In Paris, Sexy New Boutique Hotels Sparkle

"Le poireau brûlé" at Monsieur George

By Jeff Gremillion

Originally published July 2024

Paris in springtime is already a thing, of course, but the city is getting more attention than usual these days, as its turn hosting the Olympics approaches. One hotelier is quite ready: The Addresses Hotels group is touting the opening of a new design hotel in the 2nd arrondissement a couple months ago, as a restaurant in its sister hotel celebrates its young chef having just earned a Michelin star.

The newbie — Hotel Hana, on the Rue du Quatre Septembre in what’s sometimes called “Little Tokyo” — is, with just 26 rooms, the boutiquest of boutique hotels. And while the surrounding neighborhood boasts Paris’ oldest Japanese restaurant and no shortage of yakitori, and while the property’s décor is warmly spare per the crisp elegance associated with Land of the Rising Sun, the Hana vibe ultimately is pure Parisian.

It’s hard to avoid the Parisian feels with views in the guestrooms like this! Think blocks-long Haussmann-style sweeps of ivory-colored stone buildings, with wrought iron details and dormer windows on top. Those in corner rooms will feel absorbed on two sides, with five sets of French double windows to open wide.

Hana (which Vogue predicted will be the hit of the next Fashion Week) was prettied up by in-demand designers Oliver Leone and Laura Gonzalez, who broke with their typical boldly vivid work to post a cozy minimalism. There are grasscloth-wallpapered rooms and rich wood tones everywhere, with sweet notes of terracotta, mustard and rust. The lobby doubles as a quaint cocktail bar, ringed with pale plum banquettes. A similarly arranged little restaurant with an open kitchen, bleeding in from the opposite side of the check-in desk, offers a spin on traditional steak au poivre, infused with Japanese sansho pepper. The cheesecake is flavored with sake and sesame.

The hotel’s location is hard to beat. Boisterous brasseries and fab patisseries — one barely bigger than a closet, drawing crowds every time they pull a batch of salted double-chocolate-chip cookies from the oven — abound. The Louvre is close, the Opera House closer. And all of Paris is easily in reach, with a Métro station on the block; one must consider a trek to the artsy hilltop neighborhood of Montmartre, where the creperie near Sacré-Cœur Basilica produces a Comté cheese crepe, folded in half twice, and handed over looking a bit like an ice cream cone.

Meanwhile, at Monsieur George in the 8th, another one of Addresses’ hotels — they have six in Paris, plus two in the South of France — handsome chef Thomas Danigo, 32, is basking in the glow of his first Michelin star. And glow is the right word for Galanga restaurant, secreted away in back of a classic Haussmannian building just off the Champs-Élysées.

As Hana is bright and fresh, George and Galanga are dark and sexy. At night the antique mirrors in the restaurant reflect the twinkle lights strewn through the climbing ivy in the courtyard outside. It’s tasting-menu only, with exquisite wine pairings; the “burnt leek” course has become famous, the leaves folded tightly and offered with shaved pecorino and lots of soft, savory sabayon.

Bienvenue à Paris. Let the games begin.

Checking in at Hotel Hana

Flank steak au poivre at Hotel Hana’s Hananbi

Night falls at Galanga

Dare to Deco: Stylish Hotels in London’s East End Tout Twists on the ’20s

The Bloomsbury’s Coral Room

By Jeff Gremillion

Originally published July 2024

In an old city, a visitor finds himself torn between the present — what’s the hottest show, the trendiest chef — and the history of the place. In two Central London hotels, you get both: The Beaumont and The Bloomsbury are 1920s buildings with updates that make them au courant.

The structure in the upscale Mayfair district that now houses The Beaumont was, for 90 years, a carpark for the Selfrige’s department store down the street. Although it only opened as a hotel 12 years ago, it’s just gone through a renovation. Gliding past the uniformed doorman into the lobby, over gleaming checkerboard floors and a half-dozen regal oil paintings of stately ladies, you get a vibe of understated Gatsby-era glam, American-edged Art Deco mixed with bold British accents.

It follows in the Colony restaurant, ringed in red leather banquettes, lit by lamps with red shades, with the likes of Count Basie providing background tunes. How could you not have a Manhattan? The menu leans to steak, but buttery Dover sole deboned tableside works well, too. Off the lobby is similarly wood-paneled and crimson-hued Le Magritte bar. Here, the décor’s American fascination leans Old Hollywood, with black-and-whites of the Rat Pack and a young Shirley MacLaine. The Prohibition-era “Attempting the Impossible” cocktail has gin, vodka, tea and lemon; Cuban cigars are on offer.

Guest rooms are quiet, comfy and refined, with unfussy neutral color schemes, lots of dark wood touches, and beautiful books and splashy fashion mags as knickknacks. (Plot twist: You can also book the bare-bones room inside the large-scale sculpture out front that looks a bit like a cartoon robot.)

All the must-hit touristy things — Buckingham Palace, et al — are close. Closer still, just behind the hotel, is charming North Audley Street. There’s a food hall in an old church building. And spiffy locals queue for the fish, chips and mushy peas at the Mayfair Chippy, set in the ground floor of an elaborate brownstone.

Elsewhere in the East End, near the British Museum, there’s a former YWCA behind an old theater — the Bloomsbury. The women’s club where Queen Elizabeth is said to have taken swimming lessons as a girl became a hotel in the 1990s and was recently renovated.

Vintage-y-cool “Studio Suite” guest rooms are carefully quirky and bit daring, with walls of gunmetal blue, red headboards and a hanging lampshade rimmed in long fringe. Bonus spaces throughout the property include a chapel, a fireside sitting room off the check-in, and, in the basement, a dim and cozy jazz club, but the most special is the soaring Coral Room bar.

The former grand lobby of the building has been lacquered to high heaven in peachy-pink. The drinks menu looks like an old children’s book, highlighting sips such as the “Finnegan” with Irish whiskey, Guinness, Cadello and licorice. It’s not unusual to see a frisky couple canoodling for hours in the corner, as international business travelers, on-trend locals and assorted half-casual sophisticates come and go.

A dinner of “Sunday roast” on the adjoining Dalloway Terrace is lovely, its name inspired by Virginia Woolf’s high-society party hostess in yet another literary nod. In warm weather, the terrace is alfresco; when it’s cooler, it’s enclosed and festooned artfully with flowering vines making a canopy overhead.

The bustling, fun neighborhoods of Covent Garden, Chinatown and Soho are an easy walk, as is tons of classic East End theater. Stroll to Cabaret or Phantom, or maybe live a little and do Magic Mike Live instead (there will be lap dances). A bit more afield, but worth it, is afternoon tea at The Bloomsbury’s sister hotel, the stylishly traditional Kensington, carved from what once were a collection of sunny, neighboring 19th-century townhomes in South Kensington. The ritual here is enchanting, with all the little sandwiches and scones with clotted cream presented with a glass of bubbles and a vibrant, almost whimsical air.

And why not have Champagne, enjoying an old city with so much new to toast.

Cocktails and cool at The Beaumont’s Le Magritte bar

The gate of Buckingham Palace

Tea at The Kensington

With Year of the Horse Theme and Star-Studded Lineup, Cotton Q Club Rides Back in Style

Zinat Ahmed at The Gold Pony Club (photo courtesy Cotton Holdings)

By Jeff Gremillion

The always memorable Cotton Q Club returned in grand fashion this year, transforming into the hottest tent at the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and kicking off the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in true Texas style.

Presented by Cotton Holdings as title sponsor, the invite-only event once again delivered championship barbecue, elevated hospitality, and unforgettable entertainment for Houston’s best. From February 26–28 at NRG Park, the Cotton Q Club lived up to its legendary reputation with a high-energy weekend that perfectly blended culinary excellence, standout musical performances, and distinctive design touches. The powerhouse stage lineup featured Gabby Barrett headlining Thursday night, Sammy Kershaw opening Friday, followed by a show-stopping set from Josh Turner, and Braxton Keith closing out the weekend on Saturday with pure country flair.

Cotton Culinary kept the flavors flowing with a dynamic, themed menu: Thursday’s steak night, Friday’s fajitas, and Saturday’s full barbecue spread, each evening capped with desserts designed to match the theme. Guests raised their glasses with premium beverages and spirits from Constellation Brands, Whistle Pig, Dripping Springs Distillery, and Republic National Distributing Company.

In honor of the Year of the Horse, the main tent dazzled with striking red rose horses suspended across the ceiling — a bold, artful contrast to the classic green décor that symbolized agility, strength, and the spirited values at the heart of Cotton Holdings. Tucked inside the tent, the coveted speakeasy known as The Gold Pony Club made its triumphant return as a hidden, high-style escape.

Guests were greeted by The Stirrup martini bar, presented by Sophie, serving three signature martinis and caviar-stuffed olives in a refined ranch setting. Kinetic art pieces by artist Sneha Merchant adorned the emerald-green walls, while specialty cocktails like the Cotton Signature Sour and Spicy Gold Pony flowed alongside offerings from Casa Dragones, Simple Spirits, Ace of Spades, and DR Delicacy caviar. 1932 Cattleman’s Club provided exclusive bites and desserts, and on Friday night, Bun B surprised the crowd with his famous Trill Burgers.

Leading the weekend were Cotton Holdings executives including Founder and Chairman Pete Bell, Chief Marketing Officer Zinat Ahmed, President and Co-CEO Johnny Slaughter and his wife Debra, and Co-CEO Chris Sneck and his wife Margaret. Notable attendees included Mayor John Whitmire, Dr. Chris Boleman, Pat Mann Phillips, Jeff Hildebrand, Bun B, Andre Johnson, Blake Feritta, Tony Bradfield, James Scaife, Kevin Freeman, Russell and Stacey White, Jeff and Kristen Erler, Dawn and Ed Buckingham, Elizabeth Kurpis, Tara Martin, Heather Almond, Morgan Hale, Teressa Foglia, Ty Hays, Lyndsey Zorich, Ceron, Kaleta Blaffer Johnson, Hailey and Jacob Daniels, Kailey and Paul Fletcher, Suzanne Droese, and Marc and Whitney Lawson.

Josh Turner (photo courtesy Cotton Holdings)

Andre Johnson (photo by Kaitlin Saragusa)

Tony Bradfield and Zinat Ahmed (photo by Kaitlin Saragusa)

Gabby Barrett (photo by Kaitlin Saragusa)

Teressa Foglia and Ty Hays (photo by Kaitlin Saragusa)

Mayor John Whitmire (photo by Kaitlin Saragusa)

Johnny Slaughter, Chris Sneck, Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, Pete Bell and Zinat Ahmed (photo courtesy Cotton Holdings)

Ashley Muncie (photo coutesy Cotton Holdings)

Pete Bell and Zinat Ahmed (photo courtesy Cotton Holdings)

Sammy Kershaw (photo courtesy Cotton Holdings)

Tara Martin and Elizabeth Kurpis (photo by Kaitlin Saragusa)

Bun B and his Trill Burgers (photo courtesy Cotton Holdings)

Chandeliers and horses fashioned of roses ad Cotton Q Club (photo byKaitlin Saragusa)

Jungle Belles: In Riviera Maya, Three Resorts Meet Among Lush Mangroves

The pool at Zen

By Jeff Gremillion

The manager of Grand Velas Riviera Maya says a funny thing as she tours a writer around the 206-acre all-inclusive between Cancun and Tulum. “I still get lost sometimes. If I forget what I’m doing and stop looking at the signs, I wind up in the parking lot.”

Thank goodness for the signs, and the shuttle between the three distinct but interlocking resorts that comprise Grand Velas. One resort is adults-only and quiet, the other very family-friendly, and the third — the Zen Grand, immersed in tropical foliage — is so sexy the Love Is Blind reality show filmed here.

There’s so much to do, with the Caribbean waters to the east — Cozumel isle’s out in the sea — and the mangroves of the Yucatan to your back. Iguanas, racoons and coatis (sleeker racoons) wander in from the jungle, leaving behind spider monkeys, capybaras and jaguars, which keep their distance.

Consider an eco tour. Glimpses of wildlife are assured, and the reports of the resort’s sustainability initiatives — artificial reefs, tree-transplanting efforts — are fascinating. So are the grounds’ cenotes, the deep freshwater pits formed by geothermal activity after that dinosaur-ending asteroid hit here 66 million years ago.

The tour ends with a honey tasting, pairing cheeses with honey from the property’s bees. The sweet stuff also turns up in Se Spa. As part of one treatment, it’s smeared all over you before you soak in a tub then get a massage. The spa, where treatments begin with a multi-stage “water ceremony” in which you rotate through hot and cold sauna-like stations, is among the largest on the continent, featuring immense pools and cavernous relaxation spaces.

If honey isn’t enough, try one of eight restaurants. Cocine de Autor, where the tasting menu amazes with polished little plates of bone marrow with caviar and cabbage with pistachios, has a Michelin star. But if you eat there every night, you’ll miss the grilled “drunken” octopus at Mexican Frida — and the blue cheese croissants at Vegas-y/Parisian-y Piaf, whose chandeliers drip red crystals and whose beautiful violinist plays classicalized pop songs like something out of Bridgerton.

The best meals may be in the vast daily lunch buffet — roasted duck and lamb, many varieties of ceviche and sushi, lobster tail and giant cracked crab legs. It’s daunting and easy to get turned around. But getting lost has rarely been so delicious.

Mexican morsels at Frida

The cavernous pool and relaxation space at Se Spa

Symphony’s Sold-Out Wine Dinner Serves Up a Foodie Feast, Draws Nearly $1M for Community Programs

Chairs Elia and Michael Gabbanelli

By Jeff Gremillion

Another year, another sold-out Wine Dinner and Collector's Auction for the Houston Symphony. This year's event was chaired by Elia and Michael Gabbanelli, and raised more than $900,000 for the Symphony's education and community programs.

An impressive 365 guests, Champagne in hand, perused the silent auction during the cocktail hour. Buzzed-about packages included a seven-night Tuscan adventure, six bottles of vintage Red Bourdeaux, and more. Once the dinner chimes rang, everyone made their way to the Jones Hall stage, which was outfitted with intricate candelabras and richly colorful blooms courtesy of The Events Company, a nod to the evening's tehem, A Bacchanal Feast.

This year's "feast" was prepared by beloved chef Danny Trace of Potente and featured wine pairings expertly chosen by John and Lindy Rydman and Lisa Rydman Lindsey of Spec's. The five-course menu was a special treat for attendees. Trace's entree, a perigeux veal with goat-cheese polenta, was truly mouthwatering. And his dessert — a decadent double chocolate cake topped with caramel crunch pearls and Chambord — ensured the evening ended on a high note!

Carey Kirkpatrick, Ken and Mady Kades (photo by Priscilla Dickson)

Aerin and Quentin Smith (photo by Priscilla Dickson)

Ann and Jonathan Ayre (photo by Priscilla Dickson)

Sippi and Ajay Khurana (photo by Priscilla Dickson)

Betty and Jesse Tutor (photo by Priscilla Dickson)

Margaret Alkek Williams, Gary Ginstling (photo by Priscilla Dickson)

In Remote Costa Rica, Beautiful Boutique Property Touts Pristine Nature

The infinity pool at Hotel Three Sixty

By Evan W. Black

A PARADISE FOR nature lovers, surfers and adventure seekers, Costa Rica often sees repeat visitors. The seven provinces, though different in the way of microclimates and the presence of volcanoes, cloud forests or beaches, are all predictably friendly, green and breathtakingly beautiful. Travelers come to anticipate and appreciate the “pura vida” lifestyle, i.e. an appreciation for the here-and-now beauty and wonder that the country offers so abundantly.

In the somewhat remote, southern-Pacific region of Puntarenas, humpback whales spout hello during their annual migration, and a lush coastline looks out at inlets and islands home to hundreds of species of fish and mollusks and coral. It is here, on a 58-acre rainforest reserve, that Hotel Three Sixty is perched, dangling nearly 1,000 feet in the air and boasting unobstructed views — hence the name. 

With 12 two-person villas (and more on the way) and a wraparound infinity pool overlooking the beach, the adults-only Hotel Three Sixty offers something that few properties in Costa Rica can: permission to simply relax. Yes, ziplining adventures and hiking excursions are recommended; the nearby Nauyaca Waterfall is a fun one, whether you want to bring a book and post up on a riverside boulder for a few hours or scale rocky cliffs (rope and spotters provided) to make an impressive jump from the top. Or take a boat tour of the mangroves, where boa constrictors, bull sharks, crocodiles and gallymoons await, and adorable monkeys will performatively eat monkfruit.

But much of Costa Rica’s beauty can be soaked in from the property’s open-air restaurant and lounge — ask for binoculars to catch a glimpse of monkeys and more than 100 species of birds — or the jungle-immersed yoga deck, which is near the spa and gym at the bottom of a long, steep driveway. (Cute drivers offer lifts in golf carts to and from this part of the hotel.)

Further down the hill is the town of Ojochal, where a popular local restaurant called Citrus is located next-door to a gourmet gift shop called L’Epiciere — local honey, coffee and chocolate, along with housemade French-style pastries, beckon. Other festive places to experience regional craft beer include the treehouse-style Fuego restaurant and brewery; for Costa Rica’s laidback answer to fine-dining, try Heliconia.

But there’s nothing wrong with spending a majority of time kicking back at the hotel. Turn the edge of the infinity pool into a makeshift table for a truly fine cocktail and ceviche, and admire the canopy of trees below, some dusted with gold flowers, others covered by puffs of white clouds. You likely won’t even mind when the bugs glitter and flutter in front of your face, or drop into your fresh fruit bowl — you gently lift them out and send them on their way. The understanding of the special, delicate ecosystem conveniently comes by osmosis.

Tulum Vibes in the Heights: Obsidian Flow Yoga Brings Luxe, Retreat-Like Studio to Houston

Obsidion Flow Yoga

By Patrick Magee

CHECK OUT THIS slice of Tulum in the Houston Heights. Designed to channel the peaceful, rejuvenating energy of the famed Mexican destination, this new boutique yoga studio is setting a new standard for modern wellness spaces — without the need for a passport!

Obsidian blends boho-luxe aesthetics, lush greenery and warm textures to offer an immersive retreat experience to yogis. From infrared-heated vinyasa flows to restorative, prenatal and family yoga, the studio is designed to meet students at every stage of their journey.

Owners Alfonso Moguel and Carolina Simon, inspired by international wellness destinations, envisioned Obsidian Flow as a community-rooted sanctuary. “We wanted to create a space that feels like a retreat, one that organically grows within Houston but also evokes that grounding, soulful energy of Tulum,” they shared. The studio is committed to community giving and has already partnered with Southern Kindness Gallery and the American Cancer Society.

Obsidian also offers access to the Ember Suite, a luxury, bookable spa-shower experience, as well as onsite Cold Plunge sessions— ideal for recovery and rejuvenation. And the Obsidian Shake Bar features organic smoothies. Cheers to that!

Staycation Idea: Newly Renovated Moran a Chic Homebase for CityCentre Adventure

The Moran in CityCentre

By Jeff Gremillion

THINKING OF INTERESTING ideas for a staycation this spring? Consider the newly renovated Moran boutique hotel in CityCentre.

If you haven’t spent much time in CityCentre lately, it’s definitely worth an immersive experience. And The Moran CityCentre, recently named a top-three Houston hotel by Travel + Leisure, is a bright, lovely homebase. Thanks to the Midway company’s multi-million-dollar reno, the property now touts a new front desk, lobby bar and terrace space, a prominent new ground level entrance, along with recently completed refreshed rooms and expanded meeting spaces.

The lobby bar is terrific. It’s called The Allegory Bar, and it overlooks CityCentre’s central plaza — a green space surrounded by killer shopping, cute patio restaurants, and an ice cream shop that stays busy. From Allegory, which mixes a sleek, marble bar with a cozier dining space that resembles a chic, urbane library, you can see all the action. And on breezy summer nights, there’s always a lot of action. (A stroll through the CityCentre plaza on a bustling evening should be on anyone’s up-to-date Houston bucket list, to be honest.) 

At Allegory, beautiful Texas-y cocktails like the smoked Lonesome Dove (small-batch bourbon, pecan syrup and bitters) wash down apps like brisket-stuffed jalapenos and entrees such as redfish with wild rice and lemon cream. There’s also a smart new breakfast spot, Café Moran, just off the sexy pool deck, awash in natural light and billowing treetop views. Very pleasant.

The hip bar and accomplished new restaurant is only part of the redo. “All 244 guestrooms have been refreshed with stylish new furnishings, premium bedding, modern lighting, and technology upgrades,” notes a Midway rep. “Thoughtfully curated amenities, including chic bar carts stocked with Texas-based liquors, a selection of snacks and Illy coffee service, custom bath products, plush robes, and handheld steamers, further enhance the guest experience, reflecting the property’s dedication to comfort and luxury.”

Other perks include discounted day passes to the sprawling, upscale Life Time mega-gym across the way. This alone may be worth making a weekend of it, as Life Time is notoriously hard to access without member credentials. 

And now seems like a great time to pull the trigger on a quick trip. The Stay & Savor package is available through April 4; it’s available Fridays and Saturdays, offering a $199 classic king room with $100 F&B credit.

Remembering Photographer Jhane Hoang and Her Polished Portraits and Rich Fashion Spreads

Jhane Hoang, center, and some of her work for ‘Houston CityBook’

By Jeff Gremillion

WHEN JHANE HOANG died late last year after a quiet, private battle with cancer, Houston lost one of its most talented and exacting photographers — and my colleagues at CityBook and I lost a beloved contributor and friend.

Jhane, who was just 50 years old, was a Vietnamese American who, as I understood it, pumped the brakes on her career as a rising star in New York’s edgy, high-end creative set, to return home to Houston in recent years to be closer to ailing family members. This must’ve been a nod to the traditions and requirements of her culture, which was a poignant counterpoint to her progressive energy. She was a daring artist, and a cherished member of the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

When another friend and sometime collaborator, Rene Garza, suggested we throw in with Jhane and assign her some photos, we took the step cautiously; it’s kind of rare that such friend-of-a-friend referrals work out. But we were immediately taken with her skills and commitment to her artistic vision. The latter wasn’t always easy to navigate, honestly, and, on any given shoot, it wasn’t unusual for me to recede into a corner wondering, who’s in charge here?

With Jhane, the answer was never really her — or me, certainly — but the project itself. The creative goals, the rich and evocative images she saw in her mind’s eye before the shutter ever started to snap. And, in service to the dreams in her head, she spent hours upon hours adjusting lights, repositioning subjects, tweaking styling.

One shoot I well remember was for our annual Sexy Issue. Jhane and I took an entire crew and four models to the Four Seasons in New Orleans. Despite that we had limited time in which to shoot racks full of runway looks sent to us from major fashion houses, Jhane lingered meticulously over a setup involving shirtless models in blue jeans writhing in the grass. She (and the gracious models) persevered until Jhane got the shot — even through a thunderstorm that snuck up on us.

As much as I loved working with Jhane on such steamy shoots — and on other fashion spreads shot on locations such as the Houston Zoo and Museum of Natural Science — I think I was most impressed with her portraits of everyday folks. You could argue it’s easier to make a hot model with his shirt off look appealing than to make, say, a diminutive restaurateur or a late-career doctor come off as well. Which is why we often asked her to help with our “Leaders & Legends” and “Cool 100” collections. 

Nobody could bring out the inner-sexy-model in a civilian like Jhane. It was partly her patience with and mastery of the technical demands of getting a great photo.

But it was mostly … just her. There was something she exuded that signaled that she was at once a badass, seriously artsy, cigarette-smoke-blowing fashion photographer with New York City cred, and a gentle sweetheart from H-Town who just wanted to vibe with you and make you look nice. And, if occasionally she made an editor push his print deadline as she pored over every nook and cranny of a picture in Photoshop, you just went along with it. Oh, that Jhane.

The second of Jhane’s memorial services is taking place this week, and I’m told there will be a retrospective of her work. My colleague Patrick Magee, former CityBook creative director, who worked more closely with her and her images than anyone, has gathered up some of his favorites here.

Godspeed, Jhane Hoang. Thank you for your rare depth as an artist and commitment as a friend. You are missed.

Houston Ballet Salutes Jim Nelson and Celebrates Margaret Alkek Williams’ 90th Birthday

Angel Rios, Richard Flowers, Duyen and Marc Nguyen

By Patrick Magee

HOUSTON BALLET’S 2025–2026 season opened in high style with a double celebration. After the curtain fell on Onegin — John Cranko’s tale of love and rejection — more than 220 patrons gathered on stage at the Wortham for the annual Opening Night Onstage Dinner, one of the company’s most anticipated traditions.

The evening paid special tribute to Jim Nelson. Nelson, who took the helm as Executive Director in 2012, guided the Ballet through the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and the challenges of COVID. During dinner, Nelson was honored with a proclamation from the City of Houston. Even Nelson’s mother attended and received a special shout-out during his dinner toast. 

The night’s second milestone belonged to Margaret Alkek Williams, Houston Ballet’s beloved benefactor, who celebrated her 90th birthday on the very day. Guests raised flutes of Madame Zéro champagne and shared slices of her favorite indulgence — chocolate cake — served in her honor.

Designed by Bergner and Johnson, the transformed stage offered an enchanting backdrop of mahogany lattice chairs, gold vases of spring blooms and whimsical details. Dinner from City Kitchen matched the setting’s elegance: heirloom tomato tartare with basil sorbet, followed by pan-seared chicken with Madeira jus.

This year’s Opening raised a record-breaking $500,000. 

In Santa Barbara, Billionaire’s Resort Draws Rich and Famous with Classic Luxury and Deluxe Dining

A pool at Rosewood Miramar Beach

By Jeff Gremillion

LATELY, WHEN YOU see Montecito, Calif., in the news, it’s often breathless dispatches about something its most famous residents — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — have gotten themselves into. It’s enough to make you yearn for simpler days, when the dispatches from the lush and mountainous coastal community just south of Santa Barbara highlighted the comings and goings of more down-to-earth folks. You know, like Oprah, Ellen, Gwyneth, the occasional Baldwin and various and assorted pop stars.

Come to think of it, Montecito, which is only an hour and a half from Hollywood, has long been associated with the rich and famous. It’s known as the American Riviera, after all. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons billionaire developer-politician Rick Caruso — he nearly became the mayor of L.A. last year — partnered with Rosewood to create a posh resort here. It’s the kind of place to spot celebrities and then pretend to be way too cool to care.

Caruso’s five-star Rosewood Miramar Beach, situated between the verdant Santa Ynez Mountains and a fabled stretch of the Pacific coast, is a bit of a throwback to old California stateliness, paired with flourishes of breezy, sustainable luxury at every turn. Imagine a gleaming white mansion, complete with a grand foyer with a spiral staircase, a crystal chandelier, a black-and-white checkerboard floor, and original works of art by the likes of Norman Rockwell — and, a room or two over, upscale shopping in crisp little boutiques a la The Webster, Gwyneth’s Goop, and Brunello Cucinelli, whose chic neutrals seem tailormade for the situation.

Some of the guestrooms are in the main building, while others are bungalows set near one or the other of the palm-bedecked swimming pools. To reach the hotel’s other accommodations — the Beach House suites and studios, with their terraces ogling the sea and the sleek surfers who frequently appear there, and in the far distance, the Channel Islands — you must traverse a great lawn ringed in white roses and, at night, lanterns aglow. And you must also cross train tracks, as Amtrak’s silver Surfliner charges through several times a day.

Strolling the kid- and pet-friendly grounds here is an amenity unto itself, as rosemary bushes appear here and there, and red honeysuckle bushes crest over the fences lining the perimeter. And, of course, luxuriating on the sand here, on one of California’s most exclusive beaches, is, literally, an experience fit for movie stars and royalty. The Sense spa is, of course, top notch.

Wining and dining options abound. Breakfast in the brightly elegant Revere Room may include an impossibly high stack of fluffy pancakes. Perhaps a cocktail hour at seaside Mirarmar Beach Bar, where clever libations include the Rough Sea with Bulleit bourbon, pinot noir, maple syrup and orange bitters. A splendid dinner can be had at AMA Sushi, touting such memorable morsels as Japanese salmon with a garnish of salt-cured cherry blossoms; sake pairings available.

Caruso’s, however, is the star — the Michelin star, actually.

The indoor-outdoor dining room has spectacular ocean views; the interior, with its lamplit lacquered walls of midnight blue, and accents of polished mahogany, are meant to recall a mega-yacht. The food celebrates coastal Cali fare with nods to Exec Chef Massimo Falsini’s Italian heritage. One intense pasta dish has gnocchetti, confit tomatoes, caviar, bits of edible gold and, laid on top, a decadent slab of Stephanie’s sea urchin, named for the fisherwoman who famously gathers the uni from local waters.

Off the resort grounds, there’s much more to take in. Locals — including Ellen, it’s said — love Bettina, a bright pizza joint with pink tables on the patio, and a wow of a salad of shredded snap peas with pancetta and shaved pecorino. Another can’t-miss is the French-country-style wonder of Stella Mare’s, where you nibble a juicy burger of ground duck with dark cherries and Dijonnaise in a rustic atrium.

Sightseeing is easy. Wander down from the hilltop Old Mission Santa Barbara, through the vividly flowering residential streets of the town to the Courthouse’s observation tower with 360-degree views of the mountains and the sea. Then amble over to the hip little Longoria Wines tasting room on State Street for a sample of the region’s famous vines; on Tuesdays there’s a farmers market out front.

Another way to take in the whole scene is to book a ride with Spencer and Courtney MacRae, the cute couple that operates Sailing Yacht Kelpie. They’ve been known to invite local musicians on board to serenade you as they point out sea lions and sometimes a whale. Perhaps the best part of the tour, is when they show you where the celebrities live. “See that big house with the chimneys, just up the mountainside from your hotel?” asks Captain Spencer. “That’s where Oprah lives.”

And, again, you pretend to be cool. 

Couples and Spa Aficionados Are Seeking Out This Equestrian and NFL Wife’s New Hotspot

LeBrina Jackson (photo by Shamir Johnson)

By Jeff Gremillion

LEBRINA JACKSON, A noted equestrian with a fascinating story of overcoming challenges to succeed and grow, has always been an entrepreneur with a nurturing spirit. Even as a child growing up in Fifth Ward, she sold homemade popsicles — with fruit juice frozen into Styrofoam cups — for fifty cents, to cool her customers down on hot summer days.

“I’ve always just wanted to be the caregiver,” says the former high school cheerleader and beauty queen turned wellness entrepreneur and NFL wife. “The person who takes care of others. The one who makes them feel okay.”

Now, as the new year has arrived and minds focus on wellness and rejuvenation, she’s turned her instinct for providing services that refresh and renew into a stellar business. Her months-oldEscape Spain Cypress is an increasingly popular suburban outpost with an impressive roster of unique services, and a smiling staff of accomplished, hand-picked young therapists. It will officially celebrate its grand opening next month.

“Escape Spa is at the forefront of fostering a holistic approach to guests’ wellness and recovery by providing all-access resort-style amenities including a co-ed wet room where couples can relax together before and after their spa journey,” explains a rep for Escape in the press materials. Indeed, the strip-center setup is smart and polished, with lots of trendy bells and whistles — with many savvy couples and wellness aficionados already having found their way there. The extensive menu of services includes hydrotherapy, halotherapy, infrared sauna, contrast bathing and IV infusions, as well as luxurious body treatments, massages and facials.

Jackson has even devised a special package for the new year that gives guests an opportunity to enjoy a range of what Escape offers. The Ultimate Zen Escape comes with a hefty price tag — that’ll be $1,200, please — but, for spa lovers, the nearly five-hour experience may be hard to beat. The indulgence includes, in part, a Vichy body exfoliation treatment, a salt stone massage, tea service taken while wearing compression boots, a unique facial luxed up just for this package, a healing whiff of oxygen and, for sophisticated snacking, charcuterie and Champagne.

“We’ve been working on our Ultimate Zen Escape as a way to show off the all-encompassing Escape experience,” she says. “We’re so much more than just a spa; we’re a day destination, and it’s important to demonstrate that health and wellness goes far beyond the massage table.”

Multiple packages are designed for couples, usually beginning with a private jacuzzi soak. “Together in Bliss” includes both massages and facials.

Although Jackson is only 34, her knack for providing such clever, enticing services and succeeding as a businesswoman has been honed over many years, beginning with those popsicles. She followed that up with a stint in college, hoping to be a dentist. But when life threw her a curveball — an unplanned pregnancy — she changed her plans and, to earn a living for her and son Brinon, became a fifth-generation hair stylist working in her mom’s salon.

“I was good at it,” she says. But the then single mom wasn’t content to just do hair. She enhanced the experience with mimosas, cupcakes and, most effectively, friendly socializing. “I found that long after I finished someone’s hair, they lingered, wanting to continue talking as friends.”

When she wasn’t learning from her mom about the beauty biz, she enjoyed a passion for horses with her dad, a ranch hand who introduced her to the equestrian life as a toddler. She still rides and keeps horses at the Hockley, Texas, spread she shares with Brinon, now in high school, daughter Wynter, and her husband, former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback William Jackson, whom she wed in a lavish Napa Valley ceremony in July. (Baby Wynter arrived on horseback!)

“A horse reflects your mood and attitude back to you and helps make you more self-aware, a better leader,” says Jackson. “I realized on one of my meditative rides that I do care about everyone. I just want everyone to feel and be okay.”

For Jackson, opening a spa like Escape seemed like the logical next step in her career, sharing a bit of what she’s learned about looking good and feeling well with grateful customers — and building a successful business in the process. “To me, beauty starts from the inside out. It’s what you eat, how you think. What you do. How you help others.

And, she winks, “Pilates doesn’t hurt.” 

Mickey Gilley, Superstar Musician and Impresario Whose Honkytonk Launched ’80s Country Craze, Dies

Mickey Gilley

By Jeff Gremillion

COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR Mickey Gilley, whose eponymous Houston area mega-honkytonk was the backdrop ofUrban Cowboyand at the center of the global blue-jeans-and-mechanical-bull phenom of the 1980s, has died at age 86, according to news reports. The blues-tinged crooner and ivory tickler had 39 top-ten country hits, 17 of which were number-ones such as “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time” and his cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.”

Gilley, who spoke in the past with CityBook and the CityBook & Co. podcast, first came to the Houston area in the early ’50s, to work for his then father-in-law in construction. It was only a few years later when one of his cousins — eventual Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Lee Lewis, with whom he grew up “banging at the piano” in the tiny town of Ferriday, La., he said — hit big with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”

“I was making $1.25 an hour, and he comes in flashing all that money in his hands,” Gilley said, “and I started thinking, ‘Gee, if there’s that much money in the music industry, I’m in the wrong business.’” Gilley and Lewis grew up with yet another future celeb in Ferriday, the reverend Jimmy Swaggart, also a cousin and an accomplished musician and best-selling gospel artist.

His journey to stardom really began in the Heights, with the never-expected-to-be-a-hit, “throwaway” flipside track, 1974’s “Room Full of Roses,” which became his first smash. “I went in to record the song ‘She Called Me Baby All Night Long’ in a little recording studio in the Heights, called Jonestown Recording Studio,” he said. The song was meant to be a promotional ditty, to help market Gilley’s then new Pasadena bar, with placement on local radio and hundreds of jukeboxes in Houston.

“When we finished [the recording],” Gilley continued, “the bass guitar player looked over at me and said, ‘What are you going to do for the second song?’” Without forethought, Gilley recommended “Room Full of Roses,” which his studio musicians had never heard of. He recalled listening to George Morgan’s 1949 version of the song as a kid. The group quickly worked up an arrangement with Gilley leading the instrumentals with his distinctive, Delta-bluesy, gospel-tinged piano, which he learned as a child playing music with his talented kinfolks.

Just a few seconds into the first attempt at recording “Room Full of Roses,” Gilley stopped cold, prompting confusion in the studio. “The bass guitar player — same guy — said, ‘What'd you stop for?’ I said, ‘It’s going to sound too much like my cousin Jerry Lee Lewis.’ He said, ‘Who cares. Nobody's ever gonna hear it!’”

When Gilley started shopping the 45 around to radio DJs in Houston, he found that folks gravitated to the B-side. “I kinda like the flower song,” the country crooner recalls a disc jockey saying. “I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’ He put in on, and it shot up the charts and outsold anything I’d ever recorded.

“When I listen to it now, and I look back on my career,” Gilley said, “I realize why it had a little something that I didn’t realize at the time. It was an honest recording. It was off the top of head, and I sang it like I’d sing it to an audience. It was believable.”

With “Roses” in the mid-1970s, Gilley’s career had finally taken off — and did it ever. Besides becoming quite familiar with making the Top Ten, Gilley would go on to win the Academy of Country Music’s highest honor, “Entertainer of the Year,” in 1976, and later become one of the top draws in Branson, Mo., for a good 20 years.

But for Houstonians, his greatest hit must have been running a honkytonk.

“I was very fortunate with the fact that my business partner installed a mechanical bull in Gilley’s,” he told the magazine, referencing the club he opened in Pasadena in 1971, and which became world-famous thanks to the 1980 John Travolta movie and the beer-drinking, boot-scooting gestalt it spawned. Ironically, Gilley hated the 1978Esquirearticle by Aaron Latham, “The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy,” that inspired the film, because he felt it “put down” country music.Gilley almost told Latham off, but a business partner cautioned him against it. “He said, ‘Don’t say anything bad about that article, because we might get a movie out of it, and they’re looking at John Travolta to play the part,’” Gilley said. “When he said John Travolta, something snapped. He was just coming offSaturday Night Fever. I said we’re going to haveCountry Night Fever.”

Oh, and about that bull: Gilley thought installing a “rodeo training device” in a bar was a mistake at first but is happy enough that it “caught on.” He regretted not expanding the Gilley’s brand internationally at the time, although spin-offs still operate in Las Vegas, Dallas and two locations in Oklahoma. The O.G. shuttered in 1989 and was gutted in a fire the following year; the Pasadena Independent School District now owns the land.

Asked what he hoped his legacy would be, Gilley was the consummate performer, prioritizing giving his audience their money’s worth above all. “I hope the people that have followed my career will say that I give everything I’ve got to make the music sound as close to my recordings as I possibly can,” he said. “I hope they’ll say that when I walk out on stage, I give 100 percent.” 

The Four Seasons’ Smart Speakeasy and Spectacle-Savvy Latin Steakhouse Are Must-Do’s Downtown

Tomahawk steak with flaming Mezcal and herbs

By Jeff Gremillion

DOWNTOWN'S GRAND OLD Four Seasons Hotel has been making huge strides in modernizing and sexing itself up, with largescale renovation projects over the course of a few years. But none of those efforts may be quite as impressive as its food and bev updates in recent months.

In just the last few weeks, the hotel has made its contribution, and a fine one at that, to the season’s wildfire craze — speakeasies. The intimate new eight-seat bar and small adjacent lounge is called Bandista Cocktail Laboratory, and you can only get there if a hotel employee shows you the way. They meet you in the lobby, take you up the staff elevator and through various backrooms, until they reach a bookshelf that’s actually a hidden door.

Although the entrance is cloak-and-dagger, the lamplit, Latinate vibe inside is warm and chatty. On a recent night, a hunky Brit bartender and his cute, tattooed hipster-gal colleague, both in bowties and smart vests, mixed up liquid treats from a menu divided into “1920s” — Vespers and Sidecars in delicate antique stemware, if you please — and “2020s.” In the latter category, the Fig Daisy has rum, English Breakfast tea, fig jam and a bit of lime. But the most popular seems to be the Dead Man Walking, which highlights absinthe and comes steaming (thanks to nitrogen) not in a glass but in its own dispenser; it’s an occasion of a drink and serves two.

You might be tempted to make a meal of the potato chips and French onion dip topped with caviar that Bandista offers for snacking, but absolutely have dinner at the hotel’s still-new restaurant Toro Toro nearby, touted as a pan-Latin steakhouse. On almost any given night it’s a bustling, urbane affair, with a worldly mix of business travelers putting their expense accounts through their paces and sometimes-rowdy locals enjoying the stellar variety of surf and turf on offer; “toro,” after all, meansbullin Spanish andtunain Japanese.

The seafood shines, especially in raw preparations, as inHamachiceviche with tartleche de tigre, little cubes of sweet potato and crunchy corn nuts. Other dishes range from comforting roast chicken to all-out spectacle, as in grilled Tomahawk steak piled high with fresh herbs and flamed with Mezcal tableside — and the must-get dessert which is (no lie) a hollow chocolate ball filled with ice cream and cakey bits and berry and vanilla sauces and smashed open with a mallet in the middle of the table.

Charleston Is Hip, Historic and Holiday-Happy — And Don’t Miss the Pimento Cheese

The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, next door to the USS Yorktown

By Jeff Gremillion

THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL about an old-school Southern city, with its subtropical landscaping, old bricks, older trees and rib-sticking food everywhere, especially at the holidays. But, then again, a waterfront resort with a huge pool and potent cocktails served under cabanas is hard to beat. Can’t decide? May we suggest The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina? Located across the harbor from downtown Charleston, it offers both.

It’s serious about its coastal Southerness, from the Colonial-era baby blue paint and chunky millwork that pervades the gracious and sprawling space — the whole thing feels a bit like an excellent country club at which you sip sweet tea with purpose and feel important — to the seersucker robes in the guestrooms. There’s maritime-inspired art by local artists in every vividly colorful room, and balconies overlooking the large pool. And, beyond that, the marina and a network of piers and boardwalks, and grassy, bird-beloved marshland that meets Charleston Harbor like a scene from a nature painting.

The grilled salmon at the hotel’s Fish House comes with ratatouille and watercress puree, and the suggested pairing for the Lowcountry classic Shrimp and Grits, which here adds in andouille and sweet peppers, is an Argentine Malbec. Golden sunlight bounces off the harbor and floods in at the magic hour. Above the restaurant is the open-air Bridge Bar with expansive views.

The hotel also offers sailing lessons, taught by faculty from the champion College of Charleston sailing team. Unique holiday-time happenings include Oysters on the Point, at which buckets of steamed oysters go for $13 on some Saturdays and come with a side of live music. The resort also sets up a large ice-skating rink, open till February.

Of course, there’s tons to do off property in the hip and historic Charleston area, including the USS Yorktown, a huge WWII aircraft carrier docked right next door to the hotel and open for tours — and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, on a tiny island you can see from The Beach Club. And then there’s simply tooling around Charleston, which is easy to get to by water taxi. The ride alone is an adventure: You’ve never seen so many dolphins putting on a show.

A stroll through the city is enchanting, with its leafy cobblestone streets lined with palmettos — not palms,thankyouverymuch— and French colonial-era homes with longpiazzaporches on the side. It feels like the best of NOLA’s French Quarter and antebellum Natchez combined, with a fresh coat of paint, lots of shade from Live Oaks and curiously not infrequent sightings of hunky hipsters with tat sleeves and man buns. If you’re hungry after a morning walkabout, Miller’s All Day has biscuit sandwiches with fried chicken, pepper jam and the city’s favorite spread, pimento cheese; at most restaurants, the stuff seems to show up on pretty much everything except the peanut butter pie.

And we’re definitely not complaining.