W

win t e r BLACK BOOK

2013

hOustOn

M penner

713.973.1600www.hotelsorella.com

Lunch & Dinner | 7 Days a Week | Sunday BrunchReservation: 713.827.3545

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800 Sorella Court | Houston, Texas 77024{ Chosen among the Top 100 U.s. hotels, Condé nast traveler, 2010, 2011 & 2012 ReaDeRS’ ChoiCe aWaRDS }

Hotel Sorella Right.indd 1 12/14/12 10:48 AM

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www.shynsalon.com | 321 W. Alabama | Houston, Texas 77006

713-527 SHYN (7496)

Visit SHYN Salon for the best products

and service in the industry, delivered by

a staff of friendly, upbeat professionals

who combine your desires with their

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FEATURES

The Beauty of BaliPrepare to be enchanted—and perhaps transformed. 8

Perfect NotesThe new winter

fashions at M PENNER offer

a harmonious blend of color, texture and updated silhouettes.16

Old-School SpiritsYou’ll be the toast

of the town when you serve up these vintage cocktails at your holiday party. 32

First CourseLet these impres-sive make-ahead nibbles prep your guests for the big feast. 38

dEpARTmEnTS

Invitation to StyleReasons to be cheerful 4

Essentials for MenThey’re rugged, stylish and made for walking: Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots. 6

Room KeyEnchantment beckons at the Charleston Place Hotel in the Old South’s most picturesque city, a treat for the eyes, the taste buds and the spirit. 50

Holiday 2012

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2 m penner

The Antiquarium_003.indd 3 12/14/12 10:49 AM

sneak peeksM PENNER has always

been committed to providing a little some-thing extra for our custom-ers and friends. In that tradition, we present our annual all-digital issue of M PENNER magazine to celebrate the winter holidays.

Here you’ll find fodder for your holiday par-ties—recipes for classic cocktails and elegant hors d’oeuvres. We take you on an armchair tour of two of the world’s great tropical island retreats, Bali and its less touristed sister, Lom-bok. Closer to home, we see what’s doing in another of America’s great cities, Charleston, and its top-tier hotel, Charleston Place.

Of course, you’ll also find a selection of terrific clothing and accessories for men and women. But

the following pages show just the tip of the pro-verbial iceberg. Visit our store in Uptown Park for an outstanding selection of the latest merchandise from the best designers in the world.

In the spirit of the season, we thank our loyal staff for their commitment and expertise, and we thank you, our customers, for entrusting us with your image and wardrobe needs. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuk-kah, Happy Kwanzaa and a healthy, prosperous New Year!

reasons to be cheerfulin

vit

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ion

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4 M PENNER

Lady in redp. 16

Boot up!p. 6

1180-06 UPTOWN PARK BLVD. HOUSTON, TX 77056713.527.8200 mPeNNeR.cOm

store Hours mONDAy TO FRIDAy: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.THURSDAy: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.SATURDAy: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. editorial Director KAREN PENNER

editor MARK DOWDEN

art Director stEPHEN M. VItARBO

executive editor RItA gUARNA

Contributing photographerDANIEL sPRINgstON art assistant MEgHAN BAsHAW

editorial assistantsLAUREN MARCHIONNI, CAtHERINE sHAW

puBLisHing staff

publisher sHAE MARCUs

advertising account executivesJENNIfER MCLAUgHLIN,MONICA DELLI sANtI

Director of production and Circulation CHRIstINE HAMEL

Marketing Director NIgEL EDELsHAIN

advertising services MangerJACqUELYNN fIsCHER

senior art Director, agency services KIJOO KIM

accounting AMANDA ALBANO, AgNEs ALVEs, ANDREW MOUgIs

published by

Chairman CARROLL V. DOWDEN

president MARK DOWDEN

Vice presidents AMY DOWDEN, RItA gUARNA, CHRIstINE HAMEL, sHAE MARCUs,

ANDY sHANE

m PeNNeR Magazine is published twice a year by

Wainscot Media, 110 Summit Avenue, Montvale, NJ

07645, in association with M PENNER. This is volume 9,

number 1. Copyright © 2012 by Wainscot Media, LLC.

All rights reserved.

Editorial Contributions: Write to Editor, M PENNER, 110 Summit Avenue,

Montvale, NJ 07645; telephone 201.782.5730;

email mark.dowden@wainscotmedia.com. The magazine is not responsible for the return

or loss of unsolicited submissions.

Subscription Services:

To change an address or request a subscription,

write to Subscriptions, M PENNER, Circulation

Department, 110 Summit Avenue, Montvale,

NJ 07645; telephone 201.573.5541;

email christine.hamel@wainscotmedia.com.

Advertising Inquiries: Contact Shae Marcus at 856.797.2227 or

shae.marcus@wainscotmedia.com.

M PENNER

—Murry and Karen Penner

8793 Gaylord St. HouSton, tX 77024

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the Beauty ofBali and Lombok, the quieter Bali

Prepare to be enchanted—and perhaps transformed—as you discover

Women in sarongs walk by with

baskets on their heads. You hear the chatter-ing of monkeys, and there’s the almondy fragrance of frangipani blossoms strewn about from a recent ceremony. Ahead you see a pagoda-like temple, and in the distance a volcanic

holidAY 2012 9

A carved stone sculpture

on the façade of an ancient

temple and a magnificent

sunset over the Indian

Ocean make up the

visual feast that is Bali.

peak, its outline etched against a sunset blushingly pink. The sensory richness makes you recall with epiphanic clarity why you’re here: The South Pacific has island paradises aplenty, but there’s only one Bali.

This 2,175-square-mile island, dazzling enough simply as a scenic destination, is esteemed beyond the sum of its sights and sounds and smells. Travelers from anthro-pologist Margaret Mead in the 1930s to bestselling Eat, Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert in the 21st century have come here to soothe, refresh and inform the spirit. They’ve been drawn by a landscape dotted with Hindu temples, each with a story, and a native culture in which ordinary things have special meanings. Indeed, there are carefully observed rituals whose frequencies range from five times daily to once in a thousand years. It’s not unusual to hear expatriate

business owners grouse (but with a smile) that they must hire help in extra numbers be-cause these workers so frequently take time off to perform or attend ceremonies.

Bali boasts silky-sand beaches, majestic mountains and lush forests. It’s one of the 17,500 islands that make up Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country. But Bali itself is 93 percent Hindu. As Gilbert’s book explains, Hindu royalty escaped nearby Java during a 16th-century Islamic uprising, but could bring along “only their royal fami-lies, their craftsmen and their priests,” which may be “why the Balinese people have such pride and brilliance.” A U.S. en-cyclopedia published in 1881—a time when most Asian peoples were viewed with condescension in the West—calls the Balinese “a superior race.”

Surrounded by coral

reefs, rice-growing Bali benefits agricultur-ally from the lush soil provided by its six volcanoes. (Alas, the tallest, 10,308-foot Mount Agung, killed more than 1,000 people when it erupted in 1963.) It’s a veg-etative wonderland, with banyan, tamarind, clove and acacia trees and lovely flowers of hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine, frangipani and orchid.

Tourism in Bali has recov-ered from a slump it suffered

after terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005, and in

some ways it’s an easy place to nav-igate, with many locals at least

semi-conversant in English.

Tempera-

10 m penner

Opposite: A Buddhist temple

appears to sprout effortlessly from

the tranquil water. This page:

Embrace the peaceful surround-

ings in one of the elegant rooms

at the Oberoi Bali while dreaming

of an award-wining meal at the

resort’s own Kura Kura; the

long-tailed macaque monkey

enjoys sacred status and can be

found in a sanctuary in Ubud.

holidAY 2012 11

tures stay in the soothing range of 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit pretty much year-round, and you can see great variety with just a few minutes’ travel by car, by bicycle or even on foot. If you’d rather not explore alone, ICS Travel Group creates personalized itineraries that offer a glimpse of local life plus important sites. They’ll help find the best vantage point for viewing everything from art to sunsets.

You’ll likely touch down at the southern end of this land of enchantment at Ngurah Rai International Airport (Cathay Pacific Airline has five flights daily from the U.S.), named for a hero of Indonesia’s war for independence from the Netherlands. There’s a statue of him on the 20-minute ride north to one of the island’s most appealing hostelries, the Oberoi Bali, near Bali’s provincial capital city, Den-pasar. (Bali the province includes its namesake island plus a few small ones.) Let the Oberoi’s

secluded cluster of luxury thatched-roof villas with private pools be your base as you explore.

On your “things to do” list, don’t omit a luxurious dollop of nothing—lolling on lovely beaches that shimmer with smooth white sand (on the southern coast) or mica-flecked grey-black volcanic sand (in the north, east and west). Try the crescent-shaped Kuta Beach just south of the hotel if you’d like to watch surfers, or mingle with the locals and perhaps buy cheap beer from vendors. Or beautiful Geger Beach, on the southern peninsula known as Nusa Dua, if you crave calmer waters or if you’re a female brave enough to go topless. It costs all of 20,000 rupiah to rent a deck chair—that’s about two bucks.

If a party mood strikes, head for the hot nightlife of Kuta, which abounds in bars, cafes and restaurants (try Un’s, the Dog and Dragon or Bubba Gump Shrimp). But don’t miss the

daytime attractions that make Bali special—the wood carvings, paintings and stone statues on view around the south central town of Ubud, for instance. That’s where you can buy souvenirs, or hang with long-tailed macaque monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary.

Bali is justly famous for its numerous Hindu temples, or pura, many of which feature a distinctive, pagoda-like pattern of tiered roofs. The largest, the Mother Temple of Besakih, is actually a complex of 22 temples perched on parallel ridges. (In the ’63 eruption the flowing lava missed it by just a few yards—a “miracu-lous” sign, in some locals’ minds, that the gods wished to teach a lesson without threatening their faith.) Then there’s Tanah Lot, famous for its stunning sunsets. Sea snakes are said to reside at the base of the island to ward off evil spirits. Another must-see—near Sanur, just southeast of Denpasar—is the Pura Blanjong,

12 m penner

Opposite: Culture abounds

everywhere but especially in

the traditional costume of a

Balinese dancer; a peek at

Lombok’s white sand beaches

from the Oberoi Lombok where

oceanside huts actually sit in

the water. This page: A scuba

diver communes with a

school of Black Jack at the

USTA Liberty’s wreck site.

holidAY 2012 13

This page: The rice ter-

races artfully carved into

the mountains testify to

the Balinese rice farmers’

love of the land. Opposite:

Pinks, blues and purples

swirl together to create this

picturesque poolside view.

14 m penner

which bears an inscription attributed to a 10th-century Javanese king. (Sanur is Bali’s oldest beachside resort town, and it offers peaceful respite from the hurly-burly of Kuta.)

As your Bali home, the Oberoi itself offers a lot to tweet home about. Located on spacious Seminyak Beach, it’s built to honor privacy, serenity and quality. The romantically inclined may renew their marriage vows in a special Hindu service. No wedding plans? Visit the open-air massage pavillions overlooking a pool teeming with golden carp, water lilies and tropical plants for a couple’s treatment. Here you’ll learn firsthand the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana: True peace means finding harmony with God, man and nature. As for amenities, there’s a daily afternoon tea service, daily fruit baskets, yoga sessions and a six-times-daily shuttle service to the nearby village of Legian.

The hotel’s Amphitheatre stages Balinese

dance performances every Thursday and Satur-day, and the Kayu Bar serves light meals as well as drinks. The Frangipani Café offers alfresco break-fast and seafood meals under the palms, and the Kura Kura, set around a lotus pond, is the Oberoi Bali’s foray into fine dining—it was voted the fin-est eatery in Indonesia by the readers of Indonesia Tattler. (All of the hotel’s restaurants prepare cur-ries and stir-fries using rice bran oil, said to reduce cholesterol and to be rich antioxidants.)

Happily, there’s another lovely Oberoi on Lombok, the next-door island just a puddle-jumping 25-mile flight away—and here both scenery and serenity may beckon you for a leisurely side trip. Lombok is known as “the quieter Bali,” and it mimics much of Bali’s charm without its teeming tourist population.

Lombok’s newly upgraded international airport debuted only in October 2011, with connections to Singapore and several Indo-

nesian cities, so the travelers will be coming. In South Lombok they’ll enjoy some of the world’s finest surfing as well as wonder-ful scuba diving and snorkeling, and they’ll glimpse a volcano that outdoes the better-known island’s peaks in both height and recent liveliness: 12,224-foot Mount Rinjani, which erupted three times on May 22, 2010.

Lombok is a bit smaller than Bali, with about 3 million strong, and it’s been called “a whole different kettle of fish” from its neighbor. For one thing, it’s mostly Muslim, not Hindu—mosques broadcast a morning call to worship starting at 4:30 a.m. Villages tend to specialize in preparing their own particular foods—tofu here, salted shark there and dried shrimp paste down the road.

Whether your destination is Bali or Lom-bok or both, get ready for intriguing surprises. This could be the trip of a lifetime, and when you return you may never be quite the same.

holidAY 2012 15

This page: tulle dress

by Fuzzi, necklaces

by Carol Lipworth.

Opposite: velvet blazer,

shirt, pocket square

and scarf by Etro, flannel

trousers by Ermenegildo

Zegna, Torino belt.

This page: peplum coat

by Ted Baker, lace tank by

Moschino Cheap & Chic,

jeans by Yoga Jeans,

necklace and earrings by

Carol Lipworth, stingray

cuff by Taylor & Tessier.

Opposite: plaid sportcoat,

dress shirt and tie by

Isaia, pocket square

by Tino Cosma, trousers

by Ermenegildo Zegna,

Tuliani belt.

This page: exploded cable

cardigan by Inhabit, ruffle

blouse by Cino, jeans by

Yoga Jeans, leather hand-

bag by Jamin Puech, Chan

Luu earrings, bracelet and

necklace by Gillian Julius.

Opposite: Ermenegildo

Zegna windowpane suit,

Canali dress shirt, Isaia tie,

Etro pocket square.

Ovit erferes core vol-

luptas mil ipsaecumquam

nimust, consendi

doluptatur? Adipiet arum

inciusamus, occus,

omnis idelita coritiusdam

eaquunt poreperoris ma

consequat quae eatur

sit doluptatur sitius aces

aut aut voloria volorru

menditas sitium quid et

volore pliam faccum, cus

nos dolorehenim volo od

This page: Loro Piana

Voyager coat, quarter-zip

cashmere sweater and

pants, sport shirt by

Luciano Barbera,

Tag Heuer sunglasses.

Opposite: turtleneck

sweater by Les Copains,

ring and earrings by

Metalli 925.

Dress by Ted Baker,

earrings and bracelet

by Carol Lipworth.

This page: suit by Z Zegna,

shirt by Eton, tie by Z Zegna,

sterling silver tie bar by

Antique Jewel Box,

cufflinks by Tateossian.

Opposite: ruched cotton

jersey dress by Heather,

beaded and sequined

handbag by Jamin Puech,

necklace by Carol Lipworth,

earrings by Sonia Renee.

This page: silk animal

print blouse by Moschino

Cheap & Chic, jeans by Yoga

Jeans, amber chandelier

earrings by Carol Lipworth,

Chan Luu ring.

Opposite: leather blazer,

cotton slub t-shirt, jeans and

scarf by John Varvatos,

bracelets by Tateossian,

Maui Jim sunglasses.

This page: Samuelsohn tuxedo,

beaded and embroidered paisley

shirt and pocket square by Etro.

Opposite: cashmere sweater and

scarf by Minnie Rose, jeans by

AG, beaded draw-string handbag

by Jamin Puech, earrings by Chan

Luu, necklace by Gillian Julius,

Taylor & Tessier alligator cuff.

Recipes printed with permission from Vintage Cocktails (Assouline)

Pour all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir as

you would a martini. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a cherry or, if using dry vermouth, a twist.

2 oz. whiskey

1 oz. sweet Italian vermouth

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a

chilled martini glass, or serve over ice in an old

fashioned glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

2-1/2 oz. gin

3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

1 oz. simple syrup

Gently bruise one sprig of mint in the bottom of a highball glass with sugar or

syrup. Add half of the bourbon and fill with crushed ice. Swirl with a bar spoon

until the outside of the glass frosts. Add more crushed ice and the remaining

bourbon; stir again to frost the glass. Garnish with second mint sprig.

2 oz. bourbon

1/2 oz. simple syrup or a

level teaspoon of sugar

2 sprigs of mint

Shake all ingredients with ice to chill. Garnish

with an orange peel, lemon peel or olives.

1-1/2 oz. dry gin

dash of dry French vermouth

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into an

iced old fashioned glass, or preferably a cocktail

glass. A sugared rim is a traditional touch. Garnish with an orange wedge.

1-1/2 oz. cognac

3/4 oz. Cointreau

1/2 to 3/4 oz. fresh

lemon juice

Take 2 rocks glasses. Chill one while preparing the drink in

the other. Splash the Herbsaint into the second glass and

swirl it, then pour it out. Add the rye, syrup and/or sugar and

the bitters and stir with an ice cube to chill. Strain into the

chilled rocks glass and garnish with a lemon or orange peel.

1 dash Peychaud’s bitters

2 oz. rye whiskey

Splash of Herbsaint or other absinthe substitute

1/2 oz. simple syrup or one sugar cube and a tiny

splash of water

Let these elegant make-ahead nibbles prep your guests for the big feast.

PHOTOGRAPHS REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF DK, A DIVISION OF PENGUIN GROUP (USA) INC. FROM HORS D’OEUVRES BY VICTORIA BLASHFORD-SNELL AND ERIC TREUILLE. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS ©2012 DK PUBLISHING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This mini classic is a

favorite when made with this zingy

and colorful combination of chile jam and

fresh beets.

1lb ground beef

! cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 large egg

salt and freshly ground

black pepper

1 beet, peeled and finely grated

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

thyme leaves to garnish

For pizzette bases:

2 cups bread flour

1 tsp salt2/3 cup warm water

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp quick rising dried yeast

For chile jam:

14 oz tomatoes

2 red chiles or jalapeño chiles

2 thumbs peeled fresh ginger

2 tbsp fish sauce

3 peeled garlic cloves

To make pizzette bases place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center of the flour. Pour water and oil into the well. Sprinkle yeast over the liquid and leave for 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to draw the flour into the middle and mix to form a sticky dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes until a smooth, shiny and elastic dough is formed. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 ! hours. Deflate the dough by pressing down with your hand. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about !-inch thick. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, egg and seasoning together well.

Divide into 25 balls and, using damp hands, shape into mini burgers. Chill until ready to cook

Mix the grated beet with vinegar, and season with salt.

Preheat a frying pan with the oil. Sear the mini burgers, uncrowded, in a pan for 1! minutes on each side, slightly flattening with a spatula as you turn them.

To make the jam, pulse all ingredients in a food processor until chunky.

To serve, place ! tsp of chile jam on each pizzette base, add a mini burger and top with a small mound of the marinated beet. Garnish with thyme to serve. Makes 25.

A seaside treat dressed up for a party,

these clams are served

with a ginger, lime and

cilantro butter.

6 tbsp butter, softened

!-inch piece of fresh ginger,

finely chopped

grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp finely chopped

cilantro leaves

salt and freshly ground

black pepper

20 clams

6 tbsp coarse salt

Combine the butter, ginger, lime juice and zest, and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Scrub the clams under running water. Discard any that are broken or not tightly closed.

Place the clams in a pan with 2 tbsp water and cover with lid. Steam over medium heat until open, about 6 minutes. Shake pan occasionally to ensure even cook-ing. Remove clams with a slotted spoon. Discard any that are shut. Cool.

Preheat broiler. Open the clams with your fingers. Discard top shells. Loosen clams from bottom shells and place on a heatproof serving dish evenly scattered with salt. Divide the flavored butter over the clams in their shells.

Place the clams under the broiler until the butter melts and the clams are hot, 2 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 20.

Serve these delicious

canapés hot with fresh

herbs or replace the

ham with wilted spinach.

6 slices medium white bread

5 tbsp butter, melted, plus

extra for greasing

24 quail eggs

4 slices Parma ham

! oz chives, finely chopped

to garnish

For hollandaise:

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp water

2 large egg yolks

salt and white pepper

1 " tbsp white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 300˚F. Brush the bread with melted butter and use a 2-inch cookie cutter to stamp out 4 rounds per bread slice. Place the croutes on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 20-25 minutes. Cool.

To bake the quail eggs, generously butter a mini muffin tin and crack eggs into each hole. Bake in oven 4 minutes. Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop the eggs out of pans onto a tray or plate to cool.

For hollandaise, melt the butter, then skim the froth from the surface and let cool until lukewarm. Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water set on low heat. Make sure the base of the bowl is not in direct contact with the hot water. Place water and yolks with a pinch each of salt and pepper in the bowl. Whisk the ingredients to a light and frothy mixture that holds the trail of the whisk, about 3 min-utes. Remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in butter, a little at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition, until the mixture emulsifies and becomes thick and creamy. Gradually whisk in vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Increase oven temperature to 350˚F. Place croutes, not touch-ing, on a flat baking sheet, tear the ham into 24 equal pieces, and place a piece folded on top of each croutes. Place the baked egg on top and cover with 1 teaspoon of hollandaise. Bake, 4-5 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped chives. Makes 24.

Skewering the pieces of the pancetta-wrapped fish on rosemary

sticks will infuse the

recipe with woody

sweetness.

12 oz monkfish tail, boned

and skinned

4 pancetta or bacon slices

20 – 4-inch rosemary branches

For the marinade:

! cup olive oil

grated zest and juice

of " lemon

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 tsp salt and " tsp freshly

ground black pepper

Cut the monkfish into 20 cubes (1-inch). Cut pancetta into 20 equal-sized pieces. Cover pancetta or bacon and refrigerate.

For the rosemary skewers, pull the leaves off the rosemary stalks, leaving just a few leaves at one end. Reserve leaves. Sharpen the other end to a point with a sharp pairing knife.

For the marinade, coarsely chop the reserved rosemary leaves. Combine rosemary, oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and salt and pepper in a nonmetallic bowl. Add monkfish and toss to coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Thread 1 monkfish cube and 1 bacon piece onto the pointed end of each rosemary skewer.

Preheat broiler. Alternatively, preheat a ridged cast-iron grill pan or barbecue grill. Broil or grill monkfish spiedini until cooked through, 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve warm. Makes 20.

As this recipe tastes so fresh

and clean, it will work well

with richer dishes. It makes

a delicious vegetarian

option.

2 tbsp sesame seeds

8 oz feta cheese

1 tbsp fennel seeds

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 ! tsp cracked black pepper

" finely chopped mint leaves

20 whole mint leaves

! cucumber, peeled and seeded

10 pitted black olives, halved

20 – 2-inch wooden skewers

For lemon aioli:

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

! tsp salt and a pinch

of freshly ground pepper

1 tsp sugar

1 " cups sunflower or canola oil

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 crushed garlic cloves

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat until nutty and golden, 3 minutes. Cool.

Gently rinse the feta in cold water. Drain on paper towels.

Cut feta into ! -inch cubes. Toss feta together with the fennel, toasted seeds, lemon juice and zest, oil and pepper to coat each cube well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the flavors to combine.

Sprinkle the feta with chopped mint and toss to coat each cube well.

Cut the cucumber into 20 cubes (! in).

Thread 1 mint leaf, 1 olive half, 1 cucumber cube, and 1 feta cube onto each skewer.

For aioli, set a deep bowl on a cloth to prevent it from slipping as you whisk. Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, and sugar together in a bowl until think and creamy, 1 minute. Place the oil in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk in the oil into the egg mixture a drop at a time until the mixture thickens. Add the remaining oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking con-stantly until thick and glossy. Whisk in 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Served with skewers chilled or at room temperature. Makes 20.

Melting mouthfuls of

beef are tossed in

a delicious combination

of Asian flavors.

8 oz beef filet steak,

1-inch thick

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp fish sauce

! tsp sugar

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 cup mint leaves, plus

extra to garnish

! red bell pepper, finely diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 sliced red chile to garnish

For filo tartlets:

4 sheets of filo pastry

2 tbsp melted butter

For filo tartlet, preheat oven to 350˚F. Lay one sheet of filo pastry down on a cool surface or large cutting board and cover unused pastry with a clean tea towel. Brush the pastry evenly with melted butter. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the buttered pastry sheet into even-sized squares, 2in x 2in. Carefully pick up one layer of the squares at a time and place on top of each other, using 4 squares at different angles to create a spiky look. Push the pastry stack into a mini-muf-fin tin, ensuring the bottom of the filo tartlet is as flat as possible. Repeat until all the filo pastry has been used up and then bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Sear the steak in a hot pan on both sides, 6 min-utes total. Cool and cut into 20 slices.

Toss the steak slices with the soy, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, fresh herbs, pepper, tomato, sesame seeds, and zest. Divide steak slices among the filo tartlets. Garnish with red chile and mint leaves. Makes 20.

Enchantment beckons at this hostelry in the Old South’s most picturesque city, a treat for the eyes, the taste buds and the spirit.

harm. Cheer. Calories. A holiday trip to historic Charleston, the pedestrian-friendly city nestled be-

tween two rivers on South Carolina’s coast, promises this trifecta, especially if you’ve picked a sure winner already by booking a room at the Charleston Place Hotel.

This is one seductive city, one where the past is everywhere present. In 1790 Charleston was the infant na-tion’s fourth largest city—it’s the one that defied time and stayed fairly small. Today horse-drawn carriages still loll along past pristine, pastel-painted antebellum mansions trimmed with lacy ironwork. That Charleston’s architec-ture—Colonial, Federal, Georgian, Italianate, Victorian—has survived the depredations of wars, hurricanes, fire and the earthquake of 1886 is a testament to the tough-as-nails heart within this proper belle of a town that oozes South-ern hospitality.

Do pull yourself away from the Charleston Place to

see the rest of the city—though we’re not saying that’s easy. The eight-story landmark hotel smack in the city’s historic district looks like a modern French chateau. It has 440 spacious, beautifully appointed rooms (we’re talking lots of blues and yellows with Chippendale-style furnishings) and those facing south offer panoramic views of the City Market. All rooms receive twice-daily housekeeping service. And service here is something the hotel has won awards for, so expect to feel like a lord or lady of the manor. Indulge in a treatment in the amazing full-service spa, swim in the indoor horizon-edge pool or sip a mint julep or a Southern mule, pos-sibly alongside Jerry Seinfeld or Natalie Portman.

Charleston is made for walking, and winter is not blustery here—daytime temperatures usually hover in the 60-degree range, so you can enjoy all the sights in comfort. Start your Sunday constitutional at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, where bronze bells ring at 9:40 sharp. Then meander through the residential streets—and into a daydream of what life was like before the War Between the States began right here in the harbor almost 152 years ago. There’s plenty to make you feel cozy. You can see one of the country’s best light shows—some 500,000 sparklers—along a three-mile tour in James Island Country Park (a train ride around the lake is offered too) or stand beneath a 60-foot-tall tree in Marion Square, where lampposts are festooned in ribbons and wreaths.

As befits a city that prides itself on gracious living, Charleston has an intense relationship with food. Gour-mands abound, and you’ll overhear their broad, aristo-cratic vowels as they debate everything from the proper consistency of creamy grits to where to get the best fried chicken. Know that you will be engaging in acts of glut-tony, feasting on the likes of chicken stew, pork hash, hush puppies, banana pudding and pecan pie.

In a city of star chefs, Michelle Weaver of Charles-ton Place’s Charleston Grill serves up highbrow takes on Lowcountry fare. She mixes classics and nouvelle cooking, unifying them with intense flavors and pro-ducing such standouts as seared flounder and shrimp with butter grits, sherry-country ham gravy and tomato-basil salad. Or you can give yourself over to the chef and sommelier and enjoy the six-course tasting menu, where you’ll savor every last morsel. Save room for the Grits Soufflé Pudding or the White Russian, a white chocolate panna cotta. Then settle in for a nightcap while you listen to live jazz, performed every night of the week.

By the end of your trip you’ll be well sated in mind and body and only too happy to comply with the refrain “Y’all come back now.” Hear, hear!

Opposite, pulling up to the main entrance of the Charleston Place, the grand dame of

the city; balmy temperatures make it possible to dine alfresco. This page, clockwise

from left, a suite’s cityscape view; spacious rooms epitomize gracious living; the beat

goes on with live jazz nightly at the Charleston Grill, where Lowcountry fare reaches

new heights; travel by horse-drawn carriage past historic homes; the hotel’s award-

winning spa features an indoor pool; lobster is just one choice in this food lovers’ paradise.

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