Prime Living July/August 2009 Issue by SRG Services, Inc.

j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 0 9

Texas

The Luxury of Choice taste and travel

issue

easy

breezy Dress upyour table for a deliciously divine summer soiree

Toque Talk Get the dish from Houston’s Top chefs

High Life

The living is easy at Fort Bend couple’s Colorado retreat

World Wonders Satisfyyourwanderlust with four exotic getaways

S U G A R

L A N D

T O W N

S Q U A R E

july/august 2009

dinner for

5IVE 32 Houston’s top toques dish on the city’s culinary scene

global getaways

Pack your bags and jet set to four worldy wonders

rocky mountain heights

Fort Bend family enjoys living the high life in Breckenridge abode

22 58 july/august • 2009

alsoinside 11 • cocktails & conversations • Where to Go, What to Do 10 Things You Can’t Forget to Pack • Bay is Back • Lunar Legacy • Farm Fresh • City Q&A • Center Stage • Have Bag, Will Travel 29 • humble truth • real texas personalities Federico Marques, Ruggles Green • Ellen Kalish, CruiseCenter.com •

sueh@prime-living.com

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

64 • live well • Feel Good, Look Good New Lease on Life • Number Crunch

Senior Account Executive Linda Osborne

66 • dining guide • dine out & dig in at houston’s top restaurants

losborne@prime-living.com

Account Executive Mike Taylor

73 • prime list • Events, Galas and Fundraisers Prime Living’s Evening with an Expert • Mad Hatter’s Luncheon • Pink in the Park • Cardiac Cup • Zonta Zelebration • Datebook

mtaylor@prime-living.com

Marketing/Event Coordinator Jennifer Dean

list

jend@prime-living.com

J7IJ; and JH7L;B

issue

18 on the cover Products by Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma Home, Willows Home & Garden. Pantsuit by Anthropologie. Styling by Jaimee Rose. Photographed by Mark W. Lipczynski.

easy

breezy table for a Dress upyour summer soiree deliciously divine

e Talk Toqu the dish from

Get chefs Houston’sTop

High Life

at Fort Bend The living is easy o retreat couple’s Colorad

Wonders Worldyour wanderlust

Satisfy getaways with four exotic

prime-living.com

tdean@prime-living.com

Assistant Editor Sue Hauenstein

51 • the gentleman's room • For the man who commands the very best Blue Bell Ice Cream • Travel Blunders • Corvette • Fresh Catch • Tech Travel

e The Luxury of Choic

Publisher Terry Dean

mjacoby@prime-living.com

41 • connoisseur • PL’s Guide to Discerning Taste Chez Nous • Good Eats • Cleverley’s Corner Table • Big House Wines • Summer Soiree

J;N7I

kdean@prime-living.com

Managing Editor Michelle Jacoby

Raul Molina Jr., Molina’s

the

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Karyn Dean

Circulation/ Distribution Brian Stavert

bstavert@prime-living.com

Contact 311 Julie Rivers Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77498 281.277.2333 Editorial Inquiries info@prime-living.com Advertising Information advertise@prime-living.com www.prime-living.com Prime Living Magazine is a publication of SRG Services, Inc., published bi-monthly. Copies are mailed and hand delivered to households and businesses throughout the greater Houston area. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility to any party for the content of any advertisement in this publication. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication.

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publisher’s note

don’t know about you, but for me, summer means two things: food and fun. That’s why I’m particularly excited about this special Taste & Travel issue. Whether you’re a “foodie” or someone who simply enjoys great dining (like me), you’ll love “Dinner for Five,” our story featuring five of Houston’s top chefs dishing on all things culinary. An avid fan of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, I had no idea how tainted my view of chefs was until I had the pleasure of meeting these five extraordinary chefs. They are amazing people who are extremely creative and talented, have a great business sense, lead interesting lives and are some of the nicest people I’ve met. Speaking of Gordon Ramsay, one of the items on my “bucket list” has always been to lunch with the famed chef. That is, however, until I met Chef Michel Roux and his wife Giselle at a recent event celebrating his new restaurant. Gordon (yes, we are on first name basis, although he is not aware of this yet) worked for Chef Roux, who had wonderful stories to share with my family and me. Chef promised to give my best to Gordon upon his return home.

I’m also pleased to share a few new additions to the Prime Living lineup. If you’re a professed arts lover, lose yourself in our new section featuring top-notch arts coverage by resident arts expert John DeMers. We’ve also added a new entertaining section, filled with great ideas for your next big bash. From hosting tips to the best new products, we’ll help you make your party the envy of all your friends!

Bucket List #1. Lunch with Chef Gordon Ramsey A big “thank you” to all our chefs for their time and participation in our feature story, as well as their passion for preparing and sharing great food with us!

kdean@prime-living.com

letters I LOVE your magazine! My family was in town last month and we were just talking about all of the comics that we read as kids. Loved the article on DC Comics! -Gail N., Houston Finally, a classy, informative, intelligent, local magazine that is written for someone my age. Thank you! -Marla O., Houston

coming up In our next issue, we’ll celebrate Texas’ top treasures. From bluebonnets to longhorns, we’ll show you just what makes the Lone Star State so special!

I had no idea there were so many great places to find chocolates. Your February Hot List has been torn out and is in my purse so that when I feel the urge for chocolate, I’ll know right where to go. Not sure about a chocolate martini, but I guess I’ll just have to try one! -Cynthia A., Katy My wife and I got such a kick out of the photograph of your children on your publisher’s page. We saved many photographs of our children and they bring back great memories. My wife and I eat out a lot so we are looking forward to your next issue for some new places to go. Keep up the great work. -Anthony P., Houston

My wife and I tried the Reef restaurant last weekend per your April issue and you were right – the crab cakes are great. My wife had the special coffee and said to tell you thank you for recommending it. We are always looking for new places to dine and looking forward to your food and wine event this month. Looking forward to meeting you and to receiving our next issue. -Stewart T., Houston In flipping through your May/June issue, I found your write up on the Granduca Hotel’s tea service. Of course, I made a reservation right away for my husband, my daughter and myself. We just returned from there and I wanted you to know how pleased we were with the service, the food and the tea! It really is a beautiful hotel and I have already planned on returning for tea when my sister visits in August! -Archana N., Sugar Land Prime has a great look and I really enjoyed reading the May issue. The stories on the moms was wonderfully written and I loved the pictures of the children. Very tastefully done. -Dannielle J., Bellaire

Tell us what you think! Send an e-mail to editor@prime-living.com. prime-living.com

contributORS the talented people who drive prime living

Allison Bagley | Writer

Linda Bauer | Writer For 22 years, Linda Bauer has enjoyed life as a food and travel columnist visiting 132 countries and embarking on 110 cruises. Author of The American Sampler Cookbook trilogy and co-author of Recipes from Historic America, Texas, Louisiana, Colorado and California, Linda says she has loved every bite—well, perhaps with the exception of the two times she got food poisoning.

Dave Dodge | Writer

Zola Lander | BSN, RN, CAPA, CBN

Jaimee Rose | Writer/Stylist Jaimee Rose never met a party she didn’t want to make pretty. A longtime writer and stylist, she has been known to throw rehearsal dinner parties to make sure things will be just right. OK, so she only did that once. Jaimee lives in Phoenix, Ariz., with a large collection of white dishes, color-coordinated bookshelves and a very patient man.

Paul SvancAra | Illustrator Paul Svancara is a freelance art director and illustrator in Mesa, Ariz. Previously, he was an art director at element design, with clients such as PetSmart and Dial. Prior to that, Paul was at CFD in Phoenix where he provided design for the Phoenix Suns and Bell Sports. His work has been recognized by Print magazine, Rockport and the AIGA.

Covering dining, shopping and lifestyle trends for a number of local and regional magazines, Allison Bagley also informs trendy Houston women on-the-go with witty and useful advice on HoustonTidbits.com and recently wrote an ABC 13 commercial spot on what’s new in downtown. When she’s not busy writing, Allison and her husband Brian enjoying traveling and antiquing for their 1930s bungalow.

As the Bariatric Program Coordinator for Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, Zola Lander manages weight loss surgery procedures, education and care. She attributes her success in working with weight management clients to her own personal journey that began five years ago when she underwent weight loss surgery, losing a total of 210 pounds.

prime-living.com

It all started with a 4-H trip to Washington, D.C., followed by visits to seven continents and a stint living abroad that gave writer Dave Dodge his wanderlust for travel. With his home in Phoenix, Ariz., Dave is always is search of the next adventure. In 2000, he established “Dodger World Traveler” a personal service of guiding, planning and escorting throughout the world.

cocktails & conversation.

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

inside: Canino Produce Co.

12 13 14 15 16 18 20

• • • • • • •

cocktails & conversation.

prime ten

Things You Can’t Leave Home Without

Bug spray. Consider this your global toiletry of choice that has dual-purpose power. If no insects are buzzing, apply it as your “exotic” signature scent.

Basic black. It’s the international color of fashion, except when you pair it with tragic white tennis shoes and a Disneyland fanny pack, circa 1989. Then it just reverts to a state of American style disgrace.

Maybe you’re a seasoned traveler and have packing down to an intrepid science. First-aid kit. Check. Electronic adaptors. Check. Passport. Check. But even an experienced globetrotter sometimes wonders, “Why didn’t I bring that?” If you’re destination bound, don’t get caught without these essential trip-savers:

Dental floss. No country has ever issued a travel warning about gum disease, but this durable string also can reinforce a swimming suit top, cut cheese or serve as a makeshift clothesline.

Inexpensive shades. Speaking of the ’80s, get yourself some cheap sunglasses, which will save you the angst of leaving your designer shades as a parting gift to the next tourist who takes your seat.

Emergen-C. Another double agent that packs a travel punch: an energyboosting Vitamin C pick-me-up after a long, hot day trekking the ruins or a supplemental cocktail mix for your impromptu happy hour while testing potato vodka in Poland.

The ShamWow. A towel that holds 12 times its weight in liquid—and works wet or dry—needs to canvas continents. Use it as a bathmat or to wipe the sweat from your brow as you scale the Great Wall of China and other wonders of the world.

Peanut butter. Expect food envy from your travel companions on the tour bus when you pull out your jar of protein nutty goodness as they are offered mystery meat on a stick for lunch.

Toilet paper. Nothing personal to your host luxury hotel, which probably has ample supplies of this bathroom necessity, but tossing a roll or two into your suitcase will provide an extra measure of sanitary security.

Roman attitude. Finally, whether in Rome, Riyadh or Rio de Janeiro, embrace the local customs and flavors. In other words, resist the urge to ask the tour guide: “Does anyone around here run on Dunkin’?”

Story | sally j. clasen Illustration | Paul Svancara

prime-living.com

Backup briefs. Seems logical, but have you ever tried to barter for briefs in a native tongue in a quaint village market—one that specializes in fine leather goods and not cotton underwear?

day tripper

cocktails & conversation.

The Bay is Back Time for a nosh break? Grab a bite at these boardwalk eateries

Flying Dutchman

Story | Karl Hauenstein

Landry’s Restaurants Inc.

or years, the little city of Kemah has welcomed visitors of all ages to delight in great food, drink and entertainment. This little jewel on Galveston Bay—offering a marina teeming with sailing yachts and expensive sport fishing boats, a boardwalk filled with thrilling rides and games surrounded by off-beat and eclectic shops, restaurants and bars—has been a great place for family and friends to spend a day, an evening or just a few pleasant hours. All of this came to a temporary halt in September 2008, when Hurricane Ike paid an unwelcome visit to the Texas Gulf Coast, unleashing its destructive fury and inflicting unprecedented destruction on the beautiful town and its popular entertainment complex. It took a lot of determination and hard work, not to mention millions of dollars and the removal of more than 600 truckloads of debris, to begin rebuilding Kemah and its famous Boardwalk.

Now, almost one year later, a visit to this seaside town confirms that it is indeed back and open for the serious business of wining, dining and pure entertainment. This summer, the Kemah Boardwalk brings back its popular Rock the Dock concert series, featuring outdoor concerts every Thursday evening by popular local bands. If you’re a music lover, an evening of food, drink, music and whatever else tickles your fancy is a real treat. For a few thrills and spills, the rides are back, some of them better than ever. The Boardwalk Bullet, a 96-foot-tall, high-speed, wooden roller coaster, with its one-acre footprint, is reportedly the most compact wooden roller coaster in the world. Also up and ready to thrill are the Pharaoh’s Fury, a swinging ship ride; Drop Zone, a 140-foot drop tower; and the Inverter, a ride on which you’ll mostly find yourself upside down. In short, there are rides for all ages and level of thrill-seeker.

A Boardwalk landmark, this seafood joint may have a new modern look, but the food still remains the same. Dine on fresh seafood, including Louisiana Cajun Gumbo and Mahi Acapulco, while watching boats cruise lazily by on the restaurant’s spacious patio.

If your idea of fun involves a little retail therapy, the Boardwalk won’t disappoint. Whether you want to commit an act of frivolous self-indulgent spending or are looking for an off-beat gift for your best friend, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to put a smile on your face in Kemah. Make your home the envy of all your friends and neighbors this holiday season with a little something from the Enchanted Christmas Tree Cottage. Or get in touch with your sartorial side at Richard’s Fine Cigars, the Boardwalk Fudge Factory or the Gold Mine Jewelry. Extend your day trip with a stay at the Kemah Boardwalk Inn, where most of the rooms have balconies that overlook the complex.

Named for the mythological figure Bacchus, this restaurant and bar offers a diverse menu filled with classic and modern Greek dishes. Specialties include the Souvlaki, Moussaka and the behemoth Greek Festival Platter.

kemah boardwalk 215 kipp ave. 281-334-9880 kemahboardwalk.com

281-538-5441

281-334-7575

landrysrestaurants.com

Bakkhus Taverna

281-538-1800

bakkhustaverna.com

Saltgrass Steakhouse

Just because you’re seaside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a thick, juicy steak. This Boardwalk favorite serves up Texas-sized Certified Angus Beef steaks, along with all the fixins. Or try their other down-home favorites, including chicken fried steak and barbecue baby back ribs.

saltgrass.com

july/august • 2009

cocktails & conversation.

buzz

Knit M

ore art can be found at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, where two unique exhibits are turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. In the large gallery, Challenge VII: dysFUNctional showcases contemporary wood art, sculpture, photos, installation art and videos that satirize function. The works evoke a sense of humor, fun and curiosity, ranging from a prickly chair to a set of dinosaur-like spoons.

Lunar

Legacy It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since man first

by the Old Masters and

walked on the moon. Not only

Impressionists to photographs

was it a momentous event

taken by crewmembers of

for space exploration, it also

Apollo 11, the exhibit features

put the Bayou City on the

works by Albrecht Dürer, Peter

map with Neil Armstrong’s

Paul Rubens, Aelbert Cuyp,

infamous words, “Houston,

Joseph Wright of Derby, Caspar

Tranquility Base here. The

David Friedrich and others.

Eagle has landed.”

Early scientific instruments,

To mark the anniversary

Galileo Galilei’s 1610 treatise

of this historic event, Museum

on the moon, and objects from

of Fine Arts, Houston is

NASA will also be on display.

presenting an exhibition titled

From moonlit landscapes

The Moon will be on

in Armstrong’s very words

exhibit from Sept. 27 to Jan. 10,

that chronicles the moon’s

2010 in the Audrey Jones Beck

presence and influence in our

Building. For information, call

greatest artists’ works.

713-639-7300 or visit mfah.org.

prime-living.com

In the small gallery is Unknitting: Challenging Textile Traditions, which highlights the work of four artists who are addressing stereotypes of gender and challenging the domesticbased, utilitarian objects that are typical of the knitted crafts. The exhibits will run from July 18 to Sept. 13. For information, call 713-529-4848 or visit crafthouston.org.

Have a drink,

help the environment

pec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods has announced the launch of the Cork Project, benefitting the Christus Stehlin Foundation for Cancer Research and Young Texans Against Cancer. For every cork donated, Spec’s will donate $.02, with the ultimate goal of “uncorking” a cure for cancer while saving the environment. “Our goal is to remove corks from landfills and put money in the hands of noteworthy cancer researchers—a boon to our earth and our health,” says John Rydman, president and brainchild of the Cork Project. “We look forward to the day we present a check for $10,000 to help with cancer research.” For locations in the greater Houston area and throughout Texas, visit specsonline.com.

Set Sale this Summer

on’t make too many weekend plans this summer. From July 9-11, Muse will hold their annual Back Room Blowout Sale, in which designer labels will be priced up to 90 (yes, 90) percent off. Offering exclusive fashions from New York and L.A., this much anticipated sale—featuring such designers as Roberta Freymann, Nanette Lepore and Calypso—does your wallet good. Muse is located in the Center at River Oaks, 2411 W. Alabama. For information, call 713-520-MUSE or visit musehouston.com.

clockwise from top left: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, Köln, Inv.-Nr. Dep. 248, Loan of the Federal Republic of Germany | Wallraf-RichartzMuseum & Fondation Corboud, Köln, Inv. | John Carlano | Muse | Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, Köln, Inv.-Nr. Dep. FC 814, Fonation Surpierre

Happens

HOT LIST

cocktails & conversation.

farmfresh

Story | Karl Hauenstein Photography | Mark W. Lipczynski

Take a look in the mirror lately? I don’t know about you, but this body can stand to cut back on the sweets and take in a fruit or vegetable or two. Once again, the Hot List has your back as we shine the spotlight on five fine markets that will help you navigate your way through the tricky straits of healthy eating in the Houston area.

Midtown Farmers Market Houston Farmers Market Associated with downtown’s popular t’afia restaurant, Midtown has a nice selection of locally grown, in-season fruits, vegetables, preserves and condiments, as well as grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. Buy vegetables grown by students at Pershing Middle School or have your favorite kitchen knives sharpened by Bob. Get here early and stop for breakfast at The Breakfast Klub next door. The line to get in is usually around the block, so something good must be going on inside. Open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. 3701 travis 713-524-6922 tafia.com/mfm.html

Small with its own distinct personality, this is where Rice University students and University Park residents come to get their green on. Don’t come looking for tomatoes in the spring—in-season produce reigns here, as well as organic meats, goat’s milk and cheese, artisan breads and pastries. Oh, and isn’t that Bob over there sharpening knives? Open 3:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. 2100 university blvd. farmersmarket.rice.edu

Froberg Vegetable & Fruit Farm

It’s a bit of a drive, but it sure is worth it. Offerings include a large selection of fresh Bayou City Farmers Market fruits and vegetables, including pick-yourA staunch supporter of Houston’s family farms, own strawberries in the spring that are to Bayou City offers a large selection of in-season, die for; homemade jellies, jams, preserves, sauces and salsas; dried beans, grains and nuts; locally grown produce, cut flowers, organic meats, preserves, sauces and salsas. If you have homemade pies and pastries prepared on the spot; and smoked sausage and jerky made in an unexpected desire for fresh goat’s milk and the smokehouse next door. This place is a onecheese, this is the place. Rain or shine, the stop farmers market and food lover’s paradise! market is open Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. 3000 richmond ave. 713-880-5540 11875 country road 190, alvin urbanharvest.org 281-585-3531

Canino Produce Co.

Another gem, Canino is an in-town version of Froberg with a Tex-Mex accent. Beautiful fresh produce, great variety and selection, unbelievably cheap prices. If you’re planning a gourmet dinner party for 20 vegetarian friends, do your shopping here. And here’s a bonus: After your produce shopping is done, wander across the street and treat your newly buff self to a pastry at El Bolillo Bakery. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 2520 airline drive 713-862-4027

july/august • 2009

cocktails & conversation.

city Q&A

Houston Deconstructed Get the answers to your burning questions about the Bayou City

Story | Barbara Fulenwider

Where in Houston is one of the nation’s premier collections of American antiques? At Bayou Bend, the home of Miss Ima Hogg, philanthropist, patron of the arts, expert in Texas heritage and culture, Who started the and daughter of Governor Texas Medical James (Jim) Stephen Hogg. Center and when? Bayou Bend was the work of In the 1930s, Houston notable Houston architect businessman Monroe Dunaway John Staub, who designed the Anderson decided that a medical home’s interiors to showcase center should be built in Hogg’s collection of American Houston, consisting of hospitals, antiques. In 1957, the Houston academic institutions and philanthropist gave Bayou Bend various support organizations. and its collection to the Museum Land was made available at no of Fine Arts, Houston. cost to institutions, seed money was provided and funding was solicited from people all over Texas. In 1936, Anderson founded the M.D. Anderson Foundation with $300,000. Two years later, he died and left $19 million to the organization.

prime-living.com

What towns would you have to go to in order to drive under the Houston Ship Channel? Unfortunately, the Baytown tunnel is closed. The 4,110-footlong tunnel, which opened in 1953, was built for $10 million to replace a ferry. Spanning the Houston Ship Channel from Baytown to La Porte, it moved vehicles on two lanes underwater in a single 35-foot (circumference) circular steel shell lined with two-foot thick concrete. By the 1970s, the tunnel exceeded its capacity of 25,000 vehicles a day and, after more than 40 years of service, the tunnel was closed and removed so the ship channel could be deepened. In the late 1980s, the Texas highway department let the contract to build the eight-lane Fred Hartman suspension bridge across the channel.

What storm was so damaging that some Katy residents still date occurrences before and after it passed through their town? A horrific storm leveled Galveston on Sept. 8, 1900, not only destroying most of Galveston, but also much of the rice farming town of Katy. Only two Katy homes survived the storm undamaged, and they still exist in the town today. Have a burning question about life in Houston? E-mail your curious inquiries to askhouston@ prime-living.com.

Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Houston is a sprawling suburban city of 601.7 square miles. When did developers first begin building residential neighborhoods? Texas acquired its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836, and settlers expected statehood to follow quickly, but it didn’t—not until 1845. A scant three years after that, in 1848, developers were on the Houston scene making their mark early and forcefully.

cocktails & conversation.

arts

Center I stage Story | John DeMers Photography | Morris Malakoff

prime-living.com

n 1922, a plaque was designed for a soon-to-be-opened amphitheater within Houston’s graceful Hermann Park and dedicated the outdoor venue: “To the Arts of Music, Poetry, Drama and Oratory, by which the striving spirit of man seeks to interpret the words of god.” Nearly 90 years later, the same inscription might have to read “spirit of man or woman,” and perhaps “the words of god, or whatever.” Yet, even in its second theater built on this site, since 1968 a lovely proscenium stage with a steel canopy that locals call “the bat wings,” Miller Outdoor Theatre hasn’t adjusted its mission much. Only who’s onstage and who’s in the audience have changed mightily. “The purpose is to present the very best possible arts—all kinds of arts, diverse and extraordinary—to the largest possible audience … and always free of charge,” says Cissy Segall Davis, a veteran of local theater for decades and now managing director of Miller Outdoor Theatre. “This board and the city are dedicated to making sure that everything held here is free and available to everyone, no matter their circumstances. This big tent is available to all.” Summer is definitely a special time for the theater, complete with numerous performances by the city’s biggest guns: Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, and the wonderful Houston Shakespeare Festival. Yet the traditional summer season has expanded recently to last from sometime in March to sometime in November, which makes the run slightly longer than summer drags on, even here in Houston. In addition, appearances by such high-profile groups only set the stage for an even greater wealth of smaller-scale theater and dance events, along with performance troupes brought in from all around the world. This is a far cry from the beginnings of Miller Outdoor, when the emphasis was on “culture” with a capital C, nearly all of it imported from Europe. And it is especially different from the first Miller performance ever. “It was a civic pageant,” says Davis, stressing with a grin that she wasn’t around. “There were like 2,500 people in the show and, for many years, those were the types of performances that took place here.” Houstonians who fill Miller Outdoor’s 1,500-plus seats under the canopy or bring their picnic to the breeze-kissed hill behind it are likely to find much to love in this year’s schedule. And at least some of that is thanks to the child born in Bluefield, W.Va., who came south to the University of Texas in Austin before embarking on an entertainment career. Davis initially worked her magic for the Houston outfit called Pace, back in its motorcross and tractor-pull days before it turned to theater and concerts. And for 20 years off and on, she was a major force behind Theatre Under The Stars, which actually began at Miller in 1968 with a production of the musical Bells Are Ringing. “Today,” Davis says, “when I walk out and see the diversity of our audiences all coming here to enjoy, it warms my heart. You can take a vacation right here, go to different countries and experience every kind of art, all in the same week. Why not? It’s free. That’s the best price in town.”

arts

cocktails & conversation.

bestbet

Backyard Bard

Sometimes, when summer’s heat reaches its height in Houston, “not to be” may seem tempting, but it isn’t really an option. For 35 years, locals have been dressing down and heading to Miller Outdoor Theatre for the Houston Shakespeare Festival. The annual festival of works by our English language’s greatest playwright runs this year from July 31 to Aug. 9 and features both the popular comedy Twelfth Night and the lesser-known romance Pericles. Fact is, there’s nothing quite like the Houston Shakespeare Festival for blending lines we all know by heart with tales we’ve never heard told before. Admission is free, but tickets are required for covered seating and are available at the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and one hour prior to each performance. For information, call 281-FREE-FUN or visit milleroutdoortheatre.com. – JD

review

top: Jonathan Middents | bottom: Felix Sanchez

Rigoletto V

erdi’s tale of a deformed court jester who unwittingly arranges his own daughter’s murder has to be one of the 19th century Italian master’s most popular operas, and Houston Grand Opera has mounted a production that demonstrates why. Based even on the number of melodies that make you say, “Oh, so this is where that’s from,” Rigoletto is worth the price of a ticket and whatever difficulty it takes to get downtown to the Wortham Center. Productions of Rigoletto seldom look cheery, but Michael Yeargan’s design does most of them one better. A brooding backdrop of storm clouds draws us in at the beginning and hangs around for the rest of the performance. I often wish for a change when this technique is used, but the moving pieces out front keep things interesting enough. The house lived in by the assassin Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena, a towering wall of slatted boards, is the single most convincing variation. In terms of hit count (hit songs, that is), it’s the libidinous Duke of Mantua who rules the roost here and role-debut tenor Eric Cutler struts about as though he, and not Barry Manilow, wrote the songs. Boasts like “La donna e mobile” seem almost tossed off, thus painting his character while earning our applause. Still, the true stars of this Rigoletto are two alums of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, the ever-wonderful Scott Hendricks in the title role—after nailing Escamillo in Carmen in 2006 and, even though ailing, making a fine Silvio in Pagliacci last season—and Albina Shagimuratova as the hunchback’s doomed daughter Gilda. Shagimuratova’s lovely coloratura trills on “Caro nome” are the equal of any I’ve ever heard, and her overall movement from protected girl to woman sacrificing herself for love, no matter how ill-advised, makes the story as believable as it’s ever going to get. Also excellent are bass-baritone Bradley Garvin as Count Monterone, whose curse on the Duke and his jester gives the tale its eerie underpinning, along with bass Andrea Silvestrelli as Sparafucile and mezzo Maria Markina as Maddalena. – JD

july/august • 2009

cocktails & conversation.

style

Have Bag, wrap Will Travel it up Tote bags

Try to pack light when heading on vacation because it’s inevitable you’ll come back with goodies for yourself and souvenirs for friends and family. Donna Cooley of The Woodlands is an avid traveler and doesn’t leave home without her Barrington soft leather tote. “I got it seven years ago as a gift and it’s been all over the U.S., Europe and even Africa with me,” she says. One option is the traditional foldable tote from Longchamp. hese days, traveling has become more challenging This lightweight nylon tote from the French design house has been with weight limits and a standard with travelers for years. baggage fees. Whether you’re It comes in a small and large going on a weekend getaway or an extensive overseas trip, you can size in an array of colors, from the standard black and navy to travel light and be trendy at the funky, fresh colors like kiwi and same time. mandarin. It has a leather top handle so you can carry it as your Luggage purse, too. From office to personal items, For something a little more Coach’s Legacy soft nylon suitcase fun and sassy, something that will is similar to a briefcase, but make a definite statement, check perfect for a long business trip, complete with compartments for out Longchamp’s Ceci Est Un It Bag line. Made of cotton and clothes, documents and shoes. linen canvas, these bags are fun, German-brand Titan is known for its innovative designs, flirty and can hold your travel treasures in one stylish place. both inside and out. The hardshell case is light yet durable, Passport covers + and is available from a 19-inch travel wallets carry-on case to a 27-inch bag, There’s no need to carry a wallet, in an array of colors. The best a passport book, receipt envelope, part is no matter what happens to a Titan bag, they will replace travelers checks and so on. Combine them all into one useful tool. it for free.

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Check out the Burberry Check Passport Cover. Need to only carry a few credit cards and your passport? This little number has slip pockets on one side for your passport and eight card slots on the opposite side for your driver’s license and credit cards. If you need to carry more (moms, we understand), the Kate Spade Classic Noel Travel Wallet is a great option. This travel wallet allows even the most unprepared to be organized with a removable passport holder, interior currency pockets, five card slots, an ID window and an exterior slip pocket.

Now that you’re all packed, there’s one other travel musthave you absolutely can’t leave home without: a wrap or long scarf. This fashion wonder can take the place of a blanket, belt, jacket or sweater and even a necklace. Use it on the plane instead of the airline’s blankets, wrap it around your neck to add oomph to your plain T-shirt, use it as a belt around a dress, wrap it around your shoulders when the sun goes down—the list is endless. Anthropologie offers a handful of scarves and wraps in a variety of colors, sizes and designs in everything from cotton to lightweight wool. Favorites include the Fireflower Wrap with pretty petals strewn throughout the wool and the Calero Wrap that has a burst of tropical colors.

Longchamp | Titan | Anthropologie

Story | Roseann Rogers

Rocky Mountain

heights Story | Allison Bagley Photography | Baxter Imaging Inc.

cyril and rick hosley Find comfort in the mountains

When Cyril Hosley and her husband Rick, who met as students at Robert E. Lee High School in southwest Houston, bought a vacation home in Breckenridge, Colo., in 1998, their close-knit family numbered five. By the time the holidays approach this year, their family will have grown to 12, but their fivestory home is spacious enough to house their growing brood of three married children and grandchildren (two of which are on the way).

july/august â&#x20AC;˘ 2009

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T previous page: Custom shelving surrounding the fireplace displays pieces of “trench art.” Furniture: Baker sofa; Taylor King club chairs and arm chairs; Spanish cocktail table by Milling Road. All purchased at Meredith O’Donnell in Houston. this page: In the kitchen, the subway tile backsplash was custom glazed by Houston’s Architectural Design Resource to complement Giallo Veneziano granite countertops and custom Bertch pine cabinetry. The dining room, featuring a 72inch dining table and ladder back chairs from Houston’s Century Showroom, opens to the living area. At the breakfast bar, leather and rod iron barstools were purchased in Colorado.

he Hosleys have fond memories of traveling to Breckenridge when their children were young. “It’s a real town, not a resort,” Cyril Hosley says of the historic Victorian-style village, popular with tourists for snow sports, but also for warm weather vacationing. After settling on a house in town—their children wanted to take advantage of après-ski relaxing without having to drive home on winding mountain roads—the Hosleys enlisted veteran Houston decorator Diana Null for her expertise. “She’s done five houses for us over a period of almost 30 years,” says Hosley, who first worked with Null when the family moved in 1980 to Fort Bend County, where Rick eventually retired as the president and CEO of BMC Software. “Diana’s color sense is some of the best I have ever seen in my life. I don’t argue with her often because she’s proved me wrong so many times!” Together, Hosley says she and Null set out in Breckenridge to create a “comfortable and casual, but

not rustic” atmosphere in the simple stucco, stone and wood home nestled on a mountainside a short walk from the town’s main street. “The Hosleys didn’t want typical Colorado,” Null remembers. “They wanted more a mixture of antiques and comfort.” The front entry foyer opens onto level three of the house, where a stone fireplace anchors the spacious, light-filled living area. A dramatic vaulted ceiling gives way to floor-to-ceiling views of the dense spruce, aspen and Lodgepole Pine trees that surround the house and the majestic mountain range beyond. Oak floors lead to an inviting setup around the grand stone fireplace. An overstuffed rustcolored Baker sofa is flanked on one side by a pair of Taylor King paisley chenille club chairs and a library table by Milling Road (a division of Baker). The chairs face two heavily carved Gainsborough jacquard tapestry arm chairs, also Taylor King, and in the center sits a square Spanish cocktail table by Milling Road. All of the pieces were purchased at one of the

Hosleys’ favorite stops in Houston, Meredith O’Donnell. The large Persian Heriz rug was sourced from Tom Legg, who now operates Houston’s The Rug Collector. The rug was chosen for its durable, muted colors. With frequent house guests who, along with the Hosleys, take advantage of skiing and warm weather adventure like white water rafting and hiking, Hosley says she set out to find furniture pieces that “don’t show a lot of abuse. You want people to be comfortable and have a good time.” The large open living space adjoins a dining room and a breakfast bar that peeks into the cozy kitchen the Hosleys gutted when they bought the house. The space is warm with Giallo Veneziano granite countertops and top of the line stainless appliances including a Viking range, Dacor convection oven and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. The heavily distressed custom pine cabinetry by Bertch has a toffee stain under a white glaze, and the wet bar features a wellstocked wine rack.

july/august • 2009

From the main level, a half flight of stairs leads up to a master suite that Hosley refers to as “a little retreat area.” In the morning, I’m looking at a ski mountain and usually the sky is blue. It’s a spectacular thing to wake up to.” Under vaulted ceilings, a floral-painted pine armoire from Louis Shanks is a focal point of the room, and a stone fireplace adds to a relaxed ambiance that flows throughout the house. Next to the four-poster pine bed sits a chest inherited from Hosley’s great aunt’s home in New Orleans. Like every bedroom in the house, the master has access to a sweeping deck. Upstairs, a sitting area’s balcony opens up to the living and dining areas below. On the first two levels of the home, two spacious bedrooms and a full-size “apartment,” complete with a second kitchen and utility room, have each been decorated “in its own unique personality.” One room is decorated with traditional Colorado log

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furniture. Another that Cyril describes as “country French” was outfitted while their daughter Michelle was studying in Paris. And on the ground level, a full “apartment” decked out in American flags and denim furniture and custom window coverings. There is also a ski room outfitted with boot dryers, glove dryers and space for equipment. The gondolas are a short walk from the house. While most of their furniture was purchased in Houston, the Hosleys purposefully accessorized the home with local finds. “We tried to get things that were representative of Colorado,” she says, pointing out the area photographs and original oil depictions by local artists. The Hosleys also acquired an antique hardhat and lantern from the Country Boy Mine down the road. (Breckenridge was originally established as a gold mining town in 1859.) Most unique are the pieces of brass “trench art” displayed throughout the home. Trench

art most commonly refers to the practice of World War I soldiers and civilians artistically etching artillery shells and other detritus of battle. Hosley says she and Rick found the pieces not only fascinating, but special, because of their family’s history in the armed services. The Hosleys married while a young Rick was stationed as a Marine in Vietnam. Back on the plush main floor, a 72-inch round dining table with ladder back chairs purchased at Houston’s Century Showroom is the frequent meeting place for Hosley family meals and game nights. Friends and family gather around the table, which easily accommodates 10 people and, like the rest of the house, has been made both comfortable and functional: a Lazy Susan spins homemade dishes, bottles of wine and decks of playing cards. “It’s family-and-friend time when we go there,” says Hosley. “There’s a rarely a time that we don’t have (company).”

this page: In the master bedroom, vaulted ceilings provide ample views. Custom bedding and window coverings blend with flamestitched armchairs, originally purchased for the Hosleys’ Houston home. next page: In the full-size bottom level apartment, entire original issues of Life magazine, with ski-related cover stories, are framed. The custom made armchair, drapery and dust ruffle in a country French bedroom were all created around the Eddie Bauer quilt. Next to the bed, a pine chest from an antique fair in Breckenridge.

july/august â&#x20AC;˘ 2009

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Federico Marques

truth

Green Giant Story | Jean Ciampi

Photography | Morris Malakoff

orn with a natural curiosity and an alchemist’s heart for wanting to turn trash into gold, Federico Marques built a successful career at Bayer Chemicals, working his way up from summer intern to the head of quality control in North America, where he was responsible for recycling waste material into sellable products. It wasn’t until he became plagued with allergies in the late 1980s, though, that he really became serious about going green. “I started reading lots of NASA research and talking to their engineers about indoor allergies and air quality,” says Marques, who soon moved into a new apartment without many of the synthetic materials that off-gas harmful chemicals, developed an air purifier that currently has a patent pending, and began giving presentations to green builders on cleaner construction trends. In 2007, having left Bayer to become the president and CEO of Swedish software company IC Potential, Marques picked up a

side interest and opened Ruggles Green in January. Houston’s only Certified Green Restaurant™, Marques worked with the Green Restaurant Association to insure the location was responsibly constructed for sustainability and had a minimal environmental footprint. Ruggles Green now implements a full recycling program including their cooking oil, serves an organic and all-natural menu, and puts their servers in T-shirts made from bamboo. Marques sees the restaurant as his laboratory, a place for continually finding ways to improve efficiency, reduce waste and be a better environmental citizen. Each change and improvement is methodically documented. An owner and director of Green Café Management—and currently on the board of directors for the Baytown Wetlands Center—Marques envisions a cleaner future. He believes “the wave of environmental activism is coming,” and he intends to stay on the cutting edge of it.

july/august • 2009

truth

ellen kalish

Global Vision Story | Holly Beretto

Photography | Morris Malakoff

llen Kalish never meant to become a world traveler. Growing up in Miami, the farthest she’d ever been was attending school at Tulane in New Orleans. “I was typical of women in my generation,” says Kalish. “We graduated high school, graduated college, became teachers, then got married and had families.” Travel wasn’t on the agenda, although she did end up marrying a doctor and teaching high school English in Nashville. When she learned she could get a free trip to Europe by leading a group of students, however, she packed her bags and headed off for seven weeks of sightseeing in Rome, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Vienna. It was life altering, moving her to break into the corporate world. “Travel changes your perspective on life,” she says. “It’s a way to see firsthand how really diverse the world is, to experience things outside of what’s familiar.” Kalish got a job working for Atlas Travel, handling both corporate and leisure accounts. She became more than just a world traveler; she became a travel expert. She and her husband—and eventually their two daughters and now her grandchildren—set off on journeys as often as they could.

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“It seems odd now,” she says, “When I was working, a lot of travel professionals didn’t travel, so my customers loved that I could tell them about places to go and things to do, and that I knew about them firsthand.” During her time at the agency, Kalish built up the company’s leisure travel business. Eventually, a larger travel conglomerate bought Atlas, prompting her and her colleague Tom Baker to purchase the cruise segment. Today, the pair runs CruiseCenter.com, a Houston firm specializing in cruises to destinations all over the world. Although Kalish doesn’t typically lead tours anymore, she still travels, using her firsthand experience to tell her cruise specialists what they can let travelers know about all the places she’s been. “That personal touch, being able to say, ‘I’ve seen this and it’s great,’ is vital to what we do,” she says. And she hasn’t stopped traveling. There’s a Nile River cruise in her future and her husband is talking about a trek to New England— somewhere Kalish has, surprisingly, never been. But she’s game to go. “There’s still plenty of world to see.”

raul molina jr.

truth

Living Legend Story | Jean Ciampi Photography | Morris Malakoff

former leader of the free world once requested his pork tamales be sent to Washington, D.C. And although he packed detailed instructions on how to cook them, Raul Molina Jr. was still called away from a golf game with his father to explain to the White House chef how to serve them. If anyone knows how to serve up tamales and Mexican food, it’s Molina and his family. “My first job was washing dishes in the restaurant my father opened in the 1900 block of West Gray in 1941,” says Molina, who was 12 years old at the time. “The restaurant was one of only four or five Mexican restaurants in Houston.” Almost a decade later, after completing a tour of duty with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Molina spent time in the University of Houston Hotel & Restaurant Management program and took over the business. Today, the oldest Mexican restaurant in Houston has been passed on to his sons to continue the family tradition. Molina has given Houston more than just sizzling plates of fajitas. In 1969, he founded the Pan-American National Bank, believing it was “time for a bilingual bank where the tellers, officers and president spoke Spanish.” He sat on the board of directors for the Houston Restaurant Association, Family Service Center and joined Barbara Jordan on the Board of the Houston Council on Human Relations. Molina also served the Houston Visitors and Convention Bureau, Sembradores de Amistad Educational Foundation Scholarship Committee, and gave 11 years to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo working with the calf scramble committee. Now retired to tend his two ranches outside of Anderson, Molina is a happy man with contentment to be envied. “I was successful because I was happy. I enjoyed helping, enjoyed the people and what I do,” he says. “For me, it was just a joy!” july/august • 2009

Dinnerfor FIVE Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Toques Talk

Story | Robin Barr Sussman Photography | Mark W. Lipczynski

Left to right: Hugo Ortega, Mark Cox, Monica Pope, Bryan Caswell and Robert Del Grande.

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Five of Houston’s top restaurant owner/chefs gathered around the table to dish on all things culinary. Here’s what they had to say... july/august • 2009

Bryan Caswell Chef/owner, Reef

It’s no surprise that Houston chef Bryan Caswell chose a seafood concept as his first restaurant after honing his culinary skills in waterside destinations including New York’s Culinary Institute of America, Hong Kong, Barcelona and the Bahamas. Reef, co-owned by Bill Floyd, was named the top seafood restaurant in the U.S. last year by Bon Appetit, and when Caswell was the chef prior to that at Bank, a Jean-Georges restaurant in Houston’s historic Hotel Icon, the restaurant won national acclaim. After Caswell opened his Little Bigs slider shack in 2009 with Floyd, he also promptly received the prestigious honor of Food & Wine Magazine’s annual Best New Chefs among 10 other chefs nationwide. Wherever he’s cooking, Caswell is known for combining local ingredients and global influences with purity of taste.

elebrated chefs Bryan Caswell, Mark Cox, Robert Del Grande, Hugo Ortega and Monica Pope noshed on an elaborate sevencourse tasting menu created by Chef Horiuchi at the new Kata Robata restaurant. Ernie Manouse of Houston PBS moderated this delicious discussion, peering into the future of the wild and wonderful restaurant business.

manouse: you culinary giants could work anywhere. why houston?

del grande: I’m from California, but home is not always where you were born. cox: When I came here, I was heading to California. But I realized that Houston is a value with great price points for dining and so much freedom with the cuisine. caswell: Working in New York was culture shock for me. Perhaps I had too many Southern manners for the fast talkers on the east coast. pope: Although I trained in Europe and know there are many other great cities to work in, I decided 17 years ago that I wanted to change Houston’s eating habits. I learned starting at Café Annie that Houston required some necessary changes where other places didn’t need so much changing. ortega: And who knew it would turn out to be the best food city?

manouse: do you feel the need to add unusual items to your menu to compete?

our kitchen offers the easy stuff, other nights we are more inspired. For instance, I love squab, but some guests just don’t get it. So why waste it? caswell: Building trust with your guests is a big factor. They are taking a big leap of faith when they order a fish that they’ve never heard of, but they trust you enough to gamble. We reserve a part of the menu for pushing the envelope, plus the safe, traditional choices. pope: That’s why at t’afia we created a custom-design menu. Guests can choose from a list of proteins and a list of sauces for their entree.

del grande: We do not have a manouse: do you find it absurd when the unified audience, so some nights

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customer sends back a dish or asks you to remake it a certain way? what happened to the concept of the chef as the artist?

del grande: Customers have forced us to pay attention to their needs! It’s a balance, a hospitality thing. We can’t be “soup Nazis.” caswell: We should give our customers a reason to return. I like to offer a mix of chef creations and other dishes that the customer can tweak or make substitutions. cox: Our guests are so well traveled. They know what they can get at restaurants so if they don’t see what they want, they make special requests.

manouse: with all the hours and sacrifices it takes to run your restaurants, do you ever feel like you are missing out on life?

del grande: I think I’m damaged. Jeez, I wouldn’t know what to do on a Saturday night if I wasn’t working. caswell: Sometimes I feel guilty because I’d rather be working than socializing. We even bring our young daughter to the restaurant so we can spend quality time with her—there’s no curfew. It’s a trade-off, but I love what I do. Kids growing up in restaurants are like social butterflies. I think it’s great. My daughter is confident and not afraid of anything. She naively assumes all our restaurant patrons are her friends.

pope: The party comes to us; we’ve made lots of friends owning the restaurant. I’ve spent time in my Dad’s law office and I’d rather be peeling potatoes. I like that we have the farmer’s market that our daughter Lily can be a part of it. cox: My son just finished his senior year and he has worked the front of the house at Mark’s. He picked up on how to cook also so now has both under his belt.

manouse: when you go out to other restaurants, can you enjoy or do you just pick apart everything and dissect it, comparing it to your own food?

del grande: I tend to forget everything about my restaurant and just eat and have a good

time. I don’t want dinner to turn into food surgery. pope: Even if I do compare and dissect the details, it’s still fun just hanging out with the competition. caswell: I note the logistics of the restaurant: the set-ups, how the bar is positioned, even the order of dishes listed on the menu. cox: Personally, I tend to be very aware of good or bad service at other restaurants.

manouse: do you feel pressure to follow the trends, low-carb diets, fads or heed to food scares?

del grande: Americans are very silver bullet. They want fast. They want low calories, but great flavor and cannot deal

Hugo Ortega

Chef/owner, Hugo’s Talk about a bootstrap success story. Hugo Ortega, a Mexico City native, started as a dishwasher in a Houston restaurant in 1984 where he learned the fundamentals of the restaurant business. He moved up to the position of line cook at Backstreet Café and then later cooked at Prego, both owned by his wife Tracy Vaught. After graduating from the Culinary Arts program at Houston Community College, Ortega became executive chef of Backstreet Café. Virtually every food magazine in the country has written about the incredible dining experience at Hugo’s, which Vaught and Ortega opened with much fanfare in 2002. It is known for its authentic regional Mexican cuisine, wine and tequila offerings, striking architecture and hand-crafted desserts by Hugo’s brother Ruben Ortega.

july/august • 2009

Robert Del Grande

Chef/owner, Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group Since Robert Del Grande became executive chef and co-owner of Café Annie in the 1980s, he has changed the culinary landscape of America by combining regional Texas flavors with bordering Mexico influences resulting in world-class dining. His inventive experimentation in the kitchen and his devotion to pairing food and wine have made him a prominent culinary figure in the Southwest, garnering multitudes of honors and features in such media outlets as The New York Times and The Today Show. The Schiller Del Grande restaurant group also owns Café Express, Taco Milagro, The Grove, and Rio Ranch. After 25 years in the same location, Del Grande is moving Café Annie into an anticipated new home up the street on Post Oak Boulevard.

prime-living.com

with moderation. They don’t understand the slow and easy way. Americans loved the Atkins diet … eat all the bacon you want! caswell: But, when the swine flu hit, we couldn’t sell a pork chop because of the initial scare. pope: We’ve never served huge portions at t’afia, but guests still come in with their issues and diets, confessing to me that are cutting out butter or meat like I’m some priest. Then they order fried chicken! It’s almost like its okay to cheat in a restaurant, but not at home. Trends will come and go in two weeks and you cannot let that rule your menu, so forget it. Just produce good food. ortega: I do like to add unique Mexican ingredients to the menu as specials, like the time we offered fried grasshopper. But as far as diets, guests should try balancing a healthy meal with a fattening meal and exercise a lot more!

manouse: why is the local movement so important?

del grande: If you study other cultures, there is a parallel. Their cuisine was more about ingredients from their backyard, not what they could procure from another region. The trend now is to go back to that way of food life: What grows in your back yard. Swiss chard grows great here so we’ve found interesting ways to use it, like in enchiladas. pope: For about 20 years, my mantra has been “eat where your food lives.” Ultimately, if it grows here, it will taste better, it will be fresher and you will feel better. Unfortunately, America was

founded on a complete disconnect from its culture—the foods were just fast and junk—but all of that is changing. When you’ve met the farmer and the chef, it really can happen; everything is elevated. And when you have Texas food with Texas wine, it all comes alive and just makes sense. caswell: In Europe, the food styles/dishes change every 30 miles because the people grew up doing everything themselves from the growing to the cooking. Similarly, in Texas, there are regional differences. Southern cooking is completely different than Southwest cooking or Hill Country cooking near Austin or the style in east Texas. I grew up around farms and I just dig

it. Plus it is the right thing to do and Americans are revisiting this way of living. Regenerated seed is important and people are realizing that fresh just tastes better. Take sweet fresh corn for example. How can you compare just-picked from imported or frozen? ortega: Yes, Americans are spoiled. We can get pomegranate anywhere, anytime, but that doesn’t make it right. It works against everyone—the chef and the customer—if you don’t buy seasonal and local ingredients. It took lots of research, but I found someone to plant seeds and grow our seasonal squash blossoms locally instead of importing them, which turned out to be an amazing thing.

cox: At Mark’s, we shop for availability from our growers in town. We can create a dish with whatever is good and local.

cox: Sometimes, it takes years to replace a restaurant employee who knows the fundamentals and have been cross-trained. If you don’t want a lot of turnover, be manouse: gordon Ramsay, consistent in your approach. You the television celebrity: know the players and you know how they work. Do chefs still yell and caswell: You cannot motivate scream at the kitchen your team by fear. It’s all a big staff like he does? sociology experiment. Sometimes del grande: I think the mean, yelling chef image is a very European you might have the Bad News Bears, a bunch of misfits, but it thing. My wife Mimi informed me long ago that bad language was not can still work. allowed in our kitchen. pope: Not all employees will manouse: what’s the be perfect, but we’ve kept some best way to become a in our kitchen for over 20 years professional chef if because they’ve become family. you’re a beginner? ortega: It helps to really cox: Get lots of experience get to know your staff. Each in different restaurants and employee is different with work your way up the chain. his/her own set of weaknesses Culinary school and training are and strengths. important, but you must practice

by working in the restaurants. In building, you start with the foundation. Many steps are missed along the way here. In Europe it’s different—stricter. caswell: Culinary students don’t really understand how many hours you have to work. Culinary schools don’t prepare you for that. It’s kind of like a doctor in residency. Going to culinary school doesn’t make you a chef or a restaurant owner. You have to be willing to work with sweating, cutting, burning … yep, that’s all a part of it.

manouse: what’s next on the horizon? Where is our palate going in the future?

del grande: Cell phones have changed dining tremendously. Guests don’t call so much for

Monica Pope

Chef/owner, t’afia A leader in the “garden-totable” surge, chef Monica Pope also pioneered selling and cooking locally-grown produce in Houston as one of the founders of the Midtown Farmers Market. One of the best known chefs in Houston, she began her career at Café Annie, then worked in restaurants in Greece and London, and with several innovative chefs in San Francisco, before returning to Houston in the 1980s. Pope widened her acclaim at The Quilted Toque and Boulevard Bistrot before opening her t’afia, a must-go for foodies visiting Houston. Among her many accolades is the honor of Top 10 Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine in 1996. Pope is a board member of the Chefs Collaborative, an organization of more than 1,000 chefs across the country whose work addresses the concerns and philosophy of clean food sources, seasonal and healthy food choices.

july/august • 2009

Our Host Manubu “Hori” Horiuchi

Ernie Manouse Anchor/producer, Houston PBS

The mainstay KUHT-TV Channel 8 (PBS) anchor and producer Ernie Manouse never fails to entertain his viewers and endear himself to his guests. The native of upstate New York and graduate of Loyola University Chicago originally aspired to be a music video director, but stumbled upon radio through a college journalist class. Host of the award-winning halfhour program InnerVIEWS, Manouse interviews celebrities and newsmakers in a laid-back, casual but insightful style. It is said that Ernie’s friendly manner never puts his guests on the spot, but still encourages candidness. His celebrity guests have included author Anne Rice, Gene Wilder and Martina McBride, to name just a few.

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Executive Chef, Kata Robata Perhaps the newest and most exciting Japanese grill and tapas bar in Houston has opened on upper Kirby by the Azuma Group, creators of Soma and Azuma sushi. Kata Robata’ s kitchen is directed by chef Manubu “Hori” Horiuchi, whose penchant for fresh ingredients built his reputation at Kubo’s. Owner Yun Cheng describes the menu as a “marriage of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine” and he has designed his sleek-yetearthy restaurant as a cool backdrop for the food with two sushi bars and individual dining nooks. Guests should prepare to get hooked on the cuisine whether they choose the extravagant lobster salad, tableside robata grilling, intricately garnished fresh sashimi or panko lamb rack.

Mark Cox

Chef/owner, Mark’s American Cuisine

reservations like they used to. It’s like, “Hello, we’re in your parking lot and can we get a table now?” Cell phone cameras also facilitate sending photos of food dishes that can be circulated immediately for other chefs to emulate across the world. Technology doesn’t go backwards, so there’s a certain immediacy to things now. Chefs need to embrace the word “flexible.” pope: In light of the financial crisis, I hope people are waking up to all their restaurant choices and reprioritizing by choosing a higher quality of life. They are

all tweeting, Facebooking and blogging about restaurants to keep up, and I am doing it also. Hopefully, guests are becoming more informed. cox: Much of the formality in restaurants has been dropped; guests can eat at the bar and men rarely wear ties. I hope restaurants can fulfill the requests of a simple lunch. Great food should not be such an exercise; restaurants should be able to multi-task for guests. caswell: Yes, things are going more casual and I hope it happens with all types of restaurants. Another trend is restaurants preparing foods

like they were prepared originally—handmade food instead of machine made foods. “Fast foods” should be more wholesome—quick and easy burger and sandwich joints serving fresh products without chemicals; we are starting to see that around the nation. ortega: Restaurants will continue to be more accommodating to customers and have access to almost any ingredient they want. More Latin American choices from Peru and Chile would be exciting to see on our landscape in the next few years. I just want to do what Del Grande has done. Wow!

If you want a spiritual eating experience, say his many followers, attend church at Mark’s American Cuisine. Chef Mark Cox’s restaurant, housed in a 1920s former church, has received every major accolade from travel guides to the Wine Spectator. Cox’s reputation in Houston began with his work in the kitchens of Brennan’s and the Vallone Restaurant group. He helped create the original Anthony’s and was executive chef and partner for Tony Vallone’s popular Grotto and La Griglia before opening Mark’s in 1996. Even then he continued to teach at Houston’s Art Institute culinary school, inspiring students with his dedication and novel approach to preparing hearty fare with cosmopolitan flair.

july/august • 2009

connoisseur

the prime living guide to discerning taste

inside: Chocolate Bag, Chez Nous

42 44 46 47 48

• • • • •

july/august • 2009

connoisseur main dish

humble Story | Holly Beretto Photography | Mark W. Lipczynski

Stepping through the door of Chez Nous is a little like falling through the proverbial rabbit hole. You know you’re no longer in Houston, but the full force of landing in a French country cottage hasn’t quite sunk in yet. ¶ What else to do but order up a Lillet cocktail, settle back and enjoy a dining experience that will make you feel like you’re living La Vie en Rose.

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hez Nous (translation: “our house”) is homey, welcoming, airy and a world away from Houston’s hustle and bustle. Tucked on a side street off Humble’s commercial center of FM 1960, in a house that makes excellent use of its space, Chez Nous radiates homespun charm. If you’re particularly lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of Marilyn, the wild hen who roosts nightly in the tree outside the front door. That’s the sort of place Chez Nous is. Don’t let that laid-back façade fool you, though. The food is exquisite and the experience top-notch. Begin your meal with the Blue Crab Mango Salad, a beautifully constructed cylinder of fresh crabmeat, mangos, avocado and tomato. It’s got crunch and zing, and is a house favorite. For a true French experience, you’ll want the escargots, lovingly prepared in the classic style. Blending the French cultural approach of purchasing marketfresh produce with a nod to Texas growers, the Heirloom Tomato Salad is a stunning array of red and yellow tomatoes, paired with a chevre homemade goat cheese crudité, topped with a Dijon and red wine dressing. Don’t miss the breast of Muscovy duck, perfectly grilled and served with sweet Burgundy poached pear and a sassy citrus glaze, accompanied by a miniature shepherd’s pie. The pie is savory and rich, complimenting the gamey goodness of the duck and the earthiness of the root

vegetables. Order it all with 1999 Maison Leroy Bourgogne and you’ll be in for a feast of flavor. For old-school romance, go with the Chateaubriand for two. Made to order and carved tableside, it’s done with a brilliant Béarnaise sauce. The entire experience feels like having your own private dining room in the middle of a swanky salon. That feeling is part of the charm at Chez Nous. Chef Gerard Brach and his partners in cuisine, the husband and wife duo of Stacy and Scott Simonson, are all committed to making every guest feel like Chez Nous belongs to them. Their love of food is apparent in every dish, and all of them are equally at home in the kitchen or visiting with diners. Finish your experience with the one of Stacy’s exquisite desserts. One standout is the Strawberry Trifle, sweet layers of berries and soft cake. For sheer decadence, select the chocolate bag, with its filling of Gran Marnier mousse and adornments of fresh berries and fruit. This is a place where you sit awhile and let the world go by outside, far away from you. There’s a soft glow to the dining room, a stylish ambiance to the small bar. It exudes that timeless, easy elegance at which the French excel, and presents it all with the warmth of your best friend. chez nous 217 s. avenue g, humble 281-446-6717

cheznousfrenchrestaurant.com

connoisseur main dish

Seafood Sausage

Sliced Heirloom Tomato Salad

Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse 10 oz semisweet chocolate

4 eggs, separated

1 1/2 oz Grand Marnier

8 oz heavy cream

2 oz heavy cream

1 1/2 oz sugarÂ

Melt first three ingredients in a double broiler until smooth. Whisk egg yolks over bain marie (water bath) until pale and fluffy. Fold into chocolate mixture and set in refrigerator. Whip cream until soft peaks and fold into chocolate/egg mixture, set aside. Whip egg whites and sugar until soft peaks and fold into chocolate/egg/cream mixture. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Serves 8 to 10.

july/august â&#x20AC;˘ 2009

connoisseur

small bites

Creative Crostini

Beignets, Crescent City Beignets

good eats Story | Holly Beretto Photography | Mark W. 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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It’s not hard to find some variation on crostini on nearly every appetizer menu in the city. It’s often harder to find a variation that is both great tasting and displays an innovative use of ingredients. That’s why Oporto’s Avocado and Crab Crostini is so satisfying. Oporto is a wine and tapas bar in a busy Richmond Avenue strip center that’s also home to a Darque Tan, shoe repair shop, dry cleaner and a couple of other restaurants. It’s a pretty unassuming spot—not the kind of place where you’d expect to find haute cuisine and a great wine list. So prepare to be surprised. Oporto borrows from the flavors of Spain and Portugal, with a focus on tapas and light paninnis. There are revolving specials written on a chalkboard and a well-priced happy hour menu with mini bites and wines. But the crostini is a staple and when you have it, you’ll know why. A generously sized round of toast serves as the base for a pile of plump crab and a slice of avocado. It’s topped with a creamy, lime-infused dressing that makes for a light, but certainly filling, appetizer. It’s flavorful, tropical and a perfect partner to any of Oporto’s bright, clean whites from around the world. Hint: Go with a Portuguese vinho verde for a splash of sass and sparkle that will bring out the rocky, briny flavors of the crab or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to showcase the sunny essence of the avocado. oporto 3833 richmond ave. 713-621-1114 oporto.us

c connoisseur

Haute Sauce

small bites

Nothing quite compares to homemade pasta. There’s something about the texture, the perfect blending of flavors in the dough that makes it more than just food—it’s great art. Top it with a tasty sauce and you may just have the perfect summer meal. Need further proof? Head downtown and sample the tagliatelle from the Alden Hotel’s famed *17. Chef Sander Edmondson prepares the pasta daily, then scours area farmer’s markets in search of the perfect topping. While it changes every day, we sampled tagliatelle topped with a rustic combination of garlicky beef sauce augmented with asparagus and tomato, a dance of savory and sass that’s so well done you will have to stop yourself from asking the kitchen to bottle up the sauce so you can take it home. The next day, Chef may dream up a classic cream sauce and summer vegetables that delivers a light meal sure to make you feel like you’ve been transported to Tuscany with every taste. The idea was to offer a dish with an ever-changing showcase of Houston’s summer bounty and it’s all reason to make sure you try the dish again and again to check out the new blends of flavors. Alden is a leader on the Houston dining scene for changing menus seasonally to ensure diners have the best foods with the freshest tastes and has always made it a point to offer locally produced items on its menu. Pairing the tagliatelle with the interchanging sauces is one more way they’re fostering that idea. *17 1117 prairie st. • 832-200-8800 • aldenhotels.com

Deep Fried Love

Walk into the Crescent City Beignets and you almost feel you’ve been transported from the Bayou City to the Big Easy. Black and white images of iconic New Orleans line the walls, Zydeco music wafts from the speakers and behind the counter, a team of cooks and bakers deep fry that New Orleans staple, the beignet. We’re so used to dessert being a sevenlayer chocolate decadence cake, or a huge slab of key lime pie, or a super-sized crème brulee. It’s easy to forget that sometimes, dessert just needs to be a small, sweet ending to a great meal. The beignets at Crescent City are served as a trio, each one fried and dusted with powdered sugar (you can add your own cinnamon, granulated sugar or nutmeg from the condiment bar) and ready to be paired with a cold glass of milk or a richly done café au lait. And if the trio seems too large a portion, opt for the beignet strips, a slightly lesser serving with all the great flavor of the original. There’s something comforting and cozy about beignets, whether having them as an afternoon coffee break or for a proper dessert. Either way, having them at Crescent City Beignets recreates that Big Easy feeling. crescent city beignets 3260 westheimer 713-520-8291

july/august • 2009

connoisseur Cleverley

Cleverley's

corner

table Story | Cleverley stone

NEW TASTES Looking for somewhere different to please your palate? Here are a few new restaurant openings on the horizon: July

October

RDG + Bar Annie will open at 1800 Post Oak Boulevard. Think of it as Schiller-Del Grande’s vision of Café Annie 2.0.

A green concept restaurant by Rhea Wheeler, Debbie Jaramillo, Randy Evans and Cory Graff, Haven opens at 2502 Algerian Way.

Late summer

Late fall

Bistro Alex and Café Rose, two new restaurants by Alex Brennan-Martin, will open in the Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE at Town & Country Village, 800 W. Sam Houston Parkway.

After a devastating fire during Hurricane Ike, Brennan’s of Houston will re-open at 3300 Smith Street. This will be Alex BrennanMartin’s third restaurant opening in 2009.

HRW is Almost Here ouston is all a twitter about Houston Restaurant Week, our city’s most exciting annual dining event. From Aug. 1023, more than 50 fabulous restaurants in the greater Houston area will offer special threecourse dinners for just $35 per person (not including beverages, tax and gratuity). Your dining dollars will really make a difference during this two-week event. Participating restaurants will donate $5 from every special dinner sold to the Houston Food Bank, providing 15 meals for a hungry person in Houston. Last year, HRW raised almost $79,000 to help fight hunger and we hope to surpass that amount this year. The menus for the event are fantastic and you’ll have fun perusing them while deciding where to go. How many restaurants can you visit during HRW? If you dine out every

prime-living.com

chefs for a cause The Taste of the Nation event was held at the Houstonian Hotel in May, featuring food and wine from 50 of Houston’s finest restaurants and caterers. Steve Fronterhouse and Jeff Everts of the Houstonian welcomed guests Bryan Caswell of Reef and Arthur Mooradian of Del Friscos (pictured) at this successful event that raised nearly $75,000 to feed those in need.

fish story Sam Malone and I had lunch recently at the fabulous Feast, where we swooned over the albondigas (Spanish-style meatballs in a heavenly tomato sauce) and sharp-toothed Mother-In-Law fish. As you can see, Sam plays with his food before eating it!

Yun Cheng night, you can visit 14 restaurants, with $70 & Chef Hori donated to the food bank. Check out the list of participating restaurants and their menus at HoustonRestaurantWeek.com, where you can also sign up for the HRW newsletter. And get Twitter alerts at twitter.com/ HouRestaurantWk. As the founder and chair of HRW, established in 2003, I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to the all-volunteer planning committee. Because of their countless hours of dedication, 100 percent of donations raised Kata Robata Sushi & Grill, by the Soma/ will to go to the Food Bank. Azuma restaurant group, opened recently at Kirby and Richmond, the former home of cleverley stone Hue. Chef Hori came from Kubo’s Sushi and She dishes about Houston’s food, wine general manager Yun Cheng came from Soma and dining scene on CNN 650 Radio News, Fox 26 TV,  “Cleverley’s Restaurant Sushi. Think of it as Asian cuisine on small Minutes” on K-HITS 107.5, and in her plates. My fave? The lobster ceviche. newsletter and blog at Cleverley.com.

japanese tapas?

connoisseur uncorked

big house Story | John DeMers

Underdog Wine Merchants

fter lunch at Polo’s Signature, winemaker Georgetta Dane gave me three or four bottles of wine to take home for continued tasting along with a gray metal file for breaking out of prison. Such is life these days around the Big House. Long associated with a single wine called Big House Red—supposedly made from grapes grown in the shadow of California’s Soledad Prison—the wine has evolved into a line of seven different wines all themed around the otherwise unpleasant notion of forced incarceration. In fact, thanks to the company that bought the brand from its ever-quirky founder Randall Grahm and Georgetta’s efforts as a winemaker, the Big House is getting bigger all the time. From launching Bonny Doon to giving the world the approachable rieslings of Pacific Rim, Grahm started Big House wines the same way and for the same apparent reason he did everything else: to have fun. The Soledad

Prison connection gave him the marketing concept, but the rest was up to the grapes he found in different parts of the Central Coast and the Central Valley. The fact that this whole area was being discovered by wine lovers everywhere didn’t hurt his ambitions for Big House one bit. Even with the ownership change, much of what Grahm put in place (including screw caps) remained—it just got bigger and more varied. All seven Big House wines can now be enjoyed WBOC or “without benefit of corkscrew,” a near-fetish for Grahm. In addition to the wonderful Big House Red, made in 2006 with no fewer than 17 different varietals led off by petite syrah and syrah, there’s now a Big House White and even a Big House Pink. The latter is probably not the smartest color to wear around Soledad. Under Dane as “warden,” with a winemaking background in her native

Romania as well as in California, Big House has introduced some super new and slightly more expensive wines. The Upper Cell Block includes the Birdman (a nifty pinot grigio), the Slammer (a full-bodied syrah), the Lineup (a Rhone Ranger fantasy of Grenache, syrah and mourvedre) and the Prodigal Son (100 percent syrah from Paso Robles). While the basic line has a suggested retail price between $7.99 and $9.99, the Upper Cell Block weighs in about $14.99. Warden Dane must be doing something right with all the inmates in the Big House, and she’s preserving Randall Grahm’s sense of humor as well. If that ever goes away, well, at least we already have a file. 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.

july/august • 2009

connoisseur

entertain

summer Story & Styling | Jaimee Rose Photography | Mark W. Lipczynski

hen the summer sun sets in Houston, something inexplicably pulls us outdoors, where we enjoy the cool grass on our feet and ponder an excuse to linger. Barbecue inevitably wins out. There doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem a better reason to summon friends and sit at the table. Just in time for all those saucy summer soirees, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll show you how to give the good old cookout a dash of serious panache. It seems an oxymoron: upscale barbecue. Think of it instead as the best of both worlds. Enchant your guests with a sumptuous setting of flowers, your prettiest plates. Seat them in chairs laden with pillows. Let their eyes feast.

dress fest

How to

your barbecue

prime-living.com

connoisseur

entertain

grill: Anthropologie | table: Smith & Hawken

And then serve them what we all really want to eat: sticky pork ribs and smoky chicken, potatoes glossed with mayonnaise and green onions, maybe homemade macaroni and cheese. Set out bowls of cherries on ice, watermelon crisped and cool. For dessert, the down-homiest Texas peach cobbler you can muster— with ice cream, of course. Just give those favorite foods a tiny twist, present them with style, and your friends will leave smiling. Here’s how to pull it off: • Before the party, peruse your favorite bowls and platters and plan which ones you’ll use. • Remember that caterers, chefs and food stylists agree: Everything looks best on white plates.

If you’re taking your party on the road, impress your guests with this easily portable Retromodern Mini Grill from Anthropologie. That bright hue will induce green envy indeed.

• Set the table the night before and spread a clean white sheet over the top to keep dust away. • Choose a menu that can be made almost entirely in advance to leave you stress-free at the end. • The day of the party, line the table with candles. Choose a single color, and then vary the heights to add interest. • Pile on as many flowers as you can purchase or pilfer from your yard. A single bloom at every place setting is an elegant touch. Next, dress up your dishes. A big tear of basil from the garden and a sunflower from the grocery store look pretty on the platter with ribs. Chop extra herbs and scatter them over potato salad.

Offering ketchup and mustard in bottles from the grocery store? Heresy. Instead, serve your barbecue fixings in style with this BBQ condiment set from Pottery Barn .

Bake macaroni and cheese in small individual gratin dishes so each guest has his or her own. Serve sweet tea or even water with a pair of cherries perched on the rim of the glass. Put whole sprigs of mint in each glass. When it’s time for dessert, tuck a slice of pie and a dollop of ice cream in a martini glass for each friend. That makes everything feel more fun. Finally, send guests home with party favors, such as muffins for the next morning or cookies for the ride home. If you’ve made your own barbecue sauce, decant it into small, two-ounce bottles for each guest. It’s a charming finale and so unexpected these days. And surprises are what entertaining is all about.

You could use paper napkins and no one would say a word. Or you could make your guests feel pampered with these heavy, lovely linens and beaded coral napkin rings from Williams-Sonoma Home.

Hand-woven sea grass cradles these glasses and matching carafe in such a summery way. Fill them with sweet tea and mint, garnish with cherries. Available at Williams-Sonoma Home.

This elegant and weatherfriendly teak dining set, along with good food and friends, will keep the good times coming for years. The Fairmont Grove collection is from Smith & Hawken. Product availability subject to change.

july/august • 2009

HOUSTON

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myjaguarstore.com

gentleman’s room

For the man who commands the very best

inside:

52 53 54 55 56

• • • • •

gentleman’s room nostalgia

Purchased in 1936, the Chevrolet truck could deliver 20 five-ga cans of ice cream on one llon route.

Manager E. F. Kruse (far in the right) with employees plant in the early 1920s.

blue bellIceCream Nostalgia

Story | Karl Hauenstein

used to say proudly, “the milk we use is so fresh, it was grass only n their almost-hit song “Ohio (Come Back to Texas)” from yesterday”), Blue Bell rapidly gained a loyal customer following. their almost-hit album A Hangover You Don’t Deserve, the That insistence continues today under the leadership of Kruse’s Grammy-nominated band Bowling for Soup listed the sons, Chairman Ed Kruse and President and CEO Howard Kruse. enticements to lure a girlfriend who had moved away to come In fact, in a 1997 interview with the RoundTop Register, the on-line back to Texas. newspaper for the biggest little town in Texas, the brothers described Troy Aikman wants you back ice cream as “the happiest food in the world” and milk as God’s most Willie Nelson wants you back perfect food, so that Blue Bell’s goal is to make the perfect food better. NASA wants you back With a mission like that, how can you not be a legend? and the Bush Twins want you back Originally, Blue Bell ice cream was sold only in south Texas, but and Pantera wants you back news of its creamy goodness spread quickly and so did its market. and Blue Bell wants you back. Today, it is sold in 17 states. Despite its limited distribution area, So what is it about Blue Bell Ice Cream that has made it a Texas Blue Bell is the third most icon on par with Willie Nelson popular ice cream in the U.S. and NASA, and make it worth and in 2001, Forbes magazine coming back to Texas? declared it to be the best ice A place where local farmers cream in the country. purchased cream to make butter, Blue Bell continues to offer Blue Bell began in 1907 as the Blue Bell color-codes the rims of its ice cream containers according year-round tours of their plants in Brenham Creamery Co. in Brenham, to the cost of the ingredients. Country Vanilla and Strawberry Brenham, Broken Arrow, Okla., Texas. In 1911, it expanded its have the least expensive ingredients; their rim is silver. Homemade and Sylacauga, Ala. For a small product line to include ice cream and admission price, you can witness the rest, as we say, is history. Vanilla and flavors made with fresh fruit cost more to make; they the making of a true Texas legend Because of its fanatical are in gold-rim containers. Premium flavors, with pecans and and top it off with a bowl of their insistence on high quality and pralines, cost the most to make; they have brown rims. ice cream. That’s something no kid only the freshest ingredients (the of any age can resist. company’s first CEO E.F. Kruse

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blue bell

didyouknow?

gentleman’s room guy talk

travel wonders

blunders Story | Bruce Farr Illustration | paul svancara

ere in the heat of summer, the vacations we’ve been planning all year are looming large and we’re chomping at the bit to be off. Visions of seaside follies, fragrant tropical flowers and the sweet challenge of verdant 18-hole links lure us like pilgrims to the Promised Land. But, as many of us know, vacations aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. I’m not talking about the quaint cottage that might have looked charming on the Web site but actually turned out to be situated next to a landfill. What I’m getting at are those hair-raising encounters on holiday when something goes so radically wrong it threatens to alter forever our notion of what a vacation ought to feel like. Back in college in New England, three friends and I thought we were utter geniuses as we poured over maps, planning a reprieve from the long, cold winter by languishing for four solid weeks in sunny Mexico. Our B-movie-fueled visions of doing the Mexican hat dance with a margarita in one hand and a senorita in the other were quickly

dashed, however, when, following a dusty, dirty 3,000-mile drive, we found our weary selves in a ramshackle hotel in a quiet village overlooking the Pacific coast. Still, we thought we’d make the best of it. Come bedtime, we threw open the gaping windows to let in the salty sea air and settled down for the night. Not five minutes into our slumber, though, we were jolted awake as a dark, indiscernible mass swarmed flapping and screeching terrifyingly through the window and into our room. The four of us (in our underwear, mind you) bolted out of bed and ran screaming into the hallway and down the stairs to the front desk, where we blurted out our panic-stricken tale. “Oh, señors, de nada. It’s nothing,” chuckled the sleepy night clerk. “They are—how you say?—los vampire bats from the cave below the hotel.” My wife likes to tell the story of when she was living and working in China and, one summer, invited her Vermont innkeeper parents for an adventure vacation to the legendary island of Borneo. Intrepid though my in-laws might be, they began to feel

a tad uncomfortable when they and their luggage ended up in a flimsy wooden canoe being paddled by a native “guide” along a reptile-infested jungle river. Their supposed destination was an “off-the-beaten-path” tropical hotel my wife had booked through the travelogues. But, later, after hacking their way with machetes through a dense, mosquito-ridden jungle, they came upon a rugged outpost with a shrunken head dealer grinning proudly as he held up the tiny, shriveled noggins of some of his pals. It was at that moment when my normally discreet, mild-mannered mother-in-law turned to her daughter and remarked, “You’ve got to be [expletive deleted] me!” This summer, with the economy everpresent in our minds, we’re not too sorry to say we’re being forced to pare down our vacation plans. Instead of the usual fuss and expense, we’ve decided to pick up a few travel-writing classics and let our imaginations wander as far and wide as they might, but from the comfort of our barbecue-grilling deck off the living room. We’re not being wimps, are we?

july/august • 2009

gentleman’s room driver's seat

corvette

summer

quick facts

s automakers engage their antilock brakes, one sports car continues to hold its own on the world stage of affordable performance: Chevrolet’s Corvette. From the time we’re old enough to think about someday being behind the wheel of a car, this high-performance American icon has already captured our hearts and desires. Power is the soul of the Corvette coupe, giving it the ability to wind its way around a road course at break-neck speed. It’s an instant shot of adrenaline and a heart-pumping thrill, kind of like your first encounter with a wooden roller coaster. Chevrolet’s 50-plus years of experience in V-8 power is unmatched. The all-new LS3 aluminum engine displaces 6.2-liters (376 cubic-inches), delivers 430 HP and 424 lb-ft of torque, while delivering 16 mpg city and 26 highway when

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equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission. The optional automatic transmission gets 1-mpg less, but with paddle shifting from the steering wheel, you’ll see why Formula 1 drivers love it. The C-6 (the sixth generation Corvette) coupe and convertible have a hydro-formed steel rail backbone structure, an enclosed center tunnel, rear-mounted transmission and aluminum cockpit structure. Three suspension choices allow drivers to choose the setup that best suits their driving style. The standard suspension delivers a balance of ride, comfort and handling, while the optional Magnetic Selective Ride detects road surfaces and adjusts instantaneously for optimal control. The Z51 Performance Package speaks for itself. What would the ultimate, all-American hot rod be without an interior worthy of its legacy? Leather and leather-look-alike

surfaces, along with brushed aluminum accents, create the perfect ambiance. Plus, you’ll never have to reach for controls since they are all at your fingertips, giving you the feeling of a fighter jet pilot. There is still no mistaking the ’Vette from any other sports car. Its long front clip, wind cheating, aerodynamic shape, exposed headlamps, fastback rear window and familiar Coke-bottle shape keep it on top of the “10 sexiest car’s list.” The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette starts at $47,045. The all-new ZR1 supercharged model, that screams 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, begins at $106,620. don armstrong A professional broadcaster for more than 35 years, Don Armstrong is also a seasoned writer and voiceover talent. Catch him on Sky Fox on Channel 26 reporting on Houston’s morning traffic.

Corvette Classification: 2-seat coupe Engine (base): 6.2-liter V-8 Horsepower: 430 Torque: 424 lb-ft Fuel economy: 19 mpg – combined Transmission: 6-speed manual Brakes: 4-wheel disc Curb weight: 3217 lbs. Base price: $47,045 Competitors: Dodge Viper, Ford Shelby GT 500

General Motors Corp.

Story | Don Armstrong

gentleman’s room outdoors

freshcatch Story | Doug Pike

should be put on ice. And even for that simple n most fishing trips, there is considerable exercise, Caswell suggests a specific way to do it. distance between the end of the line “Ice them ‘swimming,’” he says. and, in another context, the end of the By that, he means to place fish carefully into a line. What happens shortly after a fish is bed of ice rather than toss them casually into a box caught has great influence on how it will taste on of slush, sandwich meat and canned drinks. Bellies the table. down, backs up, with ice all around them. Placed The flesh of some fish is more delicate than that way, the flesh remains in its freshest possible that of others, but none can endure prolonged state for the longest possible time. exposure to warm temperatures. On hot summer At the cleaning table, use a sharp knife. Dull days, a perfectly good fish can be spoiled in blades do sloppy work, even in skilled hands, and minutes and, should it cross that threshold, no it takes only a few strokes quantity of ice or spice can on the stone to hone a prevent it from becoming quality edge. a putrid, rotting chunk Learn which fish should unfit even for a seagull. be filleted, which should be On the other hand, cut into steaks, and how to with proper care, many do both. Train yourself to fish species can be held in a - Bryan Caswell, Reef pare out the cheek meat of “fresh-caught” state for days, deep-water species such as says Bryan Caswell, head snappers and groupers, too. chef and owner of Reef in The muscles that help those fish operate their jaws downtown Houston. Caswell knows his fish. With a number of culinary awards under his belt since he first are incredibly tasty. People who shy from fish dinners often have ignited Reef’s grill less than two years ago, Caswell never tasted truly fresh fish. So long as the meat has spends much of his free time behind a rod and reel. been well tended since it last swam, as prescribed As sure as heat is the enemy of a fresh fish, by Caswell, even we amateur “chefs” can turn out Caswell says, cold is its’ ally. At the earliest possible delicious meals from the sea. convenience after a fish is brought to hand, it

“As sureas heat isthe enemy ofa fresh fish, cold is its’ally.”

ice, ice, baby Anglers rarely carry enough ice to hold their catch at proper temperature through a long, hot day on the water. In boats or on piers that allow wheeled coolers, a good rule of thumb is to start the day with about 20 percent more ice than you think you possibly could use. Relative to the costs of everything else in which you invest for fishing—rod, reel, fuel, bait … a boat—ice barely registers in the wallet. Stock up and drain accumulated water regularly. Dedicate a cooler specifically for fish and leave its lid down except to deposit a catch. On summer days, in a quality cooler that isn’t frequently opened for beverages and candy bars and bait, ice will hold for many hours. Cold fish are fresh fish.

doug pike Doug has traveled the world to satisfy his passion for the outdoors. During his career, he has won 100-plus state and national awards for writing, broadcast and photography.

july/august • 2009

gentleman’s room high tech

summer

TechTravel Story | Michael Garfield

riting a magazine column is a bit different than hosting a live radio program. Here, in these pages, I have time to think through my ideas and pontificate a bit, particularly on a recent slew of questions about using technology while traveling. Q: Will cell phones work outside of the country? A: Tri-band, Quad-band and GSM phones will work in most countries around the world. Check with your wireless carrier to see if its service and your phone will work in the countries you plan to visit. Some phones will accept a temporary SIM card allowing local and international use. And don’t forget your power converter.

Q: Do you need a power converter when you travel overseas? A: Some foreign hotels and offices provide converters to allow visitors to plug in their electrical appliances. The U.S. standard is 120V so make so make sure you inspect the electrical outlet before plugging in your gadgets. To be safe, buy at least one power converter (around $15) before leaving the country and check if it can be used with the electricity outlet in the country you visit.

kinds of things. Web sites like WorldLingo.com can quickly convert almost any language and it’s free. Smartphones like the iPhone have downloadable applications, too. Their built-in keyboards make it simple to type in words or phrases before spitting out the converted language.

Q: Will the GPS on my cell phone work when I travel? A: The GPS location and direction functions will work on your cell phone when traveling within most of the U.S. It will Q: What technology is available also operate in other countries where provided cell and data to do monetary conversion? coverage work with your specific A: Several gadgets make phone and wireless carrier. converting money simple. Small, handheld calculators can Check with your carrier before do the trick, but more and more traveling as this function may need to be activated. cell phones and smartphones Q: Will cell phones work on a have built-in applications to cruise ship out at sea? convert all kinds of currency. In Q: What advice do you have A: While you may occasionally for traveling with a laptop? a pinch, use your smartphone receive service, most likely no. A: First and foremost, be and type the conversion in the Wireless phones generally connect search box. careful. Laptops are one of via cell towers, which aren’t found the most stolen items when at sea. Some ships have on-board Q: What technology is available traveling. Do not check laptops cell connections that can work in your luggage. Carry them for language conversion? with your phone, but buying on planes and other modes A: Once again, the Internet your own boat may be cheaper. of transportation and be sure comes in handy to convert all

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to get a thick, padded case to reduce the risk of damage and breakage. Most importantly, make sure you back up all of your data onto a hard drive that you keep at home or office. And make sure your passwords are secure! Q: What technology accessories will make traveling easier and more comfortable? A: Portable music and video players are almost standard traveling accessories today. Preload your favorite tunes or movies and treat yourself to a good pair of comfortable earphones; some models can block out external noise.

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.

There noreason reasontotofeelfeelnervous… nervous… There was no For 15 years, she had walked beside me, hand-in-hand.

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escape

Taj Malabar, Cochin, India

prime-living.com

global

getaways From the desert plains of Africa to the awe-inspiring cathedrals of Rome, the world is filled with amazing cultural wonders. If your restless spirit beckons you to experience things youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve only dreamed of, pack your bags and discover these world treasures. Story | Linda Bauer, Michael Bauer, Dave Dodge, Michael Hammett

july/august â&#x20AC;˘ 2009

escape

Tented Camping, Heritage Hotels

The morning sun rises in brilliant orange over the quiet landscape. The few trees silhouetted on the horizon make spindly shapes while the land wakes again. Out in Africa’s Masai Mara, another day begins, filled with the excitement of life on safari. For the consummate adventure seeker, Kenya is the premier destination for escaping into the wild and discovering adventure on a whole new level. Across the country, a wide array of safari specialties gives visitors an unparalleled range of nature and cultural interaction. The Heritage Hotels Co., for instance, has lodges in Kenya’s major tourist areas and offer fully packaged expeditions. They also work closely with local tribes to create an atmosphere of authenticity, which, in turn, helps native peoples actively participate in bringing awareness to the land that they know best. From Nairobi, it’s a short hop to any of Heritage Hotels’ reserves, where they cater to your every need. Pools, massages, gourmet meals, fully stocked bars and spectacular panoramic views from cabins and watchtowers are just the start of your stay out in the wild. It’s easy enough to stay at camp and relax in luxury, but plenty more awaits you once you hit the trails. Most adventurers are up before sunrise to capture the magnificent view of first light on the plains. The intensity with which the sky changes from black to orange to gold is simply stunning, rousing the wildlife for a day of picture-perfect moments. As your driver maneuvers your personal Land Rover through the several thousand-acre park, you will be greeted with unimaginable experiences. When going on safari, it’s best to plan a long trip—seeing this much is beyond exciting. From cheetahs stalking and running down prey at more than 60 mph, to elephant herds with babies in tow, to a leopard lounging in a tree like it was any other day, no other place on earth offers this kind of up-close experience. In fact, even before lunchtime, you’ll be worn out from the adrenaline rush of coming so close to Kenya’s Big 5: leopards, buffalo, rhinos, lions and elephants. In between excursions, visit local villages to experience their customs, culture and crafts. Nothing comes close to going on safari. This is truly a once in a lifetime destination. – MB

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Michael Bauer

Life on the Wild Side

Intriguing India

The recent accolades bestowed upon this year’s Oscar award-winning Slumdog Millionaire have given rise to an interest in the amazing sights, sounds and flavors of India. Many world cruises have stops at Cochin, Mumbai and trips to the interior via Agra and Delhi. Travelers are keenly aware of the remarkable experiences that await them in this incredible land. The Taj Malabar Hotel in Cochin offers the finest accommodations, as well as a number of interesting sights to see. Boat trips give visitors the opportunity to observe fishing nets that reach to the sky to scoop up the catch of the day, while trips to the area’s famous spice shops, a tour of a famous Jewish synagogue, and excursions by way of local cabs give visitors a taste of India’s unique culture. Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is also filled with one-of-a-kind adventures, including excursions to the Caves of Elephanta, a Hindu shrine. Be sure to take a cab to Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry where thousands of workers wash clothes in open air tanks while local residents gather in doorways for a look. Victoria Station is also a must-see with its fast-paced action and lovely facades. And don’t forget to pay a visit to Gandhi’s home. For the ultimate experience, sunrise and sunset at the Taj Mahal in Agra is a must for any adventurous traveler. Many claim that this memorable experience is life changing, particularly in this amazing country of contrasts. While in Agra, seasoned travelers stay at the Oberoi Hotel, Shangri La or ITC Mughal. At the Oberoi, balcony rooms overlook the Taj Mahal, as well as the lush grounds and pools, lit up at night by romantic torch lights. For a truly memorable experience, enjoy a five-course dinner served poolside. – LB

ITC Mughal

Taj Malabar Hotel

ITC Mughal

Taj Malabar Hotel

july/august • 2009

Roman Forum

escape

Roman Colosseum Columns in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City

Artwork on the ceiling of the Vatican Museum

Vatican Museum

As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome. When traveling to Italy, whether you arrive by plane, train or even ocean liner, chances are you will pass through this eternal city steeped in history and tradition. Rome is as vibrant and vital today as it was during Caesar’s time. You don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate the spoils of world domination the Roman Empire has amassed over centuries. There is an historical tug of war between ruins and religion around every corner. People swarm here to understand the fascination with ritual and mystery. Vatican City was granted independent state status within Rome in 1929. Made up of 108.7 acres, it is the headquarters for the Holy Roman Catholic church and home to the Pope, his Cardinals, 100 Swiss guards and 1,000 residents. The Vatican museum houses more than 1,000 works of art from Ancient Greece to present day. A guided tour of the museum can take up to four hours, culminating with a view of the Sistine Chapel. Designed as a retreat for the Pope Sixtus IV, The Last Judgment, the ceiling fresco by Michelangelo, will render you speechless. The color, the message and the irony of the work require a guide to interpret the artist’s messages. St. Peter’s Basilica sits on the very spot Peter the Apostle was crucified in 67 AD. It was Pope Julius II, in 1503, who envisioned a church to honor Peter and, after countless architects, Bernini all but finished it in 1565 with his famous colonnade. The actual dome of the Basilica is one of the world’s largest and you can climb to the top. Another popular destination is the Sacristies and the tomb of St. Peter, along with countless Popes all trying to outdo each other in the crypt. Don’t stop there. Stand at the center of St. Peter’s Square and look west—all Rome awaits you. From the Aventine, to the Spanish Steps, to the Forum, count on a minimum of four days to see most major sights, but keep in mind that doesn’t include shopping, strolling or just positioning yourself to watch the city go by. Do not miss the sidewalk cafes, the pizzerias and the hundreds of fountains, most especially, the Trevi. Brush up on your novels, art history, the Bible and bring your appetite. It will be a religious experience, guaranteed. – DD

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brianne borcherding

When in Rome

Way Down Under

Hobart

Maria Island Walk

Carrying anywhere from 200 to 400 passengers, the Yachts of Seabourn exude an ambiance of sophistication that is unparalleled. White glove service introduces even the most discriminating traveler to creative and elegant menus served with complimentary wine and cocktails. Open seating is standard, giving guests the opportunity to meet their fellow passengers when they choose to do so. Seabourn’s signature caviar and champagne is also a decadent treat served on a surfboard by white uniformed staff on a private island or onboard the vessel. The Yachts of Seabourn travel throughout the world. With their unique size, they are able to maneuver docks much closer to city centers and smaller ports than large mega ships. Their world cruises are most spectacular and their Caribbean cruises are a fine way to enjoy the islands. In some secluded coves, they lower the back sports deck platform and guests participate in sailing, kayaking and water activities directly off of the yacht. While cruisers may never wish to leave their spacious suites adorned with fine linens, large living room and bathroom, sea goers may also experience the pool, small spa and gym facility. Seabourn cruise directors are continuously involved in the intimate cruise atmosphere. Guests can enjoy wonderful onboard lectures and extensive library or enjoy a game or two in the small casino. The ship’s bar is also a great place for gathering before or after dinner or to mingle and watch topnotch entertainment in a relaxed but sophisticated and fun atmosphere. Luxury cruising, thy name is Seabourn. – LB

Michael Hammett

Spectacular Seabourn

Australia’s island state of Tasmania is a scenic 50-minute flight from the country’s most popular tourist destination, Sydney—but it feels like a world away. Dubbed “Tassie” by the locals, it is a cluster of more than 50, mostly small, islands off the southern coast of the mainland. Forty-percent of Tasmania’s land is designated World Heritage Area, similar to our National Parks system, and includes rainforests, majestic coastlines and pristine wilderness. It is also the only place in the world you’ll find the Tasmanian Devil, made famous by the Warner Bros. cartoons, in the wild. But, perhaps the biggest surprise is Tassie’s sophisticated European-inspired cities, such as Hobart, the state’s capitol and the second-oldest city in Australia behind Sydney. Hobart is a quaint seaport village with docklands, historic buildings, rolling hills and the storied Mt. Wellington guarding from above. Set your bags down at The Islington, an 1847 manor house-turned luxury accommodation that was once the Mayor’s mansion. “We have all the offerings of a 5-star,” says general manager Amy Parkinson-Bates. The locals consider Marque IV the pinnacle of fine dining. Begin with Bruny Island Great Bay oysters (Tasmania is known for its fresh seafood). The chef dresses up the area’s Macquarie Harbour ocean trout with caviar custard. Home Hill Vineyard, just outside Hobart in the storybook Huon Valley, is where you’ll get a taste of the Tassie grape. The Prime Minister of Malaysia recently visited the ultra-modern winery and restaurant, where the 2005 Kelly’s Reserve Pinot is a 2007 Gold Metal-winner. A short boat ride, off the coast near Hobart, brings you to Maria Island, a sanctuary for rare and endangered wildlife. Its expansive beaches seem untouched and the 360-degree view from Mt. Maria (at more than 2,300 feet) is spectacular. You might even see whales hugging the shoreline. Explore blue gum forests, with cascading waterfalls and stroll past Forrester kangaroos lounging in the sun. The accommodations include stylish seaside huts with silk sheets, and local gourmet cuisine and wine. Trowunna Wildlife Park near Hobart is one of the organizations helping to save the endangered Tasmanian Devil. It’s where you’ll see the little meat-eating marsupials up close (don’t touch, please), along with kangaroos, koalas and other native species roaming free. – MH

Peter Bennett

Tasman Sea

Michael Hammett

Yachts of Seabourn

Summit of Mt. Maria

The Islington

july/august • 2009

live well

new lease on life Story | Sue Hauenstein Photography | Larry Pullen

Summer has arrived in all its glory. We long to embrace our favorite drink and sit on the patio, lounge by the pool or play in the sand on the beach. Unfortunately, however, many of us feel the need to run out and purchase colorful muumuus to cover up those once, oh-so wondrous curves.

besity is a very serious concern for Americans these days. There are a number of options available to those of us who wish to banish those nasty unwanted pounds that have snuck up over the years whether through pregnancy, inactivity or genetics. We recently had the opportunity to visit with Zola Lander, BSN, RN, CAPA, CBN, the Bariatric Program Coordinator at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. Lander is intimately familiar with the Bariatric surgery procedure and freely discussed her experience.

Q. What prompted you to have weight loss surgery?

I know what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to be obeseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not be able to fit in an airplane seat, a booth in a restaurant, chairs with arms. I saw the looks of disgust from people and how I was considered a failure, dirty or ugly.

live well

Unfortunately,obesity isthe last socially acceptablearea of discrimination.“Fat jokes”are stillthe norm,eventhough it is unheard ofto discriminateagainst one’s race,religion or sexualorientation. – Zola Lander

Once diagnosed with conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, acid reflux, sleep apnea requiring use of a breathing machine, and high blood pressure, I knew I had to do something drastic. My back, knees and feet hurt constantly. I could not walk short distances without having shortness of breath. I had developed a precancerous condition that required a hysterectomy. I had tried every known diet from Weight Watchers, to Diet Center, to Quick Weight Loss. Like many people, I lost some weight initially, but it would come back—and more. I knew I was going to die if I did not do something, and do it soon. I saw an article on the Internet regarding weight loss surgery, and how it was helping people lose weight and keep it off. I researched the procedures for two years and interviewed people who had weight loss surgery. I always ended my interview with the question, “Would you do it again?” The answer I always received was a resounding yes. People told me how they lost their diabetes, sleep apnea, pain in joints and

back, and were off most (if not all) of their prescription medications.

Q. Tell us what the experience was like for you.

I had to totally learn how to eat again by taking smaller bites, chewing thoroughly, not eating and drinking at the same time, and getting off the carbonated beverages. It wasn’t easy, but I was determined to become healthier. I had to learn how to “eat to live” instead of “live to eat.” The first six months were the hardest because of all the changes I had to make. It took time to remember to eat slowly, eat smaller bites, and stay away from the high sugar and high fat foods.

Q. Tell us about your advocacy.

I am a member of the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a group that was formed to build a nationwide coalition of patients to become active advocates and spread the important message of the need for obesity education.

Number Crunch A person is considered obese when they have a Body Mass Index (BMI or weight-to-height ratio) of 30 or greater. The BMI is a tool used by doctors to assess a person’s weight and risk for chronic disease. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), obese is defined as having a BMI between 30 and 34.9. Morbidly obese is having a BMI over 40 (this is typically 100 pounds or more over one’s ideal body weight) or having a BMI of 35 or greater with one or more co-morbid conditions.

I am also a major supporter of the Walk From Obesity. As this year’s co-chairman for the Houston site, our goal is to raise money for the OAC as well as the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Foundation for research into the study and treatment of obesity. For the past two years, the Houston site has been the largest moneymaker in the nation for this cause. I also teach patient sensitivity classes for the staff at Memorial Hermann Southwest. Patients really appreciate being treated with respect, compassion and caring, and can make a major difference in where they want to go for health care.

Q. What advice do you have for people dealing with obesity?

Obesity is a disease just like diabetes, heart disease or stroke. It’s not a matter of will power. There are many hormonal, genetic, psychological and environmental factors involved in developing obesity. This is truly a pandemic. Be sure your weight loss journey begins with open discussion where any questions or concerns about weight loss options are addressed. Your needs must be assessed in a consultation with your surgeon. I encourage candidates to attend a preoperative program to prepare them for the procedure. It helps set expectations and ease patient anxiety and sets a timeline for incorporating physical activity into a new lifestyle. Also, look for a program that includes a monthly support group and a positive and supportive environment where you will meet other patients sharing your weight loss journey experiences.

diningguide Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re craving a thick, juicy steak or a spicy little Latin number, Prime Livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dining guide gives you everything you need to know (and then some) on Houston's wonderful array of dining options. Use our handy legend to find out each restaurant's amenities and features.

legend

69 ;DGB CLIENT

noise level low to high

lighting level low to high

Kid Friendly

Sommelier on Staff

Date Night Friendly

Reservation Required

Allergy Free Foods

Cocktails (bar on premise)

Heart Healthy Foods

HandLEs Large gatherings

Provides Split Plates

HandLEs Private Parties

Entertainment

Boutique Wines Available

Cigar Room

Texas Wines Availalbe

Valet Provided

International Wines Available

Jacket Required

Speciality Beers

CONTACT PHONE

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AMERICAN

Backstreet Cafe Charming 1930s house-turned-bistro is Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost al fresco restaurant. Features award-winning American bistro fare, full bar, winning wine list and live jazz at brunch. â&#x20AC;˘ 1103 s. shepherd. 713-521-2239, backstreetcafe.net.

Bedford Located just outside downtown Houston in a historic suburb called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Houston Heights,â&#x20AC;? Bedford offers diners a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Progressive Americanâ&#x20AC;? cuisine combining international culinary influences with a decidedly Texan bent. â&#x20AC;˘ 1001 studewood. 713-880-1001, bedfordrestaurant.com

Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe Houston’s sweet spot for decadent desserts, sandwiches, wraps and salads. Perfect for a quick sugar fix or leisurely lunch or dinner. Specialty dishes: Calypso Chicken Salad; Old-Fashioned Diner Cake. • 3600 kirby dr., 713-522-9999; 1 616 post oak blvd., 713-622-0007; 2260 lone star dr., sugar land, 713-797-8000; dessertgallery.com

Foundation Room at House of Blues Houston A truly unique setting for dining and entertaining, this downtown hotspot offers a luxurious lounge featuring hand-embroidered Gujarat wall coverings. Enjoy fine dining, worldclass hospitality and a private outdoor balcony for an unrivalled experience. Specialty dish: Chicken Fried Lobster with Chimichurri • 1204 caroline st., 888-402-5837, houseofblues.com/ venues/clubvenues/houston/ foundationroom

Gravitas Restaurant Featuring a sophisticated-yet-laidback interior by architect Ferenc Dreef and an eclectic American menu from executive chef Jason Gould, Gravitas—as the name implies—takes food seriously while keeping the atmosphere warm and comfortable. Specialty dish: Applewood smoked pork chop with apple slaw • 807 taft st. 713-522-0995, gravitasrestaurant.com

Laurier Cafe & Wine A New American neighborhood bistro whose focus is finding fresh, seasonal, high-quality foods and preparing dishes that let the ingredients shine. Awardwinning wine list has moderately-priced niche wines from around the world. Specialty dishes: Crab Cake, Steak Frites, Soft Chocolate Cake • 3139 richmond ave. 713-807-1632, lauriercafe.com

Masraff’s on Post Oak Lane A casually elegant restaurant with unique Euro/American cuisine and ambiance. Specializing in seafood, lamb, beef and fowl, Masraff’s is the recipient of numerous prestigious culinary awards. Specialty dishes: Chilean Sea Bass, Osso Bucco, Rack of Lamb • 1025 s. post oak lane. 713355-1975, masraffs.com

MAX’s Wine Dive Gourmet comfort food and wines from around the world rule at MAX’s Wine Dive. Enjoy award-winning food and wine lists in a relaxed and chic atmosphere filled with the sounds of a hip jukebox under wine-bottle chandeliers. Specialty dish: Fried Chicken and Champagne • 4720 washington ave. 713-880-8737, maxswinedive.com

Prime A casually elegant and relaxing waterfront showplace for the farm fresh, New American cuisine of award-winning Executive Head Chef Joseph Trevino. Prime indulges the senses with a menu and decor that are equally sophisticated. Specialty dish: Lamb chop and Cassoulet with Roast Baby Roots • 600 la torretta blvd., 936-448-4400, latorrettadellagoresortandspa.com

RDG + Bar Annie RDG + Bar Annie is the new signature restaurant from Chef Robert Del Grande and the Schiller-Del Grande Restaurant Group, and the spiritual successor to the world famous Cafe Annie. The all-new BLVD Lounge is located on the venue’s first floor • 1800 post oak blvd. 713-840-1111, rdgbarannie.com

Ouisie’s Table Elouise Adams Jones, aka Ouisie, invented this restaurant of Southern food and eclectic tendencies decades ago and has been the darling of diners ever since. Elegant, imaginative, warm, always entertaining and daring only begin to describe this Houston icon • 3939 san felipe. 713-528-2264, ouisiestable.com

The Remington Restaurant Decidedly modern American with a definite dash of Texas. Busy executives can take advantage a special lunch menu that adheres to tight schedules without sacrificing culinary excellence. Specialty dish: Southwest Caesar Salad • 1919 briar oaks lane. 713-403-2759, theremingtonrestaurant.com

Polo’s Signature Boasting a French-American fusion menu, the swanky Polo’s Signature is the namesake of restaurateur Polo Becerra. Live music, exquisite lighting and an inviting interior design complement Executive Chef Adam Puskorius’ imaginative fare brilliantly • 3800 southwest freeway. 713-626-8100, polossignature.com

Ruggles Green Houston’s 1st Green Certified Restaurant (natural & organic foods). Strive to preserve the environment (recycling, conservation of sustainable products). Wood fired pizzas, raw & vegan burgers & salads. • 2311 west alabama, 713-533-0777, www.rugglesgreen.com

Post Oak Grill Uptown Elegantly presented American fare with a Mexican accent, this veteran of the Houston dining community is owned by restaurateur Polo Becerra who once worked as a line cook in its kitchen. Business people fill it by day, romantics by night • 1415 s. post oak lane. 713-993-9966, postoakgrill.com

VOICE Hotel ICON is proud to present the awardwinning VOICE restaurant, where Executive Chef Michael Kramer pairs inspired modern American cuisine with one of the city’s most dazzling venues. Recognized as the No. 1 best new restaurant by Texas Monthly. Specialty dish: Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino” • 220 main st., 832-667-4470, hotelicon.com

ASIAN

Gigi’s Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar By combining exquisite modern Asian cuisine and top-notch service with a chic, exotic ambiance, owner Gigi Huang and Executive Chef Junnajet Hurapan have created a true see-and-be-seen dining destination in the heart of the Galleria. Specialty dishes: Shu Mai Dumplings, Braised Short Rib • 5085 westheimer, 713-629-8889, gigisasianbistro.com

FRENCH

Au Petit Paris Considered one of Houston’s more unique spots, Au Petit Paris will remind you of Paris with its authentic French creations from Chef Eric Legros and Pastry Chef Dominique Bocquier. Specialty dish: Sautéed sea scallop, smoky bacon, and curry cauliflower puree with green asparagus • 2048 colquitt st. 713-5247070, aupetitparisrestaurant.com

Chez Nous, Cuisine Francaise A small, quaint restaurant situated in a former Pentecostal church, Chez Nous specializes in the sturdy classical French style of cooking. “The chef is the owner, as it should. The chef is in the kitchen, where she belongs.” Specialty dish: Dessert soufflés • 209 s. ave g, humble. 281-446-6717, cheznousfrenchrestaurant.com

Chez Roux at La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa The crown jewel of La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa’s cuisine experience, Chef Albert Roux, a revered name in the international restaurant world, created this fine dining gem. Specialty Dish: Chef Roux’s Soufflé au fromage a la crème de mais blanc • 600 la torretta boulevard, montgomery. 936-448-4400, latorrettadellagoresortandspa.com

july/august • 2009

diningguide FRENCH/ INDIAN AMERICAN Kiran’s Enjoy modern Indian cuisine in a fineMockingbird Bistro Wine Bar The French and Italian rivieras meet Texas at Mockingbird Bistro, where Texas Provence cuisine is praised by media and diners alike. Casual and inviting, this bistro offers two private dining areas, a full bar and award-winning wine list. Specialty dish: Steak Frites • 1985 welch. 713-5330200, mockingbirdbistro.com

dining experience. Accolades include Zagat Rated Excellent and Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Specialty Dish: Kiran’s Chilean Sea Bass with Mango Chutney • 4100 westheimer. 713-960-8472, kiranshouston.com

ITALIAN Textile Restaurant Located in a turn-of-the-century textile mill from which the restaurant derives its name, Chef Scott Tycer’s fans will recognize his sophisticated take on modern American cuisine complete with seasonal, organic ingredients • 611 w 22nd st. #1-a. 832209-7177, textilerestaurant.com

Arcodoro This beautiful Galleria area restaurant reflects owner Efisio Farris’ Sardinian heritage, and the glamour and sophistication of the Costa Smeralda. The menu shines with a simple, rustic cuisine rich in flavor and texture. Specialty dish: Malloreddus a la Bottarga • 5000 westheimer. 713-621-6858, arcodoro.com

Arturo’s Uptown Italiano Savor a romantic slice of Tuscany while indulging in exquisite Italian dishes prepared by renowned Chef Arturo Boada. Enjoy your meal on the flowering patio or inside among warm hues of golds and reds. Complimented by excellent service and a great wine list. Specialty Dish: Crabmeat Raviola • 1180-1 uptown park blvd. 713-410-8694, arturosuptown.com

Mezzanotte Italian Ristorante This modern Italian ristorante welcomes diners with dramatic and stylish decor, convivial bar area and a sophisticated atmosphere. The menu features Italian fare with modern accents including pasta, seafood, steaks, rack of lamb and more. Specialty dish: House made lobster ravioli, rack of lamb • 13215 grants road, cypress. 832-717-7870, www. veryfinedining.com

Damian’s Cucina Italiana Known as Houston’s top Italian restaurateurs for more than 25 years, Damian’s owners Joseph Butera and Frankie B. Mandola provide diners with an extensive menu set in an elegant, old-world atmosphere. Specialty dish: Fedilini ai Buongustaio • 3011 smith. 713-522-0439, damians.com

Mingalone Italian Bar &Grill Reminiscent of the family’s trattoria in southern Italy, with an open kitchen and an elegant interior, Mingalone serves dishes such as Gnocchi al Zafferano (potato dumplings tossed with arugula, saffron and Parmesan cream sauce). Specialty dish: Vitello al Teatro • 540 texas ave. 713223-0088, mingalone.com

s, Dear Friend My name is Matthew and I am 11 years old and I have a disability. I decided to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy because they help people with every kind of disability. I want to raise $30,000 and would be very honored if you would donate. If you are up to the challenge and want to help kids like me, then please give today!

Love, Matthew

To donate please visit www.ucphouston.org or call (713) 838-9050 Matthews Challenge will support programs providing free or low cost, high quality services to thousands of children and adults with disabilities and their families each year. Now more than ever, unrestricted funding will ensure that the safety net for our clients is in place.

Piatto Ristorante Piatto’s owner John M. Carrabba serves home-style Italian cuisine prepared from fourth generation recipes. These undeniably delicious recipes and superb, friendly service draw a steady crowd of diners every day of the week. Specialty dish: Asparagus Speciali • 4925 w. alabama, 713-871-9722; 11693 westheimer, 281-7597500; piattoristorante.com

Prego This contemporary Rice Village trattoria has been a neighborhood favorite for more than 20 years. Menu features house made breads and pastas, and the freshest meats, seafood and produce. Attentive staff, award-winning wine list. Specialty dishes: Center-cut pork chops with prunes, Chianti essence, rapini and sweet potato gnocchi • 2520 amherst. 713-529-2420, prego-houston.com

Trevisio Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, this stunning restaurant features two 64-foot exterior waterfalls, while a sixth floor perch affords diners incredible views. Considered one of Houston’s most attractive restaurant interiors. Specialty dish: Porcini-crusted beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms, pearl onions, roasted garlic and broccolini • 6550 bertner, 713-649-0400, trevisiorestaurant.com

JAPANESE

Kata Robata Kata Robata is a new, chef-driven Japanese grill and tapas concept built on the pillars of high quality, creative food and exceptional service. The menu from rising star Chef Horiuchi is a combination of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine. Specialty dish: Foie Gras Sushi • 3600 kirby dr. 713-526-8858, katarobata.com

YOI Sushi Bar at La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa Located on the second level of La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa’s exquisite lobby, Yoi offers the finest in contemporary Japanese sushi. Freshly carved sashimi, carefully sculpted nigiri and meticulously wrapped rolls are offered daily • 600 la torretta blvd., montgomery. 936-448-4400, latorrettadellagoresortandspa.com

MEXICAN

Hugo’s Hugo’s celebrates the vibrant, diverse cuisines of Mexico with delicious dishes made fresh in-house: hand-formed tortillas, cheeses, chorizo and house-ground chocolate. Enjoy the city’s best margaritas, hand-shaken with only fresh juices. Specialty dish: Ceviches and chiles rellenos • 1600 westheimer. 713-524-7744, hugosrestaurant.net

LATIN

Americas Restaurant Americas offers an adventurous menu specializing in the foods of all the Americas: North, Central and South. Experience signature dishes including ceviche, churrasco steak and mouth-watering tres leches. Specialty dish: Churrasco steak • 21 waterway ave., the woodlands. 281-367-1492, cordua.com

Ninfa’s on Navigation There’s only one original Ninfa’s, and this is it. Ninfa’s on Navigation has set the standard for Tex-Mex dining in Houston, featuring a menu of timeless favorites along with many new signature creations from Executive Chef Alex Padilla. Specialty dish: Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Tacos “Diablo” • 2704 navigation blvd. 713-228-1175, ninfas.com

diningguide SEAFOOD

Massa’s Seafood Grill Serving fine seafood since 1944, familyowned Massa’s Seafood Grill is located across from The Four Seasons Hotel and is a favorite for corporate lunches, conventions, sporting and entertainment events. Specialty dish: Redfish Ponchartrain • 1331 lamar, 713-655-9100; 1160 smith, 713-650-0837; massas.com

SEAFOOD/ ITALIAN

Grotto Enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in a warm, entertaining atmosphere that will transport you to the cozy setting of a trattoria in the Old Country. At Grotto, everything is homemade on-premise. Specialty dish: Shrimp Paillard • 4715 westheimer. 713622-3663, grottorestaurants.com

LaGriglia LaGriglia offers guests a delicious display of authentic Italian dining. Colorful Italian murals and busy mosaics provide a playful ambience while creative pastas, chicken, beef and fish tempt guests with an array of fabulous choices. Specialty dish: Shrimp and Crab Cheesecake • 2002 w. grey. 713-526-4700, lagrigliarestaurant.com

Pesce From the tasteful design and elegantly appointed dining room to the unparalleled cuisine, Pesce is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Renowned Chef Mark Holley has carefully crafted a seafood menu featuring a melting pot of flavors. Specialty dish: Seafood Martini • 3029 kirby dr. 713-522-4858, pescehouston.com

STEAKHOUSE Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse The award winning Del Frisco’s located in the Houston Galleria offers the finest quality and selection of steaks and seafood, with prime beef as its namesake. The restaurant has been honored with the Di Rona Award for distinguished restaurants of North America and the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame • 5061 westheimer. 713-355-2600, delfriscos.com

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar The ultimate steakhouse destination for people seeking a stylish, lively and contemporary dining experience. Renowned for its superb prime beef, warm and inviting ambiance, and gracious and knowledgeable yet unobtrusive service • 2405 w. alabama. 713-520-5959; 788 w. sam houston pkwy. north, 713-827-1120; 1201 lake woodlands dr., the woodlands, 281-362-0103; flemingssteakhouse.com

Shula’s Steak House Shula’s serves the Shula Cut, premium Black Angus Beef, the best beef money can buy. Great steaks and seafood with attentive service. Steak selections are presented on hand-painted Wilson footballs • 1200 louisiana st. 713-375-4777, donshula.com

Strip House Known for prime signature cuts of beef charred to perfection, Strip House also serves up decadent side dishes include Black Truffle Cream Spinach and Goose Fat Potatoes. Part of the experience is the sumptuous, all red decor featuring vintage photographs. Specialty dish: New York strip steak â&#x20AC;˘ 1200 mckinney st. 713-659-0000, striphouse.com

Sullivanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steakhouse Named after the champion bare knuckle boxer John L. Sullivan, who was nicknamed â&#x20AC;&#x153;the best of the best,â&#x20AC;? Sullivanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has been a local Houston mainstay for the last 10 years. The 1940â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s styled steakhouse features the finest steaks and seafood â&#x20AC;˘ 4608 westheimer. 713-961-0333, sullivanssteakhouse.com

Vic & Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steakhouse Vic & Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steakhouse features an elegant yet intimate atmosphere created with an undeniable attention to detail. Their award-winning menu features only the finest prime beef, fresh seafood and more, as well as an extensive wine collection. Specialty dish: USDA prime Midwest grainfed steaks â&#x20AC;˘ 1510 texas ave. 713-228-1111, vicandanthonys.com

STEAKHOUSE Seafood Brennerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On The Bayou Situated in a picturesque retreat on Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Buffalo Bayou, this rusticyet-elegant restaurant is surrounded by lush landscaping, a waterfall and gazebo. Brennerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic dishes include prime steaks and succulent seafood. Specialty dish: Steaks and German potatoes â&#x20AC;˘ 1 birdsall. 713-868-4444, brennersonthebayou.com

Willie Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Known for serving fresh seafood specialties and recognized nationally as one of the top upscale seafood restaurants, Willie Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is in a class by itself. Specialty dishes: Truffle Crusted Chilean Sea Bass, Oyster Bar Trash â&#x20AC;˘ 1605 post oak blvd. 713-840-7190, williegs.com

Tintos Spanish Restaurant & Wine Bar Tintos serves great traditional Spanish tapas, as well as modern style tapas. The menu also features tapas that have Cuban and South American influences. Signature dish: Paella â&#x20AC;˘ 2015-j w. gray. 713-5221330, tintosrestaurant.com

Tapas

Vegetarian American

Capriccio Tapas Capriccio brings Spanish flavors and fine dining to northwest Houston. Enjoy a menu of more than 30 tapas (literally â&#x20AC;&#x153;small platesâ&#x20AC;?) to sample yourself or share among friends while enjoying fine wine and great conversation. Specialty dishes: Paella, extensive list of tapas â&#x20AC;˘ 10865 jones road. 281-807-9442, capricciotapas.com

Benjyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Benjyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern American experience is the combination of a focused, chefdriven menu and warm Texas hospitality. Since 1995, Benjyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has strived to build a restaurant that is uniquely Houston. Specialty dish: Sesame crusted ahi tuna â&#x20AC;˘ 2424 dunstan, 713-522-7602; 5922 washington ave., 713-868-1131; benjys.com

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Prime Living’s Evening with an Expert • 4.20.09

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House

Nothing goes better with a scrumptious meal and delicious wines than great conversation. That’s why Prime Living’s Evening with an Expert turned out to be an evening to remember among Houston’s foodie set. Held at Del Frisco’s at the Galleria, the evening brought together three of Houston’s most recognized food and wine connoisseurs: Ernie Manouse, Cleverley Stone and John DeMers, who served up the latest dish on what’s happening in Houston’s food scene. Proceeds from the night’s event benefitted the Houston Food Bank, Houston PBS and Rescue Bank.

the

list

Photography | Morris Malakoff

get on the list at primelist@prime-living.com 1 PL Publisher, Karyn Dean 2 Ernie Manouse, Cleverley Stone, John DeMers 3 General Manager, Arthur Mooradian 4 Linda Osborne 5 Betty Jo Foelker, John Foelker

july/august • 2009

the

Mad Hatter Spring Luncheon & Fashion Show • 5.8.09

list

Sugar Land Marriott

The Sugar Land Marriott was ablaze with colorful and creative hats adorning the heads of 350 guests attending the 2nd Annual Mad Hatter Spring Luncheon & Fashion Show. Prime Living publisher and longtime advocate for seniors, Karyn Dean emceed the event, which featured a fashion show by Draper’s & Damon’s and luncheon with keynote speaker Deborah Duncan, host of Great Day Houston on KHOU 11. Underwritten by the Vacek Law Firm and Equity Development Corp., proceeds benefitted Fort Bend Seniors Meals On Wheels. Photography | Morris Malakoff

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

1 Deborah Duncan 2 Sonja Goodwin, Kathy Robsen, Kelly Sargeant 3 Prime Living publisher, Karyn Dean, Al Vacek, Rick Wheeler, Ft.Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, CEO, Manuela Arroyos 4 Diane Helms, Julia Mickum, Rania Mankarious 5 Council Member, Jacquie Chaumette 6 Susan Whitacre prime-living.com

the

Pink in the Park • 5.9.09

Minute Maid Park

Minute Maid Park set the scene for a very unique event celebrating some of Houston’s most special moms. Led by honorary co-chairs Elizabeth McLane and Pam Gardner, Pink in the Park honored the 2009 Houston Astros and their mothers with a fun-filled day featuring a bazaar, brunch, silent and live auctions, and a VIP reception highlighted by a special appearance by Desperate Housewives star James Denton. Designed to help raise funds for breast cancer research through the Astros In Action Foundation, Methodist Cancer Center and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the event raised $85,000.

list

Photography | PWL Studio

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

1 Pam Gardner & Elizabeth McLane 2 Jose Cruz 3 Luz & Wandy Rodriguez 4 Lynn Michaels, Gloria Moore & Pamela Moore Michaels 5 Drayton McLane, Chris & Don Sanders 6 Lance Berkman & Mona Arnold 7 Harriet Foster & James Denton 8 Union Station july/august • 2009

the

Cardiac Cup • 5.17.09

list

Houston Polo Club

Beautiful horses, hats and heroes were the order of the day at the Cardiac Cup benefiting Texas Children’s Heart Center. Polo matches and a lavish Argentine barbecue were part of the daylong event, which featured a halftime divot stomp right out of the famous scene with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. In the end, team Isla Carroll won over Tejas/Shamrock. Dr. Charles Fraser and Dr. Richard Friedman from TCH’s renowned Heart Center presented the teams with custom jerseys, saddle blankets and a crystal trophy from Baccarat. Story | roseann rogers Photography | Morris Malakoff

2 3

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

1 Alex Martinez, Lily Paxson 2 Colin Cambbell, Chep Hight, Tim Mehne, Kathleen Cambbell, Scott Cambbell 3 Charles “Chuck” Fraser, Helen Fraser 4 Dr Devinder Bhatia, Gina Bhatia 5 Brittany Rose, Allie Wood, Mauri Oliver prime-living.com

the 20th Anniversary

list Zonta Zelebration â&#x20AC;˘ 4.25.09

Houston Marriott Westchase

More than 250 guests brought their appetites to the fourth annual Zonta Zelebration, held at the Houston Marriott Westchase. Featuring nearly 20 chefs from Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest restaurants and caterers, the event showcased dishes and desserts from Bedford, McCormick & Schmickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Pesce, Thierry Andre Tellier CafĂŠ and Pastry Shop, along with many others. After a wonderful evening of delicious food, tasty drinks and great entertainment, $15,000 was raised towards improving the status of women both locally and globally.

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For Ticket Information: 713.781.0053

Photography | Suzi Feickert

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explores the urban experience through an allegorical and acrobatic journey. Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St. $40 to $95. 866-446-8849, toyotacentertix.com

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July 23 Street Impressions: Abstract Color Photography This fine art sanctuary houses an exclusive collection of 20th century masters, from Chagall to Warhol. Vaughan Christopher Gallery, 1217 S. Shepherd. 6 p.m. 713-5991271, vaughanchristopher.com

July 31 to Aug. 2 Chinese Poles Act, Saltimbanco

Through July 26

July 4

Pioneers of Contemporary Glass: Highlights from the Barbara and Dennis DuBois Collection Enjoy a selection of 30 remarkable master works from the DuBois collection exhibited throughout the Caroline Wiess Law and Audrey Jones Beck buildings. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonet St. 713639-7300, mfah.org

Houston Symphony 4th of July Celebration Hear Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and favorite allAmerican tunes followed by a spectacular fireworks display. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Drive. 8 p.m. Free. 713-224-7575, houstonsymphony.org

Through Sept. 13

July 8 to Aug. 2 Phantom of the Opera Andrew Lloyd Webber’s international award-winning phenomenon and Broadway’s longest running show returns to Houston. Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St. $25 to $75. 713-693-8387, thehobbycenter.org

Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988-2008 Explore Blakemore’s mature career with a carefully distilled selection of 36 works ranging from early black and white street photographs to her lushly colored portraits and landscapes. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, July 21 to Sept. 30 1001 Bissonet St. 713-639-7300, Miles and Miles of Texas: mfah.org The Lone Star State Through the Eyes of Buck Schiwetz Through Sept. 13 See a rare exhibition of the Texas works of E.M. “Buck” Ways of Seeing: Schiwetz, one of the city and The Photography of state’s most beloved artists. Ishimoto Yasuhiro The Heritage Society, 1100 See the 280-plus photographs Bagby St. 713-655-1912, donated by Ishimoto Yasuhiro, heritagesociety.org one of the most influential Japanese photographers in the development of postwar Japanese July 22-26 photography. Museum of Fine Saltimbanco Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonet St. Cirque du Soleil presents this 713-639-7300, mfah.org mesmerizing performance that

prime-living.com

19th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival Jazz will fill the air in downtown Houston at this annual jazz event. This year’s lineup includes Rachelle Ferrell, Hiroshima and Grupo Niche. Discovery Green Park, downtown Houston. 4 to 10 p.m. daily. 713-839-7000, jazzeducation.org

Aug. 1 White Linen Night in the Heights Art lovers will take to the streets decked out in white to discover the hidden treasures the Heights has to offer. Historic Houston Heights Shopping District, Heights Blvd. between Yale and 19th streets. 6 to 10 p.m. whitelinennightheights.com

Aug. 6 20th Annual Astros Wives Black Ties & Baseball Caps Gala In its 20th year, this event benefits the Houston Area Women’s Center, which provides shelter and support services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford St. 6 p.m. $400. 713-781-0053, hawc.org

Aug. 11 Moreton Achievement Awards Luncheon Goodwill employees will be honored by board members, trustees and members of the Business Advisory Council. Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane. 11:30 a.m. $40. 713-699-6338, goodwillhouston.org/moreton.htm

Aug. 14-16 Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival This three-day event will showcase educational and inspirational film and video projects from around the world. Screenings will be held at locations throughout Houston. 281-204-7219, bciff.com

Aug. 18-23 The Color Purple Based on the Pulitzer Prizewinning novel by Alice Walker, this Broadway production has been nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Theatre Under the Stars, 800 Bagby St. 713-558-8887, tuts.com

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

Untitled from the series Chicago, c. 1960.

date

parting

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perfect match Players from teams Isla Carroll and Tejas/Shamrock squared off in a thrilling polo match at the Houston Polo Club. The match was part of Cardiac Cup, an event benefitting the Texas Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heart Center.

Photographed on May 17, 2009 by Morris Malakoff. prime-living.com

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