september + october 2022 houstonintown.com Downtown or The Boulevard Art Festival Celebrates 50 Years Controversy Over State Tax Incentives Sex Trafficking: Part lll In A Series Fans Returning To The Theatre — Finally OnEntrepreneursCapitalizingAnOldFavorite
Thedeliver.Village
of Southampton offers programs that keep you engaged with always something new to learn or do. It is a great place to meet new-found friends with likeminded interests who are just as eager as you to continue to broaden their horizons. Take off as a group on one of our many adventurous outings and leave the driving to us. Wake up to a dip in the heated pool or try integrating a new innovative exercise program into your daily routine in our state-of-the-art fitness center. No matter what exercise you choose, your health and wellness are our primary focus. Our community areas are designed with you in mind. Relax in the outdoor oasis with lounge seating, flower boxes and view of the Houston skyline. Prepare your pallet for an exquisite dining experience as you retreat for lunch or dinner in our beautiful dining room. If you are on the go with no time for formal dining, grab a quick snack or sandwich in the Morningside Cafe. Enjoy conversation with friends and family while you unwind from a busy day of adventure with a glass of wine in the Owl’s Nest, our 18th floor lounge with unforgettable views of the city of Houston. Once you settle into your new home at The Village of Southampton, the sounds of the city and hustle of the world seem to fade away. It is where you love the possibilities that each day offers. Sophisticated independent living, with assisted living and memory care services —The Village of Southampton is where you Live Life Well®. We invite you to come explore Houston’s best kept secret. If you would like to learn more about how The Village of Southampton can be your new home, call today to schedule a personal visit – 281-886-8891 – or visit villagesouthampton.com. of Southampton LOCATIONMATTERS
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Imagine living in a safe and convenient community, with every thing you need just steps outside your door. A place to relax, a place to explore, a place for all ages. The Village of Southampton luxury senior living community is the new centerpiece to the long success ful, highly awarded Rice Village shopping district, restaurants, and Thisentertainment.pedestrian-friendly
area consists of over 300 shops and is lo cated just a few blocks from Rice University, Hermann Park, the Museum District, and world-renowned Texas Medical Center. You will enjoy shopping the boutiques, concerts in the park and the fine arts. Stay connected to the energy of the performing arts, continued learning, and a rich and varied social scene that only Houston can
Your One-Move Solution Luxury Senior-Living Residences in Rice Village RESIDENTS ENJOY A RANGE OF FULL-SERVICE BENEFITS: • Chef-prepared gourmet dining and dietitian-approved meals • Weekly housekeeping with linen service • Pet-friendly residences • Convenient transportation options • Premier tness center and theater • 18th oor Owl’s Nest lounge featuring skyline views • And more! 5020 Kelvin Dr. | Houston, TX 77005 | villagesouthampton.com FIN-110378 (281)Contact886-8891UsToday INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE
15 days prior to publication. PUBLISHER M. A. Haines EDITOR Lisa June CONTRIBUTORS Lindsay Mowad William VirginiaMareneHanoverGustinEvansAttwellPhilipBerquistMinniePayneBilleaudAnderson PRODUCTION Web Design CSS Art & Design Layout & Graphic Design CSS Art & Design Graphic Designer Cris Bell Photographer Wells Brown / September + October 2022 Send comments, thoughts or ideas to intownmagazine@gmail.com houstonintown.com ON THE COVER 6 PUBLISHER’S LETTER 8-10 ARTS & EVENTS 14-15 ARTS SEASON STARTS SEPTEMBER 18-20 EIGHT ROW EXPANDINGFLINT 22-25 THE MAN BEHIND THE FOOD 26-27 SEX FOLLOW-UPTRAFFICKING 28-29 FINANCIAL FOCUS 30-31 THE BUZZ 28 22 24 18 6 Houston Ballet’s Peter Pan
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4 | Intown | September + October 2022 intown
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The “Boulevard” as in Post Oak Boulevard. It is home to much of the poshness Houston offers, with glitzy hotels and world-class shopping centers like the Galleria and River Oaks District. Uptown, as it is often referred to, hosts the main Holiday tree lighting that so many families gather to celebrate. Downtown has some great hotels, posh new residential high rises, Minute Maid, Toyota Center, George R. Brown, the theater district, and Discovery Green. That long, winding road splits downtown and the Galleria/Post Oak Boulevard. Not overly glitzy, but one that includes a football stadium on one end and leads you downtown via the venerable Allen Parkway -one of our most revered drives. On this journey, you get the true heartbeat of the city, passing through West U and River Oaks, two of Houston’s most beautiful neighborhoods - it’s that long and winding road that centers Houston - Kirby Drive.
Was it downtown like in Denver, where we had built a walkable 16th Street filled with shops, restaurants, and bars? I wanted to be near the action in my new city. Living in downtown Denver in my 20s had been a blast. Any big city should not be defined by one place, but it helps to have a center. Even smaller cities like Nashville have Music Row and San Antonio’s River Walk.
6 | Intown | September + October 2022
hen I first visited Houston over 30 years ago about a possible job transfer to Houston, I knew very little about it. It was the headquarters of the weekly business publication, the Rocky Mountain Journal (a sister publication of Houston Business Journal), part of (Cordovan Corp, which now is Advance Publications) where I worked in Denver. I knew from television it was home to NASA and, as a kid growing up, had an excellent reputation as a golfing mecca for potential college players at the University of Houston. But it was February and Denver’s coldest month. As my flight landed in Houston to visit the corporate headquarters about a transfer, they had just announced it was a perfect 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I think I’m in love.
The Long and Winding Road
ublisher’s letter
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I was struck by the extreme friendliness of the people I met. People were loud and proud of Houston and Texas, which was contagious. I cruised the sprawling metropolis noticing the beautiful lush landscape surrounding the Galleria, which I had mistaken for Houston’s Downtown. My decision to accept the move to Houston was an easy one. Upon relocating to Houston, it was quite a while before I actually went to downtown Houston. I wondered then, as still I do today - what’s Houston’s center of attraction. Where was Houston’s Times Square, Rush Street, or Hollywood Boulevard?
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Artupdate houston published every two weeks by houstonintown. Go to website and sign up for newsletter to receive free update.
Special Exhibits
Transcending Audubon
Wall Drawing Series: Marcia Kure Through Sept, 2022
Dreher Materworks1
As one of the top art festivals in the country, the weekend event will bring diverse artists, and patrons will have the op portunity to meet the artists, view original works, and purchase artwork from 19 art disciplines, including world-class paintings, prints, jewelry, sculptures, and more. The festival will feature live music, a food truck park, and beverage stations throughout the
festival along with two entertainment stages and art installations. Guests will enjoy Houston’s skyline views while enjoying the fes tival’s wine garden, craft beer garden, and Art Bar.
Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life King Tut’s Tomb Opens Oct 28
Leandro Erlich: Seeing Is Not Believing Ongoing through Sept 5, 2022
MUSIC & DANCE
Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power Oct 16 through Jan 16, 2023
This Fall will feature the Bayou City Art Festival’s celebra tion of its 50th year as they return to Downtown Houston on Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9, 2022.
MUSEUMS
Walter De Maria: Boxes for Meaningless Work
Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks Holocaust Museum Houston Charlotte Solomon: Life? Or Theater? Through Dec 4, 2022
Modern and Contemporary at the Menil Ongoing through Jan 23, 2023
Asia Society Texas Center
Oct 29 through Apr 23, 2023
EVENTS
Bayou City Art Festival Celebrating 50 Years
Diane Severin Nguyen: IF REVOLUTION IS A SICKNESS Oct 28 through Feb 26, 2023
Museum Of Fine Arts, Houston Virtual Realities: The Art of M.C. Escher from the Michael S. Sachs Collection Through Sept 5, 2022
Miller Outdoor Theatre Fall ExtravaDance #YayDance produced by Houston Metropolitan Dance Center
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
A portion of the proceeds from Bayou City Art Festival Downtown will benefit the festival’s nonprofit partners. Online early bird tickets will be available at www.bayoucityartfestival.com.
Houston Museum Of Natural Science
For the ultimate art lover, Bayou City Art Festival will of fer a limited availability VIP ticket experience, including an oasis with light bites and complimentary beer, wine, and other beverages. The relaxing setting under a canopy of trees will fea ture roaming musicians, artistic décor, a phone charging sta tion, and more. VIPs will receive all-day access to the VIP area, along with VIP parking.
Meret Oppenheim: My Exhibition Through Sept 18, 2022
Beauty and Ritual; Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York July 10 through Sept 18
8 | Intown | September + October 2022 Arts +
Performed LIVE on stage and online! This performance will be livestreamed! You can choose to watch it on our website, our YouTube Channel, or Facebook!
Samuel Fosso: African Spirits Aug 5 through Jan 15, 2023
Menil Collection
Everything She Has Within Herself Through Nov 13, 2022
The Sugar Shack Ongoing through Dec 31, 2022
September 9 at 8 p.m.
For the most recent updates, follow the official event hashtags #HouArtFest50 and #BCAF50, like the Facebook page, or follow on Twitter and Instagram.
Philip Guston Now Oct 23 through Jan 16, 2023
Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks Ongoing through Oct 2, 2022
Troy Montes Michie: Rock of Eye Sept 23 through Jan 29, 2023
David Michael Young Broker Provendavid@youngrealtyhouston.com713-320-6453AssociatePerformance–YearAfterYear Providing expert residential real estate services in the Greater Houston Area since 2002. “This is the 2nd home purchase transaction we have done with David. As always, David is a true consummate Real Estate professional and is always there to address every detail associated with the transaction throughout the process. Thank you David!” Stephen W, Buyer & Seller With two decades of experience in the Houston real estate market, David M Young lets his clients do the talking. Need a Real Estate Agent you can trust? HAR Client Experience Rating 242 Pine Hollow Ln Pine Hollow / Tanglewood Area Featured Listings ML #: 14680197$1,150,000PaidPatrol / No HOA Bayou View 31,236 SF Lot “Our family has dealt with David many times over the last 20 years, We keep going back to him because he so qualified, personable, and reliable.” Mark L, Buyer & Seller “David is basically considered a member of our family now. There is no one I would trust besides him when buying or selling a house.” Melissa L, Buyer & Seller “David covers all the bases. He's a great communicator, & he's detail oriented. This is my 4th transaction with him.” Lloyd O, Buyer & Seller “David is the best real estate agent I have ever come across, and the runner-up isn’t even close.” Rocky R, Buyer & Seller ML #: LotBed/Bath:684293324-5/4.5Size:11,851SF$1, 395,000 Year Built: 2004 SqFt: On5,422golf course 11415 Legend Manor Dr Royal Oaks Country Club68429332$1 395 000
A.D. Players Miss Maude Sept 21 through Oct 23 Alley Theatre
10Sept Kansa City 13 New England 9Oct LA
HoustonSoccer Dynamo PNC Stadium
10 | Intown | September + October 2022
The Houston Jazz Festival produced by The Houston Jazz Collective September 17 at 8 p.m.
5-7Sept Texas 9-11 LA Angels 15-18 Oakland 27-28 Arizona 30 Tampa Bay
Monday thru Saturday: Lunch 11 to 2:30pm / Happy Hour 4 to 7pm / Dinner 5 to 10pm Saturday 11 to 10pm / Saturday Brunch 11 to 2:30pm / Saturday Happy Hour 2 to 5pm Closed Sunday
Saturdays 8am - noon 2752SpeedwayBuffalo
HoustonFootball Texans Reliant Stadium
Performed LIVE on stage and online! This performance will be livestreamed!
For reservations go to: EugenesHouston.com/reservations or call 713.807.8883
This performance is LIVE on stage and will not be livestreamed.
Performed LIVE on stage and online! This performance will be livestreamed! You can choose to watch it on our web site here, our YouTube Channel here, or Facebook here!
Stages Repertory Theater Dream: The Story Of The Everly Brothers Though Sept 4 Plumshuga: The Rise Of Lauren Oct 7 through Nov 13
El Grito at Miller Featuring Son Rompe Pera September 15 at 8 p.m.
Make plans to join us at Eugene’s for the happiest ‘Happy Hour’ in town. Enjoy a cold beer, wine, or a cocktail, followed by a delicious meal.
Edward Albee’s Seascape Oct 14 through Nov 13 Broadway Across America Hobby Center Hadestown Oct 4 through 9
1-2Oct Tampa Bay 3-5 Philadelphia
SPORTS
H.E.B. presents “The Ultimate Donna Summer Tribute” Starring Rainere Martin September 16 at 8 p.m.
Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Soprano Sept 16 through Oct 9
1985 Welch Street Houston, Texas 77019
1st and Sundays3rd 11am - 3pm Uptown Park Blvd
UPTOWNFARMERSHARVESTURBANMARKETPARK
Performed LIVE on stage and online! This performance will be livestreamed! You can choose to watch it on our website, our YouTube Channel, or Facebook!
Somi presented by DACAMERA September 10 at 8 p.m.
THEATER
11Sept Indianapolis 2Oct. LA Chargers 30 Tennessee
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8 | Intown | September + October 2021 Real Estate Professionals Serving the Houston Luxury Home Community
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14 | Intown | September + October 2022
Born and raised in Bratislava, Slo vakia, Valčuha brings an extensive and impressive résumé to Houston. He was Music Director of the Orchestra Sinfon ica National Della RAI in Turin, Italy, and is currently Music Director of the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, Italy, as well as First Guest Conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. He has led many of the major ensembles of the world including the Berlin Philhar monic, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Amsterdam Royal Con certgebouw, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, the NDR Elbphil harmonie Hamburg, Swedish Radio Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France, the BBC and Philharmonia Orchestras in Lon don, Milan’s Filharmonia della Scala and the Montreal Symphony. In the United States, in addition to previous appear ances with the Houston Symphony, he has conducted the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dal las, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, St Louis, Utah, San Francisco, Minnesota, Pitts burg, and New York.
HGO opens its season in October with a favorite, “La traviata” by Verdi. This revival, a shared production with Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Canadi an Opera Company, will feature the first Houston performance by Grammy-win ning soprano Angel Blue as Violeta. Bry an Hymel sings as her lover, Alfredo, and much-praised baritone Andrei Kymach also makes his HGO debut singing the role of Girogio, Alfredo’s conflicted fa ther. Another HGO debut is an Amer ican composer and conductor Matthew Aucoin who conducts
Once the announcement of his ap pointment to Houston was public, the Executive Director and CEO of the
The 2022-2023 Arts Season Begins this September
Intown’s Classical Music Critic, the Hon. Philip Berquist Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia for Texas
All performances are in Italian with projected English translation.
Houston Symphony Orchestra
• October 28, 29, 30 - All Mozart, Symphony 35, the “Hefner,” Simpho nia Concertante, Music from “Thamos, King of Egypt,” conducted by Jane Glover.All performances are at Jones Hal. The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday per formances begin at 8:00 pm, and Sunday at 2:30 pm. For further tickets and infor mation - www.houstonsymphony.org.
• October 20, 22, 23 - Beetho ven Violin, Itzhak Perlman soloist; Coleridge-Taylor, The Bamboula, Rhap sodic Dance for Orchestra; Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier Suite, conducted by Valčuha.
Houston Symphony, John Mangum, interviewed Valčuha from Berlin, which is available on YouTube. I highly recom mend watching it at youtube.com - “An nouncing Juraj Valčuha, Music Direc tor Designate” - This is an excerpt of a much longer “A Conversation with Juraj Valčuha” - again, highly recommended watching.Theconcerts in September and Oc tober are well-rounded and exciting.
What HGO calls “a lost master piece” is “The Wreckers.” Composed by Dame Ethel Smyth in 1906, this will be the “first full-scale production by a major American opera company.”
The storyline is undoubtedly intrigu
Houston Grand Opera
Juraj Valčuha
• September 16, 17, and 18 - Verdi Requiem, conducted by Valčuha.
• October 21, 23, 29, November 1, 4, and 6.
• September 23, 24, 25 - Sibelius Vi olin Concerto, with Joshua Bell; Shostakovich Symphony 5, conducted by Valčuha.Itlooks to me as if the relationship between HSO and violinist virtuoso Itzhak Perlman is blossoming into mean ingful collaboration. Perlman appears twice this season, first by performing the
Changes in music directors for a symphony orchestra are a rare occasion. The Houston Symphony has had superb artistic leadership in its DNA with lu minaries like Ferenc Fricsay, Leopol do Stokowski, Sir John Barbirolli, and Andre Previn. Since I moved to Hous ton in 1970, there have only been five at the Houston Symphony - Lawrence Foster, Sergiu Comissiona, Christoph Eschenbach, Hans Graf, and Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Beginning this month, a new Music Director, Juraj Valčuha, takes the helm.
Beethoven Violin Concerto in October and returning in April 2023, leading the orchestra in two performances of the Mozart Requiem.
For tickets and information, go to www.Houstongrandopera.org.
Conducted by the HGO Music Di rector, Patrick Summers.
• October 28, 30, and November 5, 9, and 11.
“Good Vibrations” sets three oneact works to dance. “The Letter V” is choreographed by Mark Morris to the music of Joseph Haydn’s Symphony 88. “Red Earth” by Stanton Welch features a dance celebrating the Australian land scapes. “Good Vibrations” by Arthur Pita was set to premiere in Houston in the 2019-2020 season but was canceled due to the pandemic. It is set to music by Christopher Austin based on the Beach Boys’ iconic song.
ing. A town preacher on an ocean coast declares that shipwrecks are premeditat ed and instructs the citizens not to use the lighthouse at night to ensure that the wrecked ships can be pillaged. Another Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano, Sasha Cooke, sings the lead role.
All performances sung in English with projected English translation.
Keep the emails coming at classicalmusicberquist@gmail.comSeeyouinacoupleofmonths.
These HGO productions are both staged at the Brown Theater, Wortham Center. Each nightly performance be gins at 7:30 pm, with the Sunday per formances at 2:00 pm.
• September 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18.
This season begins with “Peter Pan,” the classic children’s tale choreographed by Trey McIntyre with music by Sir Edward Elgar and arranged by Niel DePonte.
Houston Ballet
• September 22, 24, 25, 30, No vember 1 and 2.
The venue is the Brown Theater, Wortham Center. The nightly perfor mances begin at 7:30 pm, with Sunday performances at 2:00 pm. Note that Fri day, September 9, Opening Night be gins at 7:00 pm.
“Peter Pan”, Houston Ballet
Poggenpohl Houston 5002 Westheimer Road, Suite B 77056 Houston +1 houston@poggenpohl.com832-582-2620
“We are honored and humbled to display the I-Beam on behalf of the City of Bellaire and thank each of the companies that were part of creating a beautiful display for the beam,” says Museum President and CEO Lt. Gen. (ret.) Doug Owens in a press release. “We are extremely grateful for the overwhelming support.”
In memory of the tragic attack on on the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001, Houston’s Lone Star Flight Museum is opening its fall exhibition Never Forget: Commemorating the 21th Anniversary of 9/11 on September 1. The nearly 3,000 names of those who died will be in scribed on the gallery walls and an 11foot section of the World Trade Center I-Beam will be held in the gallery.
The Remembrance Art Exhibit will open to the public at Houston Baptist University on September 10 and run through January 2023. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2022, HBU will host a worship service at Belin Chapel in remembrance of the victims of September 11th, followed by a memorial ceremony to honor the families of first responders who perished at the World Trade Center, Houston area emergency personnel, and Houston-area emergency personnel, and Houston-area military service members who assisted with the rescue and recovery efforts on the day of the attacks.
21st Anniversary of 9/11: Never Forget
16 | Intown | September + October 2022
On Friday, October 28, 2022, AAMA–the Association for the Ad vancement of Mexican Americans–will celebrate its over five decades of existence as the leading nonprofit or ganization in Texas working with Latino families to achieve financial secu rity, well-being, and self-actualization through its largest fundraising event of the year. The Illumine Gala will take place at The Ballroom at Bayou Place from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and will raise proceeds for AAMA’s year-round programs and services, which annual ly serve over 10,000 individuals across the state of Texas.
AAMA to Celebrate Illumine Gala in Houston
frequent
Custom made shirts in our shop. about our buyers program.
These programs include AAMA’s prevention and counseling services, George I. Sanchez Charter Schools, its Early Childhood Center, the Adelan te Adult Education program, and its Work and Learn Center. AAMA was
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founded in 1970 by a group of students, business people, and teachers who came together to address key issues in the community, including drug abuse and school completion. Its first board of directors included Luis Cano, Froilan Hernández, Ninfa Laurenzo, Roland Laurenzo, Da
vid Martinez, William Navarro, and Yolanda
“OurNavarro.legacyin this community is one of service and commitment to the local region and its residents. AAMA continues to be a beacon of hope for thousands of individuals across the state, and we are able to do so because of the continued generous contribu tions of our supporters,” said Debbie Ortiz, interim president, and CEO at AAMA.The Illumine Gala is chaired by Christian Diaz and Agostina Loiacono and Telisa and Tom Shead; honorary chairs are Veronica and Brian Neal.
Sponsorships are available ortactnounces-illumine-gala/.https://www.aama.org/aama-anatFormoreinformation,pleaseconDebbieOrtizat(713)929-2322viaemailatdortiz@aama.org.
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exciting moment for us. Nurturing our staff and watching them develop is one of the most rewarding elements of being business owners. We couldn’t be happier for these three key team members, Chris tina, Christian, and Marcelo, to grow alongside the Eight Row Flint concept as they increase their responsibilities and take on these new roles.”
Bourbon is as American as apple pie, dating back some four hundred years, before our nation was even founded. Some say a man named Elijah Craig was the first one to make bourbon when he distilled corn whiskey in oak barrels back in 1789. Whoever the first person was to make bourbon, it was quite popular
by Marene Gustin
vard right on METRORail’s Green Line, making it easy for downtowners to get there. The new location will have a full kitchen so the menu will be expanded.
Eight Row Flint is the brainchild of Agricole Hospitality’s Ryan Pena, Mor gan Weber, and Vincent Huynh. The company also has three other properties in EaDo; Indianola, Miss Carousel, and Vinny’s, as well as the highly touted Ital ian eatery Coltivare in The Heights.
Bourbon Crazy and an Expansion Coming EIGHTROWFLINT
And now comes some exciting news from the crew behind the icehouse; Bourbon Heritage Month all Septem ber featuring specials on the liquor, and word that Eight Row Flint will be adding a second location in late fall. It will be in the Second Ward spot of the former Night Shift Bar on Harrisburg Boule
18 | Intown | September + October 2022
In the meantime, there is still plenty going on at the original Eight Row Flint. September is Bourbon Heritage Month and there will be specials to celebrate the libation all month long.
S
ince 2015 The Heights has been home to a modern-day Texas icehouse, Eight Row Flint. And it’s been a hit with locals ever since for its creative cocktail menu, extensive whis key and agave lists, as well as being one of the first bars to revive the old tradi tional Texas cocktail called Ranch Water, a concoction of Tequila, sparkling wa ter, and fresh lime. Not to mention the food offerings like the delicious tacos on house made tortillas. If you’ve never had a Brussels sprouts taco, it’s worth a trip just to try one. There are also fajitas, a Sonora dog, nachos, and a burger with some Tex-Mex brunch items on Satur days and Sundays.
“We’re so proud of what we’ve built at Eight Row Flint over the last eight years,” the owners say. “With this being our first concept expansion, it’s a really
For the new Eight row Flint location, the hospitality company tapped team members Christina Ramey as concept manager for both icehouses, Christian Garza for general manager at the new location, and chef Marcelo Garcia will oversee both kitchens.
Agricole Eight Row Flint Taco Salad.
Photo: Agricole Hospitality
with the colonists, even with George Washington. Fast forward in 1964 and an act of Congress declared bourbon to be a unique product of the United States. Federal law states that bourbon must be produced in the U.S., contain at least 51 percent corn, and mature in freshly charred oak barrels for at least two years. In 2007 the U.S. Senate declared Sep tember as National Bourbon Heritage Month, a month-long happy hour to celebrate our country’s own special spirit.
Agricole Eight Row Flint Mexican Spirits Back Bar Photo: Agricole Hospitality
“I’d say bourbon is our number one spirit that we sell at Eight Row Flint,” says“WeRamey.have over 100 bottles and seven barrels.”Eight Row Flint visits distilleries where the team samples batches from different barrels and then purchases the ones they want. It’s a tough job but one Ramey certainly enjoys.
“I’ve been in this business for 12 years,” she says. “And the bourbon craze has really taken off in the last five years.
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The icehouse does a lot of craft bour bon cocktails, but Ramey is a purist when it comes to the American whiskey.
• Nearly five decades of experience in family law and civil litigation in the Houston area and highly
“Personally, I like it on the rocks,” she says. “I like a glass of Old Forester over ice.” Old Forester is a Kentucky distillery established in 1863 by George Gavin Brown who was the first to sell bottled bourbon. “It’s 120 proof, and barrel aged for five years,” Ramey says. “It’s delicious with notes of caramel, cof fee, and a little tobacco.”
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travel to these small West Texas towns and hunt down vintage bottles on a small liquor store shelf, and then they post about it online,” Ramey says. “I don’t have time to be traveling around doing that! Besides I work at Eight Row Flint and I’m around good bourbon all day.”
EIGHT ROW FLINT 1039 Yale 832.767.4002Street agricolehospitality.com
It’s crazy. There are bourbon clubs and Facebook pages.
You can taste it for yourself the first week of National Bourbon Heritage Month when Eight Row Flint will have Old Forester on sale. Elijah Craig is on special the second week, Sazerac Rye the third, and the fourth will be Solera Blend house-blend of every single barrel that has ever walked through the doors at Eight Row Flint for just $12. The fi nal week of September you can enjoy summer cocktails at special prices before the icehouse takes them off the menu to make room for new fall cocktails.
• Reliable
And, then there’s the hunt for uni corn bottles.”
A unicorn bottle is a rare bottle, usu ally from the 1970s, that collectors seek out.“People
20 | Intown | September + October 2022
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by Marene Gustin
22 | Intown | September + October 2022
The Man by Marene Gustin
When he came from his hometown of Harlingen to Houston in the early seventies, he worked several jobs, including high-end menswear, where he developed his sense of style. But one day in 1978, he decided he needed something more exciting to tell his classmates at his ten-year high school reunion, so he opened a restaurant just like that. The first location was a small house on Shepherd Drive at San Felipe. And while the early days of Armandos saw Pala
I
f you only know Armando Palacios, 74, for his eponymous River Oak’s Tex-Mex restaurant, then you don’t know half of his story.
“I was working with an architect on a bungalow I bought on Center Street, and they sent Cinda to head up the project,” he recalls. “Much like the beginning of Armandos, the rest is history.”
But it wasn’t just the rebirth of Armandos the couple was involved in. Their family-owned hospitality company, Palacios Murphy, contin ued to grow and now includes the boutique Hotel Lulu, its new Lulu’s Italian café, Mandito’s casual Tex-Mex, and Popi Burger, all in Round Top. Why the move from Tex-Mex to Italian?
Cinda Palacios
cios doing everything from kitchen work to bussing tables, it wasn’t long before he could relax into the gracious host of Armandos, which became the place to dine in River Oaks. It was the perfect combination of good Tex-Mex, strong margaritas, and a see-and-be-seen crowd.
“I am a big believer in divine intervention,” Palacios says. “I had opened the New World museum behind my home on Center Street, met the love of my life Cinda, and started a life with her and our daugh ter, Ali. The location on Shepherd was no longer the right fit, and I knew a bigger and better location would come along when we were ready for it. When I got the call about the location on the corner of “Main and Main” in River Oaks (also known as Westheimer Road and Kirby Drive), I knew that was it.”
“I would not describe our expansion as a switch by any means. We are diversifying our offerings as we grow,” Palacios says. “Tex-Mex will always be the foundation of our company. In fact we are opening anoth er Mandito’s in Bellaire early next year. We wanted to expand our dining options in Round Top, where our original Lulu’s is located. Cinda and I love Italian culture and cuisine, so it was an obvious fit.
Armandos,
He moved Armandos to the Westheimer Road location, where there was more space. But despite the continued success, in 2000, he decided to close the restaurant.
And then he met Cinda Murphy, the love of his life.
Behind the Food
before...
... and now September + October 2022 | Intown |23
Photos courtesy of Joseph West
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“A good margarita comes down to fresh quality ingredi ents our house margarita recipe is very simple.” 2 ounces blanco tequila 1/2 ounce of FRESH lime juice ½ ounce light agave nectar
“I have been going to Round Top since 1978,” Palacios says of the quaint Fayette County town known for its an tiquing. “I was inspired to buy my own piece of Round Top history and pur chased the former home of the first set tler in Round Top, James Winn. I was fortunate enough to meet Faith Bybee at the Festival Institute before they had the exquisite concert hall they have now. I was hooked on this small town that was also an escape for many influen tial Texans.” Because of the Houston/ Round Top connection, Palacios Mur
phy opened a River Oaks Lulu’s Italian café in Houston last year in the same center that houses Armandos. But if he had to choose a favorite property, it would be the hotel.
MargaritaArmandosFamous
“I have to say I love everything we have done, but the grounds at Hotel Lulu in Round Top are just exquisite,” Palacios says. “Which is also home to Lulu’s restaurant and our hotel bar Il Cuculo. From the drop-dead gorgeous stone building from the mid-1800s to all of the charming bungalows we have transformed into the 14 hotel rooms,
once upon a HigHnie . . .
Hotel Lulu is genuinely unbelievable. There is nothing like it in Texas, maybe even the U.S.”
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September + October 2022 | Intown |25
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He clearly loves Round Top, where he and Cinda own horses and a don key, all of which are rescues from Habitat for Horses. They just chaired the annual fundraising gala for the Garde nia E. Janssen Animal Shelter and sup ported the Festival Institute in Round Top. Through the restaurants, they also donate to many charities. But as much as they love Round Top, Houston is special to “Houstoniansthem. are by far my favor ite thing about Houston,” says Palacios. “The people are incredible and have ex quisite taste in art, culture, and food. The diversity, the hospitality, and the opportunity are all unrivaled. Houston is a young city, and if you want to cre ate something and you work hard, you can do it. There is a sense of optimism here.”
In 2011, a lawsuit was filed against the Texas Department of Family Ser vices (DFPS) for violating the rights of
Across Texas and the US, we have seen how the privatization of prisons turned prisoners into profits. Most of us may not know that the Texas Legislature privatized Child Protective Services (CPS), effective ly turning kids into cash under the guise of “Community-Based Care Programs.” Statistics show the average age of a sex trafficking victim is between 12-14 and that 86% of children who are sex traf ficked come from the foster care system. Maybe in Houston, we can start to under stand why those numbers exist.
In August 2022, a video of a Texas CPS worker staying in a hotel with a 14-year-old girl and trying to convince her to become a prostitute went viral across the globe. As an advocate for fos ter children and recovered victims of sex trafficking, I have seen these children not being believed. Not this time! This intel ligent and brave 14-year-old girl exposed an inept system and at least one shame less social worker’s attempt to recruit a child into the world of sex trafficking. We have reported before on an already growing and alarming problem, espe cially on the southwest side of Houston, where this took place. According to data provided by the State of Texas Audit, the number of Texas foster children placed in unlicensed facilities, such as motels, churches, and offices, surpassed 400 in June 2021 after trending upward for the last year. Before 2021, the number rare ly went above 100. The total number of children in Texas foster care each month in 2021 averaged 15,900, less than in previous years[1]. “The child’s mother, Keisha Bazley, told Fox26: ‘My daughter told me that the worker had been telling her she should do these things, so she said she decided to video her.’ In a statement to FOX 26, Texas DFPS Spokesperson Melissa Lanford said, “DFPS is aware of the video and has taken action. The per
Joshua Rawson Harris | Unsplash IN A SERIES
Texas, it’s not just Houston that has a problem
PART III
available personnel records. She was hired 16 months later by The Refuge. A court document filed to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services detailed how a former employee, who was work ing at the ranch at the time, allegedly sold nude photos of two youths in their care. The Refuge stated it learned in December an employee had reportedly coerced the residents into making commercially sexu al exploitation material and fired the em ployee. The organization said it then “im mediately contacted the DFPS and the BCSO.” In an emergency hearing, Judge Jack called DFPS’ decision not to remove the children immediately after reports of abuse a system failure. Justin Lewis, for mer director of child care investigations for Texas’ protective services agency, said, “DFPS was scapegoating those employ ees.” Before his resignation, he added, “decades of systemic issues and convolut ed processes have led to communication breakdowns in the troubled agency — and kept DFPS executives out of the loop.” Judge Jack blasted the State and revealed that she was the one who initially wrote the letter detailing allegations at the Bas trop facility and expressed concerns over the phone. She asked, “Were the Rangers instructed to investigate or disprove?” Jack also questioned the purpose of McCraw’s (Texas Ranger) letter- “What was the purpose of the letter -if not for publicity.”
How a 14 year old with a cell phone exposed Child Sex Trafficking in the Foster Care System
Turning People Into Profits:
26 | Intown | September + October 2022
The Lawsuit and the Judge Trying to Overhaul The Broken System
By Jamie Winston
A Viral Cell Phone Video Exposes CPS Worker
There have been other reports of child sex trafficking allegations from CPS this year. In March of 2022, The Refuge, a Bastrop, Texas-contracted shelter for do mestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) victims in the care of the Texas Foster Care System, was accused of trafficking the victims turned foster children while in their care. State records show Iesha Greene was fired in 2020 from a state juvenile facility for having inappropriate relationships with children. The Refuge said it was aware of her previous work there, but it never requested her publicly
son in the video – who was employed as CPS support staff - was dismissed from her position on August 10. The safety and appropriateness with which children in care must be treated is our paramount concern. Nothing less will be tolerated.” Here are the biggest questions. Why ar en’t all social workers licensed caretak ers since their task is short-term care? Why did it take a 14-year-old with a cell phone to uncover this much corruption?
More Abuse Ignored
In June of 2022, Judge Jack threatened to pursue large fines against the State of Texas for continually failing the 30,000 children in their care. Judge Jack has is sued several orders regarding the foster care system. Judge Jack had previously fined the state $50,000 a day, which she later suspended for ignoring her orders to have foster children in group settings supervised around the clock by an adult who is also awake. Jack has once again warned Texas to get their Foster care sys tem into a functional, safe space for the children or face additional and larger fines with each failure to comply with the judge’s order to keep children safe.
foster children in the system. In 2015 Federal Judge Janis Graham Jack found that “Texas’s PMC (Permanent Manag ing Conservatorship) children have been shuttled throughout a system where rape, abuse, psychotropic medication, and instability are the norm.” Judge Jack also documented how the Texas DFPS is de liberately deceptive and inefficient in its management of the Foster Care system and is severely flawed, causing harm to children.“ As the system currently stands, foster children often age out of care more damaged than when they entered.” “Years of abuse, neglect, and shuttling between inappropriate placements across the State has created a population that cannot contribute to society and proves a con tinued strain on the government through welfare, incarceration, or otherwise. Al though some foster children are “able to overcome these obstacles, they should not have
an answer to a disaster. This isn’t even a bandaid over a bullet hole, and in fact is more in line with shooting the hostage. As Texas continues to implement their overhaul using their strategic design plan phases, and as Judge Janis Graham Jack continues to fight for the foster children of Texas, we will keep you informed.
The State of Texas, under the 85th Legislature, in a bipartisan bill (SB11) allowed private LLCs with the most pleasant of names that imply a spa-like experience to become licensed foster care facilities with little to no oversight. These facilities are commonly referred to as Residential Treatment Centers (RTC), and are primarily filled to the brim with teenage children warehoused because of “severe behavioral issues’’ stemming from abuse, neglect, and trauma. This isn’t
[1] Foster_Care/Litigation.aspbook/child_protective_services/https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/about_dfps/data_[2]https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/
Go to www.houstonintown for more articles from Jamie Winston.
The Response From Texas
Since her 2015 Ruling, Judge Janis Jack has held several hearings as a result of status updates and emergency reports from the federal monitors appointed, which have resulted in the following con sequences to CPS and The State of Texas:
September + October 2022 | Intown |27
The public interest will not be harmed by an injunction requiring Texas to conform its foster care system to the Con stitution. With all four factors met, the Court holds that injunctive relief is ap propriate in this case.”
have a Fourteenth Amend ment substantive due process right to be free from an unreasonable risk of harm caused by the State. Texas currently vio lates that right.
“Plaintiffsto.”
by JUSTIN MILLER Texas Observer
Big business is feasting in the final days of Texas’ signature corporate tax break, while lobbying for a new program to refill the trough.
“It’s like hogs at the trough,” said Bishop John Ogletree, a leader with the Houston chapter of the Industrial Ar eas Foundation, a faith-based coalition that helped bring down Chapter 313. “Multi-billion-dollar oil, gas, and tech corporations asking for school districts and taxpayer dollars to bolster their profits. If these applications get ap proved, it will blow a hole in our state
ike a designer outlet store hold ing a liquidation sale for all its merchandise, the Texas Comp troller’s office has had a constant crowd of corporate customers forming a line out the door, eager to get their high-end property tax deals rung up at the register before the sale ends and the store closes for Thisgood.was set in motion last year when the state legislature declined to renew Texas’ largest and most lucrative cor porate tax incentive program known as Chapter 313, which is administered by the state comptroller. Despite boost ers’ best attempts, too many lawmak ers could no longer stomach the brazen bilking and ballooning costs of this tax giveaway scheme. The program, which allowed school districts to give compa nies 10-year breaks on property taxes for building new industrial projects—with the state ultimately picking up the tab— had become a subsidy taken for granted by corporations instead of a genuine in centive to invest in Texas.
Come December 31, 2022, the law that had allowed Big Bidness to keep more than $10 billion in school prop erty tax revenue off the ledgers over two decades will be no more. But companies wasted little time grieving. There was still plenty of life to live after the session ended sine die.
and school district budgets for a genera tion to Unsurecome.”whether the state will revive or replace the program in the 2023 ses sion, companies have grown increasing ly aggressive in trying to lock in future tax breaks for speculative projects that may—or may not—come to fruition many years out.
FORMONEYNOTHING AND YOUR CHIPS FOR FREE
Chapter 313 deals have generally gone to projects that materialize within a few years. But since last May, corpora tions have applied for over 100 deals for proposed projects that wouldn’t come online until at least 2028, according to a Houston Chronicle report. Several are projected out beyond a decade or more.
The governor likes to make a spec tacle of companies that bring multi-bil lion-dollar plants, factories, and other industrial projects to Texas.
Since then, companies have applied for close to 500 tax break deals for proj ects all over the state—for everything from wind and solar farms, oil and gas processing, carbon capture, and biodies el production. By comparison, the Texas comptroller received an average of 90 applications annually in the past decade.
chapter 313
Last November, Governor Greg Ab bott held a high-profile press conference
By the time 313 officially shutters, the state is likely to be on the hook for billions in additional property tax in centives secured from a program on its deathbed. No industry has been more aggressive in locking in these deals than high-tech manufacturing—particularly as the United States tries to expand its domestic production of electronic chips.
L
“This article was originally published by the Texas Observer, a nonprofit investiga tive news outlet. Sign up for their weekly newsletter, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.”
28 | Intown | September + October 2022 FOCUSFinancial
While it’s far from clear whether Samsung will build all—or any—of these additional projects, executives are effectively seeking guarantees that they’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of Chapter 313 for decades after the program ends.
When he first took office in 2015, Governor Abbott criticized Chapter 313, saying he was unconvinced of its effectiveness. But he’s since kept quiet, even as the Legislature debated whether to keep, change, or kill the program— and even as many of the development deals he’s so eagerly touted, from Sam sung to Tesla, have dubiously claimed those tax deals were make-or-break.
with Samsung executives at his side to announce that the South Korean semi conductor giant was building a $17 billion chip plant in Taylor—the largest economic development deal in the state. While he touted how Texas exceptional ism made these deals possible, Chapter 313 went unmentioned. The week before, Taylor Independent School Dis trict had inked a 313 deal to save Sam sung a projected $300 million into the next decade. The project was part of a string of massive expansions in the state by chip manufacturers like Texas Instru ments and GlobiTech—all including long-term 313 deals.
‘Too many lawmakers could no longer stomach the brazen bilking and ballooning costs of this tax giveaway’
September + October 2022 | Intown |29 Celebrating 50 Years in Houston The Shoppes At Memorial Villages 1022 Wirt Road, #308 • Houston, TX 77055 713.627.8970 • www.cabinetsanddesigns.net SixUnderWeekDelivery
ducers to set up shop in the United States.
act together as a state and as economic development policy gets rethought, we could miss out on dozens of major proj ects,” warned Tony Bennett, president of Texas Association of Manufacturers, one of the biggest backers of Chapter 313.
But if he wins his third term this No vember, Abbott won’t be able to keep his powder dry for long. His biggest donors and political allies in the state—namely in oil and gas—have also been among the largest beneficiaries of the program. If they can’t have 313 anymore, they’ll want something else—likely something even sweeter.
Of course, an even friendlier deal for big business could always come along between now and then. Since the day Chapter 313 was killed, powerful indus try interests have been pledging to get their tax breaks back—in one form or another—in 2023. “If we don’t get our
In late May, just before the comp troller’s deadline for 313 applications, Samsung applied for 11 more chip plant projects in Central Texas. Many of the projects wouldn’t begin until the 2040s and would, if all completed, total near ly $5 billion in future school property tax abatements. News of these proposed deals came in July, right as Congress was gearing up to pass a $75 billion package of tax incentives for semiconductor pro
Deborah Elias of Elias Events orchestrated a multi-sensory extravaganza that spanned the nearly 40,000 square feet. One of the evening’s many special moments was a surprise set from chart topping country singer Clint Black.
Visitors arrived in the foyer to a Veuve Clicquot cart and glasses of champagne topped with sugar cubes emblazoned with the unmistakable Porsche logo.
Hayley Bordes andMetzlerJennifer
Azeemeh Zaheer and Cody
Jennifer Reyna and Jorge Olivares
Tim andKeenTiffany
Christine Tennant and Cesar Lopez
PORSCHE RIVER OAKS OPENING CEREMONY
Hunter Hanks, Karin Chen, Dara Khleng and JT Teng
and Heather Bisesti
Houston’s social scene came racing back for the season as Dr. Kjell Gruner, President of Porsche North America, along with Sonic Automotive CEO Dave Smith and President Jeff Dyke, welcomed more than 500 revelers to the formal reveal of Porsche River Oaks. The sleek, new Inner Loop dealership is situated at 4007 Greenbriar that for decades was the home of Stahlman Lumber Company.
MattJonesLander
30 | Intown | September + October 2022
SohrabiKayvonandDr.RolandMaldonado
Cindy Baxter, Carmen Garcia and Vanessa Rodriguez
Steve Krysil, Dave Kurtz, Joe Lawrence, Dr Kjell Gruner, Rob Dale, Jeff Dyke and David Smith
Janice Bond andDelemosSergio
Tying the myriad of dynamic activation areas together was a collection of vintage and collectible Porsches, an eye-catching sculpture series – The Whale Tail Project - from European artist Johans Lamic rein terpreting the iconic 930 turbo spoiler and stunning red rose arrangements everywhere you looked.
Anna and John Reger
Liz and Alan Stein
Elizabeth Anderson and Caleb Kelsey
Deborah Elias ice wall raw bar
Brooke Cantwell and David Smith
Brooks Howell and Jerry Alexander
Elena and BrackenGareth
DOrtizPhotoPHOTOS:
Diyar Omarov and Saida Sharipova
Bojan Secerkavic and Mai Nguyen
Brittany and Ross Brown
Whale Tail Project art exhibit
Jodi and Jeff Dyke with Clint Black and Roger Clemens
Bailey Blocker and Ally Ondarza
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