Photos by Jhane Hoang
Styling by René Garza
Models Charlie Ferguson, Sarah Wohlschlaeger
Hair and makeup by Tonya Riner
Photo assistance by Collin Kelly
Styling assistance by Tyler Treadwell
Shot on Location Downtown, at Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations in the Niels Esperson Building
Tell us about athletic recovery and why it’s important? Athletic recovery is a must for anyone who's active, whether a weekend warrior or a seasoned athlete. It's about helping your body bounce back stronger, repairing muscles, reducing inflammation, and improving flexibility so you can avoid injuries and keep doing what you love. Being married to a pro athlete — former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback William Jackson — has really opened my eyes to how important recovery is. It's not just about physical performance, it's about overall well-being too.
Do you offer treatments for physical stress, such as muscle tension or joint pain, related to recovery? Tell us about them. We’ve curated an entire lineup of treatments designed to melt away stress and help your body recover:
The Trifecta combines heat therapy to increase blood flow and relax muscles, deep tissue massage and percussion to target knots and trigger points, and active stretching to improve flexibility and range of motion.
Consider Massage Therapy. Choose from a wide range of massages to help ease muscle tension, boost circulation, and target specific issues.
In Normatec Compression Therapy, air compression is used in this unique treatment to improve blood flow, reduce swelling, and help muscle recovery.
Our infrared HaloIR Salt Sauna is like a magic eraser for stress and pain, helping detoxify the body, reduce inflammation, and relieve muscle and joint pain. Plus, the added salt therapy boosts respiratory function and does wonders for your skin!
Can you provide services to help manage emotional stress and anxiety associated with recovery? How? We know that recovery isn't just physical; it's mental and emotional too. That's why we offer services to help guests unwind and de-stress. These include Guided Mindfulness and Meditation Sessions, as well as Aromatherapy, using pure essential oils. Also, Quiet Transitional Spaces help prepare mind and body to make the most of your spa treatment experience.
Are there any treatments that can help with sleep disturbances common in recovery? Which ones specifically and how do they help? Yes! Recovery Relaxation Massage with Arnica and Magnesium is like a lullaby for your body and mind, enhanced with arnica — a natural anti-inflammatory that soothes sore muscles and magnesium — to relax muscles and promote better sleep.
CBD Enhancement can really help. The proven calming and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD help ease anxiety and promote tranquility, making it easier to drift off to sleep.
Unique to our day spa experience is our Escape Ritual Bath Circuit — sauna, jacuzzi, and revitalizing chiller bucket shower circuit. This kind of contrast bathing experience has been proven over centuries in a range of cultures to relax muscles, reduce stress, and promote better sleep.
How do you create a welcoming and comfortable environment for male guests? First, it's a matter of Ambiance. The spa’s refined aesthetic feels sophisticated and inviting, without being overly feminine or fussy.
Also, we pride ourselves on Personalized Service. Our therapists are not only experts in their respective fields, but they’re also skilled at putting clients at ease, and tailoring treatments to individual needs and preferences.
We Focus on Results. We understand that men prefer a results-oriented approach, so Escape treatments are designed to deliver specific benefits, whether alleviating muscle tension, reducing stress, improving sleep, or enhancing overall well-being.
Do you have any specific policies or procedures in place to ensure privacy and comfort for men? Beyond separate changing areas for men and women, our therapists are trained to be discreet and respectful of personal space and privacy.
How do you address any concerns or discomfort a male guest may have about receiving spa treatments? Our therapists are trained to discuss any concerns a guest might have before and during their treatment, making sure they feel comfortable, relaxed, and renewed.
The sauna at Escape Spa
The Escape Ritual Bath Circuit includes sauna, jacuzzi, and revitalizing chiller bucket shower.
Sylvia Casares
About 100 guests filtered past fabulous autos from event sponsor Bentley Houston into Chef Austin Waiter’s red-hot Marigold Club in Montrose on a balmy pre-holiday evening. They came to sip gin “Marigold Martinis” and other signature cocktails, and to nibble beautiful classics such as tartare of beef filet with whole grain mustard and thyme and freshly shucked Mere Point oysters in shallot mignonette. But mostly guests, along with reps of event sponsor Valobra Master Jewelers, were there to gladhand and celebrate this year’s class of honorees.
This 2024 group included Community Artists Collective co-founder Michelle Barnes, Recipe for Success and Hope Farms founder Gracie Cavnar, “Enchilada Queen” and cookbook author Sylvia Casares, hot Hamsa and Doris Metropolitan restaurateur Itai Ben Eli, and Raz Halili, whose Texas fishery is the first fully certified-sustainable fishery in North America.
Other 2024 leaders and legends included University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator, former Rice University president David Leebron, playwright ShaWanna Renee Rivon, jeweler and philanthropist Franco Valobra, and energy exec Bobby Tudor, who’s leading the effort to keep Houston the world’s energy capital — even as the industry pivots to sustainability and a greener future.
CityBook editor and CEO Jeff Gremillion made brief remarks and toasted each honoree. Jim Gray, founder and CEO of The Village parent company The Aspenwood Company, also welcomed the crowd.
“Leaders & Legends, our beautiful annual portrait collection, is the most revered and prestigious content we produce all year,” says Gremillion. “And the Leaders & Legends party — a lovely, lowkey affair at which honorees past and present can hobnob with other VIPs in a posh but relaxed setting — has become a highlight of the Houston social calendar.
“Everyone is talking about the Marigold Club, and we were delighted to partner with Chef Waiter and his amazing team for this year’s party. The attention to detail was extraordinary, and the food was elegant and delicious. Everyone had a wonderful time.”
Waiter’s complete menu also included chicken liver mousse gougères with preserved citrus jam and Argentinian shrimp cocktail with lemon and chives — all passed on silver trays by bow-tied and white-jacketed servers. For dessert, Marigold proffered chocolate friandswith chocolate cremeux, brûléed treacle tarts with citron crème and Earl Grey tarlets.
This year’s iteration of Leaders & Legends, created by Gremillion and Executive Publisher Lisa Holthouse, is the seventh for CityBook. Past honorees include Nobel laureate Jim Allison, billionaire mogul Tilman Fertitta, boundary-breaking prima ballerina Lauren Anderson, Astros owner Jim Crane, lifesaving medical researchers, civil rights leaders, artists, activists, fashion designers, members of congress, Olympic medalists, Tony- and Grammy-winning musicians, and top-tier philanthropists like Margaret Alkek Williams, Cynthia Petrello, Becca Cason Thrash and Lynn Wyatt.
The fall “Leaders & Legends” issue of CityBook is available on newsstands all over the city. The holiday issue hits at Thanksgiving.
Rubens Franz, Katia Lessa and Bernie Cantu
Phoebe Tudor and Connor Walsh
Bob and Gracie Cavnar and David Leebron
ShaWanna Renee Rivon
The Marigold Martini
Raz Halili
Jacquie Baly and James Craig
Brandon Weinbrenner and Todd Ramos
Tom and Robin Segesta
Austin Waiter
Shane Dante, Vanessa Iturbe, and Lin and Itai Ben Eli
Outside the Marigold Club
Felipe Riccio and Carrie Brandsberg Dahl
Dana Ely, Meredith Clark, Caimen Schneider and Shannon Waiter
Shawn Lynch, Jentry Kelley, Thy Mitchell and Kyle Denton
Leila Perrin and Beth Wolff
Tartare of beef filet with whole grain mustard and thyme
Jim Gray
Bill Stubbs, Lisa Holthouse and Kurt Grether
Jason Fuller
Samantha and Raz Halili
Mason Clark-Sadeghi and Army Sadeghi (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
The event, held this year at the nonprofit’s Hope Farms near Downtown, featured for the first time an all-female roster of 10 chefs each producing a different course for the fabulous outdoor festivities. Many dishes featured produce from the farm, which aims to provide healthy food in a “food desert” and provide educational opportunities for kids.
Even the décor came from the land. “Shimmering white blooms plucked from fields of the co-located Flower Child micro flower farm seemed to levitate from a stunning black tabletop design,” noted a rep for Recipe, “making a spectacular display against the pastoral vibe of the barn.”
The menu included Tony’s Chef Kate McLean duck cones with scallion pudding, Savor+Sweat Chef Erin O’Leary Stewart’s black trumpet mushroom crisps with herbed cashew cheese, Culinaire Chef Barbara McKnight’s chilled cucumber-scallion borscht with dill bubble bread, and Cochinito & Co Chef Victoria Elizondo’a passion fruit ceviche with Habanada peppers.
Later courses included Chef Suu Khin’s turnip coconut cream soup with turmeric, Jane Wild Studio Chef Jane Wild’s handmade gnocchi with pepper sauce and mascarpone, Street to Kitchen Chef Benchawan Painter’s crispy chicken with coconut
kombucha squash and pumpkin curry sauce, and Camellia Monday Hospitality Chef Jessica Timmons’ braised Iberico pork cheek with sauce piquant, collard pecan Grits, and vinegared okra. For dessert: Recipe for Success Foundation Culinary Director Alyssa Dole’s olive oil cake with whipped beet mascarpone and carrot cake pompote — and The Bake Happening Chef Andrea De Gortari’s chocolate beet cookies and spiced sweet potato cookies, which were served to go.
Each course touted expert wine or spirits pairings for a thoroughly elevated dining experience. VIPs spotted among the 50 guests at the intimate, breezy affair included Bob Cavnar, Ford Hubbard, Renea Abbott, Sherree and Norman Frede, Aashish and Erin Parekh, Jessica Rossman, and Karen and Murry Penner.
Recipe for Success Foundation is “dedicated to combating childhood obesity by transforming how children and families understand and engage with food,” per its mission statement. “Through its pioneering programs, the foundation has empowered over 50,000 youth to make lifelong healthy eating decisions.”
Ford Hubbard, Renea Abbott and Thomas Hunt (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Gracie Cavnar (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Karen and Murry Penner (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Chef Alyssa Dole (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Milton Townsend, Bob Cavnar and Mark Sullivan (photo by Michelle Watson)
Javier Lopez and Jennifer Herrera (photo by Daniel Lopez)
Bow-tied servers and guests as Delicious Alchemy (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Gayla Gardner (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Aashish and Erin Parehk and Rudy Guerra (photo by Michelle Watson)
Norman & Sheree Frede (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Kate McLean (photo by Michelle Watson)