Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/609360
Q ueen Elizabeth is in line to receive the first Bentley Bentayga, which brings one thing to mind: The Queen better have one James Bond-worthy driver. The first SUV produced by Bentley is an elegant, ferocious beast. Touted as the fastest, most powerful and most exclusive SUV in the world, the 2017 Bentley Bentayga tops out at a reported 187 MPH and goes from zero to 60 MPH in four seconds flat. That's a lot of kick for a Sunday drive. For the record, the Queen plans to use her new Bentley (Bentley has reserved Bentayga No. 1 for her majesty) for Sunday hunts on her Balmoral estate. Closer to home, the Bentley Bentayga recently roared into Bentley Dallas – Park Place for the most fleeting of peeks, and its interiors impressed more than the usual car-guys crowd. Handcrafted leather seats, modeled after English hunting jackets, certainly stand out, but that's just the start. This new-age SUV, with a base price of $229,000, offers the option of a $168,000 Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon solid-gold dashboard clock marked by eight diamonds. Bentley Dallas – Park Place, 5300 Lemmon Ave., 214.443.5250, parkplace. com/bentley/dallas. Chris Baldwin W e love contradictions: Boho chic, T-shirts paired with Posen skirts, Michael Graves designs at Target. How about Mies-meets-Hill Country? The new Oohla Bean inn and resort in Driftwood, just outside of Austin, is anything but high-low: It's high. Creator/ proprietor Robin Garrison has turned a multi-year labor of love into an exquisite, modern (Mies-ish), homey getaway in the context of the great lodges dotting the lake regions of the Northeast. Six suites offer slight variations — walk-in shower versus soaking tub versus fireplace. All six open spaciously to an archetypal Hill Country view. Garrison is particularly proud of the 65,000-gallon rainwater cistern. In the morning, our two-couple crew short-hopped into Wimberley for vintage Texas shopping, picked up snacks and scurried back to picnic by the large limestone-lined pool, frequently taking a few steps to the well-stocked honor bar to refresh cocktails. (They don't swarm you with valets, but they're there when you need them.) Johnny Cash was on the iTunes speaker, and that night, after a golf-cart tour of the property, we huddled in the screened gazebo for a lovely handcrafted, candlelit dinner prepared by the innkeeper. Between courses, we wandered into the kitchen — a space that would make any gastronome salivate — and spotted a unique set of vintage wines. A 2005 Ben Rye Passito di Pantelleria caught my eye simply because the bottle was dainty and dusty — which to me has always equaled "Must be good … must have." Robin explained how she picked it up on a trip to Italy a few years back, and at the end of the meal, it flowed into history as our dessert wine. Go with your mate, go with your friends or go at it alone ... It's a bit of modernist heaven. Oohla Bean, Elder Hill Road, Driftwood, 512.858.4034, oohlabean.com; rates from $220 per night. Jim Kastleman HILL COUNTRY MODERN F rancophile, antiques expert and designer Florence de Dampierre will be in Dallas Thursday, December 3, at Ligne Roset in the Dallas Design District, where she will sign her newest all-things-French book, French Chic Living (Rizzoli, $50). Her illustrated conversation centers on simple ways to make your house beautiful — the subtitle and nexus of her book — with Gallic wisdom concerning how to set up the drinks table, polish old silver, repair chipped porcelain and create delightful bouquets. Drinks reception at 5:30 pm, talk at 6 pm, followed by cocktails and book signing, at Ligne Roset, 1710 Hi Line; RSVP to events@altonladaymedia.com. Très Chic Book Signing THE QUEEN'S CAR: The Fastest SUV in the World If you devour design blogs, you're likely familiar with the frequently featured L.A.-based furniture company ModShop. Known for its signature cool-kid vibe, ModShop's style mixes some of the most enduring design trends of the last 60 years: Hollywood Regency with its velvet tufting and lacquer; 1960s London mod à la David Hicks' graphic patterns and jewel tones; and mid-century Palm Springs desert design that calls to mind Frank Sinatra poolside. ModShop has opened its first Texas storefront in the Dallas Design District, smack in the middle of a row of antiques stores on Slocum Street. With other locations in L.A., Palm Springs, New York and Miami, John Bernard (who co-owns the company A Mod, Mod WHIRL ModShop Delano sectional in sage Como velvet, $5,195; Trousdale coffee table, $1,495; Trousdale side table, $995. Bentley Bentayga Oohla Bean in Driftwood outside Austin with his wife, Taryn) knew Dallas was a natural fit. "We were already doing so much business in Dallas," he says. "It felt like a great next step." Stores in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong are also underway. The Bernards, who both have fashion-industry backgrounds, own their own factory in L.A. and design and manufacture ModShop's furniture, bedding, custom artwork and accessories. New pieces are introduced weekly. (Reclaimed woods and industrial loft elements are recent additions to the mod mix.) "Because we make everything ourselves, our pieces are customizable, from size to color, to the finish, upholstery, hardware, even the kind of legs," John says. "Tweak and twist everything to make them your own." ModShop, 1414 Slocum St., 214.760.1566, modshop1.com. Rebecca Sherman I t's hard to go wrong with a place named for a classic Campari cocktail that nods to the Fellini film La Doce Vita. Americano, the new eatery located in the former Charlie Palmer space at The Joule Hotel, invokes a cinematic vibe with an Italiano interior and a neon installation from artist Scott Reeder. The enclosed sidewalk patio is the perch to watch downtown's revitalized scene — it certainly was during Americano's series of private soft- opening dinners. Executive chef Matt Ford mans the kitchen, putting his mod spin on Italian classics, from brick-oven pizzas to butternut squash tortellini and a soulful Cioppino stew. Like any good Italian eatery, gelato (amen!) is made in-house, and wine and cocktail offerings are aplenty via celebrated bartender Chad Solomon who, through his cocktail-consulting firm Cuff & Buttons, designs all of the Joule's beverage programs: There are several variations of vino on tap, while cocktails are zippy twists on Mediterranean classics — we recommend the Orzata Limonata. Salute! Americano, The Joule Hotel, 1530 Main St., 214.261.4600. Patricia Mora AH-AH-AH-Americano Brick-oven pepperoni pizza Americano at The Joule Hotel Americano COURTESY AMERICANO COURTESY AMERICANO MEI-CHUN JAU