Be Jeweled!

The legacy of 115-year-old Valobra Master Jewelers deepened with the opening of its second Houston boutique, in the heart of River Oaks. Franco Valobra invited three of the world’s top chefs — Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse — to create a foodie-fabulous experience in a tent erected outside the massive new store on Westheimer near Shepherd. But even the beautiful bites couldn’t top the sights of the coveted Farnese Blue diamond and the Golden Eye diamond, both on exhibit for one night only.

Kirsten Gilliam
Thomas Keller and Omar Pereney
Thomas Keller and Omar Pereney


Franco and Nancy Valobra

Party People
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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Cirque du Soleil's 'Echo'


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Art + Entertainment

Table grill

BORI RESTAURANT HAS taken over a two-story Montrose bungalow on the corner of Lovett and Whitney. The family-owned high-end steakhouse features prime meats grilled tableside with a custom ventilation system that creates a smokeless environment — the only system of its kind in Houston.

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Food