PRIME Living's 2012 January/February "Healthy Living" issue by SRG Services, Inc.

january/february 2012

The Luxury of Choice

pure Turn back the clock with a spa getaway of a lifetime

I ď &#x2122; Italy Fall in love all over again, Italian style

Leading Man

in step with ballroom dance king Corky Ballas

Un-Masked

Let the good times roll with a Mardi Gras masquerade

Texas

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Discover Darling Homes in Riverstone, with luxurious patio homes on wooded homesites in Nandina. Priced from the $390s, our homes feature opulent master retreats, grand kitchens and inviting outdoor living spaces— perfect for entertaining and a lifestyle you deserve.

Patio homes from the $390s . 2,700 to 3,700 sq.ft.

woodforesttx.com

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Darling Homes’ enclave of 17 homesites offers luxurious Patio Homes ranging from 1,900 to 2,900 square feet. Architecturally pleasing designs with brick and stone elevations feature open floor plans and large island kitchens with room for family seating.

Patio homes from the $220s . 1,900 to 2,900 sq.ft.

siennaplantation.com

facebook.com/siennaplantation . Sienna Parkway at Hwy. 6 Darling Homes introduces new luxury home sites in the beautiful community of Sienna Plantation. Darling Homes offers flexible designs ranging from 2,100 to over 3,000 square feet with private master suites, large secondary bedrooms, gourmet kitchens, media rooms, three-car garages and covered porches.

Patio homes from the $230s . 2,100 to 3,000 sq.ft.

American Classic Series This exceptional collection of homes will invite you to experience life the way it should be—the way it used to be with the feel of vintage architecture, classic fixtures and finishing touches that evoke the warm, inviting atmosphere that you have come to expect from a Darling home.

This Series is offered in Woodforest and Sienna Plantation.

Homes from the $240s . 2,100 to 3,300 sq.ft.

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january/february 2012

dance the

man Keeping in step with Corky Ballas, Houston’s own ballroom dance king

destination detox

Give your body the post-holiday gift of a healthy, detoxifying escape

valentine’s in venice

Discover the romance and charm of the immortal Queen of the Sea

56 january/february • 2012

alsoinside 9 • cocktails & conversation • Where to Go, What to Do Let the Good Times Roll • Lights! Camera! Dinner! • Buzz Home Away From Home • Sweat it Out • Camera Ready Resolution Time • My Life

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Karyn Dean

kdean@prime-living.com

Publisher Terry Dean

tdean@prime-living.com

37 • connoisseur • PL’s Guide to Discerning Taste Spice & Zen • Good Eats • Table Talk • Down Under Looks Up •

Managing Editor Michelle Jacoby

Mardi Gras Masquerade

49 • the gentlemen’s room • For the man who commands the very best Moving On Up • Along Came a Spyder • Tax-Efficient Investing Happy, Healthy New You • Golf for One

mjacoby@prime-living.com

Art Direction & Design SW!TCH s t u d i o Jim Nissen Erin Loukili Kris Olmon, Chaidi Lobato

62 • pL’s Passport • Greetings from destinations near and far Enlightened Explorer • Palo Duro Canyon 69 • live well • Feel Good, Look Good Get Your Spa On • All Together Now • Health Buzz • Bringing Sexy Back 76 • prime list • Events, Galas and Fundraisers Ferrari Festival • Bone Bash • International Risotto Festival • Celebrity Bartending Challenge for Charity • Home Sweet Home Gingerbread Bash

www.switchstudio.com

Account Executive Justin Parker jparker@prime-living.com

Marketing/Events Executive Jennifer Dean jend@prime-living.com

Circulation/ Distribution Brian Stavert

bstavert@prime-living.com

the

list

Contact 311 Julie Rivers Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77498 281.277.2333 Editorial Inquiries editor@prime-living.com Advertising Information advertise@prime-living.com

Texas

januar

y/febr

012 uary 2

e The Luxury of Choic

pure clock with a spa Turn back the e getaway of a lifetim

I  Italy all over again, Fall in love Italian style

ing Man Lead dance with ballroom in step king Corky Ballas

asked with a Un-M good times roll Let the de Mardi Gras masquera

prime-living.com

on the cover For the ultimate Zen moment, get away to the Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa in Thailand, where a complete body detox will restore the “real” you. Photo courtesy of Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas.

subscribe AT www.prime-living.com ©2012 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.

publisher’s note What better

wayto burn off a few calories thanwitha

whirl around the

coming up Usher in a season of outdoor parties and springtime soirees with our special Entertaining in Style issue.

code decoded Throughout this issue, you’ll find QR codes designed to heighten your Prime Living experience. Here’s how to use them: 1. From your mobile phone, download any free QR code scanning app 2. Scan codes, like the one below, for fun surprises and special offers. Happy scanning!

dance floor?

karyn dean Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

recently saw a bumper sticker that read, “#1 Baby Boomer Enemy: STRESS!” And here I thought my No. 1 enemy were terrorists! There are many causes of stress in our life, too numerous to name, and the negative effects stress has on our health are just as many: memory loss, increase in “belly fat” and, the silent killer, high blood pressure. To kick off 2012, we’ve decided to share a few ways to help you reduce your stress level this year. Short trips away from the day-to-day grind are a great way to reduce your stress level. In “Home Away From Home” (page 14), we showcase some of Texas’s top bed and breakfasts, where you’re sure to get plenty of R&R. If you’re looking for a more exotic getaway, “Destination Detox” (page 28) features four amazing spa resorts that take body renewal and health to a new level. From ayurvedic healing at Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos, to stress management at the COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali, one trip to these wellness retreats will leave you feeling like a whole new you. Another great way to reduce stress is with exercise. And what better way to burn off a few calories than with a whirl around the dance floor? We had the great pleasure of visiting with Corky Ballas, native Houstonian, International Latin ballroom dance champion and dad to Mark Ballas of “Dancing With the Stars” fame. His grace and elegance is not only apparent on the dance floor, but also in our compelling profile, “The Dance Man” (page 23). Fred Astaire, move over! Speaking of exercise, ever notice how many fitness fads we’ve gone through over the years? For a humorous and nostalgic look at some of the most unique ways to get in shape, check out “Sweat it Out” (page 15). From those old timey belt massagers to Suzanne Somers and her infamous ThighMaster, our memories of these inventive products play out like a scene from “I Love Lucy!” For more stress reduction ideas, take a night off from cooking and venture over to Aling’s Hakka Chinese Cuisine in Sugar Land. Chef and co-owner Gary Yan not only dishes up a unique blend of Chinese and Indian cuisine, he also gladly modifies dishes to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions, including gluten-free. Read all about it in “Spice & Zen” (page 38). Here’s to a healthier, stress free year!

kdean@prime-living.com prime-living.com

True Elegance

Elegant Jewelers, Inc

3376 Highway 6 | Sugar Land, Texas 77478 | 281-980-5599 | ElegantJewelers1.com

Fast, Expert Jewelry and Watch Repair /All Work Done On Premises by Master Jewelers | Watch Batteries (While You Wait) | Appraisals (Certified Gemologist On Staff)

Get IN Shape Get Get IN IN Shape Shape Just In Time Get IN Shape Just Time Just In In Time For TheThe Just In Time For The For Summer For The Summer Summer Summer

cocktails & conversation.

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

inside:

Inn at Dos Brisas

cocktails & conversation.

prime ten

let the

Good Times Roll

Mardi Gras is a season of revelry and good times, but some partygoers exceed the age limit on the annual frivolity. Here are 10 Mardi Gras traditions you just might need to retire.

Story | sally j. clasen Illustration | John S. Dykes

Bead busting. Yes, the 25-year-old girl standing next to you is lifting her shirt in exchange for some cheap beaded necklaces. But she’s young and perky, while you—and your assets—are not.

prime-living.com

Masquerading. Speaking of plastic, getting a facelift prior to a masquerade party won’t fool anyone or qualify as mandatory ball attire.

Letting the good times roll (on and on). Laissez les bons temps rouler is the official slogan of Mardi Gras, but you’re in no shape to wake up the day after Fat Tuesday and learn it’s Cardiac Wednesday.

Jamming the jambalaya. There’s not enough Pepcid AC in New Orleans to combat a boomer’s top health concern: acid reflux and intolerance for spicy food. Drowning in hurricanes. Even though your college drinking nickname was “Typhoon,” your ability to consume specialty rum beverages at the speed of galeforce winds ended when storm names began with the letter A. Pretending you’re Parisian. Native New Orleanians appreciate your attempt to embrace the local dialect, but it’s Cajun French. In other words, s’il vous plait drop the faux Parisian via south Texas accent. Diving for doubloons. Dressing like a priest won’t protect you from being trampled by an ambitious 25-year-old (see No. 1) in a competitive bid to catch some worthless “gold” coins tossed from a float. Chomping on the king cake. Do you really want to explain to your high-priced dentist that you chipped a veneer trying to locate a hidden plastic baby in a pastry? Order a beignet instead. Voodoo retirement plan. If you believe the varied predictions of every fortune teller on Bourbon Street, it only reveals that you are old and desperate. Crawfish boil overflow. When “pinch the tail and suck the head” becomes your catchall expression and your adult children seek family intervention, it’s time to retire the celebratory phrase.

point of interest

cocktails & conversation.

Lights! Camera! Dinner! Story | jean ciampi

AlamO Drafthouse Cinema

n these days of pay-per-view and DVD rentals on every corner, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has given us a full menu of reasons to return to the magical experience of the big screen. Gone are the disruptive packs of teenagers, cell phone abusers and crying babies. In their place are gourmet dishes to tantalize the taste buds, cold beer, fine wines and new-release films with an extra splash of pizzazz to make it more than just a movie. Not since the silent picture show learned to talk has it been such an event to sit at a cinema. The Drafthouse has innovation at the heart of it all. Past events have featured a flock of DeLoreans parked on the patio for an anniversary screening of “Back to the Future,” while Harry Potter fans spent 22 continuous hours in their seats watching all seven

now showing Tough Guy Cinema

Real men get a cap gun to shoot along with classic manly movies like “Die Hard,” “Robocop” and “Super Trooper” for Tough Guy Cinema Nights. Die convincingly after being shot with a Nerf gun for prizes and enjoy the occasional live explosions! Naturally, there are great beer specials, too.

features in the popular series before the midnight showing of the newest release. Even popular TV shows like “The Walking Dead” have made special appearances, along with film festivals and comedy nights. While a zero tolerance for talking, texting and cell phones could put the ill-mannered back outside, those rules are bent to the point of breaking for Quote-Along, Sing-Along and HeckleVision events. Those under 18 won’t make it in the door either, unless they come with their parents. The exceptions to that rule are the free family movies that usually include games, prizes and a special host for the G- or PG-rated films. At both Houston-area locations, movie lovers enjoy their favorite flicks with top-

notch, casual dining options and a full bar with a cast of themed cocktails to costar with what’s currently playing. Those in the know come early to browse the menu that changes regularly, select a local brew and enjoy the special preshow program that’s crafted to complement the feature presentation. Once you’ve settled into your seat, prepare to get the star treatment as your waiter hustles to bring your dinner, drinks and even warm cookies straight out of the oven. For the purists, you can still get popcorn and a soda, too. alamo drafthouse cinema west oaks mall, 281-920-9268 531 s. mason road, katy 281-492-6900 drafthouse.com

Rolling Road Show

The Drafthouse sets up a giant inflatable screen once a month in Market Square Park in the Historic District of downtown Houston for free classic flicks. Bring a blanket, chairs and a picnic basket full of goodies, and relive the days of the drive-in and a movie under the stars.

Sing-Along/ Quote-Along

Know every word to “The Goonies,” “Elf,” or "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"? Can you dance the Time Warp with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”? Join like-minded fans for Quote-Along showings of cult favorites. Or come Sing-Along to “Mama Mia” at Ladies of the 80’s Night, which includes the video and words, so don’t forget your props!

january/february • 2012

cocktails & conversation.

buzz

Setting the Stage t. Germain Lofts is more than a living space—it now offers a

one-of-a-kind backdrop for meetings and special events at The Capitol at St. Germain, an entertainment and dining venue in the heart of downtown. The new use of St. Germain is the vision of veteran commercial real estate brokers Randy Fertitta and John Nguyen. The space is comprised of 8,400 square feet, including a mezzanine level, which was previously Zula restaurant. Stripped of its Vegas-inspired vestiges, The Capitol at St. Germain highlights its original architectural details such as decorative marble columns, intricate moldings and soaring ceilings. 705 Main St. 713-492-2454, thecapitolhouston.com

Picture Perfect ant to get good and creative use out of your pictures now

Antique Appraiser ou’ve seen her on TV, now get

Y Western Civilization f your idea of roughing it involves luxury haciendas with stunning views of nature at its

best, the Inn at Dos Brisas is just for you. The definition of luxury lodging, the inn is nestled away on a wooded hillside in historic Washington, Texas, with unobstructed views of the surrounding meadow and hills. Five new haciendas offer 2,950 square feet of private space, a personal outdoor plunge pool, outdoor shower and large covered patio complete with a hammock for two. Outdoor activities include horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing and skeet shooting, along with wine, cooking and gardening classes. For more lavish affairs, Dos Brisas offers a beautiful private dining area with a large wine cellar, outdoor, heated patio and pool area and even the Equestrian Center Arena for bigger events. 10000 Champion Dr., Washington. 979-277-7750, dosbrisas.com

prime-living.com

the chance to meet her in person and find out what your valuables are really worth. Award-winning art and antiques appraiser Dr. Lori is the featured guest at the Sugar Land Home and Garden Show, which will be held at the Stafford Centre, Jan. 21-22. At her recent appearance in August at the Fall Home and Garden Show in The Woodlands, Dr. Lori appraised a painting worth $15,000 and a Spanish illuminated manuscript valued at $10,000 from two show attendees. Free antique appraisals will be available as part of Dr. Lori’s show at the Stafford Centre. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, since appraisals are limited. Cash-only tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for seniors. Children under 12 are free. Parking is free. SugarLandHomeAndGarden.com

Andrew Miller | The Capitol at St. Germain | Inn at Dos Brisas | Masterpiece Technologies | Texwood Shows

or for a celebrated holiday? Artist Andrew Miller creates a one-of-a kind collage portrait with an array of your own photos. The creative fee for a collage starts at $1,000 and the final price depends on the size and finish. 646-827-2246, andrewmillerarts.com

loveis in the Air T

his Valentine’s Day, don’t worry about making reservations. Get creative and celebrate a little late. On Feb. 17, Glazed Over in Memorial will offer a class on how to make two 8-inch glass dessert plates, perfect for the perfect pair. Known for its ceramics, the studio has branched out into fusing glass art. They’ll provide you all the necessities you need to create your plates, and even show you how to whip up a sweet dessert, which you can enjoy with your favorite bottle of wine or champagne brought from home. Reservations are required for the post-Valentine’s Day event, which will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. 14627-B Memorial Drive. 281-497-7272, glazedoverceramics.com

What could possibly be sweeter than a box of chocolates? How about the Sprinkles Cupcakes XOX box? Topped with Xs and Os, and heart sugar decorations, each box contains the perfect mix of flavors for your special someone. Valentine’s Day favorites include red velvet (naturally) and chocolate marshmallow, as well as classics like dark chocolate and vanilla. Each box contains a dozen cupcakes and is sealed with an XOX Kisses and Cupcakes sticker. These sweet treats are available Feb. 3-14. 4014 Westheimer. 713-871-9929, sprinkles.com

Michelle Booth | Sprinkles Cupcakes | OSA Images | NCV Wine Management

Our favorite health and fitness apps

IPHONE Lose it

Track all the calories—from carbs, fats, proteins and fibers—you consume and set some weight-loss goals as one of your New Year’s Resolutions.

Eat This, Not That!

Be informed when you eat something that you shouldn’t. Some meals may fool you. It also provides healthy alternatives.

When you go for a run, use an integrated GPS (in the palm of your hand) to track your course. Track not only how far you’ve run, but also how many calories you’ve burned in the process.

G e prepared to be stunned and amazed by Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson – The Immortal World Tour.” On stage Feb. 10-12 at the Toyota Center, this show spectacular combines the spirited music of Michael Jackson with the electrifying choreography of Cirque du Soleil. Made up of more than 60 talented acrobats, dancers and musicians, the cast shows a deeper side of Jackson’s powerful and inspirational music, unlocking the love he had for music, as well as his sensitivity and kindness for others. His message of peace and love are displayed in the movements and music of the show. Clearly, the King of Pop’s legend has continued. 866-466-8849, toyotacentertix. com or cirquedusoleil.com

PL’s app list

Runkeeper

Wine Cellar Chic ot wine, but nowhere

Can’t ‘Beat It’

cocktails & conversation.

buzz

to store it? Texas now has its first ever wine service for serious collectors. The innovative endeavor is the brainchild of Brent Sloan at NCV Wine Management, the only team in the state that offers a full range of services to wine collectors, including inventory, packaging and transporting, as well as other services that enhance the collector’s experience. NCV can also design and produce wine events for individuals and companies. 2501 Wroxton. 713-524-2554, ncvwinemanagement.com

Source: apple.com/itunes

android Instant Heart Rate Pro

See your heart rate measurements and track just how much fat your body is burning when you’re exercising.

Pocket Yoga

Bust out the latest yoga moves when no one’s looking. There are 145 poses to choose from.

Spark Recipes

Have more than 280,000 health-conscious recipes in the palm of your hand. View fat, calories and other nutrition data for your favorite healthy meals. Source: market.android.com

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.

january/february • 2012

cocktails & conversation.

hot list

Blair House Inn

At Blair House Inn—nestled on 22 acres of Wimberley hill country with cottages and rooms outfitted with king-sized beds and fireplaces—guests can choose between spa treatments or cooking classes such as the sell-out BBQ Camp. Featured on the Food Network, the class covers cilantro pesto potato salad to brisket and pork ribs. There’s also an art gallery to peruse, the only one in Texas to display works by San Antonio artist Todd White. 100 w. spoke hill drive, wimberley 512-847-1111 blairhouseinn.com

Story | amber bell

Traveling Texas doesn’t have to be a boring, dusty sojourn. We rounded up five of the Lone Star State’s stellar bed and breakfasts, each with unique programs and super-sized hospitality. Murski Homestead Bed & Blisswood Bed & Breakfast Breakfast

Living off the land is the bread and butter (literally) for Pamela Murski’s successful Brenham bed and breakfast, which features three charming rooms situated on a hill overlooking beautiful pastoral ranch land. The avid gardener (she learned about fresh eating off the land from her Native American Irish family) hosts culinary tours, cooking classes and three-day “Foodie Weekends,” where guests can enjoy a guided trip to the local farmers market, a wine tasting and a hands-on cooking class.

Just one hour west of Houston in Cat Spring is a fun-loving oasis for outdoor adventures. Owner Carol Davis, a Houston court reporter by day, can be found leading trail rides on horseback or organizing bass fishing, trap shooting and archery escapades. “It’s really something different,” she says of the venue, which features 10 houses and cabins, as well as new accommodations dubbed Blisswood Oasis, on a sprawling 650 acres. Next up: Davis plans to make her hobby vineyard available for wine tastings on the ranch.

1662 old independence road, brenham 979-830-1021 murskihomesteadbb.com

13300 lehmann legacy lane, cat spring 713-301-3235 blisswood.net

prime-living.com

Touting eight rooms—some decked out with fireplaces, Jacuzzis, hot tubs and comfy country interiors—Canyon Lake’s Biscuit Hill Bed & Breakfast is a place to prop your feet up and stay awhile. “One of the guest favorites is feeding the deer and alpacas,” says owner Diane Reed, who designed the space and runs it with husband Dean. There’s also crafting classes, cooking classes (offered December through February) and serene lake views by sunset. 717 colleen drive, canyon lake 888-998-9909 biscuithill.com

Cotton Gin Village

There’s nothing more surreal than a crackling fire in a stone fireplace beneath a tin-roofed 19th century cabin in Fredericksburg. “They’re historical and charming. They send you back to a bygone era, but they also have the comforts and amenities that you’d expect from a modern hotel,” says owner Ross Burtwell of the seven log cabins that make up Cotton Gin Village. He and wife Mariana also offer amazing fare at the adjoining Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant with steak, quail, wild game and more. cotton gin village, fredericksburg 830-990-8381 cottonginlodging.com

Cotton Gin Village | Biscuit Hill Bed & Breakfast

home Away from Home

Biscuit Hill Bed & Breakfast

nostalgia

sweat

cocktails & conversation.

it Out

Story | Bruce Farr

Sears

ealth and fitness gadgets have had a long and often laughable history in this country. Hawked by colorful pitchmen and women, a host of questionable devices have been embraced with alarming and amusing dedication by millions, enjoying staying power beyond all sense or reason. Promising everything from melting away pounds while you sleep, to turning you into a chiseled specimen in a matter of days, these contraptions have earned their stripes among the annals of colorful, comical memorabilia. Who could ever forget Richard Simmons’ “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” eight-track tapes? In the ’80s, the Afro-coiffed Simmons greased his way into our guilty consciences, exhorting millions of us to snap on sweatbands and day-glo shorts, slick up our bodies and aerobicize like there was no tomorrow. And, mind you, that was a good trend. At least we were working up a sweat! But, as the history of health and fitness indicates, we Americans have endless energy for devising ways to engage the battle of the bulge by doing absolutely nothing. For every would-be Adonis or Aphrodite out there, there’s bound to be at least a

couple of mistaken turns along the daunting road to real fitness. Here are a few from the archives:

in the 1960s), one of the last was called the Vita Master. Introduced in the Relax-a-Cizor ’70s, it was really An Eisenhowerera phenomenon, nothing more the Relax-A-Cizor than a box-like machine on a pedestal with a wide belt looped looked like an ultra-complicated in the front. The idea was to slide the harness around your waist or heart posterior, flip a switch and, in a defibrillator. mere 30 minutes a day of good Outfitted with mysterious dials vibrations, jiggle away pounds and a tangle of electric wires, the of unwanted cottage cheese. The device purported to be a do-ityourself, electrified fat and muscle machines are still sold on eBay, mostly as curiosity pieces, one stimulator. The instructions for would hope. it warned the user to “dampen the electrodes before applying.” Shocking!

Belt Massagers

This is probably the granddaddy of all would-be exercise devices. Although it’s had many incarnations (Sears marketed one

ThighMaster

by a hinge that bore a passing resemblance to an untwisted pretzel. The idea was to set the device between your knees and squeeze your legs together in a nutcracker fashion. One of the more attractive features of the ThighMaster was that it was advertised showing people using them while doing something else entirely, like watching TV or eating pretzels. The big draw for this device, however, was its pitchwoman, the lithely limbed TV star Suzanne Somers, who, in a series of infomercials, firmed and toned her way into the hearts of millions of men and women (but mostly men). When she later introduced the ButtMaster, interest—if not sales—skyrocketed.

Brought to you in the early 1990s, the ThighMaster was two pieces of metal tubing connected

that’s hot! OK, you’ve seen the rest, now take a gander at the best. Clearly one of the most preposterous ideas every promoted was the Wonder Sauna Hot Pants, inflatable trousers that purported to help the wearer “slenderize exactly where they want,” presumably by sweating pounds off beneath a suffocating set of plastic pantaloons. In print ads, models for the devices were putting on their best, plastered-on smiles while looking like the early ancestors of Spongebob Squarepants.

Let’s Get Physical

Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” had us hitting the gym and sweatin’ to the beat in the ’80s. Scan this code and watch the music video that made working out fun again. Or visit www. bitly.com/physicalmusicvideo

january/february • 2012

cocktails & conversation.

arts

camera

ready

review buried prey john sandford

ast year, when I interviewed bestselling author John Sandford at Murder by the Book in Houston, he told me something I wasn’t expecting. He said that Lucas Davenport, the Story | John DeMers Photography | Mark Lipczynski strikingly physical, yet brilliant hero of more than 20 novels than 250 workshops, ranging from digital or Bevin Bering Dubrowski, in any probably wouldn’t go on forever. photography to Photoshop, taught throughout photograph, the notion of time is never Asked what would happen to the year. HCP also has an array of lectures, panel “out of mind.” And since she serves as Davenport, Sandford, of course, discussions, demonstrations and book signings. executive director of the Houston Center for wouldn’t say. Maybe he didn’t Photography (HCP), she hopes it’s never the least In all, such offerings attract more than 16,000 know yet, but he admitted that a local, national and international visitors to bit “out of sight” either. Davenport who was happily married HCP’s venue on West Alabama, just an f-stop’s It’s Dubrowski’s mission to assure that more with children wasn’t as exciting to throw from Montrose. people appreciate photography, perhaps as science, write about as one who was young One of the center’s most significant annual but definitely as art. She also hopes that more and sleeping with most of the goodevents is its print auction, with this year’s items on people understand the ways fast-changing digital looking women he encountered. technology is making photography a more universal, display at HCP from Jan. 20 to Feb. 20, and the All these elements help make auction itself on Feb. 22 at the Junior League of more democratic act of expression than ever before. Houston. With works by more than 80 artists from Sandford’s newest novel “Buried “For me personally, what captured my heart Prey” (Putnam, $27.95) even around the globe, the auction hosts a catalog of as a teenager was photography’s ability to freeze a vintage and contemporary fine art prints from both more dazzling a read than the moment in time forever,” says the sixth-generation norm, which is saying a lot. museums and private collections. Houstonian, surrounded by books full of Without ever getting bogged In the months to come, solo shows include photographs and about photography in the HCP down in “flashbacks,” this tale of “The Power of Now and Other Tales from Home” library. “[Photography shows] us something we two bodies discovered more than by Julie Blackmon, “Home Stills” by Bastienne may not have even known was happening. It’s an Schmidt, and “Color Falls Down” by Priya Kambli. 20 years after first investigating incredibly powerful tool.” the crime serves up a fascinating In May and June, HCP will host its 2012 HCP, which took its place in the local art visit with the old, single Lucas Fellowship Exhibition, showcasing the work of scene in 1981, lives its mission daily in a wide that Sandford seems to be two fellowship recipients selected this year by and ever-widening variety of ways. Of course, missing. With the two girls he Christopher Rauschenberg, known in Portland, there are exhibitions on certain themes or by Ore., for his Blue Sky Gallery, but especially around never did find turning up buried certain photographers—these shows generate beneath concrete, Davenport Houston for Pop and Abstract Expressionist art by the highest visibility, as they always do in any is forced not only to reconsider his late Port Arthur-born father, Robert. museum or art gallery. But there are also more what he did right and, more agonizingly, what he did wrong. I will miss Lucas Davenport if Spotlight: heights art studio & gallery he ever does retire to spend more Located in a renovated warehouse in the Heights, this unique gallery is committed to hosting time with his family, enjoy his fast workspaces for local artists, as well as showcasing their work. At just 1 year old, the gallery is cars, and hang around the house constantly being updated with new exhibits and shows. Discover vibrant pop art, oil paintings, in those Italian suits. Most of all, mixed media pieces and more at this downtown art space. I’ll miss the dark neighborhoods and even darker psyches his cases heights art studio and gallery • 205 e. 27th st. • 713-894-4480 • heightsartstudios.com force us to behold. – JD

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G.P. Putnam Sons | John Earle

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cocktails & conversation.

design

resolution

Time

Story | Jill Pollack

leaning up after the holidays and resolving to make your home more efficient and organized can be just the key to an amazing start to the New Year. The first step to getting organized is establishing the problem areas in your home. Is that utensil drawer getting out of hand? Is your closet a cave of wonders with things spilling out of every crevice? Here are some tips for some of the most difficult areas of the home to organize.

Also, label all your containers in the freezer. Use repositionable address labels that can stick to items with frost and yet come off easily when it comes time to re-label freezer items. By labeling items with the product and date, they can be easily identifiable and used in a timely manner. Another favorite trick is to keep notes on your favorite recipes. Without having to mark up your cookbooks and recipe cards, you

can use see-through sticky notes to remind yourself of substitutions and additions without blocking content on the page.

Hobby Room

Whether you like to sew, paint or just need to wrap a gift, we all have areas in our home for supplies and sundries. These areas, however, tend to accumulate items and can begin to feel cluttered. Your best bet is

If you cook (or even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t), the kitchen generally houses the most equipment, perishable food items and miscellaneous items than the rest of the house. For this reason, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great place to start when organizing. A crucial area of the kitchen is the pantry. Keeping the pantry organized will make life easier when you need that last-minute ingredient while cooking. Keep your spices organized and alphabetically sorted in labeled glass jars so you can quickly grab anything from allspice to vanilla bean.

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Kyle Watson | avery

Kitchen

design

cocktails & conversation.

the right stuff

to follow a simple rule: If it’s not beautiful, useful or sentimental, get rid of it. For those items you want to keep, store them in a spacious closet or vintage armoire. Using plastic tubs, baskets or cubbies, sort your items by use. Keep containers plainly labeled for quick access using repositionable clear address labels for easy removal if changes are needed. Store wrapping paper in shallow drawers sorted by occasion. You’ll be able to quickly select the appropriate paper without dealing with torn edges, bends and wrinkles sometimes present when stocking paper elsewhere.

Kyle Watson | Avery | Paperny Entertainment

Office

The best way to keep your home office organized is by sorting your mail. Use file folders with tabs in categories like catalogues, bills, personal correspondence and invitations. Have separate baskets for magazines, digital files and photo albums for quick access that you can store on shelves or in drawers. Keep a command center where you can keep your phone, keys and sticky notes for leaving quick reminders. You should also keep a bulletin board or a magnetic white board in your office where you can stick your to-do lists and leave yourself reminders. Once you’ve paid your bills and browsed your catalogues, file or toss them to keep mail folders clear and clean for the next day’s mail. Cut down on clutter and your home office will stay beautiful and organized.

Keeping your home organized can be achieved easily. With the right products on hand and the right direction, you can keep your home both organized and beautiful with these simple products. • Drawer dividers. Keeping your junk drawer, kitchen drawers and nightstand organized is much simpler when you can separate items categorically. • Plastic bins and containers. Use them in closets, your pantry, craft room and office to sort everything from noodles to paper clips. • Message board. The first thing to remember about organizing your home is you must be organized yourself. Keep to-dos, business cards, reminders and gift certificates on this board to stay on top of it. • Baskets. For those spaces in your home where you need a little organization, but you don’t want to forfeit the aesthetic, use beautiful wicker baskets to hold scarves, photo albums, remote controls and more. • Shower caddy. Organizing your shower is a must. Make sure everything you need fits in the caddy and toss the rest. Your shower should be a peaceful place, not a shampoo graveyard.

Jill Pollack Jill Pollack has been an organizational expert for more than 10 years. She has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show and the Nate Berkus Show, and is the host of HGTV Canada's documentary series "Consumed."

january/february • 2012

cocktails & conversation.

my life

expert

handwriting kelly wilkins

ost people need a few interactions to get a read on someone’s character, but Kelly Wilkins can size up a stranger rather quickly by asking him to handwrite a letter. Wilkins is a forensic handwriting analyst, who applies the science of graphology to interpret someone’s personality and behaviors using writing samples. Trained in several methodologies, Wilkins, who is also a forensic document examiner, received his certification from the Handwriting University International in 1997 and is the founder of the Wilkins Consulting Group in Houston. An eye for detail and an intrigue about what motivates human beings led Wilkins to a sleuthing career in letters that includes working on fraud, forgery and identity theft cases. “It allows me to get know a writer’s true intentions and meaning—how and why he or she does things. It’s like a picture being painted instantly,” he explains of the handwriting cases in which he decodes the character traits, as well as the emotions, strengths and weaknesses of others. “I look at patterns and fit the information into categories. I compare everything—not one specific writing trait—to form my analysis.” What does Wilkins’ handwriting, which is angular with large capital letters and thready ending strokes, reveal about himself? He’s curious in nature, skeptical, social, doesn’t pull any punches and gets straight to the point. It’s the latter skill, according to Wilkins, that can be tricky. He receives endless requests to decipher people’s penmanship, but always sends a cautionary note to the curious about his unfair investigative advantage. “I warn them that I will know them better than they know themselves and tell them things they don’t want to know,” Wilkins says. He also relies on his professional capabilities to size up personal friendships and relationships. “I make predictions that certain people will act a certain way eventually, and I’m usually right—down to the letter.”

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Story | sally j. clasen

Photography | mark lipczynski

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Dance Man The

Keeping in step with Corky Ballas, Houston’s own ballroom dance king Story | Holly Beretto Photography | Mark Lipczynski

january/february • 2012

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“I grew up there,” he says of his parents’ studio. “And I started in flamenco.” His mother had been a famous flamenco dancer before she married Corky’s father, and she transferred her love of the dance to her son. Corky began dancing flamenco at the tender age of 6. He won his first championship medal that same year. When his father sold the studio in 1964, Corky continued dancing. He loved the fast movements and fun of disco dancing, but it turned out to be International Latin ballroom that would make him a star. “I started late,” he says of his Latin career, beginning his training and competition when he was nearly 20. But he loved it. “I loved competing with a [female] partner,” he says. “And International Latin has competitions in more than 100 countries.” International Latin includes the cha-cha, rumba, samba, jive

and paso doble (American Latin dance introduces the bolero, mambo and swing). Once he decided to compete in the genre, Corky moved to London to train. At the time, he says that’s where the best dancers and trainers were. It was during his competing that he met Shirley, the woman who would become his partner and dance with him in dozens of championships. Corky had seen her dance while he was still competing in the International Latin Pro/ Am, and was impressed. Once he turned pro, he hired Shirley to train him. Together, they won eight U.S. championships. Along the way, they married and had a son, Mark, who they trained as a dancer. They also mentored brother-and-sister dancers Julianne and Derek Hough. “Mark and his partner Julianne, as well as Derek and his partner Aneta, were all beautiful dancers,” he recalls with pride.

Mark Ballas Jr.

orky Ballas’s dance card is full these days. He’s preparing a young protégé for the Ohio Star Ball Championships, a competition that attracts more than 20,000 dancers in Columbus, and he’s working on a project in San Antonio. He also routinely flies back and forth to Los Angeles to coach and train the professionals of ABC’s runaway hit show “Dancing With the Stars.” But he always manages to come back to Houston. “I consider Houston home,” he says proudly. “I love our culture, the way we never give up. That spirit is why I went on to be a champion.” Born Mark Alexander Ballas on Dec. 25, 1960, Corky is the son of the late George Ballas and Maria Louisa Ballas. While he was growing up, his father ran the Dance City USA Studio, a 64,000-square-foot operation with more than 125 teachers. Corky recalls watching the couples glide across the flood of the massive ballroom.

cha-cha-ching! International Latin ballroom dance

champion Corky Ballas knows a thing or two about the cha-cha. Scan this code to watch a video of him spice things up with TV icon Florence Henderson on “Dancing With the Stars.” Or visit www.bitly.com/corkycha.

january/february • 2012

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Corky is so committed to his theory that he and Shirley (they’re now divorced) produced the first dance instructional DVD, and he’s authored a comprehensive syllabus on International Latin dance that’s used by the Fred Astaire Studio, where Corky is a board member. Today, when he’s not coaching for “Dancing with the Stars” or working with pupils at the studio space he rents in west Houston, he’s likely on a plane, rushing off to judge a dance competition or to train the Fred Astaire staff. No matter how far he goes, though, he always comes back to Houston. Mark was born at the Woman’s Hospital and he has four brothers and sisters who live in the Bayou City. Last summer, his father George, who was the inventor of the Weed Eater, passed away. In addition to dancing, his father left Corky another important legacy. “He taught me to enjoy life,” he says. “And one thing about dancing, it keeps you young.”

Mark Ballas Jr.

“Great form, youthful. We were all competing at the same time in our own categories. “We all practiced together in the same ballroom. It was an awesome energy,” he recalls. “When we’d walk in a dance competition, someone would always say, ‘Oh, man, they’re here, the Brat Pack.’ Oh, we turned heads.” For Corky, dancing is a way to feel connected not only to the music, but to someone else. He calls it “a perfect world,” being artistically in sync with your partner, aware of every movement and nuance as you go across the floor. He loves working with dancers, helping them to develop their talents and to excel. The seeds for his own desire to be the best were born here in Houston, he says. Not only were his parents professional dancers and dance trainers, Corky was also a gifted athlete, running track at St. Thomas High School, eventually earning a track scholarship to college (an offer he declined to pursue dance). He says that his ability to dance helped him in those most awkward of situations: the high school dance. “I’d be out there with a girl in my arms while my friends were

hanging out drinking Cokes,” he laughs. “But they never gave me a hard time about my dancing. They were all pretty cool with it.” And indeed, ballroom dancing has become cool, thanks in no small part to the popularity of “Dancing with the Stars.” Mark and Julianne and Derek Hough routinely appear on the program. In fact, the three of them have won seven out of 11 seasons of “Dancing With the Stars.” Corky danced with Florence Henderson in season seven and Cloris Leachman in season 11 on the program. He thinks one of the reasons the show and dancing have become so popular is that there’s such beauty in the steps, choreography, costumes, live orchestra and intricate artistry. “Anyone can dance,” he says emphatically. “It’s just a question of how badly you want to. Think about it. Your heart beats to the rhythm of a samba. When you walk, you’ve got the basis for the cha-cha.”

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For more of the story visit delwebb.com 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.

COMO Hotels & Resorts

Destina Detox 28

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tion f Story | Kathryn Hunter

rom pumpkin pies and calorie-rich casseroles, to cocktail parties and family get-togethers, the holidays are full of indulgences and busy itineraries that push healthy living off the radar. But now that the season of sugar plum fairies and peppermint-flavored confections has come to an end, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to start anew. Give your body the post-holiday gift of a healthy, detoxifying escape to one of these unique and dazzling destinations. january/february â&#x20AC;˘ 2012

Rejuvenate

Ayurvedic Healing A

n ancient, holistic form of healing that originated in India, ayurveda treats body and mind with herbal remedies, specialized nutrition, exercise and meditation. Balance is considered the root of wellness and, since every person has a unique constitution or â&#x20AC;&#x153;prakruti,â&#x20AC;? an individual course of treatment is developed to restore natural equilibrium. Parrot Cay, located on a private island in the Turks and Caicos of the northern Caribbean, provides a fully customized ayurvedic program, offering three-, five- and sevennight packages that may include an ayurvedic consultation, prescribed treatments, therapeutic yoga and other activities, such as Pilates, Pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation and fitness training. An ayurvedic doctor will design a treatment plan specifically for your body

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type, often incorporating a detox and special diet, as well as recommendations for follow-up care. Surrounded by 1,000 pristine acres, including a mile-long beach of white sand, Parrot Cayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peaceful setting encourages reflection and rejuvenation. Adventure is also close at hand. The area is renown for exceptional diving and non-motorized sports like kayaking, paddle boarding and windsurfing. Guests are also welcome to book private cruises, explore trails by foot and bike, and fish for bonefish with local guides. For your stay, choose from ocean-view rooms, suites, villas, beach houses, two- and threebedroom residences, and other deluxe accommodations. Along with award-winning service, invigorating treatments and endless opportunities for selfdiscovery, harmony awaits.

COMO Hotels & Resorts

parrot cay, turks and caicos 877-754-0726 parrotcay.como.bz

january/february â&#x20AC;˘ 2012

Restore

o one can stop time, but being kind to your body can reduce its harmful effects. The four-day Better Aging Program at La Réserve Genève in Geneva, Switzerland, combines complementary approaches to design a completely personalized action plan to help you live better longer, improve overall health, relieve stress and detect risk factors.

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The four-day program begins with a complete check-up from a doctor, nutritionist and osteopath, who will identify congested areas in the body and analyze imbalances and oxidation stress. La Réserve Genève’s team of specialists will then refine the program along a series of synergetic axes, which include treatments, dietetics, physical activities and relaxation. In addition to creating a personalized four-day itinerary, they also provide a detailed, long-term strategy for improving quality of life. At the resort, the first phase of treatment is an objective detox that removes body toxins, followed by massage and personal training sessions, body wraps and daily sports activities like yoga, Pilates and aqua gym. A special dietary program is developed for each individual, which typically includes three custom, healthy meals served daily at spa restaurant Café Lauren. Guests also have full access to the 2,000-square-meter spa facilities, including indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and steam bath, two tennis courts and a fitness center. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva in the heart of a beautifully landscaped park, La Réserve Genève offers an atmosphere of serene, subtle luxury. Well-appointed rooms feature sumptuous details like soft velvet bedspreads, black granite and mahogany, and oiled wooden floors. At this welcoming home away from home, start the New Year with positive, healthy change.

La Reserve Geneve

Better Aging Treatments

la réserve genève infogeneve@lareserve.ch www.lareserve.ch/en/home

purify

Complete Body Detox S

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas

ometimes you just don’t feel like yourself, especially after the hectic holidays. Toxins that build up in the body can lead to fatigue, stomach pain, weight gain, insomnia, and other discomforts and illnesses. Body cleansing treatments can help restore the “real” you by improving your mood and energy levels, increasing your ability to concentrate, and helping you tackle diet and lifestyle goals. The Body Detox Program at Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa in Thailand takes a specialized approach to wellness. The program can include private consultations with naturopathic and ayurvedic doctors, accompanied by a variety of spa treatments, such as detox massages, herbal heat treatments and an Indian head massage. Anantara Si Kao’s full cleansing ritual removes toxin buildup, awakening a new sense of peace and well-being. Though only an hour’s drive from Krabi International Airport, Anantara Si Kao feels like a world

apart. From the soft white sands of Changlang Beach and turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, to the national parkland and green forests that envelop the resort grounds, natural beauty abounds. A small chain of islands lies in the distance, their dramatic limestone cliffs standing out against a breathtaking expanse of sky and ocean. Elegantly furnished rooms offer terraces, private balconies and other amenities, and stunning views from the resort’s restaurants are the perfect complement to any meal. Raw and healthy foods straight from the resort’s organic herb and vegetable gardens are their specialty. Fresh line-caught fish, crab and other seafood is also available. In addition to health-giving spa treatments, gourmet dining and beautiful scenery, guests can take advantage of activities like snorkeling, diving, language classes and sailing.

anantara si kao resort & spa sikao@anantara.com sikao.anantara.com

january/february • 2012

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relax

Stress Management S

COMO Hotels & Resorts

tress can have a profound effect on physical and mental well-being. It’s also impossible to avoid in the never-ending hustle and bustle of modern life. Fortunately, COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali takes its inspiration from simpler times, employing centuries-old therapies like yoga, tai chi and chi kung to create personalized stressmanagement strategies. A residential health retreat, COMO Shambhala Estate emphasizes a “360-degree experience.” For your individual stress management program— available as a three-, five- or seven-night package—consultants craft a tailor-made schedule that blends together outdoor pursuits, fitness activities, meditation, soothing therapies and wellness lectures from leading contemporary thinkers. This holistic approach takes into account both physical and

emotional aspects of well-being, also teaching techniques to help you cope with future stressors. The theme of this scenic, secluded resort is complete relaxation. Fresh, healthy dishes are served at on-site restaurants such as Glow, which offers a gourmet, open-air dining experience. Many types of

accommodation are available, including suites, private villas, retreat villas and private residences. The tranquil, timeless landscape of inland Bali offers a unique sanctuary and countless opportunities for cultural exploration. Visit the nearby village of Ubud, considered the heart of Bali’s art scene, to witness Hindu ceremonies and tour temples, museums and galleries. The resort can also arrange shopping trips, sightseeing excursions and guided treks through the hills. With COMO Shambhala’s proactive approach to wellness, no matter how you choose to spend the hours during your stressfree getaway, you’ll return home feeling relaxed and renewed.

como shambhala estate info@cse.comoshambhala.bz cse.como.bz

january/february • 2012

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connoisseur

the prime living guide to discerning taste

inside: Sizzling fish platter, Aling’s Hakka

38 40 42 44 46

• • • • •

january/february • 2012

connoisseur main dish

spice

& ZEN

Story | Holly Beretto Photography | Mark Lipczynski

Gary Yan has soft, serious eyes and a wide smile that takes up most of his face when he greets you. He wants you to be at home at his restaurant—and he wants you to know everything about his food.

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“I call it Chindian,” he says of the menu at Aling’s Hakka Chinese Cuisine in Sugar Land. The cuisine is a blend of Chinese and Indian flavors, but none of it is like the Chinese or Indian you’re likely used to. “The Hakka were a nomadic people,” Yan explains. “They roamed from southeastern China across the world, and they took their cooking with them.” In Bombay, there is an extensive Hakka culture and it’s from here Yan’s family has ties. He runs the restaurant with his brother-in-law, and the menu harkens to the Hakka cuisine they love so much. Begin your culinary adventure with an Exotic Passion, a creamy juice drink that smacks of tropical citrus and melon, and is the perfect palate wake-up call. From there, order a round of appetizers to share: the chicken lollipops and the chili pepper shrimp are good bets. The lollipops are fun and munchable, served with a sweet, tangy tomato-based sauce that is the perfect complement to the bright spices of the meat. The shrimp arrives plump and pleasing, amid a bed of green onions and bell peppers. With its citrus, garlic and a little ginger undercurrent, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The sizzling fish platter arrives tableside in a flash of steam, trailing aromas of black bean paste. The swai fish is like tilapia, only firmer, and made with fresh garlic and herbs, atop peppers and onions, and topped with a stunning black bean gravy. Aling’s American chop suey combines crunchy wonton noodles with

chicken and julienned vegetables tossed in a sweetly tart tomato gravy and capped with a fried egg. The Chilly Lobster is beautiful to behold, a divided tail stuffed full with rich, buttery lobster meat that’s been marinated and cooked to perfect Hakka style. For dessert, you’ll want the Mockingbird’s Nest, a pile of crispy fried noodles laced with honey served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, which is charming and delicious in its simplicity. “We try to replicate what we did in India,” says Yan, whose great-grandfather and grandfather owned restaurants. “We do Indian without the curries and Chinese without kung pao and sticky sauces.” Indeed, you will not find kung pao chicken on Yan’s menu. Aling’s casual blending of the tart with the sweet, the spicy with the mild makes for easy dining. The relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, looked over by Gary’s outgoing personality, mean it’s the kind of place where you don’t need to worry about anything. There will be beer and wine service soon, but for now, Aling’s is BYOB and doesn’t charge a corkage fee. The food is plentiful and easily shared—so don’t be surprised if you find yourself coming back again and again.

aling’s hakka chinese cuisine 15425 sw freeway, sugar land 281-242-0432 alingshakka.com

connoisseur main dish

aling's chili pepper shrimp 1 lb. large shrimp 2-3 tbsp. cornstarch

Chicken Lollipops

1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 3 tbsp. vegetable oil, for stir-frying 1 whole garlic clove, finely minced 2-3 spicy red chili peppers 2 heads spring onion, finely sliced 1/4 red bell pepper, finely diced 1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced Lightly sprinkle shrimp with salt, then add cornstarch. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon salt with the freshly ground pepper, set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a preheated wok on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add shrimp and stir-fry until they turn light orange. Remove from the wok and set aside. Begin with a clean wok and heat 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic, chili pepper and stir fry for 10 to 15 seconds, then add salt and pepper. Stir-fry for another 10 to 15 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry to coat the shrimp in the salt and pepper mixture and then add finely diced red and green bell pepper. Add in the spring onion or serve as a garnish.

Mockingbird’s Nest

Aling’s Hakka Beef

Sizzling fish platter

Chilly Lobster

january/february • 2012

connoisseur

small bites

devil in the details

Bartlett's Eye-Opener, Down House

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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“When we were bouncing around ideas for the menu, we kept coming back to deviled eggs,” says Down House chef Benjy Mason. But, these aren’t your 1970s cocktail-party deviled eggs, served up in that Tupperware container. These are deviled eggs for a new generation. Deviled Eggs Three Ways arrive with two egg slices each on a piece of baguette; each selection is a new world of flavors. The traditional is Down House’s take on the classic, with the egg slices on a bed of garlic aioli and dusted with paprika. It’s like comfort food. Only better. The second egg selection is the surprisingly wonderful combination of hard-boiled egg, peanut sauce, pickled cucumber and cilantro—think of it as deviled eggs by way of Indonesia. The creamy texture of the peanut sauce and the tart from the cucumber is a wake-up call for your palate. Finally, there’s the blending of eggs slices with sorrel and an anchovy on top. There’s something quite remarkable about the explosion of lemon and salty tang in this one, all brought beautifully together by the sliced egg. Down House sources the baguettes from Slow Dough Bakery and the eggs from farmers market regular Justin Hoeinhaus. Using local ingredients is part of the restaurant’s philosophy and a tremendous way to showcase what Houston purveyors are doing with food. “If someone puts out deviled eggs at a party, I’m happy,” says Mason. Once you taste his take on this dish, you will be, too. down house 1801 yale st. 713-864-3696 downhousehouston.com

c connoisseur

small bites

sugar and spice

History shows Marco Polo saw scallops in Chinese market stalls in the 1200s. Religious pilgrims visiting the Shrine of St. James in Spain wore the shells as a sign of reverence. Is it any wonder then that these little mollusks have become synonymous with richness over the centuries? And why not? Their texture is dense and creamy, maybe with just hints of the brine from the deep sea where they dwell. At Samba Grille, the scallops’ best attributes are augmented with a fine South American flair. Chef David Guerrero harkens flavors from his homeland, pan-searing the shellfish with a panca pepper glaze, accented with honey, star anise and a South American brown sugar. Pancas are Peruvian red chilies, with a fruity, smoky taste. The glaze gives the scallops a slightly crispy coating, and the warm sweet notes from the honey and sugar combine wonderfully with the hot zing of the peppers. The unique dish is also topped with a rocoto pepper emulsion. The dish is served on a bed of black quinoa, and accompanied with fava beans tossed with onions and red bell peppers in a sherry vinaigrette. It all makes for an entrée that’s rich without being heavy and spicy without going over the top. Beautifully presented, it’s an excellent example of Peruvian taste. samba grille 530 texas ave. • 713-343-1180 • sambagrillehouston.com

big flavor little bites

Ending your meal on a sweet note is always a winner, and it’s hard to find a better example of this than at Narin’s Bombay Brasserie. Order their Ice Cream Trio with Galuab Jamun and you’ll receive three small scoops of ice cream—one each of pistachio, cinnamon and mango—in phyllo dough cups, topped with India doughnut. The ice cream is light and airy, both in flavor and texture. Mango, popular in India, packs a sweet, sassy punch and is a bright, beautiful yellow. The cinnamon looks like coffee ice cream, but don’t be fooled. Coffee doesn’t taste quite this sweet or wonderful, the cinnamon just a hint amid a velvety creaminess. The pistachio is gorgeously nutty, and all the ice creams are homemade. But the real star of the show is the doughnut, which includes a combination of dry milk, cinnamon and biscuit mix, deep fried and then left in a sugar syrup. The doughnut is a sweet little number, and the honeyed syrup creates almost a glaze around this ball of dough, giving it a touch of sugary goodness. Combined with the ice cream, it makes for a perfect small plate. narin’s bombay brasserie 3005 w. loop south #110 713-622-2005 thebombaybrasserie.com

january/february • 2012

connoisseur table talk

Deliciousness in Training

Gold Stars

essina Hof Winery & Resort, which has an array of highquality Texas wines, won the most medals in the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition. The event, which was held in November, included more than 2,400 wines from 736 wineries from all over the world. Messina took home 20 awards, including the Double Gold, which was given to the Messina Hof Solera 2004 Texas wine. The Messina Hof Private Reserve Cabernet Franc 2009 Texas wine received the Gold award. And two of Messina’s wines received the Champion award and will be auctioned at the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction and Dinner on March 3 at the Reliant Center. Cheers to that!

Page Turner

f you enjoy discovering new recipes by flipping through the latest cookbooks, then you’ll love the new coffee table-style cookbook “Green Beans and Guacamole.” But there’s more to love about this cookbook than recipes. Proceeds from book sales benefit The Arc, an organization dedicated to helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Author Belinda Hillhouse, founder of Friends for Good, was inspired to name the book “Green Beans and Guacamole” by her son, Austin Hanson, who threw her a surprise birthday party offering her favorite foods: guacamole and green beans. Hillhouse understands what individuals with intellectual challenges face because of her son’s disabilities. This eclectic cookbook has an array of recipes from well-known restaurants, including Benjy’s, Tony’s and Mockingbird Bistro, to name a few. greenbeansandguacamole.com.

prime-living.com

Hello & Goodbye

The latest restaurants to join and leave the Houston dining scene

Openings

• Pinewood Café • Shepherd Park Draught House • BlackFinn American Grille • Coal Vines Pizza Pasta and Wine Bar, Sugar Land

• Mia Bella Trattoria, Sugar Land

Closings • Yelapa Playa Mexicana • La Mia • Latina Café • Laurier Café

ophisticated ambiance. Intriguing flavors. Value. These three assets are rarely grouped together when describing fine dining. But that’s what you’ll experience at Kris Bistro, the new student- and chef-certified, alumnirun restaurant in the Culinary Institute LeNotre. Expect carefully prepared modern French bistro fare showcasing local ingredients, house-cured meats, and modestly priced French wines and microbreweries in a warm and contemporary space fashioned with works by Houston artists. Recent highlights: Terrific salads almost too pretty to eat; plump steamed mussels in herbs and white wine served with artisan bread; and pork tenderloin with bourbon glazed Fredericksburg peaches over polenta cakes. Bravo! 7070 Allensby. 713-358-5079, krisbistro.com

connoisseur table talk

Side Sips

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo | South Beach Wine & Food Festival | Shannon O'Hara | Benjy Levit

Wine events you won’t want to miss The Annual Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup and Best Bites Competition is on tap for Feb. 19 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The excitement pops as attendees delight their taste buds at this lively sprawling event featuring hundreds of wines to sample along with signature dishes from area restaurants and catering firms. Attendees are the judges in the Best Bites Competition, selecting favorite dishes from more than 60 culinary entries. A highlight of the evening is the announcement of the top winners in the International Wine Competition with more than 1,600 wines from 10 different countries vying for the Grand Champion Best of Show title each year. 832-667-1000, hlsr.com Beach, wine and food lovers are heading to the South Beach Food & Wine Fest, Feb. 2326, sponsored by Food & Wine magazine. The annual event is not just a bacchanalia of exquisite bites and edified sips, but also a star-studded affair. Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri and Anthony Bourdain are a few of the food celebs making an appearance. Events will include a series of wine seminars, festival parties, demos by cookbook authors, food trucks on the beach, cheese tastings, and a salsa-at-sea luncheon with a celebrity chef. 877-762-3933, sobefest.com

A Bird in the ‘Hood

he Bird & The Bear, Ouisie’s American Bistro, has opened in River Oaks from restaurateur Elouise Adams Jones of Ouisie’s Kitchen fame. The chic new space, which was most recently Tony Mandola’s temporary space for Gulf Coast Kitchen, is now boldly colored in black and white punctuated with red cushy banquettes, playful crystal chandeliers, beveled mirrors and even a few whimsical gold antique chairs dangling from the ceiling. The menu is just as fun with international choices of lamb Provencal or Moroccan beef shank tajine sharing space with southern favorites like Gulf Coast gumbo, chicken pot pie soup, herb-crusted quail over cheesy polenta, and fried green tomato and bacon on toasted brioche “sandwitch.” An extensive tapas menu offers scrumptious small plates of shrimp quesadillas, pâté with crostini, pizzas, short rib tacos and more. 2810 Westheimer Road. 713-528-2473, thebirdandthebearbistro.com

Oh, So Sweet

ttention, Sugar Land residents! Churrascos has officially landed. In December, Churrascos Sugar Land opened its doors in the Lake Pointe Village Shopping Center and, at 7,500 square feet, this new location has something that the River Oaks and Westchase locations don’t: a lakefront patio. Famous for its charcoalgrilled, center-cut tenderloin basted in chimichurri, Churrascos also serves smoked crab fingers, ceviche copacabano and their todie-for tres leches cake. In addition, signature Latin cocktails can be had, such as mojitos and white sangria, as well as a variety of top quality wines. cordua.com

Keep it Local

enjy Levit has transformed the shuttered Antone’s market, next door to his Rice Village Benjy’s restaurant, into a gourmet grocery store. Local Foods, a fast-casual grab-and-go is a modern take on nostalgia—the small neighborhood market of yore— with indoor and outdoor seating, house-smoked meats, local produce and cheeses, and other Texas products from 15 to 20 local vendors, like root beer brewed by 8th Wonder Brewery. Take home prepared foods such as ceviche and Benjy’s house-made favorites, from beer nuts to granola. The walk-up counter offers custom sandwiches, salads and sides ideal for lunch pick-up. Make mine the Duck Confit Panini, with melted brie, arugula and cranberry preserves. 2424 Dunstan. 713-521-7800, houstonlocalfoods.com. robin barr sussman Robin Barr Sussman is a Houston-based freelance writer who specializes in food, wine and travel. Her work has appeared in Texas Monthly, My Table, and Private Clubs magazine.

january/february • 2012

connoisseur uncorked

Down Under

Looks Up Story | John DeMers

f you think of the Barossa Valley, think of Napa Valley,” says John Geber, proprietor of the legendary Chateau Tanunda (rhymes with “down undah,” of course). “As important as Napa is to America, Barossa is that important to Australia, which, after all, is the oldest continent in the world.” While Napa would grow up to be famous for big, powerful red wines made from cabernet sauvignon, Barossa would grow up to be famous for big, powerful red wines made from the grape they call shiraz. And while the cabernet connection would link Napa forever to the wines of France’s Bordeaux region, a combination of culture, grape and heat would link Barossa forever

to the Rhone Valley, which is farther south in France. It turns out, cabernets from Barossa Valley can be quite good; yet the grape the French call syrah—along with most of the world, outside Australia—rules the roost. One of the most fascinating things about this valley, located in South Australia near the city of Adelaide, is the importance of German immigration—an element still kept alive in the number of fine Rieslings (from dry to sweet) produced in the area. It was only a bit later in the 19th century, after the phylloxera epidemic destroyed virtually all viticulture except in the U.S., Australia and South Africa, that Australia’s

British overlords started getting serious about wine. Cuttings for syrah were introduced by the Scotsman James Busby, although he used two spellings for what he’d brought from southern France: scyras and ciras. Somebody linked those words to a town in Persia known as Shiraz (without any hard evidence of relationship beyond a legend or two), and the rest is nomenclature history. Starting in the mid-20th century, the Barossa Valley developed a reputation for extremely high-quality shiraz. Think of Penfolds Grange, created by a fellow named Max Schubert in 1951. Think of Lindemann’s (a German name, after all), Rosemount and Jacob’s Creek. And yes, think of Chateau Tanunda. These were, from the start, world-class red wines. The shiraz often blended with a small amount of viognier is common in the Rhone Valley and nearly always aged in new American oak. The result: big, bold wines tasting of all the things Barossa has most of. “When you’re tasting any wine from Barossa, you’re tasting generosity of fruit, and you’re tasting a huge amount of sunshine,” says Geber, who started his career as a professional tea taster, but couldn’t resist buying a vineyard now and then. “Wine from Barossa is sunshine in your glass.”

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.

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Chateau Tanunda

“

jANUARY 21 & 22, 2012

randy lemmon

See over 200 area home improvement experts showcasing the newest home products and services!

kathy huber

Garden Pros: Randy Lemmon– Popular host of GardenLine and Kathy Huber–Houston Chronicle Gardening Columnist and Chron.com Gardening Editor.

STAFFORD CENTRE

Dr. Lori’s Antique Appraisal Comedy Tour comes to Sugar Land!

SHOw HOURS:

Appearing on Lifetime Television, Dr. Lori is a Ph.D. art and antiques appraiser, award winning TV personality and host, and nationally syndicated columnist.

ADmISSION:

Free antique appraisals will be a part of Dr. Lori’s show.

Saturday 9am-7pm Sunday 10am-6pm Adults $9 • Seniors $7 12 and under Free FREE Parking $1 OFF COUPON

meet Sugar land Skeeters manager

FABULOUS SPEAKERS–See website for times and topics.

GARY GAETTI and the Skeeters mascot! See website for times.

Gary Gaetti

SkeeterS maSCot

Peggy mcGowen

michael Garfield

lisa Giesler

laVerne Williams

Catherine Falgoust

New Product ideas from the kitchen and bath expert

Tips on new technology from the “high-tech texan”

Home Organizing Professional and Author

Nationally Acclaimed “green” home expert and architect

New Color Trends and ideas from the Color Specialist

“My husband and I really enjoyed the show. Glad we have our own show for this area now! I made some great contacts for my home!” –Sugar Land resident

Save on show admission! See website for details. Concession food provided by Fort Bend County legend, the Swinging door

BRING YOUR RECYCLING…to the

Compucycle Recycle Station. Bring documents for shredding and out-of-date electronics for recycling. Check website for more details.

Sponsored by

SugarLandHomeAndGarden.com

connoisseur

entertain

mardi gras

Masquerade

Styling | syma levy Photography | Mark Lipczynski

Who says you have to go to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras to remember? Bring Bourbon Street home with this fabulously fun fete complete with gumbo, beignets, beads, king cake and, of course, Hurricanes. Let the good times roll!

face time

No masquerade party would be complete without an elaborately decorated mask. Intrigue your guests with a variety to choose from.

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connoisseur

entertain

let them eat cake

easy breezy

What’s a party without cake? This towering dessert decorated in Mardi Gras colors and stunning masquerade mask will be the belle of the ball.

Raise your glass and say a toast Mardi Gras-style with the official celebratory drink, the Hurricane. A la votre!

hot & steamy

Too many Hurricanes? Soothe the over-indulged soul with a delicious cuppa Joe served by your own personal barista.

The Goods event planning & styling

under cover

Get the party started with these gold-toned, French Quarterinspired invitations, complete with your very own masquerade mask tucked inside.

cajun cuisine

say cheese

Eat, drink and be merry with a heaping helping of shrimp gumbo, made with sweet and tender shrimp, fluffy rice and a sauce that’ll knock your socks off!

Make a lasting impression with a snapshot or two at a customized photo booth. Fun beads, masks and props put you in the heart of the celebration.

Theme development and execution, flowers, crown votives, masks, hats, beads, chair sashes, party favors by Oulala! What an Event. 713-855-8755, oulalaevents.com

venue, food & drink

Magnolia Ballroom, 715 Franklin St. 713-223-8508, magnoliaballroom.com

event collateral

Invitations by ph Design Shop. 713-522-8861, phdesignshop.com

cakes

Mardi Gras cake and king cakes by Three Brothers Bakery. 713666-2551, 3brothersbakery.com

tableware

Linens, napkins and chargers by Party Cloths. 713-523-0853, partyclothshouston.com

photo booth

Themed photo booth by Phlash Phactory. 832-797-7600, phlashphactory.com

coffee bar

Barista and full-service coffee bar by Java Pura. 713-523-5282, javapura.com

heavenly bite

Sink your teeth into the deliciously doughy goodness of a sweet beignet. Add a steaming cup of coffee and your world is complete.

oh, baby!

A Mardi Gras celebration wouldn’t be complete without a traditional king cake. Will you be the lucky one to find the baby inside?

party favors

Custom candy bars and water labels by Marla Levine, That’s a Wrap. 713-777-1447, marlalevine1@comcast.net

january/february • 2012

What do I want to be when I grow up?

There is still time... Get inspired.

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Subscriptions available online

gentlemen’s room

For the man who commands the very best

inside: Free Spirit Spheres

50 52 53 54 55

• • • • •

gentlemen’s room man cave

moving

onup Story | Jake Poinier

prime-living.com

Pete Nelson

or many of us, a treehouse conjures up memories of helping dad nail some leftover plywood into a craggy old tree. Suffice it to say, treehouse design has come a long way since you were walking around with a slingshot in your back pocket. Today’s high-end models are not only wired for electricity and plumbed for running water, but they also can span hundreds of square feet and cost well into six figures. Treehouses today can be equipped with the same amenities you’d find in a luxury home. “Sure, most people build their treehouses for their kids, but the difference is in planning for them to eventually be their own play structure,” says Zoe Bartosh, office manager at Fall City, Wash.-based TreeHouse Workshop. “And of course, they’re an ideal man cave— you can still be found, but not too easily.” Designer Roderick Romero of New York-based Romero Studios has built lofty and often-funky artistic creations for pop luminaries such Julianne Moore, Sting and Val Kilmer. “Val’s was definitely a man cave, right on a cliff, overlooking his property on a river in New Mexico,” he says of the structure, constructed of reclaimed wood from an old

gentlemen’s room man cave

tricked-0ut treehouse From the nice-to-have to the must-have, here are a few of the creative amenities you can find in high-end designs. • Electric toilet. No need to climb down to reality if you’re hooked up with one of these, which doesn’t require water (or plumbing and permits) to incinerate human waste into a small amount of sterile ash. • Slides. The local fire marshal will appreciate the fact that you’ve got a safety exit. More important, you’ll enjoy practicing your “emergency” escapes.

barn. “No matter which way you look, you can only see nature—it’s absolutely stunning.” Treehouses are even becoming a retirement and second-home trend. Finca Bellavista, a village community in Costa Rica’s mountainous South Pacific coastal region, has taken construction literally to new heights, with some of the homes perched in tree canopies 50 feet above ground level!

Roderick Romero | Pete Nelson

Up in the Air If your property’s trees or zoning laws won’t permit constructing your own dream

treehouse, you can still experience the suspended lifestyle a few nights at a time. Romero’s Mahinui Na Lani creation, for example, serves as a bed and breakfast in the shadow of the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, while TreeHouse Point (30 minutes east of Seattle) allows vacationers to choose from four rental units built by TreeHouse Workshops owner Pete Nelson. For an even more unusual spin on the treehouse theme, pay a visit to the west coast rainforest of Vancouver Island, Canada, where you’ll find Eve, Eryn and Melody hanging in the trees. These spherical inventions of Tom Chudleigh of Free Spirit Spheres evoke Jules Verne with their custom-made bronze fixtures and handcrafted woodwork. “They’re well appointed inside, like little yachts,” he says. “The nature of spherical space is different from anything you’ve ever experienced before—you lay in bed at night, look up at the nicely rounded ceiling, and it’s like sleeping in a small cathedral.” jake poinier Phoenix-based contributing writer Jake Poinier built a tree house for his then-toddler son back in 1999, but it was far too small to evolve into a proper man cave.

• Staircases/bridges. One of Romero’s current projects includes a massive spiral staircase up an adjacent oak, with an 18-foot cable bridge across to the main treehouse. • Oversized hammock. Some of TreeHouse Workshop’s concepts incorporate a large net that can keep up to 15 people suspended 20 feet off the ground—and create an unforgettable happy hour scene. • Ping-pong table. Just make sure to shut the windows and doors so you don’t have to go to ground level to collect errant shots. • Fireplace. A pellet stove delivers character as well as heat; with a strong enough platform, you can even safely include a brick structure. • Plasma TV. Sure, you’re getting back to nature—but why miss the big game when you don’t have to? • Hot tub. No explanation necessary!

january/february • 2012

gentlemen’s room driver's seat

Story | jeff yip

es, the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder will catapult driver and co-pilot to 200 mph, going from 0 to 60 in around four seconds. Yes, this wicked, ground-hugging wedge is the ultimate objet d’art for your cobblestone, circular driveway. And yes, nestled behind you, deep within its aluminum alloy space frame, lurks a 5.2-liter V-10 that packs a spine-chilling 8,000rpm war cry. But a long weekend that even Ferris Bueller would approve of revealed a joy more powerful than the drop-top’s 560 thoroughbred horses: the Gallardo Spyder is a love machine. This was immediately apparent as we headed out to Galveston, a no-brainer destination, as Lamborghini understandably didn’t want too many miles piling up.

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The LP560-4 triggers grins and thumbs up everywhere, a love that’s a surefire, if temporary, antidote to the grim economic news d’jour. Fellow motorists speed up, slow down or swerve into the adjacent lane to grab cell phone shots. Bikers in horned “Norse” helmets along the sea wall yell shout-outs. Just stopping for gas can draw a crowd. One young lady veered off the feeder road, snapped pics and never spoke a word. Weird and rude, but you learn to expect almost anything when you’re behind the wheel of a Gallardo—even if it is Lamborghini’s entry-level model. A word about gas: There’s no hyper-miling—at least, not of the hybrid kind—in a fournight stand with a $277,000 Lamborghini. We played hard with our borrowed toy, necessitating two or three stops for Chevron’s best. But we are pleased to report that while the LP560-4 may have a raucous power train and drive all four wheels, even spanked hard, its real-world fuel demands aren’t any worse than your average fullsize SUV. Although it looks every bit the exotic, the Gallardo is no

spyder

fussy monster. You can cruise with the top down (one button, less than 30 seconds) and let the wind and tunes from the excellent standard stereo wash over you. Or, encounter a clear stretch of road, stomp on the gas pedal, especially in full-out corsa mode, and you’re as close to being in the cockpit of an American LeMans racer as you’ll get without renting track time. Ours had E-gear, Lamborghini’s paddle-shifted automated six-speed gearbox. Our friend Raj Magon, a fellow car enthusiast and longtime specialist in pairing exotics with deserving owners, pointed out that the overwhelming majority of Gallardo buyers wisely opt for E-gear and that quite a few of his customers use the Gallardo as a daily driver. E-gear may run an extra 10 grand, but replacing two or three clutches in the traditional manual is even more painful. Another brilliant feature is the switch that raises the nose of the car so you don’t scrape every time you enter or leave a driveway. This is no small matter when the Gallardo sits so close to the road (the top of its roof is just 46.6 inches off the ground).

With its gorgeous “Balloon” pearl paint that shifts subtly from brilliant white to yellow, to its sinister black Callisto alloy wheels, it made sense to capture the beautiful design of the Gallardo Spyder against the backdrop of another timeless classic, Galveston’s historic Hotel Galvez. But good design doesn’t need grand props. And taste knows no socioeconomic boundaries. When we pulled into the parking lot of an auto parts store to pick up some auto detailing supplies, a street soul steering a ratty bike with one hand and holding a beer in a brown paper sack with the other, came up to us, grinning from ear to ear, “That’s the Gallardo! Whoohee, it’s beautiful!” our new friend exclaimed, pronouncing the name correctly and succinctly. ’Nuff said.

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

Lamborghini Holding S.p.A.

Along Came a

gentlemen’s room wealth

tax-efficient Story | Brian Hays

investing

axes might be an inevitable part of life, but they don’t have to erode your investment returns as much as you might think. By working with an experienced advisor, you can take advantage* of multiple opportunities to potentially lower your tax bill and enhance your returns. For starters, consider the following five strategies: Invest in tax-deferred and tax-free accounts Tax-deferred accounts include employersponsored retirement accounts, like 401(k)s and 403(b) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and annuities. Contributions may be made on a pretax basis or may be tax deductible and investment earnings compound tax deferred until withdrawal—typically in retirement, when you may be in a lower tax bracket. Contributions to nonqualified annuities, Roth IRAs and Roth-style employersponsored savings plans are not deductible. However, earnings that accumulate in Roth accounts can be withdrawn tax-free if you’ve had the account for at least five years and meet the requirements for a qualified distribution. Keep in mind, withdrawals prior to age 59-and-a-half from a qualified retirement plan, IRA, Roth IRA or annuity may be

subject to a 10 percent federal penalty. Early withdrawals from annuities may also be subject to additional penalties charged by the issuing insurance company. Consider government and municipal bonds Interest on U.S. government bonds is subject to federal taxes, but exempt from state taxes. Municipal bond income is generally exempt from federal taxes, and municipal bonds issued in-state may be free of state and local taxes as well. Because they are sold prior to maturity, government and municipal bonds are subject to market fluctuations and may be worth less than the original cost upon redemption. Look for tax-efficient investments Tax-managed or tax-efficient investment accounts are managed in ways that can help reduce their taxable distributions. Investment managers can potentially minimize portfolio turnover, invest in stocks that do not pay dividends and selectively sell stocks at a loss to counterbalance taxable gains elsewhere in the portfolio. Put losses to work You may be able to use losses within your investment portfolio to help offset realized

gains and reduce taxes. If your losses exceed your gains, you can offset up to $3,000 per year of the difference against ordinary income. Any remainder can be carried forward to offset capital gains or income in future years. Keep good records Maintain records of purchases, sales, distributions and dividend reinvestments. This allows you to properly calculate how much was paid for the shares you own and choose the most preferential tax treatment for shares you sell. Keep in mind, these strategies are very general and might not always apply to your specific situation. In the end, the best strategy is always to work with a qualified tax advisor to implement a plan customized to your specific situation. When you do, you’ll likely discover that managing your taxable investment income is one of the easiest ways to enhance returns over time.

brian hays A wealth management advisor for Mutual of Omaha Bank, Brian Hays has more than 20 years of investing experience. He specializes in working with high net worth clients in the Houston area.

*This information is general in nature and is not meant as tax advice. Always consult a qualified tax advisor for information as hot taxes may affect your particular situation. ©Standard & Poor’s Financial Communications. All rights reserved.

january/february • 2012

gentlemen’s room high-tech

a happy, healthy 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 hang from your body. It’s time to find a solution to this issue. Gym memberships are so 1990s. There are many high-tech gadgets to help get your muscles pumped and others to keep your calorie intake in check. Here are a few suggestions to make 2012 the happiest and healthiest yet.

Diamondback Fitness 910Er Elliptical Trainer One of the latest pieces of equipment that can serve as an all-around home gym is the Diamondback Fitness 910Er Elliptical Trainer. A built-in virtual trainer provides 35 preset workout programs and 32 intensity levels to ensure your workout will never get old. The machine has a bright LCD display for an easy view of your workout information and quickset buttons on the display make getting started a snap. You can connect your iPad, iPhone or iPod to the integrated Apple docking station on the media center to keep your mind off the actual workout. The media center also features a USB port for MP3 players and a headphone jack that connects to onboard speakers to transform your fitness room into a private concert hall. It’s all yours for $1,699. www.diamondbackfitness.com Hurom Slow Juicer While you can use the elliptical machine to get the outside of your body in shape, you may want to start eating better and watching calories. For help with that, take a look at the Hurom Slow Juicer. This compact electric juicer has a unique low-speed mechanism to process foods extremely efficiently.

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By extracting, not grinding, the juice, it provides approximately 35 percent more juice and maintains up to 60 percent more vitamins when juicing certain fruits and vegetables. Pop in some fruit, vegetables, wheatgrass, greens, nuts and soybeans to make everything from juice and soups to tofu. It retails for about $350. slowjuicer.com Fitness Free HD When it comes to keeping healthy and Here’s a gadget I really like and staying in shape, use almost daily. The Fitbit is a there’s an app for pedometer on steroids. If you that. One of the most popular clip the tiny device to yourself, apps is Fitness Free HD, which it counts your steps, monitors offers more than 700 exercises your activity level and tracks with photo and text instructions the quality of your sleep. It uses to users. It’s simply formatted the same 3-D motion sensing with a stopwatch timer, allowing technology as the Nintendo Wii and the creators of the Fitbit hope the user to track his or her own progress with ease. Yoga to turn everyday activities into a fitness game. The gadget uploads enthusiasts will also enjoy Fitness Free HD as more than 50 yoga your activity stats, including poses with photos and text calories burned, wirelessly to the Web. Not bad for $99. fitbit.com guidance are included. This free app can be downloaded on an iPhone or iPad. Fitbit

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.

Diamondback Fitness | Hurom | Fitbit

Story | Michael Garfield

new you

gentlemen’s room outdoors

golf

for One

Story | doug pike

mike nuzzo

n golf, there is one rung above the exclusive, private club. Rather than build relationships with head pros, starters and locker room staff, a rare few golfers simply build their own golf courses. Mike Nuzzo designs and builds golf courses, but not always for corporations or developers. Once, in a face-to-face meeting with a new client, the only other face at the table was that of a golfer with a dream to have his very own golf course and the resources to make it come true. The fantasist set an $8 million budget for Nuzzo to create (which he did) the ultimately exclusive golf club. Its owner is the only member, the only man who can grant permission to play. Should you somehow garner an invitation to go around Wolf Point Golf Club, near Port Lavaca, you’ll never wait while turtles ahead putt out or feel pressed by long-hitters nipping at your soft-spiked heels. In fact,

yours might be the only group on the course. If that $8 million tab made you flinch, good news: Nuzzo built Wolf Point, which Golf Architecture Magazine editor Adam Lawrence called, “one of the very greatest courses I’ve seen,” for barely $3 million. In contemporary, worldwide golf-development terms, that’s tip money. “We did everything as efficiently as we could,” says Nuzzo, an engineer by education. His “everything” included dirt work, growin, bunkering, irrigation, green complexes and ongoing maintenance, even the humble clubhouse atop a modest hill. The course was built in stages, which Nuzzo recommends for people who fancy a private golf playground, but are not ready for an 18-hole commitment. “You can build four or six holes with different tee boxes and greens,” he says. Pick your routes,

and it’s like playing 18 unique holes—only without the crowds. Nuzzo also advises aspiring course owners to set initial guidelines, “then let the designer get as creative as possible. Let it evolve.” One local rule at Wolf Point, for example, is that the winner of each hole gets to select where balls will be teed on the subsequent box. When you own the golf course, you play when you like, where you like and as you like— long pants, short pants or no pants at all. “It’s very casual,” Nuzzo says. You can stop anytime, too, and shoot 64 every day.

doug pike Doug Pike 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.

keeping it green Maintenance costs money, but course designer Mike Nuzzo says that tending a personal course is significantly less costly than grooming a traditional facility. “You can mow whenever you like and you need less equipment, because you don’t have to do everything at once,” he says. At the one-member Wolf Point, the barebones maintenance crew knows three cutting heights: fairway, fringe and green. (Fairways are overly wide to minimize lost balls, but the course is designed to require precise swings on every shot.) Outside the cut lines, grass height is in nature’s hands. For notepad purposes, as you dream and contemplate, figure $30,000 to $50,000 monthly to have your turf manicured by qualified personnel, plus original investments for equipment and a place to keep it. Costly? Yes, but on our own course, you’ll never have to holler “Fore!” again.

january/february • 2012

valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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Venice

Italian Government Tourist Board North America

Story | John DeMers

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From its romantic dew-covered cobblestone walkways and ‘floating’ buildings along its ancient canals, the immortal Queen of the Sea will charm and enrapture you

f you conspire with fate, as Omar Khayyam used to put it, to have one more grand romance in your life, then it had better involve someone. But, equally it seems, it had better involve someplace. For on that first Valentine’s Day together, you’ll want to be in the most romantic city on earth, a place filled with natural and manmade beauties, as well as bittersweet poetry of aging timelessness. This extraordinary place includes gifts of history, art, literature, music, food and wine. Many poets wished they could die happy here. That special place would have to be Venice.

january/february • 2012

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John DeMers

You have luckily traveled to Venice the way Hemingway once traveled to Paris. He wrote that he came to Paris at every season of the year, by every conceivable mode of conveyance, single and married and single again, in a group and absolutely alone. You’ve been happy and sad in Venice, though always pleased to be there. You’ve been treated to some of the most luxurious hotels and restaurants, without ever forgetting the $5-a-day Locanda Otello Rossi in 1974, when you took your very first trip in the icy grip of winter and therefore, by definition, the one you can never hope to equal. During a recent return visit after years of absence, there was no grand romance to celebrate in this city associated with Casanova. There was, however, the international art, music and culture festival La Biennale di Venezia. That meant the hotels were full and getting above their highest rates. Until a website turned up the Hotel Rossi. Until a guy at the front desk e-mailed that it was the place you stayed,

near the Santa Lucia train station on the Lista di Spagna. Until you booked a wood-paneled shoebox of a room that used to cost $5 in Italian lire and now topped $85 in euros. If you fly into Venice Marco Polo International Airport (VCE), if you ride a train across the trestle that reaches out from the Italian mainland, or if (perhaps most appropriately) you watch Venice rise from the Adriatic Sea like your favorite Botticelli, you think one thing first, last and always: The place doesn’t look like Europe. And there’s a good reason for that. In the 13th century, when the Most Serene Republic of Venice started forming from tribes and villages spread across 117 tiny islands, the future lay not in the struggling medieval west, but rather in the exotic east. Marco Polo was drinking the local water, after all. The Venice that finally coalesced and enjoyed its golden age into the 16th century, the one whose landmarks still define

escape

take 5 A trip to Venice wouldn’t be complete without a stop at these signature destinations

Gondola/Vaporetto

John DeMers | Servizio Video Communicazione del Comune de Venezia

Everyone should take a gondola ride on the Grand Canal and, yes, beneath the Bridge of Sighs. But for dayto-day transport from one end of Venice to the other, go with the miraculously good vaporetto (or vaporetti in plural since you’ll surely ride several times). Also known as “public buses,” you’ll chug up and down popular routes, just about always on time. For the most bang for your buck, opt for a 24-hour pass.

our visit, served as merchant and trader to places as far across the water as the Dalmatian Coast, Beirut and the eastern Mediterranean surrounding Israel. It even extended its reach north to the Byzantine capital at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul. What arrived back home from this commerce (and no small amount of might-makes-right grand larceny) is a swirling fantasy of shimmering mosaics and soaring golden domes. In Venice, buildings float, more than sit, in the air as much as on any waters. Romantic, yes? Like a film shot through very special lenses. Or even better, like a dream of everyplace you ever wished you could be. For at least a day or two, you’ll

want to remain close to Piazza San Marco, the heartbeat of the city. In the summer a quagmire of endless lines to enter the Basilica, the Piazza in winter is more sedate, more beloved. On icy days, the cobblestones get wet and glaze over, adding to the city’s eternal shimmer and making for pigeons that walk like they’re drunk. In terms of Venetian history, St. Mark’s Basilica has it all, starting in 828 when a gang of merchants claimed to have smuggled the namesake evangelist’s bones out of Egypt. Though the Church fathers (yes, far away in Rome) took a dim view, Venice continued to pat itself on the back every time it praised God, pulling

The Bauers The name may not strike you as authentically Italian, but in a city that’s been its own empire when it wasn’t busy belonging to other people’s, that’s hardly a big deal. A short stroll from Piazza San Marco, with easy access to Harry’s Bar (where both carpaccio and the Bellini champagne cocktail were born), the Bauer is a place for pampering. And the concierges will help you find your way anywhere. bauervenezia.com

Island Hopping Accessible by vaporetto, the island of Murano is

world-famous for its glass production and even has a glass museum you can visit. Burano is a small fishing island that’s become known for its lace making, as well as its brilliantly painted houses in pastel. Yet another island, Torcello, was settled in the 5th century and houses Venice’s very first cathedral, Santa Maria dell’Assunta.

Peggy Guggenheim Museum With so many churches and museums full of old-fashioned art to enjoy, you might find yourself craving a bit of modern art. Peggy Guggenheim, the niece of a mining magnate, has left us a private collection that’s precisely that in the city she loved more than any other. Cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionist rule within these walls a few steps off the Grand Canal, with works by artists like Picasso, Dali, Magritte and Miro. guggenheim-venice.it/inglese

Donna Leon’s Novels During or after your visit (or even better, before), fall in love with Donna Leon’s classy police thrillers set in Venice and starring Commissario Guido Brunetti. While not as violent as some books in the genre, these thought-provoking novels by an American who’s lived in Venice for more than three decades take a backseat to nobody in terms of the darkness within the human psyche.

january/february • 2012

together pieces for an east-meetswest palace of worship unlike anything else in Christendom. There are onion domes like we see at the Kremlin, a layout like a Greek cross, arches borrowed from Europe’s Gothic era, and porphyry walls from Egypt. It’s not easy building a church with anything you can steal. As the hours and days in Venice flow by, you venture forth from the Piazza, sometimes no farther than the Doge’s Palace with its iconic arcades and the

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Bridge of Sighs, so named by Lord Byron in one of his more fanciful moments. According to local legend, everlasting love awaits couples who kiss in a gondola beneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset. At least the gondoliers union would say so. Farther away, there’s the Accademia Gallery for great paintings you might recognize from art history in college; Teatro La Fenice for operas and chamber music (Venice loves chamber music, going back to the days

Antonio Vivaldi slept here); the district around the Rialto Bridge for seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables and even mops and buckets in the morning; and the fascinating Jewish Ghetto. Now enjoying a renaissance with art galleries and cafes, this is where Jews were forced to live under the otherwise-Serene Republic. Venice is a world of shadowy no-name churches with great paintings; of tiny squares you never heard of that break your heart with beauty; of restaurants,

Servizio Video Comunicazione del Comune di Venezia | Italian Government Tourist Board North America | John DeMers

escape

John DeMers | Servizio Video Comunicazione del Comune de Venezia

trattorias, pizzerias and cafes that welcome you (especially removed from tourist season); and of the thousand routes you might decide to walk from one place to the next and on from there. You may or may not have something resembling a GPS, but this Venice of past grandeur presents intrigue and future promise that would surely baffle any device anyway. On this visit to La Serenissima, on this special Valentine’s Day, you’d be safer following your heart.

if you go Getting There Flights to Venice’s Marco Polo International Airport (VCE) from Houston originate at Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and serve up a multi-cultural selection indeed. United/Continental and Lufthansa fly there by way of Frankfurt, KLM and Delta by way of Amsterdam, and Air France via Paris. Happily, Italy’s national carrier Alitalia doesn’t take you all the way south to Rome, doing the change in Paris instead.

Weather & Climate In February, temperatures can drop below freezing, offering no sense that spring will ever arrive, but can also be comfortable in the 50s during the daylight hours.

Currency As with nearly all of Europe, the currency in Italy is officially the euro, which makes things more expensive than longtime travelers from the U.S. appreciate.

january/february • 2012

escape enlightened explorer

Music to the Ears little peace and quiet can

uilt along a rocky cliff above the white sands and crashing waves of the Pacific, Capella Ixtapa Resort & Spa in Mexico joins the natural beauty of its surroundings with the comfort and sophistication of modern design. Each of the resort’s 59 suites offers an infinity pool and private terrace with unparalleled views of ocean and sky, and on-site amenities include a spa, a fitness center and two gourmet restaurants. Whether you stay in or venture out to hike, sail, snorkel, fish or play golf, you’ll be happy you left the crowds behind. capellahotels.com/ixtapa

Paris for Book Lovers

f you’re searching for inspiration, at Le Pavillon des Lettres, you won’t have to look any further than the walls. The hotel’s 26 rooms are dedicated to a letter of the alphabet and a corresponding author, the walls adorned with printed text from famous wordsmiths like Diderot, Goethe, Woolf, and Voltaire. Just a short stroll from the Place de la Concorde and the Grand Palais, the elegance and history of the setting never fail to capture the imagination. pavillondeslettres.com

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be hard to find anywhere you go, but on an airplane, it can be virtually impossible. With noise-canceling headphones, slip into a world that’s blissfully free of rustling newspapers and the drone of the engines, and enjoy your music or in-flight entertainment without distraction. bose.com, magellans.com

Plug into the Sun t never fails. When you need

it the most, your camera, MP3 player or smartphone runs out of juice. With the Solio Bolt Solar Charger, power up your favorite devices outdoors or on the go. Just tilt the two rotating solar panels toward the sun to charge the Bolt, and connect it to your device with a USB cable. The built-in battery holds a charge for up to a year and provides most smartphones with two full charges. $70, store. solio.com

Capella Ixtapa | Magellans | Le Pavillon des Lettres | Solio

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escape enlightened explorer

Future of Flying he new Boeing 787 Dreamliner promises to be a dream

come true for both airlines and passengers. The first carboncomposite airliner, it boasts a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency compared to other airplanes of its size, and offers creature comforts like a wider cabin, ambient lighting, quieter engines, bigger touch-screen entertainment panels and seat-toseat e-mail. Windows are 30 percent larger and can be dimmed electronically, and the cabin maintains a higher humidity level and air pressure, which makes the interior more comfortable. The Dreamliner completed its first flight carrying paying passengers on Oct. 26 in Japan and is expected to start flying in the U.S. late this year. boeing.com

Flavorful Getaway o matter where you go

Del-icious he premier luxury

or what you do on a trip, when you return, the first question you’re asked is often, “So how was the food?” Although New Orleans is also famous for jazz, Mardi Gras, and its vibrant culture and history, a visit will keep you talking about po-boys, gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish étouffée for hours. In the French Quarter, dine in elegance at Antoine’s, birthplace of delights like Oysters Rockefeller and Eggs Sardou; or Arnaud’s, lauded for their soufflé potatoes and shrimp marinated in remoulade sauce. For breakfast or brunch, Brennan’s is a must, serving up French and Creole favorites like crepes, brandy milk punch and bananas Foster. And of course, you can’t leave without biting into a beignet at Café Du Monde. Dining in “The Big Easy” will always keep your taste buds fully entertained. neworleansonline.com

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Fresh Mountain Air erched at 8,000 feet in the stunning mountain wilderness of

India’s Kumaon region, Shakti 360˚ Leti is one of the world’s most remote luxury resorts. Four private guest pavilions and the main lodge offer floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase stunning views of distant, snow-capped peaks and the flower-covered foothills below. Design your own itinerary of hiking, camping, fishing and picnicking with the help of knowledgeable, English-speaking guides and porters. Or plan a few days of peace and reflection while you soak in the scenery by a cozy fire. The resort is open through May 1. Rates for a three-night, four-day package are available and include all meals, beverages and activities. shaktihimalaya.com

communities of Villas Del Mar, Espiritu Del Mar and Oasis Palmilla welcomes a new property to its family, Querencia Los Cabos golf community. Guests of this exclusive property will enjoy a portfolio of unrivaled amenities including a private golf club, private beach club, private ocean-view fitness club, miles of secluded white sand beach, sailing catamaran, community park with a tennis court, half basketball court and splash garden, acres of green space and miles of walking and hiking paths. This newest development falls under the Del Mar Development banner and its luxury properties located in Los Cabos, Mexico. delmarloscabos.com

kathryn hunter Kathryn Hunter is an Austin-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in “Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.”

Boeing Image | New Orleans Online | Rigoberto Moreno | Shakti

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see & do

PRIME Living 311 Julie Rivers Sugar Land, TX 77498

palo duro canyon Story | Cathy Sampson

escribed as the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” Palo Duro Canyon is both tranquil and ancient. It was home to Native Americans for 12,000 years and today, serves as a significant place in Texas history. At 20 miles wide and more than 800 feet deep, the canyon is located in Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the Texas panhandle. With one glimpse of the red rock formations, prairies and ranches, you’ll understand why the area has been loved by passing cowboys over the years. There are 30 miles of marked trails waiting to be hiked by thrill-seekers and nature lovers, filled with mesquite, junipers, cottonwoods, live oak and cactus, as well as deep ravines and eroded cliffs. A popular trail is the Lighthouse Trail, which leads to the geographical signature of the entire park: stone pillars that resemble a massive lighthouse. Take advantage of your time at the park by enjoying a picnic overlooking the canyon. Or go horseback riding along the trails. Palo Duro Riding Stables (10160 E. State Highway 217) offers horseback riding for beginning and experienced riders. You can also mountain bike or bird watch in a quiet area behind the Palo Duro

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Trading Post, or stargaze along a series of steep, eroded cliffs and canyons. If you plan to stay for a spell, cabins rentals, tent and RV sites with water and electricity are available at the park. Or enjoy the park during the day and retreat to the modern comforts at night in Amarillo, a 35-mile drive from Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Spend the night at the cozy Courtyard Amarillo Downtown (724 S. Polk), conveniently located in the heart of downtown Amarillo at the Historic Frisk Building. The Amarillo Symphony (1000 Polk St.) is just around the corner, as well as a variety of places to eat and drink. After a long day of hiking or traveling on a tour bus, a glass of Merlot is mandatory. Have a glass at Crush Wine Bar & Deli (701 S. Polk), where you can also snack on artisan cheeses, chorizo and shrimp empanadas, or a menu of tapas. And, if you absolutely have to get your spa fix after a day of hiking, check out Awaken Spa (1301 S. Coulter). After a well-rested evening, head over to Village Bakery Café (2606 SW 22nd Ave.) for fresh roasted coffee, French toast or a breakfast panini. This casual, charming bistro is known for its exceptional breakfasts, as well as its array of desserts, including chocolate cinnamon cake and pecan caramel bar.

Amarillo Museum of Art Filled with diverse treasures including four water colors by Georgia O’Keeffe, Japanese wood block prints and early American Modernist paintings, the Amarillo Museum of Art is a don’tmiss stop to the canyon. Be sure to check out the series “Documenting America,” which includes FSA photographs. 2200 S. Van Buren St. 806-371-5050 amarilloart.org Big Texan Steak Ranch For a truly authentic Texas experience, stop in for the 72-ounce steak known as “The Texas King.” If you can eat the massive steak in an hour, it’s yours for free. Wash it down with a handcrafted beer brewed on site. Fancy up your visit with a ride in the Longhorn Limousine or live like the historic locals did with a stay at the Big Texan Motel. 7701 W. Interstate 40, Amarillo 806-372-6000 bigtexan.com Heritage Tours Offering customized group tours of Palo Duro Canyon and Amarillo, this outfit creates unique experiences that include a country breakfast made by a real cowboy or backstage pages to outdoor musical performances. Other stops include the Panhandle Plains Museum, Cadillac Ranch, Cal Farley’s Boys/ Girls Ranch and The Big Texan. 214-265-7782 heritagetoursllc.com

Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council | Big Texan Steak Ranch | Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Dear Karyn, c jams Tired of the traffi from and endless noise king to find construction? Loo ce filled spa t vas a in serenity owers, dfl wil of ay with an arr of mysterious cactus and miles You don’t rock formations? way the all vel tra have to yon to see to the Grand Can of rugged a panoramic view a pink and ert des , rain ter Palo Duro to go st Ju t. sunse dle. This han pan Canyon in the bodies the free amazing place em west, giving spirit nature of the son to rea r the ano ans us Tex be proud. – Cathy

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70 71 72 74

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Look Good | Get Your Spa On Feel Good | All Together Now Health buzz | what’s new Be Good | Bringing Sexy Back

january/february • 2012

live well

get your spa on Story | Jessica Mebane

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eeling lethargic and generally lacking in TLC? Find yourself casting about for someone to pamper you from head to toe, or just coax your tense shoulders down from their bunched position next to your chin? Then you’re in need of a day at the spa, friend, and because this is Texas, you could criss-cross the state and find spa options as plentiful as spring bluebonnets on the highway. Luckily, we’ve narrowed the list to a few favorites, based on services offered and one-of-a-kind amenities. Whether you’re looking to go incognito at a posh hotel oasis in the heart of the big city, or escape to a far-flung locale with breathtaking surroundings, a truly unique and restorative experience awaits you at these establishments.

Get Lost Say you want to get out there… really far out there, like where the sky meets the rugged landscape around austere western mountains at Big Bend National Park to see if you can find inner peace. Well, who says you have to rough it to find it? Pack your bags (golf bag, too) and head west to Lajitas Golf Resort Spa, where President George W. Bush has taken advantage of the PGA-certified course and exquisitely remodeled old Calvary Post barracks, and had a massage expertly administered by Agave spa manager Regina Abbott. “My background is in therapeutic massage,” says Abbott. “I like to mix custom oil blends with jojoba for massages based upon the guests’ area of concern, and also use the Pevonia line of products for facials.”

Fant-aaah-sy Island San Antonio has many claims to fame, including the dizzying number of hotels and restaurants skirting the banks of the legendary River Walk. But one of the River City’s best-kept secrets is a gem of a hotel and spa tucked away on West Crockett Street, where, from the moment you step out of your vehicle, it’s as though you’ve been whisked away to spa heaven. Upon your arrival, Mokara Spa associates greet you by name and usher you to 17,000 square feet of relaxation nirvana, complete with finely appointed changing areas with polished wood lockers and discrete, but fabulous showers. You’ll pause here long enough to shuck your clothes and cares in favor of a plush robe and a full-day odyssey of treatments handcrafted by a team of massage therapists and estheticians, such as the Sapphire and Ruby Brightening Facial. Or just pick dreamily at your lunch on the spa terrace, which overlooks some prime downtown real estate on the San Antonio River Walk.

So pack up your troubles and while away the idle hours at one of Texas’s great spas. Just remember to take your hat and boots off, first!

if you go Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa 111 N. Post Oak Lane 713-685-6790 trellisspa.com

Mokara Hotel & Spa 212 W. Crockett St., San Antonio 210-396-5840 mokarahotels.com

Lajitas Golf Resort and Agave Spa 1 Main St., Lajitas 432-424-5000 lajitasgolfresort.com

Mokara Hotel & Spa

Mokara Spa

Let’s Shvitz on It In Houston—where big deals are made in the shadows of oil company skyscrapers, lawyers’ offices and on the 19th hole— working hard means relaxing in style, and there’s no spa bigger and more elite than Trellis, The Spa at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. “This is where the big players in the oil industry and politicos come to unwind,” says spa director Renae Cassam. According to Cassam, there are 21 rooms in the facility: 12 for body treatments, seven for facials, an upstairs lounge with a fireplace, and a relaxing float pool. “This is one of the few spas where you can stay all day, have lunch on the balcony overlooking the golf course, and really feel the Houstonian/Trellis hospitality begin to work its magic,” she says.

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make it stick

now

To reap the full benefits of exercise, you need to make it a regular part of your schedule. Lance Breger, IDEA Health and Fitness Association program director of the year, offers simple ways to integrate exercise into your daily life:

Story | Angela Ambrose

ost people start the new year with the best of intentions. They plan to start exercising regularly, yet about 80 percent of Americans fall short of that goal, says Neal Pire, owner of Inspire Training Systems and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). A simple, but powerful way to stay committed to exercise is to work out in small groups that create a supportive, motivating environment, Pire says. With the ailing economy, group personal training and boot camps offer a low-cost, challenging and efficient way to get fit. “We empower these small groups to lean on each other,” says Walter Thompson, Ph.D., Regents’ Professor of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University and spokesperson for ACSM. “For example, if one person calls and says, ‘I can’t make it today,’ the other person says, ‘Well, why can’t you make it today? We’re a team. We work

out together.’ So there’s some peer pressure that goes along with that, and it’s motivating.” Boot camps are one of the hottest new trends, says Pire. “You pat each other on the back…everybody’s very positive, hooting and hollering and highfiving each other. It becomes very much a social thing.” Boot camps typically incorporate calisthenics, body weight exercises, sprints and plyometrics in a fastpaced environment. People are also gravitating toward group fitness classes, from Zumba and strength training, to indoor cycling and yoga. These classes inject more excitement and variety into exercise routines and offer built-in opportunities to socialize. Working out in a group also provides a consistent schedule and increases the likelihood of having a skilled fitness instructor or trainer who can modify exercises to match a person’s abilities and help avoid injury. As baby boomers enter retirement, they are also

increasingly turning to functional fitness classes that are tailored for older adults and emphasize strength, balance and activities of daily living. “We want to strengthen the body and train the body so it does well outside of the gym,” says Lance Breger, president of Infinity Wellness Foundation and IDEA program director of the year. “This form of training allows us to be pain-free…and do everything that we want to do at any given moment.” Functional training makes all aspects of life easier, from doing chores or taking a hike to playing ball with grandchildren. “We need a multi-dimensional approach,” says Breger, who emphasizes the importance of creating a workout program that includes cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and as flexibility and balance exercises. Varying the workouts helps stave off boredom and keeps people committed to their exercise program over the long haul.

• Set short- and long-term goals. “They need to be specific, measurable, attainable, and timeoriented,” Breger says. • Share your goals. Tell at least three other people, so they can offer support and keep you accountable. • Find activities you enjoy. Choose a sport, fitness class or activity you love will help keep you motivated. • Get professional guidance. Hire a certified, experienced personal trainer or coach. • Create an incentive for yourself. Reward yourself with a massage, new workout gear or clothes when you reach your monthly goal.

january/february • 2012

live well

Eating “Clean”

ome fruits and vegetables have much higher pesticide levels than others and knowing the difference can reduce your exposure. The Environmental Work Group (EWG) recently released a list of produce with the highest levels of pesticides, dubbed the Dirty Dozen. When buying these foods, it’s well worth the extra money to buy organic. The EWG also compiled a list of the Clean 15, conventional produce with the lowest pesticides levels on the market. According to EWG’s “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce,” people can decrease the amount of pesticides they consume by 92 percent when they choose five daily servings from the Clean 15 list instead of the highest contaminated list. And buying conventional produce costs a lot less than the organic equivalent.

Dirty Dozen

Unleash Better

health

t turns out that a dog is not only man’s best friend, but also a great workout partner. A Michigan State University study concluded that people who walk their dogs are 34 percent more likely to meet federal exercise guidelines of 150 minutes per week. Almost 50 percent of dog walkers exercised a half hour a day for a minimum of five days a week. Only a third of people without dogs exercised that often. The study also showed that dog walkers were 69 percent more likely participate in leisure-time physical activity beyond walking than those who don’t own dogs.

• Apples • Celery • Strawberries • Peaches • Spinach • Nectarines (imported) • Grapes (imported)

• Sweet bell peppers • Potatoes • Blueberries (domestic) • Lettuce • Kale/collard greens

Weight Loss Simplified eeping track of what you eat can help you shed pounds

faster, and free online food and fitness planners make the job simpler than ever. “It’s very easy to use,” says Neal Pire, owner of Inspire Training Systems and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. “You plug in your goal, you plug in your weight, and then you plug in what you eat for the day, and it calculates everything out for you.” An online planner can help you eat a better balanced diet, create customized workouts and provide social support so you can reach your weight goal. Pire’s favorite planners are WebMD.com’s Food and Fitness Planner, Dailyburn.com and SparkPeople.com.

In Plain Sight

aintaining an active lifestyle might decrease your chance of glaucoma, according to a British study examining the long-term relationship of eye pressure and exercise. Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that can lead to blindness and is usually associated with high internal eye pressure, also known as ocular perfusion pressure (OPP). Over a period of 15 years, the study measured participants’ OPP and physical activity level. The study showed that those who engaged in moderate physical activity 15 years earlier were 25 percent less likely to have high OPP, a major risk factor for glaucoma. People older than 60 and those with a family history are at an increased risk of glaucoma; however, African Americans face the highest risk and at an earlier age.

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Clean 15

• Onions • Sweet corn • Pineapples • Avocados • Asparagus • Sweet peas • Mangoes • Eggplant • Cantaloupe (domestic)

• Kiwi fruit • Cabbage • Watermelon • Sweet potatoes • Grapefruit • Mushrooms

heart truth the

eart disease continues to be the No. 1 cause of death among women in the United States, according to a recent report. Nearly half of all American women (8.6 million annually) die from heart disease or stroke. Because heart disease and stroke are often preventable, women can decrease their risks by engaging in regular exercise and adopting healthy eating habits. Regular exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis and symptoms of menopause. angela ambrose Angela Ambrose has been a writer for more than 20 years, working for Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. Public Health Service, as well as national magazines, newspapers and websites. She is also nationally certified group fitness instructor and a registered yoga teacher.

Recovery Isn’t Simply a Goal, It’s Our Mission.

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live well take control So how do you make yourself feel better about your body image so you’ll want to have sex with your partner? Here are a few suggestions:

sexy

bringing back

f you’re a woman, you can relate to the fact that men always seem to be “on.” They may work all day and come home exhausted, but if you mention sex, most of them are ready and raring to go. Women aren’t like this. We need time to make a transition into sexy. A big mistake many couples make is on date night. If dinner is set for 7 p.m. and they're still getting ready at 6:45 p.m., the date may feel hurried and tense, and doesn’t usually end with both people feeling relaxed and amorous. It isn’t something the husband does wrong, or that one of you picked a fight. It’s simply that you didn’t allow yourself time to get your sexy on. Women need a transitional time to go from wife to lover. We need time to pamper ourselves, dress ourselves and get our makeup and hair done, without someone or something interrupting us. I call this getting your sexy on. Body image is so highly correlated with women’s sexuality that in a recent study reported in the Journal of Sex Research, Dr. Patricia Barthalow Koch discovered that body image was one of the top reasons women don’t want to have sex. Men may have difficulty understanding

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this because many of them tell their wife how beautiful she looks, only to realize she still doesn’t want to have sex. The husband may not understand that, although his intentions are good, his wife doesn’t derive her body image by what he says. It might help and reassure his wife, but more helpful is if she believes that she is beautiful and desirable. In other words, if she beats herself up, or is critical in regards to her looks when she compares herself to others, no matter what her husband tells her, it falls on deaf ears. After counseling and speaking with numerous women, I find that one of the big problems is that women feel too rushed and hurried. Women need different stimuli to turn them on then men. We don’t get excited when we see a naked man. In fact, most women prefer a man with shorts on to a man in the buff (if he puts a suit on and parades around the house, even better). Your sexy text may not do it for us, either, but if we catch a

glance at your jaw while you’re drinking from a water fountain in the right lighting, we may feel a sexual impulse. Women don’t talk to you about this, because we know you won’t understand. Women are also somewhat reticent about telling you what turns them on, because it’s so different than what turns men on, or what the media believes should turn them on. The one area women and men agree turns both of them on is how a woman looks. The problem is that women’s comparison of what makes them beautiful or sexy is so different than men’s. This makes it difficult to feel accomplished in that area. We’re busy working, taking care of the household and making sure the chores get done (it’s still reported that women do the majority of household chores in the U.S.). When women take time for themselves, they feel sexier, better about their bodies and more willing to share their bodies with their partner.

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

• A healthy woman check is a must. Many women get their check-up each year and report that their doctor didn’t find anything unusual. This was most likely because you were embarrassed to tell them you’ve never had an orgasm, don’t want or like sex, or that you’re having marital issues. These are important and real issues that must be addressed to have a stable healthy marriage. • Try taking up yoga or an exercise that relieves stress and helps you feel stronger. Women who begin feeling stronger also become more confident. With confidence comes an improved body image. • Reframe your thinking that sex is for men. It’s for you! In fact, women benefit more than men. For women, having sex not only makes us feel more connected, but it also controls our ability to manage stress. Due to the way we multi-task, stress and anger are emotions we feel and usually dismiss every day. Sex helps us purge both in a healthy way. • The next time your partner wants to have sex, give them your sexiest look, and tell them you would love to if they will call the sitter and allow you time to get your “sexy” on. While getting ready, listen to music that puts you in the mood and dress in a way you feel beautiful.

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Your loved one is unique.

No one else in the world will ever be your mom, your grandpa, your aunt or brother or spouse. No one else will ever hold the same place in your heart. No one else has exactly the same characteristics, habits or personal needs. That’s why we think a cookie-cutter approach to long term care simply doesn’t work. Since the opening of the very first Life Care Center in 1970, we’ve responded to the ever-changing senior care industry with changes of our own. We’ve made adjustments when necessary, with openness to new technology, new ideas and updated methods. And we’ve always practiced a firm commitment to personal, individualized treatment for each of our cherished residents. We believe that responsiveness is what sets us apart and what helps make our long term care nursing homes some of the premier communities in America. Treat everyone with courtesy and compassion. Work hard. Listen to people.

Life Care Centers of America is committed to being a premier provider of long-term health care. It is our desire to be the facility of choice in any community in which we operate. Our programs, services and facilities must be designed and operated with superior quality in order to satisfy the needs of our customers. At Life Care Centers of America, we take elderly care very seriously. That’s why we offer residents a wide range of living

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2936 Markum Drive Fort Worth, TX 76117 (817) 831-0545

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Garden Terrace of Fort Worth

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Life Care Center of Plano

3800 West Park Blvd. Plano, TX 75075 (972) 612-1700

Alameda Oaks Nursing Center

1101 S. Alameda St. Corpus Christi, TX 78404 (361) 882-2711

Wooldridge Place Nursing Center

7352 Wooldridge Rd. Corpus Christi, TX 78414 (361) 991-9633

arrangements and amenities, services and care. Life Care has the experience, expertise, and dedication to provide a full scope of specialty services.

Alzheimer's Care

Our brains change as we age. Most of us will notice that we don’t think quite as quickly and have occasional problems remembering things. But Alzheimer’s disease is more than that. Alzheimer’s actually destroys brain cells, leading to problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s can be a painful process for loved ones to watch as it progresses. But there is hope... Life Care Center’s Garden Terrace concept is one of only a few programs of its kind in the country. These communities are exclusively designed and staffed to accommodate the special needs of individuals with Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke and Parkinson's. Our staff strives to improve the quality of life of the residents we serve and the families who love them. We know how difficult it can be as your loved one forgets things – precious memories, even familiar surroundings. That’s why we offer full support for Alzheimer’s patients, doing everything we can to make life and their home enjoyable. Life Care will be there, with all the support, education, and commitment you and your loved one need.

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Ferrari Festival

the

highland village • 11.20.11

list

On Nov. 20, Ferrari enthusiasts came together to show their support for the Texas Children’s Cancer Center at the sixth annual Ferrari Festival. The scene was set as a live string quartet played, a stunning array of rare luxury vehicles lined up and Highland Village restaurants provided scrumptious bites. Several of the Cancer Center’s patients came out and joined the festivities, while Franco Valobra hosted a champagne reception in his fine jewelry store for VIP attendees. The event concluded with an awards ceremony announcing winners of categories such as “Best Vintage Model” and “People’s Choice.”

Photography | Leroy Gibbins

8 get on the list at primelist@prime-living.com 1 Irina and Juri Gelovani 2 Amy and Don Armstrong, Jeff Yip 3 Franco Valobra 4 Paul Cox, Lisa McCoy, Karyn Dean 5 Tracy and Laurie Krohn, Max and Nic Jonsson 6 Errilos Durham, Jasmine Moshiri, Sepideh Sadeghpour, Simon Bainbridge 7 Susan Ellerbeck, J. Lowery 8 Grady and Grant Owens

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Bone Bash hotel zaza • 10.27.11

Last fall, the South Texas Arthritis Foundation began a new tradition to help raise awareness of the No. 1 disability in America. It was the first inaugural Bone Bash, a costume gala to help raise funds for the nearly 1 million adults and 5,000 children in the Houston area who depend on programs supported by the foundation. From the elaborate décor, to the delicious candy corn mousse, no detail was overlooked as the Hotel ZaZa was transformed into a spooktacular setting. The ghoulish fete was frightfully fun as guests enjoyed cocktails, dinner and all sorts of bewitching entertainment, including a costume contest, dancing, fortune tellers and a live auction. Photography | Morris Malakoff Photography

the

list 5

1 Mason and Catherine Herring 2 Robert and Sherri Salley, Michael Rybarsky 3 Steve Scholer, Sina Saleh, Carla and Adele Kneipp 4 Debra Ford 5 Laurie and Stephen Croxson 6 Perla Herrera, Sandy Jones

Celebrity Bartending Challenge for Charity

the

sullivan's steakhouse • 11.3.11

list

Sullivan’s Steakhouse raised the bar on Nov. 3 at its Celebrity Bartending Challenge, which kicked off the 21st Annual Carmen and David Bridges Joyful Toyful Fiesta, an annual holiday fundraiser and toy drive. Asked to arrive with unwrapped toys, games or books, guests had the opportunity to request drinks from several local celebrities, including ABC 13’s Tom Koch and Don Nelson. All tips and donations to the celebrity bartenders, as well as 20 percent of the food sales in the Ringside bar, were awarded to Joyful Toyful Fiesta. Photography | Allen V Roberson Photography

4 1

See More photos at Prime-Living.com

1 Charity Yarborough, Brenda Koch, Sandy Echols, Emma Duffin 2 Arthur Mooradian with Tom Koch and Don Nelson 3 Tom and Carol Sawyer 4 Tom Koch, Charity Yarborough and Sandy Echols

january/february • 2012

International Risotto Festival

the

houston design center • 11.13.11

list

The Houston Design Center hosted guests to a relaxing afternoon of food, fun and festivities at the ninth 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 Children’s Assessment Center, a nonprofit organization that provides support to sexually abused children and their families. After a difficult decision process, the celebrity judges named Scotty Campbell of Viking the winner. Chef Scotty’s winning recipe included black truffle and porcini mushroom risotto with pecan smoked prime rib. Photography | Roswitha Vogler and Kim Coffman

get on the list at primelist@prime-living.com 1 Kathy and Ken Heidtmann 2 Celebrity Judges 3 Peggy and Maurice McGowen 4 Don Glentzer, Molly Glentzer, Sheri Roane, Grant Roane 5 Greg Harbar 6 Elaine Stolte, Diane Caplan, Susan and Jimmy Olguin 7 Taylor Nussbaum, Mike Critelli 8 Don and Molly Glentzer 9 Diane Caplan, Edward Sanchez, Karina and Carlos Barbieri

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Home Sweet Home Gingerbread Bash The Children’s Museum of Houston • 12.3.11

On Dec. 3, guests were treated to enchanting eye candy at the 2011 Gingerbread Bash, where one-of-a-kind, colossal gingerbread houses were on display. Fashioned by some of Houston most artistic chefs, the holiday masterpieces were auctioned off, with the proceeds benefiting the museum’s educational exhibits and programs. Guests enjoyed live music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while the little ones took pleasure in special holiday activities, such as designing their own gingerbread houses, sipping on Mexican hot chocolate, taking photos with Santa, hanging out with Mr. and Mrs. Frosty, and visiting the museum’s exhibits.

the

list

Photography | Roswitha Vogler

See More photos at Prime-Living.com 1 Melissa Denman, Tammie Kahn 2 Mia Bering, Lindsey Marchand, Michele Christian 3 Jennifer Gilliam, Kim Petersen 4 Kelli and Coco Tumey 5 Roseann Rogers, Lara Bell 6 Karen Milnar, Melissa Garlington, Tammie Kahn 7 Roseann Rogers, Aashish Shah, Nikhil Shah

january/february • 2012

parting

shot

on the line

Gary Yan, chef/owner of Alingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hakka, preps the line for a busy dinner service at his Sugar Land restaurant, which serves a blend of Chinese and Indian cuisine.

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Photographed by Mark Lipczynski on Nov. 5, 2011.