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The Leader • Saturday, March 3, 2018 • Page 1B

Nundini’s to reopen, rebound from Harvey

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com Half a year after Hurricane Harvey, Houston is still reeling from the disaster. Local businesses were impacted, and some are still fixing what the water destroyed. Nundini’s Chef’s Table and gelato factory has been closed since the flood water ravened their business, which in turn impacted the local businesses they supplied to.

But Nundini’s is finally making a comeback.

Anyone who has driven by Nundini’s on North Shepherd knows how large it is. High steps lead up to the restaurant and behind that is a massive distribution center. During Harvey the property looked like a laguna, with the building its island. The flood water did well to leave its mark on the business from inside out.

Harvey may have closed the doors to Nundini’s, but owner Giampaolo Nundini won’t let them stay closed for long.

Many employees were displaced, but luckily Nundini’s was able to retain some for the rebuild.

Very little was salvageable once the flood water dried up. After an intense demolition process, they began a six-

month plan for remodeling.

The entire building; including, the kitchen, retail store, gelato factory, and areas of import and export had to be completely rebuilt.

“The sheer size of our factory and the intricacy of our unique operations have proven to be our biggest challenge to contend with. It is not like rebuilding a single home after a disaster, it’s like rebuilding a small neighborhood, stores and all,” said Nundini.

With a tentative reopen date set for March 15 of this year, Nundini will first concentrate on getting the restaurant back on its feet while providing a small amount of gelato in their retail store. Soon after, full production will be up and running and the factory will once again meet the demands of their customers.

And loyal customers they are. To aid their customers from being without quality gelato, during closure Nundini attempted to substitute it with a gelato similarly produced from another small local factory. However, their customers opted out and have decided to pull gelato from their menu until Nundini’s gelato factory is distributing.

“In every case, they elected to patiently wait for the best

Photo Contributed Nundini’s, shown here during Hurricane Harvey and nicknamed Nundini Lagoon, is set to re-open March 15 after months of renovations.

The business’s closing had impacted the additional area businesses they supply.

gelato in Texas,” said Nundini.

Marchese’s Kitchen on Pinemont is one of the businesses that buys gelato from Nundini’s factory. Although Marchese’s Kitchen was not directly impacted by Harvey, they had been buying their gelato from Nundini for about a year and have been waiting for Nundini’s to reopen with no plans to seek out another distributor.

“We’ve never gotten [gelato] from anywhere else,” said Susan Henn, Marchese’s Kitchen’s owner, “No, we’re going to wait for Nundini.”

Once Nundini’s distribution is back on track, the local busi-

nesses waiting to put gelato back in their restaurants will be as well. No longer will anyone have to look very far for Nundini’s quality gelato.

The wait won’t be much longer -- with March just around the corner and with new things happening at Nundini’s, the wait will have been worth it.

Two banquet rooms in a dedicated area, equipped with selfserving bars have been added to the selection of offerings at Nundini’s. They’ve updated their liquor permits, so now if you want a mixed drink you can have it, the hours are longer, and their retail store will feature exclusive items from

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Shown here are director of yoga Kim Taurins and Lao, Daoist Abbot and founder of Four Dragons Institute.

Photo Zarah Parker

Providing a path to a peace of mind

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com Hailed as the hidden gem of the neighborhood, Four Dragons Institute in the Heights offers a variety of services to guide each person who walks through their doors to a philosophical path of life that works for them.

The institute was founded on four philosophical ideas, thus the name Four Dragons.

The first is Daoism, which is an

eastern philosophy from China.

The next is yoga, which is also eastern but stems from Indian tradition. The last two are Tai Chi, martial arts, and Qi Gong, a medical, energetic practice that aligns mind, body, and spirit.

Four Dragons has been in the Heights for around five years, but it’s not a typical studio at a visible storefront. It’s in the medical building on 20th street, on the sixth floor. When the concept of the Institute was

Business Briefs.

Fairly Local offering art, yoga classes Angela Pennington announces a new business venture at 5017 Creekmont which she describes as similar to Leisure Learning. Fairly Local is the name of the business and local instructors will be helping with the classes. For Spring Break, on tap are Elementary Art with Oak Forest Elementary art teacher Keith Roy and Mindful Me for both middle schoolers and adults incorporating art, yoga and art journaling.

Classes coming up in late

March and April include pottery painting, beginner watercolors, cake decorating basics, and more. By summer, birthday party packages will be available with all decorating, party activities, and food included. For more information visit fb.me/FairlyLocalCreekmont.

14 Pews Staying 14 Pews Executive Director, Cressandra Thibodeaux, has changed her mind about the sale of the popular arts venue she owns at 800 Aurora St. just off Main Street. Previously it was listed for $615,000.

“Just to confirm 14 Pews is

first talked about, a storefront was quickly nixed by founder and owner Lao, a Daoist Abbot, and Taurins.

“The views bring another worldliness to Houston. It allows you to step away from the hustle and bustle of your life, so you can put yourself in a different place,” said Taurins.

The Institute offers yoga classes seven days a week, internal martial arts, the study of Daoism, acupuncture, body work, message, and colonics.

here to stay,” said Thibodeaux in an e-mail. “We are now teaming up with community leaders to curate several film series, as well as talking with other organizations about bringing unique festivals to Houston.”

New Orangetheory Fitness to open in Heights Orangetheory Fitness which already has 14 Houston locations, is opening six more in the area.

“This major studio expansion is thanks entirely to the Houston community’s warm See Briefs P. 2B

When Taurins was working on the yoga path, she intended to create a place for people to feel comfortable exploring the practice, and in turn exploring who they wanted to be. When doing yoga for the first time it can feel awkward, especially when trying it out in front of other people. But the intention is to face that awkwardness and after realizing it wasn’t so bad.

“I wanted to make sure it

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Page 2B • Saturday, March 3, 2018 • The Leader

Wellness from P. 1B was a safe place for people to explore what it is they’re interested in,” said Taurins.

Facing uncomfortable situations head on and being able to find within yourself the reason and become comfortable with who are or want to be. Taurins, who also teaches this to her teen class, finds that it’s more difficult with adults because adults fight their feelings, then hid them. Once you begin to develop your path, it reaches beyond the yoga mat.

“You start looking at your life, then you have an awareness, and now with the awareness you can make choices about different things, like [eating habits],” said Taurins.

The instructors who are committed to teaching yoga, practice it as well—on and off the mat. Taurins explained that the best way for people to develop a habit of their own is to watch other people setting an

example, rather than just by lecture.

“You can make any choice you want, you’re free to do that. But you’re not free to live consequence free, just know that, too. But you’ve been asking permission your whole life, and never have given yourself authority [to decide],” said Taurins.

For people interested in yoga, Taurins would advise you to ask yourself what kind of practice you need for that day, but to be honest about it. If you approach the mat needing a softer practice is it because you’re being lazy, or is it because you have a long day ahead of you?

Allow for the physical aspects of yoga to intersect with where you are mentally that day. Then you create that space within you of honesty and compassion and see how long you can keep that space when you get off the mat.

“The yoga practice doesn’t start when you get onto the mat, it starts when you’re leaving,” said Taurins, “to me it’s how long can you hold that space, that’s the yoga; that’s the union we talk about in yoga.”

Taurins brings the philosophy of yoga and Daoism together for practical use. You

“Treat the problem itself, not just the symptoms.” This is the philosophy behind the chiropractic practice of Dr. George Junkin. Chiropractic adjustments and healthy lifestyle choices produce the best results. For over 35 years, Dr. Junkin has helped patients get releif from pain due to an injury or chronic condition. The result being fast long-lasting relief.

Briefs from P. 1B reception of our fitness brand,” franchise owner Jim Potesta said in a press release. One of the new locations will be at the intersection of Loop 610 and Yale Street where the new Whole Foods 360 is underway.

Turn-key Liberty Kitchen is for sale When Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks announced their closing last November due to Alba Street construction woes, followed by Hurricane Harvey, the community wondered what would become of

become responsible for your world with the understanding that no one else can make you happy or eat a sandwich to make your stomach full.

“Observe nature and your own nature,” said Lao. Originally from San Francisco, Lao has lived in more than fifty countries studying Daoism.

the building. Harry Green of Harry M Green Interests said that the F.E.E.D. TX Restaurant Group has put the property up for sale. It is ready to become another restaurant.

“It’s being offered as a turnkey,” said Green. “Everything there, the furnishings and the cooking equipment, will go with it.” Green declined to name the asking price, but in its 2017 appraisal, HCAD lists the 8,705 square foot property as valued at $709,748.

This philosophy is rooted in seeing the world as is, not as other people make it. Lao gave the example of a shadow. He asked if the shadow was there, or was his hand simply preventing the light from touching the wall. By observing nature, you see it for what it is, like how the sun doesn’t rise. Then

when you apply that mindset to your own life, it frees you from a box you think you’ve been set in, but really, you’re free to do anything.

Learn more about Four Dragons Institute at fourdragonsinstitute.com or stopping by at 427 W. 20th St. Suite 602.

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The Leader • Saturday, March 3, 2018 • Page 3B

SPX, Dallas Parish Episcopal square off for title game berth

By Mike Tenney For The Leader Trying to win its first TAPPS boys basketball state championship in 11 years, St. Pius X will take on Dallas Parish Episcopal 6 p.m. Thursday night at Waco University High School in a 6A state semifinal.

Should the Panthers, who have won nine straight games, get past Parish Episcopal, they will come back 8 p.m. Friday for the state championship against the winner of Tomball Concordia Lutheran and Plano Prestonwood.

“We have played well, but I still think we have two good games left in us,” head coach Brandon Scott said. “But getting to the state tournament is something we’ve talked about and it was definitely one of our goals. I keep preaching to the kids that now, we just need to go out, trust the process that got us here, stay together as a team and play well.”

The Panthers reached the state semifinals by winning a pair of playoff games last week, first whipping Brownsville St. Joseph, 63-44, in the Area round before coming back Friday night in the Regional to take down numberone seed Bishop Lynch in a 48-44 nailbiter-to-the-elbows that wasn’t decided until the final buzzer sounded.

In the win over Lynch, the team from Dallas held a 42-39 lead with four minutes to play, but the Panthers closed with a 9-2 run to get the victory and advance to this week’s Final Four.

“I have a lot of respect for both of those teams and both

of those games were tough like we knew they would be because it’s the playoffs,” said Scott. “We played excellent defense in both of those games. We tell the kids to play as fast as they can the first two or three minutes to get all the jitters out of the way and I thought we definitely did that against St. Joseph’s. But these are the playoffs, so the games only get tougher and we expect our toughest games of the season this week, starting Thursday.”

Senior 6-foot-6 postman Markeith Williams is the team’s big man. Senior Jacob Jefferson, junior Chad Graham, and junior Jarvis Johnson operate their three-guard system and junior small forward Stanley Asiegbu rounds out the starting five. Small forward Terrell Jenkins along with guards Sydney Shipp and Kristopher Burton are the first three subs

off the bench as the Panthers usually employ an eight-man rotation.

With a guard-heavy lineup, Coach Scott said they like to get up-and-down the floor.

“We push the tempo,” he said. “We want to play fast.

We’ve got athletic kids and so we want to play fast. But we want to control the tempo. We pick teams up a lot in man-toman (defense), but we do play some zone. But we’ve got the players to get up and down the floor fast and that can control tempo, whether we’re on the run or running our half-court offense, so we want to play fast, but we also want to control the tempo.”

The Panthers have been blessed with balanced scoring as well with at least three players in double digits in most of their games this season.

“We do spread the scoring around,” Scott said. “We’ve got

guys that believe in each other and we share the ball like we should. I think teams that get too this point are teams that are unselfish and share ball and we’ve a great job with that this year.”

Scott said he believes his team is prepared for this moment.

“We’ve played a tough schedule to help us get ready for this,” he said. “We’ve played (6A public schools) Dekaney, Lamar, Bellaire, and some other big schools. We’ve played The Village School twice.

We’ve got some strong teams in our district. The kids have worked hard. We’ve played well in two playoff games so far. We’ve won nine straight games. I think we’re confident and we’re excited about the opportunity we have here.”

Photo by Wayne Donnelly St. Pius X guard Chad Graham drives the lane against multiple defenders. The Panthers take on Dallas Parish Episcopal Thursday night, with a berth in the state title game at stake.

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