Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/135434
CALLING ALL COOL KIDS Isabel et Noa, 1121-07 Uptown Park Blvd., 713.960.6099 A FRESH SPOTS TO SHOP GAZE AND GRAZE , WE'RE PUTTING ON PLASTIC SHOES AND BOOTLEGGER JEANS, DRESSING OUR TOTS IN GROOVY ITALIAN THREADS, FERRETING OUT FAUX-BOIS CHAIRS AND PEELY SHUTTERS, AND STOPPING OFF FOR RYE STRAIGHT UP AND SMOKED PORK CHOPS. ALL IN A DAY'S PLAY . fter 25 years in the kid business, Simone Lizmi knows how to stylishly and comfortably outfit children, especially their wee feet. Although Lizmi's business has a new name and location in Uptown Park Shopping Center (near Champps Americana restaurant), it's actually a rebrand of familiar upscale children's store Kidswear & Shoes, previously located in Galleria III. The new 2,000-square-foot Isabel et Noa boutique is playfully designed by New York designer Krishna Fitzpatrick in bright colors reflective of Isabel et Noa's confetti-laden logo, which is also a design of Fitzpatrick's. The shop continues its multi-decade tradition of offering and expertly fitting the best names in American and European children's shoes, including Naturino, Geox, Teva, Kickers, Stuart Weitzman, Pediped, Puma, Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. European-inspired kids' clothing includes the colorful Canadian designer Deux par Deux, plus French labels for girls and fetching French and Italian suits for boys. Isabel et Noa currently caters to children ages 2 to 12 and stocks shoes in sizes 19 to 38 EU (3 to 7 U.S.). Caroline Starry LeBlanc DRESSING THE HOUSE INSIDE AND OUT Inside and Out Antiques, 4412 Morningside, 713.898.0974; insideandoutantiques.com PLASTIC FANTASTIC Melissa Pop, 1121-6 Uptown Park Blvd., 713.629.4444; melissapopusa.com JENNY ANTILL F JENNY ANTILL un Brazilian jelly shoe brand Melissa has a new home in Uptown Park, in a 1,200-squarefoot shop called Melissa Pop. Located next to Champps Americana restaurant, the stylish shoe haven is designed much like a contemporary gallery space with stark white walls highlighting the colorful array of Melissa's quirky creations. You'll find plastic shoes for girls of all ages, priced $50 to $200 a pair, including the soughtafter collaborative collections by fashion designers Vivienne Westwood, Jason Wu and, most recently, Chanel's designer extraordinaire Karl Lagerfeld. Which Melissa shoes really pop? We covet Jason Wu's Artemis sandal tied up with a bow. Or perhaps Karl Lagerfeld's Incense shoe festooned with a glittery ice-cream-cone heel. Posh tots will beg for the flower-print peep-toes by Vivienne Westwood. And if that's not glam enough for you, did we mention the shoes are eco-friendly, made of totally hypoallergenic, Mini Melissa flexible and recyclable plastic, or that they smell like Furadinha shoes, $50 bubblegum? Now, that's sweet. Megan Pruitt Winder Madewell, Galleria IV, 5135 Westheimer Road, 713.966.3500; madewell.com F rom those preeminent preps at J.Crew comes Madewell, an edgier, ladies-only, effortlessly cool reinterpretation of a denim workwear label that's been around since 1937. Located on Level II in Galleria IV next to Langford Market and across from A/X Armani Exchange, Madewell is all about subtly sophisticated staples with a touch of summer festival (think Coachella) style, such as perfectly cut T-shirts, printed denim jeans, airy dresses and out-there accessories. The 2,788-squarefoot boutique stocks denim and chambray "bars" designed for customers to find the perfect fit for their shape and taste, offering up jean cuts from "skinny skinny" to "rail straight," "boyfriend" to "bootlegger." Chambray shirts are offered in a similarly wide array, with the emphasis again squarely focused on fit. Handbags and jewelry are casually cool but striking, dressing up jeans and a tee. Add in retro-inspired eyewear, skinny and square scarves, backpacks and belts, and you have one cool concept with historic integrity. Caroline Starry LeBlanc JUNE | PAGE 24 | 2013 A PATRIOTIC ACT The Federal Grill, 510 Shepherd Dr., 713.863.7777; thefederalgrill.com JILL HUNTER SIMPLY SWELL In a Lilliputian space — make that two Lilliputian spaces separated by a single storefront on Morningside — Jodi Nash has set up shop with wares to dress your house both inside and out. The concept evolved rather by happenstance when this inveterate collector decided to downsize her living space, only to discover a lot of furnishings and accessories were taking up space in a pricey storage unit. That's when it hit her: Why not open a tony consignment store specializing in vintage furniture and accessories — the sort she and other like-minded souls have amassed. The result: Inside and Out Antiques, a charming 500-squarefoot space where you might stumble upon a vintage McGuire rattan chair, a 19th-century yellow-painted Italian table or perhaps a huge French metal clock that spans nearly the width of the wall. While that covers the inside of one's abode, take a step outside, and here you'll find Nash's other space — roughly 400 square feet of charming outdoor furniture, giant cast-iron planters, faux-bois chairs, English wood benches and old shutters cleverly reconfigured with sconces mounted atop — apropos outdoors or in. Laurann Claridge Matt Brice Matt Brice made an offer that the owners of Branch Water Tavern apparently couldn't refuse. Well, technically, they took a few months to ponder it before they sold their Shepherd-area restaurant to Brice, who also runs Bistro des Amis. Shortly after the young restaurateur first walked into the brick-and-oak-clad space, he had a plan: He'd rename it The Federal Grill as a tribute to his patriotic grandfather and serve up lots of whiskey (cocktails and straight-up bourbon, rye and scotch — 102 varieties and counting), bar bites and contemporary American fare, including a trio of prime-cut steaks. (After all, Brice paid his dues rising up the ranks at prominent steak houses in NYC and Houston.) While signature Branch Water Tavern dishes still dot the menu, chef Michael Hoffman and sous chef Antoine Ware have collaborated with Brice to add winning new ones such as a jumbo lump crab cake in a champagne beurre blanc ($18) and tartare of yellowfin tuna ($16) with avocados and the crunch of jicama and crisp shallots. And then there are the entrees, such as a mighty smoked pork chop with pimento cheese polenta ($26), sesame-crusted eggplant napoleon ($18) for anyone who prefers a meatless option and bacon-wrapped Gulf shrimp ($26) for those who can't imagine a meal without B-A-C-O-N (you know who you are). Laurann Claridge