A selection of McGee's 'Tarot Cards'
Reigning over the exhibit are four, large-scale watercolor portraits of elegantly gowned Black women, all surrounded by exotic birds — including parrots, a recurring symbol in historical painting — and gigantic butterflies. On each canvas, the subject is pushed forward, as if onstage, and seems to be prepared for battle. “They are women fomented by the fire of injustice, and are in control of their own destiny,” says McGee. “They have embraced their future and their past.”
These equanimous women, each an amalgamation of figures from McGee’s imagination, first materialized in his tarot cards. Beautifully rendered in watercolor, ink and graphite, The Tarot Cards speak to McGee’s career-long obsession with image and language, and in our time of false narratives and virtual political realities, are designed to inspire some deeper thinking by first scrambling the viewer’s brain. In “Nature Girl,” a young Black woman in a gothic, high neck Victorian dress, her spine as straight as a soldier’s, holds a bloodied ax just to the left of her thousand-yard-stare. Two other cards, titled “The South” and “The North,” feature McGee’s variations on the screaming heads in Picasso’s 1937 anti-war masterpiece “Guernica,” and draw an uncomfortable parallel between the Civil War and how art history is narrated in the West.
'The Anointed'
One of 'The Gloria Paintings'
As a respite from the sensory overload of the tarot cards, Inman has dedicated an entire room to The Gloria Paintings, a series McGee began in the early months of the pandemic, when his mother Gloria was diagnosed with cancer. Hung together, these abstract, but somehow familiar shapes, reminiscent of foliage, clouds, and musical notes, realized in thickly applied oil brushstrokes on burlap, immerse the viewer in an unabashed celebration of ocular pleasure. “When the pandemic hit, I wanted to make a bouquet for my mother,” says McGee of The Gloria Paintings. “They are all about the joys of flowers and nature, and the plumage of life. I don’t know if these pictures were for Gloria or for me!” Now cancer-free, Gloria remains “a fountain of support and sustenance” for McGee.
Having come through the trauma of the past three years, and with a major retrospective of his work scheduled for 2025 at Charlotte's Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, McGee is sanguine about the future.
“You just have to do the best you can with the time you have.”
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Gulf fish at Credence
“Credence and Sidebar are unlike any Goode Co. concepts,” said chef and owner Levi Goode. “They are reflective of my experiences as a restaurateur and chef and draw inspiration from my family’s heritage. It’s exciting to pull back the curtain and celebrate where we are headed.”
Credence is a South-Texas-ranch-inspired, upscale concept serving regional American fare reflecting Texas culinary traditions and live-fire cooking rooted in classic cooking techniques. A two-time James Beard nominated restaurateur, Goode drew inspiration for Credence from cooking with his grandmother and father, hunting, travels, his education — and 20-plus years steering Goode Company Restaurants.
“The development of this new brand and its subsequent concepts adds a new dimension to our company that allows for more sustainability and creativity with the goal of bringing Texas together — communally, culturally and culinarily. I’ll remain president of Goode Company Restaurants and with an additional focus on the Levi Goode brand.”
Steak at Credence
Champagne and caviar at Sidebar
Dessert at Sidebar
Levi Goode
Live-fire cooking will be at the center of the menu at Credence, with dishes like the fire-roasted seafood tower, dry-aged duck for two, and hearth-roasted swordfish on the bone. From the finest dry-aged prime beef and traditional dishes from Texas ranches to the Gulf Coast, each plate will be presented with elevated style. Dishes will be Southern in spirit, with some designed to be shared, encouraging communal dining and gathering around the table.
The cocktail and wine menu at Credence is designed to pair effortlessly with the dishes. Guests can anticipate elevated riffs on classic cocktails such as a seasonal take on a Paloma, a re-tweaked Negroni, and a fun take on vermouth and soda. Classic cocktails will be served alongside Credence-specific creations like West Texas Parisa, hearth-roasted bone marrow, and spring-mushroom-and-cornbread gnocchi.
Meanwhile, speakeasy-style Sidebar was inspired by the Texas oil boom of the early 1900s. This reservation-only restaurant and cocktail bar will feature well-executed classic cocktails, big, bold wines and highly allocated Champagne. House-infused spirits and garnishes picked and peeled by hand will complement the rich ingredients of every drink.
Wines from classic producers, regions and styles, and a wide selection of old-world selections are planned to complement the food at Sidebar. Special cocktails like a classic gin martini served with a sidecar and garnishes, a Pink Lady with an elegant Texan twist, and reworked Old Fashioneds and Manhattans will be on offer. The food menu will boast classic American fare with luster, featuring dry-aged steaks, oysters topped with caviar, and more.
“My hope is that both Credence and Sidebar serve as local havens where people can come together and enjoy a good meal, a handmade cocktail and a good time. We’re excited to continue to serve the Memorial area of Houston, which has been so good to us,” says Goode.
Exceptional hospitality will be the standard at both restaurants, with an emphasis on traditional tableside service for salads, carved meats from the hearth, desserts, and more. Credence and Sidebar will both feature indoor and patio seating. Goode has tapped international architecture firm Gensler to design the project.
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