PRIME Living's 2014 "Food & Wine" Issue

THE LUXURY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS

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THE SPIRIT OF NAPA .

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Where mountain touches sky, indulgence stirs healing and discovery inspires the ultimate escape. www.aubergedusoleil.com

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features

30

THE LEAGUE

of EXTRAORDINARY

RESCUERS TV’S FOOD AND BEVERAGE LIFESAVERS BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.

25 Topping the Texas Grill WE’RE SHARING SOME FRUITILICIOUS GRILLING RECIPES.

66 Roasted Route to Texas Gourmet Coffee TAKE A CAFFEINATED ROUTE THROUGH THE LONE STAR STATE.

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

5

alsoinside

14

11 • COCKTAILS & CONVERSATION • KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW Talking Points • Style • Look Who’s Talking • In the Mix My Life • Nostalgia • Bucket List • Design • Wealth

Summertime Style

39 • CONNOISSEUR • PRIME’S GUIDE TO DISCERNING TASTE Table Talk • Uncorked • Main Dish • Bragging Bites • Entertain

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karyn Dean

kdean@prime-living.com

PUBLISHER Terry Dean

22

51 • THE GENTLEMEN’S ROOM • FOR THE MAN WHO COMMANDS THE VERY BEST Man Cave • Driver’s Seat • Cigar Notes • High Tech • Outdoors • Style

Turquoise Tortoise Coffee Table

tdean@prime-living.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Ginny McCord gmccord@srgserv.com

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN LuckyYou! Creative Erin Loukili, Dawn Williamson

59 • ESCAPE • GREETINGS FROM DESTINATIONS

NEAR AND FAR

Enlightened Explorer • Point of Interest

erin@luckyyoucreative.com

69 • LIVE WELL • FEEL GOOD, LOOK GOOD, BE GOOD Health Buzz • Feel Good • Focus & Function Look Good • Be Good 78 • PRIME LIST • EVENTS, GALAS AND FUNDRAISERS Target for Tourettes • The Dallas Opera Spring Gala

74

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Jennifer Dean

Summer Fragrances

jend@prime-living.com

CIRCULATION/ DISTRIBUTION Brian Stavert

bstavert@prime-living.com

the

CONTACT 311 Julie Rivers Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77498 281.277.2333

list

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES editor@prime-living.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertise@prime-living.com

78 The Luxury

ite red,wh blue and

faShIon SummeRtIme

LifesTyLe

fIndS

Magazine

of Texas

plus

crEaTE your arT own coffEE

on to perfecti mET TExas’ Gour ExpEriEncE

IRvIne, Jon how RobeRt g the food are rescuin scene KeRRy vIncent & beverage

} $5.95 us

tastes of summer

s grilled dessert ils recipes for and fresh cockta

6

ON THE COVER You don’t need to travel to Seattle to taste great coffee—Texas is home to some of the best bean roasters around (page 66). Find examples of amazing coffee art on prime-living.com.

E coffEE rouT

nary extraordi rs rescue taffeR and

july/august

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PRIME-LIVING.COM

A special thanks to Tom Kircher who cheerfully takes on special projects for us, including this issue’s cover.

SUBSCRIBE AT prime-living.com ©2014 Prime Living Magazine is a publication of SRG Services, Inc., published bi-monthly. Copies are mailed and handdelivered to households and businesses throughout Texas. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility to any party for the content of any advertisement in this publication. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication.

publisher’s note

this is our

annual foodand

TEXAS CITRUS SALAD

wine issue whichalways

ranks as one of our

Courtesy of Go Texan Serves 6-8 Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients 2 tablespoon red grapefruit juice 2 tablespoon orange juice or orange-infused vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoon cilantro, minced salt and pepper Preparation In a food processor combine the juices, honey, mustard and garlic. Pulse to blend. With the machine running, slowly add the oil. Then stir in the minced cilantro. Adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Salad Ingredients 6 cups mixed spring greens 1½ cups red grapefruit sections 1 cup orange segments 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 lb Texas gulf shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup Texas pecans, chopped and toasted minced cilantro to garnish Preparation Toss greens with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Place on chilled salad plates, and top with grapefruit and orange sections and thinly sliced onion. Add shrimp, and sprinkle with toasted Texas pecans. If desired, drizzle with a bit more dressing. Serve immediately.

PRIME Living is a proud supporter of Go Texan

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PRIME-LIVING.COM

fa vorites both editorially aswellas

KARYN DEAN Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

visually.

T

his is our annual food and wine issue which always ranks as one of our favorites, both editorially as well as visually. A visit to the farmers market to touch, smell and taste some amazing Texas summer fruit, helped make the decision to cover grilled fruit desserts in “Topping the Texas Grill” (page 25).

We’ve rounded up leaders in the Texas coffee roasting industry who are creating some unique java experiences for coffee lovers. To satisfy your inner-barista, you’ll want to venture over to “Roasted Route to Texas’ Gourmet Coffee” (page 66) where you can map out your own java road-trip.

We’re thrilled to launch three new departments in this issue. “In The Mix” (page16) celebrates the fun and ease of the specialty cocktail; “Cigar Notes” (page 55) we share the experience behind smoking a Padron 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo; for the fashionisto, our men’s “Style” (page 58) is a round-up of men’s summer fashion must-haves.

Enjoy!

kdean@prime-living.com

LIKE SOMETHING YOU READ? WANT MORE? Check out our bonus content on prime-living.com

COMING UP Our annual Texas issue will cover things that make us Lone Star proud.

Body language can tell you all sorts of things.

Like someone is having a stroke.

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

FACE DROOPING

ARM WEAKNESS

strokeassociation.org

TIME TO CALL 911

Know the sudden signs.

Spot a stroke F.A.S.T.

cocktails & conversation

cocktails & conversation THE PRIME LIVING GUIDE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW

inside:

12 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23

• • • • • • • • •

TALKING POINTS WHAT’S TRENDING STYLE RED, WHITE & YOU LOOK WHO’S TALKING GRAHAM KERR IN THE MIX BROTHERS IN ARMS MY LIFE WINEMAKER NOSTALGIA DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS BUCKET LIST GRAPE ESCAPE DESIGN GOING WILD WEALTH INTERNATIONAL INVESTING JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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cocktails & conversation

TALKING POINTS

>> FOR THE SWEET LOVER

BUZZBAR BuzzBar, a new luxurious alcohol-

infused ice cream bar for adults, launched in Texas with familyowned wine and spirits retailer Spec’s. With flavors like The Drunken Cookie (Cookies ’n Cream Ice Cream and bourbon) and Citrus Berry Drop (Raspberry Lemon Drop Sorbet + Lemon vodka), each deluxe ice cream bar is made with rich, all-natural ice cream, organic dairy and whole food ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, and just the right amount of spirits for a flavorful buzz. buzzbaricecream.com

>> FOR THE WINE-LOVING BEER-DRINKER

>>FOR POP-UP DINNER FANS

O

N

oak aged ale brewed with Colorado Riesling Grapes. Jaunt is an ale brewed with a healthy dose of wheat and Pilsner malts giving the beer body as well as a crisp finish. After primary fermentation, the beer is transferred into a stainless fermentor and the Riesling grape juice is blended in. odellbrewing.com >> FOR THE PRICELESS JEWELRY ADMIRER

BVLGARI: 130 YEARS OF MASTERPIECES

The Houston Museum of Natural Science teamed with Bulgari for a once-in-a-lifetime event, an exhibition of approximately 150 sizable pieces of jewelry on loan from private collections and from Bulgari’s Heritage Collection. Also on display will be powerful motifs that have forged the Bulgari legend—the renowned Serpente and Monete collections.

This exclusive retrospective marks the first time the storied jeweler has showcased pieces representing every period since its Roman beginnings in 1884. Included are pieces from the collection of Dame Elizabeth Taylor and some that belonged to or were worn by iconic women such as Sophia Loren, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Isabella Rossellini, and Gina Lollobrigida. The exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science runs through October 5, 2014. hmns.org

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MILE HIGH o rush hour scramble to

the airport, no forgetting to print your boarding pass, no shakedown at security, no delays! Following a succession of sold-out shows in London, Mile High, a pop-up dinner theater is coming to New York in September 2014 for “Destination: London,” their first United States show.

A destination-themed immersive dining pop-up that combines food, cocktails, art, music and interactive theater into a truly memorable evening. Flashing back to the golden age of 1950s air travel, when leg room meant doing the twist and turbulence was a byproduct of the bar steward’s cocktail shaker, Mile High takes the best parts of a weekend away—the food, the drink and the unexpected—and serves them up in delicious style. dinemilehigh.com

MILE HIGH | DOM MIGUEL PHOTOGRAPHY | ODELL BREWING | HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE

JAUNT dell Brewing introduces Jaunt, an

TALKING POINTS

cocktails & conversation

>> FOR THE PATRIOTIC DRINKER

CHANDON’S ‘AMERICAN SUMMER’

CHANDON | NOTHING BUNDT CAKES | THE CONTAINER STORE

C

handon, the first American sparkling wine venture established by a French champagne house in Napa Valley launched their third limited-edition bottle.

“American Summer” comes in one of Chandon’s most popular sparkling wines, Blanc de Noirs, which is the bubbly served at all White House receptions. Fruit-driven and full-flavored, this wine features Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, offering dark cherry, currant and strawberry aromas and flavors, with hints of cassis and blackberry. chandon.com

>> FOR THE NEATNIK

ATHOME reviously launched in Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth, the

P

Container Store is now offering its ATHOME personalized design and organization service to customers in Houston.

As families prepare for important transitions and milestones, ATHOME® organizers can develop an organization plan for closets, home offices, craft spaces, garages and other storage areas in the home. The new program will provide customers with expert advice, organization and innovative products to transform any space into an organized oasis. containerstore.com/athome >> FOR THE NOTHING-BUT-CAKE LOVER

NOTHING BUNDT CAKES ne-of-a-kind Nothing Bundt Cakes—a bakery

O

specializing in nostalgic yet modern bundt cakes—is spreading its wholesome goodness all across Texas with its newest store opening in Houston. They are reintroducing an old family favorite to cake lovers everywhere—the bundt cake.

Their cakes are handmade daily using only the freshest ingredients and are available in numerous sizes from bite-sized Bundtinis, to single serving Bundtlets, to larger 8- and 10-inch cakes and even double-tiered cakes.

Nothing Bundt Cakes combines great taste and creative presentations that appeal not only to taste buds but also to all five senses. nothingbundtcakes.com

>> FOR THE OOEY GOOEY LOVER

S’MORE lthough it might have

A

started out as a fireside dessert beloved by campers, the Girl Scout’s recognized its easy-to-makedeliciousness and published the recipe in their 1927 handbook.

Since then, variations to the original recipe have expanded to include the likes of peanut butter, cheesecake and ice cream. S’mores have elevated their social status and can now be seen served tableside at fine restaurants. Create your own variation of the traditional s’more on August 10 in celebration of National S’mores Day.

We’ve compiled our favorite versions of the s’more on prime-living.com JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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cocktails & conversation

STYLE

RED, & YOU Mother of Pearl Necklace by Patricia Peckinpaugh available at patriciapeckinpaugh.com

Knit Sweater from Ann Taylor’s Summer 2014 Collection available at Ann Taylor Reversible Dot/Stripe Belt by Kate Spade available at Neiman Marcus

Python Cuffs by Presmer available throughout Texas presmer.com

Platform Cork MidWedge Sandal by Fendi available at Neiman Marcus

Red Alligator Tote With Gold Handle by Baird & Baird available at bairdandbairdonline.com

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PATRICIA PECKINPAUGH | NEIMAN MARCUS | ANN TAYLOR | PRESMER | BAIRD AND BAIRD

Summer Dress from Ann Taylor’s Summer 2014 Collection available at Ann Taylor

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

cocktails & conversation

hot tea (british style) WITH

G

GRAHAM KERR

raham Kerr is an internationally known culinary and television personality, as well as an award-winning author. He is widely known for being the charismatic host and cook on “The Galloping Gourmet,” one of the first television cooking shows which aired in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Kerr continues to conjure mouth-watering food images through his masterful use of words. Although his chair jumping, wine drinking “Galloping Gourmet” days have long gone, he is still delighting his audiences through speaking engagements, his books and blog.

“We’re living at the speed of life. So, what is the purpose of stopping to smell the roses if you blow the petals off as you fly past?” Kerr shares.

Kerr’s life experiences inspired him to shift his focus from decadent dishes to educating those who want to make healthy and creative, lifestyle changes. Kerr says, “I used to think of food in this order: delight then nourish. Now I know it should be nourish then delight.”

His most recent project, “Flash of Silver,” is a series of inspirational messages told in a creative narrative that only Kerr can do. He parallels his life experiences with the wild Chinook salmon that “display such grace, strength and determination as they leap in a ‘flash of silver’ to overcome obstacles so that their species may survive and thrive.”

Q Q Q

What is your favorite healthy aging tip?

Keep a journal.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life?

Definitely Treena, my wife.

What is something still on your bucket list?

To find a big green pool, like a back eddy behind a large rock where Treena and I can hang out and touch fins together [like salmon] and look at each other and say “isn’t this cool?”

Q

What is one thing you always have on you?

Keys to my car and a key that opens the door to the International Headquarters of the Garden Gate Group shed, a 10-by-8-foot shed in a community garden that I created in Mt. Vernon, Washington.

KERR CORPORATION

Q

An item or trend from the past 25 years that you wish would be brought back.

They used to be called “gourmet clubs.” Where small groups of friends would go from house to house having dinner parties.

Q

What was the last thing you Googled or looked up online?

Rules, which is the oldest restaurant in London—because my son and his wife are there and I wanted to give them the address so that

they would go to a perfetta supper and afterward get dessert at the Savoy hotel, where we used to stay as a family.

Q

What is something that you would do every day if permitted? To start my day regardless of what the weather is like, with a walk in my neighborhood.

Q

What is something that most people would be surprised to know about you?

Because of a life lived on television, it usually shocks people to learn that we haven’t had a TV in our home for 15 years.

Q

What is your favorite seasoning?

One that I invented myself—Ethmix—it’s a mixture of star anise, powdered ginger and cayenne pepper. It’s quite hot and modified after shanghais seasonings. I added dill and reduced the heat a bit.

Q Q

What country has had the most influence on your cooking style? Southwestern Italy.

What is your favorite item to grow in your garden?

Side-sprouting broccoli.

Find Graham Kerr’s healthy living tips and recipes on prime-living.com JULY/AUGUST • 2014

15

cocktails & conversation

IN THE MIX

BROTHERS

IN ARMS Cocktail recipe courtesy of Diageo and Don Julio.

1 jalepe単o pepper

1.5 ounces of lime sour 1.5 ounces watermelon juice

1.5 ounces Don Julio Blanco Tequila

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garnish with orange slices Find more mouth-watering cocktails on prime-living.com

PRIME-LIVING.COM

MY LIFE

cocktails & conversation

winemaker PENNY ADAMS

BUDDY WHITLEY

L

Winemaking isn’ta hobby.

It’sa lifestyle.

Story | ABBY WILSON

ike the grapes that produce her wine, Penny Adams always knew her future would come from the land. As a child, she was enamored by the rows and rows of majestic pecan trees near her DallasFort Worth home. That love of natural orderliness paired with her mother’s green thumb led Penny to a degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M and a Master of Science degree in Viticulture from California State University-Fresno.

A 30-year veteran of the wine industry and the current master winemaker at Wedding Oak Winery, Adams produces drinkable, loveable and award-winning blends like her inventive Texas-inspired version of Spanish rioja, “Tioja,” made of tempranillo, mouvedre and cabernet sauvignon. She prefers bottling blends, using different varieties, or fermenting the same varietal multiple ways, to better express the grapes’ inherent qualities. Her wines undergo limited oak barrel aging—she prefers stainless steel tanks and new microoxidation techniques.

“When I first started this, they said, ‘Stick to French-American hybrids. You can’t produce true European varietals here,’” she said. But as Texas’ first female wine master, Adams has never shied away from an obstacle.

She chooses varietals she believes are bestsuited to Texas Hill Country’s terroir, such as grapes traditionally grown in France and Italy.

“Trebbiano and Penny Adams go handin-hand,” she says of her signature varietal.

The hearty white may not be as well-known as chardonnay and pinot grigio, but Adams’ combination of trebbiano and vermentino in her Bridal Veil blend is Wedding Oak’s most popular wine.

“Winemaking isn’t a hobby. It’s a lifestyle,” Adams says. “I follow the grapes all year long, from the ground up.” From choosing the right plot of land for the vines to the moment the wine is ready to be bottled, Adams navigates every step of the journey.

She describes her winemaking style as “clean and based on sound practices. I let the grapes speak for themselves.”

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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cocktails & conversation

NOSTALGIA

food-EFFICIENT ONCE UPON A TIME, DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS WERE SPECIAL PLACES INDEED.

Story | BRUCE FARR

T

he rising popularity of the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” show has piqued our interest in—and nostalgia for—that gloriously AllAmerican tradition of drive-in restaurants.

Hosted by Guy Fieri, the program never fails to whet our appetites for all the fabulous foods the dietitians tell us we should avoid, but that we nevertheless crave.

It’s not just the food we find ourselves pining for, however, it’s the whole drive-in restaurant experience—the once-sanctified act of pulling into a hamburger stand on a weekend night for an in-the-car meal with your family. You remember: after you’d found a parking space, you would roll down your window and be greeted by a “carhop” who took your order and later delivered it—replete with the wafting fragrance of french fries, onion rings and grilled burgers—on a metal tray that hooked neatly onto your car’s window ledge. Yes, the tradition of drive-in restaurants, fueled in part by the surge of automobile sales in the late 1940s and ’50s, was certainly the “rage of the age,” as one food critic of the time referred to it.

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Of course, the explosive growth of McDonald’s and other fast-food chains that got their start in the late 1950s and early ’60s soon diluted and commoditized the uniqueness of drive-ins. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Still, memory serves up a heaping helping of drive-in joints that bear mention, some of them with deep roots here in the Lone Star state.

Texas Pig Stand: Between 1921 and 1935, a hundred of these classic roadside diners cropped up, with some even as far away as

DID YOU KNOW? We all have a favorite drive-in restaurant, but do you know what reportedly is the largest drive-in eatery in the country? It’s the Varsity, which is located in downtown Atlanta.

Situated on more than 2 acres, the drive-in can accommodate 600 cars and 800 people. Varsity reportedly serves 2 miles of hot dogs, one ton of onions, 2,500 pounds of potatoes and 300 gallons of chili per day.

New York. The first “TPS,” however, was located on West Davis Street in Dallas. The popular chain served the restaurant’s signature “Pig Sandwich”—tender slices of roast pork, pickle relish and barbecue sauce—to scads of 10-gallon-hatted Texans in Model Ts. Prince’s Drive-in: In 1932, Texan Doug Prince purchased Weber’s Root Beer Stand on Main Street in Houston, where he is credited with developing the first round hamburger bun. He eventually opened and operated 20 drive-ins, with 18 of them located in Houston. Four Prince’s locations still operate in the Houston area.

A&W Root Beer: One of the most beloved drive-in chains, A&W Root Beer, flourished in the 1950s, when the number of U.S. locations swelled to more than 2,000.

Anchored by its signature root beer soda served in a frosty mug, A&W uniquely called its curbside service carhops “trayboys.”

Sonic Drive-in: With its novel use of carhops on roller skates, this popular chain can be traced back to 1953, when it operated as a small root beer stand called “Top Hat” in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The chain adopted its current name in 1959. Today there are more than 3,500 Sonics in 44 states.

DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT

1

trivia

The Texas Pig Stand was the first restaurant in the United States to offer a service that remains a hallmark of many fastfood drive-ins; can you name it?

A. the drive-thru window B. french fries served in a small bag C. sesame-seed buns D. outdoor restrooms

NOSTALGIA

2

In the famous 1973 film “American Graffiti,” the name of the drive-in frequented by the cast was: A. The Getaway B. Mel’s Drive-in C. Josie’s Joint D. Turello’s

3

Sonic Drive-in restaurants popularized a famous slogan that the chain still uses; can you identify it?

A. “Have it your way.”

B. “We do it all for you.”

C. “Service with the speed of sound.”

D. “Have a blast!”

cocktails & conversation

4

In one of the most famous drive-in restaurant advertising campaigns produced, a grumpy woman played

by Clara Peller posed the famous question, “Where’s the beef?”

Which chain did it advertise?

A. Whataburger B. Burger King C. McDonald’s D. Wendy’s

Everyone knows that “I’m lovin’ it,” is a popular catchphrase for McDonald’s, but can you connect the following drive-in restaurant slogans with the restaurant chains they represent?

1. “Do what tastes right.”

A. Burger King

2. “Have it your way.”

B. Wendy’s

3. “We don’t make it until you order it.”

C. Taco Bell

4. “Just like you like it.”

D. Dairy Queen

5. “Think outside the bun.”

6. “We treat you right.”

E. Whataburger F. Jack in the Box

ANSWERS Drive-In Restaurant Trivia: 1. (A), 2. (B), 3. (C), 4. (D) Drive-In Slogans: 1. (B), 2. (A), 3. (F), 4. (E), 5. (C), 6. (D)

THE DAPPER DAN | GRASSBAG CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG | JOHN K BROUSSARD | PRINCE’S HAMBURGERS | KIM COFFMAN

THINK YOU KNOW YOUR FAST-FOOD DRIVE-IN SLOGANS?

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

19

cocktails & conversation

BUCKET LIST

grape the

ESCAPE

Story | ANGELA AMBROSE

GRAPE STOMP IN ITALY WITH A WINEMAKER

Get ready to immerse yourself in traditional Italian winemaking and cooking.

World-renowned vintner Emidio Pepe invites guests to participate in the Old World method of making wine at his winery and vineyard in Abruzzo, Italy. “They still make wine as it was made centuries ago—using your feet.” says Kimberly Minarovich, president and founder of Luxury Italian Tours. “There’s no stainless steel, conveyor belts or bottling machines, and no pesticides.”

Grape harvesting at the Pepe estate is

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PRIME-LIVING.COM

an exciting and festive time, filled with music and laughter—like a big Italian party with three generations of Emidio’s family celebrating with their guests. Grandma Rosa offers cooking lessons of Abruzzo’s most popular dishes and serves the homemade meals paired with the highly acclaimed Montepulciano and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo wine. Guests stay on the estate and can join in the harvest and pick grapes right off the vine. After donning knee-high rubber boots, they hop in a large wooden vat and start stomping to crush the perfectly ripened grapes and release their juices.

BEFORE YOU GO Wear comfortable clothes for grape stomping and avoid wearing light-colored pants.

Don’t forget your MP3 player, so you can stomp on grapes while listening to your favorite tunes.

Trips are scheduled for late September to early October.

Check luxuryitaliantours.com for specific dates.

In return for his guests’ hard work in the fields, Emidio often rewards them with a few bottles of the handcrafted wine, custom labeled with their names and aged in his cellar ready for their next visit. luxuryitaliantours.com

CASTELLO DI AMOROSA WINERY | LUXURY ITALIAN TOURS

I

magine stomping grapes or taking a river cruise or train ride through the most picturesque wine country in the world. Whether you’re a casual drinker or wine aficionado, these wine adventures deserve a top spot on your bucket list.

BUCKET LIST

cocktails & conversation

BEFORE YOU GO Bring comfortable walking shoes and resort casual clothes—leave the tie and stilettos at home. The seven-night “In Celebration of Wine” cruises are offered in the spring and fall.

TAKE A EUROPEAN WINE RIVER CRUISE

we can take a small motor coach, and you’re right where the action is.”

Enjoy Old World and New World wine experiences as you cruise on the Danube, Douro, Mosel, Rhone, Rhine or Seine rivers.

At each port, passengers can tour local wineries and vineyards and enjoy traditional wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape in France, riesling in Austria or port wine in Portugal. While cruising between ports, a top wine expert offers lectures and wine tastings of New World wines.

Unlike traditional ocean cruises, river cruises are more intimate with about 150 passengers and include three to five daily excursions, including guided bike tours along the banks of the river in select wine regions. Back on board, you can enjoy exquisite meals with free flowing wine and take in the breathtaking views of medieval monasteries, chateaux, palaces and centuriesold vineyards as you glide down the river. amawaterways.com

TRAIN RIDE THROUGH NAPA VALLEY

of Napa Valley and guests can visit several different wineries along the scenic route. At the most northern end of the ride, you will find an Italian-style treasure, the Castello di Amorosa (“Castle of Love”) winery, a 13th century authentically styled Tuscan castle. “I think what I was trying to do is bring a little slice of medieval Italy to Napa Valley,” says Dario Sattui, owner of the castle and the nearby V. Sattui Winery. The 136,000-square-foot castle, hand-constructed in a span of 14 years, includes

eight levels, five defensive towers, a drawbridge, torture chamber and caves for storing the wine.

The authentic architecture and meticulous workmanship of the castle mirrors Sattui’s commitment to producing top-quality wines—from Italian and French full-bodied reds to sweet whites. The castle’s head winemaker, Brooks Painter, received the prestigious Winemaker of the Year award at the 2013 San Francisco International Wine Competition. winetrain.com

A gentle river cruise is one of the most enchanting ways to explore the historic vineyards and wineries of Europe and taste one-of-a-kind vintages. “It’s really about discovery of these wonderful wine regions that are right on the banks of rivers,” says Gary Murphy, vice president of sales for AmaWaterways. “We can walk from the ship to some of these very interesting wineries or

Discover a taste of Tuscany hidden in a medieval-style castle in California’s wine country. Start by boarding the Napa Valley Wine Train in the town of Napa and take the 36-mile round-trip journey north to St. Helena. Enjoy a gourmet meal and the beautiful rolling hills as you savor perfectly paired wines produced right in Napa Valley.

The Wine Train travels through the heart

NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN | AMAWATERWAYS

BEFORE YOU GO To fully indulge in the Napa Valley wine experience, leave the driving to someone else.

The Wine Train offers ferry and public transit connections from San Francisco to Napa when purchasing a lunch package or winery trip. Make reservations at least one day in advance.

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DESIGN

Going WILD Story | LINDSEY HEROD

T

he world of fashion has long influenced that of design and decoration— that certainly holds true now with the influx of animal prints seen gracing the recent runways of Gucci, Chloe and Celine just to name a few. These patterns can be a bit intimidating to bring into our spaces but with a few considerations you can keep up with the trend without turning your home into a zoo.

A well placed accessory, pillow or bench is a great way to dabble in the trend—or to be bold!

Animal print has the ability to be spattered about in small doses or swept across a room in one dramatic gesture. Use tiger printed grasscloth on the walls

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of your foyer, or a cow hide rug printed to mimic a zebra skin in your breakfast nook (hides are naturally stain resistant and very durable). And if you’re averse to using real hides and furs, the fauxs are just as fabulous. Stark makes a wool carpet that’s woven to resemble an antelope hide— and it looks just as chic in a rustic mountain lodge as a Fifth Avenue penthouse.

Use caution when mixing animal prints. You might be surprised to know that if you have multiples, you should make sure they’re different species.

For instance, a tortoise shell box in the same room as a zebra rug is fine, but save the zebra pillows for another room.

Re-colored, re-scaled and re-imagined prints are hot on the market this year—from a hot pink tiger velvet (by Brunschwig & Fils) or a tortoise shell-inspired pattern lacquered onto a simple coffee table in a bright hue.

These are certainly more fashionforward if you dare to be so bold.

Animal prints are classic patterns and in the words of Jenna Lyons, creative director of J.Crew, “As far as I’m concerned, leopard is a neutral.”

SPICE-UP YOUR SPACE WITH ANIMAL PRINT ITEMS Tigre Velvet

Houston-based Arena Designs recently debuted a delicious tiger inspired velvet-fabulouson-a-chair, ottoman or throw pillow. Meow! arenadesign.us

Zebra Boxes

Boxes are useful in any room in the house. Consider this zebra patterned set from the Celerie Kemble collection for Maitland Smith. maitlandsmith.com

Tigre Towels

D. Porthault’s tigre towels are the perfect way to bring an animal print into your bathroom. Their linens are pure luxury. dporthaultparis.com

Turquoise Tortoise Coffee Table

This turquoise tortoiseinspired coffee table is by Coleen and Company. It provides a jolt of energy to your family room. coleenandcompany.com

KAT JONICK | COLEEN AND COMPANY | CELERIE KEMBLE FOR MAITLAND-SMITH

cocktails & conversation

WEALTH

cocktails & conversation

Is International Investing Right for You? PAUL EHRSAM, MARKET INVESTMENT DIRECTOR, U.S. TRUST HOUSTON

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he year 2013 was exceptionally good for investors in the United States stock market. We cannot make the same broad statement about investment returns outside the United States. While domestic stocks as measured by the S&P 500 had a total return of 32.4 percent in 2013, foreign developed markets as measured by the MSCI–EAFE index rose only 22.8 percent and emerging foreign market returns were -2.7 percent as measured by the MSCI–Emerging Markets index. With returns from foreign markets trailing our domestic markets in 2013, should investors be looking abroad with some of their investments?

Academics have touted foreign stocks as a way for United States investors to increase returns on their portfolios and reduce portfolio volatility. History has

proven this to be wise advice.

In six of the last 10 years, developed foreign equities have performed better than the S&P 500.1 However, as the world has become “smaller,” foreign markets are moving up and down a little more like our domestic markets.

That does not mean you should forget about adding some foreign investments to your portfolio.

The United States is still the preferred economy for companies to invest. This does not mean it is the fastest growing or most profitable market in the world.

The greatest growth is typically found outside of the United States. The greatest attraction for investing abroad today is to capture the opportunity for faster growth.

Once an investor decides how to invest abroad, there are a few things to remember. Changes in the value of the dollar versus

other currencies have a direct impact on the performance of your investment. When the dollar is strong, it hurts your foreign investments and when the dollar is weak, it gives an added boost to the value of your foreign investments. It is best to have an outlook for the dollar before deciding if and how much to invest abroad.

You can add value in your foreign investments by selecting or omitting areas of the world based on their economic or political outlook. For example, some emerging market countries are experiencing internal problems politically and economically that are not found in many other emerging market countries.

Just like good stock picking in a portfolio adds value versus a passive index fund, the same can be said for selecting countries when investing abroad.

1. MSCI Index performance based on Daily Net TR Indices.

This article is designed to provide general information about ideas and strategies. It is for discussion purposes only since the availability and effectiveness of any strategy is dependent upon your individual facts and circumstances. Always consult with your independent attorney, tax advisor, investment manager, and insurance agent for final recommendations and before changing or implementing any financial, tax, or estate planning strategy.

U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management operates through Bank of America, N.A. and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Nonfinancial assets, such as closely-held businesses, real estate, oil, gas and mineral properties, and timber, farm and ranch land, are complex in nature and involve risks including total loss of value. Special risk considerations include natural events (for example, earthquakes or fires), complex tax considerations, and lack of liquidity. Nonfinancial assets are not suitable for all investors.

Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured; Are Not Bank Guaranteed; May Lose Value.

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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DINE OUT & DO GOOD! Houston Restaurant Weeks August 1 – September 1, 2014

Benefitting the Houston Food Bank OVER 150 PREMIUM RESTAURANTS SHOWCASING HOUSTON’S DIVERSE CULINARY PROWESS. SPECIALIZED PRIX-FIXE BRUNCH, LUNCH AND DINNER MENUS AVAILABLE. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS AND MENUS VISIT WWW.HOUSTONRESTAURANTWEEKS.COM ON JULY 15, 2014.

topping

GRILL THE TEXAS

Fire up the grill because it’s time for some fruity dessert magic.

Grilled fruit probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of grilling, but we’ve rounded up some dishes that are sure to change your mind—the perfect finale to your favorite summertime meal. Grab the charcoal and prepare for a sweet surprise.

Full recipies available on prime-living.com

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PLUMS THE FRUIT

plums

cinnamon

Grilled Cinnamon Plums with Sweetened Mascarpone, Vanilla Honey and Toasted Pine Nuts Ingrid Beer at The Cozy Apron (thecozyapron.com)—a site where she shares her creative culinary master pieces and love for food—encourages us to top our Texas grills with one of her favorite summertime treats.

The sprinkle of pine nuts brings the flavor back to the earthy stone fruit and adds just a touch of hardiness.

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mascarpone that tops these delicious plums adds a creamy richness to this dish—one that will keep you coming back for “just one more taste.”

toasted pine nuts

mascarpone

did you know?

In the U.S., California produces the most plums due to mild winters, but other major plum-producing states include Idaho, Michigan, Oregon and Washington.

CREATIVEHELM

the twist

the hook The sweetened

fresh mint PRIME-LIVING.COM

PEACHES THE FRUIT

peaches

Buttermilk Shortcake with Grilled Peach Compote and Candied Pecans Matthew Zoch, pastry chef at Prego Italian Restaurant in Houston, whips up a grill-topping dessert with some of Texas’ best summertime offerings—peaches and pecans.

PASTRY CHEF MATT ZOCH

the twist

It’s easy enough to throw some peach slices on the grill but chef Zoch takes it to another level with his peach compote—mmm, saucy.

the hook Candied pecans bring just

vanilla gelato

the right crunch to this dish.

You’ll definitely “taste test” a few as they cool, but don’t forget to save some for the final plating! pecans

did you know?

“The New England Kitchen” (May 1894) said of the shortcake: “The true shortcake is neither bread, nor cake, nor pastry… It is a modernized form of the pandowdies of our grandmothers.”

vanilla beans

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PEARS THE FRUIT

pears

Stilton wedge

Cumin Grilled Pear with Stilton and Caramelized Pecans Ethné and Philippe de Vienne—owners of Spice Trekkers (spicetrekkers.com), an e-commerce site for spices and teas that they procure from around the world—share with us one of the most coveted desserts from their catering days.

It’s not often you hear of cumin being used in a dessert—like a good red wine, it’s not just for meat anymore.

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pecans

did you know?

Many people know Stilton is a type of blue cheese, but did you know that Stilton has its own trademarked certification? There are only six dairies in the world certified to produce Stilton cheese.

cumin seeds

SPICE TREKKERS

the twist

the hook

Stilton cheese adds a richness and a bite to this flavorful, earthy dessert.

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DOUG VINCENT | R MISSION, INC | BOBBY QUILLARD

THE LEAGUE of

EXTRAORDINARY

RESCUERS TV’s food and beverage lifesavers bring a lot to the table.

Story | BRUCE FARR

F

ifty years ago, the only food-related television programs available were on PBS, usually on Saturday mornings. If you were lucky enough to catch one, you might have spent an hour with such pioneers of the genre as Julia Child, who took you through the whimsical paces in her seminal show, “The French Chef,” or a couple of years later, hitch a ride with “The Galloping Gourmet,” Graham Kerr, as he practiced his comical brand of culinary wizardry while forever nipping away at a glass of wine.

Through the succeeding years, as cooking shows’ popularity surged, the era of the celebrity chef was inaugurated and everything began to change. Everything, that is, except the shows’ format: all of them were designed around what is known in the industry as stand-and-stir production. They were taped with the host planted resolutely behind a work counter, speaking instructions to the camera while he or she took viewers through the preparation—the “method,” in culinary parlance—of recipe after recipe.

Nowadays, TV is littered with food programming of all stripes and strains. You can hardly click the remote without finding one show or another with food and beverage themes so off-the-beaten-path it would boggle even James Beard’s agile mind. In such a sea of gustatory

entertainment, one relatively recent concept has resonated with American viewers, adding waves of new fans to the already popular genre. We might call it food and beverage “rescue” programming. The basic idea is for an experienced chef, restaurateur or other such expert to find a bar, eatery or other food-related business struggling to stay afloat and then, acting in the role of advisor to help restore it to prosperity.

The programs embracing this concept—and they are growing in number—have evolved into mini passion plays. Within the short space of 45 or so minutes, drama builds and emotions surge, hopes are dashed and lifted, hands are wrung, kitchens and dining rooms torn asunder and rebuilt—and certain failure turned into ultimate triumph. Needless to say, tears flow on both sides of the TV screen.

But what compels these food and beverage Samaritans to put themselves through what must be an arduous struggle to get these businesses back on their feet, and on top of all that, go through the pains of condensing everything down to a program-length 45 minutes?

To learn the answer, we sat down with three notable food and beverage angels of the TV airwaves, to explore their backgrounds and try and figure out how, for heaven’s sake, they arrived at their current occupations.

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THE “RESTAURANT

REJUVENATOR”

robert

IRVINE

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Royal Navy. Once he’d determined the food and beverage business as his chosen path, he quickly built his cooking chops in restaurant gigs around the world—working on cruise ships, executive cheffing, and in a series of restaurant ownership and consulting jobs.

The idea for “Restaurant: hen it comes to TV Impossible” was his, Irvine says: shows about saving “It was actually a show that I restaurants, Robert wanted to do years before, when Irvine might rightly claim to be we started another program called the reigning king of the genre.

‘Dinner Impossible.’” That show, The popular Food Network with its reality TV-like premise star has really set a standard and its move away from strictly for how the concept ought to demonstrating food preparation, work, especially considering that in Irvine’s opinion, changed the “Restaurant: Impossible,” Irvine’s dynamic of food television entirely. most successful show to date, is His new show took things much now in its ninth season. farther from the old ‘stand and stir’ A spin-off from a previous show model. “‘Restaurant: Impossible,’ Irvine helmed, called “Dinner first and foremost, is the only real Impossible,” the premise of ‘reality’ TV show there is,” Irvine “Restaurant: Impossible” challenges says. “There’s no script; there’s no Irvine to literally resurrect a telling me what to do. When I deeply troubled restaurant in go into it, I choose not to know two days, with a meager budget anything about the restaurant or of $10,000. As each episode the family who runs the business, unfolds, it becomes a dizzying because I want it to be real. I want whirlwind of transformations, with their emotions to be real, their restaurant owners having to take a stories to be real—I want it to show painstakingly honest look at why that these are real people with real their businesses are failing, and then problems on the verge of bankruptcy, make a decision to change whatever and that it involves their homes, their is necessary—all in the brief span cars, their businesses—even their of 36 hours. In the process, it’s not kids and their marriages—and I take uncommon to see Irvine wield a that very seriously.” sledgehammer to knock out a wall, The loose, somewhat lend his shoulder for a fit of crying improvisational nature of the or tell an indifferent employee to show works for Irvine and his hit the road. Over the past eight fans. “It really amazes me, because seasons, “Restaurant: Impossible” each story is similar in the plot, as has broadcast a whopping 107 it were. It’s real life, and you never episodes, helped hundreds of know what the characters are families regain their pride and going to say or do. The emotions livelihood—and along the way, that you feel—anger, frustration, picked up consistently high ratings. fear, sadness, happiness—all the things that the human spirit feels The ‘fit chef’ at some point or another, you have If appearances count for to somehow push into a TV show anything, Irvine looks like the that runs for 42 minutes and takes sort of person you’d want on 36 hours of real time to shoot.” your side in any kind of fight.

Irvine’s unquestionable Tall and strapping, and built like compassion for his show’s subjects a linebacker, he commands an has helped “Restaurant: Impossible” undeniable authority on and off gain a wide audience. “Let’s face the set. It’s clear that when Irvine it,” he says, “America was built on talks, people had better listen up. small business. And mom and pop A native of Wiltshire, England, restaurants are going out of business Irvine began his cooking career all over the place because of lack of when he was 15, in the British

R MISSION, INC

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AMERICA WAS BUILT ON SMALL BUSINESS. AND MOM AND POP RESTAURANTS ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE OF LACK OF KEEPING UP WITH KNOWLEDGE, WITH FOOD, WITH KEEPING THINGS CLEAN AND ALL THE REST OF THE REASONS YOU SEE ON THE SHOW. I TRY TO DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP THEM. keeping up with knowledge, with food, with keeping things clean and all the rest of the reasons you see on the show. I try to do what I can to help them.”

His ethos is as straightforward as his approach to helping the restaurateurs. “Years and years ago, when I first got into television, well, you go through this stage of ego—you think you’ve made it and nobody can touch you. And it’s only as you experience all the mistakes you make and things you see when you grow up, that you also see that what you do and what you say and how it affects peoples’ lives. Now, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t try and make a difference in somebody else’s life.”

an easy process. “Some people see me and say ‘Oh, you’re so mean,’ and I tell them it’s not meanness, it’s intensity. For 62 years, you’ve been losing money and I’ve got to fix your life in 36 hours. They do finally get it; after about eight hours and a minute, they realize ‘Oh, Robert’s not here to make us look silly—he’s here to help us.’”

GRUELING SCHEDULE

With so many ailing restaurants vying for a turn with Irvine and his team, the popular host understandably has little time for other distractions. Even though he’s on the road 345 days a year, he says he still makes time for other projects. In addition to sticking with “Restaurant: Impossible” for as long as COUNSELOR AT LARGE One of the most unexpected hats people continue to enjoy it, the indefatigable host says he’s also Chef Irvine must wear for his planning the launch of a pair of hit show is that of psychological new shows—one built around his counselor. In every episode, the deep appreciation for returning restaurant owners, management military veterans and another and staff invariably seem to that’s focused on fitness, which require a bit of talking to in Irvine is equally passionate about. order to get themselves and their Everything he’s involved in restaurants back on track. Irvine’s style seems to lend itself nicely to seems to have a common thread, however, one that weaves its way the task. “When you deal with through Irvine’s story is humanity. people, you never know what’s coming, so I just rely on myself as “People inspire me,” he says. a dad and as a business owner and “No matter how downtrodden husband, and I try and put myself someone might be—I believe that we can make a difference every day in their position,” he explains. in someone’s life. I know it sounds “But bear in mind that I only have 36 hours to fix it, so I’ve got like a cliché, and I know I harp on it, but, to me, we always have to no time for nonsense—tell me what it is and let me figure it out.” ask ourselves, ‘What have I done for someone else today?’”

As it turns out, it’s not always

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33

THE “BAKERY

kerry

BENEFACTOR”

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VINCENT PRIME-LIVING.COM

and you will have a good home, but after that you’re on your own.’ There was no coddling; you had to earn everything you had, so you cherished those things.”

One of her many duties was cooking for the family. “When I was 5, I remember being let loose in the kitchen and making this dreadful cake for my parents, for Mother’s Day,” she recalls.

“I was cutting up great lumps of orange and dumping them s food TV has branched into the cake. I got up at around out to focus its lens on five o’clock in the morning and virtually everything in promptly carried the cake up to the kitchen cupboard, dessert their bedroom and presented it baking has quickly risen to the like ‘breakfast in bed.’ I’m sure surface like cream, capturing they were thinking to themselves, sweets-loving audiences around ‘God, do we have to eat this?’” the world. (At present, there Later she realized that, in are no fewer than seven bakingcooking, she could opt to go related programs airing on TV.) “sweet or savory,” as she calls it, Self-taught cake designer Kerry and she picked the former— Vincent, one of the longtime baking sweets—because she found judges on a show called the “Food it supremely satisfying. She soon Network Challenge,” quickly developed into something of a proved her marketability with a baking prodigy. “I baked a cake signature cup of tea, a delightful, and entered it into the nearby Julia Child-like banter and an Albany [Australia] food show. ironclad authority about all things There was a mistake about my “sugarcraft.” entry, and my cake was judged We caught up with Ms. in the adult competition. I won Vincent back at home in Tulsa, a blue ribbon regardless, which Oklahoma, following months made it even sweeter,” she says, of 15-hour days full of taping without the slightest hint of irony. episodes for her new Food After meeting her American Network show, “Save My Bakery.” husband and moving with him to Having debuted this past March, many different places around the the show fit nicely into the rescue world, Vincent eventually made mold. The premise was built her way to Oklahoma, where she around the idea that so many began gaining a reputation as a family-owned bakery businesses dependable caterer, chef and allin the U.S. have grown stale around food maven. Her travels and are struggling to stay open. had exposed her to a wide array Vincent, with a no-nonsense, of cultures, and she had wisely tough love-like approach, spent picked up pointers in all manner the program working with of international cuisines. One overwhelmed proprietors, helping day, by chance, Vincent was asked get them and their businesses to bake a wedding cake for the back on their feet. friend of a friend. “I had a lot of experience with pastry, but, from Sweet or Savory? a structural standpoint, I wasn’t Vincent, the oldest of five sure I could ‘build’ the cake,” children who grew up on a farm she explains. True to her nature, in the remote, western Australian Vincent says she “Popped down village of Manypeaks, describes to the local cake shop and had her upbringing as loving but a little chat with the lady at the dutiful. “My father’s philosophy counter. I was relieved to discover about child-rearing was, ‘I will that, here in the United States, it bring you up and educate you was buttercream all the way, and

SCOTT JOHNSON HAWKS PHOTOGRAPHY TULSA OKLAHOMA

A

the planet, or that they should own a shop. My advice to them, often, is ‘Go to work, earn some money and earn the right to own a business and, of course, look at Putting in ‘hard yakka’ having a business plan.’ We have a saying in Australia: you have to As her reputation as a maestro put in ‘hard yakka,’ which simply of sugar artistry grew, so did the means ‘Get off your backside, put numbers of people knocking your head down and tail up, and on her door, seeking out her work to earn.’” expertise for every imaginable As Vincent’s program makes cake project. “I picked up some books and equipment, and a few it way through its first season’s ratings, she—and the Food recipes, and laboriously taught Network people—will decide myself how to do rolled fondant what’s next on her proverbial and gum paste techniques,” she plate. “I guess, as an outcome, says. Over time, her experience you can end up being a celebrity and savvy made her one of the on television, but I don’t really see most widely sought-after cakemyself as that person,” she says. crafters in the international “I’m just grateful that, at my age, baking community.

In time, as the nation’s appetite I’ve been given an opportunity to do this and so many other things. for baking shows began ramping I’m thinking, ‘Pinch me,’ and up, Vincent was tapped by the hope that I’m handling this with Food Network to host a bakery some grace.” rescue show. “I think, after 13

I didn’t have to mess with rolled fondant and gum paste, because nobody was doing it over here at the time.”

I PICKED UP SOME BOOKS AND EQUIPMENT, AND A FEW RECIPES, AND LABORIOUSLY TAUGHT MYSELF HOW TO DO ROLLED FONDANT AND GUM PASTE TECHNIQUES. seasons as a judge on the ‘Food Network Challenge,’ they always had me on the back burner,” Vincent notes. “Besides, for the past 14 or 15 years, cake has been on fire. I went back to Australia and did the ‘Great Australian Bakeoff,’ and, when I returned, I started ‘Save My Bakery.’

She agrees that hosting a show like hers requires a particularly altruistic mindset, among many other virtues. “I’m a lifelong ombudswoman and regularly interact with my cake flock,” she says. “Every day, I field hundreds of requests from people who are trying to start a business or think that they make the best cake on

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35

jon

TAFFER

THE “SALOON

BOBBY QUILLARD

SAVIOR”

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O

verburdened bakeries and restaurants might have their own problems, but when things go awry in the bar business, they can get way out of hand very rapidly. It’s an eventuality that happens to be “bar rescuer” Jon Taffer’s bread and butter. And, as if to prove the point, Taffer, with his straightforwardly titled hit program “Bar Rescue,” has devoted the past four years to resuscitating drinking establishments that are about to go on life support.

A native of New York City, Taffer grew up in Great Neck, Long Island. A college bartending job seemed to stick with him, and it eventually led, in the late 1970s, to a managerial gig at the legendary Troubadour bar and nightclub, on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. That experience, and a subsequent job at the equally famous Barney’s Beanery, galvanized Taffer’s growing interest in, as he refers to it, “leadership,” especially that of bars, pubs, taverns and nightclubs. Since then, Taffer has started, flipped or owned more than 800 establishments in a consulting career that spans three-plus decades. “I enjoy being a leader—not from an ego standpoint—but a ‘lead the troops’ sort of attitude,” he says. “When I was at the Troubadour, it lit this fire inside of me. I loved managing the

environment. And then one day it occurred to me that my legacy is to make people smile.”

Taffer’s been doing precisely that—making people smile—for the past three seasons and 61plus episodes of “Bar Rescue.”

Airing on Spike TV, “Bar Rescue,” like other programs in the ‘rescue’ genre, features a business—in this case a bar or nightclub—that’s in danger of failing. Enter Taffer and his team, who devote five days to completely overhauling the business from top to bottom before arranging a dramatic reveal at the show’s conclusion.

It’s a classic formula that seems unfailingly to hit a sympathetic nerve with viewers.

Impossible,” Taffer says he makes it a point not to have met the bar owners or ever to have been inside their establishments prior to taping the episode. “They never know when I’m coming, nor are they even sure that I’m coming,” he explains. “But suddenly I walk in. If they know I’m coming, the bar will never be empty—it’ll never be indicative of what they do, so I have to play with them and the situation a bit to find the reality.”

During the course of each episode, Taffer draws upon his three decades of bar and nightclub consulting experience to touch nearly every facet of the failing business’s operations—the architecture, the theme, the drink menu, the ambiance, the music, the décor, the pricing, training— STORYTELLING every facet, that is, except one: Taffer shares a belief with “I’m not a chef so I don’t migrate many of his fellow rescueto the kitchen.” he admits. programming hosts when Like his fellow rescue hosts, he says that “Bar Rescue” is Taffer’s shooting schedule is appealing, in essence, because concentrated and demanding. it’s a mini-drama of sorts. “If “What people don’t realize is that I were to define what ‘Bar I’m not only shooting a TV show Rescue’ is,” he explains, “I 12 hours a day, I’m signing off on would say it’s storytelling. logos, the food recipes, the plates, There’s a character in trouble; everything—I sign off on every there’s a transformation and a redemption; and there’s an ‘end aspect of the operation. I truly do of the story’—an opportunity to the TV work and the consulting feel good. It has all the elements work—so, yes, it’s a bear.” of a great story. You connect with somebody who’s in trouble. NOT THE MONEY They go through the trials and Difficult as it might be, it’s a tribulations of getting out of successful formula. Although trouble—the pressure, the tension, the stress, the tears— good and bad. When they come out on the other side, you feel terrific for them. It’s something that we all can relate to.”

Taffer says that what has surprised him as the episodes have unfolded over the past three seasons is how personal it becomes for the bar owners and managers. “I’m beginning to feel like ‘Dr. John,’” he quips. “But I’m finding that, nine times out of 10, I’m truly effecting a ‘personal’ transformation rather than a ‘bar’ transformation. It’s powerful when you live it.”

Like Robert Irvine does with his show “Restaurant:

Taffer says that he doesn’t personally track the success or failure rate of the bars he’s transformed, there are websites that do offer such statistics, and his are favorable. “Out of the 60 episodes that have aired, I’m told that roughly 50 or 51 [of the businesses] are still open,” he reports. “And when you consider the kind of trouble that they’re in to begin with, and we’re tracking a 75- to 80-percent track record? I’m told it’s the best on television.” One establishment that Taffer helped, Spirits on Bourbon, in New Orleans, reportedly increased its sales by $1 million a year following Taffer’s makeover.

But Taffer probably speaks for all three of the rescue hosts when he says that, for him, the prospect of money alone is not enough to compel him to take on the impossibly hectic, exhausting lifestyle he or she must lead to host a show like his.

“Why do I do it?” he asks.

“It’s that hug I get at the end of the show—or hearing from them afterwards. I tear up, and I must tell you it’s very emotional for me. It’s the most gratifying thing for me. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done in my 35 years of professional life. But it’s not the money that motivates anyone to do this kind of work. It’s the emotional gratification at the end of it all—it’s that hug.”

‘WHY DO I DO IT?’ IT’S THE MOST GRATIFYING THING FOR ME. BUT IT’S NOT THE MONEY THAT MOTIVATES ANYONE TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK. IT’S THE EMOTIONAL GRATIFICATION AT THE END OF IT ALL—IT’S THAT HUG. JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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JULY 21-27, 2014 GOTEXANRestaurantRoundUp.com

Support local restaurants. Taste Texas products.

The Texas Department of Agriculture’s annual GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up, presented

by Farm Credit, is the only statewide dine-out event that highlights restaurants serving local products. Show your Lone Star State pride! Dine out and taste the best of Texas July 21-27. Visit GOTEXANRestaurantRoundup.com for more information and a chance to win a Texas-sized prize.

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Download the free GO TEXAN mobile app today!

Commissioner Todd Staples • Texas Department of Agriculture

connoisseur

JULIE SOEFER

THE PRIME LIVING GUIDE TO DISCERNING TASTE

inside: Churrascos Taquitos

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• • • • •

TABLE TALK DINING NEWS UNCORKED MINTY REFRESHMENT MAIN DISH DALLAS DELICIEUX BRAGGING BITES COCTEL DE MARISCOS ENTERTAIN GROOVY GET-TOGETHER

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connoisseur TABLE TALK

>> FOR THE SUSHI LOVER

ASIAN EATERY WITH A TEXAS TWIST {DALLAS}

>> FOR THE SWEET TOOTH

Allison Young Chavez and her husband Ivan Chavez, both Wharton business school grads, are expanding their popular Rice Village creperie to posh CITYCENTRE on the west side. This second Sweet Paris Creperie & Café is 2,200 square feet with a 600-square-foot patio. On the menu, expect sweet and savory crepes, pastries and coffee drinks alongside waffles, an extended array of salads and creative sandwiches. In the expansion mode, the couple recently opened a Sweet Paris shop in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Sweet! sweetparis.com >> FOR THE SOUTHWESTERN FAN

NEW LIFE IN A FAMILIAR PLACE {AUSTIN}

Finally! The Radisson Hotel on Lady Bird Lake recently replaced its T.G.I. Friday’s with a modern restaurant concept. Prominent—and ambitious—Austin chef Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside, The Backspace and Olive & June brings us Chavez. The complete rehab of the interior, which reveals more outdoor views, gorgeous lightweight wood light fixtures and plenty of elbow room, was transformed by popular local architect Michael Hsu. On the menu, find a collection of classed-up Southwestern favorites like carne asada flank steak with grilled onions and pico de gallo, grilled quail en peanut mole, and grilled shrimp al mojo de ajo (with garlic and tequila). There are also sharable small plates, lovely salads and inventive soups such as the butternut squash with yogurt, lime and pepitas. Get up early for warm monkey bread with candied pecans, huevos rancheros and inviting brunch selections. chavez-austin.com

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>> FOR THE SURF & TURFER

SEASONAL SELECTIONS

{AUSTIN} Repeatedly honored as having one of the best restaurant wine lists in the world by Wine Spectator, Austin’s beloved Finn & Porter steakhouse has rolled out its seasonal menu. Executive chef Peter Maffei, veteran of top-of-the-line New York eateries, is dishing up inventive preparations of the region’s finest seasonal ingredients. Anticipate pan seared gulf grouper with baby beets and snow peas, roasted corn chowder with smoked bacon, lamb two ways and grilled Watermelon Steak. The new vegetarian menu includes house-made pasta with zucchini pesto, morel mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes.

Rather have seafood? Master sushi chef Triet Huyn continues to wow with his signature sushi menu and chef ’s favorites, which change weekly. Catch the weekly happy hour with half pricing on sushi, chef ’s tastings and special drink pricing. finandporteraustin.com

SWEET PARIS ALLISON AND IVAN CHAVEZ | NICK SIMONTE | FINN & PORTER | SHINSEI DALLAS

SECONDS OF SWEETS {HOUSTON}

If you haven’t tried Shinsei yet, summer is a great time for a first visit to the eatery developed by Lynae Fearing and Tracy Rathbun, both of famed-chef association.

The eclectic Asian menu is rife with fresh bites including pristine nigiri sushi, beautiful sashimi and irresistible entrees “with a Texas twist” that you won’t find at other Asian eateries. With soothing green hues, comfortable banquettes, fresh flowers and a rollicking bar scene, no wonder the restaurant is always packed. Roll up your sleeves for robust entrees such as honey hoisin baby back ribs, pan seared jumbo scallops with Asian risotto, citrus marinated beef tenderloin, and mahi mahi with shrimp dumplings. shinseirestaurant.com

connoisseur TABLE TALK

>> FOR THE BEACH BOUND

DISHING UP A VIEW

{PORT ARANSAS} If you’re headed to the coast this summer, put this newbie on your radar. The Black Marlin Bar & Grill, a component of the new Palmilla Beach Resort & Golf Club, is open for lunch, dinner and drinks even though the resort is not yet complete. Unforgettable are the sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi Bay from a third-story elevated bar! You’ll find American eats from the grill—a great variety for everyone with a focus on locally sourced ingredients. Look for pan seared Gulf snapper with black garlic shavings, grass-fed petite filet mignon with wild mushroom glaze, shrimp specials and pasta dishes, in addition to small plates and creative salads by chef Kaharim Becerra. blackmarlinporta.com

SIDE SIPS WINE EVENTS YOU CAN’T MISS

>> FOR THE CHEF FOLLOWER

WE HAVE A JAMES BEARD WINNER!

PALMILLO BEACH RESORT | JULIE SOEFER | CHURRASCOS | CARANO WINERY | SONOMA WINE COUNTRY WEEKEND

{HOUSTON} Kudos to Houston chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly restaurant for winning the James Beard Foundation’s title of Best Chef Southwest. It’s been more than two decades since a Houston chef won this award from the foundation—the last one being southwestern culinary pioneer Robert del Grande of RDG + Bar Annie. Fellow Houston nominees who joined the May ceremony in New York in hopes of winning included Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s and Justin Yu of Oxheart. >> FOR THE CHIMICHURRI FANATIC

A NEW TAKE ON CHURRASCOS {HOUSTON}

ROBIN BARR SUSSMAN BIO Robin Barr Sussman is a Houston-based freelance writer who specializes in food, wine and travel. Her work has appeared in Texas Monthly, My Table, and Private Clubs magazine.

Houston’s favorite churrascaria has stepped up its game with a new location in the Gateway Memorial City complex, which has a unique menu and look from the other Churrascos.

The stunning space seats 326 guests and was designed by San Francisco-based MBH Architects, the same firm that designed more than 1,000 Apple stores worldwide.

It boasts an open kitchen viewable from all corners of the dining room and reclaimed wood intermixed with contemporary Latin American artifacts and murals.

A large part of this menu is now Nicaraguan spotlighting Latin American comfort foods.

Think seafood dishes like ceviche verde made with tilapia and tart green apples, decadent lobster campechana, and whole fried fish crusted in cornmeal and cinnamon. But of course, it’s that mouth-melting smoky churrasco steak, cooked over a searing open flame and doused with green and garlicky chimichurri sauce that keeps us coming back for more. cordua.com

SONOMA WINE COUNTRY WEEKEND If you’re lucky enough to be in California wine country during Labor Day weekend, plan a jaunt to the Healdsburg area for the annual Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, Aug. 29-31. Glam signature events include the Sonoma Starlight Dinner at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, a starry soiree surrounding the winery pool; the Taste at MacMurray Ranch with more than 200 wineries, 60 chefs, and numerous seminars and demos: and the Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction at Chateau St. Jean. Better reserve now for vintner dinners, lunches and alfresco barbecues throughout the weekend. sonomawinecountryweekend.com FERRARI-CARANO HARVEST The electrifying grape harvest is in full bloom and Sept. 19-21 offers you the chance to pick your own grapes in the California wine country and celebrate the season with the Ferrari-Carano winemaking team. After a hands-on lesson in sorting through the grapes and tasting, enjoy an al fresco lunch at Ferrari-Carano Winery, a mustsee Tuscan style villa with sprawling landscaped grounds emblazoned in tulips (ferrari-carano.com). The package for two includes a two-night stay at the elegant European style Vintner’s Inn (vintnersinn.com) and a winemaker dinner at John Ash & Co. with a Saturday breakfast and a Sunday brunch. Cheers to the harvest! For reservations, email teri@fcwinery.com

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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minty

connoisseur UNCORKED

REFRESHMENT Story | JOHN DeMERS

i

n 1586, as Sir Francis Drake sailed near Havana after a successful raid on Cartagena in Colombia, his men started to come down with scurvy and dysentery. Having heard rumors of native remedies, Drake dispatched a party to go ashore and pick up a prescription. What they came back with was aguardiente de cana (a crude form of rum), mixed with lime, sugarcane juice and mint.

Apparently, sick as dogs, Drake’s sailors didn’t much care that they were imbibing the world’s first mojito. There’ve been a whole lot of mojitos made and imbibed, starting in Cuba, in all the centuries since.

Now, in Texas during our long hot summer, we don’t require scurvy to justify enjoying a glass or two. Mojitos have entered the vocabulary of the mixology world, as another classic—like the martini, gimlet or sidecar—from which the more creative types working behind our favorite bars can spin off.

“Mi mojito in La Bodeguita,” Ernest Hemingway scribbled on the wall of that bar in Havana, dipping into the kind of babytalk rhyme he loved, especially after a few too many. The mojito is a keeper after spreading north to Key West and Miami.

As with all classic cocktails, there can be disagreement about how the mojito was created in its current form, how it got its name (which probably means “something a little wet”), and what ingredients or techniques are essential, as opposed to optional or fanciful. Most assuredly, the use of lime or some other form of citrus explains its usefulness treating scurvy.

And the use of rum, a byproduct of sugarcane whether primitive or refined, makes sense

THE CLASSIC MOJITO Courtesy of Beam Global INGREDIENTS 1.50 ounces Cruzan Estate Light 1.0 ounces simple syrup juice of 1-2 limes as needed 10–15 fresh spearmint leaves soda water DIRECTIONS In a tall highball glass muddle mint with lime juice and simple syrup (you want to muddle just enough to bruise the leaves to release the oils and not tear them). Add crushed ice and rum then stir ensuring that the leaves are distributed all throughout the cocktail. Top up with crushed ice, add soda, and stir one more time.

Garnish with a sprig of mint.

because it was the most available alcohol.

Taken together, those two things lay down the drumbeat for all mojitos to come, their aggressiveness eventually balanced by sugar and yerba buena, a popular variation on spearmint.

Interestingly, although many aspects of Cuban culture and cuisine blended Old

For more mojito recipes visit prime-living.com

Spain and Africa, the word mojito may have come to the Caribbean directly from the Canary Islands. It was there that the mojo criollo (a lime-based Creole seasoning marinade) made the trek west. So the next time you see a sign warning of a wet floor (in Spanish, “piso mojado”), I hope you feel at least a little bit thirsty.

JOHN DeMERS John DeMers is the author of 52 published books and host of the Delicious Mischief radio show heard weekly in Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. He divides his time between Houston and Marfa.

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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connoisseur MAIN DISH

dallas DÉLICIEUX Chef Nathan Tate

Story | JESSICA MEBANE Photography | BRENLEE MCKNIGHT

i

f the Bishop Arts District had a contest for restaurants that most exemplify its creative and community-based renaissance, then Boulevardier would be the hands-down winner. The place looks as though someone has plunked down a bustling, Parisian brasserie within its exposed brick warehouse walls, with diners lingering over drinks and fresh, cold oysters while tossing flirtatious glances around the bar area.

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Oysters, both Gulf and bluepoint, are a star attraction, perched on a huge island of crushed ice. Order a delicious cocktail from an impressive drink menu, thoughtfully curated by bar and general manager Eddie Eakin. One of Eakin’s delightful signature drinks, the Belle Femme, is a light but potent concoction and makes a lovely counterpoint to the woodgrilled oysters, which are served simmering in a sinful mélange of Tabasco, compound butter, shallots and wine.

After drifting from the bar to the dining room, one is immediately struck by the casual neighborhood bistro feel of the tables and banquettes next to café curtains and chalkboard specials, but once you catch sight of the wall-to-wall shelves full of New World Reds, Sancerre and other complex wines, it’s patently obvious that serious food for serious foodies is served here.

Try the bountiful Big Board with cunning combinations of meat, cheeses and fresh fruit.

The blueberries pop against the salty duck prosciutto, and the in-house made country pork paté dotted with pistachios and bacon demands that you take a crunchy bite of briny cornichon pickles before trying the creamy Brie. All of this is served with crispy ovals of sourdough standing in teeny aluminum buckets, as if to remind you of this sophisticated petit plat’s humble beginnings. After all, most of Boulevardier’s produce comes from local provider Barking Cat Farms in Rockwall, just northeast of Dallas.

Rockwall is also the originpoint for the entire beef selection on the Boulevardier menu, which is provided by one of the owner’s family cattle enterprises, Tate Farms. If you’ve been fortunate

enough to be raised in Texas, chances are you know good bone marrow. Here, there’s plenty to share, with three nice-sized sections of beef shank roasted and halved to reveal the silken, salty marrow that pairs perfectly with a dab of sweet onion marmalade smeared across bread. If marrow isn’t quite your favorite beef selection, fear not, for many repeat diners come just for the Boulevardier burger, also sourced from Tate Farms and ground daily in-house. Served with a custom board of condiments, it’s considered one of the best burgers in town.

Venture farther down the menu to sample some of Boulevardier’s stellar main courses—crispy duck nestled among ribbons of papparadelle pasta; or the exquisitely neck of lamb, prepared sous-vide in red wine braisage. Take a bite, sip some crisp white Burgundy, and as your eyes close in appreciation, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’ve been transported to a French farmer’s rustic Sunday table in Provence.

If you can still manage it after sampling such complex entrees, consider the dessert menu— in particular, Nancy’s Bread Pudding. Based on chef-owner Nathan Tate’s grandmother’s recipe, it’s an elegant mouthful of cinnamon-and-bourbonlaced pudding with dense, rich flavors. Served with huckleberries and vanilla bean ice cream, this dessert is the ultimate topper after an evening full of brilliantly crafted food and wines served with casual charm.

boulevardier 408 n. bishop ave. dallas (214) 942-1828 dallasboulevardier.com

Nancy’s Bread Pudding

connoisseur MAIN DISH

NANCY’S BREAD PUDDING Hanger Steak Frites

Moroccan Glazed Lamb Neck

Roasted Bone Marrow

Bangs Island Mussels

Red Wine Poached Pear

Ingredients 1 brioche loaf, cubed 3-4 cups milk 6 eggs 3 cups sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1/2 pound butter, sliced Preparation Preheat oven to 325 F. In a casserole dish combine the milk and brioche cubes. This mixture should be very wet; the amount of milk will vary slightly, depending on your brioche.

Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together, and pour this mixture over the soaked bread.

Top everything with the sliced butter and cinnamon. Bake at 325 F for 30 minutes. Remove bread pudding from the oven and stir to incorporate all of the ingredients. Return it to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Top with bourbon sauce and enjoy.

BOURBON SAUCE Ingredients 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups sugar 1/4 pound butter 1/4 cup bourbon zest of half a lemon

Big Board

Poached Farm Egg Salad

Preparation In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar and butter, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the bourbon and lemon zest.

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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connoisseur BRAGGING BITES

cóctel de

MARISCOS a

s the mercury rises, nothing satisfies for a light bite like a chilled seafood cocktail resplendent with fresh shrimp, crabmeat, scallops, oysters or fish. A vibrant cross between gazpacho and a salad, it always adds a festive note to summer.

Whether you’re dining in an air conditioned steakhouse, a seafood railcar or a lakeside hotel, these three Texas seafood cocktail contenders will put you in vacay mode. Hola Campeche!

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GOODE CO

Story | ROBIN BARR SUSSMAN

connoisseur BRAGGING BITES

GOOD CAMPECHANA

NICK SIMONTE | GOODE CO | AMY SINCLAIR

Most Houstonians who love seafood know about this classic: Goode Company’s killer Mexican Campechana Extra, prepared with Texas love and served in a tall chilled sundae glass. Houston has many great seafood cocktail iterations but this winner keeps you coming back. Perhaps it’s the balanced tomato base, silky and rich with chili sauce, Clamato, Tabasco, lime, chopped green olives, onions, cilantro, fresh oregano, garlic and Anaheim chiles. Also, the glass is absolutely packed with fresh shrimp and crabmeat, which really fills you up. Generous chopped avocado, minced fresh jalapenos, and a mound of tortilla chips take it over the top.

GOODE CO. SEAFOOD HOUSTON 2621 WESTPARK DR. GOODECOMPANY.COM

INVIGORATING CÓCTEL

If you’re a fan of cool, pure and crunchy, dig into the refreshing Seafood Cóctel at Chavez in the Radisson Hotel on Lady Bird Lake in Austin. It’s a great starter on a dinner date and you can’t beat the pretty views in the new restaurant. The oh-sochilled vessel holds prawns, diced cucumber, cilantro, red onion and cherry tomatoes, all drenched in fresh lime juice. The ingredients magically click—even the freshly diced tomatoes exude their juices and mingle with the lime. Each cóctel is made to order and you can taste the freshness. Meticulous with details, chef Cirkiel garnishes with a whole prawn, cucumber balls and scallion ribbons.

Ah, paradise found.

CHAVEZ AUSTIN 111 E. CESAR CHAVEZ CHAVEZ-AUSTIN.COM

PRIME COCKTAIL

Not big on red cocktail sauce or a lot of veggies? Seafood cocktails come in many guises including this Jumbo Crabmeat Cocktail that is downright decadent in its naked simplicity. The key is super fresh crabmeat, cooked to perfection and served chilled—but not frigid—in a lovely retro style parfait glass. There’s a bit of showbiz, too. When this beauty is delivered to your table, it is “smoking” with dry ice to give it even more of a frosty effect. Squeeze on some lemon and dip into the opulent and slightly spicy remoulade sauce—or better yet, pour the remoulade over the top and get a little with every bite. It’s heavenly.

OCEAN PRIME DALLAS 2101 CEDAR SPRINGS RD. OCEAN-PRIME.COM

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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connoisseur

ENTERTAIN

groovy

GET-TOGETHER

Beach Party Bohemian Style

s

Styling | GRIT&GOLD

Find more boho party ideas on prime-living.com

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Photography | CHARLA STOREY

tyle an outdoor bohemian gathering with a laid back atmosphere. Channel your inner boho-spirit with colorful and eclectic dÊcor. And don’t forget the guitars, violins or bongos for artistic ambiance! A boho party menu should reflect the party style with finger foods and easy to eat appetizers, giving guests a chance to graze while socializing. And wine is the perfect drink to share, communal of course.

connoisseur

ENTERTAIN

DECORATIVE DINNERWARE Go artsy when selecting tableware—think hand-painted plates.

THE GOODS

STACKABLE SERVERS Old trunks stacked are the perfect side-table to display finger foods and can be arranged to create the ideal height.

TIE-DYED INSPIRED Get your guests in the groove starting when the invitation arrives.

DESIGN/ COORDINATION Grit+Gold gritandgoldfw.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Charla Storey charlastorey.com

FLORAL The Southern Table southerntabledesign.com

PAPER Yeti and the Beast yetiandthebeast.com

FURNITURE Rent My Dust rentmydust.com

TABLETOP ITEMS Anthropologie anthropologie.com

THIS AND THAT Create a tablescape full of eclectic eye-candy. Mix old water glasses with brass candlesticks, feathers and brightly-colored flowers. Gold flatware adds a bit of glitz.

EARTHY GOODNESS Incorporate a grouping of colorful flowers into an all-natural setting to create a warm, earthy feel.

BAKER Layered Bake Shop layeredbakeshop.com

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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F O TH R O IO N TESNTON U IN N A M 30 SA

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When we saw Cordova on Canyon Lake, we knew instantly it was what we wanted.”

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GENTLEMEN’S ROOM

FOR THE MAN WHO COMMANDS THE VERY BEST

inside:

52 • MAN CAVE BASEMENT BREW 54 • DRIVER’S SEAT AUDI RS7 55 • CIGAR NOTES PADRON 1964 ANNIVERSARY SERIES EXCLUSIVO 56 • HIGH TECH H20 TECH 57 • GREAT OUTDOORS TARPON 58 • STYLE SUMMER ROUNDUP JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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GENTLEMEN’S ROOM MAN CAVE

basement brew Story | BRUCE FARR

H

HANGING AROUND IN YOUR CELLAR HAS NEVER BEEN MORE FUN

ow times have changed: just a few decades ago, home brewing was an outlawed activity, mostly undertaken by wily backwoods scalawags, with jerry-rigged brewing contraptions hidden in the woods and a cadre of revenuers hellbent on prosecuting them.

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HOP TO IT Getting started as a basement home brewer (and we’re talking about brewing beer, not distilling spirits) isn’t as complicated as one might think. For an idea of what sort of equipment you’ll require, how much it will cost and where to put it, one need only consult the website of master home brewer Kal Wallner (theelectricbrewery. com). Several years ago, Wallner, an electrical engineer who had merely dabbled in beer-making, decided to go all-out and build an all-grain industrial-grade brewery in his basement. The splendid result is

what one might consider the ultimate man cave. It’s sure to inspire even the most lackadaisical beer enthusiast to “hop” on the bandwagon.

“If you want to start out at the extreme, basic level, there’s really not that much [equipment] needed,” Wallner says. “There are kits for maybe $100 or $200 that come with everything you need to get started.”

BEER MONEY For those of us like Wallner with higher home brewery aspirations, however, the investment and space requirements are

KAL WALLNER

Not so much these days, when a resurgent, do-it-yourself adult beverage craze is sweeping the nation, turning thousands of former barroom hoisters into bona fide in-home brewers. In actuality, home brewing was only re-legalized in 1979, having been declared illegal during Prohibition. Following its reinstatement, men (and women) intent on having a little homemade brew wasted no time getting back into the act: according to the American Homebrewers Association, their ranks have tripled since 2006, and now boast a whopping 43,000-plus members.

GENTLEMEN’S ROOM MAN CAVE

MUST HAVES

Want to get started on your own basement brewery?

Wallner offers his expert opinion on the five most essential tools of the trade: KETTLES (1) “The ones I use are called Blichmann BoilerMakers,” Wallner says.

Advertised as an all-in-one package, these 20-gallon, stainless-steel beauties will help you turn your first home-brewed IPA into a golden elixir. blichmannengineering.com

KAL WALLNER | BLICHMANN ENGINEERING | SPEIGLAU | MICROMATIC

COMMERCIAL STAINLESS STEEL SINK “Oddly enough, the sink is probably the most important piece of brewing equipment, so you want to make sure you have a decent one,” Wallner says. Several brand-name sinks that range in price from a couple hundred dollars and up will do the job just fine, he says.

surprisingly manageable. “If you want to do like I do and handle everything from scratch, you can probably get away with using no more than 8 to 10 square feet,” Wallner says. And, cost-wise, he estimates an initial investment in equipment in the very modest $6,000$7,000 range. “And the good news is that the cost of the materials to make the beer is inconsequential—something in the neighborhood of 10 cents a glass.”

But what about the quality of homebrewed beer? Not to worry, Wallner says. “I actually think you can do somewhat better than commercially brewed beer,” he says.

“Breweries have all sorts of problems with distribution because beer is somewhat fragile, and to ship it across the country wreaks havoc with it. If you brew it yourself, achieving top-quality beer really isn’t rocket science— it’s surprisingly simple. Most of my friends who drink my home-brewed beer say they’re spoiled—they actually prefer over anything they can purchase.”

1

2

CONTROL PANEL (2) Wallner, summoning his electrical engineering expertise, actually designed his own control panel, a high-tech-looking, wall-mountable command center that, as he says, “will ensure that your making consistent beer safely and with a lot of repeatability—meaning that if you like what you’ve made, you’ll be able to make it over and over again.” theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel

3

TAP TOWER (3) What’s a brewery without a gleaming row of taps? “Something with six to eight—even 12—faucets on it will make for a nice presentation of your beer,” Wallner says.

GLASSWARE (4) Last but certainly not least, a set of beautifully designed beer glasses will show off your home brew to its greatest effect. Wallner recommends the Speiglau IPA Glass, which he calls “the perfect new beer glass for hoppy IPAs.” riedelusa.net

4

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GENTLEMEN’S ROOM DRIVER'S SEAT

racing

next level

to the

can lope along and get up to 27 mpg on the highway, thanks to cylinder-deactivation technology.

Day-in and day-out, though, the RS 7 rewards the driver with the pampering. The interior is your typical Audi—tastefully monochromatic with a splash of chrome bling here and there.

With a price that starts at 7 will have you marveling at the $104,900, you bet buyers can balance of yin and yang Audi tailor their environment. Seating has engineered. It’s instantly choices, for example, include responsive to your whims and quilted silver leather inserts willpower (at first there’s no or honeycomb stitching and fighting the urge to stab the instrument panel inserts range throttle just to feel the RS 7 from carbon fiber, aluminum pounce) but this apex predator to aluminum and wood. What will cruise all day long as you don’t get matters hugely smoothly as whipped cream. too: you won’t feel or hear the Terminal velocity is just north plastic miscues that plague lesser of 170 mph, if you’re bold vehicles. The wind-cheating enough to spool up the twin turbochargers for more than a few shape is well insulated from wind and road noise, even with seconds. While it takes less than the optional 21-inch wheels and four ticks to hit 60 mph from ultra-high-performance summer a dead stop, there’s another stat that’s just as impressive: the RS 7 tires. That works out nicely as the

Whether Audi’s tuner mavens meant for RS to stand for Race Spec or Rally Sport is immaterial.

Mere mortals will instantly get that the RS 7 is one Really Special 7.

A

udi’s A7 is a luscious combination of refined luxury, performance and usability, taking the four-door coupe genre that’s all the rage to unmatched coolness and practicality. Now, apply a bit of “Weird Science” to this sexy Germanic sport-back and what emerges is the RS 7.

The first thing that grabs and plants you firmly in the comfortable yet supportive sport driver’s seat is the RS 7’s prodigious power: 560 horsepower. That’s 250 more ponies than the standard A7’s gasoline engine makes. The RS

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exhaust and the Bang & Olufsen advanced sound system (a $5,900 extra) deliver all the rich tunes you dream of.

Audi offers up all manner of tech and performance options for the RS 7, including nightvision aids, front- and rear-view cameras, carbon fiber body kits and collision-sensing cruise control and braking assist.

Optioned out, it’s ridiculously easy to drive the MSRP well into the $130,000 range, but we humbly submit that it’s fairly priced for a handsome and versatile Audi that can be rowdy or play the executive car role for a night at the opera.

JEFF YIP Jeff Yip’s work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, Houston Chronicle and the New York Times, as well as consumer and trade magazines. He’s a second-generation car guy who still has the 1969 Chevy his dad loved.

AUDI

Story | JEFF YIP

joy

oh the Story | CRAIG VANDERSLICE

GENTLEMEN’S ROOM CIGAR NOTES

Premium hand-rolled cigars are an affordable luxury—a daily vacation for me, if you will.

M

CRAIG VANDERSLICE

ore than just a bunch of leaves rolled up, premium cigars are handcrafted with time and artistry. As I hold a favorite cigar in my hand—a Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo from Nicaragua—I’m in awe that the seeds for the leaves in this cigar were planted a minimum of three years ago.

After two or three months of maturation, the leaves are harvested by hand, carefully and meticulously from the bottom of the plant to the top. Once picked, they are hung by hand in barns to cure. Once brown, they are sorted and placed in piles, called pilons, where they ferment. The pilon’s temperature is carefully monitored and it’s rotated by hand—perhaps several times over several months until the temperature stabilizes and the leaf has the desired color and texture. The leaves are

Tobacco plants in the field in Esteli, Nicaragua

then re-sorted, always by size and color, and baled up to be stored in a climate controlled warehouse for a year or more.

Skilled artisans roll at least three and up to 10 different tobaccos (from all over the world different places on the plants, and different levels of fermentation) into cigars—and it’s not as easy as you’d think. In the simplest terms, the roller takes all the leaves in the cigar’s recipe and folds them in such a way that air may be drawn through the cigar— distributing evenly so every cigar tastes the same. He replicates this process up to 300 times a day—box after box, year after year.

When you think about it, it’s a miracle that cigars are as affordable as they are luxurious.

One of my favorites is the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo, a 5 and one-half inch, 50 ring gauge cigar from Nicaragua.

Padrón has produced exceptional cigars for the last 50 years and doesn’t disappoint with this one that always possesses bold flavors of coffee and cocoa. With several exquisite special editions—look for a 50th anniversary edition this year—they continue to produce consistently great cigars—examples of what Nicaraguan cigars should be.

Sit back, light up and with an understanding of the myriad steps involved in producing a hand rolled, premium cigar, and enjoy with a new appreciation.

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GENTLEMEN’S ROOM HIGH TECH

h20 tech S

ummer is in full swing and that means trips to the beach and water. In addition to your sunscreen, towels and flip flops, here are some gadgets and tech-advanced toys to allow for more fun in the sun.

Story | MICHAEL GARFIELD

APPS FOR THE SAND&SURF FISH RULES

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LIQUID IMAGE SCUBA MASK I enjoy scuba diving but half the fun is telling stories and showing friends photos of my underwater adventures. I no longer need to carry a dedicated camera housed in a waterproof case to take photos and videos. I simply need to look through my diving mask.

The Liquid Image Wide Angle Scuba Series HD makes underwater photography hands free for safer swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. You can photograph or video your dive buddies or sea life up to 130 feet deep.

The 135-degree angle lens is center-mounted about your eyes and can shoot in 1080p highdefinition for brilliant video. The camera can also take still photos with a 12 megapixel resolution. The unit can hold up to a 32 megabyte storage card which is good enough for many hours of video and photos. liquidimageco.com

Fishing in saltwater takes more than just baiting a rod and reel. Fish Rules is an app that simplifies saltwater fishing regulations into an easy to understand format.

With a glance, know if a fish is in season, how many you can keep, how big they have to be, and more.

METAL DETECTOR

If you don’t want to invest in an expensive metal detector to scour beaches or just need to locate electrical wires or nails in your walls, download the Metal Detector app. It measures magnetic field values using the built-in magnetic sensor in your device. If there is metal in the area the strength of the magnetic field should increase.

DIVEMATE USB

A great scuba diving log book and the only one that downloads your scuba dives and dive profiles to your tablet and smartphone directly via USB. Get a weather and marine forecast for your dive sites and you can also enrich your logged dives with personal notes, pictures and underwater photos.

MICHAEL GARFIELD Known as “The High-Tech Texan®” to audiences nationwide, Michael hosts technology and issue-oriented talk radio shows six days a week on The 9-5-0. See what he’s up to at HighTechTexan.com.

MINELAB | LIQUID IMAGE | LOWRANCE

MINELAB SAFARI METAL DETECTOR I used to chuckle at people who walked the beaches with a metal detector. I assumed they spent hours looking for buried treasure but ended up with a few pennies and a lost earring. But metal detectors have become sophisticated and found treasure can be valuable.

The Safari Metal Detector from Minelab uses advanced digital filtering to eliminate the “false signals” of ground signals.

This allows for seamless detecting whatever the field conditions.

With its high trash density setting, target IDs and audio tones are updated when sweeping over closely spaced targets. This improves the recovery of deeply buried high conductivity targets in a trashy environment.

It’s lightweight and comes with headphones to hear the audible tones when possible treasure is located. The NiMH rechargeable battery pack saves money on replacement batteries. minelab.com

LOWRANCE FISHFINDER/ CHARTPLOTTER Fishing is a wonderful sport but can be frustrating at times if you don’t know where they are biting. Wouldn’t it be nice to see what’s in the water to give you an advantage of those fish?

Lowrance, a world-leading brand in marine electronics since 1957, has several models of fishfinders that practically lead anglers to where they are biting.

The Elite CHIRP series comes in a 5-inch or widescreen 7-inch design. Each can produce low, medium and high sonar ranges and display two user-selected ranges simultaneously. They also feature DownScan Imaging that provides easy-to-understand, picture-like views of structure and bottom detail. Those fish can’t hide from you any longer.

The devices also have a highly accurate, built-in GPS antenna and a detailed U.S. map with more than 3,000 lakes and rivers, plus coastal contours to 1,000 ft. Prices range from $669 to $869 but it’s a small price to pay for an advantage to find dinner. lowrance.com

GENTLEMEN’S ROOM OUTDOORS

tarpon Story | DOUG PIKE

Ever open a present and get far more than you expected? Ever pick a fight and realize with the first swing that you were about to take a serious whipping? Both scenarios define Texas tarpon fishing.

loaded with 40-pound mono or 80-pound braid to medium-heavy boat rods. You’ll need 6 to 10 feet of 100- to 200-pound mono leader, something with a hook in it or on it, a strong back and plenty of time.

I like plugs, but dead fish work Many of those pros abandoned to a fabulous new alternative to well and live baits even better.

Through the third quarter of slinging jigs in the bay. the fishing business. The rest If Texans lack a skill common the past century, most Texas Millions of collective hours on among Floridians, it is in turned a quick eye to tarpon and anglers knew that tarpon the water later, pros and hundreds presenting live baits to tarpon. did a fantastic job of marketing were “out there” but only fished of devoted amateurs know this the new product.

The ironing-board sized them occasionally. Powerful about tarpon: You won’t catch “We didn’t have much fish—little ones—occasionally are and acrobatic as they were, one every time you chase them, choice,” says Capt. James Plaag caught from the beachfront, even these giant—but inedible by but when you do, your first look of Silver King Adventures by waders, but most Texas tarpon most standards—gamefish took likely will be at 6 feet of fish 6 (silverkingadventures.com). windup alongside boats adrift in backseats to tasty speckled trout feet above the surface.

“There just weren’t many trout 15-35 feet of water. That’s where and red drum.

“Some days, we don’t catch a the warm-water baitfish are.

Then came the fourth quarter, left after those freezes.” one,” Plaag says, “but when it’s During the next 10 years, There, and vacuuming up scraps which delivered devastating, sub(with 10 sharks for each of them) freezing blows to coastal fisheries many of the state’s best fishermen right, you might get eight or 10 behind shrimp boats. in 1983 and again in 1989. Dead turned their summertime focus to shots, maybe more.”

Migrating south to north If you’ve never caught a fish were counted in the millions, tarpon. The bet paid off in spades.

Pressure came off speckled trout, in summer and the reverse in tarpon, put that on your bucket and bay guides could no longer fall, tarpon that run the coast which helped their recovery, and list—right under “Pump some rely on trout and reds to satisfy here average 70-90 pounds and guides’ clients were introduced iron and run a few miles for a their clients. occasionally push (or exceed) few months before you go tarpon 200 pounds. As Texas’ fish go fishing.”

Among fish their size, tarpon are fairly common off the entire that “average” is a fully developed Texas coast. Prime season off Galveston is mid-July through early but young tarpon are capable of September, but they’re present for at least a month beyond both wild leaps and long runs before ends of that range. As you move south, the fish arrive a little earlier DOUG PIKE you get the beast boatside for and migrate southward a little later.

Doug Pike has traveled photographs and eventual release. the world to satisfy his There are fish that move occasionally into middle- and lowerYou can’t release a fish you passion for the outdoors. coast bays, but the majority of our tarpon remain a short distance During his career, he has don’t catch, of course, and won 100-plus state and offshore. Capt. James Plaag’s crew at Silver King Adventures would that task starts with stout gear. national awards for writing, broadcast be glad to show you the ropes. and photography.

Newcomers should match reels

MARCUS POFFENBERGER

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GENTLEMEN’S ROOM STYLE

The Multi Check Slubbed Button Down by Hamilton available at hamiltonshirts.com

summer

roundup Capeland Worldtimer

by Baume & Mercier exclusively at Tourneau

Blue Mark cologne by Jack Black available throughout Texas getjackblack.com

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Reversible Web-Calfskin Belt by Bally available at Neiman Marcus

Verrazano

by Robert Graham available on robertgraham.us

HAMILTON SHIRTS | NEIMAN MARCUS | TOURNEAU | BAUME & MERCIER | JACK BLACK | ROBERT GRAHAM

Metal & Horn Polarized Squared Sunglasses

by Brioni available at Neiman Marcus

escape

escape GREETINGS FROM DESTINATIONS NEAR AND FAR

BELMOND

inside:

62 • ENLIGHTENED EXPLORER TRAVEL BUZZ 64 • POINT OF INTEREST OLIVE YOU TEXAS 66 • FEATURE ROASTED ROUTE TO TEXAS GOURMET COFFEE

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escape enlightened explorer

>> FOR THE ASPIRING COWBOY OR COWGIRL

RANCH GETAWAY

>> FOR THE OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH TRAVELER

JOURNEY BY RAIL

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xplore exotic lands on an unforgettable and timeless journey by rail. In addition to classic, year-round itineraries between Bangkok and Singapore, Belmond, the ultimate travel connoisseur, offers the Chronicles of South East Asia on the Eastern & Oriental Express, guiding passengers on exceptional, itineraries in Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Singapore.

From major cities to the remote countryside, you’ll experience the dramatic sights and sounds of the region. Enjoy the views from the large picture windows of your private cabin on the train, where a steward is on call 24 hours a day, or take part in day trips and overnight excursions to delve deep into local culture, viewing special ceremonies and exploring architectural and historical attractions. belmond.com

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>> FOR THE DARING GOURMAND

DINE IN THE DARK

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ancy yourself a true food lover?

Take a different approach to gourmet cuisine—one that puts you completely in the dark. Chef Jérémie Baudeau’s new restaurant Noir d’ivoire in Lausanne, Switzerland features an original concept: dining in complete and utter darkness to remove sight, heightening the other senses. Ideal for couples and small groups, the experience offers a refined atmosphere and a unique and intriguing way to explore the palate.

The menu is a secret. Upon arrival, restaurant staff guides you and your companions to your table, where, according to your preferences, you enjoy various dishes, wines and cocktails. Once the meal is complete and the lights come on, you’ll discover the original and sometimes surprising fare that you’ve tasted. From $89 per person, reservations required. noir-d-ivoire.com KATHRYN HUNTER Kathryn Hunter is an Austin-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.

BELMOND | NOIR D’IVOIRE | THE LODGE & SPA AT BRUSH CREEK RANCH

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he Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, an all-inclusive boutique guest ranch located in Wyoming’s North Platte River Valley, is offering special summer packages for travelers seeking classic outdoor adventure and Western-style entertainment.

The new High Mountain Yurt Experience can be added as an a-la-carte option to any booking. Guests travel by horseback to a 700-square-foot circular tent for an overnight stay, enjoying activities like trout fishing, archery, stargazing and wildlife viewing, as well as a gourmet dinner and breakfast cooked over the campfire.

The second annual Cowgirl Up for the Cure will be held Sept. 4-7, a three-day event benefiting Denver’s Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This ladies-only package includes lodging and activities on the ranch, from horseback riding to fly fishing and mountain biking. Guests will also enjoy spa offerings, nightly live entertainment, Rocky Mountain cuisine, educational programs and inspiring speakers. brushcreekranch.com

enlightened explorer

escape

>> FOR THE TROPIC LOVER

AT HOME IN PARADISE

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LIBERTADOR HOTELS RESORTS AND SPAS | WESTIN LIMA | SWAIN DESTINATIONS

n the Caribbean isle of St. Lucia, find your dream home at The Residences at Sugar Beach. The exclusive new development is situated between the two soaring volcanic spires of the Pitons, an area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Residences have been acclaimed as one of the world’s best waterside homes, matching a spectacular locale and commitment to environmental sustainability with the finest aspects of luxury living. Designed in a contemporary reinterpretation of French classic colonial style, each of the 38 individually tailored Residences is the epitome of elegance, featuring handpicked furnishings, landscaped gardens and a spacious terrace and infinity pool.

Owners have full access to Viceroy Hotels and Resorts’ five-star amenities, from a selection of gourmet restaurants and an on-site spa to a water sports center and two white sand beaches. A dedicated team of butlers is available at any hour. sugarbeachresidences.com

>> FOR THE CULTURE-LOVING GASTRONOME >> FOR THE UNCOMMON EXPLORER

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

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tarted in 1987 by a husband-and-wife team of entrepreneurs, Swain Destinations is now one of the top U.S. providers of customized travel experiences, leading travelers on one-of-a-kind journeys in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, India and the South Pacific.

Your journey begins as a blank canvas. Expert travel consultants help you fill the days with the details and experiences that make your trip uniquely your own. As a starting point, you choose a genre for your vacation: adventure, diving, indigenous or wildlife for the intrepid explorer; beach, luxury, romance or spa/retreat for leisure lovers; or city, culinary and culture for travelers more inclined to cosmopolitan pursuits. Swain Destinations also offers specialized family and golf vacations, as well as cruise, train and shortstay options. swaindestinations.com

TASTE OF LIMA

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visit to the Westin Lima provides a singular opportunity to sample the vibrant culture and cuisine of Peru. Located in the heart of Lima’s financial, cultural and shopping district, the 301-room hotel is popular with both tourists and corporate travelers.

In addition to the largest convention center in the country, Westin Lima features Maras, the fine-dining restaurant helmed by renowned chef Rafael Piqueras, and the Heavenly Spa by Westin.

Foodies can indulge in the new “Taste of Lima” package. Tour the local markets with a culinary professional, learn how to make specialty South American cocktails and visit the city’s ceviche hotspots by private car. libertador.com.pe

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escape point of interest

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ou might be surprised to learn that Texas is home to several olive orchards— or as we say in Texas, olive “ranches.” If you find yourself just east of San Marcos, be sure to stop by Bella Vista Ranch (texasoliveoil.com), tucked away in Wimberly. This working ranch is not only home to First Texas Olive Oil Company, it also produces artisan foods created from produce grown right there on the ranch.

You’re in for a treat with tastings of their olive tapenade,

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fruity preserves, oils and vinegars—and wine! From vinegar flavors such as fig and vanilla balsamic to olive oil flavors such as blood orange to garlic, basil and Parmesan dipping oil, make sure your taste buds come ready for a workout.

Bella Vista offers tours on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Sundays at noon. The staff boasts that everyone who takes a tour leaves the ranch with a Ph.D. in all things olive and olive oil—beginning with a history of the ranch and olive

growing in Texas. The tour includes the frantoio (olive press) room and ends, of course, with a tasting where you’ll learn the proper way to taste and qualify extra virgin olive oil. Not to worry, wine connoisseurs, the tasting includes Bella Vista’s handcrafted wines, too.

The best time to visit the ranch is during harvest, September through November.

At that time of year, tour attendees get to see the ranch in full swing—and even get to try some olive oil fresh off the press.

If you fall in love with the process, general manager Greg Henny says Bella Vista accepts volunteers to help harvest the olives on certain days during the season. You’ll get to work with Henny and his crew picking olives off trees and picking his brain about the olive business, see the frantoio up and running, and taste the fruit of your labor.

Here are some Texas olive orchards producing oil you’ll want to be on the watch for.

Lone Star Olive Ranch is a working ranch producing olive oil, soaps, lip and body care products. lonestaroliveranch.com Texas Olive Ranch invites guests to join them during harvest and stay to taste award-winning oils, infused with flavors such as roasted garlic and mesquite smoke. texasoliveranch.com Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard, just south of San Antonio, is open for lunch Mon.-Thurs. and hosts a slew of special events throughout the year. sandyoaks.com Texas Hill Country Olive Company has an orchard in Dripping Springs where they host events against the beautiful backdrop of their Tuscanstyle tasting room. texashillcountryoliveco.com Central Texas Olive Ranch is a working ranch producing extra virgin olive oil, but you can call ahead to see if they’ll show you around. txolive.com

TEXAS OLIVE RANCH

olive you, TEXAS

SEE & DO

Abhishek Singh, Krishna – A Journey Within, “Let Go”, 2012, Digital, Courtesy of the artist

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TRANSCENDENT I T I E S of I N D

IA

THE EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE of THE DIVINE

ON VIEW THRU SEPTEMBER 14 at Asia Society Texas Center 1370 Southmore Boulevard, 77004 UPCOMING PROGRAMS WITH EXHIBITION ARTISTS

MANJARI SHARMA Saturday, July 19, 2014 3 pm

ABHISHEK SINGH Sunday, September 14, 2014 2 pm

More information at asiasociety.org/texas or 713.496.9901 THE EXHIBITION IS FUNDED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.

10.375 X 8.25 PRIME LIVING VERTICAL

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ROASTED

ROUTE to Texas’ Gourmet Coffee Story | KATHRYN HUNTER

AVOCA

Wine, microbrews and even olive oil have become big business in Texas. But here’s something of a state secret: Texas microroasters are crafting some of the best beans around. With these five coffee experiences, take a caffeinated route through the Lone Star state to explore the magic of roasting and brewing.

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AVOCA Coffee

Java Pura

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FORT WORTH

ts namesake an old Gaelic word meaning “great mouth,” AVOCA is an independent roastery and espresso lounge in Fort Worth’s distinctive Near Southside district. Local owners Garold LaRue and Jimmy Story, friends since grade school, opened the business together in 2011.

A variety of single-origin coffees and specialty espressos from around the world are roasted on-site. Stop by AVOCA any Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for a coffee cupping ($10); on the third Saturday of each month, see a roasting demonstration at 1 p.m. ($35). AVOCA also offers private classes, including a two-day course covering the basics of roasting ($300). avocacoffee.com

HOUSTON

Fort Bend Coffee Roasters

ouston-based Java Pura is raising the bar in the local coffee scene.

Drop by to tour their roasting facility at Gulfton and Royalton Streets, where photographs from faraway places adorn the walls, telling the story of the coffee from seed to cup. Cuppings are available by reservation for small groups.

Co-owner Richard Colt says what they put in the roaster is what makes the difference. Many of their beans are direct trade. All seven of Java Pura’s coffees are typically in the top 10 sellers at Central Market in Houston, with the famous “Costa Rican Don Teofilo” filling the No. 1 slot. javapura.com

FULSHEAR

F

ascinated with the art of coffee (and hooked on Starbucks), Bryan Hibbard roasted his first batch of coffee in a popcorn popper. Four years later, he is turning out some of the best beans in Fort Bend County—on much larger equipment, of course. Fort Bend Coffee Roasters recently opened a roastery in Fulshear, where they’re offering tours, roasting demonstrations and coffee cuppings.

Not to worry, if you’re not ready to head out to the country. You can find them crafting individual cups of coffee each Saturday at the Imperial Farmer’s Market in Sugar Land—and the bags of coffee you’ll find for purchase are roasted no more than 48 hours prior. Now that is freshness guaranteed! fortbendcoffee.com

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Cuvée Coffee

AUSTIN

C

uvée Coffee, located just west of Austin, is an innovative pioneer among craft coffee makers.

Their newly minted “Black & Blue,” a nitrogenated coffee served cold on tap, has created quite a stir.

Cuvée Labs, classes taught by highly qualified coffee professionals, offer handson exploration of specific topics and skills. Options range from basic extraction theory in “Coffee Brewing Fundamentals” to free pour latte art designs in the advanced course “Milk Science.” Class size is limited to four.

Monthly roastery tours ($15) feature a facility tour, tasting and 12 oz. bag of coffee, along with the chance to chat with a truly coffee-obsessed crowd. cuveecoffee.com

Participants study the layers of espresso in a Cuvée Lab.

Texas Coffee School ARLINGTON

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A tasting at the Texas Coffee School

CUVEE | TEXAS COFFEE SCHOOL

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state-of-the-art facility dedicated to coffee education, Texas Coffee School in Arlington offers classes for coffee professionals, businesspeople and home enthusiasts.

Entrepreneurs travel from all over the world to attend the three-day business class ($1,495), which provides instruction on the process of opening a coffee business, such as how to source coffee, select and use equipment and train employees. The two-day barista training class ($649) is a comprehensive, hands-on experience in coffee and espresso preparation, and even the most casual coffee drinker will enjoy the school’s coffee cupping events ($16), learning how to taste and evaluate coffees in a fun and approachable way. texascoffeeschool.com

escape FEATURE STOPPING POINTS ALONG THE WAY • Brown Coffee Company, San Antonio browncoffeeco.com • Buon Giorno, Grapevine buongiornocoffee.net • Cultivar Coffee, Dallas cultivarcoffee.com • Flat Track Coffee, Austin flattrackcoffee.com • Fredericksburg Gourmet Coffee & Tea, Fredericksburg fredericksburg-coffee.com • Greenway Coffee, Houston greenwaycoffee.com • Java Jack’s Coffee House, Nacogdoches javajacks.com • Roasters, Amarillo roasters.biz • Summermoon Woodfired Coffee, Austin woodfiredcoffee.com

JOE HEILIGER

• Texas Coffee Traders, Austin texascoffeetraders.com Custom-crafted coffee from Fort Bend Coffee Roasters

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vitamins HEALTHY LIVING

live well

BUDGET

LOW CARB relax CARDIOVASCULAR

CONCIERGE MEDICINE

FITNESS health ACTIVE AGING

yoga

FLEXIBILdance ITY

organic

FIRMNESS

PREVENTION

BURN CALORIES

nourish zumba live well MARRIAGE ALLERGIES

BEAUTY BLISS

ENDURANCE VITAMIN D

GUILT FREE

HYDRATE

THE PRIME LIVING GUIDE TO BETTER HEALTH

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SOOTHING MASSAGE

HEALTH BUZZ WHAT’S NEW FEEL GOOD H2O PRIME FINDS SUMMER FRAGRANCES LOOK GOOD ON A RAZOR’S EDGE BE GOOD LIFE AFTER GRANDCHILDREN JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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H E A LT H B U Z Z

Story | SALLY J. CLASEN

MOOV YOUR WORKOUT TO ANOTHER LEVEL

I “BINGO WINGS” SURGERY FIGHTS BARE ARM FLAB

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ummertime means arms get exposure in sleeveless clothing, a seasonal event that makes some women want to run for cover. Diet and exercise may fight “bingo wings” but many are taking another route to get rid of unwanted arm flab. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that upper arm lifts among women have increased by 4,378 percent in the last decade. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lifts, as compared to more than 15,000 in 2012. Part of the surge in the arm-altering surgery is connected to extreme weight loss that leaves excessive skin that is impossible to remove with diet and exercise alone.

s your running stride correct? Are you doing the right amount of reps? A new wearable fitness gadget called Moov answers those burning workout questions and more to make the most out of your exercise routine. Unlike most fitness trackers that just collect and chart data, Moov’s artificial intelligence provides instant feedback in a real-time voice with personal training tips like “pick up the pace” as it monitors workout behaviors. The lightweight, clip-on, water-resistant Moov sensor is enabled through an iOS mobile device (Android coming soon) and offers specially designed training programs for running, cycling, swimming, cardio boxing and body weight via free Apple apps.

Available fall 2014.

ACTIVE AGING

HEALING ENERGY

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r. Eric Pearl, founder of Reconnective Healing and pioneer in the field of energy medicine, will be in Houston July 18-20 introducing conference-goers and local practitioners to his innovative new health practice.

Reconnective Healing uses energy, light and information, allowing the body to self-correct and create optimal balance. Dr. Pearl’s methods have been featured on “Dr. Oz” and are currently being used by more than 90,000 practitioners around the world. thereconnection.com

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hile many reports suggest that Boomers aren’t in tip-top shape, there’s one area of activity they do embrace: being in the great outdoors. The most popular outdoor activities for younger boomers, age 45 to 55, include walking, swimming, hiking, boating, golf, bicycle riding and backpacking, according to a National Sporting Goods Association survey. Older baby boomers, those aged 55 and over, rank walking, swimming, golf, fishing and canoeing/kayaking as their favorite outdoor activities.

MASSAGE THERAPY GETS A SCIENTIFIC RUBDOWN

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assage therapy has been touted for its numerous health and relaxation benefits but it’s never had solid science on its side—until now. A study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggests massage therapy improves blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise. After study participants exercised on a leg press machine, half of them received Swedish massages. The exercise-and-massage group reported no continuing soreness 90 minutes after massage therapy, while the exercise-only group reported lasting soreness 24 hours after exercise. The scientists also discovered that massage post-exercise not only improves blood flow but also protects vascular function.

Researchers measured the brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD) at different intervals post-exercise. The exercise-and-massage group’s FMD indicated improved blood flow at each interval, with improvement tapering off after 72 hours. The exercise-only group showed reduced blood flow after 90 minutes and 24 and 48 hours, with a return to normal levels at 72 hours.

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FEEL GOOD

live well

H2O Drinking tap water costs less than a penny per glass. Yet, in 2012, Americans spent $11.8 billion on bottled water—nearly 2,000 times the cost of tap water, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.

Story | ANGELA AMBROSE

m

any consumers choose bottled water over tap because it’s more convenient or they prefer the taste. Stores are packed with hundreds of bottled water choices—from spring and mineral to electrolyte and vitamin-infused fruit flavored water. But does fancy bottled water with pictures of pristine mountains and glaciers or brightly colored fruit offer added health benefits?

“Water is a healthy drink in itself; you don’t need extra frills or add-ons—like additional flavors or vitamins added—to make it any healthier,” says Lilian Cheung, D.Sc., R.D., director of health promotion and communication at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition.

If you take a daily multivitamin, skip the expensive vitamin-enhanced waters. Drinks with added electrolytes are beneficial for

athletes who exercise in the heat or for more than an hour at a time, but are unnecessary for the casual exerciser.

“Water is an excellent caloriefree, sugar-free beverage choice,” Cheung says. “Many people enjoy it plain, though for some people who are accustomed to drinking sweet beverages, water can initially taste bland.”

To enhance the flavor of water, she suggests adding citrus fruit,

ginger or cucumber slices or crushed fresh mint or berries.

“I drink bottled water because it’s easy and convenient,” says Patty Martin, R.D., of Sugar Land Nutrition Therapy Center.

“But the best thing to do is to drink filtered water.” Filtering tap water can improve flavor while removing impurities.

For people with serious health conditions or weakened immune systems, the U.S.

DID YOU KNOW? Water is the most popular beverage in the United States. However, back in the 1980s and 1990s, sugarsweetened sodas claimed the No. 1 spot. According to a Harvard Public Health study, soft drinks, fruit juices and sports beverages have been linked to 180,000 deaths worldwide related to diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Choosing water in place of sweetened drinks could save you money on your grocery and medical bills.

Environmental Protection Agency recommends using a point-of-use filter that removes particles one micrometer or less in diameter to reduce the risk of microbial contaminants. When choosing bottled water, look for protected well and spring water sources that are treated using reverse osmosis, distillation or ultraviolet light.

For added safety, Martin suggests purchasing a reusable sport bottle that is free of BPA, which is short for Bisphenol A, a common chemical found in plastic. The Food and Drug Administration is evaluating the effects of BPA on the brain, prostrate gland and on behavior in fetuses, infants and children.

“Avoiding plastic bottles may be healthier, not only for our bodies, but also the environment,” Cheung says.

Consider eco-friendly reusable bottles made of aluminum, stainless steel or glass.

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FOCUS & FUNCTION

PRIME finds

SUMMER FRAGRANCES WITH SCENTS TO SATISFY ANY MOOD

RALPH LAUREN FRAGRANCES MIDNIGHT ROMANCE Available at ralphlauren.com and select retailers

BOSS JOUR POUR FEMME

Available exclusively at Hugo Boss boutiques and hugoboss.com {FOCUS} With an elegant composition, the scent has been created to reflect three important female facets—composure, elegance, and inspiration— combined in a beautiful blend of white florals and vibrant citrus. {FUNCTION} A sophisticated fragrance for women, inspired by the first light of day.

Available at fragrancenet.com

{FOCUS} Evoking a sophisticated, urban woman who is provocative, rebellious, and magnetic, this floral Eau de Parfum is effervescent and sensual.

Pink pepper, tangerine, and strawberry open the fragrance with a fresh, sparkling introduction. {FUNCTION} Embodying the thrill of the red carpet and the glamour of dressing up, it’s the latest must-have accessory for the Jimmy Choo woman.

Find more summer fragrances on prime-living.com

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MARC JACOBS HONEY

{FUNCTION} The scent creates a modern contradiction, much like today’s woman, and captures Ralph Lauren’s understanding of feminine sensitivity and beauty.

Developed by both male and female master perfumers, each note adds a facet of femininity and mystery to create chemistry and the thrilling anticipation of passion.

{FOCUS} This buzzing fragrance energizes with the freshness of green pear and a bright splash of fruity punch and juicy mandarin. Orange blossom resides at the heart of the fragrance and mingles with the nectars of honeysuckle and peach. Honey, vanilla, and smooth woods dry down to a warm, golden base.

Available at fragrancenet.com

{FUNCTION} A sunny delicious floral—energetic and alluring, with a sparkling, golden touch. The perfect mix of brightness and warmth.

HUGO BOSS | FRAGRANCENET.COM | JIMMY CHOO | RALPH LAUREN | MARC JACOBS

JIMMY CHOO FLASH

{FOCUS} A sensual embrace of pink peony and black vanilla. This floriental fragrance combines an exhilarating mix of notes such as raspberry, Italian bergamont, juicy lychee, peony, and black vanilla.

LOOK GOOD

live well

razor’s ON A

EDGE

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Story | JESSICA MEBANE

SEPHORA | LAURA MERCIER | KIEHL’S | NORDSTROM

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igh summer in Texas is the right time to exercise your inner sexy beast. You’ve put time in on your tan and stocked the wardrobe with architectural print maxi dresses and swimsuits in various tribal patterns and peek-a-boo perforations. Maybe you’ve even achieved summer hairvana—that is, perfect beachy waves kissed with highlighted tresses which won’t break at the first sign of midmorning humidity. But what about those sleek, summer legs? Do you dare to bare, or is it a prickly situation full of razor bumps and burns?

Well, we’ve got a few solutions to elevate your leg game to smooth operator status.

1. TAKE A BREAK FROM BREAKOUTS It’s fashionable these days to be as bare and hairless as a Sphynx cat but maintaining this look can drive one to over-manicure body fuzz. Don’t shave every day, don’t pull the skin tight to

get a closer cut, and of course, shave with, not against, the grain.

Razor bumps crop up because you’ve either shaved too closely, too often, or used the same razor too many times. Relax. Instead, between shaving and hair removal treatments, treat yourself with a luxe lotion like Laura Mercier’s Almond Coconut Soufflé Body Cremè. With the intoxicating blend of almond, coconut and rice oils intermingled with aloe, honey and cinnamon, you’ll feel as lusciously divine as you smell.

So keep things high and tight this summer, and with careful planning and follow-through, you won’t be sidelined by a few bumps on the road to fun in the sun. lauramercier.com 2. ROUGH TERRITORY Bikini bumps, ingrown hairs, barber’s itch—you name it, it happens to everyone, and any good treatment should contain salicylic acid to both nourish and clear affected skin. The good

folks at Kiehl’s have just the thing for these outbreaks, and recommend the Kiehl’s Razor Bump Relief product with botanical extracts and salicylic acid to treat post-shaving problems. Like many of Kiehl’s creations, which were originally made for men, this soothing lotion can be used for legs, face and anywhere else one wants to shave it all off without having a bumpy time of it. kiehls.com 3. PREP TIME Maybe it only seems as if Giselle Bundchen walked her way to fame with flawlessly manicured legs gleaming with health and

perfect tone, but the reality is a bit more involved. If you want to prevent razor bumps and ingrown hairs in the first place, don’t forget to exfoliate (gently) and moisturize (lightly).

Shaveworks has the one-two punch for your fight against bikini bumps stuffed into one teeny tube, Pearl Soufflé Luxurious Shave Cream, which contains phytic and glycolic acid for gentle exfoliation, and a creamy “mediacalm moisturizer” to soothe. Tip: if at first glance, this product seems a bit teeny for your ’kini care, one only need apply a pea-sized amount to achieve the benefit. sephora.com

DID YOU KNOW? There’s actually a medical term for this annoying condition: pseudofolliculitis barbae (or PFB) occurs when men get razor bumps from shaving the face, while pseudofolliculitis pubis (or PFB) comes from shaving around the bikini area. The follicles at this sensitive skin site typically grow curly hair, which have a tendency to curl back into the skin rather than out of the follicle, and can result in inflammations. It’s almost better not to shave too close.

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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life live well

BE GOOD

AFTER

GRANDCHILDREN Most couples who’ve raised their children look forward to being grandparents with grandchildren close by. In fact, one of the sweetest relationships is that of grandparents and grandchildren.

Story | MARY JO RAPINI

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randparents are younger today than a decade ago and with that, many times they are still involved with their careers when grandchildren come along.

Opting out of babysitting can be difficult, and often grown children can make their parents feel guilty or incompetent by comparing them to grandparents of the past. From the moment they see that sweet grandbaby, most people are wrapped around their grandchild’s fingers, but grandparents are feeling the heat these days and wondering if they must drop their own lives to babysit the grands.

Communicating with your kids prior to a baby’s arrival will help ease the transition of how much care you are willing and expected to give. Understanding that the new parents need time alone with their baby, as well as with each other without the baby,

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will help you know when to offer help. Here are seven suggestions to help you set boundaries in preparation for grandchildren.

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Make a calendar and share it on Google or email with your kids.

If you have a favorite exercise class, or class you are taking, make sure it is on the calendar.

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List work days and make sure you save a couple of hours for yourself after work—before the kids arrive.

Keep things you look forward to, such as girls’ night and date night, intact. Those times are important to your mental health and the health of your marriage.

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Pick out at least one night a month to take the grandbabies so you can relieve your kids and allow them a date night as well.

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If you choose to take the kids for a whole weekend, make sure it is a weekend you planned.

Don’t take drop-ins unless it’s an emergency.

Be fair with your time.

Playing favorites doesn’t work with raising children, and it causes more family tension when kids and grandkids notice.

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Have a backup plan— parents should have a backup plan, too.

Finding a babysitter in your area for the times you want to help out, but need a plan-B is wise.

Grandparents are so important to their grandchildren’s lives, giving them a sense of security and importance—all crucial in today’s ever-changing world— but the more grandparents feel loved and needed rather than used, the more effective they will be. Set yourself up for success!

MARY JO RAPINI Mary Jo Rapini is a Houston-based psychotherapist specializing in sex and relationships. In addition to being a speaker, author and TV personality, she shares her expert advice Tuesday mornings on Mix 96.5 and Friday mornings on Fox 26 Houston. For information, visit maryjorapini.com.

Targets for Tourette’s Sporting Clays Shoot

the

GREATER HOUSTON GUN CLUB • 4.25.14

list

A Texas-size crowd filled the Greater Houston Gun Club for some good ole fashioned boot scootin’ and shotgun shootin’ to help raise funds for the Tourette Syndrome Association of Texas. This year’s Targets For Tourette’s was a bang-up affair and its most successful year yet. REEF’s Executive Chef Bryan Caswell whipped up a spectacular surf and turf spread with a delectable blueberry bread pudding dessert. Live auction bidding was fast and furious on an African safari, three longhorn steers, exquisite wine cellar lots and a private clay shoot “for you and ten friends” at the Double W Ranch in Brenham. Guests two-stepped the night away to the live Country Western music of the Tommy Alverson Band.

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Photographer | ALEXANDER’S FINE PORTRAIT DESIGN

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8 GET ON THE LIST AT PRIMELIST@PRIME-LIVING.COM

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1 xxx Eliza2Stedman, xxx Jyl Calcote, Michelle Foutch 2 Lauren & Zac Scotton 3 Angie Wood, Gail Wood, Eileen Wilson, Julie Wood 4 Jason Maida 5 Gail & Willie Wood 6 Traci Yeaman, Sheryl Kadmon 7 Jyl & Keith Calcote 8 Keith Calcote, Eliza Stedman, Jyl Calcote, Michelle & Jeff Foutch

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The Dallas Opera Spring Gala

the

THE MARGOT AND BILL WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE • 4.4.14

The Dallas Opera Spring Gala once again “set the stage” for a mesmerizing evening of entertainment, celebration and philanthropy.

Guests were treated to a private recital from internationally renowned, Texas-born tenor Jay Hunter Morris. The program included Opera favorites and some more contemporary songs like “Fly me to the Moon” and “Recipe for Love” as well as a special song Jay sang to his mother who was in the audience. Following the recital the curtain rose revealing an elaborately decorated stage adorned with tables for dining—the Opera has a flare for the dramatic. Guests gathered on the stage under the moon light backdrop where Chef Abraham Salum from Salum and Komali Restaurants and Chef Drew Swanson from Wolfgang Puck prepared a gourmet Texas feast.

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Photographer | KRISTINA BOWMAN

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1 Brad xxx 2&xxx Christie Pierce, Clay & Alisa Sell 2 Betsy & Richard Eiseman 3 Holly & Tom Mayer 4 Steve & Betty Suellentrop 5 Keith Cerny & Jay Hunter Morris 6 Cindy & Charlie Feld 7 Joanna & Peter Townsend 8 John & Patti Cody 9 Jay Hunter Morris & Betty Suellentrop

JULY/AUGUST • 2014

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parting

SHOT

smell THE COFFEE

WAKE UP AND

playith w

How do you like your coffee—sunny side up?

Scan this QR code for instructions on how to create a sun image in your coffee.

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Let your inner ARTisan spirit shine by learning how to create an image in your coffee using your creamer or froth.

Find more inspiring coffee art on prime-living.com

PRIME-LIVING.COM

C O M I N G FA L L 2 014

JACK

ALLEN’S

KITCHEN Celebrating the Tastes of Texas

by jack g i lmore a n d j e ssica du p u y

Jack Allen’s Kitchen Celebrating the Tastes of Texas B Y J AC K G I L M O R E A N D JESSICA DUPU Y One of Texas’s leading cookbook authors presents 150 recipes that showcase the state’s bounty of locally grown meats and produce, artisanal cheeses, and award-winning wines, along with fascinating stories of the people who are enriching the flavors of Texas.

university of texas press Visit utexaspress.com to pre-order