SPECIAL SECTION
What to Do • Where to Dine, Shop & Play • Staub-Designed House Inspired Rental Home Remodels • Events & Activities
Facundo Home Builders Brings Galveston Style to the Mainland www.facundohomebuilders.com • 281-235-7375 • New Construction
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Guide
COMPILED BY BARBARA CANETTI
Galveston may be a mere 50 miles from downtown Houston, but it is vastly different than the metropolis city. Visitors immediately feel the difference – as they drive over the causeway connecting the island to the mainland. A quick, easy and interesting weekend getaway is in store for visitors. Take a look at some of the things Galveston Island has to offer:
Where to Eat ShyKatz Deli and Bakery – A funky little neighborhood restaurant, serving large portions for breakfast and lunch. Order at the counter, meal brought to the table. Selfserve fresh coffee. 1528 Avenue L • 409-770-0500 www.shykatz.com DiBella’s Italian Restaurant – The restaurant where locals congregate. Italian food, steaks and fresh fish. BOI (born on the island) owner Charley DiBella greets each diner at the door. 1902 31st Street • 409-763-9036 • www.galveston.com/Dibellas Olympia – Greek food offers fresh Gulf fish served at two locations – on the Seawall and at Pier 21. Entertainment occasionally. Pier 21: 100 21st St. • 409-765-0021 • www.olympiapier21.com Seawall: 4908 Seawall Blvd. • 409-7661222 • www.olympiagrill.net Mario’s – two locations – on the Seawall (with a great outdoor dining patio) and on the 61st Street drag. Good Italian food, great pizzas – including gluten free. In town: 2202 61st Street • 409-744-2975 www.mariosristorante.com Seawall: • 628 Seawall Blvd. 409-763-1693 • www.mariossewall.com Leon’s World’s Best BBQ – Barbeque the way it is supposed to be cooked. Tasty potato salads and cole slaws and home-
The Hotel Galvez is among hundreds of historic structures on Galveston Island’s East End.
made desserts. Secret is in his special sauce, developed 25 years ago. 5427 Broadway • 409-744-0070 www.leonsbbq.com Pho 18 – Tucked away in a strip shopping center near the medical center. Unassuming décor, but well done Vietnamese food freshly prepared. 704 Holiday Drive • 409-762-8849 Benno’s – wide variety of fresh Gulf seafood, served either inside or outside waterfront patio. 1200 Seawall Blvd. • 409762-4621 • www.bennosofgalveston.com Café Michael Burger – on the way out to the West End. Good burgers, chicken and German food. Indoor and outdoor casual dining with delightful view of Gulf waters. 11150 FM 3005 • 409-740-3639 www.cafemichaelburger.com Taqueria Melchor Ocampo – good Mexican food, great Mexican breakfast. A neighborhood favorite. 1220 23rd Street • 409-497-2281 Mosquito Café – eclectic dining – fresh salads, huge sandwiches and sinful desserts.
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Also owns Pattycakes Bakery, across the street. Mosquito Café: 628 14th St. 409-763-1010 www.mosquitocafe.com Pattycakes: 704 14th St. • 409-76-CAKES www.pattycakes galveston.com Sunflower – Breakfast and lunch in a bright indoor or covered outdoor restaurant. Inhouse bakery provides fresh breads for enormous sandwiches. 512 14th Street • 409-763-5500 • www.thesunflowerbakeryandcafe.com M&M’s – a romantic restaurant in a wonderful historic building. Has indoor, outdoor and private dining available. 2401 Church Street • 409-766-7170 www.MMgalveston.com Black Pearl – Cajun and seafood. Bar part of restaurant. Casual, lively and noisy. 327 23rd Street • 409-762-7299 www.galveston.com/blackpearl Shearns – Seafood and steaks. 9th floor bayside views, atop Moody Gardens Hotel. 7 Hope Blvd. • 409-741-8484 www.moodygardenshotel.com
Eatcetera – Sandwiches to soups and specials. Owned by nutritionist. 408 25th Street • 409-762-0803 www.eatcetera.net Oasis Juice Bar & Market – smoothies, fresh juices, organic foods, sandwiches, specials. 409 25th St. • 409-762-8446 www.oasisjuicebar.com
What to Do The Grand 1894 Opera House – National historic landmark in Downtown Galveston’s Cultural Arts District, presenting a yearround performing arts schedule featuring stars of stage and screen, Broadway musicals, dance, comedy, theatre, music and more! 2020 Post Office Street 409-765-1894 • www.thegrand.com NOAA Turtle Tours – free private tours of the National Ocean and turtle research facility. Available only one day a week and by appoint only. Lecture and tour of the turtle and home of hundreds of endangered loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley turtles. 4700 Avenue U • 409-766-3500 www.galvestonlab.sefsc.noaa.gov/seaturtles/FAQ/ State Park Tours – free demonstrations and tours of sea life on the Gulf and in the bay. 14901 FM 3005 • 409-737-1222 Galveston Island Ferry ride – free boat ride for passengers and cars across the bay to Bolivar Peninsula. Galveston Ferry Boat Landing • 409-795-2230 www.txdot.gov/driver/travel/ferryschedules.html Railroad Museum – in the Strand Historic District. A collection of lavishly restored railroad cars and train-related exhibits. 123 25th St. • 409-765-5744 • www.galvestonrrmuseum.com Tree Sculptor tour – self-guided tour of numerous tree sculptures across the city. Carved from trees killed during Hurricane Ike and now recycled into art. Get map from Visitor’s Center. 2328 Broadway 888-425-4753 • www.galveston.com/ visitorscenter
1877 Tall Ship Elissa and Texas Seaport Museum – Pier 21. The three-mast tall ship, the iron-hulled sailing ship is open for selfguided tours while in dock. The museum tells the story of Galveston’s role as an entry point for 133,000 immigrants to the US. Pier 21 • 409-763-1877 www.galvestonhistory.org Duck Tours – take a tour of Galveston Island from the land and from sea in a vehicle that travels on the road in the water. 25th St. & Seawall Blvd. • 409-621-4771 www.galvestonducks.com Sea Wolf Park – a park and a museum, which is a memorial to the USS Seawolf, a US Navy submarine accidentally sunk by US forces in World War II. Daily tours. 100 Seawolf Blvd. • 409-797-5114 www.galveston.com/seawolfpark Ocean Star – retired jack-up rig is now a museum of drilling and geological explorations. 1900 Harborside Drive 409-766-STAR • www.oceanstaroec.com Ashton Villa – one of the city’s oldest historic mansions (1851) and first brick house. Also home to Galveston Island Visitors Information Center. 2328 Broadway • 409-765-7834 www.galvestonhistory.org 1892 Bishop’s Palace – National historic landmark – one of the most significant of Victorian residences in the US. Original interiors of exotic materials and period furnishings. 1402 Broadway • 409-762-2475 www.galvestonhistory.org Moody Mansion Museum – restored 1895 home belonging to Col. Moody and later his daughter Mary Moody Northen. Designed by Nicholas Clayton. 2618 Broadway • 409-762-7668 www.moodymansion.org Moody Gardens – IMAX, private beach & pool, gardens, aquarium and more. 7 Hope Blvd. • 409-741-8484 www.moodygardenshotel.com
Shop, eat and play at Pleasure Pier.
Schlitterbahn – waterpark with slides, chutes, lagoons, cabanas 2026 Lockheed St. • 409-770-9283 www.schlitterbahn.com Pleasure Pier – amusement park and Bubba Gump restaurant over the Gulf of Mexico. 2501 25th at Seawall 866-927-0638 • www.pleasurepier.com Sublime Motorsports – jet ski rentals and banana boat rides 1001 Seawall • 409-370-6411 www.galvestonbeaches.net Art Walk – galleries in The Strand area and throughout area open, with live music, wine, etc. Every 6-8 weeks (June 7 and July 12) www.galveston.com/artwalk
Events & Activities Farmers’ Market – each Sunday. Locally grown produce and prepared foods. 2508 Post Office • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 39
Saengerfest Park – free movies, live music, artist markets, food events. Various times. 2300 Strand • www.galveston.com/saengerfestpark/calendar.com July 4th Fireworks – www.galveston.com for time and place.
Best Unexplored Places Sacred Places – tours of local historical churches and cemeteries. Galveston Historical Foundation www.Galvestonhistory.org The Rosenberg Library – Galveston and Texas History Center, the library’s archives and museum are free to the public. Historical artifacts, maps, charts and documents pertaining to the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, dating back to the 16th century. 2310 Sealy • 409-763-8854 www.rosenberg_library.org Galvez Hotel Museum – hidden in a little nook on the floor below the front desk, photographs and documents of the hotel’s 100year legacy along with the city’s history. 2024 Seawall Blvd. • 409-765-7721 • www.galveston.com/galvez The Lighthouse on Bolivar Peninsula – decommissioned in 1933, the lighthouse is no longer used. It is not open to the public but can be seen upon approaching Bolivar from the ferry. Built in 1847, it stands 65-feet high.
Local Favorites ETC Theatre – only local residential theater company on the island. Call for schedule. 2317 Mechanic 409-762-3556 • www.islandetc.org Old Quarter Acoustic Café – the most interesting bar in the city. Live music – local, regional and national performers – in an intimate, close-up environment. 413 20th Street • 409-762-9199 www.oldquarteracousticcafe.com The Beach Hut – A true tiki bar on the beach. Free live music most weekends, with a short menu of beach foods.
731 Seawall • 409-770-0089 www.thebeachhutgalveston.com
living. 2211 Strand • 409-762-2727 www.headtofootsies.wix.com
LaKings Confectionary on the Strand – Fresh scooped ice cream, milk shakes and coffees in an old-fashioned setting. Candy making demonstrations. 2323 Strand • 409-762-6100 www.lakingsconfectionary.com
Tom’s Thumb Nursery – Besides an unbelievable selection of live plants and trees, there is also a cute shop filled with seasidethemed furniture and furnishings. 2014 45th Street • 409-763-4713 www.tomsthumbnursery.com
Sonny’s Place – A beer and burger neighborhood restaurant – for 64 years. A destination for UTMB medical students for decades. Fresh crawfish, shrimp and oysters in season. 1206 19th Street • 409-763-9602 www.galveston.com/sonnys
Kitchen Chick – Everything you didn’t know you needed for a fabulous kitchen. Good quality pots, pans, utensils, plus lots of hands-on help and cooking lessons. 528 23rd Street 409-497-2999 www.thekitchenchick.com
Smooth Tony’s – backyard patio for burgers, beer, music and freshly made smoothies. Local musicians play in the outdoors. Free. 415 9th Street • 409-765-5200 www.smoothtonys.com
Nightlife
Murdoch’s Bathhouse – Although this is a shell and souvenir shop, rocking chairs line an outdoor area in the center of the building, a perfect place for a cold drink and look out at the Gulf. 2215 Seawall Blvd. • 409-762-7478 www.galveston.com/murdochbathouse
Shopping Tina’s on the Strand – home furnishings, jewelry and eclectic women’s clothes and accessories. A huge selection of scented candles. 2326 Strand St. • 409-762-6816 www.tinasonthestrand.com Hendley Market - A most interesting store – a mix of international trinkets, books, antiques. In the city’s first commercial building, erected in 1858. 2010 Strand • 409-762-2610 www.hendleymarket.com Antique Warehouse – Overwhelming! There are so many tables, chairs, buffets and other unique furniture pieces here. See upstairs. 423 25th Street • 409-762-8620 Head to Footsies – Nice selections of women’s clothes and shoes. Wide range of sizes. Light weight styles perfect for island
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The Spot – This is the spot: it is a restaurant, tiki bar, rum shack, sports bar and romantic getaway – all in one. Don’t let the line up of motorcycles scare you away – it is family friendly with a good menu, too. 3204 Seawall Bvd. • 409-621-5237 www.thespotgalveston.com Float Pool & Patio Bar – Cozy Seawall restaurant and bar with large outdoor presence – including a pool. 2828 Seawall Blvd. 409-765-7946 www.yagapresents.com/float Captain Jack’s – Seawall club with live music most weekends. Attached to a hotel, but its open air bar attracts locals as well as visitors. 1702 Seawall Blvd. • 409-762-4141 www.galveston.com/captainjacks/ Tremont House bar – A romantic rooftop bar – one of the best places to watch the sunset over the harbor. 2300 Ships Mechanic Row • 409-763-0300 www.galveston.com/tremont 21 Wine and Martini Bar – Dancing and cocktails – full service bar with over 100 wines, 20 different martinis. Live music on weekends.21022 Post Office Street 409-762-2101 • www.galveston.com/21/
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John Staub-Designed Home Opens In Galveston for Public Touring Houston interior designer Dennis McNabb has been a fan of architect John Staub since he moved to Houston in 1972. That’s why he couldn’t say no to the house at 3815 Bernardo de Galvez (Avenue P) when it came on the market in Galveston two years ago. “I was driving down the street, having been to Tom’s Thumb Nursery, and I saw this incredible house with a for sale sign. “ Within the hour he was standing in the living room with partner, Bill Patterson, and realtor Tom Schwenk. “I knew this was my only chance to ever live in a John Staub house,” McNabb said. He took the plunge. The newly restored home will be featured on the historic The Staub house is built with flashfired Clinker brick. The iron fence dated back to the 1880s and belonged to the previous house, which was destroyed in the 1900 Storm.
3815 Bernardo de Galvez Ave. (Ave. P.) (Photo by David Bowers, The House Company Real Estate.)
homes tour the first two weekends of this month. The Galveston Historical Foundation arranges for privately owned, historic homes to be open to the public once each year. This year’s tour features nine homes.
Step Inside A John Staub House BY MARSHA CANRIGHT
Cotton exporter William C. Helmbrecht, and his wife, Marie, hired the renowned Houston architect to design the red brick home in 1928. The couple lived in the house for 20 years before moving to Dallas. “The greatest joy has been seeing the house come back to life, like a well executed facelift, and bringing it into the 21st century,” McNabb says. It was not their desire to have an extravagant bathroom or huge walk-in closets. “It’s an easy, comfortable house to live in,” he adds. “The bones are good and its interiors are pleasing to the soul.” The renovation of the house was not that challenging, says McNabb. “We were presented with the ledger that Staub’s office had assembled which contained all of the architectural drawings, the specifications, even the landscape plan done by C.C (Pat) Fleming,” he says. The French mantel and Austrian mirror were purchased by William and Marie Helmbrecht when they furnished the house in 1928. 42 house& home | May 2014 | www.houseandhomeonline.com
“Our intention was to preserve and renovate the structure as closely as possible. As the house is approximately 80 percent original, it was not a challenge to achieve this.” There were a few surprises. The public formal living spaces were painted Prussian blue. “It’s a little too much for my preferred neutral color palette, but again it was 1928,” he says. The house is a retreat for McNabb who lives in a high-rise in Houston. “It’s an understated elegance . . . a classic enduring design,” explains McNabb. “The overall architectural ambiance just speaks for itself. This world-class architect had a tremendous sense of style.” Staub came to Houston in 1921 and established his firm in 1923. Raised in Tennessee and educated at the University of Tennessee and Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
The flooring is cream and brown marble that was salvaged from a commercial building in Galveston. The house has shuttered French windows and nine sets of shuttered French doors.
Staub is known for harmonious proportions, elegant detail, and fine materials.
Renovation Sources Chuck Morris Interests www.chuckmorrishomes.com, 281-808-9627 (Galveston) Christensen’s Electrical Service www.christensenelectrical, 409-526-2156 (Galveston) Walker Zanger www.walkerzanger.com, 713-880-9292 (Houston)
McNabb renovated the kitchen to look like a 1928 kitchen with 21st century conveniences. The new cabinets are copies of the ones in the butler's pantry, which are original to the house. The stove is an Itallian Bertazzoni.
Dyer Island Plumbing 409-762-0541 (Galveston) Schenck & Company www.schenckandcompany.com, 713-266-7608 (Houston) Mclean Metal Works www.mcleanmetalworks.com, 409-762-7202 (Galveston) Alcon LIghtcraft Company www.alconlightcraft.com, 713-526-0680 (Houston) Tom Schwenk/The House Company www.thehousecompany.com, 409-763-8030 (Galveston) Kiva Kitchen & Bath www.kivabath.com, 713-781-2222 The upstairs landing features a brilliant red Chinese rug that McNabb purchased at a Santa Fe flea market. The art on either side of the couch is from WPA artists Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. 43
The Crossers hand-picked the reclaimed 19th century lumber for the shiplap wall. The coffee table once held lobsters at Gaido’s restaurant.
Wood Inspiration & Other Ideas You Can Take Back Home – After the Vacation Ends BY SUSAN FOX • PHOTOS BY ANTHONY RATHBUN
The “Yellow Submarine” and “Nantucket” are vacation rentals.
Derick Crosser briefly wondered if his 1915-era Nantucket-style island house contained too many colors. His concern stemmed, in part, from the myriad of hues reflected on the reclaimed painted lumber used on a few accent walls. But an artist friend of Derick and wife Susy’s put his mind at ease. Think of landscapes dotted with flowers of all colors, she told him. No one stops to consider if the colors clash or go together. It is a beautiful sight – just like Crosser’s carpentry work.
Old wood also creates interest at the kitchen island. Photo courtesy of the Yellow Submarine.
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Above and Below: Olivette guest house and owner, Helen Stroud.
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Well-directed instincts rule in the Crosser’s Galveston island shortterm rental, which they call the Yellow Submarine. The house gets its moniker thanks to a downstairs room – a child’s delight actually – where sleeping quarters have been painted to look like a submarine. The Crossers belong to an organization called STROAG – Short Term Rental Owners Association of Galveston. Many STROAG members have used their own funds to return dilapidated and nearly condemned homes back to their original glorious state of being. The Crosser home is just one of them. It is striking – because of the rather unique architectural design, the serene interiors and beachthemed appointments. Each member home is located on Galveston and available to rent – for weekends or longer. STROAG makes it easy for island visitors to enjoy a home steeped in history, and possessing Old-World charm and architectural significance – without having to do any restoration work themselves. The Crosser’s home was once a single family home. But after World War II, it was divided into two residences since there was a shortage of rental space. The Crossers removed the Sheetrock in several places within the house to install wood recovered from various pre-1900 home excavation piles. Small handprints can be seen on once piece of salvaged wood layered for a shiplap effect in the upstairs living area. Derick Crosser says the handprints belong to the grandchildren of the owner of Simps, a soul-food restaurant. The restaurant owner’s old 19th century home had been torn down. Although the shiplap conveys an old beachy look, he says he brought in color specialist Jhonny Langer to help him re-create a historic color palette appropriate to the original era of the house. Langer’s color sleuthing skills helped Crosser decide on the paint colors for the house exterior. The enduring appeal of shiplap also can be found at another STROAG-member home. Do-it-yourselfers Troy Leek and Jeanna Crookshanks, owners of the Blue Crab, used a new yet atypical material to create the homey yesteryear look. Crookshanks says the bathroom of their early 1900 cottage needed a facelift badly. The walls featured several different materials. Initially, the couple thought about Sheetrock. “But we don’t know how to Sheetrock,” she says. So they walked the aisles of Home Depot brainstorming various options. Leek stopped when they got to a stack of Hardi-Plank siding. “This looks like wood but doesn’t act like wood,” he told Crookshanks. The two of them were concerned about the wood expanding in a wet and humid bath environment. She says it was easy to install and looks like the real McCoy. Clint Smith, owner of Periwinkle Cottage, says he used old reclaimed wood a different way. “I built the kitchen table and alcove seating myself in the kitchen. Scott Hanson from the Antique Warehouse game me instructions on how to assemble the table, and then he sold me the two old pedestals that came from a grounded ship, which I used to secure the table to the floor,” explains Smith. The STROAG group Web site – www.stroag.org – offers links to each member house, offering photos and details. Each is available for short-term rental – with some offering even longer times, if needed. The 29 members of STROAG say they are dedicated to improving the island community for guests as well as the surrounding homes and businesses.
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Above & Below: The Cottage on 14th Street.
Below: The colorful Blue Crab; the green bath walls are actually Hardi-Plank.
Names and Contacts of Rental Homes Mentioned or Pictured Blue Crab Bungalow 1316 Avenue N 409-789-8422 Cottage on 14th Street 1111 14th Street 713-822-1648 Olivette 3224 Avenue N 1/2 281-639-4291 Periwinkle Cottage 1915 50th Street 713-459-3162 The Yellow Submarine/Nantucket 2402 Avenue P 713-894-7816
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