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OCTOBER | PAGE 59 | 2014 Adara Medical Spa, 1401 Binz St., 713.766.3638, adarahouston.com MUSEUM- QUALITY SKIN DO SI DO T he sought-after derms behind the Dermatological Association of Texas have opened a very smart and innovative medspa concept, Adara Medical Spa, in the heart of the Museum District. Karan K. Sra, MD, and her Adara co-founders offer injectables, laser treatments and body contouring, alongside trained aestheticians who perform traditional spa treatments such as facials, massages, chemical peels and microdermabrasion. Adara partnered with local firm MC2 Architects to transform the 1,850-square foot facility in the Museum Point Professional Building into a stunningly sleek, glossy white suite that reminds us of a more Zen version of the Apple Store. But what's really unique is Adara's commitment to having a board-certified dermatologist on-site at all times. Adara also stocks products from dermatologist-approved brands including Elta MD and Skinmedica, as well as the spa's own line of skincare products. Parking headaches won't furrow your newly Botoxed brow, as there's validated surface-level parking available directly in front of the building. And a complimentary GloMinerals makeup application after treatment sends you off date-night ready. Kathleen Jennings WE'RE ENJOYING ALL SORTS OF TREATS NOT TRICKS, THIS OCTOBER , FROM A MESMERIZING FACIAL TO BOHO PEARLS, AN INFUSED SOUJA, ANGRY PALEO SHRIMP AND A CHERRY BOUNCE SOUR ON THE ROCKS. STEPHEN GUTIERREZ JULIE SOEFER JULIE SOEFER Dosi, 2802 S. Shepherd Dr., 713.521.3674, dosirestaurant.com F or years, Houston has had precious few Korean restaurants. Now, as a generation of young chefs rises and established ones travel back to their homeland to mine for culinary inspiration, exciting new Korean kitchens are opening up (not to mention loads of food trucks borrowing a little kimchee to ratchet up the flavor quotient). The Korean food haunt Dosi is an intimate, pulled-back space in shades of gray that took up residence when the former Japanese tenant bailed before it even opened. The buildout, nearly complete at the time, actually suits Dosi, with room enough in the entry to stack an entire wall of infused sojus (a mild vodka-like liqueur) marinating pineapple, lichee, raspberry and orange in Ball jars, each dated and rotated as they cure. Chef Jordan Asher and sous chef Daniel Toro proffer diners intriguing small plates (banchan, traditional in Korea; $4 to $8) and slightly larger "share" plates ($8 to $22). Also on the menu: the must-split double-fried half-chicken glazed with a blazing red, spicy gochujang and fermented honey sauce — strangely light and highly addictive ($17), as well as a bo ssäm, a roasted fall- off-the-bone pork shank that you and your friends simply layer in lettuce leaves with rice ($60). It's fun to discover the exotic tastes of Korea as you make your way through the menu, trying small bites such as the bright green kale chips studded with tapioca dipped in a mild yogurt dipping sauce ($5) and tomatoes tossed with grilled tofu, pickled onions and the crunch of crisp rice ($6). Laurann Claridge Julep, 1919 Washington Ave., 713.869.4383, julephouston.com THE SOUTHERN SPIRIT T here's a new watering hole in town — one with a decidedly Southern spirit. Julep's name honors the legendary muddled mint-infused bourbon drink mixed with crushed ice and served in a silver tumbler that's crafted in four varieties here, along with a host of cocktails that revive some of the region's best-loved elixirs (and some forgotten ones as well). Barkeep and creator Alba Huerta delves into her Southern history tomes and collection of cocktail recipes predating Prohibition to conjure a concept that evokes both the Belle Époque abroad and the grand American life of the Southern-born gentry. The Clumsy Butcher — operators of notable Houston bars Anvil Bar & Refuge and The Pastry War — freed this self-taught bartender to pretty up the space, a circa-1880 former uniform factory, with a crisp palette of white and warm grays, ivory lace curtains, mismatched vintage silver flatware and an Art Nouveau-styled canopy above the copper-topped bar. Chef Adam Garcia prepares seafood share dishes such as three-tiered seafood towers ($120 each) with chilled little- neck clams, lobster claws, oysters, tiger prawns and bright-tasting marinated fresh bay scallops. There's also a luxe caviar service with white sturgeon and appropriate accouterments ($120). Modest selections include frites served with pimento aioli ($4), hush puppies ($4), smoked bluefish ($16) and bay scallops served with country ham and peas ($14), each of which pairs nicely with Huerta's boozy milk punch and cobblers. The menu, its graphics inspired by tattered old issues of Ladies Home Journal, takes us back in time to sip a Cherry Bounce Sour fashioned with sour cherries, bourbon and bitters shaken with frothy egg whites ($10). Apparently Martha Washington was famous for hers, and this version is inspired by those she made for dear old George. History plays a role in the Creole Crusta ($9) as well. Made with chile-laced rum, the rim of its glass crusted with sugar and benne seeds, this creation hearkens back to the days when the rum trade brought not only rum, but sesame seeds to our shores. Laurann Claridge Julep owner Alba Huerta Julep's Creole Crusta, a recipe originally created in the mid- 1800s in New Orleans T wenty years ago, paralegal Rebecca Lankford was pursuing her true passion after hours: handcrafting elegant jewelry of simplicity and delicacy. Budding gallerist Franny Koelsch, then testing the waters of the art world from her own Montrose abode, heard about Lankford and invited her to show in her living room. Lankford's baubles instantly sold out — including a collection of crosses wrapped around leather that are still iconic Lankford bestsellers. "Franny launched me, and it seems perfect that I now own this building," Lankford says of her new space. It all unfolded during a casual dinner months earlier when Koelsch revealed her plans to sell her Heights gallery space and move back to Montrose. Lankford jumped at the chance to relocate her bursting- at-the-seams atelier to the more spacious Heights locale, which was better suited as a work space for the jewelry designer to meet the demand of 80 stores nationwide, as well as a smattering of international retailers. Lankford is currently installing craftsmen upstairs at the modernist metal-clad structure designed by architect Dillon Kyle, while the lofty space below serves as her first ever retail boutique, monikered Studio 703 by Rebecca Lankford. The "studio" part of the equation references her penchant for showcasing other made-in-Houston jewelers such as Barbara Biel, as well as artisans she's tracking including B.May leather handbags, created outside Detroit. Mixed in are some of her faves from the Koelsch stable, especially painter/ ceramist Cisco Tucker Kolkmeier, whose work manifests a delightful folksy vibe. Of course, you'll also find here Lankford's own creations, which meld details such as rose gold, raw sapphires, hand-cut slices of diamonds and perfect South Sea pearls with a sophisticated boho + urbane swagger. Catherine D. Anspon Studio 703 by Rebecca Lankford, 703 Yale, 713.862.2670, rebeccalankforddesigns.com JEWELRY ART HAVEN IN THE HEIGHTS The glossy white Adara Medical Spa Rebecca Lankford at her eponymous retail boutique Infused sojus at Dosi MAX BURKHALTER