Houston Antiquing

I just returned from a scouting trip to Houston, my second of (hopefully many) such excursions.  We have been designing, planning, and recently building a new home in AZ, and are finally at the fun part...decorating.  I met my designer extraordinaire there, and we spent two very busy and productive days hitting as many stores as time would allow.  She likes to stay at the Omni Galleria for its proximity to the decorative center on Woodway.  The rooms are comfortable, the staff is friendly, and our waiter at breakfast, Hector, was ever diligent at keeping our coffee mugs full every morning.  

Taken on our first trip, this would be great for a wine room

 

Also from our first trip, these mirrored nesting tables are so elegant for a bedroom

We saw lovely animal prints at Shabby Slips

On the first floor of the decorative center, we had to pop in to the Janus et Cie showroom

George Cameron Nash

Also at GCN, while Hubby was not wild about this chair, I think it is adorable

The Grey Door had some interesting chandeliers

From Watkins Culver Antiques, this is one of two matching Moroccan lanterns

At Scalamandre, a new fabric by Kathryn Ireland called Downton (love the name too)

We ate dinner downtown one night at Reef, a restaurant that has earned numerous culinary awards, including #1 Seafood Restaurant in the US by Bon Appetit Magazine, Best Chef of the Southwest in 2011 and 2010 (Bryan Caswell) and Top 10 Best New Chef in 2009 (Bryan Caswell) by Food and Wine Magazine.  I had to get my fix of Gulf Coast cuisine, and this was the perfect spot to do just that.  It was a cold and rainy night, so the lighting was not optimal for photographs, but I snapped a pic of my delicious entree, red fish on the "half shell" (crispy skin) with a brick of fried mac and cheese.  Red fish was all but depleted in the Gulf Coast due to the blackening fad of the 1980's, and their farm-raised relatives have recently made a comeback.  When I was little we would fish for them out of Port Aransas, and it was such a treat to hook one for dinner.  I still consider it a treat, and this one was of the best I have eaten.  I started off the evening with a margarita and a shrimp shooter, and I am eager to return.  Buen provecho!