Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz - March 2014

Anne and Chris Richardson

Rodeo Chic

by Michelle Casas Groogan

Vacationing with Wolves Neighbors Changing the World Breaking for Spring Recipe Wars Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

This Month in Dining: Sports Bars

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

S

o maybe we weren’t riding the range with a thunderstorm bearing down, threatening to wash away our calves. But it sure felt that way as we watched the hard rain drown out our outdoor photo shoot at the Houston Polo Club for this month’s cover story on rodeo fashion.

Coordinating two photographers and more than 18 residents’ schedules had been no easy task for always-cheerful associate editor Annie Blaylock McQueen. One hour before, we had to cancel.

Buzz editor Joni Hoffman’s dreaded first call was to Anne Richardson, who had rounded up 11 members of her rodeo-loving family for the photos. Anne said, “There’s no way we can possibly get everyone together again.” Then, a beautiful thing happened. Texas women took control. Anne, Joni, Annie and rodeo media manager Sarah Poole showed range-worthy resourcefulness. They redirected everyone to the Reliant Center board room, and the show went on. Cowboy up, everyone, and happy rodeoing. michael@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 tanglewoodbuzz.com • riveroaksbuzz.com• facebook.com/twrobuzz Editor Publisher Associate Editors Vice President, Sales Staff Writers

Contributing Writer Manager, Interactive Media Designer Manager, Business Administration Account Managers

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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Annie Blaylock McQueen Jay Janecek Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Michelle Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Dave Schafer Cheryl Ursin Jacob Padden Jordan Magaziner John Duboise Leslie Little Andrea Blitzer Darsey Swaim Erin Thompson Laura Callan Helen Hamilton Michele Luke

On our cover: Anne Richardson wears a Kippy jacket and porcupine-quill hatband. Chris Richardson wears a Pinto Ranch jacket.

Cover photo by Michael Hart Photography, www.hartphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Editorial content does not necessarily express the opinions of the publisher. Copyright © 2014 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 4

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MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Story helped her find old friend Thumbing through the most recent Buzz this month, I was quite shocked and delighted to see a familiar face: a photo of a handsome young man, who looked exactly as I remembered him when I was in grade school in our small hometown, Edna, Texas. The article, Love Lost and Found (by Andria Frankfort, February 2014), related a wonderful story about a couple who reunited in marriage after a lapse of 20 years apart, and it was undisputedly George Simons. I immediately contacted The Buzz to request the possibility of contacting him. Now we are communicating, sharing and recalling the deep, historical ties which always existed between our families, further enriched by subsequent generations. Interestingly, I also discovered that the nephew of a friend with whom he maintains contact is married to my sister! Having lived and raised my family in Houston it is very consoling to discover a connection from my hometown residing in such proximity to my neighborhood. After these many years we would never have recognized one another even within the perimeters of WU, so it is a happy circumstance that through The Buzz we experienced “Friendship: Lost and Found!”

Susan Vance Williford

We started chatting for a while, and I told I her I needed to run so I could get to carpool and I still had to find some peanuts before I left. She said she was looking for peanuts, too. So, we headed off to find the nut aisle together. She told me she was trying a recipe for almond bark that she saw in The Buzz (Back Porch: Gifts You Can Eat, by Andria Frankfort, December 2013). I started cracking up and told her that was my recipe!! What are the odds?! Too funny!

Kelly Evans Editor’s note: For Kelly’s recipe, see Andria’s story under the Food tab on our website: tanglewoodbuzz.com or riveroaksbuzz.com.

Writer got it right We enjoyed our contact with Andria Frankfort concerning the article about us in The Buzz (Love Lost and Found, February 2014). She was very concise and interested in details about our story. We commend you in having her as a member of your staff.

Sammie and George Simons Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

What’s your story?

Great! But now everyone knows As a 19-year resident of West University and a 16-year part-time resident of Telluride (in recent years at the Fairmont Franz Klammer) I was thrilled to see the story on wonderful Telluride (Travel Buzz: Texans in Telluride, by Tracy L. Barnett, February 2014). You captured some of the laid-back atmosphere of the town. My only hesitancy is that too much publicity might attract too many people. It has grown a lot in our years there. Each Monday at the Fairmont Franz Klammer reception for owners and guests, a favorite game is, “What part of Texas/Houston are you from?”

Bert Campbell

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Know an amazing mother we should profile.

• Are planning a wedding or recently got married.

• Have a personal photo with a meaningful story behind it.

• Have gone or know someone who has gone sailing in Greece.

• Know an intelligent person who lacks street smarts or common sense.

Going nuts over Buzz recipe I have to share a funny story with you. I was at HEB, outside the Loop, just before Christmas, and a woman stopped me to compliment my boots.

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 6

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 7

BUZZ PICS

Vacationing With Wolves Instead of lounging on a beach, this college student studied wolves in Colorado and brought home never-ending memories.

Submitted by Kelly Engler

When and where was the photo taken?

Northwestern University Alternative Student Break 2013 at Mission: Wolf, a non-profit wolf sanctuary in the remote Colorado mountains.

Who is pictured?

I am rubbing the belly of Abe, an “ambassador wolf.” I went to Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and now am a junior at Northwestern University, majoring in theater and psychology. I wanted to do something adventurous over Spring Break, and I'm especially interested in studying animal behavior as it relates to acting and psychology.

What is happening here?

The sanctuary was started by Kent Weber in 1986 to provide a safe haven for captive wolves.

They believe that keeping wild animals as pets does not end well. Wolves are not domesticated like dogs, who have been bred to be subservient.

Wolves prefer to interact with humans on their own accord. So Kent taught us the pressurerelease technique. You ignore the wolves and let them approach you. Then, when they come around, you bare your teeth to them so they can smell you. They can tell your age, gender and mood, all from sniffing your teeth. To make them come closer, you do the opposite of what you'd normally do. With dogs, you'd usually pull them over and hug them. With wolves, you touch them only for a second (pressure) and then let go (release). This makes them want to come closer.

My favorite wolf was Farah. She licked all over my face and even knocked me over a bit.

Kent told me to pull her in closer if I wanted her to back off. So I grabbed her fur and tugged her closer, and she quickly scooted back. She was high-energy and just wanted to lick me, but she doesn't necessarily know how delicate humans are compared to her wolf strength.

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 8

Why is the photo special to you?

It embodies all that I learned at Mission: Wolf. I learned what it means to be sustainable and why that's important. Learning how wolves operate opened my eyes to how to interact with these gorgeous creatures. They are not monsters; they are simply misunderstood. I hope more people will learn how to live peacefully alongside these creatures before they go extinct.

Every picture tells a story. Buzz Pics highlights a resident’s special photo and tells the story behind it.

To submit your own Buzz Pics, send a high-resolution photo and answers to the Q&A questions. Total word length, including the questions, should be 300350 words. Send to info@thebuzzmagazines.com, or call 713-668-4157, ext. 22. With a print photo, bring it by or mail to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401. Please include your email, phone and home address. Stories may be edited for clarity or space.

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NEIGHBORS

by Michelle Casas Groogan, staff writer

Rodeo Chic

www.hartphoto.com

A

s sure as you’ll find an honest-to-goodness cowboy in spurs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, so too will you the finest urban-western duds – from fivefigure custom boots to heirloom-quality buckles to a Silver Belly Stetson. It’s as clear as a Corral Club shot of tequila that well-heeled city slickers know how to embrace this three-week invasion of country and western culture in style.

Mary Ellen Verbois’ devotion to the rodeo started in 1974. Now on the Trailblazers and International committees, you can bet she has some gems in her closets. She pulled from an assortment of concho belts with Americanmined turquoise and coral accents to demonstrate how a gal can accessorize a simple blouse and jeans.

“We used to dress to the nines. It’s very hard now to wear a total suede outfit,” said Verbois, who said attire has evolved from formal to casual now that the rodeo extends into Spring Break.

“I’ve gone through all the changes and the styles. Years ago, it was the Native American squash blossom necklace that was in. Rodeo style has transitioned so much, and now that you have concho belts and jewelry you can take anything and make it western.”

Gerry Waters, a marketing consultant who works with local refugees, is newer to the rodeo scene but has become an avid fan since moving to Houston from England 15 years ago. Her brother-in-law is a professional rodeo cowboy.

“When I moved to Texas, I thought rodeos were just done for tourists in ol’ cowboy towns,” said Waters. “The first time I came to Houston, I went to the rodeo and I was completely blown away.”

She has embraced the culture and fashion.

“I’m not a glitzy dresser, and I don’t like a lot of bling. I like earthy, authentic and very strong colors, usually browns, blacks, reds and turquoises. I’ve got some big turquoise jewelry. But I love Emily Armenta – her jewelry is really strong and fantastic for accessorizing with western wear.”

A jacket is a must for Gerry’s getup, and her favorites include apparel by Double D Ranch, suede by Scully or Paparazzi by Biz with intricate embroidered detailing. She is inspired by what others are wearing.

FAMILY FASHION Longtime volunteers Anne and Chris Richardson enjoy going to the rodeo with grandsons Luke (standing, at left), Clay (seated) and Graham. Luke and Graham, who call their grandparents Big Daddy and Gigi, wear Wrangler jeans, suede chaps and pearl-snap shirts. Clay wears Wranglers and a Rodeo Houston-logo shirt.

“I love the beginning of the rodeo when everyone is walking in looking their very best.

Everybody is different. There are purists who wear tiny skirts and incredible boots and have the beautiful legs in between.”

Her 10-year-old daughter Thalie’s ranch-wear collection is growing too. “I have a jacket with fringes and brown boots that have stitched design on them,” said Thalie. “I have some fantastic leggings that I wear. We have a lot of fun shopping together.”

Fashion has become such a big seller at the HLSR that there is a waiting list for merchants to get a booth. This year, 350 were awarded coveted spots.

Pat Mann Phillips, director of energy services at Revenade, spends countless volunteer hours

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at the rodeo on the board of directors and as founding chair of the Tours Committee, but her western sense comes from experience on the farm and four decades of helping run a familyowned farm and ranch store.

“My wardrobe is probably considered pretty eclectic because I daily mix a lot of western and or Ralph Lauren-esque clothing into my traditional wardrobe,” said Phillips. “Comfy leggings and a tunic, from just about anywhere, make a great foundation. As long as you have a few good accessories, boots, jewelry, maybe a vest or scarf, you can put together a fun western outfit. Boho looks mix in well. Tunics are popular and everywhere. And don’t forget to check out the sale rack in the men’s department. Consignment shops will often have a (continued on page 12)

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

www.hartphoto.com

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

RODEO BOUND Anne Richardson (top middle photo, center) wears a Saddle Ridge Vintage Collection dress. Daughter Leslie Denby (top middle photo, at right) wears a vintage Anne jacket, leather pants and Stallion boots, and daughter Christan Fuqua (at left) wears a suede skirt by Scully, a sheer top by Etcetera, and custom alligator boots by James Morado. Top left photo: Britt Denby. Top right: Libby Koch. Bottom left: Brock Wagner. Bottom middle: Gerry, Thalie and Lou Waters. Bottom right: Michelle Wasaff. More online: For outfit descriptions, see this story at tanglewoodbuzz.com or riveroaksbuzz.com.

boots, jackets, hats and handbags.”

Chris and Anne Richardson know a thing or two about style. She is the 2010 recipient of the Pearl Trailblazer Award, which honors top rodeo volunteers, and he serves on the Executive Committee. They have a suite at Reliant Stadium that they entertain in almost every night of the rodeo. Her “rodeo closet” is made up of racks of clothes that take up most of the third floor of her townhouse.

“When you get a bunch of women together, there is going to be fashion that happens,” said Anne Richardson. “It’s a fun environment, and you can get out of your box when you get ready for rodeo. I like to bring out some relics, and they’ll still work. You don’t even have to have a big huge western wardrobe – you can just accessorize to make things western.”

“Sure there is some fancy dress, but western clothes really have a practical purpose,” said Chris Richardson. “They were used for protection of the cowboy – the jackets used to keep him warm, the hats to block the sun and the scarves to protect from all the dust. It’s part of our Texas heritage.”

Rodeo has been a longtime family affair for the Richardsons. Their daughters, Christan Fuqua and Leslie Denby, both work the Trailblazer committee, along with their husbands. Matt Fuqua is chairman of the Junior Lamb and Goat Auction Committee. Many committees have moved toward vest uniforms, but it’s not stopping men from taking rodeo accessories seriously.

“We have a nice rodeo vest we wear. It’s also a way to show what you’re working on – it’s a badge of honor,” said Fuqua. “I have a couple vests I like to wear, sports coats and jackets, but the buckles are a big deal. Customized belt buckles represent certain levels of money that have been raised.”

This year the Fuquas gifted each other a pair of custom-made alligator boots for their 10th anniversary. Matt actually shot the alligator and saw it through the tanning process. But nothing beats dressing up their three little boys.

“Some of the most fun we have is getting our kids duded up,” said Matt. “They love walking around wearing their chaps and hats, and we’ll get them a rope.”

Brock Wagner, owner of Saint Arnold Brewing Company, decided nothing would be

Fashion show March 13 Rodeo-goers are invited to the Rocking the Rodeo Runway Fashion Show in Reliant Arena, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13. The show is included in your livestockshow admission. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs March 4-23 at Reliant Park. See rodeohouston.com.

better than custommade boots with hops on them, the flowering part of the plant used to make beer. He took his idea to Mike Kuykendahl of Tejas Custom Boots in Montrose, who has been making boots for 25 years, and they spent months brainstorming the idea. In the end, it was the normally useless piece of skin from a crocodile’s foot that proved the key. The scales had the same texture as the leaves on the hop cones.

“They’re awesome.

People love them,” said Wagner. “I wear them to the brewery a couple of days a week. I have always loved wearing boots. I was the one kid wearing boots to high school in Cincinnati. I have always loved the outdoors and hiking, and I love going to the rodeo and looking at all the livestock – even the chickens are oddly com- FASHIONISTAS Cindy Owen (at left), co-chair of the March 13 Rocking the Rodeo Runway Fashion Show, wears a Patricia Wolf vest, Bing Crosby jewelry pelling.” and Twisted boots. April McGee (at right), Cindy’s co-chair, wears Lucchese Some of the more boots, a tunic top by Ivy Jane, and a Charlie 1 Horse hat. glamorous and creative his grandparents. “I don’t consider myself a fashrodeo fashion doesn’t come from ranch-wear ionable person at all. But my grandmother used stores and instead has a biker edge. to always get voted best dressed.”

Jacki Cosgrove owns Azuz, a clothing bouJason Christopher Maida of Maida’s Belts and tique in Rice Village.

Buckles, just back from a big jewelry conference, “We don’t have any western wear. We have says the big hype is all about turquoise. items that you can wear to the rodeo and be in “American-mined turquoise pendants hanging style and current, then go and wear it to brunch off of gorgeous sterling silver beads but stacked the next day. It’s as easy as taking a crocheted up – that is the jewelry buzz right now,” said hand-dyed dress or a blouse made with chain Maida. “Not just one necklace, but maybe two mail and putting it with boots and jewelry, and or three of different lengths.” you’re ready for the show,” said Cosgrove.

Michelle Wasaff, daughter of Mary Ellen John McAleer, owner of the popular Buffalo Verbois, chair of the Trailblazers Committee, is a Grille, is comfortable in boots and jeans year full-time working mom of two. Her stylish rodeo round. The member of the Judging Contest fashion sense is all about easy and sophisticated.

Committee, Tejas Vaqueros Trail Ride and “If I’m going to something that calls for cowValley Lodge Trail Ride is happiest on his famboy chic attire, then I’m gonna go buy a cockily-owned land outside Houston. But he won’t tail dress and pair it with my tall boots because let you label him a bona fide rancher. those are more elegant. Then I’ll add a hat with “I’m not a cowboy. I’m not a city slicker. I’m some jewelry,” said Wasaff. “Anything like lace, in between – I’m a Texan,” said McAleer. “I’ve crochet, or anything with texture always works. got about four different hats, and I’ll buy cheap Even your work blazer can be made to look ones. I keep it real simple and classy. I usually western with accessories. Confidence can pull wear [custom] M.L. Leddy’s boots with khakis anything off.” and white button-down shirts. I like dressing just like my granddad did.”

Editor’s note: Photos were shot at the Louis M. He has lovingly held on to some heirloom Pearce, Jr. Board Dining Room at Reliant Park. pieces like buckles and jackets passed down from

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Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

(continued from page 10) good variety of seasonal

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NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Neighbors changing the world

T

he theory of collective consciousness says we’re all connected, and while we’re all living our own small lives, there’s something bigger going on.

While working individually in their own distinct corners of the world, Lisa Helfman and Mandy Stein are both making big strides toward change. Lisa is director of real estate services at Texas Children’s Hospital and mom of two young boys. Mandy, 22 and a recent University of Texas at Austin graduate, lives across the globe in Tanzania. Both are connecting the dots in inspiring ways.

Lisa Helfman: Fresh produce for everyone Three years ago, Lisa was a working mom and a runner in good health, but her energy was low.

So she decided to cut back on processed foods and join a weekly fruit and vegetable co-op. She thought the fresh produce would inspire better choices for herself and her family, and her hunch was right. Her sons, now 8 and 5, began tasting the swiss chard on their parents’ plates and asking for more apples. Lisa says she knew things had shifted when her son Drew, then 5, looked at a birthday cake and then up at her to ask, “Mama, do I have to eat this?”

Around the same time, she and her husband, Jonathan Adler, a real estate developer, sat at a Texans game, taking stock of the other fans. For the first time, Lisa says, she and Jonathan noticed what everyone was eating, which, of course, was junk. “We thought about what a big change we had made at home, and we wondered how we could make it bigger,” Lisa says. “We thought about the need to change inner city kids’ eating habits and wondered if we could bring what we and our own kids had learned into the schools.”

At the time, Lisa was participating in an American Leadership Forum class where they were discussing ways to effect positive change.

Lisa brought her idea, tentatively, to her group.

An enthusiastic response led to networking, which led to a conversation with Mike Feinberg, a founder of KIPP (the Knowledge Is Power Program public charter schools). Lisa says he told

BAGGED Lisa Helfman sits amidst 550 bags full of fresh Brighter Bites produce ready for students and teachers to take home.

her in that first meeting that if she could put the program together, she could launch it at KIPP. More networking ensued, and Lisa eventually enlisted support from the Houston Food Bank (the largest food bank in the country), which offered to be the project’s food distributor, its president taking it on as his personal project.

Next, the University of Texas School of Public Health dialed in, adding a teaching component to the program. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” Lisa says. “I just had an idea and connected all the leaders.” With that, she put the building blocks – school, food and nutritional education – in place.

Lisa piloted the project at KIPP Explore, a school in the East End of Houston’s downtown where more than 90 percent qualify for free lunches. She and her small team began distributing produce and educational flyers to 200 families. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

Every one of the families who participated in the optional program that first fall semester signed up again in the spring. Today, Lisa oversees the distribution of produce to 2,300 families in 12 schools.

“One third-grade boy told us he’d never had an orange before,” Lisa says. “Now they’re trying all this gorgeous produce, and they’re chasing us asking for kale smoothies!”

In addition to overseeing distribution, Lisa writes grant proposals, resulting thus far in some

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$3 million funneling in from the State of Texas, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The funding has enabled the project – now dubbed Brighter Bites – to hire three full-time staffers who office at the Food Bank, which incubates the program with office space, equipment and staff benefits. Six researchers at UT work on the project, and six interns rotate through.

Parents at the schools sort and bag the fresh fruits and vegetables, and they’re given handbooks containing weekly nutrition lessons and recipes teaching them how to use the produce.

Bags are co-branded with HEB, another sponsor, and soon families will get coupons to help them purchase healthy foods at the grocery store.

There’s a PE component as well, with coaches being trained in nutrition and healthy activities for the kids. Dallas schools are next – they also received funding from the state legislature to implement the project – and some foundations are looking to take Brighter Bites national.

Brian Greene, president and CEO of Houston Food Bank, says, “We are excited about the potential scale and replicability of the Brighter Bites model. Houston Food Bank loves to channel our food where it can not only feed people but also have a lasting impact.”

Lisa adds, “We’re supercharging the Food Bank by sending the food out with the impact of education.” Little by little, she says, “We’re changing behavior.”

GRACE Mandy Stein, surrounded here by the African orphans she supports, named her nonprofit "Neema" International, meaning "grace" in Swahili.

Mandy Stein: From Austin to Africa While Mandy says there wasn’t “one particular thing” that caused her to move to Africa and work with orphaned children there, a family vacation in Kenya was key to opening her eyes – and her heart – to effecting change halfway across the globe.

“Our family was on a luxurious safari, but our short detour into a Maasai village had a lifechanging effect on me,” Mandy writes from Tanzania. “These people lived off the land and had few to no material possessions at all. They were lacking access to medical care and education.” Mandy says when she came home from that trip, she couldn’t stop thinking about the villagers she met and the “hundreds of millions of other individuals around the world who lack access to the same things.”

A few years later, while attending The University of Texas at Austin, Mandy returned to Africa to volunteer and teach in an impoverished, remote village. On her first day in Tanzania, a little boy gave her the name “Neema,” meaning “blessing” or “grace” in Swahili. It was on that trip that she promised the children with whom she was working – the Tuleeni orphans – that she would come back.

“Many volunteers make promises to these children, but they very rarely follow through. I am not one to make promises I cannot keep.” So

Mandy went back to Africa, again and again, during Christmas and summer breaks from school. This past June, she moved there.

Mandy is now executive director of Neema International, a non-profit organization she founded with the goal of improving the lives of East Africa’s youth. She spends her time working and living with the Tuleeni orphans, named “Tuleeni,” or “care for us” in Swahili, by the orphanage’s founder, an African woman who was once an orphan herself and began taking in children one by one. Most of the children Mandy works with were orphaned when their parents died of HIV/AIDS. She calls herself “a mom, a social worker, a mentor, a teacher.” In the 28 years that the Tuleeni Orphanage has existed, it has never had as many children enrolled in private schools.

“We feel we are on the brink of something great that will help us transform the lives of hundreds of other children in our village,” Mandy says.

Mandy also fundraises and is helping to build a bigger orphanage with a community center/educational facility. The new structure will include classrooms and a community library and computer lab, where people in the Tanzanian village of Uru will have access to educational opportunities promoting a sustainable lifestyle. “These people are stuck in a crushing cycle of poverty that will continue for generations to come, unless someone does something

to stop it,” Mandy says.

Family friend and Neema supporter Lesley Robbins says she’s watched Mandy grow up and “always knew what she was doing but never anticipated that she would essentially give everything away to go and help these children.

What she’s doing is phenomenal.”

Even at 22, Mandy has volunteered extensively in the States, having served as a mentor, tutor and counselor at “the poorest middle school in Austin, which works on drop-out prevention. These children, just like me, were born in America and dealt a hand of cards,” the Bellaire resident and graduate of The Emery/Weiner School says. “I never understood why I was handed a life filled with education, opportunity and unconditional love, while there were other children who didn’t know where their next meal would come from.”

Mandy recognizes that there is a lot of work to do at home. “The wide variety of people I have worked with [at home] live with hardships and disadvantages, but they are blessed to live in America, where opportunities do exist and resources are available, even if they are difficult to obtain.”

Mandy knows she “may not be able to save everyone’s life. But at the end of the day,” she says, “at least you will be able to say that you were one of the people who went out and tried to do something.”

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 15

NEIGHBORS

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by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Rumor Has It Flower power. Put on your comfy shoes and mark March 7, 8 and 9 on your calendar to visit spectacular homes and gardens. Sallie Mansell and Sally Matthews announced the Azalea Trail theme as A Houston Tradition …

Come Discover Your Roots. The tour (11 a.m. to 5 p. m.) through four River Oaks and Tanglewood homes and gardens also includes River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics, Bayou Bend Gardens and Rienzi. A ticket is $20 for all, or individual-site tickets are $5. Cathy Fitzpatrick Cleary and Gayle Hightower, spokeswomen for the River Oaks Garden Club, invite you to go online for your tickets at riveroaksgardenclub.org or call 713-523-2483.

Football letdown. While twins Cam and Elliott Lindholm, in their football onesies, dreamed of double reverses and a quarterback throwing a pigskin through the air, their parents, Rhonda and Matt Lindholm, had their Super Bowl party in the living-room zone. Eighteen friends came to root for Peyton Manning on the Denver team. George and Laura Dethlefsen, Anthony and Anastasia Amoroso, and Clark and Lauren Edlund didn’t like the score but enjoyed the fajitas, Dos Equis and the mini flans.

There were two football-betting pots, in which Matt scored three times. The other lucky winners were Anthony Amoroso, 2-year-old Sloane Holland, Ronnie Kristynik and Seth Angel.

Tapas and more. Mark Stern thought he was going with his girlfriend, Linda Suib, to a try a new restaurant that featured Flamenco dancing, to celebrate his 60th birthday. Linda had no such thing in mind! She had arranged for 10 couples to be at Majorca Bistro & Tapas in Midtown. With a shout of “Surprise!” out came the sangrias and hot and cold tapas. Since the guests ordered their own entrees and desserts, everyone was checking out what the various courses looked like. The band and a Flamenco dancer on stage helped with the happy b-day song as they serenaded Linda and Mark. The couple danced to Bésame Mucho, joined by Leda and Mike Karchmer, Judy and Mike Weingart and Sondra Schachtmeister.

Island boy. Tammi Cortes Enos became a grandmother for the first time. Her daughter

Catherine Marie Healy and husband Adrian Healy welcomed their first baby, Colton James, on Jan. 15. He weighed 6.8 pounds and was born in Galveston (BOI). They are hoping that one day he will follow in his great-greatgrandfather Adrian Levy’s footsteps. He was Galveston’s mayor in the 1930s.

First son. Julian Oscar Aaron was born Jan. 9, 2014. The 7pound, 3-ounce, baby is the firstborn for parents Teresa and Michael Aaron, recently of Atlanta. Julian has a cat (Sadie) and a newly adopted rescue dog (Murray). Grandparents Barbara and Stuart Aaron, Aunt Kayla BLOOMING GOOD TIME Sallie Mansell and Sally Matthews (from left) are River Oaks Garden Club co-chairs of this year’s Azalea Trail, the 79th version of Aaron and Aunt Blythe the popular annual tour. and Uncle Nir Grossman Reed, Paulette Levine and Joan Lebow. went to Atlanta to meet and sing The Eyes of Texas All were winners. The 100 “drivers” at to Julian. Jadyn, Élan and Bennett Grossman will Liam Robinson’s 4th Grand Prix walked meet their new cousin on Spring Break. through a track and banner entrance to get a pit Tiaras and boas. Not everyone is crazy pass and sunglasses to celebrate Liam’s fourth about football. One such gal found camaraderie birthday. They chose a matchbox car to race and with like-minded women and invited them to later received a medal to wear and a champion an Un-Super Bowl party (during Super Bowl) to trophy. “Pit bosses” Kate and Bill Robinson and watch the Miss USA 2013 pageant that she had their “pit crew,” baby Nora and real race car recorded in June. The 16 gals drew numbers and driver Uncle Steven Johnson with his No. 42 found door prizes hidden in purses that were on race car, added to the scene. Chocolate cake display. Pageant-type food (salad bar) was served push pops in the shape of tires, and race flagfor dinner, and a list of contestants was provided shaped pretzels were “wheel” tasty. Some so they could check off fave candidates. Arriving revved-up fans were Meredith Mraz, Ella in banners were Ann Bullock, Helen Perry, Petersen, Rhodes and Ella Cate Harper, and Phyllis Rauls and Rosanne Kaufmann.

Kingston McKnight.

Winners in the People’s Choice voting were Connie Reddy and Sue Feinberg. And without Have some good news to share? We want to watching even a quarter, the winners in the know. Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Super Bowl pool were Joanne Naponic, Mary

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TRAVEL

by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz Breaking for Spring

B

y now, many of you have already made your Spring Break reservations and are counting the days – but if not, you’re lucky. Houstonians are well placed to make a decision at the last minute.

Some head east along 1-10 to Seaside, Florida, where legions of Houstonians are known to congregate during Spring Break and all summer long; others stay closer to home.

Whether your Spring Break is a staycation, a quick getaway or the adventure of a lifetime, the important thing is to do it.

Terrie and Rob James discovered Seaside, an idyllic community along Florida’s famed 30A

near Destin, in 2011. Their longtime friends and Memorial neighbors Anna and Tim Jones had been going for several years, and had fallen in love with the place.

It was easy to see why. Many Houston families travel together to Seaside and its surrounding neighborhood of Watercolor, renting homes just down the road from each other. For the Jameses and Joneses, when they aren’t enjoying Seaside’s sugar-white sand beaches and emerald water, they’re biking down picture-perfect lanes and trails; stand-up paddleboarding with friends; ordering a Frost Bite snow cone or a grilled cheese sandwich from the vintage Airstream

trailers that line 30A in the center of Seaside; or playing flashlight tag at sundown.

On one trip the Jameses’ three daughters – Carolyn, Emily and Sarah Kate – took off with friends their first day in Seaside. “We suddenly had the afternoon to ourselves, so we were able to sit, have a cocktail, and enjoy the view from Bud and Alley’s.”

“It’s a little community,” explained her friend Anna, who’s been going to Seaside for seven years. “Kids are free to be kids; they’ll go get their snow cones and run around with their friends and go to the beach and go surfing…. For us it’s just a fun, active family vacation. There’s some-

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thing for everyone there.”

Other Houston families have found other ways to experience the magic of shared Spring Break with friends and family. Usually the Shahs go skiing in Tahoe, and the Yalamanchilis have gone on a Disney Caribbean cruise and skiing in Vail on recent Spring Breaks. But a couple of years ago, Nina Shah was looking to save money and was shocked by the airline ticket prices to just about anywhere – at a minimum of $300 apiece, for a family of five it was a stretch. And Sushma Yalamanchili, whose husband Haresh couldn’t get away last year for Spring Break, decided at the last minute to team up with her friends Julie Weatherly and Yvette Gotthelf and find a closer destination.

The Shahs coordinated with other friends in Bellaire, the Allens and the Garcias, who have children around the same age, and caravanned together to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. They chose the place for its giant indoor waterpark – ideal for a pack of little ones. At the time, her son and daughter, Vir and Uma, were 5 and 6.

The kids were enthralled with Great Wolf Lodge – which looks like an ordinary hotel on the outside but behind the ordinary façade there’s an imaginary forest, vast waterpark and roaming characters. But what captivated them the most was Magic Quest. Modeled after the Harry Potter books, the game involved following

HOUSTON HITS THE BEACH The Jones and James families from Memorial enjoy vacationing with other Houston friends at a favorite getaway spot, Watercolor Resort at Seaside, Fla. From left, back row: Emily James, Katie Jones, Sarah Kate James, Claire Gammill (riding piggyback), Carolyn Stewart, Maddie Hiskey, Bryant Hiskey, Kenzie Hiskey and Carolyn James. Front row: Olivia Jones, Evan Jones.

clues to find magic wands hidden all over the resort.

“The kids would wake up in the morning and say, “Oh, can I go with Augustine and do a quest? And they can’t really get lost; it’s a

nice contained way for them to roam around.”

Meanwhile, the moms could relax, go to the gym or just hang out. Later, as the children swam or watched the dive-in movie, they could sit at the bar overlooking (continued on page 20)

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(continued from page 19) the pool and enjoy a

drink together.

Sushma’s group chose Lakeway Resort in Austin at the suggestion of some of her Austin friends, one of whom had gotten married there.

Her boys, Ravi and Rohan, are 8 and 9; Julie has two boys the same age, and Yvette has an 8 year old. At Lakeway they went fishing and enjoyed an indoor pool with “dive-in” movies; on a day trip into Austin, they explored Barton Springs.

“We have had some trips that by the time we returned home, we needed a vacation from the vacation,” Sushma said. “For this trip, we just packed up the car and left for a few days, and it was a spontaneous, last-minute decision.”

Sushma says her husband is sorry he missed it last year – and he doesn’t plan to again.

“I think it’s really important for the family to spend quality time together over Spring Break— wherever you choose to spend it,” Sushma said.

“I think it makes the family a closer unit and creates lasting memories for all of us.”

For families with kids at home, long gone are the days of lounging on the beach with an umbrella drink. But that’s not to say that Spring Break is a thing of the past – or that it has to be all about the kids.

For the spontaneous among you, we’ve put our heads together and come up with a few suggestions.

Quick Trips Some years it’s enough to just pack the kids in the car and do day trips or head to the closest available resort. If that’s you: San Antonio: Explore the city’s new Mission Reach of the expanded River Walk – think hiking, biking or kayaking along the San Antonio River going south past all four Spanish Colonial Missions, recently nominated as a World Heritage Site. Visitors can save hundreds on their San Antonio Spring Break with the city’s SAVE (San Antonio Vacation Experience) program (visitsanantonio.com).

Southwest Louisiana: Mosey along the 180mile Creole Nature Trail All-American Road with stops for alligator adventures, airboat tours, shelling on the Gulf beaches or bird watching. Download the free smartphone app at creolenaturetrail.org.

Galveston: Moody Gardens has a couple of new items for Spring Break: National Geographic Real Pirates exhibit, and a new ropes course and zipline. Adventurers, take a stand-up paddle board excursion with Ohana Surf & Skate (lessons available). Gamers, drop

by Board Game Island, a new café at 213 23rd St. Foodies, head down the street to the new kitchen boutique, Kitchen Chick, 528 23rd St. For sea and sand, head for Stewart Beach (named one of the best family-friendly beaches in America by Family Vacation Critic last year) over East Beach, which is known as the “party” beach in Galveston and is the only public beach park where alcohol is permitted.

Houston area: Blessington Farms in

BARTON SPRING BREAK Three Buzz-area families take a timeout together to enjoy a bit of Austin. From left: Cole Wakil, Sean Gotthelf, Ravi Yalamanchili and Jake Wakil.

Simonton gives kids a taste of the farm life.

Pick your own strawberries, then set the kids loose to explore the giant hill slides, barreltrain rides, a giant sand mountain, hay rides, pedal cars, chickens to hold, a hay maze and more. From March 8 to 11, the Compassion International Change the Story Tour will set up its 3,500-square-foot interactive Mobile Experience here, giving families a chance to travel virtually to other countries and see the lives of real families.

Road Warriors Moab, Utah, with layover in Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon State Park: Experience this geological marvel by camping, hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and, new this year, zip lining at Palo Duro Adventure Park, located just outside the state park entrance. There’s plenty to see in Amarillo, too; cowboys still ride the range, you can still find a chuck wagon meal, and thanks to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum, the town is also home to more than 100 quarter horse sculptures that dot the city, each of them painted in a different and often imaginative way.

Moab (18-hour drive from Houston): Take the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, see remnants

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of an old copper mill and Indian rock art, and take the kids rappelling and learn climbing techniques with one of Moab’s trained tour companies. Arches National Park is a breathtaking sight, as is the nearby Canyonlands National Park, and both have several short trails great for children. Consider renting a campground cabin for the family spring break.

Florida Beachcombers Destin: On Florida’s Gulf Coast, Destin has become a hub for Houstonians. Like Seaside, it’s a day’s drive east down I-10, and the waters are emerald green and inviting.

For those who want a little more action than bucolic Seaside, Destin Harbor is where it’s at.

You can walk along the docks to see the charter fishing boats coming in with their catch (or charter an excursion yourself). Take a dolphin cruise, go parasailing or jet skiing. For schoolage kids, there is Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park as well as Big Kahunas Waterpark.

Note: Last season, Destin started having an influx of Spring Breakers, who became unruly and littered the beach. “The Sheriff’s office came out in full force, and we’re hoping word spreads fast this is NOT for the Spring Break party crowd,” said Tracy Louthain, Destin spokesperson. “Up until last year, it was all families.”

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SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz N

ational Signing Day amounted to a magnificent day for the Lamar High School football team, with eight players signing their official letters of intent to play at the highest level of collegiate football. Four of the signees – Darrell Colbert, Braylon Hyder, Kyran Mitchell and Shelby Walker – will play for the Southern Methodist University Mustangs.

“The coaches at SMU respect our winning tradition here at Lamar,” said player Colbert.

“We have great talent and coaches at Lamar, and that’s why you’re seeing so many of us moving on to the next level.”

In addition to the SMU signees, Ira SavageLewis signed with Baylor, John Plattenburg is going to USC, Brandon Agomuo is heading to New Mexico State, and John Bonney signed with The University of Texas.

Bonney’s signing was especially big for Texas in the wake of reports that the highly touted defensive back was considering a switch to Auburn or Baylor. “The last couple of days were pretty stressful,” said Bonney. “But I really like new head coach, Charlie Strong, and the idea of being part of something special at UT. It’s been a life-long dream for me to play at Texas.”

The eight Division 1 signees for Lamar is more than any high school in all of Greater Houston. “It was an incredible class of players, and we’re going to miss those guys,” said Lamar head coach Tom Nolen.

In basketball, with big wins over The Woodlands Christian and Cypress Christian to close out the regular season, St. Thomas’ Episcopal captured its TAPPS-3A District Championship with an undefeated 12-0 record in district play. In addition, with an overall 239 record, STE entered the playoffs as the state’s No. 3-ranked small private school.

“We’ve been playing really well, despite playing a bunch of freshmen this season,” said head coach Chris Twine. “We played a really tough non-district schedule against some good public schools, and that helped us out at well. One of our big non-district wins was against Wichita Falls by 10 points. We also beat state-ranked Bay Area Christian by 28 points and Lutheran North by 20 points.”

DIVISION 1 BOUND Lamar will have a major presence on the collegiate level with eight football players going Division 1. From left: Braylon Hyder (SMU), Kyran Mitchell (SMU), Darrell Colbert (SMU), John Bonney (Texas), Shelby Walker (SMU), John Plattenburg (USC) and Brandon Agomuo (New Mexico State). Not pictured: Ira Savage-Lewis (Baylor).

Twine had high praise for his five starting players, including Isaiah Specks, son Chase Twine, James Masterson, Ehi Airwele and J.T. Williams. “It’s a really strong group. Isaiah is a 6-4 power forward who averages 21 points a game. Chase averages 14 points per game, and he’s only a sophomore. Also, James and Ehi average about 12 points a game, and J.T. is our junior point guard who averages eight points and five assists a game.”

With that kind of talent, Twine has his sights on duplicating last year’s success in the playoffs.

“We made it all the way to the state Final Four for the first time in school history last year, and that was a pretty great deal for our school.”

With a talented and experienced lineup, the Memorial Mustangs girls soccer team has high expectations this season. “We’ve got 14 returners, including 10 seniors, so we’re pretty excited about our prospects,” said Mustangs head coach Lindley Amarantos.

The Mustangs certainly were off to a promising start by finishing second in the I-10 Shootout soccer tournament, which brings many of the region’s top teams to Katy each year. “The girls played well,” said Amarantos. “It’s a great tournament, so we’re pleased to finish second.”

Among the key starters returning from a team

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 22

that advanced to the third round of the playoffs last year is senior midfielder Lanie Russo.

“Lanie is a dynamic player. She controls the middle and can really change the game.”

Also, senior Leslie Bonner, who’ll play college soccer at Texas Christian University is back for the Mustangs. “Leslie’s a powerhouse,” said Amarantos. “She’s extremely strong and physical. In addition, Amarantos had high praise for senior forward Olivia Brook, as well as senior defender Maggie Sherwood. “Olivia is one of the fastest players you’ll see on the soccer field.

She’s signed to play at Texas. Maggie’s just a great defender. She is extremely consistent game in and game out.

“I expect us to fight for a district championship. Last year, we lost a tough 2-1 game in the playoffs to a Katy-Taylor team that advanced to the state tournament, so with so many players coming back, I think we have a chance to go a long way again this season.”

Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy Awardwinning co-host and producer of the KUBE SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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When bad hives happen to good people Hives (or urticaria, in medical lingo) are red, itchy, raised areas of the skin with clear borders. They are an inflammation of the skin triggered when the immune system releases histamine, causing blood vessels to leak, leading to swelling and itching. They can appear anywhere on the body and for most people last a few days to weeks, earning the title “acute urticaria.” In some cases, a trigger can be identified, like a viral or bacterial infection, food, drug or insect sting reactions, or even a physical factor, like cold, heat, sun, exercise or pressure. If you are lucky enough to find a trigger, avoidance of that trigger will typically result in resolution of the hives.

In the case of acute urticaria, oral antihistamines are typically helpful to relieve the itching and shorten the duration of the flare.

Some people, however, suffer from “chronic urticaria,” which can last months to years. These hives can become particularly cumbersome. They are especially itchy and large, cover large surface areas of the skin, and are frequently resistant to traditional treatment regimens. They have a large impact on a person’s quality of life and can cause sleepless nights and missed days of work. Frequently patients will be given steroids, which may help temporarily, but rarely lead to resolution of the hives. With this type of hive, we have to break out the big guns. Zyrtec and Allegra are the two best antihistamines available over the counter, and the prescription versions really are not better. In some cases, we have to use above the normal “24-hour” dose of one pill to see relief. Sometimes it takes two, three, or even four in a 24-hour period. If this does not offer significant benefit, there are other drugs such as dapsone and tacrolimus that may be tried. These actually affect

the way the immune system works, and routine blood work while on these meds may be required.

A promising biotech drug called Xolair has been shown to be effective in people battling chronic hives. Xolair has been available in the United States to treat asthma for 10 years, but sometime in 2014 the FDA will approve it for chronic urticaria that doesn’t respond to antihistamines.

For chronic hives, blood work may be done, looking for an internal reason for the problem, like thyroid disease, autoimmune issues, high IgE (allergy antibody), etc. Skin testing to environmental allergens or drug testing to suspected drug culprits may also be warranted.

Regardless of whether a trigger is found or not, a board-certified allergist can help make sure the hives don’t become a constant burden in your life, and give you the tools needed to help prevent and better control flares of your hives.

Talk with your allergist today, and be on the way to better control of your hives!

No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.

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SPORTS

by Jacob Padden, contributing writer

SportzBuzz, Jr.

W

Nothing but net Eighth-grader Michael Melody (top photo) of the River Oaks Baptist varsity basketball team dribbles around his opponent. The basketball regular season for private middle schools recently came to completion on the varsity, junior varsity and sixth-grade levels. River Oaks Baptist is in the Houston Junior Preparatory Conference, and they also played against some schools in the Greater Houston Athletic Conference.

Melanie Hightower

elcome to SportzBuzz, Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school. This month we’re all about middle school.

Lady Eagles ruled Congratulations to the Memorial Middle School Lady Eagles seventhgrade A basketball team (middle photo), which won first place in the Spring Branch Independent School District tournament. Pictured from left are (front row) Eileen Gex, Sarah Stokes, Claire Johnson, Georgia Henkel, Kendall Kerr, (back row) Meghan Swantkowski, Claudia McDermott, Emily Scofield, Katie Miller, Emily McCown, Rylan Saleh and coach Kim Moore.

Stephen Schnitzer (bottom photo), a seventh grader at The Kinkaid School Middle School, took down his opponent at the sixth annual War on the Floor wrestling competition. The War on the Floor event is a showdown between rivals Kinkaid and St. John’s School. It includes both the middle school and high school wrestling teams. This year Kinkaid inched out St. John’s and won 70-69, proving that every match counts. Each school has now won the competition three times.

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behindthe-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportsBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.

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Georgia Ellis Piazza

War on a floor

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Deducting car expenses

Splitting custody?

There are two ways to deduct business-car expenses: actual expenses or the IRS standard-mileage allowance method. For actual expenses, deduct fuel, oil changes, repairs, tires, washes, insurance, licenses, taxes, lease fees, towing, car-loan interest, tolls and depreciation.

Fines for traffic violations are not deductible.

Or, you can use the IRS standard-mileage allowance. For 2013, it was 56.5 cents per mile. For 2014, it is 56 cents per mile. Even if you use the IRS mileage rate, you deduct car-loan interest, taxes, tolls and parking.

Your percentage of business use determines your deduction. Good records are important. At each appointment, list the mileage in your planner. The IRS allows for sampling methods, such as, the first week of the month for three consecutive months, if you use the car on a relatively even basis.

If you have a newer, expensive car, or high insurance, you usually are better off using actual expenses. If you drive more than 15,000 miles per year or you get great finance terms, like zero interest, buying may give better deductions than leasing.

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Clients tell me that they want to split time with their child 50/50 with the child’s parent and want to know whether that is feasible and/or recommended. In Texas, the Legislature recommends a standard possession order, in which a child has a home base in one parent’s home and “visits” with the other parent. If a parent has a standard possession order with all elections (means overnights on Thursday and Sundays), the primary parent has 57 percent of the time, and the non-possessory parent has 43 percent of the time.

When deciding whether to deter from the standard possession order, a person needs to consider factors such as proximity to other party’s home and the flexibility of each party’s schedule to accommodate a split-custody arrangement. Certain courts will not approve a splitcustody schedule no matter the circumstances since they don’t believe it is in the child’s best interest. Courts that will approve it will want a limited geographic restriction. The best way to determine if a split custody schedule is the best choice is to consult an educated and experienced family lawyer.

K. Nicole Voyles, a partner at Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., a full-service boutique family law firm, has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomas Reuters service printed in Texas Monthly magazine, for 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

K. Nicole Voyles, Board Certified in Family Law, Jenkins & Kamin, LLP, Two Greenway Plaza, Suite 600, Houston, Texas 77046, 713.600.5500, www.jenkinskamin.com

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 25

NEIGHBORS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz About Town is A Night in Time. The gala will take place at the Hilton Americas-Houston. As the No. 1 fundraising event for Covenant House Texas, the annual gala helps make it possible for CHT to help homeless and runaway youth. Table sponsorships and tickets are available, as well as the opportunity to donate items for the silent auction. Pictured (from left) are John and Mary Eads, Gala Committee members, and Lisa and John Sarvadi. For more information, contact Keiundra Jackson at 713630-5610 or see covenanthousetx.org.

Covenant House Texas Gala

Excitement is building for the 2014 Covenant House Texas Gala on March 28, coordinated by the CHT Guild of volunteers. The theme this year

annual gala, themed Forever Paris and chaired by Elizabeth and Tim Vail (pictured), with Rosemary Schatzman and Vanessa Sendukas serving as honorary chairs, on March 29 at the Wortham Center. The Grand Foyer will be transformed into a post-World War I Paris. This year’s gala will honor longtime SPA board member Karl

A night for the arts The Society for the Performing Arts will host its

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Kilian for his many years of service. Individual tickets start at $500. See spahouston.org.

Fay’s Havana Nights

Can curlers and cut-offs A jubilant crowd took over the House of Blues when the Junior VolunTIRRs from The Institute for Rehab and Rehabilitation held their annual fundraiser themed Welcome TIRR the Trailer Park. Event chairs Kendall Buckalew, Jennifer McCord and Taylor Throckmorton invited a t-shirt and tattoo-

The art of writing Jackson Hassell won two Silver Key awards, for science fiction and poetry, in the 2013-14 regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. His short story, The Daedalus Network, describes, through the eyes of a grieving man, a future in which a wellmeaning artificial intelligence, via a popular Internet network, tries unsuccessfully to solve its users’ problems. His poem, What Angels Look Like, explores a moment when a glass window cracks on a doomed underwater explorer’s submersible. Jackson is a sophomore in creative writing at The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Other writing honorees from HSPVA were Seokhyun Baek, Willow Curry, Adam Elkhadem, Claudia Heymach, Olivia Lopez-Parsons, Sarah Portugal, Caitlin Rhoades, Eva Schneller, Jaelynn Walls, Alexander Wheeler and Natasha Wright. Visual-arts winners were Zoie Brown, Willow Curry, Adam Elkhadem, Ian Estes, Hazel Fricke, Tatyana Oliva Skalany, Cassie O’Sullivan, Sidney Tennant and Patrick Zapien.

The Fay School’s annual school gala is set for March 29 at 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of The Houstonian Hotel. This year’s co-chairs, Debbey Guy and Jennifer Shellist, (pictured, from left) are not amateurs when it comes to pulling off a great fundraiser. The duo have worked on numerous events throughout their years at Fay and say they are particularly looking forward to watching this year’s theme, Havana Nights, A Gala in White, unfold through the decorations. Think cigar rolling and Cubanthemed cocktails. The chairs have collaborated with a large committee of more than 30 volunteers to pull off a huge silent auction, tuition raffle, and live auction – all in support of Fay’s mission. Individual tickets start at $200.

laden crowd who rocked through the evening to Band Camp from New Orleans. Party goers, including (pictured) Preston Hodges and Hallie Bauer, sported denim, beer-can curlers, cut-off jeans and mullet hairdos to raise funds for pediatric brain and spinal cord-injury research.

A night to fight diabetes Rachael and Jason Volz opened their home to introduce the Juvenile (continued on page 28)

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Research Foundation Houston Gulf Coast Chapter’s Annual Promise Ball, themed Imagine the Night, which they will chair. The gala is set for

edamame and truffle dumplings. The gala has previously raised $1.1 million, and the Volzes hope to exceed this figure. See houston.jdrf.org.

Boy meets world On March 6, the Houston Boychoir will host its third annual Status of Boys Scholarship Luncheon at the Junior League of Houston. A

noted expert on boys, Dr. Anthony Rao, will answer many of the most asked questions about raising boys in today’s world. The proceeds from the luncheon will fund Houston Boychoir scholarships. Individual tickets are $125. Pictured from left (back row) are Seth Quintinilla, Jacob Miller, Coleman Harper, Hunter Pando, Matthew Zhang, Ethan Fang, Ian Anderson,

March 29 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. The house party brought together 120 supporters and friends, including (pictured, from left) Meredith Cocke, Melinda Rose and Carol Rowley, as well as Kathryn and Jeff Smith, Amber and Clay Bretches, Liz and Jose Luis Vittor, Valerie and Tracy Dieterich, Andrea Soper, Audrey and Brandon Cochran, Lindley Arnoldy, Kathleen and James Jennings, Katie Flaherty, Ting Bresnahan, Jared Lang and Maryam Afshari. Guests enjoyed a menu catered by A Fare Extraordinaire, including deviled quail eggs with smoked bacon, gougères (cheese puffs) with wild mushroom mousse,

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(middle row, standing), Caleb Martinez, Brook Gee, Wake Foster, Adrian Alhadidi, (front row) Preston Parker, Justin Hu, Grey Watson and Patrick Jones. See houstonboychoir.org or call 281-484-1560.

Frozen fun

Alexis Wall (pictured) recently turned 5, and to celebrate, she had the princesses Elva and Ana from the Disney movie Frozen come and entertain her guests. She also had a big jumpy tent.

Having a ball at the party were Andy Shellist, Adam Guy, Morgan Gross, Matthew Dang, Cannone Grenello, Isabella Granello, Claire Chih, Olivia Calabrese, Ryder Hoeffner, Mishaal Khan, Roman Kirkpatrick, Wyatt Pond, Anneliese Watson, Mary Marsland Teare, Rory Colgin, Isabelle Gurvitch, Idolie

Whitley, Justine Finger, Stella Baird, Mille Flinder, Marion Moore, Charlie Moore, Lucia Marks, Winston Wu and many more.

This is the first time a St. Mark’s basketball team has won both its tournaments in the same year.

Helping kids who need it

You go, girls The St. Mark’s Episcopal school sixth-grade girls’ basketball team won back-to-back tournaments. The victories included the St. Mark’s Tournament, with a win over Cornerstone Academy, and the St. Francis Tournament, with a win over The Presbyterian School. They’re coached by Fred Silverstein and Isis Gardner.

Pictured (from left) are Coach Silverstein,

Mark your calendar for the ESCAPE Family Resource Center Celebrity Serve Benefit, themed Emerald City. . .There’s No Place Like Home. The evening will take place on April 13 at Tony’s Restaurant and will raise money to benefit families at risk of child abuse. With a goal of raising $320,000, the gala will help ESCAPE provide parenting programs to more than 6,000 parents and children in the Houston area. Pictured are co-chairs Joan Schnitzer Levy and Gerald Franklin. See learntoparent.org.

Ashley Mamuko, Emma Birdwell, Abby Bailey, Coach Gardner, (front row) Abbey Sizemore, Maddie Scholtes, Jamesy Trammell and Abby Lynch. Not pictured: Lani McHenry.

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401.

Items are published on a space-available basis.

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DOGGONE DETERMINATION Isabella Shin, a seventh grader at Annunciation Orthodox School, spent years convincing her parents to get her a puppy.

KIDS

by Isabella Shin, age 12

Buzz Kidz

Puppy love

M

y puppy, Charlie, is a very important part of my life. I feel that everyone should have the opportunity to own a puppy. Even though I have owned him for only six months, I feel very close to him, and he has become a member of the family. For nearly 10 years I have wanted a puppy, and when we finally got Charlie, it was a very important and memorable time in my life. At the age of 12, I am finally a puppy owner!

Having a puppy is a huge responsibility. Since I was a toddler, I worked hard to convince my parents that I am capable of being a dog owner.

In fourth grade, I made PowerPoint presentations on the benefits of owning a dog. I also put on a play with the help of my siblings to demonstrate how I would care for my dog. This past summer

my family and I took a trip to Israel and Europe, and my siblings and I were so well behaved and responsible that my parents gave their consent. I recall being in the hotel lobby in Paris and searching the Internet for Maltipoo breeders.

Immediately when I first saw Charlie, I melted. He was about the size of my shoe. There was no way I was leaving until we bought him. It was a hasty decision as I found out later.

Unfortunately, we ended up with a sick puppy that had a massive infection and was malnourished. My dad found him collapsed the day after we bought him and had to rush him to the vet emergency room. None of us thought he would survive, but somehow he did. I was extremely relieved that Charlie was ok. Now, he is a healthy, happy, hyper and loving puppy. I always

say that we rescued Charlie, and he was meant to be with us.

Charlie has really brought the family closer together. I could never love him any less. I would do anything for Charlie and will protect him just as I know he will protect me. The day I got Charlie was truly the most remarkable day of my life.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401.

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Point. Click. Win. Enter The Buzz 2014 Photo Contest DEADLINE MAY 15TH The Buzz Magazines is pleased to announce our ninth annual Photo Contest. Categories include People, Sports/Action, Animals, Landscapes, and Nature.

Winning photos will be published in our July issue and on our website.

Our grand prize winner will receive a Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS digital camera.

To submit a photo, and for contest rules, visit thebuzzmagazines.com and click on “Enter Our 2014 Photo Contest� in the upper right corner.

You can also view our 2013 winners online.

Grand Prize, Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS digital camera (or camera of equal value)

DINING GUIDE

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

This Month in Dining: Sports Bars Restaurant Listings $ (under $10) $$ ($11-$30) $$$ ($31-$60) $$$$ (over $60) Prices include drink, tax and tip per person Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime restaurant writer. Her visits to restaurants in our Buzz Dining Guide were anonymous, and she paid for her meals to maintain objectivity. We’d love your thoughts too. Write to info@thebuzzmagazines.com with your own dining opinions and suggestions. Also, you can contribute in the Comments section under the online version of this story at bellairebuzz.com.

Bite Macarons

YARD HOUSE Sports fans and families gather at the Yard House for its multiple TV screens and a well-executed, diverse menu.

T

here is no shortage of bars at which to watch the crowd-pleasing spectacle that is March Madness. Here, amid draft choices and a chilled-out vibe, you can cheer or jeer while chomping on quasi-tapas and pub grub as flat-screen TVs broadcast whatever NCAA game’s playing or being overanalyzed. It’s fun, and just more exciting when watching with a crowd.

Rarely do these places take reservations, so arrive early to snag a prime viewing spot, or, in the case of the Celtic Gardens (2300 Louisiana), a cozy leather sofa or a picnic table on the expansive patio. Along with a 24-faucet draft-beer tower named Goliath, regulars can choose from 20-plus bottled beers and a better-than-average selection of bar food, including seared ahi tuna sliders, quesadillas with marinated artichokes and mushrooms, and Southern-fried chicken tenders with waffle fries.

For local football fans, the Houston Texans Grille (12848 Queensbury Lane) is the place at which to celebrate or commiserate. Nearby, in the heart of CityCentre, Yard House (800 Sorella Court) appeals to foodies, sports fans and families with its wide variety of choices, from Chinese-style, orangepeel chicken to Cajun spicy jambalaya with jumbo shrimp.

Chula’s Sports Cantina (9501 Southwest Freeway and 10500 Katy Freeway) embodies a bordertown ambiance with skimpily dressed waitresses and buffalo wings and Tex-Mex standards. The big advantage here is the multiple screens, and – even better – almost all of the booths have their own personal TVs to tune into your game of choice.

In the Galleria, Champps Americana (1121 Uptown Park Blvd.) boasts it has the best seat outside the stadium. That’s because there are 30 flat-screen TVs, including four giant-screen projectors reserved for Texas teams. Here, guests can watch multiple live games at once while chomping on a signature gourmet burger, or they can request a specific sporting event.

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 32

French pastries Neighborhood: West University Making macarons is a dare, especially in Houston’s soggy climate. These delicate orbs in a multitude of colors and flavors are finicky. Their golden, smooth crust turns into dud-like chews at the hint of humidity. Macarons also demand surgical precision in the sifting of superfine sugar and ground almonds, combined with the beating of egg whites. A misstep and the result is a gritty fistful of chalk. And so, it was a treat (and surprise) to bite into the puffed-up salted caramel and pistachio renditions from Bite (in the Kroger shopping center). At last, the search for macarons “almost” like those from the venerable Ladurée in Paris is over. Granted, the weather was perfect that day – hardly a hint of humidity, nor a disappointed face at this charming whitegloss dessert-coffee house. Lunch and dinner Mon.Sun. 5172-B Buffalo Speedway, 713-664-2483. $

Costa Brava Bistro French-and-Spanish cuisine Neighborhood: Bellaire Working backward at this Spanish-inspired restaurant, the refined desserts include crema Catalan with a miraculous crunchy sugar glaze

and an apple tart that smartly blends smoky caramel with buttery pastry.

The flavorful seafood paella from owner Angeles Duenas’ grandfather sports perfectly al dente rice. Moist roasted duck and shrimp piquant with garlic make this upscale spot pleasing. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Fri. and dinner Sat. 5115 Bellaire Blvd., 713-839-1005. costabravabistro.com. $$$

Étoile Authentic French Neighborhood: Galleria area When several talented French chefs urge you to try the food at Étoile, it’s hard to dispute their keen taste for the food of their homeland. Just as they said, the flavors here are true, and owner-chef Philippe Verpiand and wife Monica Bui have created an alluringly warm showcase for a hearty coq au vin and tender sole meunière with lemon caper sauce, fingerling potatoes and roasted cauliflower – both brunch items. Briny mussels flavored with tomatoes and onions are served with homemade pomme frites and garlic aioli. The beauty of this place is almost everything is made from scratch, including the crusty baguettes. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., 832-668-5808. etoilecuisine.com. $$

Fioza Gourmet coffees & paninis Neighborhood: Meyerland Fragrant coffees from a local roaster are bolstered by crispy paninis in this cozy nook frequented by Latin professionals. Stellar croissants and fresh baked goods support a minimalistic breakfast-sandwich menu that includes baked eggs with either mushroom and pesto or tomato, pesto and fresh basil. Stack corn beef onto any, and at lunchtime, try the chicken pesto or roasted vegetables with goat cheese. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 9002 Chimney Rock Road, 713-729-8810. fioza.com. $

Hugo’s Regional Mexican Neighborhood: Montrose Tex-Mex was the game in town until risk takers such as Hugo’s ownerchef Hugo Ortega set out to educate Houstonians about the food of his motherland. Many traditional Mexican establishments have failed, but not the high-ceiling, palatial Hugo’s, with such comida tipica as a soulful off-themenu oxtail soup, earthy moles and snapper tamales fragrant in banana leaves. Perennial favorites are the wood-grilled rib-eye steak and baby pig roasted in banana leaves, not to mention pan-fried grasshoppers, which taste like popcorn and are delicious when paired with a blanco tequila. The crown jewel is Hugo’s Sunday brunch – a majestic cornucopian spread, worth every peso. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 1600 Westheimer Road, 713-524-7744. hugosrestaurant.net. $$$

Izakaya Wa Authentic Japanese Neighborhood: Memorial You can tell a lot about a restaurant by the diners. In this case, about 80 percent of the customers at Izakaya Wa are Japanese. Here, they can savor the true flavors of home without flying home. No wonder. Kubosan is in the kitchen. Hajime Kubokawa is revered by chefs around town.

There is artistry in how he wields the knife. His expertly sliced sushi and sashimi melt on the palate. But at Izakaya Wa, he has left the sushi bar in the very capable hands of business partner Akira Asano. Instead, Kubokawa is in the kitchen prepping homey noodle soups, stews and izakaya, or Japanese tapas of grilled and fried meats and vegetables, best enjoyed with friends over good, cold beers. Food by Kubo-san can be a revelation. Simplicity defines Japanese cookery, and he has mastered its succinctness. Want to learn about real Japanese food? Here is your chance.

A great perspective is the rotating half-and-half lunch special, consisting a rice dish and a noodle dish – a rare duo offering in the U.S., but common in Japan. Lunch Mon.-Thurs. and dinner Mon.-Sun. 12665 Memorial Drive, 713-461-0155. izakayawa.com. $$ (continued on page 34)

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 33

menus. Provisions, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sat; Pass, dinner only. 808 Taft, 713-628-9020.

Passandprovisions.com. $$-$$$$

Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana Neopolitan-style pizzas Neighborhood: Memorial Pizzerias abound. But Pizaro’s stands above most in its attempt to recreate authentic Neopolitan-style pies in a custom-made, Italian, wood-fired brick oven. Here, the pizzas comes out puffy, beautifully charred around the edges in 90 seconds after baking in a 900degree inferno. We’re envious of nearby residents who can enjoy Pizaro’s creations daily, from the well-crafted margherita to the lusty calabrese, composed of spicy sopressata sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella and basil. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. 14028 Memorial Drive, 281-5897277. pizarospizza.com. $

Post Oak Grill

IZAKAYA WA Stellar Japanese cuisine includes a half-and-half lunch special featuring a rice dish and noodle soup. (continued from page 35)

Jonathan’s The Rub American classics Neighborhood: Memorial It isn’t unusual to find a chef or restaurateur at this BYOB eatery, chomping down on one of the juiciest grinders in town. It’s that good.

Burger aficionados around Hedwig Village pay homage to the 9-ounce chargrilled ground chuck seasoned with chef-owner Jonathan Levine’s secret rub seasonings. Available at lunchtime only, you can build your own, or opt for the original Rub with the usual fixings on sweet sourdough bun. There’s also the Blue with chunky blue cheese, the AVO with grilled avocado and the Latino Nuevo with chipotle mayonnaise and Mexican cheese. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Fri. and dinner Sat., 9061 Gaylord, 713465-8200. jonathanstherub.com. $$

Kenny & Ziggy’s New York deli Neighborhood: Galleria area Kenny & Ziggy’s is a wood-panelled delicatessen plastered with movie posters, memorabilia and anything else that might invoke Broadway. Homesick New Yorkers line up for pickled herring, bagels, lox, potato pancakes, and pastrami and corned-beef sandwiches, which owner Ziggy Gruber stacks with hand-sliced, triple-smoked beef. While packed for lunch, breakfast draws a much smaller crowd. But hearty morning fare is Kenny & Ziggy’s best-kept secret.

The two eggs any style are a bargain at $7.95 and with enough food to share with your best friend.

Huge servings are the standard here. Even so, the

Texas-size bowls of homemade matzo ball soup empty quickly. These tender orbs have won competitions all over town. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 2327 Post Oak Blvd., 713-8718883. kennyandziggys.com. $$

Osteria Mazzantini Upscale rustic Italian Neighborhood: Galleria/Uptown Whipped lardo butter arrives with pillowy potato bread. If diners don't succumb to chefowner John Sheely's opening act, then they'll likely fall for his house-made ravioli, stuffed with earthy sweetbreads and kale, then lightly tossed in seared browned butter dotted with aged balsamic vinegar. The flavors are appealing – caramelized saltiness shot through with sweet and sour notes. Desserts are creative but grounded in Old World flavors, such as a mousse made with limoncello and an orangeolive oil cake with olive oil ice gelato and zabaglione. Lunch and dinner, Mon.-Sun., 2200 Post Oak Blvd. No. 140, 713-993-9898. osteriamazzantini.com. $$$$

Gulf Coast classics Neighborhood: Tanglewood Happiness exists in a bread basket at this popular outpost for business lunches. The basket usually cradles oven-fresh biscuits fragrant with green onions, bacon and cheddar cheese. One really isn’t enough; nor is two or three. Slow down, though, or you’ll fill up before the perfectly grilled rainbow trout arrives, glistening lightly with butter-caper sauce. Polo Becerra is a classic chef with a timeless approach of keeping ingredients simple and clean, with just a sheath of sauce to elevate the flavors of beef and seafood.

Lunch & dinner, Mon.-Sat., 1415 S. Post Oak Lane, 713-993-9966. postoakgrill.com. $$$

Quattro Contemporary Italian Neighborhood: Downtown Talented chef Maurizio Ferrarese brings the flavors of his native Italy to Quattro at the Four Seasons Hotel. The dining room is an elegant affair. Quality is high, and almost everything is made in-house. Just as engaging is the adjoining Vinoteca Quattro bar where an eclectic group of downtown workers unwind over Italian beers, wines and Italian small plates during happy hour. From 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, guests can purchase a wine or cocktail and allyou-can-eat antipasti for $18. Breakfast, lunch & dining Mon.-Sun. 1300 Lamar, 713-6501300. quattrorestauranthouston.com. $$-$$$$

Pass & Provisions Inventive modern fare Neighborhood: Fourth Ward A duo eatery in one space – white-tablecloth Pass and bustling Provisions. Pass is a caviar affair, while Provision serves casual edibles, including smartly donned sandwiches and billowy pizzas with such toppings as kale with pork sausage and duck confit with potato and pickled currants. There are some crossovers of dishes and kitchen playfulness between the two

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 34

Smallcakes Cupcake emporium Neighborhood: Memorial We stumbled on this tiny, sweet-smelling shop by accident, and a happy one at that. The cupcakes here are edible icons of childhood innocence. Nearly perfect. Voluptuous. The cake is moist and tender. The well-balanced frosting is buttery and fluffy. The Choco-holic (chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream) and the

Caramel Crunch (with sea salt and pretzel) exemplify grown-up flavors and high-quality ingredients. About 15 flavors are featured daily by this Kansas franchise founded by Jeff Martin, who competed on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and was featured on The View, where one of the hosts declared, “Now this is a red velvet cupcake right here.” Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 1531 Eldridge Parkway, 281-920-9110. smallcakesmemorial.com. $

Sparrow Bar + Cookshop Modern American Neighborhood: Midtown Monica Pope is forever reinventing herself and her restaurant concept.

Her latest incarnation, the Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, applies beautiful, subtle flavors to farm-fresh local ingredients. Bronzed Texas quail nestles on warm yellow-corn grits hinting of orange zest. Caramel miso and blossom butter enhance hanger steak. Creativity carries over to a dynamic cocktail menu. Pope grasped the value of using fresh fruits and herbs in drinks long before it became a trend. Her hand-crafted cocktails push boundaries to offer new, exciting flavors, such as a vodka creation with roasted red bell pepper puree, shiitake mushroom vermouth and jalapeño syrup. Lunch and dinner, Tues.-Sat., 3701 Travis, 713-524-6922. sparrowhouston.com. $$$

Teotihuacan Tex-Mex originals Neighborhood: Northeast Houston Diners pack in day after day for grilled steaks, chiles rellenos and flautas in a room decorated with festive streamers. Co-owner Silvia Galvan applies soy sauce and black pepper to make fajitas and juicy sirloins with grilled onions. A must try: grilled shrimp, bathed in garlic butter, particularly satisfying wrapped in homemade corn tortillas and a dollop of lush guacamole.

Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 4624 Irvington, 713-695-8757. teomexicancafe.com. $

Underbelly Upscale Texas eats Neighborhood: Montrose Underbelly chef-owner Chris Shepherd’s menu is a touchstone of the nose-to-tail movement. The Oklahoman is known to haul a whole hog through a roomful of diners, and his passion is mirrored by a striking woodcutting of a snout at the entrance. Family-style offerings include a pork roast with smoky sweet cornbread. Another piglet rendition is spicy kimchi stew.

Shepherd shares his fondness for Asian cuisines with sweeping touches here and there – all of which are satisfying against an airy, modern, Texas Hill Country setting, with maple wood communal tables, fresh wildflowers and a wall of homemade preserves. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Thurs. and dinner Fri.-Sat. 1100 Westheimer Road, 712-528-9800. underbellyhouston.com. $$$

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Vallone’s Modern-American steakhouse Neighborhood: Memorial The option of adding any homemade pasta, such diminutive corn ravioli or short-rib tortellini, to your steak dinner for $9 adds to the appeal of the impeccably hand-cut slabs of steaks. But really all that is required for the juicy, charred, dry-aged, bone-in ribeye is a side of fries and a robust California cabernet. With his new steakhouse, restaurateur Tony Vallone again illustrates that he knows good food, and his impeccable tastes are expertly translated on the menu by executive chef-partner Grant Gordon.

Normally, we skip sauces, especially when the steaks (wet and dry age) shine with just a dash of salt. But in this case, the cabernet foie gras jus and spicy béarnaise are hard to pass up, as is the Colorado lamb chop with chickpea purée. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. and dinner Sun. 947 Gessner, 713-395-6100. vallonessteakhouse.com. $$$$

MORE ONLINE For more restaurants and to comment, see this story online at tanglewoodbuzz.com or riveroaksbuzz.com.

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Duke, age 1, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Locke Lane A lot of people think I got my name, Duke, because I am a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, so they picked a royal name for me. But that isn’t the case. I am named Duke because I come from a long line of Cavaliers from Hawaii, and one of the greatest competition swimmers from early 20th century America was a Hawaiian legend named Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku. (Yeah, that’s his real name.) My favorite thing to do is run around Pumpkin Park across the street from my house and play with my friends Mei Ling, Reagan and Shadow. Recently, I met some other Cavaliers that live nearby, and I hope to see a lot more of them. I love all dogs, my family, warm baths, fortune cookies, bread sticks and sleep. Especially sleep. Some people think I’m a tad overweight, but I am just big boned. If you ever see me, please come say, “Hi,” especially if you have a dog with you.

Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401. Featured pets receive two passes to Rover Oaks Pet Resort. Each pass can be redeemed for one day of lodging in a Bunk House Suite, 25 percent off your next grooming appointment or 25 percent off one obedience training class.

Surrogacy agreements are controversial, and not recognized by many countries around the world, but they are permitted under Texas law. So, along with traditional adoption, in Texas a married couple unable to give birth to a child may enter into an agreement with a woman who is willing to have a child on their behalf. This is known as a gestational or surrogacy agreement, and the woman carrying the child is called the gestational carrier or more commonly referred to as a surrogate. The gestational agreement will involve the intended mother and father and the gestational carrier. If the gestational carrier is married, her spouse must also be a part of the agreement. Additionally, any egg or sperm donor would have to be a party to the agreement as well. There are many legal issues involved in the creation of a gestational agreement, but the parties may ask the court to approve their agreement.

Validation of the gestational agreement by the court can offer legal and emotional assurance to intended parents. A trusted attorney can navigate parents-to-be through the specifics of creating a valid gestational agreement.

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How do you choose?

Ask Reneé, the Realtor

Consider this: If dental continuing education is a critical factor to consider in choosing an exceptional dentist, how do you choose? Every dentist took a similar set of programs in order to become a dentist; however, from graduation the paths that are taken are very different. Dental graduates have displayed proficiency in the basics of dentistry; however, Dentistry 101 is not sufficient to become a super dentist, and unfortunately many dentists do not pursue their continuing education aggressively enough. In fact, Texas dentists are minimally required to accumulate 12 hours of education per year. Dr. Barras and his team routinely devote hundreds of hours yearly in pursuit of high quality, continuing education.

Not only do Dr. Barras and his team take extracurricular classes, but they also participate in hands-on, live-patient programs at The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. It is here that Dr. Barras and his team study the art of correcting misaligned teeth, creating healthy bites, and also treating TMJ problems. Many patients seek Dr. Barras due to their head, neck and jaw pain because his expertise helps relieve patients’ pain and discomfort. If you suffer from these symptoms, Dr. Barras and his team invite you to enjoy a higher quality of life today!

Dentistry by John Barras, DDS, 1330 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1300, Houston, Texas 77056, 713-993-9814, www.johnbarrasdds.com

This month’s real-estate question: “Reneé, any tips on how to secure buying a home when there are so few available?”

Answer: Have your running shoes on! If you are in the market to buy a home, be ready and prepared. 1. Do you have to sell your home first?

If so, get it on the market. Offers with contingencies will most likely not be considered. 2. Have you spoken to your lender? Start your pre-loan process, and provide a pre-approval letter with any offers you make. 3. Make your offer strong!

This is not a “we are going to steal the deal” market. If the price is not overinflated, be prepared to offer the asking price. 4. Keep your negotiations simple; make the first offer for the property the best from the start. 5. If your offer is not selected, think about being in a “back-up” position. Sometimes the “glamourous, glitzy” offer the seller received will fall through, and you will have the first opportunity. 6. Trust your Realtor! We are in the trenches every day on behalf of buyers and sellers. Tales of multiple buyers are pretty common in Houston, and nearly one out of five are receiving over-list offers.

Davy Oakum Properties is a full-service boutique firm specializing in the luxury market. Reneé Davy Oakum focuses on the clients’ goals first and foremost. Reneé and her firm are consistently recognized and recommended as the ones to go to for real-estate needs. Email your questions to Reneé.

Reneé Davy Oakum Properties, 12900 Queensbury, Suite 101, Houston, Texas 77079, 713.647.8278, renee@davyoakumproperties.com, www.davyoakumproperties.com

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 37

NEIGHBORS

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by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch E

Recipe wars

very Christmas my family goes crazy for my sister’s strawberry pie. Her mother-inlaw, a native Louisianan, created the recipe, which literally has won awards and is a closely kept secret. My sister rated as its baker only after being married several years and because she lives in Dallas, far from her in-laws, and her husband needed that pie to make Christmas Christmas for him.

Over the years, I hadn’t given much thought to the pie, except to scrape my plate clean of every crumb I got. But two years ago, as I sat at my sister’s bar watching her make it, the recipe taunting my line of sight, I asked if she would share. It was an offhand question – I didn’t want to steal my sister’s thing, but gosh that recipe would be nice to have on hand if I had company in the summer.

My sister’s reaction was adamant: “Of course not. I promised never to share that recipe, and I won’t.” I pushed the issue (maybe just to see what would happen) and made my case: I live in Houston; I don’t know any of her mother-inlaw’s people; I would never give it out. My sister and I don’t fight, but this one got close. Point taken. Conversation closed.

Fast-forward a year. I sat at the same counter again, and a friend, new to our Christmas traditions, asked about the pie, which my sister was serving. No way was I going to say one word, but no matter, because my sister jumped right in: “Nobody understands why I don’t give that recipe out. I made a promise; it’s her secret, I’m not going to do it no matter how mad people get.” Was I mad? Well, not before that moment, when I wanted to say, “I don’t want the *@!* recipe!” but instead checked my phone texts.

Really, I don’t want the pie recipe. We all want my sister to make it, and it’s special because it’s hers. But the whole exchange – two years of it – got me thinking. I’m a decent cook.

People come to dinner and ask for thirds. They call for recipes. And not once have I withheld (okay once, but that person really didn’t deserve that recipe at that moment so I was forced into sort of a passive-aggressive situation, but that’s another story).

What do other people think about recipe sharing, or not?

One seasoned cook Neiman Marcus’ (Once Secret) who’s published a couCookies (one of several versions) ple of cookbooks vents 1 cup butter at room temperature about people who won’t 1 cup sugar share, “It really bugs me.

1 cup brown sugar I mean, really, if we’re 2 eggs friends, we’re going to 1 teaspoon vanilla share way more personal 2 cups flour things than secret 2½ cups oatmeal (1 cup whirled in a recipes. And what am I blender or food processor) going to do? Claim it’s ½ teaspoon salt mine? If I do, who cares?

1 teaspoon baking soda Do you really identify 1 teaspoon baking powder yourself by your secret 12 ounces milk chocolate chips recipe?

1 8-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, grated “And if you tell me 1½ cups pecans no the wrong way, well Preheat the oven to 375. With an electric then, dammit, I’m sure I mixer, cream together the butter and sugcan find the equivalent ars. Add the eggs one at a time. In a sepaif I Google hard rate bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, salt, enough!” baking soda and baking powder. Mix the wet Another, who spoke and dry ingredients together, and stir in the “just because it’s anonychocolate and pecans. Drop golf-ball sized mous” says, “Food is for scoops onto cookie sheets, and bake in sharing. It’s a complithe oven for about 10 minutes, until lightment for someone to ly browned but soft in the middle. appreciate what you’ve made and want to make it for their family and friends. I have friends for noodle kugel with my mom, but didn’t want who don’t like sharing, and I don’t get it. I wonit shared farther. She passed away long ago, so der if those friends don’t use cookbooks. Those when we make it we think of her. It has a unique chefs shared. Are so-and-so’s brownies more spepresentation, so I’m often asked for the recipe cial than Brennan’s bread pudding?” but won’t give it out. Since it isn’t an everyday But there’s always another side to the recipe, I don’t think people are annoyed that I debate. One friend says she gets a jar of “magiwon’t share. cal” homemade queso, another secret recipe, as “I’d think it was odd for someone to refuse an annual holiday present from a neighbor. to share any recipe or leave out an ingredient “We hate to see the bottom of the jar!” she to make someone else’s version less delicious, says. But she’s not bitter being denied the but a single recipe with a personal reason isn’t recipe. She says the secrecy makes the queso a big deal.” that much more special.

Yes, friendship and family before pie. I love Another well-regarded cook had this to say: my sister in a gargantuan way.

“I share every recipe except one. A neighbor Whether or not she’s a recipe hoarder. when I was growing up shared her prized recipe

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ MARCH 2014 38