Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1137940
OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. 18 S avile Row tailoring has arrived in Houston, albeit as discreetly as one of James Bond's subterfuges. Tucked away in a townhouse behind Kirby Collection high-rise development, Mason & Sons has quietly opened its doors, with plans for a launch fête in the fall. The haberdashery shop is London-based proprietor David Mason's answer to the call of his Houston clients who share an affinity for British style. The tailor and entrepreneur has been accumulating British heritage brands for more than a decade, purchasing the Partners Ignacio Torras and chef Luis Roger, masterminds behind Barcelona-themed BCN Taste & Tradition, opened their sparkling Madrid spin- off, MAD, in June. This haven for paellas and inventive tapas, located in River Oaks District, is designed by Barcelona interior designer Lazaro Rosa-Violán. Expect lively lunches, fabulous dinners, and lounge nights … River Oaks District heated up again with the arrival of Ouzo Bay and Loch Bar which also opened in June. The Mediterranean hot spots from Atlas Restaurant Group reference the classic Greek kouzina and tavern, respectively. Fresh fish is flown in from all over the world, such as Aegean bronzino and jumbo prawns from Madagascar … Sixty Vines out of Dallas opens its first Houston restaurant this fall at 2540 University Boulevard in Rice Village. Known for its seasonal cuisine inspired by Napa Valley, the two-story eatery will have an innovative wine-on-tap program. Shared plates include wood- fired cauliflower and crispy zucchini, as well as Sixty Vines' memorable salumi and cheese boards, C.A.B. burger, and half-chicken rubbed in organic chives and lemon roasted … Goodnight Hospitality's restaurant openings are moving along. Sited next to Biscuit Home design store, Pete McCarthy and Johnny Forney open Rosie Cannonball, a casual European-style restaurant centered around a wood-burning oven, and Montrose Cheese & Wine, a small retail shop, in late summer. March, the group's 26-seat Mediterranean tasting menu, opens end of year. For more on their planned Montrose Hotel, see page 60. Annie Gallay B ill Hutchinson, owner of Dunhill Partners, which owns the majority of the Dallas Design District, eagerly awaits District's mega-project project, the new Virgin Hotel with Sir Richard Branson. On track to open in Dallas October 1, "the hotel is turning out absolutely beautiful," he says. "My favorite part is the entertainment deck on the fourth floor — it has a cool pool, private cabanas with stunning downtown views, a secret garden with a Jacuzzi, an indoor-outdoor lounge with Venetian plaster walls, and a two-story bar." Rebecca Sherman LIKE A VIRGIN THIS JUST IN Restaurant BUZZ SARTORIAL SPLENDOR S tar chef Daniel Boulud's right- hand man, Aaron Bludorn, is jumping into the Houston food scene with major plans. He's worked with two Michelin-starred chefs — Douglas Keane in California and, most recently, the legendary Café Boulud in New York, where he began as a chef de partie then worked his way up to executive chef. He also made his mark in the mainstream as a contestant on season one of Netflix's The Final Table, cooking with chefs across the globe. Bludorn is leaving the buzz of New York to settle in Houston with his wife of one year, Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and open his own restaurant in 2020. Yes, that Pappas. Victoria's father is Chris Pappas, co-owner of Pappas Restaurants. The Pappas restaurant group will not be affiliated with Bludorn's new Houston restaurant, but he's happy to have the connection. "I bounced around, and my family's kind of scattered," he tells PaperCity. "Our plan is to start a family, and what better place than Houston. Especially with the roots my wife has here. It's a great town to be in the food scene. Some Anthony Sinclair label, which dressed Sean Connery for his star turns as 007. Today, Mason & Sons offers old-school workmanship combined with modern technology under such resurrected heritage labels as Mr Fish, Curry & Paxton, and Motoluxe. The ever dapper Ryan Chua, whom many know from his five years at Sid Mashburn, is on-site, with fabric books containing upwards of 5,000 swatches, plus racks of Mason & Sons-label suit samples ranging in U.S. chest sizes from 32 to 60 inches, with four shoulder shapes, three lengths, and two cuts for made-to- measure orders. For gents preferring a truly bespoke suit, the process begins with an interview with the client, either in the townhouse or the client's home or office. Next is the fitting process, taking body measurements, selection of fabric, lining, and buttons, along with styling details such as lapel and shoulder shape and trouser details. That pattern remains in-house so that future suits can be ordered on the spot. Much like the London headquarters of Mason & Sons, which has no commercial signage other than a plaque stating that John Lennon lived there in 1968, the Houston showroom at 3333 Lake Street is noted simply as T5. Ring the bell, and Chua will be happy to serve you. Mason & Sons, 3333 Lake St., 713.485.6636, masonandsons.com. Shelby Hodge great chefs are doing fantastic things — Chris Shepherd, Justin Yu, Hugo Ortega. Bludorn isn't sure where he'll open his restaurant, but he sees the Heights, Montrose, or maybe Midtown as a good fit. "I'd like it to be a very celebratory, very polished, and a charismatic setting, but at the same time dressed-down," he says. As for the food, expect a French-American restaurant in the style of New York chef Charlie Palmer — namely, American dishes carefully crafted with the finest classic French techniques. "I wouldn't say the menu is going to be marked up with classic French dishes," Bludorn says. "Rather, just using those techniques to create something really delicious." "I'm excited about the seafood the Gulf has to offer ," says Bludorn. It's also pretty amazing that you have, beautiful tomatoes growing in January." Annie Gallay David Mason and son Elliot Aaron Bludorn