Dream Homes

Dream Homes <p class="p1">Dream Homes 2014: Ring in the new year with an insider’s look at Houston’s most visionary homes, from a Seville-inspired manse in River Oaks to dogtrot-inspired digs in the Heights. Plus: An in-depth look at a local CEO-turned-sexual predator, a tour through the city’s coziest pubs, and a Cancun survival guide for the post-college beach-goer.</p>

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Opera

HGO Remembers a Forgotten Russian Opera

Mieczyslaw Weinberg, composer of The Passenger, never lived to see it performed.

12/31/2013 By Michael Hardy

Interviews

An Interview with George Saunders

A literary master discusses his craft.

12/31/2013 By Will Wilkinson

Synergy

Second Lovers’ Love Affair With Craft Beer

Local folk band Second Lovers loves craft beer so much, they recorded an album at the Saint Arnold brewery.

12/17/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt

Best of Houstonia

Real Estate

Houston’s Dream Homes

We convened a panel of experts to select Houston’s ten greatest homes. Plus the latest in furniture, the city’s greatest architects, and avoiding contractors from hell.

12/23/2013

Eat & Drink

Newsfix

Video: The Frito Pie Controversy on Newsfix

Finding the truth about one of our favorite treats

01/13/2014 By Dan Derozier

Dem Cooked Ersters

It’s OK to Cook Oysters

Where to find best cooked oyster dishes around

12/31/2013 By Robb Walsh

On the Table

Pearls of the Oyster World

Oystermen have rediscovered the Gulf’s variety—and are providing half-shell oysters that rival the selections found anywhere in the world.

12/31/2013 By Robb Walsh

Wine Pairings

The Broad Spectrum of Gulf Oyster Wine Pairings

Gulf oysters are different from their Atlantic counterparts. Why shouldn’t our wine pairings be, too?

12/31/2013 By Jeremy Parzen

Stand a Round

A Field Guide to English and Irish Pub Beers

A good British beer will always have its place.

12/31/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt

10 Best Pubs

Houston’s Best Pub Breakfasts

These traditional English breakfasts will have you full till teatime.

12/31/2013 By Robb Walsh

Hearth & Haven

Houston’s 10 Coziest Pubs

Where will you hunker down this winter?

12/31/2013 By Robb Walsh and Katharine Shilcutt

Lay Off!

The Complicated History of the Frito Pie

New Mexicans think it was invented in Santa Fe; Texans, in San Antonio. When Anthony Bourdain calls it “warm crap in a bag,” who should be insulted?

12/31/2013 By Robb Walsh

Editor’s Note

The Interpretation of ‘Dreams’

If everyone has dreams, and most people have homes, it would seem to follow that most people have dream homes. Right?

12/31/2013 By Scott Vogel

Home & Real Estate

Dream Homes

Top Homes: The Experts’ Lists

Our four local architecture experts share their top 10 favorite Houston homes.

01/13/2014 By Michael Hardy Illustrations by Sebastian Gomez de la Torre

Dream Homes

Interior Design Trends: New Balance

As with life, the ideal living space for 2014 is all about finding balance between opposites.

12/31/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt

Dream Homes

Houston’s Five Best Residential Architects

We asked dozens of architects who they’d choose to build their own homes. These are the five names we heard most often.

12/31/2013 By Peter Holley

Dream Homes

These Days, More is More

Out: Scandinavian minimalism. In: wallpaper!?

12/31/2013 By Kerry H.

Dream Homes

The Shotgun Shack Is Back

The shotgun cottage is no longer shunned.

12/31/2013 By Michael Hardy

Dream Homes

Houston’s Top Homes

A insider's guide to the greatest houses in the city

12/31/2013 By Michael Hardy and John Lomax

Dream Homes

Finding a Competent Contractor

Tear out your kitchen without tearing out your hair.

12/18/2013 By Kelly Klaasmeyer

News & City Life

H-Town Diary

Race Against Time

A biracial couple conducts a 10-year unscientific study.

12/31/2013 By Gwendolyn Zepeda

Crime

Sexual Predator, CEO

Henri Morris was a respected entrepreneur and family man. So why did the women around him keep blacking out?

12/31/2013 By John Lomax

Proto-Houstonias

Our Forgotten Ancestor: The Houston Gargoyle

A journal of Houston’s Jazz Age, the Gargoyle was our town’s first true city magazine.

12/31/2013 By John Lomax

Biking

Dissecting Critical Mass

On the last Friday of each month, thousands of cyclists make their presence felt. But what is Critical Mass, exactly, and what is its goal?

12/31/2013 By John Lomax

New Year, New Faces

January’s Perfect Party

Let’s kick off 2014 in style with eight personalities making waves (and headlines) this January.

12/31/2013 By Catherine Matusow

Dance

Ecstatic Dancing: A Primer

A dance craze sweeps the city.

12/31/2013 By Peter Holley

Sports

What Makes a Successful Athlete Retire at the Age of 21?

Increasing awareness of health risks deals another blow to kids and sports.

12/31/2013 By Catherine Matusow

Style & Shopping

Interviews

Elements of Style: Continental Club’s Goodtime Smith

Say what you will about club manager John “Goodtime” Smith’s wardrobe, but it certainly doesn’t lack panache.

12/31/2013 By Kerry H.

Trends

Slideshow: New Year, New Hue

Feeling blue this January? Here are eight ways to express yourself.

12/31/2013 By Sarah Gabbart

Travel & Outdoors

Travel

Ageless Cancun

Finding God, Man, and margaritas

12/31/2013 By Scott Vogel