December 09

002 houston|december09|volume11|issue132

hip

.curren

t.coolg

uid

ewwww.0

02mag.com

December.09_cover.qxd:Layout 1 11/18/09 3:17 PM

002houston December 09:002houston 11/17/09 10:21 AM

past month I spentabout 10 days vis-iting several non-

profits in town, from Cristo Rey (a Jesuithigh school literally taking baby steps toservice the community with a freshmanclass of 82 students all on scholarships) tomeeting with a woman who in my bookdeserves to be canonized a saint over atDress for Success.

WWee ggeett ssoo ccaauugghhtt uupp iinn tthhee ssmmaallll tthhiinnggsstthhaatt iitt’’ss ttrruullyy rreeffrreesshhiinngg ttoo sseeee wwhhaatt aa lliittttlleehhuummaann kkiinnddnneessss iiss ccaappaabbllee ooff ccrreeaattiinngg – achain reaction in the future of our city.

Among things to be thankful for this seasonis the reality that we are all blessed with people like Nancy Levicki and Father Miguel who areday to day helping create a better community in Houston.

This issue is simply a holiday issue, full of indulgences that we are blessed enough to get to savor.From visiting a fantastic gallery to eating at the newest restaurants, to receiving as well as giv-ing great gifts. I think I love everything in this issue. If you’re looking to spruce up your hair forthe holiday season I highly recommend a visit to Rebecca Minier over at Salon 21 (10850 WestRoad Suite 103, 713.529.8890). I recently did the Keratin Complex by Copolla system whichbasically infuses the natural keratin found in the hair to the hair eliminating 95% of frizz and curl.The results are simply amazing; it’s like I have new hair. II’’vvee hheeaarrdd iitt ssaaiidd tthhaatt iiff yyoouurr hhaaiirr llooookkssggoooodd,, eevveerryytthhiinngg eellssee ffaallllss iinnttoo ppllaaccee.. Easy enough!

Please show some love and check out 002 regular contributing photogra-pher Gabriella Nissen's amazing work at her exhibit titled Photographs:Dominic Walsh Dance Theater on display thru January 15, 2010 at Block7. Stop by for the opening reception at Block 7 Wine Company onDecember 8, 5:30-7:30pm, 720 Shepherd Drive.

Peace, love and have a magnificent Christmas, Hanukkah and Happy NewYear!

002houston magazine

CARLA VALENCIA de MARTINEZ

002houston Magazine is published monthly by NODO Magazine, L.L.C., 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002. Copyright © 2009 by NODO Magazine L.L.C. Allrights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. 002houston Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editori-al, nor do the publishers assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. For subscription information, call 713.223.5333x14 or send a check or money order for$35.00 to 002houston Magazine, 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002.

002HOUSTON MAGAZINE

1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C | HOUSTON, TX 77002

713.223.5333 | FAX 713.223.4884 | [email protected]

FACEBOOK: 002HOUSTON | WWW.002MAG.COM

volume 11 issue 132

alejandro martinéz ext 16 [email protected]

carla valencia de martinéz ext 13 [email protected]

victoria bartlett

alex rosa ext 17 [email protected]

beatrice valencia ext 11 [email protected]

pixie ibañez ext 10 [email protected]

william king ext 18 [email protected]

carlos valencia ext 12 [email protected] klawinsky ext 15 [email protected] smith [email protected]

isabel terraso ext 14 [email protected]

kim coffman, kennon evett, jill hunter, jaime lagdameo, gabriella nissen,daniel ortiz, jack potts, anthony rathbun, aaron m. sprecher,sofia van der dys

bernard bauri, cody bess, patrick b. mccutchan, epochtimes, jack thompson,jonathan lipking, federico villamayor, nick villamayor, michelle watson

michael andre adams, allison bagley, patty dominguez, michael garfield,sarah gish, patricia gras, sandra gunn, reyne haines, travis jones, timmoloney, hal lynde, michele meyer, jenni rebecca stephenson, lance scottwalker, scott ward

PUBLISHER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

FOR SUGAR LAND SALES

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Carla Valencia de MartinézEditor at Large | Fashion Director

4. december 09 | www.002mag.com

THE HOLIDAY ISSUECover Image created by J. Giroux

OOPS: Apologies to last month’s WHAM article. The dates of the event were Friday, November20, and Saturday, 21. Also, food was available to purchase for a small fee, not free as indicat-ed in the article. In the Museum District, the image paired with the Museum of Fine Arts actuallyshould have gone with the Contemporary Arts Museum.

This

letter fromthe editor

Photography by Sofia van der DysHair by Elia Graves at Ceron SalonKeratin Complex by Copolla byRebecca Minier at Studio 21

002houston December 09:002houston 11/18/09 3:33 PM

december 09 | www.002mag.com .5


4 letter from the editor6 table of contents8 contributors10 houston map12 downtown map14 uptown map + party pics16 calendar18 museum district20 art houses + museums + exhibits22 living smart + scene23 spacetaker

24 THE GALLERY: COLTON & FARB GALLERY25 gish at the movies

26 FOR ART’S SAKE: LIBBIE MASTERSON28 nonprofit: kenya scholarship fund29 a day in the life…30 born cool. grow hip.

31 INVINCIBLE32 SHEN YUN PERFORMANCE

34 people of Houston35 wise guy36 oh christmas tree38 costumes for cocktails39 retail wrap: casa blanca

40 on our radar42 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

48 archichat: jay baker, faia50 SCENE54 things I love

56 destination: london58 it’s cool to have impeccable manners60 PRIME INDULGENCES64 002 profile: dan wolterman65 finance

66 vroom vroom67 tools + toys +gadgets

68 restaurant listings

70 DINEWRITE: STRAITS72 CHEF’S SPECIAL: BARBARA SUAREZ74 new restaurants76 RECORDING: TODY CASTILLO

77 CLUB REVIEW: MERCER78 nightlife80 sip codes81 scene | cd review82 crossword puzzle + cover contest

50

31

42

32

24

26

72

76

77

60

70


table ofcontents

december 2009


Allison Bagley is a freelance writer who covers shopping, dining, thearts and lifestyle trends. She is a regular contributor to several local

magazines, and her work has recently appeared in the Houston Chronicle and the HoustonPress. She is also the editor-in-chief of HoustonTidbits.com, an editorial email subscriptionthat keeps trendy women in the know on Houston hot spots. This holiday season, she willcover Houston’s street fashion and shopping scene for eBay’s new online fashion maga-zine, The Inside Source. In 2008, Piperlime.com named Allison the country’s Ultimate ShoeLover based on an essay she wrote about a sharp-tongued and sometimes self-involvedyoung woman whose hunt for the elusive quarry of discounted Jimmy Choos colors herentire existence. (She bears no resemblance to her creator, of course). The prize was a tripto New York to design a pair of shoes that later sold on the website, an experience shechronicled for 002.

ALLISON BAGLEY

Instead of following his peers to the East and West Coasts after grad-uating college in 2006, Travis Jones decided to head south. A native

Texan, the Southern charm and budding opportunities in Houston were just too unique andintriguing to pass up. An aspiring novelist, Travis wants to help re-establish the tradition ofthe great Southern writer in a new era of big lights, flavors and change. By day, a trainingdirector at a downtown energy company; by night, a foodie and dive bar aficionado; andby weekend a traveling outdoor enthusiast, Travis’ writing is as diverse as his list of hob-bies and interest. “Writers don’t create a story. Every story already exists, so all you needis a pencil and a bar napkin. When I write, it’s not to express myself. I write to capture amoment in time.”

TRAVIS JONES

As the technology expert for several media outlets across the country,Michael Garfield keeps up with the newest technology with a pas-

sion. He began his broadcasting career in the late 1990s in Houston on KPRC-TV (NBC) andnow hosts syndicated radio and TV segments throughout the U.S. “The High-Tech Texan®Show with Michael Garfield” is currently the longest-running local radio program on The 9-5-0, Houston’s heritage talk station. In addition to his weekend show Michael hosts a dailylive radio program on The 9-5-0 from 9am-11am about local and national issues, featuringunique topics and guests from around the world. Michael is a graduate of The University ofTexas and holds a bachelors degree in Communications, Radio-TV-Film. He lives in Ft. Bendcounty with his wife, Carrie, and three sons.

MICHAEL GARFIELD


contributors

With a background firmly rooted in skate and street culture, J.Giroux has developed a creative process and product which reflects

his desire to connect the disparate aspects of the pop continuum – music, skateboarding,fashion and party culture – to a fine art aesthetic informed by the relation of form and func-tion, and theory and practice. In addition to pursuing his MFA degree at the University ofHouston, Giroux currently runs Pep Rally Inc,. a design and consulting firm, as well as Read& Write Editions, an art publishing company. He has designed, consulted and curated proj-ects for a number of clients such as Creative Loafing (Tampa, FL), USF Contemporary ArtMuseum, Tampa Museum of Art, Skatepark of Tampa and Reax Music Magazine.Giroux has shown at spaces such as Objex Artspace (Miami, FL), USF Contemporary ArtMuseum (Tampa, FL), Berkeley Art Center (Berkeley, CA), Sanctuary Artsite (Burlington, VT)and Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (Houston, TX).www.jaygiroux.com | www.merchline.com/readandwrite

J. GIROUX

“cover winner”


Downtown......................................1Holocaust Museum.........................2Galleria..........................................3Uptown Park..................................4River Oaks Park.............................5Rice Village....................................6Highland Village............................7Memorial City................................8Town & Country Village..................9Loehmann’s................................10Sam Houston Race Park..............11Katy Mills...................................12Sugar Land.................................13Zoo ............................................14Museum District..........................15George Bush Intl. Airport............16Hobby Airport.............................17Space Center Houston.................18Kemah........................................19Miller Outdoor Theatre................20Contemporary Arts Museum........21Houston Museum of Fine Arts......22Children’s Museum......................23Houston Museum of Natural Science..24Houston Arboretum.....................25Houston Theater District..............26The Woodlands............................27

What's hip.current.cool? Get on our list, e-mail us at [email protected] to make sure you're invited.


houston map


PhotographybyDanielOrtiz

The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans celebrated in high style,39 years of helping Latino families in Houston. More than 450 supporters gathered atthe InterContinental Hotel for a night of high-heeled fun, Latin-style. Yelba Latin Fire,who kept the crowd on their feet the whole night, serenaded guests with some classicLatin tunes. A decadent auction, enticing raffle and fabulous dinner were some of theperfect ingredients to make of this lively night a complete success.

EVENT TACOS AND TACONES AAMA GALAWHY TO CELEBRATE 39 YEARS OF HELPINGLATINO FAMILIESWHERE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELWHEN OCTOBER 3

Oscar Garza, Michelle and John Arnold

Maribel and Jose Gonzalez

Paula and Bobby Mendoza

Melissa Garibay, Natalie Ramirez

Keeley Huckabay, Natasha Robinson Laura Jaramillo, Drew Wilson, Paula Mendoza

David Cordua, Ashley Allen, Carlos Obando Gloria Luna, Elisabeth Hurtado, Yolanda Hernandez


uptown+galleria

map


Photo

grap

hyby

Danie

lOrti

z



HHOOBBRobert

Earl Keen7pm

MMeerriiddiiaann The RedJumpsuit Apparatus

6:30pmTTooyyoottaa Aeros vs.Syracuse Crunch

7:05pm

AAlllleeyy The Santaland Diaries 2:30pm | A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm

HHoobbbbyy Virtuosi of Houston: Inaugural Concertof the 2009-2010 Season 7:30pm

MMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Last Night of Ballyhoo 3pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3pm

TTooyyoottaa KISS 7:30pmVVeerriizzoonn 311 8pm

WWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

HHiigghhllaanndd VViillllaaggee FFeerrrraarrii FFeessttiivvaall,, 10pm-2pm at theparking lot of P.F. Chang’s, Anthropologie andWilliams Sonoma. Admission is free. For more info, visitshophighlandvillage.com

6

AAlllleeyy The Santaland Diaries 2:30pm |A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pmHHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music

2 & 7:30pmJJoonneess HS: Very Merry Pops 2:30 & 7:30pm

MMeerriiddiiaann The Pac tour featuring Saosin 6:30pmRReelliiaanntt Stadium: Texans vs. Seattle Seahawks 12pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3pmTTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. Rockford IceHogs 4:05pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

DDeecceemmbbeerr 1133--1155,, MMiiddnniigghhtt aatt tthhee MMaannggeerr, 7:30pm. Cantare @ MFAH

13

AAlllleeyy The Santaland Diaries 7:30pmHHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music 8pm

MMeerriiddiiaann Impending Doom / Oh Sleeper6:30pm

TTooyyoottaa WWE Smackdown & ECW 6:30pmWWaarreehhoouussee Baroness 8pm

DDeecceemmbbeerr 88--1111,, HHoolliiddaayy TTaabblleeTToopp TToouurr ’’0099, 11am-4pmat the Houston Design Center. Presented by NeimanMarcus and the Houston Design Center. For more info,visit thehoustondesigncenter.com.


JJoonneess Bayou City Performing Arts: ATwisted Holiday 7:30pm

TTooyyoottaa Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons7:30pm

AAlllleeyy A ChristmasCarol 2:30 &7:30pm | The

Santaland Diaries 7:30pmJJoonneess Southern USA Falun Dafa Assn.: Shen Yun

Performing Arts 8pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pm

TTooyyoottaa Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers 7:30pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 2:30pm | The Santaland Diaries 2:30pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2pm

24

14

HHOOBB Trivium w/ Dirge Within 6:30pm7 AAlllleeyy The Santaland Diaries 7:30pmHHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music 8pm

HHOOBB Fabolous 7pmJJoonneess HS: Garrison Keillor’s Christmas 7:30pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pmTTooyyoottaa Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 7:30pm

8 AAlllleeyy The Santaland Diaries 7:30pm | A Christmas Carol 7:30pm

HHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music 8pmHHOOBB Sister Hazel 7pm

MMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Last Night of Ballyhoo 7:30pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pm

WWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 7:30pm

10


SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pmTTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. San Antonio Rampage 7:05pm

VVeerriizzoonn Underoath 7:30pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 7:30pm | Jim Brickman

Touring: Beautiful World Christmas 8pm

9

AAlllleeyy The SantalandDiaries 7:30pm

HHOOBB CaféTacuba 20th

Anniversary Tour 7pmVVeerriizzoonn JacksonBrowne 7:30pm

1 AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 7:30pm | TheSantaland Diaries 7:30pm

JJoonneess SPA: Bowfire 7:30pmMMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Last Night of Ballyhoo 8pm

MMeerriiddiiaann Rehab 7pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pm

TTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. San Antonio Rampage 11:05amVVeerriizzoonn 30 Seconds to Mars 8pm

DDeecceemmbbeerr 33--1199,, MMaarrggoo VVeeiill,, 8pm at Midtown ArtCenter. For performance nights and more info, visit mildredsumbrella.com.

3

AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm |The Santaland Diaries 7:30pm

HHOOBB Two Tons of Steel & ElevenHundred Springs 7pm

JJoonneess Southern USA FalunDafa Assn.: Shen YunPerforming Arts 8pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

AAlllleeyy The Santaland Diaries 2:30pm |A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm

HHoobbbbyy Sandra Organ Dance Co: Amahl & The Night Visitors 2 & 7:30pm || TUTS: The Sound of Music 2 & 7:30pm

JJoonneess HS: Handel’s Messiah in Candlelight 2:30pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3pm

TTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. Grand Rapid Griffins 4:05pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

HHOOBB Stypher w/ Flight Patterns andManic Drive 7pm

JJoonneess Southern USA Falun Dafa Assn.:Shen Yun Performing Arts 8pm


20

AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 2:30 &7:30pm | The Santaland Diaries

2:30 & 7:30pmHHOOBB Guns 4 Roses–The Ultimate Guns

N’ Roses Tribute Experience 8pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3pm

TTooyyoottaa Trans Siberian Orchestra 3 & 7:30pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 2 & 7:30pm

27

AAlllleeyy TheSantaland Diaries

7:30pm | A Christmas Carol 7:30pm

HHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music8pm

HHOOBB LMFAO’s Party Rock Tourw/ Shwayze 7pm

MMeerriiddiiaann Hawthorne Heights6:30pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty7pm

WWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker7:30pm

15 16

21 22

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pmTTooyyoottaa Rockets vs. New Orleans Hornets

7:30pm

New Year’s EveHHoobbbbyy Ars Lyrica Houston: A Neapolitan

New Year 8:30pmHHOOBB Cross Canadian Ragweed 7pm | Totally 80’s New

Year’s Eve Bash featuring Thunderpantsat the HOB restaurant 10pm

MMeerriiddiiaann A Texas-Sized New Year’s Eve Celebrations featuring Bob Schneider TBA

RReelliiaanntt Stadium: 2009 Texas Bowl 2:30pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 10pm

TTooyyoottaa Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks 6pmVVeerriizzoonn Eli Young 9pm

31SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pm3029

17

28

SUNDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAYTUESDAYMONDAY

PERFORMING ARTS+CONCERTS+SPORTS+FESTIVALS+GENERAL INTERESTcalendar december

HHOOBB Adam Richman 7pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7pm

WWoorrtthhaamm Da Camera: A Little Day Music12pm

2

December 1, 2009 - April 22, 2010,, CCooaattss ffoorr CCuubbss at Buffalo Exchange. Bring your real fur apparel, including trims, accessories and shearling, to any Buffalo Exchange. Used fursprovide bedding and comfort to orphaned and injured wildlife. For more, visit buffaloexchange.com.

December 13, H-E-B’s FourthAnnual Feast of Sharing,, 1-4pm at theGeorge R. Brown Convention Center – Hall E. Formore info, visit heb.com.

December 3, 002houston MagazineHoliday Party, 9pm at Sammy’s 2019 Main.We’re celebrating the holidays w/ theSpazmatics! RSVP to [email protected].

DDeecceemmbbeerr 1133,, TThheeRRoossee EEnnsseemmbbllee iinn CCeelleebbrraammoosseell NNiinnoo –– AA MMeexxiiccaann BBaarrooqquuee

CChhrriissttmmaass, 5pm at Christ ChurchCathedral. Presented by Houston

Early Music. For info, visitHoustonEarlyMusic.org.

DDeecceemmbbeerr 11-- JJaannuuaarryy1188,, 22001100,, TThhee IIccee aatt

DDiissccoovveerryy GGrreeeenn iiss ooppeenn! Followthem on twitter @TheIceatDG. Visit discoverygreen.com/icerink

for more info.

23



AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm | The SantalandDiaries 2:30 & 7:30pm

JJoonneess HS: The Twelve Days of Christmas 10 & 11:30amMMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Best Christmas Pageant Ever 1 & 4pm |

The Last Night of Ballyhoo 8pmMMeerriiddiiaann The Faceless 5pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3 & 7:30pmWWaarreehhoouussee Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam 8pm


LLoosstt IInn SSppaaccee PPssyycchheeddeelliicc MMuussiicc FFeessttiivvaall 22000099, 6pm at Khon’sBar. Admission is $10. HHeeiigghhttss MMiissttlleettooee MMaaddnneessss. Eat, Drink, Shop & Be Merry! Formore info, visit heightsmistletoemadness.com.

5

AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm | The Santaland Diaries 2:30 & 7:30pm

HHoobbbbyy Sandra Organ Dance Co: Amahl & The Night Visitors 2 &7:30pm || TUTS: The Sound of Music 2 & 8pmJJoonneess HS: Handel’s Messiah in Candlelight 8pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3 & 7:30pmTTooyyoottaa Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 7:30pm


AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol2:30 & 7:30pm | TheSantaland Diaries 2:30 &

7:30pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3 & 7:30pm

TTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. San Antonio Rampage 7:35pmWWaarreehhoouussee Hayes Carll 8pm


26

AAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 7:30pm | The SantalandDiaries 6 & 9pm

HHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music 8pmJJoonneess HS: Very Merry Pops 8pm

MMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Last Night of Ballyhoo 8pmMMeerriiddiiaann Winds of Plague 6:30pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7:30pmTTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. Peoria Rivermen 7:35pm

WWaarreehhoouussee What Made Milwaukee Famous 8pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 7:30pm | Mercury Baroque:

Hallelujah Messiah 8pm

11


HHOOBB Aaron Neville’s Christmas Show 7pmMMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Last Night of Ballyhoo 8pm

MMeerriiddiiaann The Legendary Skatalites 6:30pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7:30pm

TTooyyoottaa Aventura 8pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: Jubliee of Dance–40th Anniversary Celebration7:30pm | Da Camera: Dianne Reeves–Christmas Time is Here

8pm

DDeecceemmbbeerr 44--55,, HHoommee ffoorr tthhee HHoolliiddaayyss, 2009 Houston HeightsAssociation Holiday Home Tour. For more info, visit houstonheights.org.

4


HHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music 8pmHHOOBB Rob Schneider 7pm | The Dave Matthews Tribute Band

9:30pmJJoonneess HS: Handel’s Messiah in Candlelight 8pm

MMeerriiddiiaann Rooney 6:30pmSSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 7:30pmTTooyyoottaa Aeros vs. Texas Stars 7:35pmWWoorrtthhaamm HB: The Nutcracker 7:30pm

HanukkahAAlllleeyy A Christmas Carol 2:30 & 7:30pm |

The Santaland Diaries 2:30 & 7:30pmHHoobbbbyy TUTS: The Sound of Music 2 & 8pm

JJoonneess HS: Very Merry Pops 8pmMMaaiinn SSttrreeeett TThheeaattrree The Best Christmas Pageant Ever 1 & 4pm

| The Last Night of Ballyhoo 8pmMMeerriiddiiaann Nitzer Ebb 8pm

SSttaaggeess Panto Sleeping Beauty 3 & 7:30pmTTooyyoottaa Texas A&M vs. New Mexico 5pm

WWoorrtthhaamm HB: TheNutcracker 2 & 7:30pm |Mercury Baroque: Messiah

8pm

12

18

Christmas Day25

19

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, PLEASE CONTACT

ALLEY THEATRE: alleytheatre.orgCWMP: woodlandscenter.org

HOBBY CENTER: 713.315.2525thehobbycenter.org

HOUSE OF BLUES: hob.comJONES HALL: 713.227.3974 joneshall.orgMAIN STREET THEATRE: 713.524.6706

mainstreettheatre.comMERIDIAN: merdian.com

MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE (MOT):milleroutdoortheatre.com

MINUTE MAID PARK: astros.mlb.comRELIANT PARK: reliantpark.comSTAGES REPERTORY THEATRE:

713.527.0123 stagestheatre.comTOYOTA CENTER: 1.866.4HOU

toyotacentertix.comVERIZON THEATRE:

verizonwirelesstheatre.comWAREHOUSE LIVE: warehouselive.comWORTHAM CENTER: 713.237.1439

worthamcenter.org

SATURDAYFRIDAY

NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? TRY ONE-STOP SHOPPING AT HOUSTONTHEATERDISTRICT.ORG

December 12-13 & 19-20, 1199tthh aannnnuuaall pprroodduuccttiioonn ooff TThhee CChhrriissttmmaass RReevveellss presented byRevels Houston at the University of Houston’s Wortham Theatre. For more info, visit revelshouston.org.

AURORA PICTURESHOW Events for theMonth of December 09

DDeecceemmbbeerr 44,, DDOOCCUUMMEENNTTAARRYY:: TThhee GGuueessttooff CCiinnddyy SShheerrmmaann,, 7pm at the Museumof Fine Arts Houston.

DDeecceemmbbeerr 1122,, PPOOPPCCOORRNN KKIIDDSS:: TThhee BBeessttooff tthhee NNeeww YYoorrkk CChhiillddrreenn’’ss FFiillmm FFeessttiivvaall,,4pm at Spacetaker.

For more information about tickets, visitaurorapictureshow.org.



11.. THE MENIL COLLECTION www.menil.orgThis exhibition showcases American artist CyTwombly‘s monumental work, Treatise on the Veil(Second Version), painted in Rome in 1970. Due to itssize – one of the artist’s largest canvases, at close to 33feet long – it is rarely exhibited. In celebration of thisrare hanging, the Menil will also exhibit more than adozen related drawings and studies from the artist’sprivate collection. While three of these works on paperwere shown with the painting in the 2008 exhibition,“Cy Twombly: Cycles and Seasons,“ at the TateModern, London, this will be the first time the entiregroup of drawings will be exhibited, and the first timethey will be shown with the painting. The exhibit will beon view through February 14, 2010.

22.. HOUSTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY www.hcponline.org Prime Years, on view thru January 10, 2010, exploresthe many aspects of aging through images made via12 different artist’s perspectives. From the editorial tothe personal, the work in Prime Years depicts centenar-ians, artists, relatives and other individuals enjoying,enduring and living their lives beyond the age of 60.After reaching sixty many people are still in their prime.“Sixty is the new forty” is their motto. This exhibitemphasizes this positive view of aging without denyingits drawbacks. The theme did not lead to the works butrather the works suggested the theme of Prime Years.

33.. THE ROTHKO CHAPEL www.rothkochapel.orgAn intimate sanctuary available to people of everybelief, this modern meditative environment wasinspired by the paintings of American abstract expres-sionist Mark Rothko. The Chapel serves as both artmuseum and public forum and hosts a range of educa-tional programs, inter-religious dialogues and sym-posia on critical issues.

44.. BYZANTINE FRESCO CHAPEL MUSEUMwww.menil.org/visit/byzantine.phpThe only intact examples of 13th-century Byzantinewall painting of this size and importance in theWestern Hemisphere, these masterworks were stolenby thieves from a chapel in the Turkish occupied townof Lysi, cut into pieces and smuggled off the island ofCyprus. Rescued and restored by the MenilFoundation, the dome and apse now reside on a long-term loan from the Church of Cyprus in an intimatechapel designed by award-winning architect Francoisde Menil.

55.. HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT www.crafthouston.org Rock, scissors, paperfeatures the work of fiveartists from U.S,England and Taiwanwho use commerciallyprinted found paper intheir workplace to cre-ate amazing art. Fromcutting to folding, stitch-ing, layering and col-lage, these five artiststake the term “recycle”to a whole new level byusing scraps of paper as a visual element. Come andsee how these artists have created installations, quilts,illustrations and even clothing with paper. Exhibit onview thru January 10, 2010.

66.. LAWNDALE ARTCENTER www.lawndaleartcenter.orgThrough sculpture and installation, Kia Neill createssimulations of nature that blur discomfort and the fan-tastic. With her installation Grotto, Neill mimicsextraordinary, almost alien, natural landscapes, suchas caves and coral reefs, as well as enlarges the diora-ma of their miniature collectable counterparts, whichserve in household aquariums, souvenir cases, gar-dens, etc. In this work, Neill attempts to produce anenvironment that reifies the metaphysical associationand fantasy such bizarre landscapes can induce. Onview thru January 9, 2010.

77.. BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM www.buffalosoldiermuseum.comThe Buffalo Soldiers National Museum pays tribute toAfrican-American military history from theRevolutionary War to modern times. During the1860s, soldiers of the 10th U.S. Calvary were nick-named “Buffalo Soldiers” for their fierce fighting abili-ty and bravery.

88.. HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON www.hmh.orgThe creative expression of the 18-year-old grand-daughter of a non-Jewish Polish partisan and politicalprisoner is the focus of a new exhibit at HolocaustMuseum Houston. Running through December. 31,2009, “Sarah Wiernicki: Art for My Grandfather” isthe work of local artist Sarah Wiernicki, who wasinspired by her grandfather’s life as a Polish resistancefighter and his subsequent experiences in the deathcamps of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Buchenwald-Ohrdruf.

9. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON www.cmhouston.org Discover aninteractiveworld ofcultural andreligiouscelebrationsfromaround theworld atCMH’s Seasons of Sharing, a holiday exhibit, on viewthrough January. 10, 2010. Learn about seven holi-days from around the world, all celebrated right herein the Bayou City! With more than 90 languages spo-ken throughout the Houston area, our city’s culturaldiversity has found a home within this exhibit.

1100.. THE HEALTH MUSEUM www.thehealthmuseum.org Surviving: The Body of Evidence, currently on view, isan exhibit about you and all your fellow humans. Yourbody carries evidence of many distinctively human fea-tures that changed in your ancestors through theprocess of evolution. All of our ancestors were success-ful in surviving the challenges of life and adapting tothe world around them. Each of them inherited fromtheir parents the characteristics that helped them to sur-vive -– through thousands of generations, and over mil-lions of years, to us. In turn, we will pass on these fea-tures to our children and, through them, to our descen-dants.

1111.. HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE www.hmns.orgDisney’s A ChristmasCarol 3D – ExperienceCharles Dickens’ time-less tale as never before– on the 3D IMAXscreen! EbenezerScrooge, played by JimCarrey, begins theChristmas holiday withhis usual miserly con-tempt, barking at hisfaithful clerk, played byGary Oldman, and hischeery nephew, played by Colin Firth. But when theghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come – allplayed by Carrey – take him on an eye-opening jour-ney, they reveal truths that old Scrooge is reluctant toface, and he must open his heart to undo years of illwill before it’s too late. Showing through January 3,2010.


museum district


1122.. HOUSTON ZOO www.houstonzoo.org Come to the zoo and get in the holiday spirit withBreakfast with Santa. Christmas is here and that means it’stime to celebrate, so mark your calendars for December 19or 20, 2010.

1133.. RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY www.ricegallery.orgBig Lectric Fan To Keep Me Cool While I Sleep by artistWayne White is an exhibit that all Houstonians willrelate to. The title of the exhibit is a line from legendarycountry singer George Jones’s song, “Ragged ButRight,” which was stuck in Wayne White’s head whenhe visited Houston in the sweltering month of June.Says White, “I kept thinking of hot Houston nightsbefore air conditioning and the young George Jones inthis city – full of crazy artistic passion and makingmusic history.” To honor Jones, White created at RiceGallery a 15-foot puppet head resembling a young,flat-topped Jones, circa 1950. The massive head sits

sleeping onits side, sur-rounded byfloor-to-ceil-ing, bill-board-s ty lelettering. “It’sa roadside

attraction, a museum relic of a lost world, and a big,weird toy still in its box,” explains White. On viewthrough December 13, 2009.

1144.. THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON www.mfah.org Arts of Ancient Viet Nam: From River Plain to OpenSea is an unprecedented exhibition of art from ancientViet Nam. This is the first U.S. exhibition to address indepth the historical, geographic and cultural contextsof pre-colonial Vietnamese art. Highlights of the exhi-bition include ritual bronzes, terracotta burial wares,fine gold jewelry, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, andornaments made of jade, lapis lazuli, crystal and car-nelian. The works have never before been exhibited.On view through January 3, 2010.

1155.. CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTONwww.camh.orgMatthew Day Jackson: The Immeasurable Distance isa solo exhibition that includes works based onJackson’s artist’s residency at MIT List Visual ArtsCenter, Cambridge, MA. Jackson’s complex research,histories and hagiographies are manifested in sculp-tures, constructed paintings, objects, books and videos.In this exhibition, organized by Bill Arning, Director ofthe CAMH, Jackson continues his investigations intohuman consciousness and explores how positive evolu-tionary developments in human thought and cultureoccur under physical or mental stress. On view throughJanuary 17, 2010.

1166.. THE JUNG CENTER OF HOUSTON www.junghouston.org Jack of Hearts by artist Trudy Askew will make youfeel more than good. Shecombines the emotionalimpact of bigger-than-lifeimages with bold color tochronicle the life of a res-cue dog. Painting is herlanguage; the intersectionbetween reality andimagination is her theme.Exhibit on view throughDecember 22, 2010.

1177.. CZECH CENTER MUSEUM www.czechcenter.orgThe Czech Center Museum Houston works to preserve,record and celebrate the language, scholarship andarts of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Slovakia.

1188.. JOHN C. FREEMAN WEATHER MUSEUM www.wxresearch.orgThe John C. Freeman Weather Museum is helping keepthe community in the know in regards to the differentaspects of weather, as well as science, history and safe-ty. Visitors can make their own weather forecast at theWRC Weather Studio, view satellite and radar imagesof hurricanes, and learn how tornadoes form in theTornado Chamber and much more!

KEY TO SYMBOLS

� PARKING� RESTAURANT� SHOPPING� SNACKS � FREE ADMISSION



MUSEUMS

1940 AIR TERMINAL MUSEUMwww.1940airterminal.org8325 Travelair Rd. 713.454.1940

ART CAR MUSEUM www.artcarmuseum.com140 Heights Blvd. 713.861.5526Thru December 18, Planes, Trains, Autos, Boats, Bikes

BLAFFER GALLERY www.class.uh.edu/blafferUH Main Campus, Ent. 16, 713.743.9530

GALVESTON ARTS CENTERwww.galvestonartscenter.org2127 Strand St. 409.763.2403

HERITAGE SOCIETY www.heritagesociety.org1100 Bagby 713.655.1912

HOUSTON FIRE MUSEUMwww.houstonfiremuseum.org2403 Milam 713.524.2526

MUSEUM OF PRINTING HISTORYwww.printingmuseum.org1324 W. Clay St. 713.522.4652

MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN HISTORY7502 Fondren Rd. 281.649.3997

ORANGE SHOW www.orangeshow.org2401 Munger 713.926.6368

PROJECT ROW HOUSES www.projectrowhouses.org2521 Holman 713.526.7662

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM www.tsu.edu/museum3100 Cleburne Ave. 713.313.7145

ART HOUSES

18 HANDS GALLERY www.18handsgallery.com249 West 19th St. 713.869.3099

AEROSOL WARFARE GALLERYwww.aerosolwarfare.com2110 Jefferson St. #113, 713.503.5714

ANYA TISH GALLERY www.anyatishgallery.com4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.524.2299Thru December 31, Light Switch

APAMA MACKEY GALLERY www.mackeygallery.com628 East 11th St. 713.850.8527

ARCHWAY GALLERY www.archwaygallery.com2305 Dunlavy 713.522.2409Thru December 31, V. Chin, Liz Conces Spencer and RonOuten

ARTSCAN GALLERY www.rudolphprojects.com1836 Richmond Ave. 713.807.1836

ART LEAGUE HOUSTON www.artleaguehouston.org1953 Montrose Blvd. 713.523.9530Thru December 31, Natural Recyclers and Wasted Resolve

BARBARA DAVIS GALLERYwww.barbaradavisgallery.com4411 Montrose 713.520.9200

BERING & JAMES GALLERYwww.beringandjames.com805 Rhode Place #500,713.524.0101Thru December 31, Art BoxShow

BETZ GALLERY www.betzgallery.com1208 W. Gray 713.576.6954

BOOKER-LOWE GALLERYwww.bookerlowegallery.com4623 Feagan St. 713.880.1541

CANAL ST. GALLERY www.canalstreetgallery.com2219 Canal St. 713.223.2219Thru December 31, Bobbye Bennett

COMMUNITY ARTISTS’ COLLECTIVEwww.thecollective.org 1413 Holman 713.523.1616

COMMUNE ON NORTH www.communeonnorth.com2437 North Blvd. 713.526.3875

CAROLINE COLLECTIVE www.carolinecollective.cc4820 Caroline St. 713.825.4613

CTRL GALLERY www.ctrlgallery.com3907 Main St. 713.523.2875

DAKOTA GALLERYwww.dakotaframing.com/dfp/dakotagallery.asp2324 Shearn St. 713.523.7440

DARKE GALLERY www.darkegallery.com5321 Feagan 713.542.3802

DEBORAH COLTON GALLERYwww.deborahcoltongallery.com2445 North Blvd. 713.869.5151

DESANTOS GALLERY www.desantosgallery.com1724 Richmond 713.520.1200

DIVERSEWORKS www.diverseworks.org1117 E. Freeway 713.223.8346Thru December 19, Third Ward is My Harlem andLithuania and the Collapse of the USSR

DOMY BOOKS www.domystore.com1709 Westheimer 713.523.3669

ELDER STREET GALLERY www.elderstreetartist.com1101 Elder St. 281.250.4889

FOTOFEST www.fotofest.org1113 Vine St. 713.223.5522

G GALLERYwww.redbudgallery.com/gGalleryIndex.html301East 11th St. 713.822.4842Thru December 25, Blast India

GALLERY 1724 www.gallery1724.com1724 Bissonnet St. 713.523.2547Opening November 5, International Discoveries II

GALLERY SONJA ROESCHwww.gallerysonjaroesch.com2309 Caroline 713.659.5424

GITE GALLERY www.thegitegallery.com2024 Alabama St. 713.523.3311

GOLDESBERRY GALLERYwww.goldesberrygallery.com2625 Colquitt 713.528.0405

GREEN HOUSE GALLERYwww.greenhouseartgallery.com716 W. Alabama St. 713.535.6462

GREMILLION & CO. FINE ART www.gremillion.com2501 Sunset Blvd. 713.522.2701Thru December 23, John Pavlicek

GUTHRIE CONTEMPORARY2734 Virginia St. 713.522.8086

HCC-CENTRAL GALLERY www.centralfinearts.info3517 Austin 713.718.6600

HOUSTON LANDMARK GALLERYwww.houstonlandmarkgallery.com1200 McKinney 713.927.8800

HOUSTON STUDIOS746 Walnut St. #100, 713.223.0951

HOLLYWOOD FRAME GALLERYwww.hollywoodframegallery.com2427 Bissonnet 713.942.8885

HOOKS-EPSTEIN www.hooksepsteingalleries.com2631 Colquitt St. 713.522.0718Thru January 9, Kathryn Dunlevie

INMAN GALLERY www.inmangallery.com3901 Main St. 713.526.7800

JOAN WICH & CO. GALLERYwww.joanwichgallery.com4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.526.1551

KINZELMAN ART CONSULTINGwww.kinzelmanart.com3909 Main St. 713.533.9923

KOELSCH GALLERY www.koelschgallery.com703 Yale 713.626.0175

LAURA RATHE FINE ART www.laurarathe.com2707 Colquitt 713.824.3575

LAURA U COLLECTION www.lauraucollection.com1840 Westheimer 713.522.0855

LAZZARA ART GALLERY www.gallerialazzara.com5400 Mitchelldale St. 713.681.0681

LOVETT INN ART GALLERYwww.lovettinngallery.com501 Lovett Blvd. 713.522.5224


1.

3.2.

art houses+museums+exhibits

1. bering and james gallery| 2. g gallery | 3. nauhaus gallery | 4. center



M2 GALLERY www.gallerymsquared.com325 W. 19th St. 713.861.6070

McCLAIN GALLERY www.mcclaingallery.com2242 Richmond Ave. 713.520.9988

McMURTREY GALLERYwww.mcmurtreygallery.com3508 Lake St. 713.523.8238

MEREDITH LONG GALLERYwww.meredithlonggallery.com2323 San Felipe 713.523.6671

MIDTOWN ART CENTERwww.midtownartcenter.com3414 La Branch 713.521.8803

MOODY GALLERY www.moodygallery.com2815 Colquitt 713.526.9911

MOTHER DOG STUDIOS720 Walnut 713.229.9760

NAUHAUS GALLERY www.texascollaborative.com223 E. 11th St. 713.261.1409Opening December 5, Penny Cerling

NOLAN-RANKIN GALLERIESwww.nolan-rankingalleries.com6 Chelsea Blvd. 713.528.0664

O’KANE GALLERY www.uhd.eduOne Main St.@UHD 713.221.8042

PARKERSON GALLERYwww.artnet.com/gallery/837/parkerson-gallery.html3510 Lake St. 713.524.4945

PEEL GALLERY SHOP www.peelgallery.org4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.520.8122

POST GALLERY www.postgallery.com2121 Sage, Ste. 390, 713.622.4241

POISSANT GALLERY www.poissantgallery.com5102 Center St. 713.868.9337

REDBUD GALLERY www.redbudgallery.com303 E. 11th St. 713.862.2532

RETRO GALLERY www.retrogallery.com1839 W. Alabama 713.522.7074

RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERYwww.ricegallery.org 6100 Main St. 713.348.6069

RUDOLPH PROJECTS I ARTSCAN GALLERYwww.rudolphprojects.com1836 Richmond Ave. 713.807.1836

SICARDI GALLERY www.sicardi.com2246 Richmond Ave. 713.529.1313

SPACE125 GALLERY www.haatx.com3201 Allen Parkway 713.527.9330Opening December 3, Libbie Masterson: STILL

STUDIO SEVEN1107 East Freeway 713.224.5555

TALENTO BILINGUE www.tbhcenter.com333 S. Jensen Dr. 713.222.1213

TANSU321-B West 19th 713.880.5100

THE ARTFUL CORNER www.theartfulcorner.com3423 White Oak Dr. 713.426.4278

THOM ANDRIOLA www.newgallery.net2627 Colquitt 713.520.7053

THORNWOOD GALLERYwww.thornwoodgallery.com2643 Colquitt St. 713.528.4278

VAUGHAN CHRISTOPHERGALLERYwww.vaughanchristopher.com1217 S. Shepherd 713.533.0816

WADE WILSON ART www.wadewilsonart.com4411 Montrose #200, 713.521.2977

WATERCOLOR ART SOCIETYwww.watercolorhouston.org1601 West Alabama 713.942.9966

WINTER STREET STUDIOSwww.winterstreetstudios.net2101 Winter St. 713.862.0082

XNIHILO GALLERY www.xnil.org2115 Taft St. 713.622.1846

ZARPOSH INDIA GALLERY www.zarposhindia.com2702 Ashford Oak Dr. 713.668.2948

4.


living smart with patricia gras

I often think I am the only one dealing with irritable, angry,defensive or irksome people on a weekly basis. How do wedeal with irritable behavior? To find out I invited to LivingSmart a Catholic sister, Roselle Haas, an experienced spir-itual director at The Cenacle Retreat House in Houstonto answer the question. Her degrees are in theclassical sciences and pastoral ministry, butshe has a lot of experience teaching othershow to deal with prickly people. How dowe come to a peaceful place in ourselvesto deal with such people and situations?“What I try to do is help people under-stand that the person is prickly for a lot ofreasons that have nothing to do with them-selves. So it’s very often we take that on as apersonal thing, and it’s not. It’s the way the per-son learned to protect themselves in difficult situa-tions.” One of the steps to cope then is to not take it per-sonally. Then quit trying to change the irritable person.“Our tendency is to want to change the behavior of thatperson, and the fact is we can’t change anybody else. Wealways need to work on ourselves. So in this particularapproach to prickly people, what I help people look at ishow are they going to choose to act when they encounter

someone that’s got a prickly behavior of one sort oranother or that’s annoying.”

Another step is to recognize the person is in pain.“They’re hurting. They might not be hurting in the

given situation—encounter in the adult personin their life—but at some point in their life,usually in very early years growing up,they needed to back away from a situa-tion. That they were either lonely or theywere disappointed or they were hurt insome way by someone that they appre-ciated or valued in their life,” says Haas.

Haas also shares how some people havehigh expectations in their personal relation-

ships. They think they will change after they aremarried, for instance. “Now that they are connected witheach other at a very deep level, they figure ‘they willchange for me.’ Again, we have to come back to acceptingthe person as they are, because they will grow and they willchange, but they won’t change because we expect them to.There’s a big difference in a relationship between anexpectation and a hope.” Sister Haas says people need to

move towards a goal, hope towards a goal, accepting itwithout always necessarily approving it.

The bottom line is all relationships take work, and some-times we have to compromise. “Acceptance is not reallyapproval. If someone is doing something wrong to you, youcan accept them for the person that they are, but you don’thave to approve of that.”

On Living Smart Sister Haas will share tips on how to dealwith difficult relationships.Share your experiences by either calling 713.743.8513 or [email protected]. If you miss this program, or if you wouldlike to view streaming videos of past Living Smart shows, go to our web-site www.houstonpbs.org/livingsmart and click on the guest name.Patricia Gras is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and the producer andhost for Living Smart with Patricia Gras. You can learn more about LivingSmart on www.patriciagras.com.

PATRICIA GRAS + SISTER ROSELLE HAAS

SISTER ROSELLE HAAS r.c./Lecturer

Living Smart airs Sundays at 3pm andFridays at 10pm on Houston PBS.

DEALING WITH PRICKLY PEOPLE 509

“ANGER IS JUST ACOWARDLY EXTENSION OFSADNESS. IT’S A LOT EASIERTO BE ANGRY AT SOMEONETHAN IT IS TO TELL THEM

YOU ARE HURT.”Tom Gates

Millette Sherman, Laurel BlandoMark and Regina Duke

It’s raining men, gorgeous men! More than 500 high-profile guests attended the annual Una Notte in Italia event benefit-ing the Family Services of Greater Houston. As always, it was all about the boys…doctors, sports figures, financial advisers,professional dancers and jewelers, just to name a few. The night belonged to them as they bravely strutted down the run-way, modeling exquisite fashions from Festari for Men. As is often the case, there were some fun surprises from the “celebri-ty” models on the catwalk. Well-known philanthropist/ballroom dancer Lester Smith entertained the crowd with a livelysalsa dance as he sauntered the runway, and Franco Valobra brought the crowd to its feet by giving away gorgeous pearl necklaces.

EVENT UNA NOTTE IN ITALIAWHY TO BENEFIT FAMILY SERVICESOF GREATER HOUSTONWHERE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELWHEN NOVEMBER 7Ph

otography

byDa

nielO

rtiz


Kristen Cannon, Lindsey LoveMelissa Mithoff, Yendi ThompsonRudy Festari, Dr. Michael G. Brown Sue and Lester Smith

Robin Reimer, Charles Reimer, Amy Reimer


IT’S DECEMBER. CHANCES ARE YOU’VE BEEN LISTEN-ING TO CHRISTMAS CAROLS AND HOLIDAY MUSIC INYOUR LOCAL SHOPPING MALLS SINCE OCTOBER.AND CHANCES ARE YOU’RE READY FOR THE BAR-RAGE OF FRANTIC RETAILER-INDUCED MANIA TOSTOP. THE PRESSURE IS ON TO MAKE THIS HOLIDAYSEASON ESPECIALLY MERRY IN HOPES OF IGNITINGTHE ECONOMY, SO THERE’S NO END TO THE HOLLY

GARLANDS, SANTA HATS AND STARBUCKS SEASONAL LATTÉS IN SIGHT. WHY NOTGO WITH IT? IF ONE HOLIDAY SWEATER IS GOOD, WHY NOT BUY 5? ESPECIALLYWHEN THEY’RE ON SALE! SHOULD YOU STRETCH THAT PRESENT-SHOPPING BUDG-ET A LITTLE TOO FAR, CONSIDER ALL THE ECONOMIC ART OPTIONS AVAILABLE TOYOU OR BETTER YET— FOREGO THE MALL AND PRESENTS ALTOGETHER AND GIFTYOUR LOVED ONES WITH A MEMORABLE NIGHT OF THEATRE OR A FESTIVE BOATRIDE. CHANCES ARE THE BEST GIFTS THIS YEAR DON’T COME IN BOXES.

Life is Happy and Sad byCatastrophic TheatreDecember 3-5, 9-12, 16-19 @ 8pmThis holiday season,Catastrophic Theatreserves up Life is Happyand Sad, the long-await-ed follow-up to DanielJohnston’s Speeding

Motorcycle, chronicling the artist’s earlyyears in Austin. Catastrophic artistic direc-tor Jason Nodler created the hit musicalSpeeding Motorcycle in 2006, drawingfrom cult phenomenon Daniel Johnston’swords and music. The piece, whichreceived praise from The New York Times,American Theatre and No Depressionmagazine, focused largely on unrequitedlove, while Life is Happy and Sad concernsitself with the creative impulse and theimportance of friendship. Matt Brownlie,well known to local music enthusiasts asthe frontman for bands Bring Back theGuns and Groceries, plays young Daniel,and a live rock band doubles in the otherroles. Preview and private reception onWednesday, December 2 – $50; all otherperformances Pay-What-You-Can.DiverseWorks ArtSpace (1117 EastFreeway) catastrophictheatre.com

Margo Veil with Mildred’s UmbrellaDecember 3-19 @ 8pmMildred’s Umbrella Theater Company rollsout another exciting Houston premier —Margo Veil by Len Jenkin, directed byPhilip Hayes. Margo Veil is a youngactress whose strange adventures lead herinto an ever-changing landscape of dreamand reality after she gives up on New Yorkand takes a detour on the way home,which carries her through offices in name-less skyscrapers, trains going nowhere, arthouse movie theaters in Louisville and tat-too parlors in Albuquerque. Shows on

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays andMondays at Midtown Art Center (3414LaBranch at Holman); tickets $15.Mondays are ‘Pay as you can.’ For moreinformation: mildredsumbrella.com

Christmas Cruisesalong BuffaloBayouDecember 5, 19 5-8pmJoin Buffalo BayouPartnership in cele-brating the holidayseason with 30-minute pontoon

boat rides along Buffalo Bayou, served upwith plenty of decorations, brightly coloredlights, song and cheer! Boat landing loca-tion is Downtown’s Sabine Promenadebetween Allen Parkway and MemorialDrive (150 Sabine Street). No reservationsare taken, and tours are on a first-come,first-serve basis. Tickets are $7 for adults,$5 for children under 12 (cash only andno strollers, please). For more information,to schedule a private tour or to check forcancellations due to weather, call713.752.0314 or visit buffalobayou.org.

Ars Lyrica presents Marc Antonio eCleopatraDecember 31 @ 8pmRing in 2010 with Ars Lyrica at Houston’smost elegant New Year’s Eve celebration.Rising stars, soprano Ava Pine and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, join the ensemblefor the American première of J. A. Hasse’sNeapolitan masterpiece Marc Antonio eCleopatra. A festive gala follows, withchampagne, delectable hors d’oeuvresand fabulous prizes at Ars Lyrica’s annualsilent auction. Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center –tickets $31.25-$41.25; Gala tickets$51.25. For more information, please visitarslyricahouston.org.

spacetakerartscene

By Jenni Rebecca Stephenson



eborah Colton has some news that very wellmay change the landscape of the contempo-rary art world in Houston, and beyond.

Her gallery has long been a space in which to showcaseinternational, national and regional contemporaryartists, first in a massive warehouse on Summer Street.There, Colton “wanted to be in the part of the city whereart was created,” and openings of emerging, experimen-tal artists would famously draw over 1,000 people.

Since 2000, the gallery has found a home in the UpperKirby area. “We’ve built our credibility and reputationbased on those very strong shows (at Summer Street),and now we’re giving more local artists a chance to useour national and international contacts. We’re showingwork at that very sophisticated level, but not necessarilyas conceptual.”

Colton works with artists who have been awarded theprestigious Guggenheim and Rockefeller awards, andwho have shown at the Whitney Biennial, in turn attract-ing serious art collectors to her space.

She just announced a partnership with one of them,Houston philanthropist and patron of the arts Dr. CarolynFarb. The two began working together when Farb nur-tured a particular gallery artist. “At shows, Carolyn isreally engaging with her peers and friends and sharingher excitement and passion for those artists,” Coltonsays.

“It was just sort of a natural progression” from there,Colton says, adding, “I admire her a great deal.” Farbwill serve in a creative director capacity at the gallery,helping with programming, curating, creating events andtying in ways to support arts nonprofits. “These arethings that she’s really great at,” Colton says.

Along with this news, the gallery has wooed LesterMarks, also a major collector and patron of thearts, to become Director. “I am excited about whatcan be achieved with our team of such dynamic yetcaring individuals. This will be good for all artistsand the city in general,” Colton says on her web-site’s announcement.

Colton’s exciting news extends beyond Houston. InNovember, she launched OUTPOST NYC DCG atthe Emily Harvey Foundation Gallery collaborativespace in New York’s Lower East Side. The initiativehighlighted work from artists like Salvador Dalí,Jona Mekas and Houston-based Molly Gochman inan exhibition and series of performance evenings,including a live band and poet recitation.

“There was a lot of essence to it,” Colton says. “Itcreated a dialogue to create interaction. That’s whatused to happen a lot in New York. We wanted to fillthat void again. It’s coming back with a lot of youngemerging artists. It’s a very brave thing to get theaudience to engage like that.”

Colton, who has lived in the New York area, Tokyo,Bangkok, Miami, Dallas and Houston, says she’deventually like to open up a space on the Lower EastSide – “kind of raw, not overly pristine” – like herformer Summer Street. space.

But for now, “we’re an international gallery here inTexas opening a satellite gallery in New York(rather than vice versa). It hasn’t really ever hap-pened before, but it’s a sign of the times. What I’mseeing is a lot more interesting progressive thingshappening in cities other than New York.”

In conjunction with OUTPOST NYC DCG, DeborahColton Gallery shows “Knowledge Base” throughJanuary 2, an exhibition that allows artists likeGochman and Amy Granat to explore the notionsof knowledge and power in an unexpected way.

Colton credits Houston’s strong economy, in part,for its vibrant art scene. “Houston and Texas have agreat chance to shine now. We’re like mavericksdown here! We never despair, we’re always posi-tive and that’s what makes Houston so fantastic asa city.”

She adds that she hopes innovations like those hap-pening at her gallery will help to inspire other localgalleries. “I think we all – the private sector, muse-ums, arts nonprofits – have a really good chance togo to a higher level.”

www.deborahcoltongallery.com


COLTON + FARB GALLERYWith a new partner in Dr. Carolyn Farb and

an initiative in New York, Deborah Colton Gallerybrings Houston artists to the forefront.2445 north blvd., houston, tx 77098

713.869.5151

D

thegalleryBy Allison Bagley

Photography by Patrick B. McCutchan

deborah colton | dr. carolyn farb


THE MOON and CHRISTMAS FILMSThe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (mfah.org) is comple-menting their exhibition The Moon: “Houston, TranquilityBase here. The Eagle has landed” with a series of filmsrelating to the moon on December 5 and 6 only, includingthe film BLAST! They’re reviving the classic Japanese film

Rashômon, by AkiraKurosawa, on Fridayand Saturday,December 11 and 12, at7pm and Sunday,December 13, at 5pm.And the Houston FilmCritics Society takesover their screen as theyhonor “The Best Films of2009” on one day only– Sunday, December19, at 4pm. If you thinkEbenezer Scrooge isscary, try seeing him

oversized in IMAX! The Houston Museum of NaturalScience (hmns.org) is showing Disney’s A Christmas Carolthrough January 3, 2010. Landmark River Oaks Theatre(landmarktheatres.com) just celebrated 70 years lastmonth and is standing proud as the oldest operatingneighborhood theatre in our fair city! On their silver screenthis month is Young Victoria, with a new opening date ofDecember 18, and A Single Man opening on ChristmasDay. A Single Man is the story of George Falconer, a 52-year-old British college professor (Colin Firth) who is strug-gling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long-time partner, Jim (Matthew Goode). George dwells on thepast and cannot see his future as we follow him through asingle day where a series of events and encounters ulti-mately leads him to decide if there is a meaning to life afterJim.

SMALL SCREENSThe Aurora Picture Show (aurorapictureshow.org) teamsup with the MFAH to present the documentary The Guest ofCindy Sherman on Friday, December 4, at 7pm at the

MFAH. FilmmakerPaul H-O will be inattendance and itshould be an interest-ing conversation: hemade the film over a15-year period whiledating the reclusiveartist Cindy Sherman.

It includes interviews with the likes of John Waters, RobertLongo, Danny DeVito and Molly Ringwald and is a filmCindy is said to be unhappy with (isn’t that why they’recalled “ex”?!). Bring the whole family to Spacetaker’sWinter Street Studio (spacetaker.org) for Aurora’s“Popcorn Kids” free presentation of “The Best of the NewYork Children’s Film Festival” on Saturday, December 12,at 4pm. Voices Breaking Boundaries (vbbarts.org) is cele-brating their 10th anny on Saturday, December 5, at 7pmat the Houston Institute for Culture (houstonculture.org) at708-B Lawndale with a party that includes a screening oftwo films: Houston Artists and Dissent by local filmmakerLaura Harrison, which includes interviews with more than50 artists – including Rick Lowe and Bapsi Sidhwa –regarding their views on art, activism and dissent, and abrand new short film by Faroukh Virani which capturesVBB’s first decade and current projects. City Council mem-ber Melissa Noriega will be on hand to present VBB witha proclamation at 7:30pm, presented to VBB for their rolein creating justice through art.

ORSON WELLES and much moreGet an up-close look at the charismatic-but-sometimes-cruel Orson Welles in the new film based in real theatricalhistory, Me and Orson Welles, scheduled to be onscreen

starting December 11. It’s the story of a teenage actor wholucks into a role in Julius Caesar as it’s being re-imaginedby a brilliant, impetuous young director named OrsonWelles at his newly-founded Mercury Theater in NYC,1937. Rave Yorktown 15 (ravemotionpictures.com) wrapsup their 2009 “Opera in Cinema” series with Mozart’sCosi Van Tutte on Thursday, December 17, at 7pm andSunday, December 27, at 1pm. The Alamo Drafthouse(drafthouse.com) was turned into a franchise operationrecently and is crammed with films and events this month:“Beer Wars Beer Dinner” (12/5); “Back to the Future withthe Houston Delorean Club” (12/11 and 12/12); Until theLight Takes Us (12/11-12/13); “Ladies Night Screening:Ghost (12/17)” and much more! If you’re looking for film-related gift items, I recommend Cinema Houston (cinema-houston.info) or Lucky Stars: Janet Gaynor & CharlesFarrell (check it out on facebook.com). Happy Holidays!

ART FILMS AREGOOD FOR THESOUL…TAKE A FRIENDTO ONE!

gish atthe movies

By Sarah Gish



I’m also trying to create some things that allow me to reach out to students in the area and I just think it’sa good practice – trying to reciprocate a little bit.

Where all are you shooting out there? I’ve always understood that one of the darkest regions of theUnited States is out there.It could be, it could be. Where I’m shooting in Big Bend is pretty dark. There’s not a whole lot of interfer-ence because there just aren’t any towns. And there are some smaller areas that are growing, like Marfa– it’s just fantastic from what’s going on – and it’s not too far from the McDonald Observatory, which wassituated right there because of the lack of interference. When I went to see the McDonald Observatory, Icould see the rings of Saturn. I mean it was just incredible. I’d like to hook my camera up to that tele-scope!

How do you switch back and forth between projects? I know you did the set design for the Mozartshow at the Miller Outdoor Theater and then you’ve got something like this – I can’t imagine thembeing more different in so many respects.Well, they’re different in what the subject matter is, but in the practice of making them, it’s all about cre-ating an environment that someone can really experience, and I guess ultimately that’s my goal. I start-ed, like, when I was in college, doing installations with fiber optics and flashlights and glass… and Iwould make these dark rooms that people could go into – and gradually, so your eyes adjust, so youdon’t just stumble in blindly – you could just walk into and just kind of be removed from whatever youhave going on in your mind, and just step into something else. So, installations are really sort of like stagesets that you can walk into instead of a picture that you’re looking at.

Do you think that the landscape will ever become a lost art, or do you think that it will always perse-vere?No, I think it will always persevere. I think it’s just natural. It’s in front of us, we live it, we’re looking at it,we fight over it... boy, do we fight over it! We’ve always fought over it and we will probably always befighting over it. I just think it’s a natural fascination.

If it’s worth fighting over, it’s worth documenting, right?Heck yeah! Absolutely. And also … it just never gets boring. It’s like a never-ending subject. It’s timeless,it has nothing to do with – well, I guess it can, if you’re taking a political approach to what’s happeningwith certain areas of the landscape – but in general, it is an unending subject.

Libbie’s collection of West Texas landscapes, entitled “STILL,” opens Thursday, December 10, at Space125 Gallery at Houston Arts Alliance, 3201 Allen Parkway, 6pm-8pm.

www.libbiemasterson.com


Your photographic work in its earliest stages has been focused on the cold-er climates of the globe. Was that a response to growing up in all theTexas heat?I don’t know. Maybe it’s sort of a little bit because you know, there’s alwaysthat fascination with something that’s still new to you. But it has more to dowith the light in those places. Because when you spend time in places likeNorway and then places like Iceland and Alaska or, to the other extreme inthe south – Antarctica – any polar extreme, the light is very different than itis here. I think that may have been my strongest draw initially – the strange-ness and the drama of the landscapes in those places.

The grant you got for the West Texas project – did that come with any sortof precursor like ‘OK, your work is great, but you gotta shoot Texas’?No! Actually, I wanted to do something local because… well, for two rea-sons. One… I just think it’s important to recognize your own terrain, andsometimes people think that you have to go all the way to Antarctica to seesomething that’s so different and so strange, and here it’s our own state inWest Texas and… maybe it’s drawn a little bit out of the questions that peo-ple ask me. People from other places start to ask me what Texas is like andyou know it just never ceases to amaze me when I get the ‘do you have anoil well,’ ‘do you ride a horse…’

‘Can you say ‘ya’ll’ for me?’Oh yeah. I hear it all. Absolutely. I love the landscapes here and West Texasand South Texas and even in the Central… in the Hill Country in Texas, youstill find really far out and bizarre landscapes just really close to home.

I was gonna say… temperatures aside, you think about the landscape inWest Texas and some of the polar regions you’ve been shooting, and youcan draw a correlation between them. Those big, empty skies…Absolutely. And especially in Iceland. I have some photographs I’ve taken inIceland that look very much like the photographs that I’ve taken in WestTexas. Especially when I photograph in the evening, and the shapes and thestructures of the landscape become more of a silhouette and there’s less colorinvolved. I also think it was kind of important considering that this grant wascoming from local tax money, that I wanted to honor that, and involve thelocal terrain. The idea is we’re supposed to be providing something to peo-ple that are touring here, and coming to stay in Houston for some purposeor other. So I wanted to kind of touch on that and address that aspectbecause I feel very lucky to have been given the grant in the first place and

LIBBIE MASTERSONA painter by trade, native Houstonian Libbie Masterson took

a trip to Iceland several years back and just happened tobring her camera. After shooting the landscape there piqued

her interest, she ran with it, and pursued photography asanother of her art forms. Several icy landscapes later, she

finally ended up shooting right here in her home state.

for art’ssake

Interview by Lance Scott WalkerPhotography by Code BessAssisted by Ryan Booth


THE LOCALLY RUN KENYA SCHOLARSHIP FUND GIVES NAIROBI FEMALESTHE GIFT OF A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION AND, WITH IT, A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE.

Alice Hastings-James moved from her nativeKenya to the U.S. with her husband in 1989.They have both enjoyed long careers in the oilindustry that have led them overseas and back toHouston, where they are watching their daughterthrive as a student at DePelchin.

“I’m very fortunate,” Hastings-James says of heropportunities. “I count my blessings.”

Turning 50 years old last year was a milestone,she says, and she decided she wanted to dosomething to aid the community where she wasraised. She researched and found the KenyaScholarship Fund, a 501(c)3 nonprofit foundedin 2006 by local attorney Solomon Musyimi. Theorganization gives scholarships to boys inKenya, where public high school is not free andonly 10% of students receive an educationbeyond the 8th grade.

Females, Hastings-James says, take lowestpriority in many Kenyan homes, so she set out tolay the groundwork for a similar scholarship forgirls, and the response has been “beyondexpectation. We were just in awe.”

Hastings-James visited Kenya with her sister lastyear to identify schools with which they nowwork closely with faculty members who nominatequalified students for scholarships. Potentialrecipients submit an essay describing theirfinancial needs, community involvement andextracurricular activities. All these items, alongwith the student’s written communication skills,are evaluated as selection criteria.

It costs $350-400 to send a girl to school for oneyear in Naroibi. “It’s mind-boggling becausethat’s what you and I go and spend on groceriesat Whole Foods,” Hastings-James says. In theshort time the female arm of KSF has existed, 17girls have received scholarships, even in a timeof economic crisis, far exceeding the boys’scholarship fund.

“We’ve blown their minds,” she laughs. “We areso excited – sometimes I just can’t containmyself!”

Most of the donors to the cause have beenwomen. Many are Kenyan-born Americancitizens who, like Hastings-James, feel fortunatethat circumstances provided them with aneducation and opportunity in the States. “Thisgives them a chance to give back to their homewithout having to physically go there.”

Several, however, are not Kenyan born, butinstead friends and neighbors who are moved bythe teens’ personal essays.

“It’s about women empowering women,”Hastings-James says.

Scholarships are gifted to students entering 9thgrade, so KSF can follow them through fouryears of high school and then potentially provideopportunity for university education in Kenya orthe States. The students are required to maintaina B average and volunteer in the community,often in churches, AIDS hospitals and schools forthe deaf or blind. Hastings-James and her fellow

board members – one of which is on the groundin Naroibi – maintain correspondence with theteachers and meticulous records of students’progress.

Hastings-James describes the conditions ofKenyan schools as “pitiful” when compared withU.S. standards. Transportation is not provided toschool, and the furniture and equipment isextremely outdated. Classroom curriculum isessentially the same as in the U.S., except that incomputer lab, students learn applications likeMicrosoft Office by watching their teacher drawcharts on a chalkboard rather than working on acomputer. “The teachers are teaching them intheory. Can you just imagine learning Wordwithout actually practicing it?”

When she returns home to Kenya next summer,Hastings-James will bring with her donatedlaptops.

“I’m so anxious to see where we go in 2010,”Hastings-James says with the kind of excitedenergy that helps persuade potential donors.

With these gifts, “we hope the students will getout there into the world and make changes. Andthat they will be impacted to also give back.”

TO DONATE TO THE FEMALE KENYASCHOLARSHIP FUND OR TO LEARN

MORE, [email protected] OR

281.597.0124.


AN EMPOWERING EDUCATIONwww.kenyascholarship.orgnonprofit

Interview by Allison Bagley


Y HUSBAND AND I WERE INVITED TO SPEND A DAY AT CHILDREN’SMEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL AND PARTICIPATE IN WHAT THEY CALLCHILDREN’S UP CLOSE WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO SPEND A DAY SHAD-

OWING SEVERAL PHYSICIANS IN THE OPERATING ROOM. THIS INVITATION WASA TREMENDOUS HONOR AND THE EXPERIENCE WILL REMAINWITH US FOR A LIFE-TIME.

Memorial Hermann Foundation sent us our own set of scrubs and doctor jackets so wewould be properly attired for our “rounds”. We arrived early in the morning and weregreeted with breakfast by the surgical team.

Our first stop was at the pre-op room where we met a young patient who was prepar-ing to have his tonsils removed. This child was quite anxious about surgery; however,this patient had been assigned a child life specialist, as does every patient, whowalked through the entire surgical process to decrease anxieties and answer all thepatient’s questions. The child life specialist came prepared with a bag full of visual aidsso she could describe and show everything that was going to take place in the operat-ing room. She used a book with images of tonsils so the patient knew exactly what andwhere they were, while carefully explaining why the tonsils needed to be removed. Sheused an anesthesia breathing mask to explain how the patient would fall asleep andgave a choice of 4 different aromas for the patient to use as their night-night juice. Thepurpose was to get the patient to actively participate in his own surgery – which he didby picking strawberry! Once the education was complete and the patient was comfort-able and had all questions answered a Playstation was wheeled in the room for hisenjoyment.

We then joined the surgeons in the operating room to witness preparations. Children’sMemorial Hermann Hospital, which is affiliated with The University of Texas MedicalSchool at Houston, truly takes every detail into consideration for the benefit of the

patient including room decorations of Walt Disney’s Nemo and music from FindingNemo. Once the patient was settled, the mask was put on and the patient went right tosleep with a smile.

At that point we were escorted to our second patient, who was about to undergo heartsurgery. My husband and I were provided with surgical masks and hats and taken tooperating room number 4 which was already busy with several nurses and doctorspreparing for the surgery. The patient was already asleep when we arrived, howeverwe were in time to see the doctors make the initial incision and begin working on thislittle heart! The heart was very small, and the work that was performed during the sur-gery so intricate it is difficult to describe. At one point in the procedure they actuallystopped the child’s heart for a full hour while simultaneously pumping oxygenthrough this little body letting a machine do the work. During the one-hour time peri-od this amazing team worked diligently to repair the the defects in the heart.

When the repairs had been made, the doctors restarted the heart. It is difficult todescribe the feelings I had watching it resume beating; I was shaken to the core butincredibly moved to witness such a beautiful moment.

I was so impressed throughout the entire day with the facility and the procedures but inthe end it was the team – the doctors, nurses, child life specialist and orderlies – whobrought the human factor into every single detail of every single moment that reallymade an impression. These people are highly trained professionals who are there tosave the lives of people like you and me every day and they do it by placing the digni-ty of the patient first. I will never again pass the corner of Cambridge and Fannin with-out recalling the emotion of that day inside Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.Because of this experience my husband and I will always advocate and support the onlyLevel 1 pediatric trauma hospital in Houston and the southwest region: Children’sMemorial Hermann Hospital.

By Patricia DominguezA DAY IN THE LIFE…M


Patricia andFrancisco Dominguez


born cool.grow hip.

By Pixie IbañezPhotographed by Sofia van der Dys

COOL TOYSFOR COOL KIDS

OK, it is that time of the year again and even though it’s supposed to be a time of peace and rejoice, it can end up being more of a nervous-breakdown-triggerfor some. Shopping for that perfect gift can be a real pain; you’re going crazy trying to find what your kiddos want – and on top of that you have to deal withovercrowded shopping centers, inadequate customer service, long lines, “we are out of that one” responses, and yes, my favorite…No Parking! So if you arelonging to make of your holiday season a more enjoyable one, I suggest you shop online and use that free time to enjoy your family and friends.

DDiissccoovveerryyssttoorree..ccoomm – Virtual Distance Football, Digital Speed Baseball, Light Vision Goggles | UUggllyyddoollllss..ccoomm – Big Toe, Winkolina, Ox, Action Figure Box | BBllaabbllaakkiiddss..ccoomm – Monkey Mozart,Shane, Berry-Lee, Doll | OOoommppaa..ccoomm – Amazon Wristwatch, Hippie Chic Lap Desk, Cordoba Building Blocks, Big Domino Animals | CCaannddlleewwiicckk..ccoomm – Oh, baby! Books, Oceanology, Fairiesand Magical Creatures, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Texas

™ ®

and

© 2

009,

Pre

tty U

gly, L

LC.

All R

ights

Rese

rved



re you a parent? Did you cringe at the photograph of the kids?This probably represents an everyday scenario – your childcomes home from school or a playdate looking like a painter’s

canvas; unfortunately this ain’t no Picasso. Let’s face it, there is not muchwe can do to prevent our kids form getting messy – kids are kids, andchildren discover their world thru play. Worry no more! We’ve discoveredthe perfect solution: dress your kids in Bersica® Futurewear and leave yourworries behind.

BERSICA FUTUREWEAR is a high-performance clothing line that uses theadvanced textile technology NanoSphere®. The Swiss technology allowsgarments to have an extremely high repellency to water, oil and dirt whileoffering UV protection PLUS the material is fully breathable, lightweight andvery soft. Bersica Futurewear is revolutionizing children’s clothing, allow-ing moms around the world to breathe a sigh of relief. Bersica is alsodoing our planet some good: the material used is environmentally friendlymeeting the bluesign® standard which guarantees the highest possible exclu-sion of substances harmful to the environment and humans and requires lesswashing saving you money and the water.

INVINCIBLE!INVINCIBLE!

For moreinformation

or to purchaseBersica® Futurewear,

visit www.bersica.comor call

832.200.8742.HOLIDAY SPECIAL! enoy 25%

off the regular priceof $29.95.

INVINCIBLE!

By Pixie IbañezPhotography by Jack Potts

A DRY!

WET!




your holiday traditions need a little fresheningup, Shen Yun is just the ticket. The extravagantshow is chock-full of dazzling costumes, music

and dancers that will leave you humming Chinesetunes through the holiday season.

Traditional Chinese dance is taken to the next level inthis internationally renowned mega-production.Having performed in the world’s most prestigious ven-ues – including Radio City Music Hall in New York andParis’ Palais des Congres – Shen Yun Performing Artsis a global phenomenon.

Part dance, part acrobatics and with plenty of theatrics,Chinese dance seduces the senses with an unmatchedlevel of gracefulness and beautiful storytelling.Imagine what it would look like to see flowers comealive in a magical world, and you’ll begin to grasp theessence of this show. Twirling parasols, silk brocadesand crimson lips flutter in synch on animated back-drops conjuring celestial palaces and blossoming land-scapes, creating a dreamlike spectacle for entrancedaudiences.

SCORE!Following an opening gong, the orchestra performs afusion of Chinese and Western classical music.Nytheatre.com calls the original score a “beautifulsound…with strikingly intricate melodies.” Audiences

will discover the two-stringed Chinese erhu, a violin-like traditional instrument which amazingly conveyssuch a wide array of emotions. Solo vocal performanc-es, accompanied by piano, trump any language barri-er through the power of music. Thunderous drumsshake the stage and reverberate, adding intensity todramatic scenes.

COSTUME COUTUREShunning the stereotypical mass production of 21stcentury China, Shen Yun Performing Arts’ costumes areall hand-made. Paying tribute to the country’s 5000-year-old culture, imperial robes and shimmering head-pieces celebrate a colorful history. Masterful dancersbring vibrant silk dresses to life, making them flowlike water. Clothing is an essential part of China’s richcultural heritage, and these authentically reproducedcostumes are a feast for our Western eyes.

THE SECRET (No, not that secret!)Shen Yun performers bring an intangible quality to theshow. Philadelphia Weekly says, “These beautiful, gift-ed people are expressing something that’s both pureand good.” Many of the dancers practice a self-culti-vation discipline called Falun Dafa, which teachestruthfulness, compassion and tolerance. This appreci-ation for life is evident is both the choreography andthe performance.

In addition to spiritual pursuits, Shen Yun’s performersare dedicated and accomplished; many of them havewon international dance and music competitions.While this is a Chinese production, it has moved farbeyond its borders in both talent and recognition.

CHINESE HISTORY 101Classical Chinese dance is unique in that it incorpo-rates graceful technique with athletic movement andeven jaw-dropping aerial skills. But it is the ethnic andfolk dances which truly exemplify the diversity thatexists within China and its surrounding areas. Differentethnic groups are represented in numbers like “YiEthnic Dance,” reminiscent of East European dancesyet absolutely Chinese.

Storytelling is another hallmark of Shen Yun produc-tions. Dramatic portrayals of traditional stories conveytimeless values that are important in Chinese culture.These ancient tales, like that of the heroine Mulan andGeneral Yue Fei, inspire morality and courage.

DON’T SNOOZE OR YOU’LL LOSEWhile other traditional holiday shows offer a pre-dictable dose of sugar plums and Christmas merriment,Shen Yun Performing Arts delights, amazes andinspires people of all ages. Don’t miss this opportunityto be truly, world-class entertained.

By Nadia Michel | Photography by EPOCHTIMES

Dec. 21-23, 8pm | Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana, Houston, TX 77002Tickets are $30-$150 | Call Ticketmaster 800.745.3000 | www.ticketmaster.com or www.shenyunperformingarts.org

IT WOULDN’T BE THE HOLIDAYS WITHOUT….SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS

- Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in 2006. | - Shen Yun is a nonprofit organization, based in New York and independent of China’s communist regime.- The orchestra is composed of over 40 musicians. | - Three Shen Yun companies have been invited to perform in over 100 cities around the globe.

If

QUICK FACTS:


JUSTINMCCORD

age47

signVirgo

originOklahoma

occupationHair designer@Michaelyndon

Salon

DIANAWARREN

age24

signGeminiorigin

Houston, TXoccupationPastry Lady &Mother of 4

1. JUSTIN MCCORD-IF YOU COULD MEET A CELEBRITY, WHO WOULD IT BE?That ‘s a tie – Eckhart Tolle and The Dalai Lama.-IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU WOULD BUY?One-bedroom apts. In Madrid, Vancouver and San Francisco.-WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIAN? Yo-Yo Ma.-WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? I can’t say that here.-WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Or here either!-WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.2. DIANA WARREN-WHAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? My children – & cake flour.-WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIAN? Jay-Z.--WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?Singing a song and forgetting the words in a church PACKED full of people.-WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT?Knowing that I met the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with!-WHAT WAS THE BEST CONCERT YOU EVER ATTENDED? Maxwell.-WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO GO ON YOUR NEXT VACATION? Punta Mita, Mex.3. JEFFREY SCOTT SULMA-IF YOU COULD MEET A CELEBRITY, WHO WOULD IT BE? I would have liked to have met Hendrix.-WHAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Good pizza and Italian red wine.-WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? I’d like to spare myself further embarrassment.-WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Becoming Tony Vallone’s business partner.-WHAT WAS THE BEST CONCERT YOU EVER ATTENDED?Pantera and Black Sabbath. I was in seventh grade.-WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO GO ON YOUR NEXT VACATION? St. Regis in Bora Bora. (Thanks to the arti-cle in 002!)


1 2

JEFFREYSCOTTSULMA

age26

signSagittarius

originHouston, TXoccupation

GeneralManager, Tony’sRestaurant andPartner, Ciao

Bello Restaurant

3Photography by Anthony Rathbunpeople of houston


WISEGUY

by Tim Moloney


2

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE…IT’S THAT MOST WONDER-FUL TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN. BUT IT CAN ALSO BE AHASSLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE GIFT-GIVING DEPARTMENT. IN

FACT, JIM BEAM® BOURBON RECENTLY SPONSOREDAN ONLINE SURVEY OF 1,059 AMERICAN MENAGES 21-29 AND ASKED RESPONDENTS A VARIETYOF QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE HOLIDAYS,INCLUDING THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES GUYS FACE.ABOUT 42 PERCENT OF GUYS NAMED GIFT BUYINGAS THEIR TOP HASSLE, ESPECIALLY DECIDING WHATTO GIVE TO WHOM. PARENTS TOP THE LIST OF THEMOST DIFFICULT PEOPLE TO SHOP FOR, WITH THESIGNIFICANT OTHER (GIRLFRIEND, WIFE) COMINGIN SECOND. OF THE 77 PERCENT OF GUYS WHOPLAN TO GIVE THEIR MALE FRIENDS GIFTS, THEMOST POPULAR PRESENTS WILL BE LIQUOR AND

ELECTRONICS (ABOUT 20 PERCENT EACH). I’D LIKE SOMEOF BOTH, SANTA, IF YOU’RE LISTENING.

Since you can’t give everyone some JIM BEAM, I thought I’d call on some of mytrusted retail regents to get some over-the-top gift ideas for guys and gals, recessionbe damned! Answering the call of duty were pals Franco Valobra, our local jewelerto the stars, as well as Terry Zmyslo, the courtly ringmaster of Saks Fifth Avenue.

BLING IT ONFranco Valobra, four years in town, has become the go-to guy for major jewels, finewatches, BUCCELLATI treasures and antiques. You might have seen him on the run-way recently as a celebrity model for Family Services of Greater Houston’s“Notte In Italia” fashion event. Just to set the record straight, this ItalianStallion was casually tossing strands of real pearls into the crowdduring his walk (other commentators, ill-informed and un-named,

described them as fakes). Well, there’s nothing fakeabout this guy. For Christmas gifting your favoritelady, he recommends a fantastic 18kt yellowgold cuff featuring 26.4 karats of glitteringdiamonds. You can make her happy for just$72,000 with this one-of-a-kind piece. For

guys, Franco has designed 18kt yellow-goldbutton covers that easily pop over your cuffbuttons (regular or French-cuff shirts). Withsapphire monogram, you’re out only $1,500. Youcan order them with any stone – diamonds, emeralds,rubies (price varies), and they’ll be ready in three to fourdays. Come on, you’ve been good this year, so why not?

SCENT-SATIONALNow it’s time for Terry, who’s pushing pricey perfume. “IF THESKY’S THE LIMIT?” he advises, “then go for our outsize 42-ounce amphora (teachable moment: Amphorae first appeared onthe Syrian coast around the 15th century BC and spread around theancient world, used as the principal means for transporting and stor-ing grapes, olive oil, wine, oil, olives, grain, fish and other com-modities) emblazoned with 17,500 swarovski stones, outfitted with

a golden spigot and topped off with an elliptical mirror resting on a honeycombbase. A Saks exclusive, this wonderment is contained in a white patent leather giftcase. “We offer it with the Bond No. 9 eau de parfum of your choice,” says the tal-ented Mr. Zmyslo. It can be yours for $3,500. This is guaranteed sexy time.

LEAN OUT WITH LAYNWelcome to our second installment of “LEAN OUT WITHLAYN”, our go-to fitness guy, whose advice is especially impor-tant in this month of gluttony and overindulgence. The topic? Thebest time to do cardio. The answer? Anytime! “The most impor-tant thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exer-cise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing or cycling, sus-tained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when

you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possi-ble, they you should consider getting up early and doing cardio

before you eat your first meal.” There’s a lot of science behind this advice,but unfortunately we don’t have time to go into all that this month…I’ve got

presents to buy, eggs to nog, menorahs to light and cardio to do.

WISHING YOU AND YOURS ALL THE BEST THIS HOLIDAY SEASON….ANDPLEASE DON’T DRIVE DRUNK AFTER ALL THAT JIM BEAM. CALLING A CAB IS

THE WISEST THING A WISE GUY CAN DO.

tim moloney

Photo of Tim Moloney by Gabriella Nissen

GIVE ‘TIL IT HURTS

Photography by Jill Hunter

Photo

graph

ybyJ

illHu

nter


Oh,Christmas

Tree

by Reyne HainesPhotography by Gabriella NissenOrnaments from Rummel CreekVillage Antiques

ith Christmas upon us, it won’t belong before you’re heading out insearch of the perfect Christmas tree for

your home. Many families have a tradition of decorat-ing the tree together, while drinking hot apple cider andlistening to Christmas carols. As you hang your orna-ments one-by-one, you might think about where theycame from.

There is actually more to the history of Christmasornaments than how you acquired them – that is,how they came to hang on a tree and where theyoriginated. The history of the Christmas ornamentdates back to the 15th and 16th centuries in Germany.The first evergreens that were decorated did not featureblown glass balls; instead, they were hung with real fruit.Eventually, trees would make their way into homes, where fruitor cut pastries were hung from their limbs. This explains why manyornament makers over the years have created designs in the likenessof grapes, oranges, bananas, etc. Christmas became commonly cele-brated in the United States around 150 years ago; however, it did notbecome a legal holiday until 1891.

Before World War II, 80-90% of Christmas decorations in the U.S.were German-made. Germany had virtually no competition in theornament business until around 1925, when Japan andCzechoslovakia began producing ornaments for export to the United

States. The original cost of an ornament was 1-3 cents apiece. Today, ornamentsare more than a nickel, and a bit more ornate than their predecessors. Most orna-ments are still from Germany. And while ornaments are being produced in paper,wood, metal and porcelain, glass is the most desirable medium of all.

If you’re thinking of collecting ornaments, your options are endless – there is nowrong way to collect! One of the leading makers of contemporary glass orna-

ments is Christopher Radko. An especially famous design of this com-pany is “A Partridge in a Pear Tree.” This ornament originallysold for $38. No longer in production, it has now sold foras much as $1,000 on the secondary market.

Whether you’re a serious collector or just interested in adding anew ornament or two to your tree each year, they represent both a rich history ofholiday celebration—and the personal memories that you’ve collected over theyears.

W

Oh,Christmas

Tree



310 Rosemont – 1965 W. Gray 713.522.8133Anthropologie – 4066 Westheimer Rd. 713.840.9428Target – 2580 Shearn St. 713.331.0376YSL – 5015 Westheimer Rd. 713.621.2117

OOKK,, ffaauuxx--ffuurr iiss ddeeffii--nniitteellyy aann aaccqquuiirreedd ttaassttee.. IIppeerrssoonnaallllyy lloovvee iitt!! TThhee qquuaalliittyy nnoowwaaddaayyss iissrriiddiiccuulloouuss.. TThhiiss pprroovviiddeess jjuusstt eennoouugghh wwaarrmmtthh ffoorr oouurr tteeppiidd wwiinntteerrss.. Glam Vintage Soul vest @ 310 Rosemont

DDrreessss aanndd jjeewweellrryy aallll wwrraappppeedd iinnttoo oonnee mmaakkeess ggeettttiinngg rreeaaddyy tthhaatt mmuucchh eeaassiieerr.. Prairie New York @ 310 Rosemont

TThhiiss cclluuttcchh iiss bbiigg eennoouugghh ttoo bbrriinngg aallll yyoouurr nneecceessssiittiieess aalloonngg.. SShhoouulldd yyoouu ggeett ttiirreedd ooffcclluuttcchhiinngg iitt,, tthheerree’’ss aa cchhaaiinn ssttrraapp iinnssiiddee..KaiaPeterka Leather clutch @ 310 Rosemont

II mmiigghhtt hhaavvee tthhee mmoosstt wwiisshhyy--wwaasshhyy sskkiinn ttyyppee eevveerr.. IItt’’ss sseennssiittiivvee.. IItt bbrreeaakkss oouutt.. IIttccaann ggeett ooiillyy.. SSoo ffiinnddiinngg tthhee rriigghhtt sskkiinn pprroodduuccttss wwiitthhoouutt bbrreeaakkiinngg tthhee bbaannkk iiss cchhaalllleenngg--iinngg.. WWhhoo wwaannttss ttoo eexxppeerriimmeenntt aanndd tthheenn ddeeaall wwiitthh tthhee aafftteerrmmaatthh??!! TThhiiss mmooiissttuurriizzeerrhhaass bbeeeenn ssppeeccttaaccuullaarr.. GGrreeaatt ffoorr mmyy sseennssiittiivvee sskkiinn aanndd nnoo bbrreeaakkoouuttss ttoo ddaattee –– aallll aatt aaddeecceenntt pprriiccee ttaagg.. Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Moisturizer @ Target

II lliikkee tthhee mmoonnoocchhrroommaattiicc eeffffeecctt wwiitthh tthhee ssaammee ccoolloorr ppuummpp aass tthhee ddrreessss.. IItt ffoorrmmss aalloonngg lliinnee ffoorr tthhee eeyyee ttoo ffoollllooww.. YSL Tribute platform pump @ YSL

AA ffeeww ssttaacckkss ooff ssppaarrkkllee aanndd II’’mm hhoolliiddaayy rreeaaddyy!! II’’mm aa ssuucckkeerr ffoorr ssppaarrkklleess……Rosena Sammi bracelets @ rosenasammi.com


costumefor

coctailsStyling by Beatrice ValenciaPhotography by Kennon EvettIllustration by Cynthia Bogart

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL

TIME OF THE YEAR.

THERE’LL BE MUCH MISTLETOEING

AND HEARTS WILL BE GLOWING

WHEN LOVED ONES ARE NEAR.

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL

TIME OF THE YEAR

-Andy Williams


CURRENT OBSESSIONIt depends on the season. Sometimes I find one kind of flower that I like and Ican use it every day. But maybe for the next job, I find something else and thecreation process starts again.

DESIGN INSPIRATION | ICONTo be honest I don’t have one. With my experience, I have learned to get theflowers I like and fix them together and suddenly it comes out to somethingthat I am satisfied with.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS BUSINESS?A few years ago I started doing flowers as a hobby but slowly I was gettingorders and keeping busy. Until 6 years ago, I decided to open my own shop.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER BOUTIQUES?Well, that is a question that my costumers can answer for me. I guess it’s mak-ing arrangements that you are not going to find everywhere. I listen to whatmy client wants but add my personal touch and creativity.

WHAT ARE YOU COVETING THIS SEASON?Fortunately, I have a very good list of costumers but these days the flower busi-ness is getting more competitive. So I only wish to keep my costumer, happyand see my business grow every year.


WILLIAM FIERROS | CASA BLANCA FLORAL SERVICESyears in operation six | 2711 princeton, houston tx 77009 | 713.528.9090

5 Rules of Style1. FRESHNESS2. ELEGANCE3. VARIETY OF EXOTIC AND BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS4. SIMPLICITY5. AND OF GOOD TASTE

{ }

retailwrap

Photography by Code Bess


002+magazine

on ourradar

world cupFollowing last month’spress conference,Houston moved up to#3 in the rankings ofUS cities with themost votes to host the

World Cup in 2018/2022. Houston needs you to go towww.gousabid.com/houston and vote to bring the World Cup to our city!

food+drink

Alex Brennan-Martin’s Bistro Alex opened up last month at CityCentre, serv-

ing lunch, brunch and dinner. His Café Rosé will be open every day 6:30am to11pm, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner – and will be the first in Houston, thesecond in the state of Texas and only the 11th in the U.S. to receive world-renowned coffee and espresso manufacturer Illy’s prestigious Artisti del Gusto(Artists of Taste) status.

Sugarland Shake opened its 3,175 square feet of space last month at City

Walk in Sugar Land. Sugarland Shake will reflect a modern interpretation of theclassic diner and will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, soups, sandwiches, salads,desserts and milkshakes. The space will feature original artwork commissioned bylocal artist Roberto Cervantes.

KENNY & ZIGGY’S MADE WRITER

DAVID SAX’S TOP 10 DELIS LIST IN THE COUN-TRY IN MAXIM. SAX IS THE AUTHOR OF “SAVETHE DELI.”

doing goodAny woman currently undergoing chemo cansign up for a cleaning service that provides FREEhouse cleaning 1 time per month for 4 monthswhile she is in treatment. All she has to do issign up and have her doctor fax a note confirm-ing the treatment.

Cleaning for a Reason will have a

participating maid service in her ZIP code area arrange for theservice. www.cleaningforareason.org

NEARLY 200 VOLUNTEERS FROM PEACE FOR THE CHILDREN, ALLIANCE FORMULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY SERVICES, ORGANIZERS FROM KABOOM! ANDRESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITIES JOINED FORCES LAST MONTH TO BUILD ANEW, SAFE PLAYGROUND AT LOS ARCOS APARTMENTS ON FONDREN. THENEW PLAYGROUND DESIGNS ARE BASED ON DRAWINGS PROVIDED BY CHIL-DREN WHO ATTENDED A DESIGN DAY EVENT IN HOUSTON.

wheelsThe Washington Wave – parking lot for Jitney service off Houston

Ave. & Memorial thewashingtonwave.com Umm, if you haven’t heard by now,you’re living in a cave but Washington is police central. Come Thursday throughFriday, if you don’t have a designated driver, you don’t have a prayer. I’ve heardstories of people having had one to two beverages being hauled to jail with a DUI.Not my idea of a good time. And then the idea we’ve all been thinking about, ourget rich quick scheme, appeared. Say hello to The Washington Wave. A “jitney”service that for a fee of $5 a ride or $8 for a nightly pass will take you up anddown the Washington Corridor stopping at predetermined points on the route todrop off passengers within walking distance from their favorite watering holes.With a central parking lot with 450 spaces at Houston Avenue or access to pedes-trians who are in the area and “wave” the jitney down, this is the most safe andingenious idea to come to fruition. Services are available Thursday throughSaturday from 6pm-3am. Be safe and catch the “wave.”

Sonic Automotive Group is pleased to announce

Maria Moncada Alaoui as the new General

Manager of AUDI/PORSCHE WEST HOUSTON on I-10at Kirkwood. Maria’s career includes 15 successfulyears in the Domestic and Luxury car industry righthere in Houston. “I am very excited to be part ofsuch a great team here at Porsche Audi WestHouston and look forward to building another teamof professional sales consultants as we openMomentum Luxury Cars, our brand new pre-ownedshowroom across the street.” Stop by one of three show-rooms and welcome Maria and while you’re there, check out thebrand new 2010 Q5 or the recently unveiled 2010 Panamera, a four-door luxurysedan, the first true sports car with pure Porsche performance that brings sport cargoosebumps to four people all at once!



Are you looking for the perfect gift for alittle darling girl or boy? little Liebling isthe right place for you, offering exclu-sive children’s wear as well as practi-cal and fun accessories inspired bythe owners’ Northern and Southern

German heritage. Every single piece ishandmade in their studio in Houston. The

items shown here are only a small selection from an extensive collection online.By the way, “Liebling” is German..... for darling or sweetheart – and foryour darling, only the best is good enough, therefore only the highest qualityand comfort by using only natural fabrics is offered. Have a look at the onlinestore for more great gifts: www.littleliebling.com!

little LieblingLooking for a gift for a wine lover? Need a great bottle of wine for your friends orneighbors? We have great gift solutions for all of the wine enthusiasts in your life.

� The 2010 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ International Wine Competitionwinners have been selected. Add the winning wines to your holiday shopping list. Afull listing of the 2010 winning wines can be found at www.rodeohouston.com.

� Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? Tickets to Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup andBest Bites Competition are ideal. At the February 21, 2010, event, enjoy samples ofthe winning wines along with scrumptious bites from 60 Houston-area restaurantsand catering institutions. Vote for your favorites in the Best Bite Competition thatevening. Tickets and tables may be purchased by calling 832.667.1128.

For more information on any Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International WineCompetition winners or events, please contact [email protected].

Holi

dayG

iftG

uide

CCOOQQUUEETTTTEE BBOOUUTTIIQQUUEE && BBIISSTTRROOOwner Aries Milan carries a selection of lines including Michelle Mason, LnA,Alexis Lamontagna, Alice McCall (of Australia), Graham & Spencer, Young,Fabulous, & Broke, and Sass & Bide and phenomenal smelling candles fromDayna Decker, as well as an assortment of fashionable accessories includinghandbags, jewelry and scarves. The collection shines with so-soft tees, cropjackets, sequined leggings, chic little dresses and much more. Along with thefashions offered at Coquette, an in-store bistro with tables and chairs offers sand-wiches and pastries daily from Scott Tycer’s Kraftsmen Bakery. Your fashionablegirlfriend, wife, mother or best friend will go crazy for a gift certificate from suchan original boutique option!

1848 Westheimer at Hazard, 713.527.7377

JUST PURE WATER

Revolutionary new technology convertsair to pure drinking water. User friendlyand generator compatible. Dehumidifiesand purifies the air and is energy- andcost-efficient.

Learn more at www.indefinitepossibilities.comContact [email protected] more information.Showroom atNew Living Green Building + Home Store 6111 Kirby Drive


A gift for the home - be you and change the world.


From the uptown sophisticate to the downtown diva, Charming Charlie’s goteveryone on your list covered. With thousands of fashion jewelry pieces tochoose from as well as handbags, scarves and more, your favorite females willbe delighted with their special gift or gift card from Charming Charlie.

And with prices that don’t break the bank, you will be too.Visit www.charmingcharlie.com for a location near you.Now open in the Houston Galleria, rink level, by Neiman Marcus.

After getting all dolled up at Raspberry Rose pop across Rice Blvd to check outCarrie Schwartzenburg’s latest venture, Loop A Shoe & Accessory Boutique. Hereyou will find a wide variety of your favorite shoemakers like Bernardo, SamEdelman, Jeffrey Campbell and Seychelles. You can even find the popular TOMSShoes where for each pair sold a pair is given to a child in need. As an addedbonus, Loop has tons of clothing, handbags and jewelry priced under $100 – mak-ing fabulous gifts for the holidays. Super-chic & ultra-trendy, we’ll keep you “in theloop” when you shop at Loop! 2427 Rice Blvd. 713.520.5511

dannyclarkphotography.com

Stop by Raspberry Rose to discover the endless possibilities ofamazing gifts for the special ones in your life! This Rice Villagemainstay is not only the place to find the latest trends from well-known brands suchas Velvet, Ella Moss, Michael Stars, Johnny Was & Chan Luu, it’s also a place to getfashion advice you can trust. Stocked with great sexy little tops, holiday dresses anddenim galore, we are sure to get you ready for your next night out on the town.Exclusive to The Rose is the jewelry line, Virgin, Saints, & Angels (VSA) from SanMiguel de Allende, Mexico. Inspired by goddesses and worn by celebrities, theseunique pieces encourage enlightenment, expression and creativity by incorporatingimagery and symbolism borrowed from life in Mexico. For the holidays, owner CarrieSchwartzenburg recommends the gorgeous Magdelena Necklace as the perfect gift ofthe season. Come by soon – these beauties go fast!! 2434 Rice Blvd. 713.529.2260

MagdelenaNecklace byVSA $218

dannyclarkphotography.com

Don’t be a Coach Clone. Accessorize your originality with these one-of-a-kind‘upcycled’ clutches made from vintage finds. zoé klutch is isabella dean’s (eco-friendly jewelry) latest product line and boasts handmade clutches crafted fromrecycled tees and jeans complete with working interior pocket perfect for tuckingaway a few bucks or lip gloss. Features 100% cotton thread, classy hardware andextra lofty batting. Whether it’s your fave sports team, greatest concert tee or evenyour alma mater or sorority, zoé klutch can take your most prized treasure andrecycle it into your very own bag! 5% of every sale is donated to the Alzheimer’sAssociation in honor of the owner’s grandmother. Don’t miss the big holidaypromo: 25-40% off ready-made clutches www.zoeklutch.etsy.com. Buy a uniquegift this year, but don’t break the bank (all clutches under $60).

For information about custom orders, visit www.isabelladean.comcrafty stuff for crafty folks.

zoé klutch

HolidayG

iftGuide

TOMS - SilverGlitter Shoes $60



RIVEROAKSWATCHThe absolute must-visit destination whenshopping for the man in your life thisseason, this recently opened, chic andcomfortable boutique is offering the per-fect accessory for his lifestyle whetherhe’s going scuba diving in the Seychellesor just retrieving the kids from the shal-low end of the swimming pool. Watchaficionados and partners, David Lewisand Brian Jordan, shopped the topwatch collections throughout Europeand the US this year, with the goal ofbuying only the best pieces from the bestdesigners in the sports watch world.With prices starting at $600, the inven-tory includes selections from Graham,Alpina, TW Steel, Hamilton, FrederiqueConstant and Tutima (many of the collec-tions Texas exclusives to ROW).2736 Virginia, 713.533.1452

TW Steel CE.1030, retailprice $600

GIVE A GIFT, GET A GIFTNovember 15 thru December 31,2009, purchase a holiday present of agift certificate at the increments belowand get a gift card to pamper your-self!

• Buy a $50 gift certificate, get a$10 gift card.• Buy a $75 gift certificate, get a$15 gift card.• Buy a $100 certificate, get a $20gift card.• Gift certificates are available onlineinstantly!

Or try a Holiday Special –Three treatments are rolled into oneamazing experience – a great way toenjoy the sweet aromas of the season!

Holiday Season SamplerFull Body ExfoliationHydrating Spice WrapHoliday Spice Massage80 minutes $165

Holiday Pampering PackageRefreshing Hydration FacialJoyful Bliss Mani-PediSwedish Massage3 hours $185 (originally $230)

Bliss Nail SpaMani/Pedi • Waxing • Facial • Massage

701 Shepherd Drive, #100Houston, TX 77007 | 713.864.8787www.bliss-nailspa.com

A perfect romantic get away.Book your Couple's SpaPackage today!

www.the petite retreat.net

Nominated for Best Couple'sSpa and Best Massage inCitysearch.

Chiropractic Care . MassageTherapy . Nutrition andWeight Loss . Detox Programs

Insurance accepted

713.520.8999

THE PETITERETREAT

PARADIGMTRAININGCENTER

Conveniently located in theGalleria/Bellaire area ofHouston, provides a fun andexciting opportunity to getin shape. Paradigm offersYoga and Fitness/CoreConditioning classes inaddition to Kickboxing,Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) andWrestling instruction. TheKickboxing class consists ofhigh-intensity training drills,calisthenics, Thai pad drillsand heavy bag work tokeep you light on your feet as well as light in the midsection! Students will learn topunch, elbow, clinch, knee and kick. You’ll burn fat and calories as well asimprove strength, muscle tone, muscle endurance and flexibility. The workout isfun, safe and accommodates all levels of fitness. Memberships make a great giftfor anyone looking to get in shape or for someone who is passionate about mar-tial arts. For more information, visit the website at www.txgym.com

Holi

dayG

iftG

uide


Houston’s Only Couple’s Spa


BORA BORA ST. REGISThe St. Regis opened in June 2006 and remains one of the most beautifully laid outresorts in the area featuring 100 serene over-water and beach villas, some withterrace whirlpools or private swimming pools. One, two and three-bedroom villasrange in size from 1,550 square feet to the resort’s ultra-luxurious 13,000-square-foot Royal Estate, set apart in a secluded cove. Exotic thick wood floor planks inviteyou to press bare feet onto the uneven cool floors. Sliding doors throughout, leadyou to endless seascapes from all viewpoints of the villa. The resort has the abili-ty to instill complete relaxation, inspire healthy activity, beckon relaxation at theMiri Miri spa, inspire awe with its amazing marine-life, and leave you cravingmore with its three restaurants including a signature Jean-Georges over-waterrestaurant Lagoon, Sushi Take – Bora Bora’s first sushi restaurant – and Te Pahuserving breakfast and lunch. www.stregis.com/borabora

DANTON’SCLASSIC GULF COAST STYLE

Two third-generationHoustonians and lifelong friends are the secret behind Danton’s. A sincere beliefthat seafood straight from the Gulf Coast has the sweetest, freshest flavors,paired with a family heritage of teaching the men how to cook a steak that anysteak house would be proud to serve, is at the essence of Danton’s. Walls areadorned with treasured black and white photos of friends and the owners’ fami-ly members, dating back to the 1920’s. Beautiful antique maps of coastal areasand waterways and sketches of the Gulf Coast by well-known artist RichardFowles are also part of the décor. Danton’s is about real food, cooked and pre-pared the way their grandparents did. Think of the place that ErnestHemingway, Glen McCarthy, Howard Hughes or Albert Glassell might have metin their heyday.

4611 Montrose Blvd # A100 | Houston, TX 77006 | 713.807.8883

Pet Paradise truly is paradise forpets! The luxury pet resort provides aclean, safe and fun environment foryour pet while you are away. PetParadise has spacious play areas,indoor/outdoor climate-controlledsuites and a bone-shaped swimmingpool. Their holiday gift cards makethe perfect gift for pet lovers andtheir pets! What pet doesn’t deservea trip to paradise?

For more information,visit www.petparadiseresort.com

Just in Time for the Holidays!

Houston Livestock Show andRodeo™ Season and Mini-Season Tickets are on salenow. Guarantee your seatstoday to see Brooks & Dunn –The Last Rodeo Tour, JonasBrothers, Brad Paisley, TimMcGraw and more.

To purchase tickets, visitwww.rodeohouston.comor call 832.667.1080.

HolidayG

iftGuide



CABANA CACHAÇAThe only super-premium cachaça imported in the U.S. is adding a tropical twistto the coldest time of year. The national spirit of Brasil is a perfect complementto the wintry holidays, with the juxtaposition of the earthy spirit with the tradi-tional flavors of the season resulting in deliciously surprising cocktails.

Cabana Cachaça blends perfectly with cranber-ries, cinnamon and nutmeg in the original recipebelow. This innovative libation can be served atany size celebration and brings the opportunity toescape from the cold by adding some Brasilianspice to your traditional holiday party.

Holiday Caipirinha2 oz. Cabana5 lime quarters5 cranberries1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon-sugar blendDash of nutmeg

Muddle lime quarters, cranberries and cinnamon-sugarblend. Add Cabana and ice and shake. Pour into a rocksglass and garnish with 3 cranberries, a spring of rosemaryand a dash of ground nutmeg.

www.cabanacachaca.com

SOLÓRZANOTEQUILATHE TRUE SUAVE OF THE BLUE AGAVE

The super premium Solórzanotequila is primed to become themost coveted bottle to locate.Tequila Solórzano is crafted from100% Blue Agave plants that areallowed to mature eight yearsbefore harvest. The True Suave ofthe Blue Agave.

www.solorzanotequila.comSolórzano available at Spec's

Bak’s

BISON GRASS VODKASET TO “STAMPEDE” ACROSS TEXAS

THE TRUE SUAVE OF THE BLUE AGAVE

After over two decades of regulatory resistance,U.S. vodka connoisseurs can now celebratewith authentic Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka. Forcenturies in eastern Poland, massive buffalohave roamed the lush and fertile fields that arefull of rich flowers and “Zubrowka” or “BisonGrass,” an herb essential for survival and full ofvirility. High Society would celebrate huntingsuccesses with a special vodka flavored with“Bison Grass,” in belief this would yield grandpower and youthful virility which centuries laterhad been banned from American shores.

Untill Now!

This revolutionary product is not your typicalflavored vodka, rather a vodka rich in flavor.Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka retails for about$24.99/750ml.

Ask for it at Spec’s Downtown and your favoriteliquor stores. www.bisongrassvodka.com

TY KU PREMIUM LIQUEURCombining soft citrus, fresh melon with the balance of teas and botanicals,added to the subtle structure of premium Asian spirits. The delicately blendedtaste finishes with a hint of ginger, the drink is versatile, ideal alone or as themain ingredient in today’s resurgence of crafted cocktails

www.trytyku.com

NAUGHTY LEMONADE:2 parts TY KU LiqueurSimply LemonadeYour imagination!!!!!!!!!!!

Holi

dayG

iftG

uide




archichat

Photography by Jaime Lagdameo

FOUNDED IN 1991, JAY BAKER ARCHITECTS HAS PRODUCED A

BODY OF WORK RECOGNIZED FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE AT

LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS. FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

AS PRACTITIONER, TEACHER AND VOLUNTEER IN SERVICE OF THE

BUILT ENVIRONMENT, JAY BAKER WAS HONORED AS A FELLOWOF

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS IN 2002. WE SPENT A

WONDERFUL AFTERNOON AT HERMANN PARK WHERE JAY HAS

BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE HERMANN PARK

CONSERVANCY IN BRINGING NEW LIFE TO ONE OF HOUSTON’S

PREVIOUSLY UNDERUTILIZED ASSETS. ONCE LITTLE BIGS OPENS

THIS MONTH ON ZOO CIRCLE DRIVE OVERLOOKING THE LAKE,

WATCH OUT FOR A NEW CROWD RIDING THAT LITTLE TRAIN AT

“HAPPY HOUR”!

YOU ARE KNOWN FOR A LARGE AND VARIED BODY OF AWARD-WINNINGRESIDENTIAL WORK. WHAT ARE SOME COMMON THREADS IN HOW YOUAPPROACH DESIGN?Jay Baker Architects is a residential practice, and ours begins by defining programand place. Program defines need and just as importantly, want.

Place is something else again. What an architect sees as place is typically seen bya client (initially at least) as property. The difference is substantial, for in placeresides the clues to prompt a tailored response: sun orientation, vegetation, vehicu-lar and pedestrian access, neighborhood scale and adjacent structures, amongother things.

Fundamentally, uniting program with place depends on scale and proportion. Scaleinvolves respect for already existing adjacencies. Proportion involves the relation-ship between what is built and what is not. Indeed, it is as important to considerwhat not to build as much as what to build. Craft at the conceptual beginning isvital, for without it, craft at the assembly stage means relatively little. It has beenvery interesting over the years to compare similarities between the earliest doodleand the more refined documentation that appears later in the process.

Our process promotes logical investigation in pursuit of the authentic, as authentic-ity trumps the simply unique. As collaboration concludes on a project, our clientsshare authorship of something that is readily familiar to them, but that they hadn’tseen before.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING AN ARCHITECT?I grew up with a creative family, so I’ve always been involved with making things.But for me, the collaborative process is the most enjoyable aspect of practice. Of

course, that means collaborating with the talented and enthusiastic people in myoffice. Foremost, though, it means collaborating with our clients. A good architectbecomes better at his or her craft by having big ears before getting any big ideas.As collaboration leads to advocacy, the client gets the very best building that theyhave learned (and can afford) to build, no matter the scope, budget or aestheticsensibility.

YOU’VE HAD A LONG VOLUNTEER CAREER WITH THE RESTORATION OFHERMANN PARK, AND YOU RECENTLY RECEIVED THE CIVIC VISION AWARDFROM AIA HOUSTON FOR YOUR WORK THERE. TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

Not all design opportunities come about as the result of a commission. Sometimesone has to see an opportunity, become architect-citizen and simply raise your hand.

In 1992, as incoming President of Rice Design Alliance (RDA), I was challenged toaddress the downtrodden nature of Houston’s Hermann Park. It seemed to me thatusing design as a catalyst for change was not only appropriate, but might beuniquely effective.

The RDA, along with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friendsof Hermann Park as partners, sponsored an international design competitionfocused on the historic heart of the park. Winners were promised the commission.It was initiated in February of 1992; by the submittal deadline in October, we hadreceived 117 entries from 26 states, Italy and Puerto Rico. The competition renewedinterest in the entirety of Hermann Park’s 455 acres, and in 1993 a Master Plan byLaurie Olin began. By 1997, the Master Plan was adopted by City Council, and bylate in 2008, $51 million had been raised from both public funds and privatedonors for capital improvements to the park. The competition winners completed

By Sandra Gunn, a native Houstonian and Realtor. Her firm, Sandra Gunn Properties, specializes in the unique and prides themselves on being architects of community. | www.sandragunn.comSandra’s makeup by Asher - Kuhl Linscomb

JAY BAKER, FAIA | Jay Baker Architects www.jaybakerarchitects.comhometown grew up in Omaha, Nebraska education background Received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Iowa State University

and a Master’s degree from Rice University, where he subsequently taught architectural design for 10 years.

jay baker | sandra gunn



their Heart of the Park project in 2004.

My ongoing involvement has been as Board Member of the Hermann Park Conservancy where I chairthe Projects Committee.

ANY TRUTH TO THE RUMOR THERE IS GOING TO BE A “MARTINI BARGE” IN THE PADDLE BOATLAKE?He laughs….

WHAT WAS THE PROUDEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE?That’s a really hard question. I have two lovely daughters, so I can’t pick the birth of one over the other.So, I’ll say the day we broke ground on the reflection pool in Hermann Park, after 9 years of work-ing to make it happen. I look forward to many more days like that one.

WHAT PERSON HAS BEEN THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN YOURLIFE?My grandfather, Sam Reynolds. He was a U.S. senator and achampion golfer. He taught me how to play golf, showed me whatit was to be a gentleman, and built me a treehouse when I was 8and he was 75. Ever since that treehouse, I was fascinated by theprocess of making something. The desire to be an architect camepretty early.

pool aerial before and after south blvd. house shelby house

FAVORITESGadget Anything Apple makes

Gift Getting my Dad’s sense of humorFavorite Book lately, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Restaurant The Grill Room at The Four Seasons in New YorkBuilding The Kimball Art Museum, The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art

Motto Take note of your surroundings, value the power of imagination, and get involved


Lucky Strike Lanes - Bernard Bauri

Hotel Sorella Fashion Show - Michelle Watson

Barkitecture Yappy Hour - Claire Learned

Tequila Social at Cyclone Anaya's - Bernard Bauri

House of Blues Halloween Bash - Jonathan Lipking

All photographers by www.lastnightpics.com

Events / Photo Credit

EVENT: LUCKY STRIKE LANESWHY: GRAND OPENING CELEBRATIONWHERE: HOUSTON PAVILIONSWHEN: OCTOBER 8

On Thursday, October 8, Hollywood-based Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge opened the floodgatesto its 18th venue, located across from the House of Blues on the 3rd floor of Downtown’sHouston Pavilions. Despite the sweltering heat, droves of Houston’s hottest and hippest lined upto get a sneak peak at Lucky Strike’s lavish interior and sample nibbles like bacon-wrappeddates and tuna “midi burgers” from Executive Corporate Chef Bill Starbuck. The 24,886-sqflocale is no ordinary bowling alley – it’s a family friendly-yet-hip atmosphere by day, and sleek,clubby vibe by night. So cool!


Compiled by Pixie Ibañez


What a spooktacular night! Halloween enthusiasts flocked to the Foundation Room forwhat promised to be a hell of a party, and boy, did it deliver! It was crazy – good crazy– the line literally wrapped around the building and despite the wait, Halloweenians (Ijust made that up) kept their cool and their ready-to-party attitude. Among this year’smost vamped up costumes were Pirates, Octomoms, Jon and Kate plus Eight, a JellyFish, Twister, Pixies, a Terrorist Trio, Vikings and even a Mexican Piñata…oh! And therewere some eerie and sexy ones too. It was a ghoulishly good time!

EVENT: BOOS, BLUES & BOOZE 002 HALLOWEEN PARTYWHY: JUST FOR FUNWHERE: FOUNDATION ROOM @ HOUSE OF BLUESWHEN: OCTOBER 30

EVENT: FASHIONTINIWHY: TO BENEFIT CATWALK FOR A CUREWHERE: HOTEL SORELLA @ CITYCENTREWHEN: OCTOBER 22

Houston’s new kid on the block, Hotel Sorella @CityCentre, was definitely the place to be and beseen. It was a night of fashion, featuring the latesttrends from M2M. Partygoers sipped on signaturemartinis and nibbled on delicious bites from StraitsRestaurant. After the show, guest strolled their way toMonnalisa, a very chic, L.A- inspired lounge wheremodels from sexy swimsuit label Zingara showcasedthe latest styles and provided guests with plenty ofeye-catching entertainment.



BBaarrkkiitteeccttuurree Houston was a huge success, raising a very generous amount to benefit PPuupp SSqquuaadd, an ani-mal rescue group whose goal is to rescue orphaned animals, provide them full medical care and ultimatelyfind them a loving home. Fifteen firms participated, yielding a total of 21 custom and quirky doghouses,which were later auctioned off. “Best in Show” was awarded to NNeewwbbeerrrryy CCaammppaa AArrcchhiitteeccttss. Guestsenjoyed tasty seafood treats and refreshing cocktails from MMccCCoorrmmiicckk && SScchhmmiicckk’’ss. Yappy good time!

Rico Valencia and Vienna Molder, from the famous Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen restaurant, traveled to the mys-tical state of Jalisco, Mexico, in search of their very own single barrel ultra tequila and found what they were look-ing for at La Cofradia, Casa Noble Distillery. Family, friends and customers gathered at Cyclone Anaya’s for TequilaSocial, a fiesta to celebrate their new Cyclone Anaya’s hand-picked tequila available only for a limited time. Guestsnibbled on some of their new appetizers and sipped on Casa Noble single barrel signature margaritas. Guests alsohad the opportunity to meet the founder of Casa Noble, Jose Hermosillo, for a little Q&A.

EVENT: BARKITECTURE YAPPY HOURWHY: TO BENEFIT PUP SQUADWHERE: HOUSTON PAVILIONSWHEN: OCTOBER 23

EVENT: TEQUILA SOCIALWHY: TO INTRODUCE CYCLONE ANAYA’S NEWHAND-PICKED TEQUILAWHERE: CYCLONE ANAYA’SWHEN: OCTOBER 28



I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR. THE DECORATIONS UP ALL OVER

TOWN, THE CHANGE IN WEATHER, ALL THE PARTIES/COCKTAILS/GATHERINGS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

AND ALL THAT ENTAILS. I LOVE ALL THE SPECIALTY ITEMS STOCKED IN STORES AND MARKETS AND

SHOPPING FOR THEM. MY TRUNK IS USUALLY STOCKED WITH YUMMIES FOUND AT CENTRAL MARKET,

COSTCO, HEB, SPEC’S, WHOLE FOODS AND MORE. IT PROBABLY DOESN’T LOOK THIS PRETTY, BUT I DO

KEEP A LARGE BASKET IN THE TRUNK TO FILL! HERE ARE MY MOST RECENT FINDS.

*54. december 09 | www.002mag.com

things i likelove

By Carla Valencia de MartinezPhotography by Sofia van der Dys


Fratori Cutrea olive oil; whole wheat gnocchi atCentral Market; chocolate

truffles at

Central Market; Whole Food’s Feed bag; Queen Bee tea at Whole Foods; Villa Antinori

Toscana 2004 at Spec’s; Whole Foods gourmet gumdrops; chocolateoverload brown-

ies at Central Market; Torrone Toreno at Central Market; Thin Ribbon Candy at Central

Market; Candy Island Confections chocolate toffee corn at Whole Foods.

Fresh flowers from Whole Foods; Panettone from Central Market; blue mussels and clams;

mozarella di buffalo Podre Dei Leoni available at Central Market and Whole Foods; Marchese

Antinori 2004 Spec’s; Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home at Costco; Norda natural spring water;

Veuve Cliquot at Costco; Whole Food’s itty-bitty bundt cakes; thé de noel at Central Market;

Silverleaf Ghost Pepper salsa at Whole Foods;



ISS MARPLE? THAT’S WHAT NEIGHBORS CALL NOSYUS, BUT WE PREFER MS. SHERLOCK HOLMES. NOWTHAT’S A DETECTIVE.

So we crossed the pond to probe rumors that the elusiveVictorian-age sleuth would reappear twice after evaporating Without a Clue in1988.

It’s true. Come Christmas Day, Sherlock Holmes arrives as an action-drama directedby Madonna-ex Guy Ritchie, with Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law assidekick Dr. Watson.

No Brits seemed perturbed that the comely Law would play portly Watson, modeledby writer Arthur Conan Doyle on himself. Nor did they mind subtlety being sacri-ficed on Hollywood’s altar with a James Bond-like plot of a Satanic cult attackingBritain. Rather, they dissed American Downey as the latest to play their hero onscreen, TV or stage. Just wait till they hear about the next film, with Borat’s SachaBaron Cohen as Holmes and Will Farrell as Watson.

Still, if all the world’s a stage, Brits are at its center, with iconic heroes of moderntimes (Bond) and yesteryear (Holmes) who overlap more than you’d think.

So the game was afoot as we chased clues to a new view of ol’ Britannia: rarely vis-ited movie locales and the moody moors of Devon, central to Doyle’s top novel, TheHound of the Baskervilles.

THE CASE OF THE SPIRAL DESCENT“Ours is a gritty take on Holmes,” says Holmes location manager, Adam Richards.“We made it darker and more real.” Imagine horse-drawn Hansom cabs clatteringdown foggy, cobbled streets and sinister gaslit alleys with danger lurking in eachshadow.

Holmes does. Downey fights then flees down the grand circular staircase of St. Paul’sCathedral, rarely seen by the public – other than in Harry Potter and the Goblet of

Fire (stpauls.co.uk). At the bottom, he lunges through a door … and ends up in thecrypt at St. Bartholomew the Great, a church whose carved wooden pews facing thecenter aisle were flaunted in Four Weddings and a Funeral’s final nuptials.

This time, think chants not vows: Ritchie used St. Bart’s for a sacrifice. “It’s only afilm,” says rector Martin Dudley. “I have more problem with opera than Satanism.”Besides, the crew spiffed up after filming – a nice perk since 300-year-old St. Paul’s,the world’s first Anglican church, had spent $59 million for a soot lift by hand,exposing gleaming white bones.

Speaking of the skeletal: fog laces Victorian-era Brompton Cemetery, where moss-encrusted, leaning headstones are topped with chipped crosses and crying marbleangels. A pivotal character is buried here – though his grave is found empty. ButHolmesian spookiness isn’t the cemetery’s sole draw. With a regal colonnade and39 acres of weeping ash, copper beech and Japanese cherry trees, it’s hosted asplendid funeral in Johnny Depp’s Finding Neverland and a chapel set in Russia in007 flick Goldeneye. From the tombstones, author Beatrix Potter even borrowednames for characters Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin (www.Royalparks.org.uk).Still, we were glad the cemetery closes at 6 – it’s too scary after dark.

THE CASE OF THE LEPRECHAUN AND THE PUNCH BOWLWell-known Holmes haunts left us yawning. “In The Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes”guide Adam Scott made a charming 6’ leprechaun with kelly-green shoes, yet evenFreemason’s Hall, the film’s secret sect headquarters, was dull. Other tours focus onDa Vinci Code and Harry Potter sites (www.londonwalks.com).

But not to be missed are the Baker Street underground station’s silhouettes of Holmes’head – with hawk nose, deerstalker hat and calabash pipe endlessly repeated ontiled walls. So much for London’s smoking bans!

An army of white-bonneted Mrs. Hudsons (Holmes’ housekeeper) arm cash registersat the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221 B Baker Street, where thick dust makes waxfigures look like the walking dead. Our advice is elementary: Hire a new maid!(www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk)


M

destination

By Michele MeyerPhotography by UK

the langham

ON THE TRAIL OF SHERLOCK HOLMESWHERE TO STAY– To think the Milestone was once a lunatic asylum. The Victorian-era boutique hotel now boasts elegant themed suites with modern comforts

of flat-screen TV, Penhaligon’s bath products, personalized calling cards and a pet preference form for fave bedding and treats(www.milestonehotel.com, starts at $420).

– The Langham, built in 1865, reopened in April as a businessperson’s dream, though charging $30 a day for broadband Internet is mostunciv il! But we loved being steps from famed discounters Top Shop, H&M and Marks and Spencers (www.langhamhotels.com, starts at $667).


Rather than the Sherlock Holmes Pub (sherlockholmespub.com), we recommendRitchie’s own “boozer,” as locals say, The Punch Bowl, where the director and Law gotpunchy with ale. Some label Ritchie a “Mayfair Mockney” (think cockney) for enter-taining Prince William, Bono and Paris Hilton with New Zealand wine and organicsmoked salmon (41 Farm Street, Mayfair).

THE CASE OF THE MISSING WAISTLINEHolmes haunts aren’t complete without hopping a train two hours southwest to ExeterSt. Davids, then hiring a ruddy guide to explore fogswept Dartmoor. Like Watson, wetraipsed “the sodden moor, full of dark imaginings, the rain beating … the windwhistling.”

Famished, we tucked into (OK, binged on) warm scones piled with clotted cream inPrincetown. So what if clotted could refer to its effect on arteries! It’s simply divine –and if it explains Doyle’s figure, we don’t blame him.

Call it further research when we took a horse and trap – as the author might have –to a five-course Victorian dinner at Laughter Hole House, a private manor where per-formers re-enact Hound. Easily a highlight (baskervillecarriages.co.uk/).

So were ghostly tales of mischievous pixies told ’round the fire at Devon’s Bovey Castle(www.boveycastle.com). Waistcoated and chiseled-chinned storyteller Chris Salisbury,aka Spindle Wayfarer, proved words (and song) make great theatre. We could seehis Old Meg of the Moor with “skin stretched like greased parchment” leaping beforea “cauldron that bubbled and spat.” Says Salisbury, “Celtic mythology lives in the airbetween people.”

And so it is your turn, dear reader, to weave the next tale.


the milestone | The black and white conservatory


as told to 002’s highly solicited man by Club Etiquette founding director, Gigi Lewis, who has been teaching social and business etiquettesince 1995. Keep these tips close and they’ll get you through the holidays in top form! Club Etiquette, 281.589.5437, 14351 Chadbourne Drive +www.clubetiquette.com. Also on Facebook. Photography by Gabriella Nissen | Dummy clothes by M2M Fashion www.m2mfashion.com

to have impeccable manners

DININGHow many times have you taken your neighbor’s bread plate?

DO Try applying BMW – follow the letters from left to rightBread, Meal, Water...It’s very embarrassing if you eat from the

wrong bread and butter plate. I unfortunately know from experience.What do you do if there is no bread and butter plate?

IN HOME GET–TOGETHERIt’s the season for events held in homesDON’T forget a host/hostess gift.DON’T bring fresh flowers wrapped in paper. This makes the host wastetime finding a vase, trimming the flowers, adding water, etc.DO bring flowers in a vase ready to place.

DON’T put the bread directly on the table cloth....

DO place bread on yourdinner plate if a b & b

(bread and butter) plate isnot provided at a meal.

David Brown(713.664.0466) offersthese great host gifts,wrapped and ready to place.



HOLDING A WINEGLASS PROPERLY

DO hold at the base of thestem.

DON’T get your fingers allover the glass and heat upthe wine with your bodyheat!

DO RSVP promptly for anevent. There is a legiti-mate reason for this! I hadan extra 100 people showup to my wedding recep-tion and we ran out offood and drink!DON’T bring peoplealong with you to anevent you were invitedto. This is what happenedat my wedding.....the lawsof etiquette state, onlybring who is addressedon the envelope, period. Ifit is an informal event,and you are unsure ifyou can bring yourspouse, significant otheror a friend, there is noth-ing wrong with asking thehost(ess), just as long asyou do it in a non-coer-cive way.

DO send a thank you for a giftreceived. A quick e-mail is OK, butdoes not replace a handwrittennote. It should be around 3 lineslong, mention the gift item and howyou will use it.

DON’T text or email your formalthank you!

SENDINGTHANK YOU’S

& RSVP’ING to events

bon appetit



Miele al Tartufo (truffle honey) similar varieities available at Central Market



Prosciutto di San Daniele available at Central Market and Whole Foods



The perfect tunic shirt Rebecca & Drew



Nespresso CitiZ Coffee Machine at Sur la Table



DO YOU VOLUNTEER? Yes! American HeartAssociation, United Way.

DO YOU RECYCLE? Yes.

DO YOU SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGESFLUENTLY? No.

WHAT MAGAZINE—OTHER THAN 002 NATURAL-LY—WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FEATURED ON THECOVER OF? Modern Healthcare, Time, Golf Digest.

ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO EAT PIZZA FOR BREAK-FAST OR CEREAL FOR DINNER? Cereal for dinner.

SLIPPERS OR BARE FEET AROUND THE HOUSE?Bare feet.

WHAT AWARDS HAVE YOU WON? I have been for-tunate to be recognized with several, the most recentbeing the AHA Grassroots Champion Award and theHealth Access Texas Public Health Award.

ARE YOU NAMED FOR ANYONE? IS ANYONENAMED FOR YOU? No! My son’s name is Daniel.

DO YOU HAVE A GARDEN? No

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BRAG ABOUTYOURSELF? I am a great husband, father and golfer.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SAYING OR LIFE MOTTO?“It is what it is” and “Tough times never last, but toughpeople do!”

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON THECOMPUTER EACH DAY? About an hour a dayanswering e-mails.

DO YOU WATCH TV SHOWS OR MOVIES ON THEINTERNET? No.

DO YOU CARRY PHOTOS IN YOURWALLET? Yes, of my wife and children.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Cincinnati, Ohio.

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY?With extended family at a Mexican restaurant.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? Filet mignon andbaked potato.

WHAT’S ON YOUR KEY RING? Car key, house keyand office key.

HOW MANY SONGS ARE ON YOUR IPOD®?WHAT’S THE NEWEST ONE? 377, Leona Lewis–Bleeding Love.

WHAT REALITY SHOW DO YOU WATCH? None.

WHAT HOLIDAY WOULD YOU DECLARE? NationalStress-free Day – first Friday in April.

WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY? Do theright things, the right way, for the right reasons..

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR HOME? Mywife, 3 children and 3 cats live there and it is a warm,comfortable environment.

IF WE COULD INTRODUCE YOU TO ANYONE,WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? (YOU NEVERKNOW WHO WE KNOW!) Jack Nicklaus – to learnto get the most out of your God-given talents, how tobe humble when you have great success, how to bal-ance an excellent career with family responsibilities …and golf tips!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO INHOUSTON?-Play golf at all the outstanding courses in the area.-Eat out at one of the many great restaurantsin Houston.-Attend Houston Rockets, Houston Texans and HoustonAstros games.- Walk in Memorial Park.

PROFILE WITH GREG SCHEINMAN ON PBS, PRESENTED BY IW MARKS, IS A UNIQUE DOC-UMENTARY STYLE TV PROGRAM GIVING YOU AN ALL-ACCESS PASS INTO THE LIVES OFHOUSTON’S MOST PROLIFIC PERSONALITIES FROM THE WORLDS OF BUSINESS, PHILAN-THROPY, ENTERTAINMENT, THE ARTS AND SPORTS. IN COLLABORATION WITH PROFILEON PBS CHANNEL 8, 002HOUSTON MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO BRING YOU A SNEAK PEEKINTO THIS NEW SHOW TURNING KEY HOUSTONIANS INSIDE OUT.


Dan Wolterman joined Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in 1999and was named President and CEO in 2002. Before joining MemorialHermann, he was Senior Vice President of the Sisters of Charity of theIncarnate Word Health Care System. Mr. Wolterman earned a B.S. degreein business administration in 1979 and an M.B.A. in finance in 1980 fromthe University of Cincinnati and a Masters Degree in healthcare administra-tion from Xavier University in 1982. He has over 27 years experience inthe healthcare industry and a long history of community involvement. Mr.Wolterman has been Chairman of numerous organizations, including theGreater Houston Partnership, Texas Hospital Association Board of Directors,Voluntary Hospitals of America – Texas Board of Directors, Air Quality TaskForce (at the request of Mayor Bill White), and is a board member of theAmerican Heart Association, Houston Region and the Greater Gulf CoastChapter of United Way. He has received numerous recognitions, mostrecently the AHA Grassroots Champion Award, Health Access Texas PublicHealth Award, InterFaith Care Partners Sustaining Presence Award andXavier University Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, he was namedone of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare 2009 by ModernHealthcare magazine. Married to Lori Genitempo Wolterman, they havethree children, Daniel, Savannah and Linleigh.

dan wolterman | greg scheinman

DAN WOLTERMANPRESIDENT + CEO MEMORIAL HERMANN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

002profile

Interview by Greg Scheinman


INCAPACITY means that you are eithermentally or physically unable to takecare of yourself or your day-to-dayaffairs. Incapacity can result from seriousphysical injury, mental or physical ill-ness, mental retardation, advancingage, and alcohol or drug abuse.

INCAPACITY CAN STRIKE ANYONE ATANYTIME. Even with today’s medicalmiracles, it’s a real possibility that you oryour spouse could become incapable ofhandling your own medical or financialaffairs. A serious illness or accident canhappen suddenly at any age. Advancingage can bring senility, Alzheimer’s dis-ease or other ailments that affect yourability to make sound decisions aboutyour health, or to pay your bills, writechecks, make deposits, sell assets or oth-erwise conduct your affairs.

PLANNING AHEAD CAN ENSURE THATYOUR WISHES ARE CARRIED OUT.Designating one or more individuals toact on your behalf can help ensure thatyour wishes are carried out if youbecome incapacitated. Otherwise, a rel-ative or friend must ask the court toappoint a guardian for you, a publicprocedure that can be emotionally drain-ing, time consuming and expensive. Anattorney can help you prepare legal doc-uments that will give individuals you trustthe authority to manage your affairs.

MANAGING YOUR PROPERTY WITH ALIVING TRUST, DURABLE POWER OFATTORNEY OR JOINT OWNERSHIP. Ifno one is ready to look after your finan-cial affairs when you can’t, your proper-ty may be wasted, abused or lost. You’llneed to put in place at least one of thefollowing options to help protect yourproperty in the event you become inca-pacitated.

YOU CAN TRANSFER OWNERSHIP OFYOUR PROPERTY TO A REVOCABLE LIV-ING TRUST. You name yourself as trusteeand retain complete control over youraffairs as long as you retain

capacity. If you become incapacitated,your successor trustee (the person younamed to run the trust if you can’t) auto-matically steps in and takes over themanagement of your property. A livingtrust can survive your death, but it can beexpensive to maintain and administer.

A DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY(DPOA) allows you to authorize someoneelse to act on your behalf. There are twotypes of DPOAs: a standby DPOA,which is effective immediately, and aspringing DPOA, which is not effectiveuntil you have become incapacitated. ADPOA should be fairly simple and inex-pensive to implement. It also ends at yourdeath. A springing DPOA is not permit-ted in some states, so you’ll want tocheck with an attorney.

ANOTHER OPTION IS TO HOLD YOURPROPERTY IN CONCERT WITH OTHERS.This arrangement may allow someoneelse to have immediate access to theproperty and to use it to meet yourneeds. Joint ownership is simple andinexpensive to implement. However,there are some disadvantages to the jointownership arrangement. Some examplesinclude (1) your co-owner has immediateaccess to your property, (2) you lack theability to direct the co-owner to use theproperty for your benefit, (3) namingsomeone who is not your spouse as co-owner may trigger gift tax consequencesand (4) if you die before the other jointowner(s), your property interests willpass to the other owner(s) without regardto your own intentions, which may bedifferent.

Please submit your financial questions [email protected] or call713.840.3640. All personal informationis kept confidential. All submissions willbe responded to but may not appear inthe publication.

HAL LYNDE /ANSWERING FINANCIALQUESTIONS THAT COUNT

SHOULD I BECONCERNED WITH

INCAPACITY?

hal lynde


finance

By Hal Lynde, Managing Director,Morgan Keegan

Photography by Daniel Ortiz


LOVE that LARAMIE...A big ole chrome bumper and commanding chrome grill sits at the tip of the tractor trailer-likehood. Chrome is king of the 20” rims, on the gas cap, dual exhaust pipes and RAM insignia. Asa result, this baby turns the heads of men and women both on and off the road. Make no mistakeit is THE Mack Daddy! Second to its compelling presence is interior luxury. Expect to discover allthe features you’ve come to expect in a luxury SUV including video entertainment with Sirius TV forpassengers on the heated second row, a heated leather wrapped steering wheel for the driver,whose seat also cools (as does the front passenger’s), a very nice 506-watt Alpine stereo with satel-lite radio, iPod connection, navigation system, back-up camera, rear park assist and a powerful5.7 liter V8 Hemi engine. Keep your tools and other precious items locked in the side boxes thatalign the lighted rear cab with locking tailgate. Class IV receiving hitch for towing allows you topull one mighty heavy load. Keep this in mind when you realize the MPG rating at 14 city/20 high-way, at $48,315. So if power with a huge heaping of style is what sets you apart, LOVE isLARAMIE!

L IISS FFOORR LOVETTHHIISS CCHHRRIISSTTMMAASS!!

LOVE that LACROSSE…Designers at Buick are doing all they can to shake the image of “grand-pop’s whip.” And in theLacrosse CXS for 2010, they’ve come 360 degrees! Intending to attract the eyes of a Lexus buyer,Lacrosse offers a competent 3.6 liter V6 engine, a bodacious Lincoln-esque grill to decorate theupswept hood highlighted by chrome-covered air vents and sleek, Lexus-eque body with semi-sculpted front and rear quarter panels. Touch the handle of any door (with the remote in close prox-imity) for interior access, where – get this – there are no more bench seats! Everything is convenient-ly within arm’s reach. And you’ll love the ambient lighting across the wood trimmed dashboard.From here touch the button and it’s on, so you can be gone! Even with Harmon Kardon’s 384-wattstereo you get more thump than clarity. However, rather than a navigation system, you’ll receive oneyear of turn-by-turn directions from Onstar, rear park assist and Bluetooth at an MSRP of $33,015,including 17mpg city and 27 highway. Buick – you’ve come a long way, baby!

LOVE that LEXUS… All new for the pack leader in Japanese luxury is the Lexus HS 250h sedan. Celebrated as thebrand’s first dedicated hybrid design, the HS offers Lexus luxury in a fuel-efficient, technologicallyadvanced design. Built on the Prius platform with bigger/wider18-inch wheels and tasteful hybridinsignia, HS is turning heads all over town. Inside it boasts all the goodies you’d expect a Lexus toinclude: automatic windows (up/down, all 4), heated/cooled seats, navigation with voice recogni-tion and real-time traffic voice updates, a crisp yet thumping 15-speaker Mark Levinson stereo, lanekeep assistance, radar cruise control, front/rear park assist and a pre-collision system with driverattention monitor to zap you out of a daze. All of this with a 2.4 liter electric-drive motor yielding35 MPG city/34 highway, at an MSRP of $36,970. And did I mention rain-sensing wipers? I lovethose!

vroom,vroom

By Michael Andre Adams



FLO TV Personal TelevisonHandheld analog TV sets became obsolete earlier thisyear when broadcasters shifted to digital signals. So foron-the-go entertainment or to watch TV during poweroutages, it’s time to get a new gadget. FLO TV offers a5-ounce, 3.5-inch touch-screen and a tuner that receivescontent via the FLO mobile TV network. The recentlylaunched service features live broadcasts of shows frommost of the major networks and such cable staples asESPN, MTV and Nickelodeon. The MediaFLO broadcastservice is available in over 86 metro areas and it’sexpected to reach 200 million consumers by year end. Its

battery supports more than 5hours of active FLO TV viewing or300 hours standby. A touch-screenmakes for easy navigation and thebuilt-in stand helps position itupright on any flat surface.Neverleave home without your TVagain.

$250 plus $9 per month |www.flotv.com

Keyboard Scanner

Desktop real estate in your home oroffice is valuable. Fewer devicesmean your desk will have moreroom and less clutter. All-in-one

gadgets are popular and here is aperipheral that kills two birds with

one stone. KeyScan, the inventor of the integrated keyboard-scan-ner, recently launched its KS810-Plus Imaging Keyboard. Quite

simply it has a scanner built in to the top of a keyboard. And it issimple to use. It features a no-touch, auto scan software that letsyou complete your most frequent scanning task without touching

any buttons. The scanner is speedy and grabs images in both colorand gray. I had no problem scanning single and multiple pagesand plastic-coated ID cards. KeyScan even put a USB hub in thekeyboard to make it easy for plugging in more devices without

crawling under your desktop.

$99.99 | www.keyscan.com

WiFi EnabledBody Scale

Why does the world need ascale with WiFi?

Because it can bemanufactured,that’s why. But ifyou are into moni-

toring your health andweight this is a pretty cool

product. The WiFi Body Scale auto-matically records a user’s body weight,

lean & fat mass, and calculated body mass index (BMI) to his/hersecure webpage and/or iPhone application. With its extra-flat(.9“) black and steel design, the scale looks great in any bath-room. It uses bioelectric impedance analysis to calculate a user’sbody fat composition. And it tracks an entire family’s healthprogress with its multi-user function – recognizing up to 8 usersthe moment they step on the scale and adds the stats to their indi-vidual tracking graphs.

$159 | www.withings.com

Motorola DROIDThis indeed may be the “iPhone killer” that wireless phone com-panies continue to tout at each new handset release. Launchedin early November by Verizon Wireless, the DROID delivers auser-friendly experience that rivals Apple’s ubiquitous smart-

phone. The DROID is the first smartphone powered by Google’sAndroid 2.0 operating system. Though a tiny bit heavier than atypical PDA, it has a very thin slide-out keyboard for users whodon’t want to use its virtual keyboard. The 3.7” hi-res screen is

brilliant and the touchscreen zoom, pan and scroll featuresmade navigating menus and the web almost too easy. Verizonclaims to have the fastest 3G network and I saw no issues evenwith heavy video downloads. A built-in

5 megapixel camera couldmake you throw away your reg-

ular camera and the video isDVD quality. The Google Market

(think App Store) already has10,000+ applications and, ofcourse, everything by Google

works flawlessly.

$199 with two-year contractwww.verizonwireless.com

Michael Garfield is known as “The High-Tech Texan®.” His radio program airs on The 9-5-0 weekdays from 9am-11am andSaturdays 11am-2pm. Visit his website at www.hightechtexan.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @hightechtexan.

tools+toys+gadgets

By Michael Garfield



american

*17 inside Hotel Alden1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800www.aldenhotels.com

Artista In the Hobby Center800 Bagby. 713.278.4782www.cordua.com

Americas www.cordua.com•1800 Post Oak Blvd. 713.961.1492•21 Waterway Ave. 281.367.1492

Barnaby’s www.barnabyscafe.com•5750 Woodway. 713.266.0046•1701 S. Shepherd. 713.520.5131•414 West Gray. 713.522.8898•604 Fairview. 713.522.0106•602 Fairview. 713.522.4229

Benjy’s www.benjys.com•2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602•5922 Washington Ave. 713.868.1131

BISTRO ALEX NEW www.bistroalex.com800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy CityCentre713.827.3545

Block 7 Wine Company720 Shepherd Dr.713.572.2565 www.block7wineco.com

Boom Boom Room2518 Yale St. 713.868.3740www.theboomboomroomhouston.com

Bowl www.eatbowl.com607 Richmond. 832.582.7218

CAVA BISTRO www.cavabistrohouston.com300 Main St. 713.229.9504

Courses inside the Art Institute of Houston1900 Yorktown. 713.353.3644

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood12848 Queensbury Ln.832.200.2380 www.eddiev.com

FOUNDATION ROOM | House of Blues1204 Caroline. 832.667.7800www.houseofblues.com/foundationroom

Daily Review Caféwww.dailyreviewcafe.com3412 West Lamar.713.520.9217

Glasswall www.glasswalltherestaurant.com933 Studemont. 713.868.7930

La Strada www.lastradahouston.com322 Westheimer. 713.523.1014

The Lake House1600 McKinney. 713.337.7320www.thelakehousehouston.com

Mariposa Neiman Marcus2600 Post Oak Blvd. 713.621.7100 ext. 2166

McCormick and Schmick’s•1151 Uptown Park. 713.840.7900•1201 Fannin St. 713.658.8100www.mccormickandschmicks.com

Noe www.noerestaurant.comFour Riverway. 713.871.8177

Open City www.ochouston.com2416 Brazos. 713.522.0118

Polos Signature www.polosignature.com3800 Southwest Frwy. 713.626.8100

Post Oak Grill www.postoakgrill.com1415 S. Post Oak. 713.993.9966

Quattro www.fourseasons.com1300 Lamar. 713.276.4700

Ray’s Franks & More1302 Nance St. 713.224.6441

RDG | Bar Annie www.rdgbarannie.com1800 Post Oak Blvd. 713.840.1111

Ruggles Green www.rugglesgreen.com2311 West Alabama. 713.533.0777

Tart Café www.tartcafe.com4411 Montrose. 713.526.8278

Textile www.textilerestaurant.com611 W. 22nd Street. 832.209.7174

Shade www.shadeheights.com250 W. 19th St. 713.863.7500

The Grove www.thegrovehouston.com1611 Lamar. 713.337.7321

Voice Hotel Icon220 Main. 832.667.4470 www.hotelicon.com

asian

Auntie Chang’s Dumpling House2621 S. Shepherd. 713.524.8410www.auntiechangs.com

Kam’s [chinese]

4500 Montrose Blvd. #C.713.529.5057

Kubo’s www.kubos-sushi.com2414 University Blvd. #200. 713.528.7878

LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE [vietnamese]801 Congress St. 713.547.0444www.lesgivrals.com

Pagoda [vietnamese] www.pagodabistro.com4705 Inker St. 832.673.0400

RA SUSHI www.rasushi.com•3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800•12860 Queensnbury Ln. #234713.331.2792

Straits [singaporean]www.straitsrestaurants.com800 West Sam Houston Parkway N,713.365.9922

UPTOWN SUSHI www.uptown-sushi.comUptown Park. 713.871.1200

Zake2946 S. Shepherd. 713.526.6888

ZUSHI www.zushihouston.com5900 Memorial Dr., #102.713.861.5588

bakery+coffee+others

Antidote Coffee729 Studewood. 713.861.7400www.myspace.com/antidotecoffee

Café Brasil2604 Dunlavy. 713.528.1993

COCO’S CREPES www.cocoscrepes.com218 Gray St. 713.521.0700

Don Diego Coffeewww.dondiegocoffee.com208 Travis. 713.228.3560

The Coffee Groundzwww.coffeegroundz.net2503 Bagby. 713.874.0082

Tiny Boxwood’s www.tinyboxwoods.com3614 W. Alabama St. 713.622.4224

Diedrich Coffee www.diedrich.com4005 Montrose. 713.526.1319

Inversion Coffee House1953 Montrose, #A.713.523.4866www.inversioncoffee.com

Kraftsmen Bakingwww.kraftsmenbaking.com4100 Montrose, #C. 713.524.7272

Taft Street Coffee2115 Taft. 713.522.3533

bar-b-que

Beaver’s www.beavershouston.com2310 Decatur St. 713.864.2328

Goode Company TXBarbecuewww.goodecompany.com5109 Kirby. 713.522.2530

Luling Bar-B-Q Bar138 West Gray. 713.520.6400

Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue www.pizzitolas.com1703 Shepherd. 713.227.2283

breakfast

11th St. Café748 E. 11th St. 713.862.0089

Avalon Drug Co. & Diner•2417 Westheimer. 713.527.8900•12810 Southwest Frwy. 281.240.0213

CAFÉ ROSÉ NEWwww.bistroalex.com/cafe-rose

800 W. Sam Houston PkwyCityCentre 713.827.3545

Crave Cupcakeswww.couture-cupcakes.com

1151 Uptown Park Blvd.713.622.7283

Empire Café www.empirecafe.net1732 Westheimer. 713.528.5282

Fountain View Café1842 Fountain View. 713.785.9060

More Than Cakeswww.morethancakes.com1100 West Dallas. 713.652.5132

Rustika Café3237 Southwest Frwy. 713.665.6226

Sugar Baby's Cupcakeswww.ilovesugarbabys.com3310 S Shepherd. 713.527.8427

The Breakfast Klubwww.thebreakfastklub.com3711 Travis. 713.528.8561

The Buffalo Grillewww.thebuffalogrille.com

•3116 Bissonnet. 713.661.3663•1301 S. Voss. 713.784.3663

THE FRUIT PALETTE NEWwww.thefruitpalette.com

2413 Rice Blvd. 713.523.7848

cajun+creole+southern

Houston’s This Is It Soulfood207 W. Gray. 713.659.1608www.thisisithouston.com

Mardi Gras Grillwww.mardigrasgrill.net

1200 Durham. 713.864.5600

Treebeards•315 Travis. 713.228.2622•1117 Texas. 713.229.8248•1100 Louisiana. 713.752.2601•700 Rusk. 713.224.6677

Zydeco Louisiana Diner1119 Pease. 713.759.2001

european+french

Brasserie Max and Julie [french]4315 Montrose. 713.524.0070www.maxandjulie.net

Charivari Specialty[european]2521 Bagby. 713.271.7231www.charivarirest.com

Feast [european] www.feasthouston.com219 Westheimer. 713.529.7788

indian

Kiran’s www.kiranshouston.com4100 Westheimer. 713.960.8472

Narin’s Bombay Brasserie3005 W. Loop South. 713.622.2005www.narinsbombaybrasserie.com

Shiva Indian Restaurant2415 Times Blvd. 713.523.4753www.shivarestaurant.com

italian

ARCODORO www.arcodoro.com5000 Westheimer. 713.621.6888

ARTURO’S www.arturosuptown.comUptown Park. 713.621.1180

MIA BELLA www.miabellatrattoria.com•2006 Lexington St. 713.237.0505•320 Main. 713.237.0505•110 Vintage Park. 281.251.8930•Houston Pavilions (Coming Soon)

Mingalone Italian Bar & Grill540 Texas. 713.223.0088www.mingalone.com

Ristorante Cavour Hotel Granduca.www.granducahouston.com1080 Uptown Park.713.418.1000

*17

foundation room

zushi

ra sushi

les givral’skahve


uptown sushi

restaurantlistings


Valentino + Vin Bar Hotel Dereck.www.valentinorestaurantgroup.com2525 West Loop South. 713-850-9200

latin

Café Piquet [cuban]6053 Bissonnet. 713.664.1031

CIELO MEXICAN BISTROwww.cielomexicanbistro.com300 Main St. 713.229.9500

CYCLONE ANAYA’S [mex]•5761 Woodway Dr. 713.339.4552•309 Gray St. 713.520.6969•1710 Durham Dr. 713.862.3209www.cycloneanaya.com

El Meson [cuban]2425 University. 713.522.9306

El Patio [mex]•6444 Westheimer.713.780.0410•2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181

El Rey [cuban-mex]•233 Main. 713.225.1895•910 Shepherd. 713.802.9145

El Tiempo Cantina [mex]

•3130 Richmond. 713.807.1600•5602 Washington. 713.681.3645•1308 Montrose. 713.807.8996www.eltiempocantina.com

FREEB!RDS WORLD BURRITOwww.freebirds.com•3745 Greenbriar. 713.524.0621•528 W. Bay Area Blvd. 281.557.2300•6940 FM 1960 West. 281.444.3336•9774 Katy Fwy. #700. 832.358.0300•1923 Taylor, # F. 713.862.0080•1640 Lake Woodlands Dr. 281.419.80CATERING 888.392.2287

Guadalajara del Centro1201 San Jacinto. 713.650.0101www.guadalajarahacienda.com

Irma’s [mex]•22 N. Chenevert. 713.222.0767

•1314 Texas. 713.247.9651

The Lemon Tree [peru]12591 Whittington.

281.556.0690

TILA’S [mex] www.tilas.com1111 S. Shepherd.713.522.7654

Lucio’s [new american latin]905 Taft. 713.523.9958

Maria Selma [mex]www.mariaselma.com1617 Richmond. 713.528.4920

Ninfa's The Original2704 Navigation Blvd. 713.228.1175

ONION PATCH [cuban-peru]1011 Hamerly Blvd. 713.722.0666

Picazo Restaurant Bar & Grill1421 Preston. 713.236.1300www.picazodowntown.com

Rioja Spanish Tapaswww.riojarestaurant.com11920 Westheimer. 281.531.5569

Tacos a Go-Gowww.tacosagogo.com3704 Main. 713.807.8226

mediterranean+greek

Droubi Bros.•507 Dallas. 713.625.0058•919 Milam. 713.571.6800

Cafe Lili [lebanese]www.cafelili.com5757 Westheimer. 713.952.6969

NIKO NIKO’Swww.nikonikos.com

2520 Montrose. 713.528.1308

SAFFRON MOROCCAN CUISINE2006 Lexington. 713.522.3562www.saffronhouston.com

pizza

Candelari’s www.candelaris.com6002 Washington. 832.200.1474

Dolce Vita Pizzeria y Enoteca500 Westheimer. 713.520.8222

www.dolcevitahouston.com

Frank’s Pizza www.frankspizza.com417 Travis. 713.225.5656

Pink’s Pizza www.pinkspizza.com•710 West Gray. 713.521.7465•1403 Heights Blvd. 713.864.7465

Star Pizza www.starpizza.net•77 Harvard. 713.869.1241•2111 Norfolk. 713.523.0800

steak+chops

Fleming’s Prime Steakhousewww.flemingssteakhouse.com•2405 W. Alabama. 713.520.5999•788 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. North713.827.1120

Morton’s www.mortons.com•5000 Westheimer. 713.629.1946•1001 McKinney. 713.659.3700

MO’S www.mosrestaurants.com1801 Post Oak Blvd. 713.877.0720

Pappas Bros. Steakhousewww.pappasbros.com5839 Westheimer Rd. 713.780.7352

Spencer’s Steaks & Chops1600 Lamar. 713.577.8325www.spencersforsteaksandchops.com

Strip House www.theglaziergroup.com1200 McKinney. 713.659.6000

Shula's SteakhouseHyatt Regency1200 Louisiana St.713.375.4777


mo’s

niko niko’s

tila’s

cyclone anaya’s

freebirds

LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE - 801 Congress St. #101., Houston, TX 77002 | 713.547.0444 | www.lesgivrals.comComing Soon... 4601 Washington Ave. | Houston, TX 77007

Best “Lunch Spot” 2006 Best “Vietnamese” 2005, 2006, Best “Sandwich” 2004, 2005 - AOL City Guide, City Search, Houston Press.Best “Cheap Eats” 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, Best “Take Out” 2008, Best “Downtown Restaurant” 2007

A favorite among 002houston staffers, LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE is set to open at 4601 Washington Avenue. The yummy French Vietnameserestaurant known for its sandwiches, noodle dishes and pho is opening up a new beautiful space. Expect a full bar, large patio and new additionalitems fusing current items with monthly changing options. Plus they’ll be open late!

LAS VENTANAS RESTAURANT & CANTINA 14555 Grisby Road., Houston, TX 77079 @ Energy Corridor281.752.6990

COMING SOON!Authentic Mexican food lovers can breathe a sigh of relief, Alex Sneider is back! After working 17 years with hisfather, owner of Houston institution Las Alamedas, Alex is venturing on his own with Las Ventanas Restaurant &Cantina, set to open early 2010. With the help of Executive Chef Erasto Ceja, Las Ventanas’ menu promises tooffer patrons true authentic "Mexico City style" food in a relaxed family atmosphere. The large, tree-coveredoutdoor patio will be the perfect place to enjoy their signature margaritas. See you soon, Amigos!

ONION PATCH 10111 Hammerly Blvd., Houston, TX 77080 | 713.722.0666

"Only at the Onion Patch will you find a unique blend of Peruvian, Cuban, Italian andAmerican food in a warm, family-friendly setting. We make everything fresh from start to finish, and it shows.You can almost taste the cilantro and lime...the delicious, Latin-inspired flavors wafting through Dalia's kitchen.Freshly made Peruvian ceviche that pleases the palate like no other. Delectable Cuban pulled pork, waiting to besavored. Italian style thin-crust pizza made from scratch, just like the one you had at that restaurant in Naples.Imagine all of your favorite meals enjoyed from your travels – or even your dream destinations – here at one place.Be transported."


small plates• Roti Prata: Crisp griddled Indian Flatbread, Curry Dip• Straits Spare Ribs: Bali Style Five Spice BarbequePork Ribs

raw bar• Sashimi: Ahi Tuna, Fresh Salmon, Wasabi,Soy Sauce, Pickled Ginger

• Oystersbeef + seafood

• Tamarind Beef: Wok Fired Filet Mignon, BrusselsSprouts, Arugula Salad, Tamarind Sauce

• Beef Rendang: Spicy Braised Beef, Kaffir Lime,Pandan Polenta

• Whole Striped Bass: “Ikan Goreng” Crisped WholeStriped Bass, Baby Bok Choy, Thai Basil Chili Sauce

• Straits Risotto: Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, LaksaCoconut Curryrice, noodles + vegetables

• Shrimp Pad Thai: Rice Noodles, Fish Cake, Shrimp,Peanuts, Fried Egg

• Wok-Fired Vegetables: Fresh Brussels Sprouts orOkra, Garlic Chili Sambal

800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N. [CityCentre]Houston, TX 77024| 713.365.9922

www.straitsrestaurants.com

HOURS:Open 7 daysLunch 11-4

Weekdays dinner from 5 until 10Weekends dinner from 5 until 11

sample menu selections

1. chef chris yeo2. banana crepes ingaporean cuisine is not one I would’ve ever sought

out to try on my own. To be honest, it wasn’t even ablip on my radar. Where would I even begin? Wheredo I go? What do I order? I’m adventurous to a cer-tain extent with cuisine but this required guidance.

That all changed when I received a press release for the open-ing of Straits Restaurant in CityCentre. Adjacent to the entranceof Hotel Sorella, this contemporary lounge/restaurant venture,aims to win over patrons with its flavorful cuisine and grown-upgetaway atmosphere.

Patio seating surrounds the perimeter of the restaurant takingadvantage of all their alloted space. Once inside, behind thehostess stand, is the lounge area (hello, grownup getaway!),next to the massive bar that acts as a divider between restaurantand lounge. Set up in an L-shape the restaurant seating runsalong almost the length of restaurant with the kitchen alongsideit. At the very end are 2 private dining areas with long woodenrectangular tables and curtains to keep prying eyes out. Don’tget too comfortable. It is merely a curtain that separates theentire restaurant and kitchen from you. The lighting in the restau-rant area is much brighter than the shockingly dim lounge at theentrance. The dimness plays into the grown-up area much nicerthan bright lighting, I assume.

I have to be honest, were it not for our knowledgeable waitress,I probably wouldn’t know what to make of the food I was order-ing. I was sorry to hear she was only in from San Francisco tohelp out for the week. Although, I’ve heard of service being spot-ty, I can only chalk it up to jitters. On the occasions I’ve visited,the service has been attentive.

We started with the Roti Prata – an Indian flatbread that iscrispy, flaky on the outside but soft on the inside. It comes inthis origami-like shape with no real bottom or top. Just tearpieces off and dip into the curry side sauce. It’s not that big of aserving – surprising for a family-style serving concept. This doesleave room for tasting other options like their savory vegetarian-friendly crispy samosas with sweet chili garlic dipping sauce.

(You’ll notice sweet and savory being a recurring theme through-out the dishes.)

I could devour two tuna towers if I didn’t look like a total hoard-er. The fresh chilled ahi jewel bits mixed with ginger, kaffir limeleaf and doused in wasabi aioli, served with wonton chips, is afluidity of flavor and texture.

There are two things I was apprehensive about, one being theamount of curry used in various dishes. I’m not the biggest fanof the spice. And two, I’m a picky meat eater. Anything over-cooked, undercooked, etc., and you lose me.

Good for them (and me), neither was an issue.

The Tamarind Beef and Lemongrass Beef, two completely differ-ent cuts of meat, left me salivating for more. The Tamarind beefwith its tender wok-fired filet “nuggets,” crunchy brusselssprouts, spicy arugula salad, all drizzled with tamarind sauce issatisfyingly filling. The delightfully light Lemongrass Beef withgrilled marinated skirt steak, seasonal greens and Straits frites isa completely different take on flavor. It’s, dare I say, refreshing.

I’m still craving their version of chicken pot-pie. Never havingbeen a fan of pot-pie, I was taken aback with the marriage offlavors from the hearty curried chicken, carrots and potatoesthat hide tucked away under just the fluffiest dough pie shellcovering. It’s substantial, like a warm cashmere sweater. It’s foodcoma inducing. It’s rich. I crave it when it’s cold outside to keepme warm inside.

Chef Chris Yeo is the mastermind behind such innovative combi-nations that introduce Singaporean cuisine to your table to sharefamily style. His attention to detail for combining flavors and tex-tures so as not to overwhelm but entice would seem daunting tomost but appear effortless on the plate and tantalizing to thepalette.

And to think, we’ve only begun to delve into the vast sea that isthe Straits cuisine.

S1

STRAITS | SHARING THE GIFT OF FLAVOR


2

dinewriteBy Beatrice Valencia

Photography by Jack Thompson


FAVORITE LATE NIGHT SPOT FOR A BITE?Uptown Sushi.

BEST BREAKFAST?Oussie’s Table.

BEST BRUNCH?Backstreet Café.

WHAT INGREDIENT CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT IN THEKITCHEN AND WHY?Honey, because it’s good for your health!

WHAT UTENSIL CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?Spatula.

WHAT’S YOUR PET PEEVE?Messes.

FAVORITE AFFORDABLE WINE?Santa Ema from Chile.

FAVORITE PLACE FOR DESSERT?My bakery.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE CHEF, RESTAURANT AND DISH?Pastry chef Jacque Torres, chocolate desserts.

FAVORITES: FLOWER ORCHILD MOVIE THE NOTEBOOK SONG ME ENAMORA... MOTTO LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT


PASTRY CHEF BARBARA SUAREZrestaurant more than cakes | cuisine custom cakes + desserts

1100 west dallas, houston tx 77019 | 713.652.5135www.morethancakes.com

This professional French bakery has been creating edible worksof art since 1995. Barbara Suarez of More Than Cakes wasborn and raised in Bogota, Colombia, in South America. Herinterest for the art of sugar began at the early age of five, intro-duced by her mother. She began taking classes for kids duringvacation times and at the age of 12 was working with choco-late, fondant (a sugar paste), marzipan (a candy made ofalmond paste) and was already making cakes. Barbara wentto school for civil engineering but decided that her passion wasin the pastry industry. She then traveled to Boston where shegraduated as a chef. Barbara also did an internship in France,and since 1989 has been a Pastry Chef in the industry. “Sugarhas always been very exciting to me because you can do somuch with it, it is unbelievable. Working in the art of makingwedding cakes is absolutely fulfilling.”

barbara suarez

the chef’sspecial

Photography by Sofia van der Dys


ENOTECA – N., AN ITALIAN WINE ESTABLISHMENT PRIMARILY DIRECTED AT GIVING VISITORS THE OPPOR-TUNITY TO TASTE WINES AT A REASONABLE FEE.Quattro, already a bistro-style restaurant serving Italian food at the Four Seasons, has adopted this style of din-ing at dinner including small plates to share with the introduction of their entoeca menu. With plates starting at$9 and under, it will be hard to stop yourself from ordering one of everything. Which we practically did. The menuconsists of antipasti, flatbreads and then four choices of small plates each of Mare, Carne, Terra and Formaggi.We thought we’d try one from each section and soon wound up with a few from each. Among our orders were theTerra antipasti (grilled veggies), Prosciutto and Principessa flatbread, crispy red potato latkes, salmon roe, dillcrème frâiche and shaved red onion and a poached asparagus, smoked salmon, quail egg and tarragon lemoncaper vinaigrette from the Mare section. And that’s what we started with! Most of the small plates come with 3bites, a convenient serving for finding those that are your favorite. The Prosciutto and Principessa flatbreads havemore pieces to share. They both provide an explosion of flavor thanks to a delicious combo of Prosciutto di Parma,gorgonzola cheese, fresh fig and arugula on one and duck confit, fontina cheese, spinach and pomegranate onthe latter. Standouts in flavor were the traditional sirloin steak tartare, autumn venison shank ragout with rusticyellow corn polenta, and the truffled butternut squash raviolo with sage brown butter. The venison shank ragoutwas just as described – autumn. It’s tastes like fall. The venison is tender and flavorful and the corn polenta hasjust a touch of sweetness I assume from nutmeg that makes it a nice comforting dish. The truffled butternut squashraviolo is a nice complement to the venison. Finding the perfect wine pairing for these dishes is made easy withtheir dummy-proof enoteca wine list. One side contains reds ranging from earthy and spicy, round and smooth“super” Tuscans to plump and robust. On the other side the white wines are also split into categories includingbubbly, balanced and fruity, light and crisp, and rich and satisfying. With 3-oz., 6-oz. or bottle serving options, youcan try several or settle on your favorite. I tend to drink wine slower than most so a 3-oz. pour is perfect to be ableto try various varietals. The price points vary starting at $4 and up depending on the pour and wine. But the order-ing fun doesn’t end there: the dessert or dolce menu is equally divine! So as not to ramble on, I’ll stick to just afew we tried and LOVED. First up, the chocolate zeppole; as we learned, it’s like a chocolate doughnut. Served ina mini-martini glass with orange sugar, these pillowy mounds of doughnut have a molten center. So it has com-ponents of the lava cake in a doughnut. It’s not overtly sweet so it’s a perfect nightcap. I like my coffee to bedessert or like my coffee in my dessert. The chocolate brioche with espresso foam and fresh raspberry is a subtleform of this but their espresso affogato is palpable! An Illy espresso shot comes aside a bowl of ice cream with abit of whipped cream and beignets. The fun part is dousing the ice cream with the espresso and then dipping thebeignets into the “coffee ice cream.” You would think this would’ve kept me up for hours but to be honest, afteran amazing meal full of “explosions” of flavor, I was exhausted! This sort of dining experience transforms an ordi-nary dinner into an extraordinary experience. Not just of food and wine but of laughter and camaraderie.

GLOBAL CUISINE SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS AT THIS NEW CHEF’S TABLE DINING EXPERIENCE.Located in The Restaurant, Table One is a special dining experience that begins the momentyou arrive. On the wall that leads you to your table is a hanger that shows the chef is in andworking; hence the jacket is not hanging on the hanger. Tucked away into a spacious corneratop a wooden platform is a cherry wood table that seats 10 to 12 comfortably. Above hangsa chandelier of 240 antique spoons and music plays in the background so the kitchen isn’tthe only sound you hear. Beautiful simple photographs hang on the walls around the tablewith the main show being Executive Chef Peter Laufer in the kitchen preparing your dinner.Available for dining 7 days a week, all that is required for reservations for Table One is a48-hour notice to cater your course menu to any food allergies or dislikes. On my particularvisit, we were the third in the series of diners at Table One. Our special menu was dated andlabeled as such and on a regular occasion, diners would sign a ceiling tile in commemora-tion afterward, as diners in the first and second series had already. We savored everythingfrom Florida Stone Crab with Cleopatra’s Tears, the German version of aged balsamic vine-gar (a bit sweeter but delicious) to Akaushi Flat Iron Steak on Butternut Squash Truffle Cake.The first dish was of Mediterranean influence with a German twist (the Cleopatra’s Tears)and the latter dish was of German influence with a Texas twist, being Texas grown and fedAkaushi cattle. Each component stood out on its own. The steak was not overpowered inspices, letting the meat quality be the main focus. Paired with the butternut squash trufflecake, which was surprisingly light, and we had a marriage of clean flavors that didn’t over-power one another. My favorite item, only because I have a sweet tooth, was The Globedessert. This epitomizes the experience; it’s interactive, fun, beautifully presented and DELI-CIOUS! Essentially a chocolate fondue, you are presented with a chocolate globe that hasraspberries and brownie inside. On one side is a plate with pound cake, strawberries andOreos for dipping; on the other side is a cup full of hot chocolate syrup. You pour the hotchocolate on top of the globe to make a hole and reveal the berries and brownie inside andthe dipping begins! You couldn’t find a more intimate or personalized dinner anywhere else.This is a perfect dining situation for important birthdays, engagements and rehearsals, any-thing that requires special attention. Choose from a dinner of four to twelve courses, with orwithout wine pairings. The sky really is the limit at Table One.

FOUR SEASONS - ENOTECA MENU1300 LAMAR ST. | 713.650-1300 | www.fourseasons.com/houston

CUISINE ITALIAN + WINES

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL - TABLE ONE2222 W. LOOP-SOUTH | 713-6277600 | www.intercontinental.com

CUISINE GLOBAL

CHEF MEREDITH CHEF PETER LAUFER


newrestaurants

By Beatrice Valencia

Photo

grap

hyBil

lOliv

e

NEW RESTAURANT? EMAIL USAT [email protected]


HOUSTON INSTITUTION FOR MUCH OF THELAST DECADE, SINGER/SONGWRITER TODYCASTILLO HAS NOW RELOCATED TO AUSTIN.

FAR BE IT FROM THE TYPICAL REASONS THAT ANARTIST MOVES THERE—HE ACTUALLY DID IT FOR HISFAMILY. NOT LIKE IT HURT HIS MUSIC CAREER,THOUGH. CASTILLO’S SOPHOMORE EFFORT,WINDHORSE, HAS BEEN DRAWING ACCOLADESBOTH AT HOME AND IN THE HILL COUNTRY.

SO HAS AUSTIN BEEN A FRESH START FOR YOU,MUSICALLY OR OTHERWISE?Well, you know, moving here – I’m from Corpus but Iconsider myself from Houston because I lived most of myadult life there. I really kind of grew up in Houston, sothere’s always that weird Houston-Austin thing going on, and I probably had thesame attitude of ,man, ‘Houston’s a lot cooler, dude!’ So when we moved here I did-n’t really have the idea that my music would flourish because I’d already been toNew York. But it is a fresh start in a way. The thing was, the real reason that we’rehere is just because we spent so much time in Houston and my wife had just finishedschool—she got her Master’s in acupuncture—Chinese medicine. And now we havetwo boys. We lived in the Museum District in Houston and we had a nice little place.We loved it and we’d kind of really settled in nicely. But it was really small, and therewere still crackheads taking pisses in our courtyard every once in a while. And mykids are playing down there, you know? Now it’s a different story.

HAVING A FAMILY FOR A LOT OF ARTISTS SORT OF PUTS THE SHUTTERS ONTOURING AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING. NOW WRITING A NEW BATCH OFSONGS, DOES IT AT ALL AFFECT THE SONGWRITING, KNOWING THAT YOU LIKE-LY WON’T REALLY BE TAKING THEM ON THE ROAD ANYTIME SOON?No, I never think about that. You’re right – when you have kids, it does definitely…it’s a weird cliché about how it’s hard to be away from home, but all I ever knew was‘get on the road.’ And I did a lot of road work. When I moved to New York I wasin a couple of different bands and I toured a lot on the Eastern Seaboard there, soall I ever wanted to do was be on the road, but if you do have kids and it wasn’t anaccident and you don’t wanna be – it’s hard to get away from. But it doesn’t changethe writing, and me and my friends were joking about that: ‘do you get married andbecome a dad and just start sucking really bad?’ I don’t, I guess because I feel thatsome of the artists I grew up listening to – that kind of happened to them, you know?Part of that might have just been them getting old. But I don’t do anything different.I had all these paranoias about getting married ruining everything, but if you marrythe right person it’s all good.

FOUR YEARS BETWEEN ALBUMS AND REALLY A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN YOURLIFE WITH YOUR BROTHER AND YOUR NEW FAMILY – UPON RELEASINGWINDHORSE, DID IT REALLY GET A LOT OFF YOUR CHEST?In a way it was, I guess just because of the times. I was probably hanging aroundthe whole Onion Creek scene playing with Paul [Valdez] back in the day and that

was kind of around the time when that first record came out and we were playing aton around town – my brother had just died in that time period. And then my wifelost a couple of people close to her. It was a real rough year. We had just gottenmarried and just a lot of things were changing. So while we were supporting thatfirst record, a lot of these songs were being written. So a lot of these songs are kindof old now. But I think it’s just like anybody. If anything has any kind of impact onyour life, good or bad, and you’re a writer or an artist, it’s gonna come out. Youcan’t hide it.

TELL ME ABOUT “MUSTANG ISLAND.” THAT’S A STANDOUT. DID YOU ACTUALLYGROW UP THERE?No, I was born in Kingsville, Texas, which is right next to it. It’s a naval air station.It’s right by Corpus. So I was born there and then I grew up in Corpus. My parentsdivorced and my dad stayed in Corpus, my mom moved to San Antonio and so Imoved there and she remarried and then right around 6th grade or so, that relation-ship ended and she went to college back in Kingsville and I went to live with my dadin Corpus. So it was kind of a back and forth scene – my grade school was in SanAntonio but I graduated from Corpus. So we’d go to the back all the time. We werebig skaters and surfer guys.

SO MUSTANG ISLAND WAS THE BEACH FOR YOU?Yeah, we’d cross the bridge and go into Mustang Island. Only takes a few minutesto get there from where we lived. It was real cool – and that song was about skip-ping school, going there on a Wednesday or a Tuesday when nobody was there.And it was also raining, but it was awesome, dude. It’s one of those things where Iwish I had a picture of it. I wish I had a picture of that day. We were getting closeto graduating high school and I just remember thinking ‘well, I’m moving toHouston.’ We were all splitting up. So me and my brother went with a couple of girlsfrom high school, skipped school and went there. You know, you have those days –it wasn’t like it was so mindblowing, but it was just a fun time and the way every-thing looked, the way the sky was – it was just a great day. It just burned an impres-sion in my memory.

www.todycastillo.com

A

recording

By Lance Scott WalkerPhotography by Anthony Rathbun

TTOODDYYccaassttiilllloo



could be the Jeff Foxworthy of “You Might Be a Poser” zings. If you think hanging velour drapesin the back corner of a square room makes a VIP lounge…If you think flashing lights and speak-ers loud enough to give you an ear-bleed means your dance floor is the place to be…If I can seethe IKEA tags on your furniture that looks like it belongs in the Taj Mahal, and you’re trying to pass

it off as “authentic atmosphere”…you might be a poser. When the cool kids get tired of thissame, laughable routine, they head to Mercer.

What once was Europa on 3202 Mercer Street, is now, well, Mercer, a resurgent Houstonlounge scene tucked away in one of Houston’s most tradition-rich neighborhoods, UpperKirby; which is appropriate, because despite its youthful appeal, Mercer does nightlife in aseasoned, tradition-rich fashion. A friendly handshake from the owner and a fairly priceddrink from the conversational (even when they’re swamped) bar staff aren’t things they con-sider special – they’re just a given that reflects an old-world hospitality uncommon in mostestablishments. Savvy Houstonian 20–40-somethings are taking notice.

While legends as to why the place is called Mercer abound, Mercer’s place in Houstonnightlife is obvious. If you consider Houston one giant, raucous party (the hottest club inTexas if you will) Mercer would be the VIP lounge, tucked away in the shadow of the city.Secluded, yet right under your nose, Mercer’s location couldn’t be better for those lookingto get away from it all without getting away from it all. An enticing cave from the outside,the inside boasts a network of rooms that have been handcrafted by the owner to reflect different moodsand tastes. And if he could take any time to offer you advice, you wouldn’t be in such a dry spell, trust.Large enough for groups of 15, four different suites await guests in different sectors of the maze-likestructure. Some with rich, ornate, red and gold Moroccan-inspired detail, and others with warm andsimple, earthy browns inspired by the fat man himself, Buddha … not Santa.

Mercer’s three bars and covered patio are strategically positioned to ensure that patrons are never farfrom a cold drink as they wander the corridors or take a breather from the energetic dance floor. Asthey wander though, one particular turn of a corner transports visitors into an entirely different frame

I

MERCER | UPPER KIRBY CURES THE COMMON EVENT3302 mercer st., houston, tx 77027 | 713.627.1132 | www.mercerhouston.com


of mind. No, I’m not having a Half Baked moment – theacoustics do this tricky thing that allows the frenetic domainsof DJ Senega (Friday nights) and DJ XRay (Saturday nights) tofade to a mere hum while sexy sounds of jazz and blues

emerge. Welcome to the Sinatra Lounge.Cooler than the other side of the pillow.

This uncanny ability of Mercer’s to effec-tively assume multiple attitudes is whatallows the lounge to specialize in largeparties and lavish private events. Theperfect place for a corporate holidaybash with a little exotic flare, Mercerprides itself on being “the cure for thecommon event.” TGI Friday’s just doesn’tcut it anymore. It’s time to pull out the bigguns, call in a caterer and let Mercerhelp prove that your #1 Boss coffee mugisn’t just an ironic joke your employeesare playing on you. To arrange a deca-

dent private party experience, simply call the number or visitthe website listed up top. Throw me on the guest list whileyou’re at it.

If your drink has enough fresh fruit in it to feed a vegan for amonth…If the guy at the bar is wearing blue jeans moreexpensive than his ’91 Geo Metro valet parked out back…Ifyou could GO ON FOREVER WITH THESE…I’ll see you atMercer.

club+loungereview

By Travis JonesPhotography by Daniel Ortiz



downtown

511CLUB511 Main. 713.221.8833

A+ BAR inside Alden Hotel1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800www.aldenhotels.com

BUTTERFLY HIGH902 Capitol. 713.237.2337

C&F DRIVE INN6714 N. Main. 713.861.0704

CHAR BAR305 Travis. 713.222.8177www.charbarhouston.com

CLUB ICE/MANTRA711 Main St. 713.225.3500www.mantrahouston.com

THE COTTON EXCHANGE202 Travis. 832.507.5906www.cottonexchangelounge.com

DEAN’S CREDIT CLOTHING316 Main. 713.227.3326www.myspace.com/deanscreditclothing

DIVE LOUNGE inside the Aquarium410 Bagby St. 713.223.3474

EIGHTEEN TWENTY1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535www.myspace.com/1820bar

ETTA’S LOUNGE5120 Scott. 713.528.2611

FLYING SAUCER705 Main St. 713.228.7468www.beerknurd.com

HOUSE OF BLUES1204 Caroline. 1.888.40.BLUESwww.hob.com/houston

JET LOUNGE1515 Pease. 713.659.2000www.thejetloungehouston.com

LA CARAFE813 Congress. 713.229.9399

LIVE SPORTS CAFÉ407 Main. 713.228.5483www.livesportscafe.com

LONE STAR SALOON1900 Travis. 713.757.1616

LUCKY STRIKE LANES & LOUNGE1201 San Jacinto. 713.343.3300www.bowlluckystrike.com

MOLLY’S PUB509 Main. 713.222.1033www.mollyspubs.com

NOTSUOH314 Main. 713.409.4750www.notsuoh.com

PETE’S DUELING PIANO BAR1201 Fannin. (Houston Pavilions)713.337.7383www.petesduelingpianobar.com

RED CAT JAZZ CAFÉ924 Congress. 713.226.7870www.redcatjazzcafe.com

RESERVE 1011201 Caroline. 713.655.7101www.reserve101.com

SAMBUCA JAZZ CAFÉ909 Texas Ave. 713.224.5299www.sambucarestaurant.com

SHADOW BAR213 Milam. 713.221.5483www.theshadowbar.com

SHAY MCELROY’S909 Texas Suite A . 713.223.2444www.mcelroyspub.com

STATE BAR & LOUNGE909 #2-A Texas. 713.229.8888www.thestatebar.com

THE BREWERY TAP717 Franklin. 713.237.1537

THE B.U.S1800 Texas. 713.222.2287

TOC BAR711 Franklin. 713.224.4862www.tocbar.net

VENUE719 Main. 713.236.8150www.venuehouston.com

galleria+uptown

BAR 12•21 MORTON’S5000 Westheimer. 713.629.1946www.mortons.com

BLANCO’S3406 W. Alabama. 713.439.0072www.houstonredneck.com

BELVEDERE1131 Uptown Park. 713.552.9271www.belvedereinfo.com

BLVD 610 LOUNGE3005 West Loop. 832.875.3997www.blvd610.com

THE BLACK SWAN (Omni Hotel)4 Riverway. 713.871.8181

CLUB 26 TEN2610 Sage. 713.974.4000www.myspace.com/club26ten

IDENTITY BAR5959 Richmond. 713.785.0999

PLANETA BAR-RIO6400 Richmond. 832.251.9600

PAPARRUCHOS3055 Sage. 713.212.3178www.paparruchos.com

RA SUSHI3908 Westheimer. 713.621.580012860 Queensbury. 713.331.2791www.rasushi.com

REMINGTON BAR St. Regis Hotel1919 Briar Oaks Ln. 713.403.2631www.theremingtonrestaurant.com

RICHMOND ARMS5731 Kirby. 713.523.99995920 Richmond. 713.784.7722

ROXY5851 W. Alabama. 713.850.ROXYwww.myspace.com/roxyhouston

THE TASTING ROOM1101-18 Uptown Park. 713.993.9800114 Gray. 713.528.64022409 W. Alabama. 713.526.2242www.tastingroomwines.com

WILD WEST6101 Richmond. 713.266.3455www.wildwesthouston.com

heights +washington

BEER ISLAND2631 White Oak. 713.862.4670

BIG STAR1005 W. 19th. 281.501.9560www.bigstarbar.com

BLUE LABEL LOUNGE4500 Washington

BLOCK 212420 Washington. 713.337.1410

BOOM BOOM ROOM2518 Yale. 713.868.3740www.myspace.com/boomboomroomhouston

CORKSCREW1919 Washington. 713.864.9463

COSMOS CAFÉ69 Heights. 713.802.2144www.cosmoshouston.com

DAN ELECTRO’S GUITAR BAR1031 E. 24th St. 713.862.8707www.danelectrosguitarbar.com

DARKHORSE TAVERN2207 Washington. 713.426.2442www.dhtavern.com

DUBLINER LOUNGE4219 Washington. 713.861.2300

EI8TH5102 Washington. 713.880.3500

KOBAIN33 Waugh. 713.862.9911www.kobain.net

MANOR ON WASHINGTON4819 Washington. 713.426.0123www.manoronwashington.com

NOX4701 Nett. 281.701.4248www.noxhouston.com

ONION CREEK3106 White Oak. 713.880.0706www.onioncreekcafe.com

PANDOR1815 Washington. 832.296.6220

PEARL BAR4216 Washington. 713.863.5337

PORCH SWING PUB69 Heights. 713.880.8700

REBEL’S HONKY TONK5002 Washington. 713.807.7040www.rebelshonkytonk.com

REIGN4105 Washington. 713.869.0404

SAWYER PARK SPORTS BAR2412 Washington. 713.863.9350www.sawerparkhouston.com

THE CORKSCREW1919 Washington. 713.864.9463www.houstoncorkscrew.com

THE DIRT222 Yale. 713.426.4222www.dirtbar.com

THE DRINKERY4115 Washington. 713.426.3617

THE DRAKE1902 Washington. 713.861.9600www.thedrakebar.com

THE LOT4212 Washington. 713.868.5688www.thelothouston.com

THE SOCIAL3730 Washington. 713.426.5585www.thesocialinfo.com

midtown

13 CELSIUS3000 Caroline. 713.529.8466

3RD BAR2600 Travis. 713.526.8282

BLOCK 212420 Washington Ave.

BOND LOUNGE2700 Milam. 713.529.2663www.bond2700.com

COACHES2204 Louisiana. 713.751.1970www.coachesjv.com

CHRISTIAN’S TAILGATE2000 Bagby. 713.527.0261www.christianstailgate.com

DECO510 Gray. 713.659.4900www.decohouston.com

EL PATIO2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181www.elpatio.com

EPIC3030 Travis. 713.862.4810

FIX LOUNGE2707 Milam. 832.281.2101

FRONT PORCH PUB217 Gray. 713.571.9571www.frontporchpub.com

HOWL AT THE MOON612 Hadley. 713.658.9700www.howlatthemoon.com

IBIZA LOUNGE NEXT DOOR2450 Louisiana. 713.520.7300www.ibizaloungenextdoor.com

KOMODO’S2004 Baldwin. 713.655.1501

LEON’S LOUNGE1006 McGowen. 713.659.3052

THE MAPLE LEAF514 Elgin. 713.520.6464www.themapleleafpub.com

THE MINK/THE BACKROOM3718 Main. 713.522.9985www.minkonmain.com

OPEN CITY2416-A Brazos. 832.483.8357www.ochouston.com

RED DOOR2416 Brazos. 713.225.0640www.reddoorhouston.com

RICH’S2401 San Jacinto. 713.759.9606

SAMMY’S2016 Main. 713.751.3101www.sammysat2016main.com

SAINT DANE’S BAR + GRILL502 Elgin. 713.807.7040

002night life

BARS + CLUBS + LOUNGES + WINE BARS



STATUS2404 San Jacinto. 713.659.5400www.myspace.com/statushouston

SWIVEL2621 Milam. 713.222.2057www.swivelhouston.com

THE ROOF2800 Travis. 713.522.4900

THE WET SPOT160 W. Gray. 713.523.7768TIPSY CLOVER2416 Brazos. 713.524.8782

UNION BAR2708 Bagby. 281.974.1916www.myspace.com/unionlounge

WHISKEY CREEK2905 Travis. 713.526.4225www.whiskeycreekhouston.com

XO BAR & LOUNGE2611 San Jacinto. 713.651.9900www.myspace.com/xohouston

ZEPPELIN3101 San Jacinto. 713.521.7300www.myspace.com/zeppelin713

montrose+ shepherd

ABSINTHE609 Richmond. 713.528.7575www.absinthelounge.com

AGORA1717 Westheimer. 713.526.7212www.agorahouston.com

ANVIL+REFUGE1424 Westheimer. 713.523.1622www.anvilhouston.com

AVANTGARDEN411 Westheimer. 832.519.1429www.avantgardenhouston.com

BARTINI1318 Westheimer. 713.526.2277

BOHEME WINE & CAFÉ BAR307 Fairview. 713.269.0859www.barboheme.com

BOONDOCKS1417 Westheimer. 713.522.8500www.myspace.com/boondocksbar

BYZANTIO403 W. Gray. 713.520.6896www.byzantiohouston.com

CATBIRDS1336 Westheimer. 713.523.8000www.catbirds.com

CEZANNE JAZZ CLUB4100 Montrose. 713.522.9321www.blacklaboradorpub.com

GUAVA LAMP570 Waugh. 713.524.3359www.myspace.com/guavalamphouston

THE DAVENPORT2115 Richmond. 713.520.1140

THE FLAT1702 Commonwealth. 713.521.3528

GRIFF’S3416 Roseland. 713.528.9912

THE HARP1625 Richmond. 713.528.7827

LOLA’S2327 Grant. 713.528.8342

LZ PUB2239 Richmond. 713.522.7118

MCELROY’S PUB3607 Sandman. 713.524.2444www.mcelroyspub.com

METEOR2306 Genesee. 713.521.0123www.meteorhouston.com

THE NEXT DOOR2020 Waugh. 713.520.1712www.myspace.com/thenextdoorgallery

NUMBERS300 Westheimer. 713.526.6551www.numbersnightclub.com

PRAVADA2815 S. Shepherd. 713.533.1200www.pravadahouston.com

PRIVE910 Westheimer. 713.526.6551www.privelounge.com

POISON GIRL1641-B Westheimer. 713.527.9929www.myspace.com/poisongirlbar.com

SOUTH BEACH810 Pacific. 713.529.7623www.southbeachthenightclub.com

SCOTT GERTNER’S SKYBAR3400 Montrose. 713.520.9688www.msypace.com/scottgertnersskybar

THE STAG’S HEAD2128 Portsmouth. 713.533.1199www.stagsheadpub.com

THE TAVERN1340 W. Gray. 713.522.5159www.thetavernongray.com

VELVET MELVIN3303 Richmond. 713.522.6798www.myspace.com/thevelvetmelvinpub

VINTAGE2108 Kipling. 713.522.4200

museum district

MONARCH LOUNGE Hotel ZaZa5701 Main 713.526.1991www.monarchrestauranthouston.com

ZIMM’S MARTINI & WINE4321 Montrose. 713.521.2002www.zimmsbar.com

outer loop

300 HOUSTON BOWLING925 Bunker Hill 713.461.2431www.300houston.com

DENIM BAR16090 City Walk. 281.275.5925www.theburningpear.com

THE DERRICK TAVERN1127 Eldridge. 281.759.4922www.thederricktavern.com

FIREHOUSE SALOON5930 Southwest Frwy. 713.977.1962www.firehousesaloon.com

HUSH15625 Katy Frwy. 713.330.4874www.hushonline.com

VINE WINE ROOM12420 Memorial Dr. 713.463.8463www.vinewineroom.com

VINO 10011693 Westheimer. 281.759.4100www.vino100houston.com

rice village

ARMADILLO PALACE5015 Kirby. 713.526.9700www.thearmadillopalace.com

BAKER STREET PUB5510 Morningside. 713.942.9900www.bakerstreetpub.com

BAM BOU2540 University. 713.521.7222www.bambouhouston.com

BRIAN O’NEILL’S5555 Morningside. 713.522.2603www.brianoneills.com

BRONX BAR5555 Morningside. 713.520.9690

ERNIE’S ON BANKS1010 Banks. 713.526.4566www.erniesonbanks.com

KAY’S LOUNGE2324 Bissonnet. 713.528.9858

LITTLE WOODROW’S5611 Morningside. 713.521.2337www.littlewoodrows.com

THE GINGER MAN5607 Morningside. 713.526.2770www.gingermanpub.com

THE LOUNGE AT BENJY’S2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602www.benjys.com

VOLCANOwww.2349 Bissonnet. 713.526.5282

river oaks+ kirby

BLANCO’S34060W. Alabama. 713.439.0072

COVA5600 Kirby. 713.838.07005555 Washington. 713.868.3366www.covawines.com

DOWNING STREET2549 Kirby. 713.523.2291www.downingstreetpub.com

KENNEALLY’S IRISH PUB2111 S. Shepherd. 713.630.0486

LIZZARD’S PUB2715 Sackett. 713.529.4610

MERCER LOUNGE3302 Mercer. 713.627.1132www.mercerhouston.com

MEZZANINE LOUNGE2200 Southwest Frwy. 713.528.MEZZwww.mezzaninelounge.com

MUGSY’S3200 Kirby. 713.526.5595

RED ROOM2736 Virgina. 713.259.9952

ROLL-N SALOON4200 San Felipe. 713.622.7487

THE BIG EASY5731 Kirby. 713.523.9999www.thebigeasyblues.com

THE GALLANT KNIGHT2511 Bissonnet. 713.942.9940www.thegallantknight.com

THE WINE BUCKET2311 W. Alabama. 713.942.9463www.thewinebucket.com

UNDER THE VOLCANO2349 Bissonnet. 713.526.5282www.cabomixmex.com

warehousedistrict

EIGHTEEN TWENTY1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535

LUCKY’S PUB801 St. Emanuel. 713.522.2010www.luckyspub.com

THE GREEN ROOM813 St. Emanuel. 713.225.5483

THE MERIDIAN1503 Chartres. 713.225.1717www.meridianhouston.com

NEXT2020 McKinney. 713.221.8833www.whatsnexthouston.com

PASHAA ULTRA LOUNGE2010 McKinney. 713.344.0305www.myspace.com/pashaahouston

WAREHOUSE LIVE813 St. Emanuel. 713.225.5483www.warehouselive.com


FALL FUNK, WINTER WOES, CALL IT WHAT YOUMAY BUT I’M BURNT OUT, FRIED! CREATIVELY, MEN-TALLY, I’M AMAZED I CAN COMPLETE THOUGHTS ATTHE TIME. AND I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO THINKABOUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, CHRISTMAS ANDNEW YEAR’S! THAT’S RIGHT. I’M ALREADY HEADFIRST INTO DECEMBER. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TODAYS OFF. AND BY THAT I MEAN, MENTALLYCLOCKING OUT. NO MORE ONOMATOPOEIA,METAPHORS, SIMILES, ADJECTIVES, NOUNS, VERBS,ETC. AND IMAGINE, I’M NOT LIKE THE MILLIONS OFMOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, FATHERS, SONS, BROTH-ERS, HOSTESSES OR HOSTS HAVING TO ACTUALLYPUT THESE HOLIDAYS TOGETHER OR IN MOTION. IGET TO SIT THERE, BRAIN CHECKED OUT, ANDENJOY THE MEAL/PARTY. NOT ONLY DO THESELADIES (OR GENTLEMAN) WORK ALL DAY TO MAKEA HOUSEHOLD RUN OR WORK (YIKES!) THEY HAVETO WORK OVERTIME ON THE HOLIDAYS FOR THEFESTIVITIES. IT’S NO WONDER YOU TAKE TWOWEEKS OFF IF NOT MORE. SO IN CONCLUSION, ISALUTE, CHEERS, RAISE MY GLASS, TIP MY HAT, TOALL MENTIONED ABOVE WHO MAKE OUR HOLIDAYFESTIVITIES THOSE MEMORIES THAT LIVE ON IN MYMIND AS SOME OF MY MOST CHERISHEDMOMENTS IN LIFE.

Soma- 4820 Washington Avenue 713.861.2726www.somasushi.comAfter repeated text-picsfrom my brother’s mealshere, I decided I shouldget myself into SomaASAP. And what shouldyou expect from a sushilounge located in ashopping center, only the best. And Soma delivers. Mybrother has a penchant for their Toro Crunch so therewas no way I was going to pass up my chance to try it.Fatty tuna, green onions, blue fin tuna and tempurachives are wrapped into the most buttery delicious, fall-apart-in-your-mouth combo I’ve had in a REALLY longtime. I also had to have the Crazy Irish-man roll. Acombination of salmon, tuna and avocado is rolled intogreen soy bean paper, flash fried and topped off withsmelt fish roe, spicy mayo, sweet sauce and greenonion. I call it the cheeseburger of sushi rolls becauseit’s definitely a crowd pleaser even for the biggestsushi-phobe. It is definitely the most “dressed up” ofsushi rolls. This menu has inventive touches sprinkledthroughout, so expect the unexpected.

Bliss Nail Spa- 701 Shepherd Dr. #100713.864.8787 www.bliss-nailspa.comI have to acknowledge thesesuper ladies, B and Paulina, forfixing my claws on a moment’snotice. Yearning for a manicureall weekend because my cuti-cles, hangnails, color wereOOC, I had to wait until thestart of the week due to a busyschedule. Monday, after work, Icouldn’t take it any longer anddropped in on them. Literally. No call, no appointment,walked in with nails that needed some TLC. Althoughthey had appointments scheduled within an hour, B gotstraight to work nursing my cuticles and hang nails tohealth. Her attention to my nails was so dedicated eventhough I was merely a walk-in. Paulina did an amaz-ing job with a pretty difficult (but beautiful) lavendercolor I chose. Thank you, ladies!

Brixx- 5110 Washington Avenue 713.864.8811So it’s been awhile sinceI’ve hit the “scene.”Birthdays are my mainevent to explore what’snew. After a night at thezoo for Feast of theBeasts, I met up withsome friends for a birth-day at Brixx. Having barely heard about it for the firsttime that week, I did a little research. Described as anupscale patio bar, I was a little worried as to howupscale they meant. The whole bar opens up to let theoutside in. A huge patio deck is in the back and the barsits in the middle of the whole thing. Inside, plasmascreens play videos; there’s a lighting system with mis-ters. (They don’t actually mist with water but more likea smoke effect.) All I can say is, I remember arriving,dancing and then after that I’m not quite sure where thenight went. No worries, I was with friends and woke upin bed safe and sound with a massive hangover. All inall, I haven’t had a night like that in ages. It was somuch fun.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Ragin Cajun- 4302 Richmond Ave. 713.623.6321www.ragin-cajun.comThree words people:Ryan’s Brownie Sundae.Meal, great. Dessert,holy cow! As you know, Ihave a sweet tooth sowhen I read this sundae

description and there was the tiniest Hershey trade-mark next to it, I had to have it. I thought if anything, Iwould get a mediocre brownie with vanilla ice cream,whipped cream and a cherry on top. Not a totally baddeal when you think about it. What I got was a perfect,moist, bittersweet chocolate brownie, with vanilla beanice cream, a dollop of whipped cream and, yes, acherry on top. Those little things make ALL the differ-ence. This brownie isthe BEST I’ve everhad in a restau-rant. It’s NOThard, crunchy,flaky or lackingin flavor. It’s almostcake-like and theflavor is not toosweet, so devouringthe whole thing(which I did) isno challenge atall.

Restaurateurs, club/bar owners, pubbers, etc., if there is a special event or something you would like the publicto know about, email me at [email protected] and I will help spread the word for you. See you out!


sip codesBy Beatrice Valencia


More than 300 of Houston’s international crowd attended the Italian masquerade-style soiree, Rendez-Vous Italian Night, organized by Katia Condette, who provid-ed guests with a warm and lively atmosphere with the help of opera singer VivianJimenez and folkloric Italian musician Franco Fusco. Cavatore Italian Restaurantprepared some of their signature dishes and offered guests a wonderful array ofItalian wines. Partygoers danced the night away thanks to DJ Gary, who enter-tained the guests with hip music from around the world.

EVENT RENDEZ-VOUS ITALIAN NIGHTWHY EVENING HONORING ITALYWHERE CAVATORE ITALIAN RESTAURANTWHEN OCTOBER 8

KURT VILE Childish Prodigy (Matador)Matador has never been more excited about a signingthan they are about that of Philly’s young Kurt Vile thispast summer. The only perplexing thing about that procla-mation is the idea of any record label being excited aboutany signing in this day and age. Kind of like the Creatorrunning out a new line of dinosaurs right before the IceAge. That said, Kurt Vile is musically exciting. The raw-ness is going to attract the tiny hordes who will buy anypoorly recorded disc solely on that merit. But in Vile’s

case, he has found a way to balance that lo-fi beastliness with top shelf guitar play-ing and a rich, throwback rock’n roll voice that floats ever so gently above his warmbluesy riffs. But these are pop songs above all – the genres that inform Vile’s song-writing might swing wild enough across the spectrum to satisfy the most ferventrecord collector, but ultimately this is as new as it is decadent in its influences.Something about the way he blends it all together makes it as now as it is timeless.Whether or not that’s going to tip Matador’s scales back towards smiling on theirway to the bank as they did with Cat Power and Yo La Tengo, well…

SLAYER World Painted Blood (Sony)There are few bands whose name can inspire such fear,excitement and reverence as can Slayer. Ironically forsome (like when models wear their t-shirts), yes, butwholeheartedly for their masses of fans. In fact, you’d behard-pressed to name a metal band whose fans stickcloser to them and as fiercely as do Slayer’s. While evendiehard Metallica fans have a love/hate relationship withtheir career, Slayer’s output over the last quarter centuryhas been so consistent as to defy the scorching criticism

that has been heaped on the other big 3 of thrash metal. World Painted Blood is noletdown. Not letup. To put on a new Slayer record is to know what to expect and tostill be caught off guard. The title track jumps right out of the chutes and it hardlyslows down except for a few misguided breakdowns (they can get old in spots,right?). In fact, the only area in which this record fails is in the song titles – I mean…“Beauty Through Order”?

Z-RO Cocaine (Rap-A-Lot)After a couple of lackluster releases in recent years, youmight have thought this dark, brooding Houston rapperwould have taken a step back. Really, it’s difficult toargue that Z-Ro, easily one of the top 5 rappers inHouston, has lived up to his potential. He should be huge,far beyond the local stage, and yet even with all of thegrand regard in which he is held by his peers, here hestill sits. Maybe he realizes that, because on this two-discset, he’s gone all out. All in. There are 15 different guest

appearances across 34 tracks, with a host of different producers, and so for whatit’s worth, Cocaine ends up (intentionally) serving as more of a table of contents thanPaul Wall’s The People’s Champ did (quite intentionally) in 2005. But it’s not justbecause of the guests. Perhaps as a testament to his admittedly brilliant (in spots)career, he references himself in lots of places. Like, lots. Whether he’s phrasing some-thing the way he did on an earlier hit, dropping in a line from an older track or justall-out covering another track (Fondren and Main), there are elements of this that feel(funny enough) like an emeritus of sorts. Only Z-Ro hasn’t given us his opus yet. Fartoo much more to be done on his end. Perhaps this is a purging of sorts, a way ofhim putting his career behind him so he can move on to the next step. Be that so, hesent it off right – on the last track, where the audience at a live Z-Ro show recites theentirety of “Mo City Don” back to him from the floor.


cd reviewsBy Lance Scott Walker


AACCRROOSSSS 11.. Prefix for legal ortrooper55.. Benedict XVI is one99.. Conduct, as a conflict1133.. State with certainty1144.. Killed1155.. Fling with force1166.. Box in the theater1177.. Works with dumb-bells1188.. Middle of March1199.. Shortest day of theyear2222.. Finnish bath2233.. Bit of body art2244.. Vegas venture2266.. Defraud2288.. Kilmer of “TheDoors”2299.. Tax-filing mo.3300.. She lost a shoe3355.. Iranian currency3388.. The mark of Zorro3399.. Scout unit4400.. Piles of debris4433.. Contend4444.. Word with sports ortraining4455.. Busy person4477.. Swan song

4488.. Ermines in summer5511.. Sudden contraction5533.. Joyeux Noel5566.. Flu symptom5577.. Port-au-Prince is itscapital5588.. And others, forshort6600.. Plaintiff6611.. Santa’s littlehelpers6622.. Looney Tunes com-pany6633.. Towel word6644.. Wimbledon ranking6655.. Titan whose chil-dren were swallowedby Cronus

DDOOWWNN11.. Chum22.. State positively33.. Record holder44.. Sports center55.. Turn one into many66.. Boatman’s blades77.. Small flame in a gasrange88.. Put into servitude99.. Artisan with a pock-etknife1100.. Video’s counterpart

1111.. ___-Romanwrestling1122.. “If all ___ fails...”1144.. Pretty to look at2200.. “...three men in a__“2211.. Word at a mazeentrance2244.. Candy buys2255.. Monumental2277.. Get your hands onsome dough?3311.. Placed in a bank3322.. Scoreless tennisgame3333.. Kind of cloth3344.. Mirrored3366.. Hired hands

3377.. Atomizer’s output4411.. Doors in a subma-rine4422.. Condition somesoaps are formulated toprevent4466.. Templeton in“Charlotte’s Web”4488.. Switch smoothly4499.. More factual5500.. Oil-producing rock5522.. Political campaigntactic5533.. Moonshiner’s mix-ture5544.. Bank of France?5555.. Identical5599.. Grassland

OO2CROSSWORDhappy holidays

NOVEMBER ANSWERS


THANKS TO ALL WHO SUBMITTED ORIGINAL ARTWORK FOR THE 2009DECEMBER COVER! HERE ARE THE TOP7 RUNNERUPS.VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE AT WWW.002MAG.COM TO SEETHE OTHERS AS WELL AS TO READ THE ARTIST STATEMENTS.

2009 COVER CONTEST

BEFORE WE GOBEFORE WE GO

RUNNERUP | patrick turk

1 2

3 4

5 61. noor hartsfield | 2. allison benefield | 3. nicole bogart 4. helena gijsbers van wijk | 5. don suttajit | 6. stutz


December 09

Documents

Transcript of December 09