PRIME Living 2011 Jan/Feb issue

Texas

january/february 2011

The Luxury of Choice

Pure Bliss Tranquility awaits at 5 of the world’s top wellness spas

The Age Expert

Andrew Weil, M.D. examines the art of aging gracefully

Beautiful Bounty

Local farmers markets take root with Houston foodies

body & Jump start 2011 with a new lease on life

Soul

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Make Your

Valentine’s Sweet with Treats from Town Square

With over 28 retailers and 24 restaurants, Town Square is the sweet spot for your Valentine’s Day shopping and dining.

Join us for Date Night on Saturday, February 12 Stay tuned to SugarLandTownSquare.com for details!

serenity

january/february 2011

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optimum aging

Integrative medicine advocate Andrew Weil, M.D. shares the simple secrets to living well

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now

Pave the way to well being with a life-affirming journey to the world’s most celebrated wellness spas

farm fresh

From farm to table, local farmers markets are making an impression on Houston’s culinary scene

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january/february • 2011

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alsoinside

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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Karyn Dean

kdean@prime-living.com

9 • cocktails & conversation • Where to Go, What to Do Signs You’ve Lost Your Ohm • Gastro-nomical • Buzz • Pedal Pushers City Q&A • New Heights • Fit Home • My Life • Toast of the Town

Publisher Terry Dean

tdean@prime-living.com

Managing Editor Michelle Jacoby

35 • connoisseur • PL’s Guide to Discerning Taste Branching Out • Good Eats • Table Talk • Love, Wine & Chocolate • Splendor in the Grass 47 • the gentlemen’s room • For the man who commands the very best When Elvis Came to Texas • Super Fast Elegance • New Year, New You

70 • live well • Feel Good, Look Good The Sleep Equation • Five-Star Rest • Breathe Better, Sleep Better Health News

74 • prime list • Events, Galas and Fundraisers Prime Living’s 2nd Annual Gateway to Luxury • Art for Arthritis Fire & Ice • International Risotto Festival • Datebook

Editorial Assistant Samantha Edmondson

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Texas’s Best

68 • pL’s Postcards • Greetings from texas destinations Big Bend • See + Do

mjacoby@prime-living.com

sam@prime-living.com

Art Direction & Design SW!TCH s t u d i o Jim Nissen, Erin Loukili www.switchstudio.com

Sales Manager David Spector

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dspector@prime-living.com

Senior Account Executive Mike Taylor

mtaylor@prime-living.com

Account Executive Gus Sosebee

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gsosebee@prime-living.com

Marketing/Event Coordinator Jennifer Dean jend@prime-living.com

the

list

Circulation/ Distribution Brian Stavert

bstavert@prime-living.com

Contact 311 Julie Rivers Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77498 281.277.2333

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Editorial Inquiries editor@prime-living.com Advertising Information advertise@prime-living.com www.prime-living.com

Texas

januar

y/febr

011 uary 2

e The Luxury of Choic

on the cover

s PureityBlis awaits at

Tranquil top 5 of the world’s wellness spas

The Luxury of Choice

The Age ert Exp Weil, M.D.

Andrew of examines the artlly aging gracefu

Beautiful Bounty

Local farmers root markets take foodies with Houston

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bo&dyul Jump start 2011 with a new lease on life

So

prime-living.com

Wardrobe from Lululemon (lululemon.com); hair and makeup by Shauna Thibault (shaunathibault.com). Shot on location at Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment, in Sedona, Ariz., by Mark Lipczynski (marklipczynski.com).

Prime Living Magazine is a publication of SRG Services, Inc., published bi-monthly.

Copies are mailed and hand-delivered to households and businesses throughout the greater Houston area. 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.

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publisher’s note

the newyear isatimeto reflect

not only on

wherewe’ve been, butalso onwhatwe

aspire to do differently

—even better—

Intheyearto come.

karyn dean Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

W coming up The Design Issue: Discover the people, places and events that put Houston on the map in the world of architecture, interiors and design.

ith the holidays behind us and 2010 becoming a distant memory, it’s that perfect time of the year when everything seems fresh and new, a veritable “clean slate,” if you will.

The New Year is a time to reflect not only on where we’ve been, but also on what we aspire to do differently—even better—in the year to come. If you’re the type who makes annual resolutions, then you won’t be surprised to learn that, according to About.com, of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions, the second most popular is to “fit some form of fitness in as part of your daily routine.” Resolution No. 3 is to “tame the bulge,” with resolution No. 5 proclaiming to “enjoy life more.”

To get 2011 off to a healthy new start, we took these resolutions to heart and created this special health and wellness issue of Prime Living, featuring stories on how to feel younger and live healthier. In “Optimum Aging,” we sat down, one-on-one, with Andrew Weil, M.D., a world-renowned leader in the field of integrative medicine. Recognized and respected for promoting alternative medical therapies, Dr. Weil talks about whether baby boomers can reverse the effects of an overindulgent youth. The good news is, we can.

If your idea of venturing on the path to health and well being involves a getaway to an exotic destination, get lost in “Serenity Now,” where you’ll discover five luxurious spas that are designed to refresh and renew your body inside and out. From the SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain to Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment in Sedona, these wellness destinations will rejuvenate you in mind, body and spirit.

We also give you plenty to think about in this month’s Design column, in which we feature the ins and outs of planning your new home fitness room. Transform your space into a Zen-like yoga studio or a high-tech gym with the latest equipment. Or if you’re looking for healthier dining options, discover how the farm-to-table movement is making an impact on Houston’s culinary scene.

Whether you’re looking for Texas bike races to inspire you to get back on your 10-speed or recommendations on how to improve your sleep, we provide you with some great ideas. Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year!

kdean@prime-living.com P.S. Want to know what the No. 1 New Year’s resolution is? Find all 10 resolutions on our website at prime-living.com.

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VISIT STICKS & STONES AT THE SAME LOCATION

cocktails & conversation.

cocktails & the prime living guide to what's happening now

inside:

Fleur de Lis, Hearsay Gastro Lounge

10 11 12 14 15 16 20 22 23

• • • • • • • • •

Prime Ten | You’ve Lost Your Ohm Night Out | Gastro-nomical The Buzz | What's New Hot List | Pedal Pushers Houston Deconstructed | City Q&A Arts | New Heights Design | Fit Home My Life | Lindsey Schechter Treasures | Toast of the Town

january/february • 2011

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cocktails & conversation.

prime ten

ohm 10 Signs You’ve Lost It Story | sally j. clasen Illustration | John S. Dykes

Are you feeling a bit off-kilter and not quite yourself? Has it been ages since you’ve experienced any feelings of harmony or peace? It’s probably not fatal, but it could mean you’ve misplaced your “center,” your internal guide for mind-body bliss, enlightenment and rational thought. In other words, here are 10 signs you’ve absolutely lost your ohm: You think Warrior One is an action movie starring Sylvester Stallone.

When the clerk at the supermarket asks, “Paper or plastic?” you respond: “Honey, it doesn’t matter. I’ll drink wine out of anything.”

Even your morning java friends, the caffeine-pushers at Starbucks, are a bit concerned about your erratic You’ve never behavior and have asked you to unfurled your yoga lay off the quad lattes for your mat for meditation purposes. In own good. fact, your husband has put it to good use as a putting green.

The only one doing a Downward Dog in your home is the pet, and even he is having a hard time fitting it into his schedule.

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You make the entire family sign a legally binding contract that if they delete the “Housewives” series or any other reality show from the TiVo lineup, they will surrender permanent residency.

You hand your teenage son your American Express Black Card and keys to the sports car for a weekend trip with friends and tell him, “I know you’ll be responsible. No girls. Have fun!”

You think the ladies of the “Housewives” are perfectly normal and, at times inspirational.

The last time you freed your mind was in the ’70s, which got you a night in jail and six months of community service, but little mental clarity.

You send the circus an audition tape of your daily life—and they like what they see.

night out

gastro-nomical Story | jean ciampi Photography | Mark lipczynski

M

ost nights, as the lights of the glamorous centerpiece chandelier are dimmed, Hearsay Gastro Lounge buzzes with the sound of jazz, the whir of a blender and the chatter of Houston’s corporate confident. But if these exposed brick walls—ancient by Bayou City standards—could talk, they would tell stories of a Confederate Armory during the Civil War, of the W.L. Foley Dry Goods Company, of being burned and abandoned, then rescued by artist Lee Benner who saw their historic beauty.

Houston Landmark Hospitality acquired the property in 2007 with the purpose of establishing the city’s first gastro lounge, a hybrid blend of chic restaurant and classy lounge, with an ambiance that has been aged in layers for nearly 150 years.

Making its downtown debut last year on the corner of Travis and Congress, Hearsay quickly

became the center of Houston’s cocktail renaissance as the result of a company philosophy of designing a classic cocktail program to complement the historic surroundings. Their award-winning “Old Fashion New School,” for example, has received national recognition.

The staff of mixologists also competently and consistently creates appealing, flavorful and oftentimes seasonal creations to match any mood or taste with freshly squeezed juices and organics whenever possible.

At Hearsay, classic drinks are back in style, but with an updated, more modern flare.

When six antique Parisian cocktail books were discovered by a staff member during an overseas trip, some of the books were translated and revealed wonderful lost recipes. Now these treasures have been brought back, dusted off and given an up-todate interpretation that will once

again establish them as muchasked-for favorites.

Along with a bar that features top-shelf spirits, hand-crafted draft beers and a creative selection of wines, Hearsay boasts a full kitchen that creates memorable, French-inspired dishes. Even the simplest offering, like the mac and four cheeses, can elicit a mental note to be sure to return for more.

Weeknight and lunch crowds relish Hearsay’s relaxing charm.

Come the weekend, they’re drawn back by the DJ, the dance floor or to watch the game on the plasma TVs. Sunday morning’s Hangover Brunch then becomes the final complement to the place that has become Houston’s last word in watering holes.

hearsay gastro lounge 218 travis st.

713-225-8079 hearsayhouston.com

cocktails & conversation.

While you’re in the neighborhood, check out these other great spots:

Damian’s Cucina Italiana

Damian’s Cucina Italiana encourages guests to linger over the last bite of a great meal, but 30 minutes before curtains go up in the nearby Theatre District, their shuttle is loading. The front door drop-off and pick-up at the major venues erases any thoughts of traffic, parking or waiting that might ruin the evening. The valet then waits with the leftovers and dessert for the return.

3011 Smith St. 713-522-0439 damians.com

Stages Repertory Theatre A professional, equity theater that has been challenging and wowing Houston audiences for 32 seasons, Stages Repertory Theatre has garnered national recognition for their innovative interpretation of classics as well as pioneering performances in exciting new productions. Located off Allen Parkway in the Houston Center for the Arts building, the theater’s 2010-11 season includes “Yankee Tavern,” “Four Places” and the riotously funny “The Great American Trailer Park Musical.”

3201 Allen Parkway 713-527-0123 stagestheatre.com

january/february • 2011

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cocktails & conversation.

buzz

haute COFFEE

Roseann Rogers Known as Houston’s “Buzz Lady,” Roseann Rogers has been on top of the Houston’s social, fashion and entertainment scene for nearly 15 years. A regular contributor to Prime Living, she is also a TV personality, spokesperson and active philanthropist.

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prime-living.com

The Big Cheese n November, Houston cheese connoisseurs were invited to a private tasting of New York City’s own

I

Murray’s Cheese, one of the city’s oldest specialty cheese shops. Opened in 1940 in Greenwich Village, Murray’s has become a New York institution, offering some of the best cheeses in the world. Lucky for Houstonians, a taste of the Big Apple just got a little closer.

Now open at the River Oaks Kroger (1938 W. Gray), Murray’s Cheese has been lauded by food experts and chefs, including Martha Stewart, who called the shop “the temple to cheese,” and Chef Emeril Lagasse, who proclaimed it “one of America’s greatest cheese shops.”

In addition to 175 types of cheeses, the shop will offer more than 300 specialty food items, including cured meats, crackers, dried fruits, nuts, olives and antipasto. Plans for additional openings are planned for Kroger stores in West University (5150 Buffalo Speedway) and the Heights (1035 N. Shepherd). murrayscheese.com, kroger.com

PL’s click list braingle.com well.com/~mick/insomnia bicycletexas.com

Hot Read on’t miss the inspiring memoir Hookers, Midgets, and Fire

D

Trucks: An Invitation to our Party (iUniverse, $12.95) from Texas author Linda Gayle Thompson. One year into their marriage, her husband was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident. Together, they raised four kids, but experienced even more challenges. One suffered a brain injury, one developed Type 1 diabetes and her eldest son was killed in a catastrophic car accident.

Throw a pity party? Not for a family that would rather laugh than breathe. As the family’s comic relief, her son Jace, who passed away, was known for inviting strangers to family gatherings using his signature phrase, “You’ve gotta be there. There’s gonna be hookers, midgets and fire trucks!”

texas-agemanagement.com lumosity.com amdawareness.org tripletreecenter.com alz.org/texas nccam.nih.gov/health/ ayurveda houstonpersonalchef.net

Fielding Cocke, Murray's Cheese, Roswitha Vogler

A

s any caffeine-loving American can tell you, there’s nothing like a good cup of Joe. But for true lovers of the bean, the recent announcement that Java Pura is opening its first retail location is sent from coffee heaven above.

Master roaster Richard Colt founded Java Pura in 2008, along with college friend Fielding Cocke, and since then, the roaster has garnered quite a following.

Presently, the company operates out of a warehouse on Gulfton near Chimney Rock, where operations include online sales, wholesale, catering, office coffee services and, of course, roasting.

Dedicated to roasting only the highest-quality coffees, Java Pura uses only drum roasters, including a 10-kilo Petroncini, a retro fitted 15-kilo Garanti, a 1-kilo exhibition sample roaster, and an antique (1940s era) JabzBurns sample roaster.

Set to open early this year, Java Pura will have Houston coffee lovers clamoring for more.

713-523-5282, javapura.com

buzz

cocktails & conversation.

store

What’s in

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H&M, Elaine Turner, LIancarlo, Alice & Olivia

t keeps New York fashionistas in the latest looks for less, even the stylish “Sex and the City” gals rave about it. Now H&M is heading to the Lone Star State up the road in the Big D. North Park Center is getting the first H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) franchise in Texas. The design-driven retailer will offer trendy, affordable fashions in a 24,000-square-foot store. hm.com

Houston-based handbag and shoe designer Elaine Turner will mark the grand opening of her second retail store in February at CityCentre. The much buzzed about boutique will marry the indoor/outdoor neighborhood culture of CityCentre and Turner’s signature Palm Beach aesthetic with a retro, mod twist.

“I was captivated by CityCentre’s lifestyle approach to retail and its overall beauty and sophistication,” Turner says. “I have a desire to service my Memorial and west Houston customers and CityCentre is the perfect location to do so.”

The décor boasts white furniture pieces with accents of true pink, the brand’s signature color.

Customers can also relax in luxury on plush sofas and oversized ottomans as they enjoy trying on shoes, which have become a large part of the Elaine Turner business. 713-255-0052, elaineturner.com

Here they come! No, not down the aisle, but rather at West Ave, the new hot spot everyone is buzzing about for retail stores and restaurants. Ivory Bridal Atelier is a new concept from Ronit Levy-Mele and Sharon Levy, Houston sisters who offer chic couture bridal gowns that go from lustrous and modern to classic and feminine. The store has merchandised in a way that showcases each designer separately, with exclusive collections including Lela Rose, Stephen Yearick and Makino.

However, for all you brides-to-be, there are no walk-ins. Ivory Bridal is by appointment only. 713-922-6677, ivorybridalhouston.com

After nearly three decades in its Highland Village location, Tootsies has a new home on West Ave. The Houston retail icon has moved into a 34,000-square-foot, ground-floor showroom bordered by Kirby and Westheimer.

Tootsies’s long history of hosting charitable functions and social gatherings continues with the new location. A 300-foot open strip in the center of the store allows for easy conversion into a runway for live presentations of designer looks, while a full-service bar and floor space for banquet seating make the retail floor an ideal location for unique affairs and promotions.

A rentable party room is also available for private events, lunches and intimate gatherings with catering options from the attached full-service kitchen. Spotlighting the crème de la crème of Tootsies merchandise, another private room is reserved for special trunk shows and showcasing high-end luxury products.

713-629-9990, tootsies.com

january/february • 2011

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cocktails & conversation.

hot list

LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour

Beginning and ending on the airstrip of the LBJ Ranch, rides of 10 to 65 miles cover scenic Hill Country ranch roads with rural schoolhouses as rest stops. Luci Baines Johnson, the 36th president’s daughter and avid rider, also gives a narrated tour of the historic ranch. It’s an opportunity to see Texas the way LBJ wanted you to. march 26 210-355-2645 lbj100bicycletour.org

Tour de Braz

With routes from 10 to 100 flat miles that include the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, the Tour de Braz is a great way to get riders of all ages and levels of fitness and experience out on their bikes. The ride really starts the night before, with a free spaghetti dinner in Alvin.

pedal

pushers Story | jean ciampi

As kids, we fell in love with that two-wheeled ticket to freedom that was our first bicycle. On it we pushed the limits of how far we could go. Thankfully, that doesn’t change much when you grow up. If you’re ready to get back in the saddle, here are the top five rides to remind you why you like your bike.

june 281-388-4291 tourdebraz.com

Simultaneously leaving Houston and Austin, cyclists complete the 100-mile Great Houston, Austin to Shiner Pedal (GHASP) to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Music, food and cold Shiner beer waiting when you arrive at the Spoetzl Brewery are also good reasons to ride! After a turn in the shower truck, a bus is your lift back home.

BP MS150

One of the most popular fundraising rides in the country, the BP MS150 draws a capacity 13,000 bikers each year to make the 180-mile, two-day ride from the flatlands of Houston to the rolling hills of Austin.

An estimated $18 million is raised annually in a quest to create a world free of multiple sclerosis (MS). april 16-17 713-394-2900 ms150.org

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may 713-266-2877 shiner.com/shinerghasp

Tour de Doughnut

Need time to train? The Tour de Doughnut in October is 28 miles of sugary fun that raises money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

For each doughnut eaten along the way, five minutes is deducted from your finish time.

Keep a good pace, eat a lot of doughnuts and you’ll finish before you even start! november 713-881-3503 tourdedoughnut.com

MS Lone Star Chapter, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Monique Jordan

Shiner GHASP

city Q&A

Houston Deconstructed

cocktails & conversation.

Get the answers to your burning questions about the Bayou City

Story | Barbara Fulenwider

Hobby – Hobby Family

Q

Why is the Hobby name so prevalent in Houston?

William Pettus Hobby was elected lieutenant governor of Texas in 1914 and 1916. In 1917, when Gov. James Ferguson was removed from office, Hobby became the 27th governor of Texas and, at age 39, the youngest man to hold the office. In 1931, he married Oveta Culp Hobby, a former parliamentarian of the Texas House. William owned the Houston Post, which Oveta joined as a staff member, but her national fame came during World War II when she was named to form and command the Women’s Army Corps. After that, Oveta served for two years as the first secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in the Dwight David Eisenhower administration.

The Hobby’s son, William P. Hobby Jr., held the reins of the Houston Post for 20 years until the family sold it in 1983. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1972 and served from 1973 to 1991 for five unprecedented terms. The city’s second largest airport is named after William P. Hobby Sr., while the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts downtown was named for Bill Hobby Jr. He and his family gave the city $12 million of the $92 million it cost to build it.

also promised that the city would build a convention hall that seated 25,000 people.

Q

Q

What were the earliest roots of Methodist Hospital?

Dr. Oscar L. Norsworthy, a graduate of Tulane who had done graduate work in Vienna and Germany on the use of radium, built a 30-bed hospital in Houston at Rosalie and San Jacinto in 1908. In 1923, he returned from South America, where he had gone to develop professional ties and decided to give his hospital to the Texas Methodist Conference. A plan to enlarge the hospital to 125 beds was agreed on, and Norsworthy supervised the building of Houston’s first Methodist Hospital, which today is part of the Texas Medical Center.

Q

What did it take to get the first Democratic National Convention to Houston?

In June 1928, the DNC was heard in millions of homes via radio sets and reported in thousands of newspapers. With all the media exposure, backers who wanted to bring the convention to Houston were sure it would shine the national spotlight on the Bayou City. Business icon Jesse Jones, who owned the Houston Chronicle and numerous downtown buildings, finally secured Houston’s nomination.

After three cities bid up to $130,000 for the right to hold the convention in their towns, Jones attached a $200,000 personal check to his bid for Houston. He

Who was the Midtown street Kirby named after?

The street was named after John Henry Kirby, known as the richest man in Houston and the “father of industrial Texas.”

Leading Houston’s economic development in the early 1900s, Kirby began his career as an attorney for two of the largest east Texas lumber interests. After moving to Houston in 1890, he founded Kirby Lumber Co. and Kirby Petroleum Co., and lived in a brick Victorian house at Smith and Gray. Some believe his ghost lives there today.

Q

What was the first Catholic school in Texas to be accredited by the Texas State Department of Education?

Sacred Heart High School, founded in 1897 when the parish was new, was Houston’s first Catholic school to be accredited, but not until eight years after the school was founded. The Dominican sisters influenced education throughout the Gulf Coast and were the schools teachers and administrators.

Have a burning question about life in Houston? E-mail your curious inquiries to askhouston@prime-living.com.

january/february • 2011

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cocktails & conversation.

arts

bestbets God of Carnage

new heights Story | John DeMers

I

n a world that spends as much time bemoaning the dreary future of the classical arts as it spends enjoying them, Bill Haase seems a man on a mission for the thing he loves. And while opera certainly faces challenges in the years ahead—finances, of course, along with audience building and community outreach—he believes passionately that his beloved art form has a solid future in the small, regional company he helps lead: Opera in the Heights.

A volunteer over the years for Houston Grand Opera and then for the Heights-based entity that eventually named him its managing director, Haase is not your typical “artsy opera guy.” Though he’s loved the musical-theater form since his childhood in New Orleans, and especially during the 20 years he lived close enough to Manhattan to subscribe to the Met, he is a business guy, with a career as an executive for Uncle Ben’s Rice and its parent company, Mars (yes, the people who make all those candy bars). After retiring, Haase returned with his wife to the city he loved from college days at Rice University and the University of Houston. And Houston had plenty of opera to both merit and require his attention.

In other words, he may have found opera he needed at HGO. But at Opera in the Heights, he found opera that needed him.

“We communicate the emotion of an opera better than anybody else,” Haase says not modestly, but then explains. “We have young singers for whom this is an important step—they are going to

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Photography | Mark Lipczynski

give their all. And at Lambert Hall, you are closer to the action in the back row than you are in the front row of a major opera house.”

Since its humble beginnings in 1996, Opera in the Heights has struggled to define and then refine its vision of self in an ever-changing arts marketplace.

Forced to be small by budget, it chose to emphasize “intimate” and “close-up.” Forced to use non-stars by budget, the company chose to view its principals as “stars-to-be.” Indeed, it found legitimizing support for such claims in the much busier opera schedules of Europe, where every small city’s opera company serves as “farm team” to the major houses.

Challenges, foreseen and otherwise, abound led off for Haase at the moment by finding a new artistic director. The company has received more than 60 applications and is spending this season interviewing and even trying out some of the best prospects, one opera at a time. Other big issues include the company’s future at Lambert Hall (or elsewhere), the addition of performances and, perhaps, more operatic events beyond the current four works per year. Current restructurings may shrink or expand Haase’s own role with the company, as circumstances dictate and/or its board decides.

Either way, Haase stresses, there are two big winners thanks to Opera in the Heights: the people in Houston who already love opera and those who will come to love it in the future.

“We are looking at things,” he says, optimistic if delightfully cryptic, “that are beyond just one more of the stuff we’re doing. They may be the same values, but they’re not going to be the same stuff.”

On the strength of great writing

by Yasmina Reza and its all-star cast led by “The Sopranos” own James Gandolfini, “God of Carnage” took Broadway by storm, winning the Tony Award for Best Play. Coming to Houston’s Alley Theatre starting Jan. 12, “God of Carnage” is the story of two seemingly courteous and civilized couples that meet after their boys’ fistfight in a neighborhood schoolyard.

Michael and Veronica, whose son’s teeth were knocked out with a stick, invite Alan and Annette, whose son did the knocking, to their home to settle stuff. Civility crumbles. And then they break out the liquor.

Symphony Shouts ‘Ole!’ Under the baton of music director Hans Graf, the Houston Symphony takes on the music of Maurice Ravel that best captures the soul of Spain on Feb. 11, 12 and 13. And you know that has to include “Bolero,” a repetitive, but riveting piece that took on new life and meaning from its use a few years back in the sexy movie “10.”

The orchestra, in collaboration with Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, will perform Ravel’s comedic one-act opera, “The Spanish Hour.” Mezzosoprano Susanne Mentzer will be the featured artist.

Stages for Eno-Philes Sometimes called the poet laureate of the American theater, Will Eno brings “Oh, the Humanity and other exclamations,” a collection of five short works, to Stages Repertory Theatre beginning Jan. 26.

According to critics, Eno’s fierce sense of hope and equal sense of despair let him pry open and examine the most profound questions of human existence.

And these include love, loss, history, technology and marriage, not necessarily in that order.

“Oh, the Humanity” impressed The New York Times as being “the kind of theater that takes every breath from your body and leaves you profoundly changed.”

cocktails & conversation.

arts

Through Feb. 6 Cosmopolitan Routes: Houston Collects Latin American Art Museum of Fine Arts Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. 713-639-7300, mfah.org

Through Feb. 6 Real Pirates Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park.

713-639-4629, hmns.org

Jan. 6-23

Y

ou could spend a long, happy life going to every opera in sight without seeing anything more visually stunning, vocally exquisite or emotionally debilitating than the “Madame Butterfly” fielded by Houston Grand Opera with a little help from three friends from Broadway.

A great deal of the credit for this “Butterfly,” which sold out more quickly than usual even with an added performance, goes to a trio of Tony Award-winners: director Michael Grandage, set and costume designer Christopher Oram and lighting designer Neil Austin. Though signed to the HGO project before picking up Broadway’s highest honors for the Mark Rothko drama “Red,” the trio brought so much PR pizzazz to Houston that their actual creation seemed small, intimate and utterly sincere by comparison. In the spirit of the art-inspired Rothko play, they kept the stage filled with color in joyous Act I, then stripped it down to gray for the somber, unstoppable progressions of Acts II and III. At once authentic and innovative, their “Butterfly” used a large raked stage (complete with one of Broadway’s beloved turntables), but then left it bare much of the time, adding only the suggestion of house, trees, sun or moon. The result respected what we know of Japanese culture— all minimalism and pure, clean lines—while

intensifying Puccini’s tragic narrative.

As stage director, Grandage brought an extreme naturalness to his handling of HGO’s singing actors, so much so that you forgot you were watching an opera with people singing, or even a play with people acting, for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. It came across simply as life, which in the world of opera is quite an achievement.

Grandage and company got a predictably unforgettable boost in this endeavor from Ana Maria Martinez as Cio-Cio-San. She brought to the composer’s Japanese heroine exactly what always made him weep at his piano, whatever opera he was working on: a combination of unbelievable fragility and inner strength. Her notes, whether in Act I’s love duet or Act II’s famed aria of hope “Un bel di,” soared with passion and then, with heart stopping suddenness, floated softly as though they’d go on forever.

While not Martinez’ equal in the acting department, Joseph Calleja fired off some of the clearest, most ringing tenor notes we’ve heard at the Wortham in a long time. From his first expressions of all-American carelessness in a foreign culture to his final remorse for the life he’d destroyed, Calleja’s Pinkerton made us believe. And best of all, he made our ears enjoy the journey. – JD

Spotlight: Wade Wilson Art

Founded in 2006, Wade Wilson Art is a breath of fresh air in the visual arts community. The gallery, owned by Wilson, showcases painters, photographers and sculptors whose work explores use of light and color. For the most part, most of the artists have not been seen in Houston, but their work is nothing short of spectacular. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4411 montrose blvd. #200b • 713-521-2977 • wadewilsonart.com

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Jan. 12-23 West Side Story Hobby Center, 800 Bagby St. 713-315-2400, thehobbycenter.org

Jan. 22 to Feb. 6 Dead Man Walking Houston Grand Opera, 510 Preston St. 713-228-6737, houstongrandopera.org

Jan. 27 to Feb. 20 Bus Stop Texas Repertory Theatre, 14243 Stuebner Airline Road.

281-583-7573, texreptheatre.org

Feb. 3 Concert of Arias Houston Grand Opera, 510 Preston St. 7 p.m. $36 to $76. 713-228-6737, houstongrandopera.org

Feb. 20 Viva Italia Stafford Center, 10505 Cash Road. 2 p.m. Up to $25.

281-276-9642, fbso.org

Feb. 23 to March 13 Billy Elliot Hobby Center, 800 Bagby St. 713-315-2400, thehobbycenter.org Events subject to change. Unless indicated, contact venue for exact show dates and times.

Felix Sanchez, Houston Grand Opera

review Madame Butterfly • Houston Grand Opera

A Catered Affair Main Street Theater, 4617 Montrose Blvd. 713-524-6706, mainstreettheater.com

InTRODuCIng

HOusTOn’s PREMIER CEMETERy Beautiful Memorial Oaks has provided Houston families with their funeral and cemetery services for the last 50 years. Continuing this tradition, Memorial Oaks has developed 26 of our most beautiful acres, creating our proudest achievement: Reflection Lake Estates. For this new development, the finest landscape architects, developers and designers have created a stunning, awe-inspiring vista and a clear choice for Houston’s most discerning families.

Peaceful, tree-lined walkways and the calming waters of Reflection Lake welcome visitors, while bronze and granite monuments will stand in quiet repose alongside the magnificent Texas Liberty Mausoleum and Robert L. Waltrip Memorial Chapel. Once constructed, the mausoleum will

comprise of 8,000 square feet, with premier entombments available for selection. Robert L. Waltrip Memorial Chapel will serve as a quiet escape for personal meditation.

Those looking for a truly unique experience will find it in Lakeside Estates, where families have the opportunity to build their own private estate overlooking peaceful Reflection Lake. Regardless of your choice – cremation or traditional burial – Reflection Lake Estates offers a number of memorialization options, including custom monuments and estates.

Design standards for new sites will uphold the beauty and serenity of Reflection Lake Estates, maintaining the sweeping grandeur for you and your loved ones.

I would like to personally invite you to call me at 281- 497-2210 to schedule a tour of the new grounds and to discuss special introductory pricing that is available for a limited time. Availability is strictly limited. Please inquire about how you can provide an enduring and majestic legacy for your family in Houston’s premier cemetery development.

Sincerely,

Russell Allen, President P. 2 8 1 . 4 9 7. 2 2 1 0 |

w w w. R e f l e c t i o n l a k e e s t a t e s . c o m

Disclaimer: Mausoleum not available until construction is complete. Anticipated date of availability: December 2010.

cocktails & conversation.

design

fithome Story | Michael Hammett

P

rofessional athletes— including a few of our very own Houston Rockets— are doing downward facing dog; runners have incorporated Pilates into their workouts (think flexibility); and yoga enthusiasts are stepping back on the treadmill. And home gyms are keeping pace with this trend, transforming into equal opportunity fitness spaces.

“I always recommend having a treadmill or elliptical in your home gym,” says Melody Morton, owner of The Good Space Pilates & Yoga Studio in Houston. “It gets the body warm.”

Morton works with Houstonarea homeowners to create home Pilates and yoga studios,

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following the same principles that inspired her own home studio.

“You should feel transformed as you walk through the door,” she says. “Create a space where you want to be.”

A “cowgirl at heart,” Morton accented her workout equipment with soft saddle leather and suggests surrounding yourself with colors that make you feel good (red inspires her). She recommends investing in highquality equipment that fits the space and multi-tasks as much as you do.

“I sell one piece of equipment (Peak PilateSystem) that does it all: 400 exercises,” she says.

Jimmy Alyea, marketing director for Busy Body Home

cocktails & conversation.

design

5 Prime Essentials Elevate your home gym from bland to bold with these helpful tips Fresh Air Breath easier with VOC-free paints glues and flooring materials, and use natural cleaning products.

PeakPilates

Color Splash

Fitness in Houston, says equipment manufacturers are now focusing on design as much as function.

“They know a treadmill is now part of the décor, not the clothes rack of the past,” he says. “They are using beige, taupe and silver, and not so much black.”

Busy Body carries residential versions of health club equipment (treadmills sell for $1,500 to $15,000) that are streamlined and more comfortable to use, another trend in the fitness equipment industry.

“The pedals on the ellipticals are closer together and feel more natural, and there’s more

cushion on the treadmills,” Alyea says.

Color choices, flooring, natural light and location of the space are key ingredients for a home workout room that really works, according to Houstonbased “green” contractor Joseph Fowler of Forest Design Build.

“Wood flooring is popular in Houston,” says Fowler, who uses local pecan and white washed. “But cork flooring is sustainable and it has give and good acoustics.”

Fowler has created home fitness centers inside master suite reading nooks, “empty nest” bedrooms and garages (some guys still like the smell of motor oil in the air), including

a cozy space in a home that survived Hurricane Ike in 2008.

“I looked at the house layout and found a room that had the best evening light to watch the sunset over the causeway,” he says. “It has French doors that open to a wrap-around balcony.”

Fowler suggests mirrors to bounce natural light and give the illusion of more space, and an infusion of good old fresh air to give your workout a boost.

And even when working with a guy who favors free weights, Fowler tries to save room for that yoga mat and wall space to hang a balance bar.

“The big thing now is Pilates and stretching,” he says.

According to the Paint Quality Institute, the color red increases heart rate; yellow lifts a mood; green is calming. Select a color to enhance your workout.

Room to Grow Choose a space that will fit your changing exercise needs. If yoga is your passion, you’ll need plenty of room to spread your wings.

Pro Equipment Morton suggests investing in good, solid equipment. “A great piece of equipment can last a lifetime.”

Music and TV Incorporate high-quality sound systems, TVs and DVD players into the design plan, so they don’t look like an afterthought.

january/february • 2011

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cocktails & conversation.

my life

schechter

Lindsey

Cheese Monger

I

“

f you were a cheese, which would you be and why?”

That may be a cheesy question, but Lindsey Schechter responds, “Pure Luck’s Hopelessly Bleu from Dripping Springs, Texas, because I would be a delight to everyone who met me.”

Schechter, owner of Houston Dairymaids, is a local cheese purveyor whose goal is to promote and celebrate artisan Texas cheesemakers. Other incidental goals, according to the cheese diva, include the support of sustainable farming, humane treatment of animals and healthful eating.

Schechter sells her many award-winning cheeses wholesale to restaurants, at three farmer’s markets and online. She recently opened her warehouse in the Heights to the public for Friday and Saturday cheese tastings, which have been a big hit.

The big cheese bit Schechter after studying English and art history at Rice University and moving to New York City where she cooked in restaurants and worked as a freelance food writer. “I was assigned to write about many cheese topics including my favorite gig, cheesemaking in Italy.”

She then cooked for Chef Sara Jenkins, who introduced Schechter to her first cheese maker, Mark from Cato Corner Farms in Connecticut.

“After moving to Maine, I sought out local cheesemakers to supply my restaurant and soon realized I wanted to be a part of the amazing cheese maker community,” says Schechter.

When Schechter decided to devote herself to cheese, she jetted to London to work as a cheese monger during the holiday season at Neal’s Yard Dairy, a cheese shop and distribution company that promotes UK cheeses. “They became my model for Houston Dairymaids. Now I get to spend my days eating delicious cheese!”

Every single day?

“Absolutely. Our cheeses change in flavor from batch to batch and season to season.

We’re constantly tasting and evaluating them so we can best describe them to our customers. Cheese also seems to fit into at least one of my meals a day,” Schechter says.

Now that’s a true fromage lover.

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Story | robin barr sussman

Photography | mark lipczynski

treasures

cocktails & conversation.

Toast of the Town Story | Reyne Haines

Prentiques.com | Samuel D. Kissée Collection

E

ach January, we celebrate the New Year with special traditions, from proclaiming New Year’s resolutions, to enjoying a traditional dinner complete with black-eyed peas. However, there’s no tradition more symbolic than raising our glasses and toasting for great things to come with a fine glass of wine or champagne.

But did you know the stemware holding your favorite vintage or bubbly can be just as interesting as the beverage itself?

The art of making glassware dates back to 3000 BC. The first true stemware design (with stem and foot) was invented in the 15th century in Europe. In the 17th century, we saw the creation of lead crystal stemware and finally, in the 18th century, came the invention of wine glasses that offered a straight

stem, unlike their predecessors that offered knobbed or bulbous stems.

If you’ve ever wondered how the variations of stemware came to be, credit can be given to Claus J. Riedel of Riedel Crystal for creating stemware for various types of wines. In the 1950s, Riedel determined that the different types of wine

(red, white, port, etc.) should be served in varying shaped glasses that would better please the palate. If you have interest in collecting stemware, there are a few companies still producing some of the finest stemware available today.

One such manufacturer is Steuben Glass, one of the oldest companies in America still producing fine glassware. Steuben Glass Works was founded in Corning, New York in 1903 by Thomas G. Hawkes and Frederick Carder. In 1918, the company was acquired by Corning Glass Works, who operated it until 2008 after selling the division to Schottenstein Stores Corp.

Throughout its history, Steuben Glass has graced the homes of some of America’s most distinguished families and has been on display in such museums as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian.

Steuben Glass has also been exhibited with important artists such as Henri Matisse and Georgia O’Keefe, and given as wedding gifts to Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Today, Steuben Glass is still producing some of their vintage designs along with a vast array of new ones. Their flagship store in Manhattan offers the best of both worlds: new merchandise and vintage designs. Their contemporary line can be found locally at Neiman Marcus, KuhlLinscomb and Zadok Jewelers, while vintage pieces may be found at MZ. Bleu at Carolyn Thompson’s Antique Center of Texas. Cheers! reyne haines Specializing in 20th century decorative arts, Reyne Haines is the host of “The Art of Picking,” a published author and a nationally recognized appraiser. Visit her website at reyne.com.

january/february • 2011

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Friendships grow faster here.

From a distance, it might appear that a Del Webb community is made up of houses. But visit one in person, and it’s apparent that it’s the people who make the community. Come meet new friends, tour the community, and see if the Del Webb lifestyle is right for you.

GRAND OPENING!

Food, Fun & Entertainment!

Tour 9 Model Homes Saturday, February 12th, 11 am - 4 pm

Homes from the $130s Just North of Hwy. 59 and FM 762 www.delwebb.com/sweetgrass

C ome learn about a retirement community that redefines both “retirement” and “community”.

For more of the story visit delwebb.com

877-695-9338

At least one resident must be 55 years of age or better, a limited number of residents may be younger and no one under 19 years of age. Some residents may be younger than 55. Community Association fees required.

Complete offering terms for the homeowner’s association is in an offering plan available from sponsor. Void where prohibited. Prices reflect base prices and are subject to change without notice. Lot premiums may apply.

Details available upon request. Photography is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be an actual representation of a specific community, neighborhood, or any completed improvements being offered. ©2010 Pulte Home Corporation.

Weil Lifestyle

Optimum Aging

Looking for the fountain of youth? Integrative medicine advocate Andrew Weil, M.D. connects healthy aging with medical practices beyond the mainstream Introduction & Interview | Bruce Farr

january/february • 2011

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w

ith the New Year come the countless, inevitable resolutions to live healthier, exercise more and, at long last, plunge into that diet you’ve been promising yourself you’d begin.

But with the population aging faster than you can say “baby boomer,” the reality of what it takes to get your middle-aged mind and body back on a healthy track can be daunting.

Among the plethora of healthy living proponents in the media proclaiming that theirs is the one true path, Andrew Weil, M.D. long ago emerged as a strong and steady voice of reason. His celebrated career has spanned nearly 50 years of focused work on helping Americans become healthier in mind, body and spirit.

Beginning with his authorship of The Natural Mind in 1972 and, most recently, with Why our Health Matters in 2009, Dr. Weil’s smiling, improbably bushy-bearded face has beamed from the covers of no fewer than 10 best-selling books, making him immediately recognizable to millions of Americans. In between those volumes, Dr. Weil has established a solid medical practice; founded a Tucson, Ariz.based medical institute; created a comprehensive website (www. drweil.com) filled with valuable resources in integrative medicine; and become a highly respected advocate for a more balanced, integrative approach to medical practices.

Especially in the wake of the recent firestorm regarding the deplorable state of healthcare management in the United States, Dr. Weil’s advocacy of a more integrated approach to medicine offers potentially important solutions to this national plight.

Prime Living recently sat down for a conversation with Dr. Weil that sheds light on the past, present and future health and well being of Americans.

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Q

You’ve been a longtime proponent of integrating alternative medical practices with more conventional, mainstream treatments.

Through the years, do you think the results have borne out your advocacy of this approach?

AW: Absolutely. Complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies are part of integrative medicine. Therapeutic approaches that, a short time ago, may have been difficult to access—such as mind/body techniques and acupuncture—are now regularly discussed and recommended by conventional medical doctors.

Research supporting CAM therapies commonly appears in some of the finest medical journals in the world, forming the foundation for medical textbooks on integrative approaches to the

treatment of specific ailments such as heart disease, mood disorders and cancer.

help prevent illness and optimize health is here to stay.

It is important to note, however, that integrative medicine is not a field unto itself or a While we’re on medical specialty—it represents an the topic of less attempt to bring healthcare back conventional, more holistic medical treatments and to its roots in relationship and practices, do you think science healing. When that is achieved, and society have become more the word “integrative” will no longer be necessary—it will accepting and explorative, simply be good medicine. or are they more rigid and retrenched?

AW: Integrative medicine is not Related to that, will a fad. Considering the array of the fact that many of national research and educational us are aging impact programs, together with the holistic alternatives in the growing number of integrative future? Are we more open to medical centers around the these alternatives as we age? country, it should be readily AW: As we age, we become apparent to even the most more aware of challenges to casual observer that the clinical our health—and the desire integration of conventional to participate actively in our medical care with effective, lowhealth care and to maintain tech, low-cost natural therapies to independence comes to the fore.

Q

Q

Because healthy diet and lifestyle approaches can help us meet health challenges associated with aging, I believe our maturing population will gravitate more to integrative medicine. In my experience, once people understand that healthy habits largely trump genetics when it comes to determining future health, they become motivated to make healthy changes in their lives, often including carefully chosen, safe alternative therapies.

Q

For an aging U.S. population, vitamin regimens and therapies are increasingly touted far and wide. Your thoughts on the effectiveness of taking vitamin supplements?

AW: The best way to get all of your daily vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients is to eat a variety of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Even a moderately healthy diet can prevent most vitamin and mineral deficiency states, but higher concentrations of specific nutrients may be necessary to ensure optimal functioning.

Vitamins, minerals and other supplements won’t compensate for a poor diet, but they can serve as insurance against nutritional gaps that can show up even in a healthy diet, and against increasing toxic pressures from the environment.

It’s a good idea to consult with your healthcare professional when deciding on which agents to use. In general, however, I recommend that adults daily take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement containing antioxidants such as vitamin C, natural vitamin E complex (a combination of four tocopherols and four tocotrienols), and mixed carotenoids, and a full complement of the B vitamins; a pure fish oil supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids; and at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

Q

To what would you attribute the apparent epidemic of obesity in Americans today, and what would you recommend that we do— personally and as a society—to get back in shape?

AW: There is no question in my mind that the main culprit in the obesity epidemic is the plethora of inexpensive, highly processed and endlessly marketed foods now available that people frequently partake of. Many of these foods are calorie-laden, nutritionally deficient, rapidly digested (resulting in derangements in blood sugar) and proinflammatory, leading not only to weight gain, but a host of other disorders as well. In addition, too many people are sedentary.

It is the prudent combination of healthy diet and lifestyle practices, including regular physical activity that supports a healthy body weight for height.

Q

But, for baby boomers, is it too late for us to reverse the effects of our over-indulgence as teens and young adults?

AW: It is never too late to begin healthy diet and lifestyle practices, and starting as soon as possible may help reverse unhealthy changes induced in your body by prior indulgences. I recommend following an anti-inflammatory diet that emphasizes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, cold-water fish and plant-based protein, healthy fats and slowdigesting carbohydrates. Avoid highly refined, fried and fast foods, and engage in physical activity on a regular basis.

Q

Do you think that boomers will push the food industry to be a “kinder, healthier nation?”

AW: I do. I am heartened by the support of people of all ages

for locally grown, sustainably harvested food and organic produce. The combination of healthier food options and environmental stewardship will continue to attract consumers in the future, as well as help shape healthier social and political programming.

impacts on health through continued research into the human genome will help determine how best to modify individual predisposition towards illness, with diet and lifestyle habits shown to play central roles. Regulation of the supplement industry will be

It is never too late to begin healthy diet and lifestyle practices...[which] may help reverse unhealthy changes induced in your body by prior indulgences.

Q

Regarding the physical and emotional health and well being of Americans, any predictions for major breakthroughs or developments over, say, the next 10 years?

AW: I firmly believe there will be a sustained trend towards an integrative model of healthcare over the next 10 years and beyond, with mounting scientific validation for traditional healing methods such as herbal remedies and acupuncture, as well as for the preventive and therapeutic effects of select dietary supplements, used either alone or when appropriately combined with good conventional medical care.

A progressive and deeper understanding of the genetic

greatly enhanced, and there will be a wider recognition of the pharmaceutical industry’s practice of creating new medical diagnoses in order to sell drugs that treat them. Lastly, the strong connection between diet and mood will become accepted as fact.

Q

If you could list five things middle-aged Americans could do to age more healthily, what might they be?

AW: Move towards a healthy lifestyle that emphasizes a nourishing diet, regular physical activity, adequate nightly sleep, appropriate stress management that helps cultivate an attitude of optimism, and the maintenance of a strong social network of family and friends.

And don’t smoke. january/february • 2011

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Mark Lipczynski

h s e r f m r fa The farm-to-table movement is alive and well at Houston farmers markets, where local growers and purveyors show us what they’re made of

Randy Evans, Haven

Story | Holly Beretto

january/february • 2011

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A

t the Rice University Farmers Market on a brisk fall day, a group of cheese lovers line up at Houston Dairymaids to sample the day’s array of cheese selections.

Founded by Lindsey Schechter, the Dairymaids travel throughout Texas, seeking the best in farm-grown cheese to bring to markets.

“This is the Bosque Blue,” Debby, a Dairymaids representative, says. “I love to crumble this on salad.” Similar to Stilton, with its rich creaminess and sassy flavor, the Dairymaids bring it to market from Veldhuizen Cheese in Dublin.

Every day, across the wide expanse of Houston and its suburbs, local farmers and producers ply their wares at farmers markets, offering fresh, seasonal ingredients to a host of regular customers and new converts.

“When you buy something from a farmers market, you get to develop a relationship with the people who made that food,” says Mark Bowen, executive director of Urban Harvest, the umbrella organization that runs four farmers markets in Houston.

“It turns you into part of the process, not just another consumer.”

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Being part of the process is a big part of what’s powering “eating local” movements across the country. With rising concerns about nutrition and obesity, people are looking for ways to improve their diets. Locally produced fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats offer an excellent avenue for doing so.

“People want to be healthier, I think,” says Wende Lewis, executive director of Sugar Land Town Square Management Company.

“People have been asking for a farmers market in Sugar Land for years. We’re launching one this spring. It will be a great opportunity to support the community and live better.”

“Eat where your food lives,” says Monica Pope, the chef powerhouse behind T’afia and a driving force in Houston’s eat local movement. “If you buy a tomato at a farmers market, it didn’t get picked green, sit in a crate, go on a truck and travel 2,000 miles to sit in a bin at a store. The farmer picked it that morning or the day before and there it is, fresh, in your hands.”

Pope is among many Houston chefs championing local growers. Randy Evans opened Haven, built as a “seasonal kitchen,”

Julie Soefer

Monica Pope, T’afia

Paula Murphy

january/february • 2011

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To Market,

To Market Urban Harvest Farmers Market at Eastside

3000 Richmond (parking lot) Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon urbanharvest.org

Urban Harvest Famers Market at Discovery Green

Discovery Green Park Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. urbanharvest.org

Farmers Market at La Centerra

La Centerra Central Courtyard Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. lacenterra.com

Midtown Farmers Market at T’afia

3701 Travis St. Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon tafia.com

Rice University Farmers Market

Rice University Tuesdays, 3:30 to 7 p.m.

City Hall Farmers Market

Houston City Hall Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sugar Land Farmers Market

Sugar Land Town Square Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon (beginning April)

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with an unabashed commitment to offering as much local fare as possible.

“It’s all about bringing the best food available, picked at its ripest point, direct from the farmers to the table,” he says.

“And it’s helping people understand the growing season.”

Texas’s growing season is a long one, lasting up to nearly 300 days in some parts of the state. But even though we’re used to seeing everything we want or need at anytime in a grocery store, that’s not the case for local farmers. Right now, markets are ripe with dark greens, root vegetables and citrus. Chefs figure we’ll see strawberries in the coming months.

Buying local also guarantees you’re getting products at the height of flavor.

“If you can eat something that’s been out of the ground two days instead of trucked in from three states away, that’s a no brainer,” says Chris Shepherd, whose Catalan restaurant relies on dozens of farmers and producers around Texas to supply ingredients for his meals.

While nearly everyone agrees that eating local guarantees freshness and great taste, another reason is to help support the local economy.

“Keeping dollars here in Houston keeps the farmers working, and if they’re working, they can hire more people, so they’re creating jobs,” says Bowen.

There’s also a sense of community. Buy a dozen eggs from a chain store and you have no idea where they come from or how the

chickens were treated. Buy them at a local market and someone like Dustin Hoeinghaus, the farmer behind Dustin’s Eggs, can tell you when they were collected and which type of chickens laid them.

“These are Rhode Island reds,” he tells me. “They’re a little smaller than others, but they’ve got good flavor.”

Hoeinghaus estimates he sees 50 or 60 regular clients a week at the four markets he frequents. Besides the Rice market and the Urban Harvest Market on Eastside on Saturdays, he sells at the Katy Farmers Market and the one on Wirt Road.

With so many markets available to Houstonians, Bowen recommends that anyone looking to move forward eating local lifestyle, begin at a market.

“That’s where you’ll see what’s happening at the grassroots level,” he says. “Talk to the farmers, the producers. Ask them about what they’re doing.”

“Go see what’s there,” encourages Pope.

“You know, one week it might be tangerines.

Or it could be cucumbers.”

“Ditch the shopping list,” says Evans.

“See what’s around and buy what looks good to you.”

Eating local does take a slight shift in how you shop and how you think about food. But Houston chefs wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We planted a garden at Catalan,” says Shepherd. “And we’ve got lettuce coming in now. It’s beautiful. You lose sight of that when the only way you see it is wrapped in plastic.”

Field Day Jeremy Fenske, Elaine Skinner

T

aking the farm-to-table movement to a whole new level is northern California-based Outstanding in the Field.

Founded by chef and artist Jim Denevan in 1998, the concept began as a series of intimate “farmer dinners” featuring fresh ingredients supplied by local farmers, ranchers and purveyors. The next year, Denevan’s brother Bill, an organic farmer with orchards in the Santa Cruz mountains, began hosting the dinners on his farm, where guests were treated to a tour, followed by a five-course meal prepared with ingredients straight from the farm.

The dinners grew successful, leading Denevan to expand the idea to other farms, ranches, vineyards and orchards.

Notable guest chefs were invited—including David Kinch of Manresa, Traci des Jardins of Jardiniere and Craig Stoll of Delfina—who collaborated with farmers in hosting similar open-air feasts and, in 2003, Denevan decided to take the dinners on the road.

Today, Outstanding in the Field has evolved into a national tour of culinary events held from coast to coast that celebrate

the farm-to-table culture. The organization hosts as many as 60 events a year throughout North America, with Texas being a regular stop on Outstanding in the Field’s national tour. Most recently, in 2009, Randy Evans of Haven was the guest chef at the Animal Farm in Cat Spring, while chefs Monica Pope of T’afia, Jonathan Jones of Beaver’s, Bryan Caswell of Reef, and Richard Knight and James Silk of Feast participated in an event at Jolie Vue Farm in Brenham.

In 2010, Outstanding in the Field returned to the farms of Texas, making stops at FM1410 in Dallas and, again, at Jolie Vue Farm. It also hosted two dinners at Boggy Creek Farm in Austin, where guest chefs Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki of La Condesa, and James Holmes of Olivia teamed up with Boggy Creek farmers Larry Butler and Carol Ann Sayle.

Outstanding in the Field will soon release their 2011 tour schedule, which is said to include dinners in Europe. Tickets go on sale on March 20. Visit outstandinginthefield.com for information. - Michelle Jacoby

january/february • 2011

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connoisseur

the prime living guide to discerning taste

inside: Don Julio Watermelon Margarita, TQLA

36 38 40 43 44

• • • • •

Main Dish | Branching Out Small Bites | Good Eats Table Talk | Dining News Uncorked | Love, Wine & Chocolate Entertain | Splendor in the Grass

january/february • 2011

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connoisseur main dish

branching out

Story | Holly Beretto Photography | Mark Lipczynski

Named after the water from streams that branched off to be used in whiskey production, Branch Water Tavern cements itself in the roots of the old inns and alehouses that used to abound on American’s coach roads. That nod to past, however, doesn’t mean Branch Water isn’t aware that it resides squarely in the 21st century.

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Chef David Grossman and managing partner/wine director Evan Turner have crafted a place that’s truly special on the Houston scene. They’re serving classic cuisine with a comfort twist, and doing so with gourmet touches.

Begin any meal here with a bowl of crispy stuffed olives.

They’re addictive little buggers, green olives filled with blue cheese and coated in panko crumbs, lightly fried and made to be shared. Follow that with the house-made charcuterie, an array of cured meats accompanied by tiny pickled carrots and green beans, and an array of mustards. The head cheese is made in the French style and is rich and delicious; the air-cured ham a delight.

Before you head into a main course, you’ll want the roasted beet salad, a dazzling spread of mixed greens and sharp blue cheese. Those textures and flavors pair wonderfully with the spicy, earthy beets and the candied pistachios gives an added zing.

The bacon-wrapped shrimp is a must try, arriving atop a bed of creamy grits. Within sits an egg over-easy, which lends the dish an oozing goodness. You’ll love the smoke from the bacon blending with the plump shrimp.

For a main course, order the crispy-skinned snapper. It’s a gorgeous dish with gentle hints of spicy from the red curry broth. The fish is perfectly firm and juicy. The roasted daikon and bok choy that are paired with the fish lend this an earthy foundation. The 30-day dry-

aged New York strip is purely amazing, a huge cut of meat beautifully seasoned and grilled to perfection. Meat-and-potatoes types will dream about this one, served with mashed potatoes and carrots; it’s just that good.

Don’t miss out on the sticky toffee pudding, a house favorite.

It’s a glorious end to your American pub cuisine, chewy and sugary, well-paired with homemade pistachio ice cream.

Another great choice is the crème fraiche cheesecake accompanied by blueberry compote, which is just a delight.

Branch Water Tavern’s focus on solid food and drink make it an easy destination to return to again and again. The wine list is refined, with several hidden gems (The Kir-Yanni Roditis “Petra” from Green is light and pretty, laced with bright acidity and hints of citrus; the Kaeslet “Stonehouse” from Australia’s Barossa Valley is big and velvety, a huge wine that is perfect for that New York Strip.) Many of the cocktails are whisky influenced, a homage to the restaurant’s name.

Here, the tone is warm and welcoming, with minimal décor and stunning dark woods. It feels very much like a 19th century tavern, transported to the 21st century, bringing with it all the old-time charm and welcoming a new world of culinary ideas.

branch water tavern 510 shepherd 713-863-7777 branchwatertavern.com

connoisseur main dish

Sticky Toffee Pudding Pudding

½ lbs dates 5g vanilla extract 6g baking soda 84g softened butter, plus additional for molds 210g all-purpose flour 5g baking powder 1g salt 180g granulated sugar 1 egg, beaten 1¼ cups water

Creme fraiche cheesecake

Toffee Sauce

78g unsalted butter 136g cream 140g dark-brown sugar 2 oz Myers’s rum Measurements are in grams. Use accurate conversion rates when preparing.

Blanche, peel and pit the dates.

Combine dates with the water, vanilla and baking soda, bring to simmer. Simmer for five minutes (the mixture should darken). Remove from heat and chill. Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer with paddle attachment. Add egg to date mixture.

Combine flour baking powder salt (dry ingredients). Add 1/3 dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the date mixture. Repeat this process until all ingredients are incorporated.

Butter and flour 10 8-ounce molds, fill each with 6 ounces of batter. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool. For toffee sauce, combine all ingredients, bring to simmer. Unmold and serve with toffee sauce and pistachio ice cream.

St. Catherine’s cocktail

Bacon-wrapped Gulf shrimp

New York strip

Seared red snapper

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connoisseur

small bites

Texas Tastes

Hibiscus infused tequila with mint cocktail, TQLA

good eats Story | Holly Beretto Photography | Mark Lipczynski

For a new take on the well-rounded meal, table-hop these Houston eateries for some of the best tastes in town.

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You can’t miss BRC (which stands for Big Red Cock) as you head north on Shepherd Drive. The giant red rooster outside the door is a dead giveaway that no one inside is taking themselves too seriously. How could you, with a 12-foot bird outside?

The food, on the other hand, is a whole other ballgame and you can bet that is a serious affair. The self-proclaimed gastropub serves up American comfort fare in a cozy setting.

Perhaps nothing quite exemplifies this more than the Dr Pepper San Antonio Fried Quail, a dish that’s part haute cuisine and all Texas.

The quail is marinated for 24 hours in Dr Pepper, then coated with a traditional buttermilk crust and lightly fried. Coated with a honey peppercorn glaze, it’s served with blue cheese potato salad, which makes the whole thing feel like a high-end picnic. The honey sweet taste bursts on the palate first, giving way to a satisfying crunch from the coating, finally revealing, like the layers in a Tootsie pop, the richness of the quail. The honey and pepper gives both sweetness and sass, while the Dr Pepper seeps into the earthiness of the quail, producing a symphony of flavor. The sharpness of the cheese complements the potato salad, and if that you have this with the homemade pickle jar, you’ll think you’ve entered some wonderful alternate universe.

For pure pub food comfort, pair it with the Blonde Bombshell Ale out of Conroe, or glam it up the Villa San Juiliette Merlot out of San Miguel, Calif., it’s beautiful black currant and cherry a perfect partner to the game. brc gastropub 519 shepherd dr.

713-861-2233 brcgastropub.com

c connoisseur

Salmon with Sass

small bites

TQLA’s claim to fame comes from the nearly 170 tequilas on offer behind the bar. The newest arrival on the Washington Avenue strip hits a niche that’s somewhere between luxury bar and high-end taqueria, but the vibe is easy going and the menu is alive with Southwest flavors.

The pumpkin seed crusted salmon is a house specialty, and it’s a cool twist on an old favorite. The generous serving of fish is dusted with pumpkin seeds and paired with fried green tomatoes and sweet peppers. It’s topped with a (what else?) tequila-lime butter and set atop green chile mashed potatoes. This is a dish that’s filling and fun.

The fish is firm, flaking gently onto the fork. The sweet peppers bring a delightful brightness to the tequila-laced topping on the fish. Backed up with the tangy acid of the tomatoes or the kick of the potatoes, it’s a dish that’s in perfect harmony. This is the sort of dinner that evokes hot, adobe landscapes, alive with color. It’s comfortable without being boring, showing off a sassy sophistication that never becomes pretentious.

Make sure you order this with one of TQLA’s signature drinks or ask for a tequila flight, a sampling of three tequilas. With such an array to choose from, you can sample the night away. tqla 4601 washington ave. • 281-501-3237 • tqlahouston.com

Creative Comfort

Chef Jamie Zelko is on the move. The 29-year-old is determined to win the 2011 James Beard Foundation’s Rising Chef of the Year Award, and she made good on her promise to herself to open a restaurant before she turned 30.

With such energy and spirit, you might mistake Zelko Bistro in the Heights for being too fast and flashy. You’d be wrong.

Zelko’s created an oasis of calm here on Yale Street, away from Houston’s hustle, and she’s committed to fresh, seasonal fare.

Enter the peanut butter and jelly beignet, perfect for Houston’s wet winters. Boomers will remember toting their PB and J on Wonder Bread for school lunches; this is so much better. Zelko began with a brioche, then spread peanut butter, Concord grape jelly and marshmallow in layers between the pieces. She dipped it in funnel cake batter and lightly fried it. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and voila! Instant warm, gooey, comfort food. There’s a slight crisp to the top of the beignet, and a stunning sweetness throughout that’s never overpowering. “It was such a fun way to present it,” says Zelko.

It’s even more fun to eat. zelko bistro 705 e. 11th st.

713-880-8691 zelkobistro.com

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connoisseur

Viva Italia!

Maurizio Ferrarese has recently joined Quattro at the Four Seasons Hotel. A native of Vercelli, Italy, the energetic chef is inspired by his family’s time-honored Italian-style cooking while continuing to innovate his ingredient-driven menu with locally sourced foods.

Chef Maurizio has enhanced some of the restaurant’s most popular small plate items, like prosciutto and fig flatbread, traditional bread panzanella salad, and warm tomino cheese with honey and nuts, and incorporated them into Vinoteca Quattro’s bar menu. The recently renamed bar, by the way, features a chef-manned antipasti station including an Italian olive display where guests can choose from a wide selection of olives to taste.

The lively bar is serving wine and Italian small plates at an incredible value: all wine and small plate items are $4, Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.

Expect a savvy wine program by sommelier Kate Bourne, who just earned her second degree certification toward her Masters certification and is the youngest in Texas to achieve this level. Need another reason to visit Quattro? Complimentary valet parking. 1300 Lamar. 713-276-4700, fourseasons.com At Uptown Park’s Hotel Granduca, Renato De Pirro has taken the helm as executive chef at Ristorante Cavour. A native of Tuscany, De Pirro was in culinary school at age 16 and then worked under the European apprentice direction of Gennaro Villella, one of Italy’s most respected chefs.

The Tuscan-inspired menu brims with classics such as an ethereal gnocchi with tomato, basil, ricotta and squash, and rich lobster risotto enhanced with zucchini and lobster bisque.

Reserve ahead to experience this romantic cuisine as the intimate Ristorante Cavour is popular for Valentine’s Day. 1080 Uptown Park. 713-418-1104, granducahouston.com

Side Sips Wine events you don’t want to miss

Annual Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition is on tap for Feb. 20 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Reliant Stadium.

The excitement pops as attendees delight their taste buds at this sprawling tasting event featuring dishes from more than 50 area restaurants along with hundreds of wines.

Also anticipate the announcement of the International Wine Competition champions, as well as the culinary competition winners of regional restaurants and catering institutions.

More than 1,600 wines from more than 10 different countries vie for the Grand Champion Best of Show title each year.

832-667-1000, hlsr.com

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Glamour Shot

If tequila’s your poison, the high-end brand Tequila Avión has joined the Texas market. It’s exceptionally smooth taste results from the slow roasting of 100 percent Blue Weber agave in traditional brick ovens, a unique small batch distillation process and a proprietary “ultra slow filtration” method.

In case you missed it, Avión was included in the 2010 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.

A private Tequila Avión Party thrown

by Colin Cowie was selected by Neiman Marcus as one of 10 exclusive “Fantasy Gifts” available for purchase this holiday season and was also featured in a storyline on HBO’s “Entourage.”

For further information or to locate bars, restaurants and liquor stores with Tequila Avión, visit tequilaavion.com.

West Ave Openings

Austin-born Eddie V’s Prime Seafood has opened in the shopping and residential complex West Ave, located at Kirby and Westheimer. V’s has been getting raves for its gorgeous interiors, snappy servers in white short coats, mature vibe with a jazz pianist in the background, and open kitchen turning out lush, spanking-fresh seafood. 2800 Kirby Dr. 713-874-1800, eddiev.com Scheduled to open this month is Pondicheri, named after a southern Indian town by Indika’s chef/owner Anita Jaisinghani. Architect/designer David Guthrie is responsible for the space, which is similar in earthy hues and design as striking Indika restaurant in Montrose, but with a slight industrialized look. The hip diner with an open kitchen dishes breakfast, lunch and dinner with a family style menu emphasizing traditional Indian fare and some unusual dishes rarely seen in Houston. A separate counter in the space is planned for selling freshly baked breads, Indian spices and sauces to go.

Right across the courtyard on the first floor, Ava Brasserie by the Schiller-Del Grande Group serves a combination of Mediterranean and American fare in a vast slick space. Its sister restaurant, Pizzeria Alto, with a more casual menu of gourmet pies and salads, is located on the second floor.

Julie Soefer | Tequila Avión | eddie v’s

table talk

Red, Red Wine

Concrete floors actually painted in Cabernet Sauvignon wine? That’s what’s in store at Winetopia, the new wine bar on the west side on the ground floor of the new Fairmont apartment complex. Owners Krutar and Nina Patel serve 170 wines culled from thousands Krutar has tasted from boutique producers.

So don’t expect to see the usual suspects on the list—you’re in for a real treat. The list includes such sips as Alexana Pinot Gris from Oregon (owned by Houston’s Dr. Madaiah Revana) and Michael Sullberg reserve California Cabernet Sauvignon (big bang for your buck).

Hungry? Winetopia offers BYOF: bring your own food, even though the menu includes limited cheese and charcuterie plates. These guys just want you to revel in your own little wine paradise. 6363 San Felipe. 713-574-1401, winetopiatx.com.

Hello & Goodbye

The latest restaurants to join and leave the Houston dining scene

Openings Decco Café Jus’ Mac Moon Tower Inn Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen The Counter Cyclone Anayas, CityCentre

krutar patel

Closings Bailey's American Grille (Seabrook) Johnny Rockets Otto’s Barbecue Seppia Restaurant & Wine Bar Thai Racha Yukino Sushi robin barr sussman Robin Barr Sussman is a Houston-based freelance writer who specializes in food, drink and travel. Her work has appeared in Texas Monthly, My Table and Resort Living.

connoisseur uncorked

love,

& chocolate Story | John DeMers

A

MacMurray Ranch

s we all know, Valentine’s is the season for wine, flowers and chocolate. But oddly enough, it wasn’t always so.

For the longest time, there was a kind of unwritten rule that wine and chocolate didn’t go together. In fact, had no business together. Eventually, though, the winedrinking public came to realize that not only did this emperor have no clothes, but that two of the things most likely to be on our tables at the end of a special meal had every reason, chemically and spiritually, to get along. With the crush of couples sure to celebrate Valentine’s Day (and especially Valentine’s Night!) in February, it’s high time we look at what it takes to turn wine and chocolate into a happy couple.

No, it’s not like you need to drink a glass of Napa cabernet every time you bite into a candy bar. But when the quality of chocolate and the atmosphere seem right, there are definitely wines that make both pieces of the puzzle taste better than either could separately. That, after all, is what food and wine pairings are always about. And it takes only a modicum of know-how to do it right.

Generally, you should pair chocolate with wines that are at least as sweet—probably a little sweeter. The result of not doing so tends to be an impact that’s bitter or sour. Beyond that, logic prevails, pointing us toward lighter, more elegant chocolates with lighter-bodied wines, and stronger, more robust chocolates with fuller-bodied wines. In some senses, therefore, pairing wines with chocolate is just like pairing them with fish, chicken, beef or wild game.

In day-to-day practice, this line of thought would suggest enjoying the mellow and buttery tones of white chocolate with perhaps a sherry such as the Osborne Pedro Ximenez or a fizzy-sweet Moscato d’Asti like the Saracco from Italy’s Piedmont region.

It is true, however, that putting this same white chocolate with something robust like zinfandel (no, never the “white” kind) mellows the wine in a way that most would find pleasurable.

If you’re enjoying milk chocolates—a segment to which most American candy

bars belong—check out a pinot noir like the Mark West, or just about any rendition of the “heartbreak grape” from Carneros straddling Napa and Sonoma, or from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. Of the latter, my favorite is MacMurray Ranch.

Champagnes and other sparkling wines work here too, including the currently popular prosecco from the Veneto region of Italy and the great-value cavas from Spain.

Finally, if you’re like me and embrace your own dark side in chocolate, you’ll find that pairing wines with dark chocolate has its very own set of triumphs and failures.

Being both less creamy and less sweet than milk chocolate—non-fans would surely say bitter—dark chocolate loves the company of cabernets and zinfandels, with Rancho Zabaco and Ridge coming to mind.

Tawny or vintage ports are also something I would love in a glass right about now. I’ll sing a shaky chorus of “Hello young lovers, wherever you are” while enjoying the fact that it’s just me, this dark chocolate and this glass of something wonderful.

John DeMers Covering food and wine for more than 25 years, John DeMers hosts “Delicious Mischief” on NewsRadio 740 KTRH. He recently released Follow the Smoke: 14,783 Miles of Great Texas Barbecue.

january/february • 2011

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connoisseur

entertain

splendor

in the Grass

Story & Styling | Michelle Jacoby Photography | Mark Lipczynski

Love is in the air and what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a romantic picnic for two? Surprise your loved one with a vintage-inspired picnic set up under the canopy of a shady tree and filled with the things you love most: food, wine, sweets and each other.

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simply sweet

Treat your sweet to a decadent red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles served on a charming English-motif plate.

connoisseur

entertain

in bloom

Nothing dresses up a lovely picnic more than bouquets of beautiful flowers. Choose vibrant blooms, such as bright yellow sunflowers and deep red Gerber daisies.

fun feast

A tray offering delicious nibbles makes for the perfect centerpiece to a romantic picnic. Mix up your selection with a sample of salty and sweet.

cheese, please

Nothing goes better with wine than a delicious selection of cheeses. Offer a variety including fresh (Chevre), softripened (Brie and Camembert) and semi-hard (Gouda).

vintage pop

After the celebration has ended, send your guests home with a special treat for the road. Decadent cupcakes nestled in their own takeaway boxes make for a sweet and memorable ending.

berry good

Fresh raspberries and blackberries served in mini colanders not only make for a pretty display, but they’re also good for you, too.

Serve with fresh whipped cream for extra sweetness.

The Goods bucket and serving tray

Metal enameled bucket and round metal enameled tray from Creative Co-Op. 866-323-2264, creativecoop.com

bowls and colanders

Red striped bowls; set of three in small, medium and large; by Style Happy. Stainless steel Endurance baby colanders by RSVP International Inc. 206-282-1037, rsvp-intl.com

pillows

Bead-studded horseshoe pillow by Spencer Enterprises; waffle-weave decorative pillow

by Pillow Perfect.

vintage sodas

Assorted vintage bottled sodas available at The Duce.

602-866-3823, theducephx.com

vintage bicycles

1961 Schwinn men’s bike and 1951 black and red ladies bike courtesy of The Duce. 602-866-3823, theducephx.com

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gentlemen’s room

For the man who commands the very best

inside:

48 50 52 53

• • • •

Nostalgia | Elvis Driver's Seat | Super Fast Elegance High Tech | New Year, New You Great Outdoors | Texas's Best

january/february • 2011

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gentlemen’s room NOSTALGIA

when

Elvis came to texas

Story | Bruce Farr

W

ith Elvis Presley’s birthday on tap this month (he would have turned 75 on the 8th) it’s interesting to note that “The King” had a long, enduring relationship with the Lone Star state and its citizens.

Everyone knows that toward the latter part of his career, when he was a major headliner, Elvis’s tour dates in Texas were big news, attracting countless fans to grand arenas in the state’s biggest cities. But what’s lesser known, as many Texans who were fortunate enough to witness them firsthand can confirm, is that his initial visits here were far less momentous.

Elvis Presley first arrived on Texas soil in 1954, just a lanky 19-year-old kid with a beat-up guitar and a whole lot of energy and ambition to burn. Over the course of the next few years, though, the dusty small towns and cities across the state would become a Petri dish of sorts for Elvis’s developing talent. He reportedly tore up the Texas

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roads as he crisscrossed the state between gigs at high school hops, Lion’s Club outings and car dealership grand openings. It was here, at show after show, that he crafted the magnetic performance

style that was the root of his fame and legend.

If you happen to have been around between 1954 and 1958, you could have witnessed a bit of history in the

did you know?

As a piece of famous architecture, Elvis Presley’s Memphis mansion, Graceland, is probably as well known—and as often visited—as the White House in Washington, D.C. But do you know how the legendary home of the King got its name?

In fact, “Graceland Farms” was named for Grace Toof, a wealthy benefactress whose family owned the property for almost 100 years. Grace’s niece, Ruth, inherited the land in 1940 and set about building herself a grand colonial mansion in the style of “Tara,” from the film “Gone with the Wind,” which had come out the year before.

In 1957, Elvis was in Hollywood shooting a movie while, at his behest, his parents, Vernon and Gladys, were scouting out potential properties for the star. After viewing Graceland, they called him immediately. On their advice, Elvis, who was then just 22 years old, bought the estate for $100,000.

making, as the novice rock ’n roller honed his hip-grinding stage presence in communities such as Gladewater, Hawkins, Tyler, Longview, Sweetwater, Lubbock and Alpine. Although his fame was a few years ahead of him yet, the extended road trip that Elvis and his band mates embarked on in Texas became the subject of a pictorial book authored by two Texans. In “Elvis in Texas: The Undiscovered King,” Stanley Oberst and Lori Torrance make good use of narrative and classic photos to depict a raw and raucous young Elvis, poised on the brink of enormous stardom.

What befell Elvis toward the end of his career has been documented ad nauseum, but glimpsing the unabashed and unbridled young star before fame and fortune had taken their toll on him is like inhaling a breath of fresh air. And knowing that Texas was a setting for many of those moments in the early arc of his career makes it all the more precious.

gentlemen’s room driver's seat

Super Fast

elegance Story | Don Armstrong

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us to the seats. Handling was much more nimble than expected and despite it’s 5,200 lb. heft, the Supersports acted more like a sports car; quick and responsive.

Grandpa’s Electra 225, it is not.

Hurling that kind of mass at speed means you have to bring it to a stop sooner or later, so Bentley didn’t hold back in the braking department. Easily seen behind the 20-inch spoke wheels are huge 8-piston brake calipers clamping massive, 16-inch discs up front and 14s in back. The feel of that kind of stopping power is usually associated with full bred race cars.

Once back at the dealership from our quick blast, it was time for the one-on-one tour.

The classic rectangular grille, sandwiched between four round headlamps, is unmistakably Bentley. The Continental’s steeply raked windshield and fastback design quietly exude elegance and speed. Understated tail lamps

and chrome-tipped dual exhaust complete this sculpted beauty.

Inside the Supersports is a cabin you’d expect to find in a ground-hugging exotic, but with design, materials, workmanship and detail you get in a fine Swiss watch. Open the door and the first thing that draws your attention is the seating. These Sparco-designed, Alcantarawrapped, carbon fiber seats hold you in place like no others.

Carbon fiber can also be found in the dash and center console.

Matching knurled surfaces help maintain a grip on controls and a smattering of chrome accents add just the right amount of bling.

The magnificent leather is all hand stitched with perfection.

Bentleys are world renowned for powerful engines and the Supersports is no exception. The supercharged 6.0-liter W-12 delivers 621-horsepower and a stump-pulling 590-lb.ft. of torque.

A 6-speed automatic transmission delivers power to an Audi-based all-wheel drive system, resulting in a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph.

Hurling that kind of mass at speed means you have to bring it to a stop sooner or later, so Bentley didn’t hold back in the braking department. Easily seen behind the 20-inch spoke wheels are huge 8-piston brake calipers clamping massive, 16-inch discs up front and 14’s in back.

Pricing on the Bentley Continental Supersports starts at $267,000. For those that appreciate the finer things in life, Bentley fills the need. don armstrong Don’s passion for all things automotive is no secret.

His popular What’s Don Driving? TV series garnered rave reviews and made him the new car go-to guy. He is also a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association.

Bentley

T

here comes a time in our lives when we decide to reward ourselves with something that was once only a dream, a hope, something that until now, wasn’t possible. Ever wonder what it would be like to get behind the wheel of a Bentley?

On a recent, beautiful, fall afternoon in Houston, we were invited to find out what the Bentley experience was all about.

Bentley Houston general manager Michael Berray escorted me outside the dealership, where a brand-new, lipstick red Bentley Continental Supersports waited my inspection.

Pushing the “start” button summons this beautiful beast to life. Easing the Supersports gear selector into “drive” and feathering the throttle, it was immediately clear that power was abundant. No reason to putter around; once on the feeder, I nailed the throttle and the full fury of burning fuel and air nailed

gentlemen’s room HIGH TECH

New Year,

NEW YOU Story | Michael Garfield

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There are products from Bowflex to Nautilus and some of them may be collecting dust in your home now. These all-in-one machines can combine weight strengthening and flexibility, but why not add some cardio and low-impact, full-body workouts?

Ellipticals and cross trainers have become some of the top-selling pieces of exercise equipment in the fitness industry and are great for those who want a workout without a lot of pounding on the joints.

One of the latest pieces of equipment that can serve as an all-around home gym is the Endurance E5000 Premium Elliptical Trainer. A blend of research, engineering, performance and technology, it provides a stable, space-efficient platform to perform rigorous lowimpact, full-body workouts.

The low center of gravity and oversized pedals give the machine a natural elliptical motion that is easy on your hips and joints. The combination of a natural stride and smart programming has created a machine that most all of your family can use regularly.

One feature I like is that the E5000 uses an internal generator thus eliminating any power requirement. So technically you can put it anywhere in or outside your home without finding a power outlet or connecting unsightly cords.

Many workout enthusiasts measure their workouts by time, distance or even the amount of sweat. Built-in technology on the E5000 takes the guesswork out with a wireless heart rate monitor chest strap. You can now see at a glance exactly how hard—or not so hard—you are working your

body. It is programmable with five heart rate control programs and two user programs.

Size does matter when it comes to finding enough space to put a system like this in place. Not much space is needed, however, to utilize this machine as the footprint only measures 31 inches wide and 68.4 inches long.

With a price tag of $2,875 you should be able to justify not joining a gym over the course of a year or two. But as you flip the calendar to 2011, you just need to figure out when to order it to get your figure back into shape.

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

Body-Solid Inc.

A

s sure as the calendar turns to a new year each January, most people start assessing their figures for the next 12 months. Not so much their salary or bank account figures, but their stomachs, arms and legs. The holidays are over, but much of those memories still linger on your body and then you’re left to figure out what to do with it.

A gym membership is an option, but once your motivation slows down in February, it gets harder to find time to get there.

So instead of driving a few miles to the nearest workout facility, why not just roll out of bed to burn calories and get in shape?

Home gyms are all the rage now and with advancements in design and multi-use actions, it doesn’t take a lot of room to set up your own exercise club.

gentlemen’s room outdoors

Texas’s Story | Doug Pike

Bink Grimes

A

best

ll this state’s bay systems support quality speckled trout fisheries, but none has greater potential to cough up a real monster like Baffin Bay in winter.

The cliché that “misery loves company” might explain why Cliff Webb and I had most of Baffin Bay to ourselves one nasty cold, wet January afternoon years ago. Most fishermen stayed off the water that miserable day.

Webb and I were alone and surrounded by hungry, fat trout.

Our trip and the subsequent newspaper story it generated turned a spotlight onto the region that has shined brightly ever since.

In a weather-shortened afternoon of fishing with topwater plugs, we caught and released two dozen-plus trout, any of which could have been someone’s best of a lifetime. These specks averaged better than eight pounds. Five were longer than 30 inches, and the last fish released (we’d have stayed longer, but fog and darkness threatened our return) was better than 32 inches.

The column about that trip ran in early January. The day it was published, Webb booked nearly 100 trips and referred as many more to other guides. But enough about me and Webb, who is now, by the way, pretty much retired.

Baffin Bay is a large area of mostly shallow water southeast of Kinsgville. It is, and likely always will be, Texas’s premier big-trout fishery. Biologists are somewhat mystified by the system’s productivity. Fishermen don’t really care why it is what it is. What matters is that no other bay churns out monster trout like Baffin.

Good news is that despite its fame and improved access to this remarkable fishery, it remains far enough off the outboardbeaten path not to become overly crowded. Also helpful, other Texas bays produce enough big fish to scatter the traffic and sate most anglers’ need.

A downside to Baffin’s “magic” is that, especially in late winter, it has become temporary home to a dozen or more guides who pass

the other nine months elsewhere.

These pros fish Baffin Bay for two logical reasons: their customers want to fish the bay’s fabled flats and so do they. To their credit, and in testimony to the size of the water body, there’s always enough room for everyone.

Hire a guide during the peak winter months, unless you’re a really good angler and navigator.

A standard Baffin trip begins on a Thursday or Friday and concludes after a few casts Sunday morning.

Weather and work permitting, I prefer the relative quiet of a Tuesday or Wednesday.

If you go, carry plenty of full-sized topwaters, and throw them religiously. You’ll get more bites and maybe a trophy fish on traditional soft plastics, but the bay’s true giants only feed every couple of days. And when they

don’t rock the boat A portion of Baffin Bay is made unique by large coral-like formations, actually the fossilized remains of millions and millions of segmented worms that rise to or near the surface. In addition to providing shelter for baitfish and ambush points for giant trout, the rocks also pose serious hazards to navigation. Newcomers are advised to pay strict attention to marked channels and pay strict attention when running the boat anywhere else.

eat, they eat big. Some of the specks Webb allowed customers to keep in the week prior to our trip, one per person, had eaten mullet and other seatrout to 14 inches long.

Baffin Bay’s productivity varies from year to year, but the roster always includes a disproportionate share of the state’s heaviest trout. Winter can be downright unpleasant here now, but great comfort can be found in a tight line.

Ifyou go

Wild Horse Lodge Fine accommodations for fishermen who either are meeting guides or fishing on their own. 361-522-7961, wildhorselodge.com Bluff’s Landing Marina and Lodge Full-service marina with restaurant and accommodations.

Relatively close access to Baffin Bay and other quality fishing venues. 361-288-2656 doug pike Doug has traveled the world to satisfy his passion for the outdoors.

During his career, he has won 100-plus state and national awards for writing, broadcast and photography.

january/february • 2011

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Home sites with

breathtaking views

of the wetlands.

Marina features

state-of-the-art amenities.

Yacht Club serves

fabulous regional

cuisine in a relaxed, yet elegant, setting.

Yacht Club memberships now available, call 866.435.8777

luxury

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1445 Harborwalk Boulevard | Hitchcock, Texas 77563 866.435.8777 toll free | harborwalk.cc | follow us at facebook.com/harborwalk

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serenitynow In the New Year, start on your road to wellness with a single step— or take a journey of a thousands miles.

Consider a global plan for self-renewal with a sojourn to five distinct spas that heal the mind, body and soul.

Story | Sally J. Clasen, Dave Dodge and Lisa Kasanicky

january/february • 2011

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Mii amo

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t’s perfectly acceptable to pinch yourself should you be among the fortunate to walk upon the hallowed ground that makes up Mii amo in Sedona, Ariz. It’s no ordinary turf. And it’s no ordinary spa.

Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment, has earned its spot among the world’s top wellness destinations for good reason. With sunset-hued canyon walls rising up to meet cornflower blue skies at every turn, the scenery alone is enough to make you reconsider your concept of heaven. But it’s the salubrious air that Mii amo breaths into every aspect of what they do—from the

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purposeful spa therapies to the mindfully sourced meals—that seals in the lifeaffirming vibes.

A translation of “journey” in Yuman, a Native American tongue indigenous to northern Arizona, Mii amo sits on the 70-acre Enchantment Resort property guarded by the painted walls of Sedona’s Boynton Canyon.

While the family-friendly Enchantment offers a luxury experience of its own, Mii amo is perched on a quiet corner where the adults-only spa village encompasses 16 spa casita guest rooms and suites. The adjacent two-level spa fulfills its world-class calling

Mii amo

a destination spa at enchantment 888-749-2137 • miiamo.com

“..the scenery alone is enough to make you reconsider your concept of heaven.”

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card with indoor and outdoor pools, naturally lit treatment rooms, outdoor treatment areas (called wickiups), an organic wine and spirits bar, a bistro, library, boutique, movement studio and an organic garden. At the transcendental heart of the spa, a circular crystal grotto serves as a gathering spot for guided meditation.

The extensive treatment menu requires careful study, but if manifesting an intention is central to your visit, the Intentional Aromatherapy Massage is designed to do just that. Introduced last January in celebration of the spa’s 10-year anniversary, this exclusive therapy pairs a personal intention with an essential oil that marries mind and body during a balancing massage. Among the many other skin and body treatments available at Mii amo, Inner Quest, Soul Seeker, AuraSoma Color Reading and Psychic Massage come with high marks. The spa enhances its offerings with specialized services such as vision boarding, past-life regression and compassionate communications.

Mii amo journeys are experienced in three-, four- or seven-night programs with five transformational concentrations: De-stress Mind & Body, Healthy Body in Balance, Spiritual Exploration, Mii amo Master, and Rites of Passage. Journeys come with a suggested services list, but are custom to each guest’s desires. Rates are all-inclusive and include a pre-determined number of spa treatments, unlimited fitness classes, workshops and three meals daily at Mii amo Café, where eclectic spa cuisine is served from an exhibition-style kitchen with communal or private seating. As a final remembrance of their experience, Mii amo guests leave with a signature spa robe and, possibly, a new definition of heaven. – LK

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SÁMAS Destination Spa

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ith its rolling green hills, endless stone walls and early morning mists, Ireland is the equivalent of comfort food when it comes to destination traveling. If you’re seeking the ultimate in comfort, look no further. For nestled in the heritage town of Kenmare in county Kerry is the SÁMAS Deluxe Destination Spa at the luxurious Park Hotel Kenmare.

With true Irish hospitality as its cornerstone, the five-star Park Hotel Kenmare sits in a magical setting overlooking Kenmare Bay, where it offers guests unparalleled service with its approach to health and pleasure.

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Since 1897, world travelers have stayed here. With 46 bedrooms, each individually decorated with antiques and art, everyone is assured of a pampered stay.

The SÁMAS Deluxe Destination Spa is one of the treasures at the hotel. The name, from the Irish language Gaelic, means “indulgence of the senses.” What better place to revive your body and soul?

SÁMAS uses many methods and rituals combing traditions both from the Eastern and the Western cultures. Once you arrive at the spa, your hosts take your needs very seriously. With three elements designed to

SAMAS Destination Spa

park hotel kenmare 00353 64 6641200 • parkkenmare.com

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“This is the ultimate in privacy and a truly unique experience.” pamper, heal and revive you, the spa offers the Thermal Suite, Holistic Treatment and, not to be missed, the Pure Relaxation. A personal therapist will guide you through the spa so you can fully appreciate the philosophy and its benefits.

Unlike any other spa in the world, the SÁMAS Experience is a three-hour journey that takes you through various treatments and services, including heat features, the outdoor vitality pool and holistic treatments. This is the ultimate in privacy and a truly unique experience.

The varieties of treatments have their own philosophies in regards to your personal well being. The SÁMAS Warming Envelopment, for instance, uses mineral-rich Himalayan clay deposits from the holy Ganga region of India that have detoxifying and purifying properties. Feel tension melt away as you’re enveloped in a warming body shroud made with organic herbs, crushed seeds and roots known for their healing and therapeutic qualities.

Other treatments include the SÁMAS Invigorating Massage, an entire body experience that will leave you recharged with newfound energy and a clear mind, and the SÁMAS Silken Body Polish, which uses a combination of using sea salt, cane sugar and exotic oils from India that leaves you silky-soft and glowing for days. And with treatments for men and mothers-to-be, there is something for everyone at this world-class destination.

After a stay here, Ireland will be your personal destination for well-being. – DD

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SHA Wellness Clinic

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ust like the song, you need only take a train, a boat or a plane to arrive at one of the fastest growing regions in Spain, the coastal harbor city of El Abir. A destination where you can truly slow down and stop the clock, this beautiful beach community is home to the SHA Wellness Clinic, recently voted the Best International Medical Spa 2010 by Conde Nast Traveller.

Dr. Alfredo Bataller Parietti founded SHA Wellness Clinic after his long personal struggle with diet and health. Dr. Parietti’s vision and passion created one of the best world-class clinics in Europe today.

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Combining the advances in Western medicine and traditional Eastern natural therapies, the clinic offers its guests a comprehensive plan to alleviate and pre-empt health problems, including the SHA Cure Integral program.

This 14-day journey includes medical and nutritional analysis and consultation, fitness activities, lifestyle activities, therapeutic treatments, relaxing massages and a personalized post-treatment health plan.

The spa also offers a variety of therapies and treatments, from hydrotherapy to baths and wrappers. Indulge in a soothing water therapy, in which you’ll feel the benefits that

SHA Wellness Center

+34 966 811 199 • shawellnessclinic.com

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the Romans discovered centuries ago. The spa’s beauty rituals have a menu of more than 20 services, helping you look as good as you feel. And from the detoxification diet, to the thalasso seaweed wrap, your body and mind will begin a journey of renewal and revitalization.

The goal of the clinic is to make guests feel a sense of permanent well being, vitality and a higher energy level. By producing a change in the body and improving the quality of life, it will help the aging process along by helping foresee any future illness; these are the fundamental traits that unify the traditional eastern techniques with the latest Western medical advances. – DD

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Kamalaya Koh Samui

e

xpect to shed some unnecessary baggage at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, located on the edge of an azure lagoon on the Thai island of Koh Samui. A life-enriching destination, Kamalaya has earned notable tourism industry praise including being named one of five recipients in the “Favorite Destination Spas International” category of the Spa Magazine 2010 Silver Sage Readers’ Choice Awards.

Kamalaya’s facilities and accommodations circle a cave that, for centuries, served as a place of meditative and spiritual retreat for

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Buddhist monks, which is expressed in its name, “lotus realm,” an ancient symbol for the growth and unfolding of the human spirit. The aura of that energy, combined with the lush, tropical setting, provides a natural environment for Kamalaya guests to reach their potential through healing practices and signature wellness retreats that integrate Eastern and Western philosophies.

Transcending the traditional spa fare, Kamalaya promotes a foundation for healthy lifestyles with long-term holistic options that are designed to bring harmony to the mind, body and spirit. Guests can concentrate on

Thomas Zerlauth, JD Marston, Daniel Leser

+66 (0) 77 429 800 • kamalaya.com

“The spa is

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set amidst tropical vegetation and a granite boulder with serene views of the sea below.”

personal growth with wellness programs that offer synergistic solutions for detox, yoga, stress and burnout, fitness and weight control.

A team of international naturopaths also can create tailor-made health programs from an extensive range of holistic medicine, spa and healing therapies.

The rejuvenation theme of Kamalaya is extended in unique spa treatments, body therapies and massages that combine ancient healing traditions with contemporary approaches. The spa is set amidst tropical vegetation and a granite boulder, with serene views of the sea below. A signature service is the Chi Nei Tsang (Taoist Abdominal Massage), which promotes digestive health and circulation by releasing emotional and psychological tension.

Kamalaya’s casual and relaxed atmosphere encourages a sense of community that inspires guests to achieve lasting and optimal wellbeing in a self-contained setting. An emphasis is placed on disconnecting from worldly distractions, including a policy of having no TVs in guest rooms.

An essential ingredient of Kamalaya’s nourishing environment is inspired, nutrient-rich cuisine: fresh, tropical and organic produce, extensive vegetarian selections, seafood, poultry and lamb, and fresh juices, signature tonics and herbal teas.

In addition, the Detox Cuisine features low inflammatory, low allergenic and low GI vegetarian dishes. – SC

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Evason Ma’In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa

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t the Evason Ma’In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa, Mother Nature helps you dig deep (below sea level, in fact) to find a healthy balance. Located about 20 miles from the “mosaic” city of Madaba, Jordan, and 25 miles from the Dead Sea, Evason Ma’In is a rugged but serene oasis tucked in between mountain landscapes and natural hot springs. The Middle Eastern jewel has earned several awards including being named one of the top 45 new hotels by Travel & Leisure in 2010.

Accommodations and guest services are guided by the Six Senses philosophy of uncompromised responsibility for the

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environment and community. Evason Ma’In’s Six Senses Spa is a breathtaking tribute to the property’s eco-sensitivity. The spa sits directly under one of the natural hot spring waterfalls that cascades into the main pool where you can soak and relax in natural healing minerals.

Legend has it that King Herod once bathed in the resort’s hot springs.

The Six Senses Spa menu is based on the SLOW (sustainable, local, organic, wholesome) concept of rejuvenation, and inspired by the historic spice, silk and frankincense routes of the region. Treatments focus on the therapeutic properties of the mineral-rich waters, combined with Asian

Six Senses Resorts & Spas

+962 5 324 5500 • sixsenses.com/evason-ma-in

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“...one of

the natural hot spring waterfalls... cascades into the main pool where you can soak... in natural healing minerals.”

and Six Senses signature treatments. Services are infused with chemical-free, indigenous ingredients, including Dead Sea salts and mud, organic Jordanian extra-cold pressed virgin olive oil, fresh olives, ripe dates and the thermal waters of the Ma’In springs.

In addition to a comprehensive lineup of body massages and facial treatments, the Six Senses Spa offers SLOW “extras,” such as the Hammam Ma’In Signature Journey experience, a head-to-toe detoxification that improves cell metabolism with mineral-rich salts, steam, a Dead Sea biological mud wrap, private bath with warm henna flower oil hair and scalp massage, and restorative full body massage. In-room spa suites are available with stunning views of the Dead Sea. An organic herb and vegetable garden supports the resort’s sustainable mission and is a vital resource to the property’s restaurants, including Panorama, which is situated on a cliff at the edge of the Dead Sea where guests can catch a glimpse of the lights of Jerusalem and beautiful sunsets reflecting across the water. – SC

january/february • 2011

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escape enlightened explorer

Irish Gem ating back to 1228,

D

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Treatments with a Twist

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urrounded by lush vegetation and panoramic ocean views, the Serenity Spa Cottage at Hotel Le Toiny in St. Barth is the picture of rest and relaxation. And with a wide array of treatments to choose from, each consisting of local spa products featuring exotic oils and fragrances of the Caribbean Islands, you’ll be in lost in the splendor of this getaway of relaxation, intimacy and exclusivity. The resort’s new St. Barth ChillOut Spa Treatment utilizes handpolished, self-heating round clam shells filled with a natural selfheating mineral mixture, creating a muscle tension relieving massage that is unparalleled. letoiny.com A luxury destination that focuses on a holistic approach to health, Chiva-Som Health Resort is located in the seaside village of Hua Hin, Thailand, where guests are pampered in a secluded world of beauty and serenity. Focused on lifestyle transformations that achieve wellness and longevity, the resort offers personalized Art of Detox retreats designed to purge the body of unwanted toxins. Available in 5-, 7-, 10- and 14-day packages, each retreat begins with a personalized health and wellness consultation and includes daily massages, cleansing diet and yoga. Additional treatments such as the Chiva-Som Body Cocoon and Smoothing Salt Scrub are also available. chivasom.com

For a truly exclusive experience, the COMO Shambhala Retreat at Parrot Cay in the North Caicos Channel is an award-winning sanctuary where mind, body and spirit are nurtured holistically.

Offering a variety of treatments ranging from hot stone massage and Reiki, the spa indulges guests with signature services include the COMO Shambhala Massage, a nurturing massage that uses a blended oils to calm the mind and rejuvenate the body. Guests can also participate in programs that focus on stress management and help in the pursuit of a more balanced self. 649-946-7788, parrotcay.como.bz Perched on the edge of the Tongue of the Ocean, a deep oceanic trench in the Bahamas, Kamalame Cay is a private island hideaway unlike any other. The secluded beachfront cottages combined with three miles of white sand shores that run the length of the island are just what the body and soul need to re-center, relax and rejuvenate. Enjoy the Overwater Spa where all of the treatment rooms have been completely refurbished and now boast floors made of glass windows. Treatments include tempting new therapies such as rosemary citron sea salt scrub and a special sun repair facial. 800-790-7971, kamalame.com

Ashford Castle, Hotel Le Toiny, Chiva-Som Health Resort, COMO Shambhala Retreat, Kamalame Cay

Ashford Castle in Mayo, Ireland was once the estate of the Guinness family. It first opened as a hotel in 1939 and since then, has established an unsurpassed reputation for providing guests with the finest accommodations.

Voted the No. 1 resort hotel in Europe by Conde Nast Traveler readers and one of the top 10 resort properties in Europe by Travel + Leisure, the splendor of Ashford is recognized by luxury travelers all over the world.

Located on the banks of Lough Corrib and the River Cong, one of the most famous fisheries in Ireland, Ashford Castle is a fisherman’s dream.

Known for its wiled brown trout and salmon, the lake is teeming with catch during the Mayfly Hatch in May and June, while the spring run of salmon enter the river sometimes as early as February.

Ashford Castle offers a bevy of other activities, including strolls through the property’s gardens filled with lush lawns and trees dating back to the mid-19th century. End your day with a culinary creation by chef Stefan Matz, who has developed an impressive choice of four unique dining experiences, each with its inimitable style and ambience.

800-346-7007, ashford.ie

escape enlightened explorer

Hold Steady or smooth travel, universal luggage stabilizers

F

by Train Reaction will help even the seasoned traveler get to their destination with ease. To connect and roll two pieces of wheeled luggage in virtually any size and combination with half the effort, simply place the shorter bag up front and attach through that bag’s extended handle; the other end attaches to the larger bag’ riveted handle.

Then it’s happy towing. $14.95 to $49.95 at trainreaction.com.

Texas fests

just a few of our favs

january

A

fter a meticulous restoration required by the National Historical Landmark Association, the Hotel Parq Central has opened its historic doors. Housed in an 84-year-old building that was once the original Santa Fe Memorial Hospital, the highlyanticipated Hotel Parq Central is located in a delightful area of Albuquerque filled with some of the city’s best restaurants and up-and-coming galleries.

This is a place to rest, relax and refresh with stylishly appointed guestrooms, an outdoor dining plaza, spacious garden park and a rooftop lounge with panoramic views of the mountains, downtown city lights and enchanting Southwest sunsets. 800-796-7277, hotelparqcentral.com

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Texas Citrus Fiesta (Mission) texascitrusfiesta.net

Washington’s Birthday Celebration (Laredo) main.wbcalaredo.net

Winter Antiques Show (Brenham) ruraltexasantiques.com

Causeway Run & Fitness Walk (Port Isabel) portisabel.org/chamber

february Texas cowboy poetry gathering (Alpine) texascowboypoetry.com

Rockport Clay Expo rockportartcenter.com

Rio Grande Valley Music Fest (Mercedes) rgvmf.com

15th Annual Whooping Crane Festival (Port Aransas) whoopingcranefestival.org Events subject to change.

California Dreamin’ ucked away on more than 200 private acres in a secluded

T

valley north of San Diego, is Cal-a-Vie, a luxury health spa and resort that combines European spa philosophies with California-inspired concepts of fitness, health and nutrition. The French Provencal-style retreat is embellished with European antiques and historical pieces, bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to the heart of southern California.

Featuring 26 private villas, guests will relish the feeling of “getting away from it all” at this intimate getaway, where health and well being are the order of the day. Therapeutic treatments, such as the signature Cal-a-Vie Thai Massage, coupled with mind-body-spirit classes bring a sense of rejuvenation and mental clarity.

Adding more to the concept of healthy living is the innovative spa menu designed by executive chef Jason Graham. Featuring fresh, regional produce; unprocessed whole grains; essential fatty acids and lean proteins, Cal-a-Vie’s cuisine brings healthy cuisine to gourmet status.

Multi-day plans and packages are available, which include meals, accommodations, treatments, classes, lectures, cooking demonstrations, and a fitness evaluation wellness profile. 866-772-4238, cal-a-vie.com

Hotel Parq Central, Train Reaction, Cal-a-Vie

Restoration Complete

post cards

Dear Prime Living, y ce, quiet and privac Looking to find pea the new year? for h pat ten bea off the heck, just your Grab the family or, Texas’s Big Bend st We bike and head to e skies stretch blu l sta region, where cry ains. With more unt mo to sas me from es of public land than 1 million acr d National Park and making up Big Ben te Park, this is Big Bend Ranch Sta , tion for adventure tina des t fec the per fun. and ine nsh su ing, rafting, hik view y, I promise, the Wherever you sta t righ ds car r you y ! Pla will be beautiful partake in the to get n eve ’ll and you Day n or President’s Big Bend Maratho re! the you festivities. See – Samantha

see + Do Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest

Story | Samantha Edmondson

T

here’s no question that Houston is one of the most diverse cities in Texas. Yet, like most residents, we do the same things, in the same places, with the same people.

For a complete change of pace, head way out west to Big Bend for a one-of-a-kind adventure.

Big Bend is like a geology textbook, complete with desert, river and mountains. Grab your bike and ride through the Chihuahuan Desert or strap on your hiking boots and explore Big Bend National Park. If you’re looking for more than just a stroll in the park, grab an all-terrain vehicle at the Far Flung Outdoor Center (800-839-7238, farflungoutdoorcenter.com), where a guide can take you to “back of beyond,” where you can explore the more than 800,000 acres, including the Rio Grande.

When it’s time to lay your head after an exciting day outdoors, there’s plenty of choices such as the Gage Hotel and Big Bend Resort.

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But nestled between the National Park and the Ranch State Park is the Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa (432-424-5000, lajitasgolfresort.com), a unique property that is rich in Old West tradition.

Spend an afternoon at the Agave Spa where you’ll be nurtured and rejuvenated after your day out and about. When dinner time rolls around, dining at the resort is pure pleasure for the senses. Try Ocotillo or the Thirsty Goat, offering gourmet West Texas fare prepared with the finest, freshest ingredients in an innovative approach to traditional southwestern cuisine.

If roughing it isn’t quite your cup of tea and a day at the spa is even less, meet somewhere in the middle with the Lajitas Longhorn Museum located at the resort. Nothing symbolizes Texas more than a cowboy herding Texas Longhorn.

There’s no doubt nothing kicks off the new year better than the experience of West Texas!

Lajitas Stables

Experience Big Bend Ranch State Park by horseback on trail rides that last anywhere from one hour to five days.

A fun and different way to explore the beauty around you, not to mention relaxing— no walking or hiking required.

432-371-3066 lajitasstables.com

Café Cenizo

Located at the Gage Hotel, this eclectic restaurant features seafood flown in daily, and fruits and vegetables picked right out of their own gardens. Entrees include everything from cracked black ’n pink peppercorn encrusted beef tenderloin to chicken fried steak.

102 NW First St., Marathon 432-386-4205 gagehotel.com

Mike Davidson | NPS/Eric Leonard

big bend

Scheduled for Feb. 17-19, this epic mountain bike celebration features three days of Big Bend spring riding. Although the Desert Dirt Fest may be for the bike enthusiast, Desert Sports offers plenty of guided tours no matter your riding style or fitness level.

22937 FM 170, Terlingua 432-371-2727 desertsportstx.com

Choose this treasure for business or pleasure!

• Excellent meeting spaces, elegant wedding and banquet facilities • Luxurious spa and 130,000-sq-ft fitness center • 2 golf courses nearby Call now for information about our Sunday Brunches and Wednesday Family Night Buffets (when kids eat FREE!) Just south of Houston on Scenic Clear Lake (281) 334-1000 www.sshr.com

9300-H&GSpring'11PrimeLivingMag(Jan-Feb)_H&GWoodlandsSpr'10Exhibit_PC 12/1/10 4:49 PM Page 1

E H T !

E E V T SA DA

FEBRUARY 19 & 20

Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center

9th Annual

NEW NEW PRODUCTS IDEAS

NEW TRENDS

for

2011

Visit our Show Website and print out an online discount coupon for $1.00 OFF SHOW ADMISSION

WoodlandsShows.com

sleep equation live well

The

s

Story | Sally J. Clasen

leep. We all need a little shut-eye to function as reasonable humans but how much do we really need? Some people claim they require just a few hours to be rested and productive. Others can never get enough—and still feel and look like they haven’t been to bed for years.

What is the magic slumber number? The general rule of thumb for adults is seven to nine hours, but what works for one in the bedroom, so to speak, doesn’t necessarily work for another.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adequate sleep is related to an individual’s needs and should be measured by quality, not quantity.

Matthew Edlund, M.D., M.O.H., a sleep expert and author of The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough. A 30-Day Plan to Reset Your Body, agrees that the right amount of sleep is based on one’s sleep efficiency.

“As we age, we tend to sleep less but we’re also less efficient at getting sleep,” he says.

In fact, achieving restful sleep can be a nightmare for boomers. Insomnia affects about half of all people over age 55 and about 37 percent of American adults age 30 to 69 have at least mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In a sleep apnea cycle, breathing stops, blood oxygen levels drop and the person wakes briefly gasping for breath. For men over age 40, having sleep apnea more than doubles their potential for a stroke.

five-star Rest

The Skinny on Sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in our physical and mental well being: it bolsters the immune system, provides energy and benefits memory consolidation and learning.

“If you don’t sleep, you really don’t learn,” Dr. Edlund explains. “Sleep allows you to ‘clear’ the inbox and have it open the next morning to take in new information.”

Besides making you sluggish and fatigued, sleep deprivation can impair your ability to perform safety-critical tasks, such as driving a car. In addition, a lack of quality sleep increases your chance for high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, depression and obesity, according to Dr. Edlund.

If you’re not sure you’re getting adequate sleep, he says to examine how you feel. If you are cranky, tired and unhappy, you’re probably sleep-deprived.

“The goal of sleep is to rejuvenate the body,” Dr. Edlund says. “When we sleep, we regenerate the skin, muscle joints and brain.

The body rebuilds itself rapidly but if you aren’t getting enough sleep, you don’t regenerate.”

We spend one-third of our life in bed, so wouldn’t it be nice to rack up the hours in comfort and style? You don’t have to sleep under five stars to get high-end rest. Luxury sleeping products for the home include mattresses made with organic materials and extended warranties, and pillows containing heavenly rare down.

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winding down

Individuals do all sorts of things to create an environment fit for sleep but being well-rested isn’t just about getting a good night’s sleep, it’s knowing how to actively rest before you hit the sheets, says Dr. Edlund. To help you wind down so that your sleep is efficient, he recommends some simple techniques: 1. Rest before sleep, preferably for an hour, usually best in a quiet, calm place.

2. Have a conditioning ritual, i.e., turn down your bed, floss and brush your teeth, put out the clothes for the next day. Some read, some listen to music, but active rest techniques can really help you calm the brain so body clocks can take over to help you sleep.

3. If other things fail, take a hot bath, which causes you to sweat. Physiologically, for many, sweating leads to deeper, more continuous sleep by manipulating core body temperature.

Sweet dreams, boomers.

2000T II

Swedish bed-maker Hästens uses all-natural materials to construct their iconic blue and white check, handcrafted beds with built-in frames. The 2000T II model includes six layers of cotton and wool, and four layers of hand placed genuine horsehair, which provide superior ventilation and conforms to the body. 25-year warranty. $23,000 (queen) at Kuhl-Linscomb, 2424 W. Alabama. 713-526-6000, kuhl-linscomb.com

live well

prevent

breathe better sleep better

h

Story | Margie Connolly

aving trouble falling asleep or back to sleep? The “6-2-7-3” method is a yoga-based breathing exercise to calm and slow down the mind and body to enhance your ability to sleep.

Here’s how: Inhale slowly through the nose for a count of 6. Hold the breath in for a count of 2. Slowly and completely exhale through the nose for a count of 7. Hold the breath out for a count of 3.

Inhaling deep into the bottom of the lungs, near the diaphragm, has been shown to calm the body’s autonomic nervous system, temporarily lowering the blood pressure. Further research has shown that slow, complete exhaling rids the body of toxins and slows the heart rate slightly. Briefly holding the breaths in and out enhances the calming and detoxifying effects. Finally, slowly counting during the breaths relaxes the mind, allowing other distracting or worrisome thoughts to be put out of mind temporarily.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) reports that it has studied the effects of moderate exercise on sleep habits of formerly sedentary persons and has concluded that moderate exercise three to five times per week enhances the quality of sleep. This is most likely due to the release of “endorphins” or “feel-good” hormones during and after exercise. The finding may also be attributed to improved circulation and breathing capacity, which enhances overall health, and accordingly, the quality of sleep.

Margie Connolly is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and owner of My Personal Fitness Studio in Sugar Land.

Beyond Luxury Palais Royale

Multiple layers of organic materials including cashmere, mohair, wool, cotton and Talalay latex nurture your body, prevent heat and moisture, and eliminate pressure points in this hand-tufted, hand-stitched mattress made by E.S. Kluft & Co. In addition, thousands of English springs are encased in calico cotton to minimize motion and provide extraordinary support. 20-year warranty. $26,889 (queen) at bloomingdales.com.

Health news One a Day for Colon Health?

A long-term study published in the Lancet in October suggested low-dose (75 to 300 mg) aspirin may protect against colon cancer, the second leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. European researchers analyzed the results from four trials involving 14,000 people. After 20 years of follow-up, colon cancer cases were reduced by 24 percent and colon cancer deaths by 35 percent among study participants. Despite the news, aspirin to prevent or treat colon cancer remains controversial. The American Cancer Society does not recommend taking aspirin as prevention for colon cancer because chronic use can cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding.

Cool Stamp of Fat Removal The Zerona Laser is the first FDAapproved, non-invasive body contouring procedure that effectively removes undesirable excess fat, reducing inches off buttocks, waist, belly, hips, thighs and torso. The cool-laser technology targets unwanted fat under the skin by

GrandBed

stimulating a bio-physiological process that emulsifies fat within fat cells.

According to the manufacturer, Erchonia, patients experience no discomfort, surgical risks or downtime with the laser treatment. The regimen requires six treatments over a four-week period. Price: $2,000 to $3,500.

Upward Trends

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts the number of new diabetes cases annually will increase from eight per 1,000 in 2008 to 15 per 1,000 in 2050. By 2050, between one-fifth and onethird of all adults could have diabetes—with virtually all the increase attributed to type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable.

Nip Tuck

According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 12.5 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2009, down 1 percent from 2008; up 69 percent since 2000. – SC

Tempur-Pedic’s GrandBed is made with TEMPUR-HD (high-density) memory foam, the pressure-relieving materials provide spongy cushioned softness that conforms to the body, and adjusts to body weight and temperature.

The mattress is wrapped in two comfort layers and a formative support layer in a silk-blend cover. 90-day home trial, 20-year warranty. $6,299 (queen) at tempurpedic.com.

Eiderdown Pillow

The 360-threadcount pillow by St. Geneve is made with 100 percent long-staple Egyptian cotton and rare 99.9 down from the Common Eider Duck, the softest and lightest down in the world. Pillow is hypo-allergenic and hand sewn with a special “sealed edge” construction. $2,365 (queen, soft) at downheaven.com. – SC

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Prime Living’s 2nd Annual Gateway to Luxury

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Million Air Houston • 12.2.10

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On Dec. 2, Million Air FBO welcomed guests to two private jet hangars that were transformed into a luxurious winter wonderland with beautiful floral designs provided by Prime Living’s exclusive florist, Flowers by Nino. Guests relaxed in lounge areas created by Roche Bobois while enjoying complimentary gourmet bites from Aura Restaurant, desserts by Sprinkles, signature cocktails by Makers Mark and Double Cross, and wines from Mid-State Wines and Ikal 1150. Attendees also viewed rare, luxury vehicles provided by Porsche of North Houston, Houston Superbikes and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of Houston, and were treated to private jet tours, a vintage plane collection and live entertainment by award-winning vocalist Kristine Mills. The evening also showcased a collection of fully decorated holiday trees as part of an auction to raise funds for Grace Flight, a Texas-based nonprofit dedicated to helping people in need of free air transportation for medical and humanitarian purposes.

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see prime-living.com for a video from this event 1 Adriana Villasenor 2 Amber Butaud 3 Tammy Greene Dowe, Hanh Tran

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get on the list at primelist@prime-living.com

4 Ashlee Hoel Scher, Willie Hinz 5 Kathy Boyhan, Frederic Perrier, Vianne DeYoung 6 Craig Longhurst, Debora Galmiche 7 Rose Hinz 8 Diane Eilbeck, Karmen Kelley 9 Karyn Dean, Dayna Reynolds 10 Whitney Davis, Cristine Foster, Dr. Guy Lewis, Allison Murray 11 Franklyn Barnett 12 Tommy Evans, Carla Burton, Jay Jenkins 13 Brian Wyka 14 Jay Jenkins, Renee Bradshaw 15 Kevin King, Alicia Centeno

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Art For Arthritis

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InterContinental Houston • 10.28.10

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It was an artful celebration for the Arthritis Foundation as more than 200 guests gathered at the InterContinental Houston on Oct. 28 for the 5th Annual Art for Arthritis benefit, which also honored Deborah Cannon, president and CEO of the Houston Zoo, for her broad leadership contributions to the community. The annual fete celebrates the rich tapestry that is Houston’s unique art scene. From hand and trunk-painted art by the zoo’s orangutan and elephant, to pieces graciously donated by local artists, the event’s auction raised more than $88,000.

Photography | Leroy Gibbins

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1 See More photos at Prime-Living.com 1 Barbara Goldfield, Cathryn Selman 2 Janet and James Golden, Mary Lou Shniderson

P R I M E L I V I N G M A R C H 2 0 1 1

the issue INTERVIEW WITH

B I L L ST U B B S ALL NEW

AS I D S H OWCASE: SIENNA PLANTATION

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escape

PUB CRAWL THROUGH

IRELAND

Fire & Ice Post Oak Grill • 10.21.10

On Oct. 21, Prime Living and The Grand Soiree treated select VIP guests to an unforgettable evening of indulgence, featuring a succulent mini dinner, fabulous wine and a stunning jewelry show by Thomas Markle, who also hand selected rare couture pieces reflective of items from the menu. To top the evening off with a sweet ending, a spectacular “jeweled” dessert created by pastry chef Courtney Goff was served.

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get on the list at primelist@prime-living.com 1 Christen Johnson, Carolyn Williams 2 Doug, Courtney and Susie Goff 3 Thomas Markle, Angela Forester 4 Dianne Pettit, Janice Lowenstein, Cherie Loren 5 Dave Wood, Cindy Gloe, Mark Hodges 6 David and Janis Roberts, Casey and Amber Butaud 7 Karyn Dean, Thomas Markle

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International Risotto Festival

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Houston Design Center • 10.17.10

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It was a delicious afternoon filled with food, fun and festivities as the Houston Design Center held their 8th Annual International Risotto Festival. Some of Houston’s finest chefs brought their unique recipes and favorite risotto dishes to contend in this culinary competition that benefited the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management, one of the top hospitality programs in the world. Guests sipped on Italian wines and sampled various risottos and other tasty treats while strolling the tree-shrouded setting. Italian music added to the festive scene on this perfect Sunday afternoon.

Photography | Kim Coffman

See More photos at Prime-Living.com

Jan. 15 3rd Legacy’s Annual Cabaret for a Cure Gala Featuring legendary singing sensation Chaka Khan.

Benefitting the HIV/AIDS programs at Legacy Community Health Services. Hilton AmericasHouston, 1600 Lamar St. 6 p.m. $500. 713-574-9736, cabaretforacure.org

Jan. 18 Paul “Bear” Bryant College Football Coaching Awards An annual tradition since 1957, this awards program was held in the Bear’s honor after he passed away from a heart attack.

Benefitting the American Heart Association. Hilton AmericasHouston, 1600 Lamar St. $250.

713-610-5026, americanheart.org

Jan. 22 Northern Lights & Starry Nights The 2011 ABC/13 Women of Distinction will be honored at this event benefitting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.

Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar St. 6 p.m. Starting at $500. 713-572-2232, ccfa.org

Jan. 27

© Brigitte Lacombe 2010 spoken from the heart, scribner

Denton A. Cooley Leadership Awards Honoring former First Lady Laura Bush, who has always been an advocate for women’s health, education and human

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rights. Benefitting the Texas Heart Institute. Westin Galleria, 5060 W. Alabama. 7 p.m.

Starting at $350. 832-355-4011, texasheartinstitute.org

dinner and dancing to the Klockwork Band. Hilton Houston Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. 7 p.m.

Starting at $200. 713-662-7430, westuparks.org

Jan. 29 Martinis in Monaco Spend an evening enjoying fine dining, exotic martinis, casino games and dancing to Yvonne Washington and The Mix. Benefitting the Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services.

Hilton Post Oak Houston, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. 7 p.m. $375.

713-778-5781, sevenacres.org

Feb. 1 Rienzi Society Dinner Formal black-tie event held in the ballroom of Rienzi, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston house museum for European decorative arts. Proceeds will fund the Rienzi collection. Rienzi, 1406 Kirby Dr. 7 p.m. $2,500.

713-639-7355, mfah.org

Feb. 4 Good Brick Awards Recognizing local contributions to the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of Houston’s architectural and cultural heritage. Benefiting the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.

River Oaks Country Club, 1600 River Oaks Blvd., 7 p.m. $300.

713-216-5000, ghpa.org

Feb. 13 Paul “Bear” Bryant College Football Coaching Awards, Jan. 18

Feb. 3 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun… In Funky Town Treat yourself to a night of boutique shopping, lavish indulgences and even palm readings. Benefitting the Houston Ronald McDonald House. Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar St. 6 p.m. $125. 713-795-3585, rmhhouston.org

Feb. 5 Latin American Experience Gala and Auction An evening filled with culture, food, music, fun and the love of Latin American art.

Benefitting the Latin American Art Department. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. 7:30 p.m. $500 and $1,000. 713-639-7523, mfah.org

Feb. 8 Wild Things Featuring cocktails, cigars, a wild game dinner and magic show.

Benefitting the Alley Theatre.

Coronado Club, 919 Milam St. 6:30 p.m. $750. 713-315-3389, alleytheatre.org

Feb. 12 Park Lovers’ Ball: An Evening in Cupid’s Garden This ball promises to be an exciting and unforgettable evening featuring cocktails,

Denton A. Cooley Leadership Awards, Jan. 27

Book & Author Dinner Featuring Emmy-nominated broadcast journalist Minerva Perez. Benefitting the Literacy Council of Fort Bend County.

Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford. 5:30 p.m. $75.

281-240-8181, ftbendliteracy.org

Feb. 19 2011 Houston Ballet Ball: Designed to Dance Partake in a multi-course dinner

by Jackson and Company, while enjoying entertainment by Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Orchestra. Benefitting the Houston Ballet Foundation.

Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas. 7 p.m. $1,000.

713-535-3276, houstonballet.org

Feb. 19 Montgomery County “Bling for the Heart” Heart Ball Annual Montgomery County Heart Ball benefitting the American Heart Association.

Woodlands Waterway Marriott, 1601 Lake Robbins Drive.

Call for time and price.

713-610-5000, heart.org

Feb. 24 Girlfriends Giggle Treat yourself to a night of boutique shopping, lavish indulgences and even palm readings. Benefitting the Fort Bend County Women’s Center.

Fluor Corp., 1 Fluor Daniel Dr. 6:30 p.m. $65. 281-344-5750, fortbendwomenscenter.org

Prices listed are for individual tickets. Sponsorships may be available. Event dates, times and prices subject to change. To have your event considered for inclusion in the Datebook, send complete event information to datebook@prime-living.com.

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A lovely bike ride under a canopy of trees marks the end to our photo shoot for “Splendor in the Grass,” a how-to on throwing a vintage-inspired, romantic picnic for two.

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Photographed on Nov. 11, 2010 by Mark Lipczynski.

© 2010, Executive AirShare

Now arriving, fractional ownership at a fraction of the cost.

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