Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2008 > September > 06
Saturday, September 6, 2008
L Style G Style at Momo’s
What would we do without all the parties thrown by local glossy publications? Earlier in the evening, we stole a peek at the Bel Air lofts thanks to Rare. Then it came time for my first set with Southern rocker Nakia during the L Style G Style issue launch at Momo’s. I’d admired Nakia’s soulful, good-time sound on recordings, but he also shakes things up with a full band onstage.
Chris Ruiz, Lindsey Barr
Publisher Alisa Weldon introduced the band, but also editor Chantal Outon — “the straight girl who tell about gay lives” — and her new strategic partner, Oliver Everette, whom I’ve now seen out four times in the space of a week or so. (The next night, our tables nearly touched at Austin Cabaret Theatre’s Elaine Stritch concert; he attended with partner and cabaret aficianado Craig Rancourt.)
Dawn Moore, Tish Phillips
We spoke at some length with Hotel San Jose visionary Liz Lambert about our ongoing Marfa connections, also with Edward Cruz about his life in Austin.
Steven Schnitz, Edward Cruz
As often happens at Momo’s, the crowd migrated to the patio, leaving the area near the stage a little lonely, but we circled back a few times to soak up Nakia’s tunes.
David Parson, Kevin Witcher
One of the most admirable things about L Style G Style is the way it so naturally mixes gay, lesbian and straight followers in one setting. That’s so Austin.
One more note.
Later that night, we caught Micky and the Motorcars at Antone’s. This bedrock band has all the makings of a breakout act. As always at Antone’s, we wished the vocalist’s mike was livelier, but the solid sonic architecture of MM will take them a long way. The crowd was young for such a rootsy act, a good sign. The older folks will discover them soon enough. Man oh man, this town is crawling with talent.
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Rare Open House at Bel Air Phase II
I’ve been dying to see the interiors of the lofts at Bel Air, located on South Congress Avenue south of Ben White Boulevard across from Bob Cole’s Hill’s Cafe. We’d heard about the generous light, the stripped-down modernist finishes and the sturdy steel-and-concrete construction (contrast that with the balloon-wall skeletons of other such recent projects).
Jim Wang, Alex Lee
Plus, it just sounded like a cool place, close enough to downtown to attract urbanistas, but definitely Old South Austin in the way it borders the unimproved fringes of South Congress.
Amanda Brown, Rachel McDaniel, Kristy Freeman
So the Rare Magazine open house event gave me an excuse to check them out. I lingered in a three-story model with a vast rooftop deck and view of a (sad) little park to the north. Everything pointed vertically, with the excitement building as one ascended each stairway. I definitely could see living there, although it’s more matched to a single person’s needs and tastes. (No lack of closets, that’s for sure.)
Poisonberry, Sam Chang
I caught up with several revelers including roller derby gal Poisonberry and scoreboard operator Sam Chang, certainly a contrast in height and personality. Ms. Berry lives in my ‘hood and we discussed the advantages of lower property values south of Ben White.
Matt Mathias, Karen Kolb, Will Steakley
We also mixed with a clutch of beauties from Salon Blue, software developers and bartenders, DJs and journalists, plus Bel Air developer Matt Matthias, a buddy of retired Statesman columnist Mike Kelley. Matthias grew up in Austin and recognized the potential staying value of these lofts. He’s a thoughtful guy, not always the first phrase that comes to mind when discussing developers.
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Catching up with Nina Seely at Botticelli’s
I didn’t really know Nina Seely. She didn’t really know me. Yet Nina illuminated so many social events last season — from small parties to big galas — we chose her, along with husband Frank, to represent the Style category in the 2008 Fortunate 500. The Ralph Lauren retailer — formerly in charge of the personal shopping service at Sak’s — never looked anything less than dazzling, and always stopped by for a short, substantive chat, no matter how busy she must have been. Never snooty. Always fun. Very Austin.
Turns out, Nina and I spent chunks of our youths within bicycling distance of each other, me in Bellaire and West University, she in Ashton Oaks, just across the freeway from the Houston Galleria. She’s considerably younger, but she dated a Jebbie (from my alma mater, Strake Jesuit) while she attended Lee High School, where one of my closest friends, the late Mark Whistler, probably shared classes with her. We talked about the vast numbers of Houstonians and DFWers who have made Austin home because of an affinity to the native culture.
We gossiped a little — mais oui! — but we also talked about some of the causes that she champions. (Today, for instance, she’s backing the the Domain PlayBingo Shopping Extravaganza for Abused Children, which I’m afraid I won’t make.) Nina swears she’s cutting back on events this year, but don’t believe her. She and Frank are fixtures — in the best sense of the term — in the fashion, business and charity scenes. We’ll see them out.
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Wine Bars: Pre-Show Noshes, Part 7
Vino Vino
4119 Guadalupe St., 462-9282, www.vinovinotx.com
Wine buyer Josh Loving recommends house-cured gravlax with dill oil and dill cream cheese, served with a baguette, for a quick bite.
“With it, I’d pair a current staff favorite white by the glass, Mas Cal Demoura “L’Etincelle”, 2005,” Loving says. “It’s a vin de pays de L’Herault from the Languedoc that is an unusual blend of five different grapes — Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Viognier and Muscat. It has refreshing acidity and minerals that would cut the richness of the salmon, and a honeyed-herbal quality to compliment the dill oil and cream cheese.”
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