Premier Issue: On Location
Go behind the scenes with ‘Houston CityBook,’ the hot new magazine for the most fascinating town in America!
Aug. 16, 2016
Aesha Scott, Jack Vielhauer, Courtney Scott
The dress code was “Nantucket chic with a Texas flair,” and guests sipped sparkling rosé while donning sundresses and linen shirts paired with cowboy hats and boots. As the sun set, DJ Mitch Waring turned on his bubble machine, and the party roared on into the evening. Scott greeted every guest and posed for photos in one of Houston’s more instagrammable spots.
Z on 23 is Houston’s highest open-air rooftop bar, perched atop Le Méridien hotel. Cocktails and bites are on offer daily. "Z on 23 isn't just a rooftop bar,” says Le Méridien Marketing Director Jack Vielhauer. “It's a dynamic meeting spot where creatives, visionaries and innovators come together to inspire and collaborate.
“I'm working to re-envision this rooftop,” he adds, “transforming it into the ultimate hub for creative energy and connection under the stars.”
Alexis Joubert, Gabby Saenz
Hudson Smith, Sarah Smith, Michael Mandola
Tarek El-Bjeirmi
Zach Harrison Alexis Walden, Mackenzie Snuggs
Imani Guillory, Karin Chen, Lisa Gochman
Stacy Snyder, Jack Vielhauer, Pame DeOrbegoso
Anthony Ferrell
Jordan Khalil, Emre Ozsut, Aesha Scott
DJ Mitch Waring
Courtney Peel, Kelsey Rogers
Chris Fox & Matt Parisi
'The Swan' at Sophie (photo by Shawn Chippendale)
Local entrepreneur, globetrotter, and “tastemaker’” Ashley Muncie channels her experience living in Paris into this stylish new cocktail bar, lounge and terrace. Her aim with the two-story space is to capture the essence of the French Riviera with chic design touches at every turn including dark red lacquer walls and soft pink accents.
Ashley Muncie (photo by Alex Montoya)
Designed by EAMStudio, the intimate 20-seat cocktail bar hidden behind a velvet curtain puts on the ritz with floral and animal prints and velvet club chairs, oversized glass chandeliers, and paintings by French artist Phlippine de Richemont. Upstairs, anticipate a playful terrace with live music and a plant-filled outdoor patio withmultiple seating vignettes for up to 80 guests.
Although the concept is heavy on scene and fancy cocktails, the French-inspired food menu by chef de cuisine Anthony Anderson, an Uchi alum, has something for everyone. Caviar graces fettuccine with lemon butter as well as the Thon Cru – marinated yellowfin tuna and saffron potato. There’s a Sophie burger with gruyere and a wide selection of cheese and wild game charcuterie. Even more Frenchified is the weekend brunch. Grab those cameras: The Swan, which appears to be floating as all beautiful swans do, is an artistic pistachio cake with pistachio sable and raspberry confit.
But cocktails take the cake. In feminine style, Scent of a Rose is crafted with Kettle One Rose and grapefruit vodka, rose syrup, lemon, elderflower, and sparkling rosé. Other options include domestic and French wines, house-curated shots, an upstairs seasonal spritz menu, and signature “experiential” cocktails offered downstairs.
“Sophie is a destination to gather with friends for a long afternoon of cocktails and bites on the terrace, a post-dinner nightcap, and everything in between,” said Ashley Muncie in a press release.
Santé!
Cocktails at Sophie
Fettucine at Sophie (photo by Shawn Chippendale)
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