Washington.

713.681.3645 eltiempocantina.com

Escalante’s [mex] escalantes.net 4053 Westheimer. 713.623.4200 Irma’s [mex] •22 N. Chenevert. 713.222.0767 •1314 Texas. 713.247.9651

2704 Navigation Blvd.

713.228.1175 Catering 713.977.4000

Picazo Restaurant Bar & Grill 1421 Preston. 713.236.1300 picazodowntown.com Rioja Spanish Tapas riojarestaurant.com 11920 Westheimer. 281.531.5569

Candelari’s candelaris.com 6002 Washington. 832.200.1474

ninfa’s 69. november08 002houston

Dolce Vita Pizzeria y Enoteca 500 Westheimer. 713.520.8222 dolcevitahouston.com Frank’s Pizza frankspizza.com 417 Travis. 713.225.5656

Pappas Bros Steakhouse pappasbros.com 5839 Westheimer Rd. 713.780.7352

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille 9827 Katy Freeway. 832.358.9000 perrysrestaurants.com Spencer’s Steaks & Chops 1600 Lamar. 713.577.8325 spencersforsteaksandchops.com

Strip House theglaziergroup.com 1200 McKinney. 713.659.6000 SHULA'S STEAKHOUSE Hyatt Regency Houston 1200 Louisiana St. Houston, TX 77002 Reservations: 713.375.4777 Private Dining: 713.375.4709 Shula's is known for serving premium steaks as well as an impressive roster of seafood and chops. Reserve one of three private dining rooms for business meetings or special occasions.

shula’s

002houston November 08:002houston

DINE WRITE

10/22/08

4:13 PM

Page 70

By Carla Valencia Photography by Kim Coffman

RESERVATIONS-ONLY | TEXTILE

1. chef/owner scott tycer 2. lemongrass old-fashioned 3. belgian endive, maryland blue crabcake, spicy pork belly

611 W. 22nd Street | Houston, TX 77008 832.209.7174 | or reservations@textilerestaurant.com www.textilerestaurant.com

HOURS:

Open for dinner only Seating times available Tuesday through Saturday starting at 6pm and ending at 9pm

a la carte

1

2

S

cott Tycer of Aries fame (which is almost legend at this point), Kraftsmen Bakery and Gravitas has added Textile to his repertoire. THE RESERVATIONS-ONLY (NO, REALLY IF YOU DON’T HAVE A RESERVATION, WHICH BY THE WAY YOU MUST HAVE MADE ABOUT 2 WEEKS PRIOR,

BY NO MEANS SHOW UP EXPECTING TO BE SEATED) EATERY SEATS ABOUT 30 PEOPLE MAX IN ITS 11 TABLES.

Saffron Gnocchi with a comfit of fennel and artichoke is a medley of flavors and textures that quite literally danced in my mouth. The rich flavors were further enhanced with a 2006 Foley Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills. The bacon tart with wilted lettuce and a poached quail egg was just about one of the most beautifully presented dishes ever, bursting with freshness and intoxicatingly fragrant.

Located in one of the city’s oldest historic buildings, an old textile building (hence the name), Tycer has again created a local relic full of history and rich delights.

A canon of Sonoma lamb with sweet corn and Aubergine with black cardamom are again home-style classics introducing sophisticated flavors. But it’s Tycer’s use of rarities like the root of purple salsify (also known as the Oyster Plant) that shines. Copper River Salmon with salsify, pistachios and citrus butter features a salmon cooked to flaky perfection served alongside the aforementioned salsify which although known as a weed tastes like perfection.

The menu will be seasonal which means it’s always changing depending on available produce. Our particular tasting will be out of season by now but nonetheless will have you salivating for your own Textilexperience.

start • Yellow tomato puree with tarragon • Poached Spanish mackerel with almond veloute • Salsify Parfait with summer black truffle

and sweetbread • Bacon tart with wilted lettuce and poached

quail egg

mains • Wahoo with Roasted Miatake mushrooms and

pickled vegetables • Niman Ranch strip steak with soubis wasabi

3

The evening started with a Sazerac “Old-Fashioned”, a drink popular in the 70s made with whiskey, sugar, bitters, absinthe and a twist of lemon peel. I am a scotch kind of gal so this was a great start and an opportunity to try something new.

The bread of course (Tycer only supplies the vast majority of the best restaurants in town with their bread through the Kraftsmen Bakery) is divine. Happy lemon and thyme sourdough bread with good creamy house made butter doesn’t last long at the table.

Although Tycer’s menus can be intimidating, his style manages to be almost a cultural experience combining old school recipes with a modern touch easing any eater into a whole new way of, well, eating.

A Chateau Simon Sauterne 2003 went with our three desserts: my favorite, a quince sorbet, with pistachio streusel and whipped brie; the second, a manjari torchon with liquid cranberries and coca nib brittle; and a sinful brownie with bing cherry Japonaise and vanilla parfait. Only a taste of the masterfulness behind pastry chef Plinio..

and marrow • Canon of Sonoma lamb with sweet corn

and Aubergine • Copper River Salmon with salsify, pistachios and citrus butter

sweets • Rice pudding with sultana and cardamom • Chocolate torte with banana ice cream • Citrus salad with mint parfait and chocolate

ravioli

Our first wine was a 2007 Domaine de l’Ameillaud, a light rosé that’s not at all sweet and pairs well with the yellow tomato soup with perfectly fried Raclette cheese. This is not your average tomato soup, rather it’s a grown-up version that manages to combine everyone’s good old favorite tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. There was also a delicious late summer squash salad with fresh goat cheese bursting with the local harvest, which Tycer is known to support.

70. november08 002houston

With Textile a laidback environment makes the food less intimidating. I go out to try new things, things I wouldn’t necessarily make at home and to learn about various cuisines and wines. Tycer’s newest spot exposed me to a wealth of flavors and re-introduced old favorites in a new light. Hopefully we’ll be able to get on that reservation list in 2008.

There will be two degustation menu options, one at about $85 per menu and the other at about $140.

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4:13 PM

Page 71

Photography by Jenny Antill

EVENT GRAND OPENING WHY TO CELEBRATE THE HOUSTON LOCATION WHERE HOUSE OF BLUES WHEN OCTOBER 18

Thousands convened on the blue carpet to celebrate and welcome this new music establishment to the city. Guests explored the ENTIRE venue while enjoying live music, hors d’oeuvres and desserts. The night culminated with The Blues Brothers taking the stage for an unforgettable performance.

Karen Mulville, Phillip Hudson

Tod and Betsy Eason

Laura Casey, Shannon Hall

Amanda Mills, Mark Sullivan

Heather and David Hudson

The Blues Brothers

Natalie Davis, Alex Rosa

71. november08 002houston

002houston November 08:002houston

NEW RESTAURANTS

10/22/08

4:14 PM

Page 72

Photography by Dax Sunga

NEW RESTAURANT? EMAIL US AT LETTERS@002MAG.COM

HUBCAP BURGER GRILL

ANITA’S BAR + GRILL

1111 PRAIRIE ST. 713.223.5885

2409 GRANT ST. 713.522.2867 www.anitabump.com

CUISINE burger joint

FRANK’S CHOP HOUSE

26TEN SUSHI

3736 WESTHEIMER RD. 713.572.8600 www.frankschophouse.com

2610 SAGE RD. 713.974.4000 www.myspace.com/club26ten

CUISINE american

CUISINE steak house

CUISINE sushi

CHEF N/A

CHEF N/A

CHEF FRANK BUTERA

CHEF JOHN KU + DEREK WONG

This hole-in-the-wall burger joint hides in an old alley just one block from the Metro Rail and is within walking distance to Minute Maid Park. I can see why DOWNTOWN’S BUSINESS CROWD HAVE MADE HUBCAP THEIR NEW LUNCHTIME LOCATION. THE MENU IS FULL OF GREAT BURGERS THAT LIVE UP TO THEIR NAME. Everyone’s personal choice seemed to be the Triple Bi-Pass burger which includes freshly ground chuck, a grilled hotdog wiener, bacon and smothered in cheese all on a freshly baked bun. In fact, everything that is cooked is fresh – nothing is ever frozen.

The bread is made daily and the meat is bought that the morning. It took all of five minutes to get my order out even with four people in front of me. But while I waited I drank my RC cola from a glass bottle (they have every soda in a glass bottle), which is a detail about Hubcab worth mentioning.

Only cash is accepted and they close at 3pm, but with great prices and a great environment it shouldn’t be overlooked.

This summer Houston’s “most divine” drag queen Anita Bump kicked up her stilettos, hiked up her skirt and opened Anita’s Bar and Grill. THIS MOST RECENT ADDITION TO OUR GREAT CITY’S GAYBORHOOD IS JUST ABOUT AS CAMP AS ELTON JOHN’S STAG PARTY AND THAT’S A GOOD THING. The large red sparking lips on the walls, “thumpa thumpa” booming from the speakers, Anita’s is the ONLY place to eat and meet up with friends before getting lost in a night of dancing and debauchery at the many clubs and bars that line the Pacific block. While the diva herself doesn’t always make an appearance you might be lucky enough to catch the blonde bombshell on select Friday and Saturday nights. Open until 2am during the weekends, you will not be disappointed with what you might find. Tight pants and glitter decked boys (and girls) make for great people watching while you down some shots and snack on Carnie Wilson’s Lo Cal cheese fries served “Al Roker Style” and the “All Beef Hot Dog, “a foot long – the way Anita likes it” which are both Montrose favorites. But late night is not the only time to eat. Anita’s is open for lunch too and it’s just as much fun when the sun is up as it is when it’s down.

This looks like Montrose’s new eating destination. Let’s cross our fingers and pray to Madonna that it lasts.

FRANK’S CHOP HOUSE IS THE BRAIN CHILD OF FRANK BUTERA AND FRANK CRAPITTO (the same Crapitto of Crapittos’s Cucina Italiana). If you’re looking for a unique experience and you happen to be in the River Oaks area, stop by and partake in their uniquely presented meals.

Everything from their tomatoes to their veal is local and fresh. Although it is a steak house, I would recommend everyone partake in the seafood. It’s not imported, rather caught in the Gulf of Mexico.

Signature dishes include maple brined double-cut pork chops or the shrimp and white cheddar cheese grits. Their wine list is extensive but don’t fret if you’re not a sommelier, ask one of your servers. They are attentive and knowledgeable and will be able to make a perfect choice for your meal.

The menu changes seasonally so your favorite dish might not be found in a few months, which is all the better reason to return to this fabulous steak house. The comfortable and rustic interior is quiet so drop the kids at the babysitter’s and take your significant other out. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online and by phone. If you can’t find time to escape, then call in for takeout service.

Jarrod Klawinsky

Located on the second floor of Club 26Ten in a strip center typical of Houston, across the street from the Galleria, sits a gem. Now people, I am not gonna lie to you, I was hesitant about eating sushi in a club (although this is common in other cities, Houston is not the norm). I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS SUSHI SPOT HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST PLEASANT SURPRISES I’VE HAD IN A LONG TIME. The lounge-y space offers a laidback feel with great music affording a slowerpaced meal where, once you’ve had your fill, you can go down the stairs and dance it all off. But I stray. The shumai (dumplings) are perfectly cooked – which is rare as they are overcooked everywhere. The finest grade sushi is bought here; there is no scrimping as 26Ten’s owner is a Sushi aficionado and he has to eat here every day.

Plus the fact that he’s not making his living off the sushi, it’s just an extra. The Spicy Angel ($8) is a must. I can’t even describe the perfection of this roll – tuna and escolar melt in your mouth. The Volcano Roll ($12) actually looks like a volcano with an explosion in the form of crab and jalapeño with spicy Japanese mayo on top of spicy tuna rolls. And the Holy Seabass ($14) – thin slices of lemon sitting atop rolls of seabass, crab and avocado in a spicy ponzu sauce – had me hollering Amen!

Jarrod Klawinsky

Jarrod Klawinsky

72. september08 002houston

Carla Valencia

002houston November 08:002houston

10/22/08

4:15 PM

Page 73

By Carla Valencia Photography by Daniel Ortiz Location House of Blues Houston | Foundation Room

Last month saw the long anticipated opening of the legendary House of Blues. Co-Owner Dan Aykroyd was in town for the Grand Opening, which included a Blues Brothers performance, and I sat down with him for a chat.

WHY HOUSTON? It’s a great town for it because it’s got a big population base, a sophisticated music culture. You know so many great artists have come out of Texas: Freddie King, T. Bone Walker, ZZ Top, the Vaughan brothers, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. It’s a great, great music state. And my drummer is from Houston – Tony Braunagel. It’s just a good town for it, because not only do you have the population that can support a House of Blues all year round, Houston is also becoming a convention city. People from all over the world are coming here to work the oil and natural gas issue so you’ve got staff from companies from all over the world that are based here that are gonna look for a good time.

HOW MANY ARE THERE NOW? Well, I think this is the 12th one now.

WHERE DID HOUSE OF BLUES COME FROM? Basically it’s based upon the Blues Brothers concept, the movie. The old blues club that John and I used to have down in Chicago and in New York. And many years after John died I met my friend Isaac Tigrett who said we should open some blues clubs based upon the old legend of the Blues Brothers and the old line drawing of John and me, that kind of silhouette drawing. So the widow Belushi and I signed off on it and we started the company, well, jeez almost 14 years ago now.

ARE YOU ASTONISHED AT THE SUCCESS? Isaac is such a genius. He created Hard Rock and of course changed the whole world of restaurants by creating the whole idea of theme restaurants. Because from Hard Rock you had Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café, I mean Hooters – you take any theme restaurant and basically Isaac Tigrett is responsible for dreaming it up and originating it. So I knew that he would make it a success just by virtue of his talent. He not only designed all of the concept of the Foundation Room – the Indian stuff, the Victorian stuff downstairs – but he designed the concept, he designed the music hall and he also designed the menu and all the food. He said we’re going to do soul food Louisiana cuisine. So combining the music that you want to hear anyway, in a good showroom that’s been built specifically to give the audience and the musicians that interface that they crave. We are the only company that purpose builds these arenas. In the 30s it was ballrooms; in the 40s maybe a ballroom in a hotel; in the 50s it was dance clubs or supper clubs; in the 60s it was outdoor venues; in the 70s it was blues clubs stuffed in shopping malls or in old buildings, storage somewhere – it wasn’t purpose built.

Combine it all together and it’s just a place people want to come back to again and again.

GHOSTBUSTERS 3. GOTTA ASK ABOUT GHOSTBUSTERS 3.

Well, we have a script in development right now and you know, we’ll see what the boys come up with.

I READ SOMEWHERE THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD A GHOSTBUSTER GAL. ANY DREAM STARS FOR THE ROLE? Oh I hope so, please! Charlize Theron, ’cause she’s got the height and she can carry the equipment.

FAVORITE SNL MOMENT? Gotta say when Lorraine drank that Bass-O-Matic fluid. Lorraine drinking the bass and saying “That’s good bass,” that she just, well, I couldn’t laugh because I was right next to her, but she was great. That one stands out.

FAVORITE MOVIE ROLE? Umh….Conehead.

YOU’VE PLAYED SO MANY DIFFERENT ROLES, WHICH ONES DO YOU ENJOY MOST? I like parts where I can wear a disguise and use a funny accent and a funny walk; I don’t like being myself on screen. I’ve had to be myself on screen a few times and I

DAN AYKROYD | SOUL MAN house of blues co-owner | actor

don’t much like it. I like to hide behind a wig, a character, a voice, a pair of weird glasses. I like character work more than anything.

HOW MANY SHOWS DO YOU DO WITH THE BLUES BROTHERS? About 20 or so.

AND IT NEVER GETS BORING? Oh, no, no, not with that band, no, no. It’s always exciting.

FAVORITE SONG? Uh, in terms of anything? That’s tough, that’s very, very hard, ’cause there’s so much great material. Of the songs we do in the show, I like “Dig Myself a Hole,” it’s an Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup tune. He wrote it in 1953 and it starts, “This world is in an uproar, things all going wrong, the way the reds cuttin’ up we ain’t gonna be here long,” so it’s perfect for today. I change the lyrics up a little bit. It’s an anti-war song, I like that one a lot.

HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO STAY GROUNDED? YOU’VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR SO LONG AND IT’S SO EASY TO GO THE WRONG WAY OR MAKE A BAD DECISION… Or kill yourself like many friends of mine have…well, I think you gotta stay away from the powders and pills, that’s number one. And number two, having friends, long-term friends and family around is important. And also having a place to go away from any place where

73. november08 002houston

celebrity means something. Go to places where celebrity means nothing if it helps.

SUPERNATURAL INTERESTS, WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? Well, my mother saw a UFO when she was working for the government in Ottawa. It was 1950, two years before I was born, and she was walking down a street in Ottawa where she worked and she saw this orb just pop into existence about 300 ft. up in the sky. My mother worked for the Ministry of Munitions and Supply in WWII so she can still recognize a spitfire from a Messerschmitt from underneath, she knows aircraft, she knew this was not a helicopter, not Venus, not a star, not an airplane. And around the house where I grew up was that famous Life magazine photo of the “V”-shaped formation flying over the capital in 1952. And I was born in July ’52, and July ’52 was a huge wave of sightings across America. So that magazine cover was there as I grew up and as a kid I watched The Day the Earth Stood Still and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers and This Island Earth and all those great science fiction movies, so I don’t know who wouldn’t be interested in this.

WHAT’S YOUR SOURCE? The World Wide Web. Mufon.com, it’s the Mutual UFO Network. They are a group of scientists and researchers who publish a magazine each month, and you can get on the website and see all the latest videos and footage coming in from around the world.

002houston November 08:002houston

SIP CODES

10/22/08

By Beatrice Valencia Photography by Anthony Rathbun

4:16 PM

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!

I AM NO SPORTS EXPERT. BUT I HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN COMPREHENSION OF WHAT’S GOING ON, RULES, ETC. AT PRESS TIME, I JUST ATTENDED MY FIRST TEXANS TAILGATE. THE PLANNING AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL THAT GOES INTO THAT IS IMPRESSIVE. ONE MAN HAD A PLASMA SCREEN ATTACHED TO A FENCE! I WILL RECOMMEND YOU BRING YOUR OWN PAPER TOWELS, NAPKINS, ETC., BECAUSE FINDING TOILET PAPER IN THE PORTA-POTTIES IS IMPOSSIBLE! SO WHILE I MIGHT BE A DUD IN SPORTING EVENTS, I DO KEEP UP WITH MY FITNESS. YOU WOULD THINK I’D BE THE SIZE OF A HOUSE WITH ALL THIS EATING I HAVE TO DO. I AM BIG ON CHOOSING WISELY AND SKIMMING ELSEWHERE TO ENJOY WHAT I WANT. I’M REAL NEUROTIC ABOUT BREAKFAST TOO. IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY AND IT JUMPSTARTS YOUR METABOLISM – WHICH AS I GET OLDER IT GETS SLOWER. SWEET. SO IN MY QUEST OF HEALTHINESS, I PICKED A FEW SPOTS THAT I ENJOY AND HAVE PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR THE DIETER OR NON-DIETER IN YOU.

B

BREAKFAST

(THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY) THE DAILY GRIND- 4115 Washington Avenue 713.861.4558 Start your day off with a breakfast of champions. This spot is very mom and pop so if you were expecting special attention I’d go elsewhere. You have to get there early too because it can be crowded in the mornings and they tend to run out of items. Aside from the rickety-ness of the place (I always feel I’m going to bust a chair) the food is delicious. They have a phenomenal fruit plate that is layered with watermelon, cantaloupe, banana, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts and the best yogurt. You have the option of building your own breakfast – meaning you pick the ingredients you would like in your omelet or breakfast sandwich. I forgo those and stick to one egg over easy and a waffle. They look like they’re whole wheat and I secretly let myself believe they are so there’s little to no guilt while I’m enjoying it.

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LUNCH OR DINNER

BARNABY’S CAFE414 W. Gray Street 713.522.8898 Another thing my boyfriend converted me to is their Cobb Salad. He would always order it and I didn’t understand the fascination. Then one day, I

tried it too. Now, it’s the only thing I order. We do mix it up though. I pass on the blue cheese and I like to get honey mustard. The salad comes with tons of chicken, bacon, egg, tomato, etc. It’s packed tightly in there. I stick to a half order and most of the time I can’t even finish that size. It’s fresh and the presentation is so clean. If you’re looking for something sweet, the cookies are great.

The service is always nice too. We rarely eat at the restaurant. We’re fans of takeout. Regardless, everyone is always nice and talkative. It’s a pleasurable experience if you’re there to dine in or take it home.

1

CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL3115 Kirby 713.522.3131 My boyfriend loves their chicken soup and he managed to convert me as well.

I am OBSESSED with the Mamma Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup.

We’ve ordered it so often I think the waitress who comes carside knows our order and us by heart! It’s that absurd. A bowl order comes loaded with shredded chicken and little noodles. It’s great even reheated if there are leftovers. I see myself eating this all through the fall and winter. It’s light and heart-healthy. I like to get their house salad as well, to complete my meal. I avoid the bread as much as possible and typically my boyfriend devours it all anyway. Lucky for my waistline.

2

COVA HAND-SELECTED WINES5555 Washington Avenue 713.868.3366 Nothing is easier to control on your intake than portion control. And Cova makes it simple by offering you two portions: You can go for tapas or raciones. You can test out quite a few items on the menu as well. I’m a fan of doing this. I can’t help but to start with the cheese plate. I stick to Manchego, Gruyere, Gouda and Brillat Savarin. The menu changes so some things that are mentioned now might not be available when you visit. We tried the Croque Madam, which is a piece of sourdough, jamon Serrano and an egg sunny side up. They place some arugula on the side drizzled in olive oil. The point is to 74. november08 002houston

get a bite with all the ingredients. It’s a delightful combination. A solid way to top off our order is with beef tenderloin tapas. Plated atop a shredded potato cake, it’s always cooked to perfection. I skip dessert because of my wine intake. I have to skimp somewhere!

3

THE GROVE1611 Lamar Street 713.337.7321 Whether you’re attending a sport event or a concert, this is within walking distance. We stopped in and ate at the bar before catching a show at the House of Blues. They have less formal dining set up around the perimeter of the bar. I’m a fan of the “to share or not to share” section on their menu. We opted to share the fried gulf shrimp, The Grove picnic platter and the hand-rolled ricotta gnocchi. Now I know that doesn’t sound healthy but since we’re dealing with small portions I think it’s pretty fair. The Grove picnic platter is a cheese plate that also has some meat, pickles, a mustard sauce, a sweet jam and a bit of greens drizzled in olive oil. I thought just two cheeses was a bit low in my opinion. The shrimp was the prettiest and cleanest fried presentation I’ve seen. The red jalapeno ginger sauce is addictive! The gnocchi had sweet walnuts in it and was not as mushy as some others I’ve had. I enjoyed the difference in texture. Once we were finished, a quick walk down the street and we were at the House of Blues. Nothing like a little walk to work down your meal.

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CD REVIEWS

10/22/08

4:16 PM

Page 75

By Lance Scott Walker

METALLICA Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.)

No one—I mean no one—went into it thinking this was really going to be Master of Puppets Mk 2, even if producer Rick Rubin did propose the ludicrous idea to the band of going back and pretending they only wrote half of that album in the process of writing this one. That worked to a degree in respect to one part of one song— “The Day That Never Comes,” the verse of which sounds like another bridge from “Fade to Black” (they even missed the mark on which album to ape). But they thankfully eschewed that idea in the end in favor of something that instead ends up coming off as an amalgamation of every one of their releases (sans the black hole between 1991 and 2004). And in a good way. Death Magnetic comes roaring right out of the gate as the thrash record Metallica has been sorely keeping at bay since the 80s. No, the self-titled black album doesn’t count, but there are some elements of it to be found here (not surprisingly in “The Unforgiven III,” imagine that) and that helps to cement James Hetfield’s untouchable songwriting talent (when he wants to use it) and his unique technical interplay with guitarist Kirk Hammett. To boot, Lars Ulrich’s drums sound better than on most releases (which admittedly isn’t saying much, but it’s something). And new bassist Roberto Trujillo—well, you still can’t hear the bass, but that’s Metallica.

What is missing here, oddly enough, is exactly that which most of us were hoping to hear (at most) a weakened version of: the epic side of Metallica—the big, growling basslines, thunderous riffs and long, heartbleeding solos stretching out over 6 or 8 minutes. We got the length (every song on here is at least that long) but instead of the epic side we get a tight, concise thrash metal record that, while it might be out of place with their best work, is still welcome standing next to it, especially in light of the records they made in the 90s. But then we were all hoping to hear that because we didn’t expect another thrash record. Damn fine to have one.

DEVIN THE DUDE Landing Gear (Razor & Tie) The long-term effects of weed smoking seem to have a calming quality on one’s music. It’s not as if Devin’s music were ever exactly upbeat, but now he’s also found a consistency. That’s key here because where last year’s Waitin’ to Inhale lost steam was in its inconsistency—the skits were good but they interrupted the flow of the record, the fidelity of the beats was all over the place and, despite the popularity of its single “What A Job,” the album never recovered fully from an overpowering opening track (“She Want That Money”), the tone of which the rest of the album could never fully live up to. He avoids that this time around by producing an album that leans far more towards traditional R&B with this, his fifth full-length and first since wriggling free of his Rap-A-Lot contract. Snoop is back (“I Don’t Chase ’Em”) and there are a host of guest performances all over the place, but rather than the patchwork feel of his previous releases (which still worked well, mind you), this one feels like an album, as if every song has something in common with the next. And the lyricism? Top-notch, of course.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an artist out there who is both as admiring of his coolness as much as he is a champion of his lack thereof than Devin. And that’s cool.

THE ROSEBUDS Life Like (Merge) Dear Rosebuds: In the space of your last three records, you have gone from twee(ish) to synth(ish) to now a sort of 80s pop vibe not unlike Echo, The Church and other bands of that dark, sexy ilk. Life Like is warm, it projects strength and it is believable. You nailed it. Don’t switch it up for at least another record. And if you do, just change the name of your band. You needed to do that anyway.

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002houston November 08:002houston

CLUB+LOUNGE REVIEW

10/22/08

4:17 PM

By Travis Jones Photography by Daniel Ortiz

Page 76

SAINT DANE'S BAR + GRILLE | 502 ELGIN (MIDTOWN) | 713.807.7040 HERE COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

DAY 12.

Still no electricity. Ran out of tuna yesterday, so Max will have to share his Alpo. The scent of spoiled groceries and the Lysol I used to mask it have made this place smell like a morgue. I still flip the switches expecting light, but the beauty of illumination eludes me yet. Curfewinduced boredom set in like a plague 6 days ago, so I’ve resorted to trashcan basketball, Nerf-sponsored Russian roulette and a heated debate over global economic infrastructure with the dog. I need to get out of the house…

Post Ike, I was a wayward soul, lost and searching for mental shelter in a moment of dire need. Anything, anything, to break the after-storm monotony. That’s when I let Saint Dane into my life. Religious epiphany?

Nope, I just found the perfect bar and grill within stumbling distance of the house: Saint Dane’s Bar and Grille on 502 Elgin Street. THEY HAD JUST PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE PLACE WHEN IKE HIT LIKE THE DOOFUS EX-ROOMIE who shows up to the wedding and just has to go and make a drunken speech about “that one night in New Orleans when we met those girls that weren’t girls.” Everyone was having a good time till that point. Who invited that jerk? Anyway, a mere week after Ike, Saint Dane’s was up and running and running well.

The building was obviously a full-service mechanic’s shop at one point, but what was once an uneventful, concrete cube has been transformed into a fresh Houston hangout. The garage doors that used to accommodate Buicks and Chevys now accommodate a cool mix of folks on a happy hour hunt, sports fans and deliciously dressed gals and guys on the prowl. From street view, Saint Dane’s doesn’t appear very roomy, but its real size is deceptive. THE SIDE DECK AND NEARLY-ALWAYS-OPEN GARAGE DOORS PRESENT SAINT DANE’S TO THE WORLD IN A REFRESHING, OPEN-AIR ATMOSPHERE WITH JUST ENOUGH ROOM TO HIDE FROM A BAD WORK DAY, SPRAWL OUT AND CATCH A GAME

76. november08 002houston

OR SHOOT SOME POOL. Or maybe it’s just the friendly greetings that make Saint Dane’s seem larger than it actually is. I like to think it’s something Narnia-esque.

Those rollup doors keep the place breezy on sticky, Houston evenings, but with the approach of winter you may see the doors down or space heaters out to keep things nice and cozy. The bar in the back stretches and greets you like a polished oak grin from ear to ear of the place, and is well stocked with a wide and careful selection of liquor, draft and bottled beer. FAUX WOOD AND OAK FAÇADES, GREAT TUNES ON THE JUKE AND TIMELY FOOD AND BAR SERVICE INSTILL AN AMBIANCE MORE BEFITTING OF A MUCH OLDER, ESTABLISHED VENUE. Saint Dane’s defies its youth and pulls off comfort like it’s been on the corner for ten years, not ten weeks.

Hell-bent on sticking around in this city, Saint Dane’s is doing what it takes with drink specials and a full meal menu. It seems as if everyone has a typical happy hour these days though, with Saint Dane’s being no exception. So to separate this dog from the pack, Saint Dane’s Bar added the “and Grille” and looked to the kitchen. FRIED PICKLES, STUFFED JALAPENOS AND A VARIETY OF PO’BOYS, BURGERS AND ENTRÉES ARE MAINSTAYS of the menu and are some of the best you can find in a bar. Lunch specials? Saint Dane’s doesn’t need ’em. The only thing over 11 bucks is the ribeye, and even that’s well worth it. Delish.

I’m not sure exactly what Saint Dane is the patron saint of. IN FACT, I GOOGLED HIM AND I’M NOT SURE HE EVEN EXISTED UNTIL NOW. But if resiliency, doing things right and being the cure to at least one person’s post-hurricane hell count for anything, Saint Dane is now Houston’s very own Patron Saint of a Damn Good Time!

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4:17 PM

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002houston November 08:002houston

10/22/08

4:18 PM

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002NIGHTLIFE downtown

702 702 W. Dallas. 713.654.8040 702houston.com A+ BAR inside Alden Hotel 1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800 aldenhotels.com BANK BAR 220 Main. 832.667.4477 hotelicon.com

CABO 417 Travis. 713.225.2060 cabomixmex.com COPA CABANA 114 Main. 713.223.COPA copacabanalounge.com

C&F DRIVE INN 6714 N. Main. 713.861.0704 CHAR BAR 305 Travis. 713.222.8177 charbarhouston.com CLUB ICE/MANTRA 711 Main. 713.225.3500 mantrahouston.com

THE COTTON EXCHANGE 202 Travis. 713.213.1141 cottonexchangelounge.com

DEAN’S CREDIT CLOTHING 316 Main. 713.227.3326 myspace.com/deanscreditclothing

DIVE LOUNGE inside the Aquarium 410 Bagby. 713.223.3474 EIGHTEEN TWENTY 1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535 myspace.com/1820bar ETTA’S LOUNGE 5120 Scott. 713.528.2611 FLYING SAUCER 705 Main. 713.228.7468 beerknurd.com

GLO 505 Main. 713.223.3456 club-glo.com

HEAT 511 Main. 713.225.8020 myspace.com/clubheat_houston HOUSE OF BLUES NEW 1204 Caroline. 1-888-40-BLUES hob.com/houston

BARS + CLUBS + LOUNGES + WINE BARS JAZZ AT THE MAGNOLIA 1100 Texas. 713.221.0011 magnoliahotels.com

JET LOUNGE 1515 Pease. 713.659.2000 myspace.com/jetlounge

LA CARAFE 813 Congress. 713.229.9399 LEVEL 412 Main. 713.227.0410 myspace.com/levelhouston LIVE SPORTS CAFÉ 407 Main. 713.228.5483 livesportscafe.com

LONE STAR SALOON 1900 Travis. 713.757.1616 MOLLY’S PUB 509 Main. 713.222.1033 mollyspubs.com

NOTSUOH 314 Main. 713.237.8220 myspace.com/notsuohmusic

RED CAT JAZZ CAFÉ 924 Congress. 713.226.7870 redcatjazzcafe.com

RESERVE 101 1201 Caroline. 713.655.7101 reserve101.com

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

SHAY MCELROY’S 909-A Texas. 713.223.2444 mcelroyspub.com SKYLINE BAR & GRILL 1600 Lamar. 713.577.6139 (inside Hilton Americas)

STATE BAR & LOUNGE 909 #2-A Texas. 713.229.8888 thestatebar.com

THE TREEHOUSE Discovery Green 1611 Lamar. 713.337.7321 thegrovehouston.com THE VAULT 723 Main. 713.224.6891

TOC BAR 711 Franklin. 713.224.4862 myspace.com/tocbarhouston VENUE 719 Main. 713.236.8150 venuehouston.com

galleria + uptown

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

BELVEDERE 1131 Uptown Park. 713.552.9271 belvedereinfo.com THE BLACK SWAN 4 Riverway. 713.871.8181 (inside the Omni Hotel)

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

IDENTITY BAR 5959 Richmond. 713.785.0999 PLANETA BAR-RIO 6400 Richmond. 832.251.9600 bar-rio.com PAPARRUCHOS 3055 Sage. 713.212.3178 paparruchos.com

RA SUSHI 3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800 rasushi.com

REMINGTON BAR 1919 Briar Oaks Ln. 713.403.2631 (inside St. Regis Hotel) theremingtonrestaurant.com ROXY 5851 W. Alabama. 713.850.ROXY myspace.com/roxyhouston

THE TASTING ROOM 1101-18 Uptown Park. 713.993.9800 114 Gray. 713.528.6402 2409 W. Alabama. 713.526.2242 tastingroomwines.com

FIX LOUNGE 2707 Milam. 832.281.2101 fixlounge.com UROPA 3302 Mercer. 713.627.1132 cluburopahouston.com

EL TIEMPO CANTINA 5602 Washington. 713.681.3645 eltiempocantina.com

heights + washington

MAK CHIN’S 511 Shepherd. 713.861.9888 makchins.com

WILD WEST 6101 Richmond. 713.266.3455 wildwesthouston.com

BOOM BOOM ROOM 2518 Yale. 713.868.3740 myspace.com/ boomboomroomhouston

BLUE LABEL LOUNGE 4500 Washington. bluelabellounge.com

CHAISE LOUNGE 4219 Washington. 713.861.2300 chaiseloungehouston.net

CITIZEN LOUNGE 4606 Washington. 713.862.4448 THE CORKSCREW 1919 Washington. 713.864.9463 houstoncorkscrew.com CORLEONE BAR & GRILL 813 Jackson. 713.863.8223 (behind Patrenella’s) patrenellas.net COSMOS CAFÉ 69 Heights. 713.802.2144 cosmoshouston.com

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

DARKHORSE TAVERN 2207 Washington. 713.426.2442 dhtavern.com THE DIRT 222 Yale. 713.426.4222 myspace.com/dirtbar

THE DRAKE 1902 Washington. 713.861.9600 thedrakebar.com

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KOBAIN 33 Waugh. 713.862.9911 kobain.net

MOLINA’S 4720 Washington. 713.862.0013 molinasrestaurants.com ONION CREEK 3106 White Oak. 713.880.0706 onioncreekcafe.com

PEARL BAR 4216 Washington. 713.863.5337 pearlbarhouston.com

THE SOCIAL 3730 Washington. 713.426.5585 thesocialinfo.com

FRONT PORCH PUB 217 Gray. 713.571.9571 frontporchpub.com

HOWL AT THE MOON 612 Hadley. 713.658.9700 howlatthemoon.com

IBIZA LOUNGE NEXT DOOR 2450 Louisiana. 713.520.7300 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 themapleleafpub.blogspot.com THE MINK/THE BACKROOM 3718 Main. 713.522.9985 themink.org

midtown

OPEN CITY 2416-A Brazos. 832.483.8357 ochouston.com

3RD BAR 2600 Travis. 713.526.8282 reefhouston.com

RICH’S 2401 San Jacinto. 713.759.9606 richshouston.com

13 CELSIUS 3000 Caroline. 713.529.8466 13celsius.com

RED DOOR 2416 Brazos. 713.225.0640 reddoorhouston.com

BOND 2700 Milam. 713.529.2663 bond2700.com

COACHES 2204 Louisiana. 713.751.1970 CHRISTIAN’S TAILGATE 2000 Bagby. 713.527.0261 DECO 510 Gray. 713.659.4900 decohouston.com

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

SAMMY’S 2016 Main. 713.751.3101 sammysat2016main.com

SAINT DANE’S BAR + GRILL 502 Elgin. 713.807.7040

STATUS 2404 San Jacinto. 713.659.5400 myspace.com/statushouston SWIVEL 2621 Milam. 713.222.2057 swivelhouston.com THE ROOF 2600 Travis. 713.522.4900 roofbarhouston.com

002houston November 08:002houston

THE WET SPOT 160 W. Gray. 713.523.7768 wetspot-houston.com TIPSY CLOVER 2416 Brazos. 713.524.8782 WHISKEY CREEK 2905 Travis. 713.526.4225 whiskeycreekhouston.com

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

ZEPPELIN 3101 San Jacinto. 713.521.7300 myspace.com/zeppelin713

montrose + shepherd

ABSINTHE 609 Richmond. 713.528.7575 absinthelounge.com

AGORA 1717 Westheimer. 713.526.7212 agorahouston.com AVANTGARDEN 411 Westheimer. 832.519.1429 avantgardenhouston.com

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

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

CROME 2815 S. Shepherd. 713.523.3100 cromelounge.com CATBIRDS 1336 Westheimer. 713.523.8000 catbirds.com CEZANNE JAZZ CLUB 4100 Montrose. 713.522.9321 blacklaboradorpub.com

GUAVA LAMP 570 Waugh. 713.524.3359 myspace.com/guavalamphouston

10/22/08

THE DAVENPORT 2115 Richmond. 713.520.1140

4:18 PM

THE FLAT 1702 Commonwealth. 713.521.3528 ETRO 1424 Westheimer. 713.529.3449 myspace.com/etrohouston GRIFF’S 3416 Roseland. 713.528.9912 griffshouston.com

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

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THE TAVERN 1340 W. Gray. 713.522.5159 thetavernongray.com

VELVET MELVIN 3303 Richmond. 713.522.6798 myspace.com/thevelvetmelvinpub VINTAGE 2108 Kipling. 713.522.4200

ZAKE LOUNGE 2943 S. Shepherd. 713.526.6888 zakerestaurant.com ZIMM’S MARTINI & WINE 4321 Montrose. 713.521.2002

museum district

LZ PUB 2239 Richmond. 713.522.7118

MONARCH LOUNGE 5701 Main (inside Hotel ZaZa).

713.526.1991 monarchrestauranthouston.com

MCELROY’S PUB 3607 Sandman. 713.524.2444 mcelroyspub.com

outer loop

MARFRELESS 2006 Peden. 713.528.0083

METEOR 2306 Genesee. 713.521.0123 meteorhouston.com

THE NEXT DOOR 2020 Waugh. 713.520.1712 myspace.com/thenextdoorgallery NUMBERS 300 Westheimer. 713.526.6551 numbersnightclub.com PRIVE 910 Westheimer. 713.526.6551 privelounge.com

POISON GIRL 1641-B Westheimer. 713.527.9929 myspace.com/poisongirlbar.com SOUTH BEACH 810 Pacific. 713.529.7623 southbeachthenightclub.com

SLIDER’S BAR 1424 Westheimer. 713.528.2788 slidersbar.com

SCOTT GERTNER’S SKYBAR 3400 Westheimer. 713.520.9688 msypace.com/scottgertnersskybar THE STAG’S HEAD 2128 Portsmouth. 713.533.1199 stagsheadpub.com

DENIM BAR 16090 City Walk. 281.275.5925 (inside the Burning Pear) theburningpear.com THE DERRICK TAVERN 1127 Eldridge. 281.759.4922 thederricktavern.com

FIREHOUSE SALOON 5930 Southwest Frwy. 713.977.1962 firehousesaloon.com HUSH 15625 Katy Frwy. 713.330.4874 hushonline.com JAPANIERO’S 2168 Texas Dr. 281.242.1121 japaniero.com KONA GRILL 16535 Southwest Frwy.

281.242.7000 konagrill.com

MI LUNA 2298 Texas Dr. 281.277.8272 mi-luna.com

OLIVES MARTINI BAR & GRILLE 2268 Texas Dr. 281.980.2823 olivesmartinis.com

VINE WINE ROOM 12420 Memorial Dr. 713.463.8463 vinewineroom.com

VINO 100 11693 Westheimer. 281.759.4100

rice village

ARMADILLO PALACE 5015 Kirby. 713.526.9700 thearmadillopalace.com

BAKER STREET PUB 5510 Morningside. 713.942.9900 bakerstreetpub.com BAM BOU 2540 University. 713.521.7222 bambouhouston.com

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

THE GINGER MAN 5607 Morningside. 713.526.2770 gingermanpub.com JOHNNY’S SPORTS BAR 2511 Bissonnet. 713.521.9928 myspace.com/joialounge

KAY’S LOUNGE 2324 Bissonnet. 713.528.9858

LITTLE WOODROW’S 5611 Morningside. 713.521.2337 littlewoodrows.com THE LOUNGE AT BENJI’S 2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602 benjys.com

VOLCANO 2349 Bissonnet. 713.526.5282

river oaks + kirby

AZTECA’S BAR & GRILL 2207 Richmond. 713.526.1702 aztecasbarandgrill.com THE BIG EASY 5731 Kirby. 713.523.9999 bigeasyblues.com

COVA 5600 Kirby. 713.838.0700 5555 Washington. 713.868.3366 covawine.com

79. november08 002houston

DOWNING STREET 2549 Kirby. 713.523.2291 downingstreetpub.com

KENNEALLY’S IRISH PUB 2111 S. Shepherd. 713.630.0486 irishpubkenneallys.com LIZZARD’S PUB 2715 Sackett. 713.529.4610

MEZZANINE LOUNGE 2200 Southwest Frwy. 713.528.MEZZ mezzaninelounge.com MUGSY’S 3200 Kirby. 713.526.5595

RICKSHAW BAMBU 2810 Westheimer. 713.942.7272 rickshaw-bambu.com ROLL-N SALOON 4200 San Felipe. 713.622.7487 TACO MILAGRO 2555 Kirby. 713.522.1999 taco-milagro.com

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

warehouse district

EIGHTEEN TWENTY 1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535 1820bar.com

LUCKY’S PUB 801 St. Emanuel. 713.522.2010 luckyspub.com THE MERIDIAN 1503 Chartres. 713.225.1717 meridianhouston.com

NEXT 2020 McKinney. 713.221.8833 whatsnexthouston.com PASHAA ULTRA LOUNGE 2010 McKinney. 713.344.0305 myspace.com/pashaahouston

WAREHOUSE LIVE 813 St. Emanuel. 713.225.5483 warehouselive.com

002houston November 08:002houston

RECORDING

10/22/08

4:18 PM

Page 80

Interview by Lance Scott Walker Photography by Christopher Rosales

CRAIG "BBC" LONG IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO CONDENSE B-BOY CRAIG “BBC” LONG’S INVOLVEMENT IN HOUSTON’S HIPHOP SCENE DOWN TO ONE PARAGRAPH, BUT SUFFICE TO SAY THAT IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO AN EVENT BY THE BENCH PRESENTS, YOU HAVE WITNESSED HIS INFLUENCE. HERE WE SPOKE ABOUT HOUSTON HIP-HOP PAST AND PRESENT. I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH RAHEEM WHERE WE SPOKE OF THE OLD CLUB THE RHINESTONE WRANGLER AND HOW HE USED TO HAVE TO SNEAK IN. WERE YOU AROUND BACK IN THOSE DAYS? Yeah, man, the Royal Flush crew, man, I used to go see those guys all the time. South side, yo. It used to be packed, dog. And it’s crazy how like hip-hop has changed, and especially in Houston. You know, you’re talking about the age before computers, email blasts, all that stuff. It was just like word of mouth, you know?

HOW DID THE ENERGY LEVEL OF THOSE CROWDS COMPARE TO THAT OF THE BENCH? Well, back then the MC controlled the crowd in a different kind of way. Everybody was so in tune with what was going on. I mean there was still competition and it was respected competition but it was like when so and so would step into the area, you knew it, you know? But at the same time, it didn’t feel so… celebrity. Everybody didn’t feel so above you, like they were on the same level with you, but this was what they did.

They made paper but they didn’t have the entourage and bling… they dressed the same, but the energy was just different.

SO HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED, THEN? HOW DID YOU START OUT? Well my thing is, you know, I’ve always been an artist.

I found my niche, artistically, in this city. I came up watching my brothers… they’d have these parties at the house. And you know, “grown folks” parties. Me, coming from a big family… I’m the youngest of 12, so of course I always… I remember my brothers and sisters talking about going to the skating rink… Rainbow Skating Rink … that a lot of people on this side of town would go to. So I remember my brothers and them having these parties. And of course I would have to be “in bed” by a certain time. But I didn’t want to go to sleep, man. I would sneak as close to the room

where the party was going on as I could. Just watching, you know. People. All night. Until I’d get caught.

And have to go to my room. And by “my room,” I mean “our room,” but… they had all these albums, these funk and soul albums, groups like… like the Ohio Players, or A Taste of Honey, with these women on the cover. Because you’re talking about the 1970s when censorship was… you could probably cuss more back then than they can now, without getting shit for it. Censorship wasn’t through the roof back then.

SO YOU WANTED TO CREATE, YOU WANTED TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT. Yeah. Because it was basically me lookin’ up to my brothers and stuff. They were into the whole funk, soul scene and they already had the cool names and stuff.

My brother Jerry, all his friends called him “Hollywood,” like ‘yo, Hollywood, what’s up?’ They called him Hollywood instead of Jerry and stuff. It was just this scenario where he could be someone other than who he was.

AND YOU STARTED DOING THAT FOR YOURSELF WHEN? Late 80s… I started breakdancing, the whole graffiti thing… everything fell into place. Like I said, early on I was always an artist. So I started doin’ a bit of graffiti. I did jackets and hats and stuff for people. I was a black guy with two left feet. Not really much of a sportsman, I didn’t play basketball, didn’t dance very well but that didn’t matter. But I had real cool Michael Jackson afro and then I saw breakin’… not the movie but breakdancin’ for the first time and was like ‘that’s some crazy shit.’ And I don’t know if this makes any sense, I couldn’t dance… but I could breakdance. You know? Sometimes I would end up DJing. Never really took DJing a hundred percent serious. Breakin’ and graffiti were my thing. And then I started rhyming, so I started MCing and hosting and stuff and people would always ask me, ‘man, you gonna put out an album?’ But I was a straight freestyle cat. There’s a lot of professional MCs that will tell you that they don’t freestyle. If you don’t freestyle, you should not mess with the mic no matter who you are. If you’re a lyricist, you write lyrics. It’s totally different than freestylin’. There’s a lot of MCs that have got on the stage to freestyle and rhyme and have choked. That’s just not what they do. So eventually, of course, I’m a

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B-B OY CRAIG “BBC” LONG

b-boy. Everybody that’s a b-boy, like… Lance Walker, if you’re a b-boy, you’d be “B-Boy Lance Walker.”

That’s what all the breakdancers were called. And of course originally that was “Bronx Boy” because breakin’ originated in the Bronx but once it got wider, they pretty much changed it from “Bronx Boy” to “Break Boy.” BECAUSE OF DJ KOOL HERC. Right, which means boys dance to the breaks in the songs.

HOW IS THE BENCH A CULMINATION OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS LEADING UP TO NOW? The Bench was a representation of all four elements of the culture. And now it’s ‘The Bench Presents,’ where the name itself is synonymous with hip-hop. It’s the culture. The b-boys, our showcasing writer, showcasing DJ and I always have a live hip-hop act. And that’s the most important part because hip-hop has changed so much and outside of Houston you don’t realize that hip-hop acts in Houston aren’t solely just Paul Walls or your Boss Hoggs or Geto Boys even, for that matter. I don’t think groups like South Park Coalition get the recognition that they deserve and they’re the foundation to hip-hop here in Houston. They’re like pillars. I mean, seriously. There wouldn’t be a lot of this shit if it weren’t for them. But for all these years… different venues, from the Industry Café to the Rhythm Room to Warehouse Live…The Bench is my baby.

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OO2CROSSWORD

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ACROSS

1. Super Bowl winners in 1999 5. National Championship winners in college football and men’s basketball in 2007 (goes with 16 across) 9. Winning coach in the NFL gets an ___ - bath

11. Good enough to win at the 2007 Masters 12. Oscar winning best actor in 1992 (2 words) 16. See 5 across 18. Midday

19. Occasional worker 21. Winners have this attitude (2 words)

22. Position of the Heisman winner in 2006

BEFORE WE GO...

T

HANK YOU SO MUCH TO VITAMINWATER AND WHOLE FOODS FOR DONATING THE DELICIOUS SANDWICHES AND WATER FOR ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO SHOWED UP TO HELP CLEAN MEMORIAL PARK AND THE HOUSTON ARBORETUM AND

15. Most popular person

35. Defunct airline

60. Fastest woman in the world; still holds the records for 100 and 200m (nickname)

39. Printer maker

63. Record breaking home run hitter, Hank

20. ____ Donna

32. Indy 500 champion in 2005, Wheldon 36. Boxer’s weight check machine

40. Steven’s Spielberg’s mother who gave her last name to the princess in Star Wars 41. Succeeded

44. Golfer, Snead 46. Joke

49. “I am the greatest” boxer

50. Kentucky Derby winner who had the fastest time ever in 1973 53. Ma___, Santana song girl

24. Morning

54. Wedding agreement (2 words)

26. Opposite of pobre

56. Two, in Madrid

25. Hospital-based show 28. Everyone

29. Initials of the Super Bowl winners in 2005 31. Every winner must ___ high

55. Newport locale 57. Player of golf

58. Oriental game

62. Put money on it 65. Practice box

66. Most well_known fable writer!

67. Promotion

DOWN

1. Super Bowl MVP for the Patriots in 2005 (last name) 2. Protagonist

17. Nobel Prize winner for literature who wrote “The Adventures of Augie March” (first name) 23. Long time ago

26. Biggest NASCAR winner of all time, ____ Petty 27. Song

30. Big golf winner, Arnold

31. Usain Bolt’s fellow Jamaican sprinter, Powell 33. __ __ rule

4. Muscle

34. American Top 40 song that holds the record for the most weeks at number one (2 words)

6. Iridescent gem

38. Sandwich bar

3. Combat information center, for short 5. Santa __

7. Mouse giant?

8. Triathlete

10. Goes with dot

13. Military leave, for short 14. British prince

37. Star Wars director

47. Jacksonville coach last name, Del _____ 48. Alien who was too good for earth 51. Author LeShan

52. One of the best golfers of all time first name

59. Overtime, for short 60. To and ___ 61. Cut off

62. Arts degree

63. TV channel for mysteries (initials)

NATURE CENTER ON OCTOBER 4.

64. Oakland baseball team

If the devastation of our homes was pretty hard to believe image all the trees, branches and debris accumulated in these Nature preserves. A lot was done, but there is OCTOBER ANSWERS still so much to do.

42. Heisman trophy winner in 2002, first name 43. Baseball area 44. Gets points

45. Mena locale

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For more information please visit their websites at memorialparkconservancy.org houstonarboretum.org

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