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Featuring pictures from past events

Houston Italian Expo

Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge Grand Opening

Photographs by: Patrick Bertolino

On Thursday, October 8, Hollywood-based Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge opened the floodgates to its 18th venue located across from the House of Blues on the 3rd floor of downtown's Houston Pavilions. Despite the sweltering heat, droves of Houston's hottest and hippest lined up to get a sneak peak at Lucky Strike's lavish interior and sample nibbles like bacon wrapped dates and tuna "midi burgers" from executive corporate chef Bill Starbuck who, with his LA catering company "Along Came Mary," has catered events including the Grammys and Emmys and for celebs like Brad Pitt and Barbara Streisand. Among the guests were Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Greg Ortale, former Astros manager Phil Garner, Milton Townsend, Sharon Adams, Monsour Tagdhisi, Erica Rose, Christopher Mendel, Candice and Lonnie Schiller, Uchenna Agu, Philippe Schmit, Sarah Bray, and Jennifer LeGrand.

For more information please visit www.bowlluckystrike.com.

The Inaugural knuckle ball

Photos: Misha More

The Joe Niekro Foundation gala, The Knuckle Ball…A Pitch for Life, was a huge success and raised over $400,000 toward aneurysm research for The Methodist Neurological Institute. The black-tie affair which took place on July 31st at Minute Maid Park, featured a casino gaming reception, silent and live auction and a special performance by Grammy Award Artist, Collin Raye.


With Hall of Famer Joe Morgan serving as master of ceremonies and Dr. Robert Grossman and Mr. Drayton McLane serving as Honorary Co-Chairmen, the attending guest list read like the Who’s Who in the Sports Arena. For an effort started by a great boost of energy and intelligence from Joe’s daughter, Natalie, president and founder of The Joe Niekro Foundation, the program unfolded as a tribute to her father and the man that gave his heart to the city of Houston for 13 years, wearing the multi-striped Astros uniform.

This dazzling and heart-warming event featured countless noted guests such as: Phil Niekro, Sparky Anderson, Bob Feller, Robin Roberts, and Ozzie Smith, Kevin Bass, Dave Bergman, Enos Cabell, Larry Dierker, Phil Garner, JR Richard, Frank LaCorte, Deacon Jones, Billy Smith, Carlos Alfonso, Bill Dawley, Glenn Wilson, Ed Herrmann, Art Howe, Craig Reynolds, Joe Sambito, Carl Warwick, Bill Virdon, and Jimmy Wynn, Lee Smith, Ron Robinson, Jay Johnstone, Jeff DeWillis, Jon Warden and Jim Foor. (And the list could go on and on...!)

Knuckle Ball 2010 is already in the works, so stay tuned for the date announcement.

European Wax Center Brought a Taste of Paris to Houston

Photos: Misha More and Frederico Villamayor of www.LastNightPics.com


On Friday, October 1, European Wax Center welcomed close to 300 guests to celebrate its third location, across from The Galleria, between Barnes & Nobles and Arcodoro restaurant. The event, themed I Love Paris, attracted a dynamic mix of Houston’s scenesters, young professionals, and established executives. Fashionable guests arrived ready for a taste of Paris. The early-evening affair kicked off with DJ Senega behind the turn-table, spinning French loungy sounds and Euro beats to set the mood. Sexy models from Premiere Promotions strut their stuff amongst the crowd, showing of their perfectly tanned bodies (courtesy of Planet Beach) and silky-smooth skin (courtesy of European Wax Center) wearing flattering Au Paradis Swimwear www.ShopAuParadis.com. Guests were elated to receive prizes from give-aways courtesy of European Wax Center, event sponsors, and neighborhood tenants. Waxing experts were on hand to perform complimentary waxing to party guests.


Crowds of fashionable guests sipped on French Daiquiri (courtesy of Seagram Rum), and wines from Ridge Vineyards Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc. Satisfying the guest’s appetites were mouth-watering hors d’oeuvres such as potato croquette, feta cheese prosciutto, and chicken tikka bites with fresh mint yogurt from Momo Catering, and seared tuna on won ton, stuffed Belgian endive, and lamb lolli-pops from Daily Grill restaurant. A decadent array of bite-size succulent crepes was presented by CoCo’s Creperie for those with a sweet-tooth.

SpotLight

Due to popular demand, our SpotLight section was created to feature exciting, cutting edge, successful individuals, whose work / business, style, or expertise may inspire others. If you have any candidate suggestions, please send an email to info@mikelmarketing.com.

Ali Bendella: A Renaissance Restaurateur

By: Mimi Dinh

Confession: I'm a Francophile who feels more at home in Paris than even the U.S. – probably because I went to a French school in Vietnam and grew up with French music and cuisine. When we came to the US, my family and I resided in New Orleans for our first five years, because we could only speak French at the time. I'm proud to say that I know a good French crepe when I eat one.

Ali Bendella makes one mean crepe!

I first met Ali a few years ago at a party thrown by an IT company behind my office building. I was actually astonished to learn that the charming, unassuming and impeccably mannered gentleman was a restaurateur who owned Coco's Crepes and Coffee, a midtown landmark where I have frequented for years. And let me tell you, Coco's crepes are as sublime as anything found in Paris: with authentic European fillings like nutella, fruits and fresh creams, these crepes are super thin, they melt right in your mouth and soak directly into your taste buds.

My staff Jo and I decided to meet up with Ali for lunch and interview him for this month newsletter’s SpotLight. He arrived a few minutes late, which clearly bothered him more than us. He explained that he had been helping to bus tables at one of his other restaurants. If that last statement doesn't impress you, you may not be intimately familiar with the cutthroat restaurant business.

First, that Ali has more than one successful restaurant speaks volumes about his business acumen. In fact, he and his family own more than ten restaurants throughout Houston. Second, he's more than an owner. I see Ali as a “Renaissance restaurateur” because he takes part in every aspect of the business. Unlike most restaurant owners, he learned the business from the ground up by having worked in every position available in the restaurant industry before opening up his own.

“Restaurants are in my blood,” he shrugs with characteristic modesty. Certainly, his passion for food and Moroccan courtesy are immediately apparent. At that lunch, he insisted that we get a sweet-crepe for dessert in addition to our lunch crepes. At the moment, Jo and I doubted that anything could best the hearty, savory chicken, spinach and mushroom crepes in a wild mushroom sauce, the most popular item on the menu. We protested weakly, but Ali managed to smoothly slip a nutella-filled crepe, cut into little square bites for us. He seems to follow the philosophy “make it and they will eat.” And eat we did – within minutes we had cleaned the plates.

Ali's ability to cultivate such an enjoyable dining experience has several distinct roots. His ability to relate to each of his workers means a working environment that breeds happy, friendly staff. Meanwhile, he's dedicated to pouring his life experiences into every dish. Moroccan-born Ali learned as a child that every meal should be treated as a feast fit for celebration. The time he has spent in Hawaii and Texas – along with his exposure to Japanese cuisine and travels to Africa, France and throughout the states – infuse his restaurants with a unique flavor that I've simply never experienced elsewhere.

Particularly given his achievements in an industry known for overcooked egos, Ali stands out as a true gentleman with impeccable manners. It's obvious he knows how to treat people with respect. Since that first encounter, I have gotten to know Ali a little better through functions and events which we either attended or worked on together. Here’s my own assessment of Ali as a person: respectful, meeting my gaze directly and kindly, never interrupting, always smiling, always humble. He attributes his success with customers to his years in the service industry and having to deal with all types of personalities, all kinds of people. “I can tell from the first few seconds when a person walks into my restaurant what kind of customer they are,” he says, “what makes them tick.”

For my part, I'd have to argue an innate quality to his character; I know plenty of people with years of experience in the service industry who have never learned how to deal with people. But whatever the source, he has become an expert at everyday anthropology, as well as how to make people feel important in his presence and establishments.

Altogether, it's clear this is a self-made man who has worked hard to get where he is. But you don't have to take my word for it – I'll let Ali's answers below speak for themselves.

How many restaurants/establishments do you and your family own? Please list them.

My uncle Youssef Nafaa' owns 7 restaurants (4 Mia Bella Trattoria, Saffron Moroccan Cuisine, Andalucia tapas, and Trio Steak House). I own 3 restaurants with my cousin and business partner Hicham Nafaa (Coco's Crepes and Coffee, Cava American Bistro, and we just opened Cielo Mexican Bistro, an a-la-carte bistro style with specialty entrees).

Tell us about your business partnership with your cousin Hicham.

Hicham and I have been on this journey together since the beginning. He and I flew together to the US, and later on moved to Hawaii with me. He is a great chef and business partner. We share the same vision and we’re growing together as our company grows. We’re working together now on our new restaurant concept MOOR'S RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE.

Which one(s) are you in charge of and what is your title and responsibilities?

Hicham and I own and manage all of them, and we're hands on everything at all of our restaurants and we're there everyday-seven days a week, that's why I am still single (smile).

What was the reason for creating "NBI restaurants group" and what does it stand for?

"NBI restaurants Group" has been created in an effort to expend our company and establish a name brand. NBI stands for “Nafaa Bendella International”.

Do you and your family compete with each other’s restaurants?

We help each other as family members. We do not compete; we support each other.

How long have you been in the restaurant business?

All my life because of my family. We are from Morocco so I grew up loving food, loving cooking, and valuing hospitality. Whenever our family sat down for a meal it was always a big deal, like a feast or party every day. Eventually members of my family moved to the States. First they went to Chicago and then Texas. I came here 10 years ago and I got my first job at my family's restaurant in Rice Village at the age of 19.

After a while, I decided I wanted to go to somewhere more fun so I went to Maui, Hawaii. Maui is a more relaxed Island. People go there to relax not party. Living in Hawaii was originally supposed to be just a one month vacation, but I fell in love with it. While there I worked in the restaurants of the Hilton and Marriot Hotels for 7 years. I was Maitre D’, which is a very important job. In some restaurants they call them the top server.

Do you miss Hawaii?

I honestly do a lot, sometimes it feels like my spirit stayed there. I felt like I found my soul there.

What was it like working in a well known hotel restaurant in Hawaii. Did you see a lot of celebrities?

I saw everyone from the Hilton sisters to President Bush. Some other celebrities were Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Magic Johnson, Mike Tyson, Tyra Banks, Brooke Burke, and so many more.

After seven years why did you come back?

I came back to be with my family and because I realized that Houston is a city with great potential for restaurants. It was a business decision at first, but now I love it here. Houston has a world class selection of restaurants like any big cosmopolitan cities.

With so many restaurants that are “here today, gone tomorrow”, but yours have been in the business for a long time and don’t seem to be going anywhere. What do you think is you secret to success?

One of my main decisions for coming back to Houston was that I wanted to bring my experience from Hawaii and mix it with the Mediterranean experience from my family. I feel like Houston is almost a recession proof city. Houston people eat out every day. Greater Houston has 20,000+ restaurants. There is huge competition. You have to be a restaurateur. You have to work in every position in the restaurant to run one. If the server or chef doesn’t show up I can step in. Inside the restaurant, I am an employee.

What is it about your establishments that are better or more unique than the competition?

We are very attentive. When you first approach a customer you get a feel for what type of experience they need. I strive to figure out whether the guest desires more or less conversation, more or less advice on the menu, or if they would prefer a different seat. I am not Mr. Hilton but I will provide you with everything you need. I have to meet your expectations. Everyone gets equal but special service from me. I treat my restaurants like I would treat my section as a server. I would take care of it like I am taking care of my house.

Have you ever had rude customers or ugly situations? And if yes, what’s the best way to handle them?

I like to approach and help people personally. My customer is “King” so if they are not happy I would find out why and try to fix it, even if I end up having to buy their meal. My customer needs to leave having had a great experience.

Is it rude to not leave a tip if the food and/or service are not satisfactory?

If the customer got good service, then the server deserves a tip. A 15% minimum is always appreciated. Before looking at them as a server, look at them as a human who may count on those tips to make a living. But if the service is poor and there is no excuse for it, then you are not obligated to leave a tip.

Do you travel a lot outside of Houston to get inspiration for your restaurants?

I travel for the experience of traveling, and maybe get inspired along the way by the places I visit, the things I see. I just spent a couple of days in France and Morocco.

What is your favorite cuisine? Fave dishes?

I would say Italian, Japanese, and Moroccan. But Japanese cuisine is my biggest wow cuisine.

A Japanese chef pays as much attention to his cuisine as his presentation or his preparation.

Which is your most favorite restaurant in Houston, and why?

My fave Japanese restaurant is Uchi. I also love O Porto (Portuguese), and for Italian, Dolce Vita. The chef at Dolce Vita is Italian and their food is prepared properly and authentically.

Which is your most favorite restaurant in the world, and why?

It's Coco's (wink wink).

Besides CoCo's (LOL).

Cava Bistro is really my favorite restaurant I could eat it every day. It is a mix of my take on fusion. It’s very unique.

Describe a day in the life of Ali Bendella.

Once I get out of the house I am wherever the businesses are taking me. I have my agenda of the day of things that I have to achieve but at the same time I have to keep it open, because I don’t know what I am facing next. I am always busy. I cannot go to bed until all problems are solved. Dinner is usually at my one of my restaurants or at other restaurants. I like to check them out and experience different food. I like to try something different, meet new people, and support other businesses.

Who is your role model?

My father was my biggest inspiration. I lost him when I was fifteen. My father was my model of perfection. He was very patriotic and devoted to his family.

What are your future plans?

To succeed in business and also to open more restaurants. Hicham and I are about to open the 4th restaurant. This one is very special to me because it is the “dream” restaurant that I have always wanted to open: one that combines my life experiences into one concept. It’s called Moor’s Restaurant & Lounge and it’s coming soon in midtown. This concept is going to be one of a kind, the best. I’ll keep you posted.

What fun things do you do when you are not working?

In a restaurant business we don't have a lot of time for fun things. Since I’m in door all day in my restaurants, when I get time off I want to be outside, closer to nature. At night I would go to a pub or a lounge, or around midtown at the Front Porch and the Tasting Room, having a glass of wine, and just chill.

Featuring upcoming parties & events around town

Cinema Arts Festival Houston

November 11- November 15
Festival Houston is the only U.S. festival centering on films by and about artists working in the visual, performing and literary arts. The festival will surround its theatrical screenings with live music and film performances, outdoor projections, media installations and more. Detailed info can be found on the Web site. Multiple locations throughout the city, including Angelika Film Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rice Media Center, University of Houston, Warehouse Live and more.www.cinemaartsociety.org

The Houston Peruvian Festival Experience the Wonders of Peru

Friday, November 6, 2009 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Featuring 50 of Houston’s hottest restaruants and a live performance
by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on the Bud Light Stage!

Launched in the fall of 2006 as a fundraiser for the Houston Zoo, Feast with the Beasts was an instant hit! The Zoo’s naturally wild environment and 4,500 animals offer an unprecedented venue for this wine and food event.
Where else can you dine while watching a
tiger eat his dinner?

Where else can you dine while watching a tiger eat his dinner?

The 2006 event had 33 restaurant participants. The event has grown to feature 50 Houston-area restaurants, all serving their best dish.

In 2008 we added the Beastly Battle – a chance for guests to vote for their favorite cuisine. This popular addition will be back for this year's Feast with the Beasts. Will Taste of Texas take home top honors again this year?

We are thrilled to announce Big Bad Voodoo Daddy as the headlining band for
Feast with the Beasts, performing on the Bud Light Stage.

For more info please click here

10th Annual Restaurant Crawl

Tuesday, November 10
Co-chaired by Michelle Bramblett and James Simone
Sample the culinary delights of downtown Houston's historic district and crawl with EL to four fabulous restaurants: Cielo Mexican Bistro, Mia Bella Trattoria, Cava Bistro and Alden Hotel's a+! Mark your calendars now, this is a sure-fire sell out!
Tickets: Members: $50;Non-members: $60

To purchase tickets: please click here or 713.658.8938

Opera in the Heights

Manon By Jules Massenet - Opera at its most elegant! Oh is a vibrant nationally and internationally acclaimed opera house. They provide a stage for emerging opera performers and bring affordable opera to the Greater Houston Area. Manon is a love story that transports the audience from the suburbs of Paris to the elegant salons of the city of lights. Desire, lust and yearning portrayed in the French manner.
Nov 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 at 7:30 visit www.operaintheheights.org for more info

Friday, November 6, 2009
7:00-11:00pm

Winter Street Studios
2101 Winter Street
Houston, Texas 77007
Sip on cocktails, induldge in delectable bites, browse and buy from our Re(a)d and White Gallery of local art and move to the music of The Slags while donning you most funky and fabulous red & white attire.

Tickets
Underwriting opportunities start at $250  -  Individual tickets $50
Tickets may be purchased online here 

For more information please contact Alissa Johnson at
713-664-7676 ext. 210 or at ajohnston@neuhaus.org

Re(a)d & White Artists
Sarah Austin  -  Sandi Seltzer Bryant  -  Lucy Caire  
Kimberly Danette Carlson  -  Kimberly Clemmons  -  Robert Derr 
Doug Hamilton  -  Marthann Masterson  -  Van McFarland
Chris Silkwood  -  Eric Slough   -  Belinda Smith   
  Janet Wayte  -  Richard Varela 

For more information visit www.neuhaus.org

The Fashion Group International of Houston, Inc.

Invites YOU to its
Night of Stars Gala

Featuring Celebrity Guest
Cesar Galindo



Tuesday, November 3, 2009
6:30 P.M.

The Junior League of Houston
Cocktail attire
Cash bar, silent auction, dinner and fashion show
Honoring Houston’s top Fashion Designers:

Gayla Bentley, Pat Dahnke, Chloe Dao, Mary Denney, Jane Carlton
Hall, Linda Segal and Sally Templeton
Tickets: $75 each
Table for 10 for $700
To secure your tickets contact gloriapearson@sbcglobal.net
713-781-4953 or http://houston.fgi.org/index.php?news=1686 to learn more about our honorees

The Fashion Group International, Inc. is a global, non-profit professional organization with 5,000 members in the fashion industry including apparel, accessories, beauty and home, including interior design

Featuring spas, hair salons, sports clubs, or beauty products

Featuring shops and related news

Nothing but Affection for this Boutique

Unique and fashion forward pieces, complimentary glasses of wine, and a great local location make Affection Boutique sound too good to be true. No one likes going out seeing someone else in the exact same outfit. This can be avoided by shopping at Affection where the owner, Paula Davila, travels all over the world to pick out unique merchandise (and only keeps one to two pieces per style!) Davila's personal attention to detail and psychic fashion could make this boutique in to "THE" boutique of Houston.

Visit Affection Boutique - 2811 Washington Ave Houston, TX 77007

Featuring seminars, business news, and business events

The Texas Conference for Women

November 12 at 7:30 am – George R. Brown Convention Center - Gain insight from amazing speakers, position your career for success, build your professional network and renew your enthusiasm at The Texas Conference for women, hosted by Governer Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry. Keynote speaker Suze Orman, finance expert and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today, joins Isabel Allende, an internationally-celebrated author, career guru Tory Johnson, CEO and founder of Women For Hire and Good Morning America’s workplace contributor and dozens of other nationally recognized speakers to share expertise on personal finance, career development, business and entrepreneurship, work-life balance and much more.

for more information visit txconferenceforwomen.org

Congratulations to NAWBO Houston's 2009 Woman Business Owner of the Year!

Janice Jucker, Three Brothers Bakery

Janice Jucker is a dynamic and entrepreneurial sales strategist with 15 years of exemplary achievement and demonstrated success in exceeding her goals both professionally and personally. She has driven multimillion-dollar sales growth as a global telecommunications account manager and then took those same skill sets to increase donations by more than 300 percent in her fundraising roles for her charities and is trending to see a 30% increase in sales year over year in the family business, Three Brothers Bakery.

She has a proven reputation for her skillful ability to transform dissatisfied clients into loyal business partners and customers and is known for her tenacity in winning new high-profile accounts.

A customer once described her as "pleasantly persistent." This trait helped her when negotiating with the insurance company and SBA as Three Brothers Bakery rebuilt after hurricane Ike and to garner donations of telecommunications equipment enabling Katrina evacuees to find loved ones.

She is a breast cancer survivor and is passionate about making sure others one day do not find themselves with this disease.

The bakery follows the legacy of its founding fathers, all holocaust survivors, continuing to feed the hungry and homeless on a daily basis. She is honored and humbled to be a finalist for this award.

Save the Date for these Upcoming NAWBO events
Champagne & Chocolate / Kim Kelley - Tuesday, November 3 @ 5:00 p.m.
Texas Conference for Women / George R Brown - Thursday, November 12
NAWBO Houston December Luncheon - Thursday, December 10 @ 11:00

Featuring art exhibits, gallery openings, theater, plays

Josephine Meckseper Returns to Blaffer

Thursday, November, 12 at 6:30 p.m - Josephine Meckseper will screen a selection of her videos at Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston. Following the screening, the artist will speak about her works during an informal question and answer session moderated by Rachel Hooper, Blaffer's associate curator. Meckseper has her first Texas solo exhibition at Blaffer Gallery, which features sculptures, installations, and a video, 0% Down---works that examine the conflicting interests of the mass media, politicians, and the oil and auto industries as played out in the Iraq War. The Artist's Talk and Video Screening is free to the public, and will begin with a light reception featuring cheese and wine

For more information please visit www.blaffergallery.org.

Galveston Arts Center

Galveston Arts Center will be having two art making workshops this fall at Moody Mansion for both children and adults. On Saturday, November 14, Cherie Ray will lead “The Magic of Mandalas” and on Saturday, December 19, Carolyn Vieau will instruct participants in the art of making copper enamel jewelry. Classes will be held in the kitchen at Moody Mansion, 2618 Broadway and are limited to 15 students per session. Morning classes will be held from 9 to 11 am for children ages 6 to 14, and afternoon classes for adults will be held from 1 to 3 pm. Classes are $15 each ($12 for GAC members), plus materials fee.

For more information please visit www.galvestonartscenter.org.

Howard Sherman Exhibit

When gorillas shoot pigs, 2009.

October 24 - November 28- McMurtrey Gallery is pleased to welcome back Howard Sherman in his third solo exhibition with the gallery.

Dark humor has always been Sherman's forte, and here he doesn't disappoint. When gorillas shoot pigs, also the title for the show, exhibits a sort of frivolous, yet violent anger. We see a cartoon gorilla's arm holding up his fingers in the manner of a gun, as a child would during a game of Cowboys and Indians. The depiction of what was once a pig, now exploded and only vaguely discernable, brings to mind de Kooning's Woman paintings. It is this unique ability to meld historical references with new methods that sets Sherman apart.

The Houston-based artist's most recent paintings continue to exhibit this ability in an explosive, even bombastic fashion, despite a (somewhat) more economical use of visual noise. An increasingly sophisticated palette and less reliance on illustrative elements mark significant growth in Sherman's work. The confidence he's gained over the last several years has prompted him to experiment with new staining techniques, which add a bold elegance to many of the new paintings, and demonstrates his increased appreciation and understanding of what he can do with paint.

www.mcmurtreygallery.com

Featuring restaurants and related news

Featuring bars, lounges, clubs, and related news

Citrus, Spice, and Everything Nice

13 Celsius has a popular drink called the Michelada that will awaken taste buds that you did not realize that you had. It is the perfect combination of citrus, spice and everything nice! The dink is a combination of freshly squeezed grapefruit, lime and orange juices, Clamato, Szechuan chilis, fresh cracked pepper, salt, Worcestershire, soy and Tobasco, and light lager beer. Prepare for you taste buds to dance!

To find out more about 13 celsius please visit: www.13celsius.com

Featuring travel destinations and recreation

MixMasters National Challenge Finals at Republic New Orleans

November 5th 8pm - 11:30pm - Republic New Orleans
DeKuyper MixMasters National Challenge. Be there for our culminating event as 12 of the nation's best mixologists go head to head in competition. Industry notables, celebrities and media will be in attendance for a night of food, competition and an open bar with drinks featuring DeKuyper products! Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Featuring furniture, architecture, and real estates news

Kuhl-Linscomb Design Firm was established in 1984. It is conveniently located at the center of Houston's cultural, business, medical, high-end residential and design areas off of West Alabama across from Whole Foods. Kuhl-Linscomb offers over 70,000 square feet of display area, which positions them as the largest privately owned design and lifestyle store in Houston. They have five separate showroom buildings all at one location.

The Kuhl-Linscomb Design Firm is an award-winning firm, and one of their designers, Pam, was listed in House & Garden magazine as one of "the best American designers working today. Don’t overlook this store when browsing for things to spruce up your space!

For more info please visit www.kuhl-linscomb.com

To share your tips, ideas and information about how to live a greener lifestyle, please click here.

Discovery Green

Discovery Green, a 12-acre park located in downtown Houston, opened April 13, 2008. With its proximity to the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, Discovery Green is an ideal location for the city's green attraction. The park features a one acre lake, a children’s playground, interactive water features, amphitheater stage, dog runs, public art works, and great Restaurants such as The Grove and The Lakehouse.

For more info please visit www.discoverygreen.com

Featuring charity & non-profit organizations,
community news, volunteer opportunities,...

Via Colori

November 21 & 22, 2009 - Don’t miss this unique opportunity to watch asphalt transformed into art. Join the thousands experiencing the Via Colori® street painting festival in downtown Houston. Celebrate an artistic journey and support a worthy organization for deaf children, The Center for Hearing and Speech (CHS).

Via Colori 2009 will showcase more than 200 artists as they create original works of art directly on the streets of downtown. The two-day festival ¾ free to the public ¾ also features food, live entertainment and children’s activities throughout a spectacular fall weekend in Sam Houston Park and the surrounding streets of Allen Parkway and Bagby.

CHS is thrilled to announce Kenneth Pierson and Bryan Higgins as the CHS Featured Artists, Melanie Stimmel as the El Paso Featured Artist and Lysa Ashley as the Quantum Energy Partners Featured Artist for Via Colori 2009.

For more information please visit houstonviacolori.com

Chevron helps out the Houston Community

More than 70 Chevron employees volunteered at the NAM Resale Shop at 3645 F.M. 1960 on October 2-3 through the company’s "Human Kind" program. This program also enables employees to give a donation to a charity of their choice, which is matched by Chevron.

NAM Resale relies on volunteers to sort and price donated goods, and to get those goods onto the sales floor. NAM clients may receive vouchers for clothing and household items from NAM Resale; the stores offer bargains for the community at large. Proceeds from the shops make up approximately 18% of NAM’s budget and fund the organization’s programs and services.

For more information please visit lfullerton@namonline.org

Featuring automobile and electronic news

Houston SPCA auctions off Smart Car

Houston SPCA is holding their CATSANOVA SPCA Ball. This year’s event will be at the incredible Hotel ZaZa on Saturday, November 14. Catsanova will be there, along with his compatriots. It will be an an Italian renaissance soiree - an evening of cocktails, dinner, premier silent auction, live entertainment, and dancing! They will be raffling off a 2009 smart car! Only 750 tickets will be sold. First come, first served. The winner does not have to be present to win. Tickets are 1 for $100 or 6 for $500.

Don’t miss this opportunity. Buy your raffle tickets today!! The deadline for online ticket sales is noon on Friday, November 13, 2009 or while they last.

For more information please clickhere

Gamebone pro

GameBone Pro is one of the world's first iPhone OS 3.0 compatible 8-way D-pad 6 buttons game controller to incorporate a 2000mAh battery, both Bluetooth and Apple's 30-pin dock connector connectivity, built-in speaker and 3.5 audio headphone jack. Customers will get the best value possible at a reasonable price for the GameBone Pro.

For more information please clickhere

Featuring sweet deals of the month

Berryhill's Stimulus Package

Berryhill has their very own stimulus package for Houstonians, and this stimulus package is delicious! Try out their 1.99 original or grilled fish tacos, and sip it down with one of their delectable margaritas made from freshly squeezed juices.

For more information please clickwww.berryhillbajagrill.com

Featuring what's hot or the next big thing

Eat, Drink and Bowl!

2003 was the end of an era for the iconic Hollywood Star Lanes, an institution that served Hollywood for 43 years and was home to the filming of “The Big Lebowski”. In March it was leveled to make way for a school. But just as the door to one icon closed, another opened.

In April of that year Lucky Strike Lanes debuted its first location in Hollywood. Wanting to pay homage to its predecessor, Lucky Strike purchased Lane #7 from Star Lanes and made it Lucky Strike Hollywood’s bar. It’s been good luck ever since. Five years and 21 locations later Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge continues to roll its way across the country.

For Check out Houston’s hottest venue to hang – Eat, drink and bowl under one roof. www.bowlluckystrike.com

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Local Surgeon Offers to Help Mutilated Boy from Vietnam

Traveling from half a world away for a new chance of a normal life, the so-called "Vietnamese Miracle Baby" is finally in the hands of a local plastic surgeon who is willing to help him.

"All these people come together to help him and I think he has a very compelling story," said Dr. Tue Dinh of Methodist Hospital. "I just try to do my part."

Three year-old Phung Thien Nhan had lost his entire right leg and his genitals during a wild animal attack, after his biological mother abandoned him in the jungles of central Vietnam shortly after his birth.

Dr. Dinh, whose also a native of Vietnam, has lend his expertise in the case of a local infant whose genitals was allegedly mutilated by his mother and has performed several successful adult penile reconstructive surgeries.

He said luckily for Thien Nhan, the boy's testicles were saved during the horrific animal attack because they had not descended.

"There is a risk of the testes becoming cancerous if left inside the abdomen," said Dr. Dinh. "So for that they need to be brought down and since he doesn't have a scrotum anymore we have to construct a sac to contain the testes."

The boy's adoptive mother says it pains her when he keeps asking why he's different from her other sons.

"He always has questions, but I told him you are not different," said Mai Tran. "You have everything the same like your brothers, just a little bit shorter."

She said she has declined other doctors' offers to turn Thien Nhan into a girl.

She said thanks to philanthropist, Greig Craft, and the group "Kids With No Borders" she has found the doctor her son really needs.

"Obviously Thien Nhan is acting like a boy so we need to keep him as a boy," said Dr. Dinh. "For the missing leg that's easy enough to treat. The other question is whether or not he needs an artificial penis during this time so that he'll feel like a boy... That's a temporary solution. In the long run we reconstruct a functional penis so that he can have adult relations and eventually children."

Our New Service - Email Marketing

Mikel Marketing is excited to announce the newly added service of Email Marketing - A cost effective way to market your business, especially in this economy. We can create for you a customize e-mail list that suits your needs or help you expand an existing list by append solutions.

To ‘append’ means to ‘add on’, as in adding email addresses to existing client and prospect records for those you don’t have yet. Don’t have an existing database? That’s okay, we can create an entirely new list of qualified, permission-based consumer OR business email list, customized to fit your needs. Consumer emails can be customized by with specific criteria (from household income to age, from gender to zip code, etc.); and business emails can be customized by with specific criteria (from title codes to major industry, etc.). Your list can be comprised from anywhere in the US.

Why is Email Marketing effective? Email Marketing is the ideal tool for anyone interested in gaining leads or increasing exposure of their products/services in a cost effective and efficient manner. In addition to a higher response rate from your target audience than direct mail, Email Marketing also saves time and money. It also brings in more quantifiable results, deliver credible, quantifiable, documented leads, and what’s more, a campaign can also track read rates, click through rates, and sign-ins.

Where are the qualified email addresses derived from? In addition to our own list of Mikel Marketing Newsletter subscribers comprised of more than 50,000 email, our Master Database are derived from a third party partner with solid privacy policies and opt-in data fields. We guarantee a clean list everytime and will give you a full refund for every email that’s bounced or not workable.

What is a qualified email address? To ensure that your email will not be sent straight to the junk box, all of our email address databases are 100% opt-in and permission based. This means that every recipient has expressively given permission to receive third party communication.

How do I know these address are current? The master database from which we pull all addresses is continuously updated from new sources on a monthly basis. The database is also processed against both the USPS National Change of Address File (NCOA) and the Delivery Sequence File (DSF).

Our 3 Email Marketing Services:

Additional Service: Content / Artwork
The effectiveness of Email Marketing is a direct result of quality content/artwork being sent to a targeted yet receptive Web-based audience. Not everyone is capable of creating such emails. As a full-service marketing firm, we take pride in our marketing and graphic design team to develop strong themes, powerful messages, and visually stimulating designs.

Whether you need an email list or designing content, Mikel Marketing will be happy to help with all of your Email Marketing needs. Please contact us for more details and a complete list of pricing at info@mikelmarketing.com