Holiday 2016: On Location
Welcome back for round two! Here's your intimate behind-the-scenes look at the sophomore issue of the most exciting new magazine in Houston.
Nov. 21, 2016
MaKiin (photo by Sean Rainer)
MaKiin Thai
MaKiin (photo by Raydon Creative)
Prepare for a taste of the exotic today, Oct. 23, when upscale restaurant MaKiin bows in luxury high-rise Hanover River Oaks. Serving refined, beautifully presented Thai fare in a chic setting, MaKiin is the brainchild of female restaurateur Lukkaew Srasrisuwan, proprietor of Kin Dee in the Heights. “MaKiin means come to eat, an invitation that in Thailand is viewed as the highest honor one can bestow,” said Srasrisuwan. Designed by sought-after interior designer Gin Braverman, the decor draws inspiration from ornate Thai temples and lively Thai night markets, allowing diners to escape to an authentic Thai experience.
The menu was created by Thailand’s award-winning chefs Eakkapan “Chef O” Ngammuang and Aphassorn “Chef Bell” Predawan. Expect multi-layered dishes with distinctive flavors and nods to royal Thai family recipes within Northern and Southern Thailand, with influences from Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and China. Aside from the array of appetizers, soups and salads, entrée highlights include the Flavors of Siam — a masterpiece featuring wagyu steak with charred eggplant, lemongrass, and two Thai-style sauces, Pla and Yum; and Chef O’s Award-Winning Chicken with Massaman curry paste atop potato pavé, plus a dash of gold dust added tableside. Another sure-to-be hit is the hearty Majestic Ocean Medley, a casserole of jewels from the sea.
MaKiin is open for dinner daily, and happy hour is offered in the bar, dining room, and patio daily.
Annabelle Brasserie
Annabelle Brasserie
Infused with the charm of a bustling Parisian café, Berg Hospitality’s new concept is now open in Houston’s newest lifestyle district, Autry Park on Buffalo Bayou. Anticipate modern French cuisine — brunch, lunch and dinner — served in a very pretty space with picturesque views of the park. Tuna tartare, foie gras torchon, French onion soup, Maine lobster salad with caviar are a few of the small plates. Mains include steak frites, beef bourguignon, seared diver scallops, and duck cassoulet.
Uchi
The latest menu item at Uchi is arguably better to-go! Executive Pastry Chef Ariana Quant has perfected her fried-milk ice cream recipe, and pints of the delicacy are available for take-home after dining in, or for delivery via UberEats. It's sweet-cream ice cream mixed with salted fudge, chocolate-covered cornflakes, and chunks of blondies. Grab a spoon!
Dessert Gallery Bakery & Café
Dessert Gallery (photo by Becca Wright)
Houston sweet-tooth shrine Dessert Gallery has rolled out a new menu for the first time since 2019. On the heels of its 28th anniversary, and recently breaking ground on a new location in The Woodlands, owner Sara Brook was inspired to create 15 new items!
“I’m always excited about new desserts,” said Brook. “We’ve landed on some great new desserts, and I hope our customers love them.” There’s a new category of sweets called DG Dessert Slabs — giant sheets of cake portioned into individual slices. Choose from four flavors: Strawberry Crunch; Orange Creamsicle; Funfetti with Caramel Buttercream; and Butter Pecan.
Other new items include the flourless Chocolate Cake; Billionaire Brownies: rich fudge brownies topped with chocolate glaze and splashed with gold; cranberry shortbread hearts; Pumpkin Dream Parfait; and raspberry sugar cookies, part of Dessert Gallery’s commitment to supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Guard and Grace
Chef-owner Troy Guard
Downtown’s premiere modern steakhouse is celebrating four years of culinary excellence with a celebration like no other. This season's standout event, dubbed "An Ohana Affair," will take place Nov. 15 from 5-8pm. The restaurant-hosted event guarantees a display of outstanding culinary creations skillfully prepared by Houston’s top chefs. Chef-owner Troy Guard has collaborated with renowned chefs including Bludorn/Navy Blue’s Chase Voelz, Levi Goode, Drake Leonards, Hugo Ortega and Guard and Grace’s executive chef Adam Vero. Together, the team has orchestrated an evening brimming with delightful bites and expertly crafted cocktails.The anniversary party will have a philanthropic focus, with $25 from each ticket sold going to Kids’ Meals, Inc.Tickets start at $75.
Nobu
Curated with bright and bold flavors, Nobu's all-new omakase experience: “At The Sushi Bar” is available for guest seatings ($225 per person) on Thursday and Friday evenings from 6-8:30PM. Putting trust into chef Joe Murphey and chef Eiji, guests are invited to embark on a culinary journey through a 17-course sushi tasting menu consisting of fresh ingredients and high quality fish balanced with unique flavor profiles. Some of the featured dishes include yellowtail jalapeño, charcoal grilled otoro, creamy baked crab with masago, and lobster miso soup. Want to really splurge? Add on the Champagne and sake pairing for an additional $70. Reservations can be made on OpenTable for a maximum of four guests per seating.
Bellagreen
The fast-casual fave Bellagreen is launching breakfast at two of its most popular locations — Heights and River Oaks. Expect the same healthful, flavor-packed, seasonal fare as included on its lunch and dinner menus, but in the form of power bowls, French toast, corn cakes and more. The all-new breakfast menu debuts Nov. 10, and will be available daily, 7am-11am.
Zanti Cucina Italiana
Zanti
Still-new Zanti in the River Oaks Shopping Center recently rolled out a delectable brunch menu with Italian-inspired dishes like Braised Beef Chipotle Benedict, the Piemonte Truffle Bread and the Baked French Toast. Additionally, guests can indulge in the Seafood Tower comprised of king crab, whole lobster, colossal shrimp, blue point oyster, stone crab, shrimp ceviche and tuna tartar. For those with extra-luxe cravings, caviar service featuring Royal Ossetra and Imperial Ossetra is on offer. Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from 11am-3pm complemented by live music that kicks off at noon.
For C. Brian Williams, founder and executive producer of Step Afrika!, the world’s first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, seeing step on the opera stage was a welcome and natural evolution of the form. “Prior to Step Afrika!, Broadway and the American Theater would never even consider stepping as a form to be used in their productions,” says Williams. “We’ve proven that stepping has unlimited artistic possibilities.”
On Oct. 27 and 28, Step Afrika! lands in Houston to present Drumfolk, which recounts the history of stepping and earlier percussive dance forms, including pattin’ Juba or hambone, the ring shout, and tap. Beginning with the Stono Rebellion of 1739, which lead to the Negro Act of 1740 and the transformation of African life in the United Colonies, audiences will see the evolution of step in the context of history and in the bodies of the dancers. “It’s a story of resilience,” says Williams.
The upcoming performances are also a homecoming for Williams, who grew up in Southeast Houston, and whose family roots run deep in the city: His mother Patricia Hogan Williams is the founder of The Imani School, a private elementary and middle school dedicated to reducing the drop-out rate of African-American teens, and his father is a successful criminal defense attorney. And readers are likely familiar with Williams’ brothers, Chris and Ben, who co-founded Lucille’s restaurant, its menu inspired by the soul food cooked by their great-grandmother Lucille B. Smith, a pioneering chef and businesswoman.
“Growing up in Houston, the arts have always been a part of my life,” says Williams, who as a child, attended performances at Jones Hall, Miller Theatre, and the Alley Theatre. “But at the same time, learning African American history and culture has always been pivotal in my home.” Williams points out that 30 or 40 years ago, African-American history wasn’t given much focus in school curriculum. “My parents were very intentional about making sure I got those history lessons outside of what I was learning in school.”
Williams first saw stepping when he walked onto the campus of Howard University, home to several fraternities and sororities where stepping was born. A business major who had not lost his love for the arts, Williams soon learned to step as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. – Beta Chapter and would go on to found Step Afrika! in 1994 as an exchange program with the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg. Now based in Washington, D.C., Step Afrika! has toured over 60 countries, headlined President Barack Obama’s Black History Month reception at The White House, and most recently, earned the 2023 Mayor’s Arts Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Innovation in the Arts, Excellence in an Artistic Discipline.
Williams believes stepping, like jazz and every other African-American art form, is a constantly evolving tradition. So what is the future of stepping? “That depends on the next generation, and how they embrace the tradition,” says Williams. “For Step Afrika!, our role is to preserve and promote this tradition of stepping as a uniquely American art form.”
In addition to two performances of Drumfolk at the Cullen Theater, Wortham Center, Performing Arts Houston is hosting a welcome party for Step Afrika! on Oct. 24, beginning at 6 pm at the historic El Dorado Ballroom, with mini performances by the Edison Foundation Tappers, SWAGG Boiz, and Step Afrika! It’s a free event, but registration is required.
