another medal for simone

Houston superstar Simone Biles receives nation's highest civilian honor

Simone Biles received the nation's highest civilian honor on July 7.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

UPDATE: Biles received the highest civilian honor in the nation on Thursday, July 7 at a ceremony hosted by President Joe Biden.

Biles was praised for her crusades for women and for mental health: “With absolute courage and honesty, she expands the legacy of our greatest champions who challenge the powerful and speak up for justice and the wellness of body and mind,” her introduction noted. (Note: This headline has been updated to reflect the news.)

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Medals are nothing new to Houston’s Greatest of All Time Simone Biles, given that the most decorated American gymnast in history boasts 32 of the Olympic and world varieties. But this new one might be especially sweet for our G.O.A.T.

Biles will be one of 17 Americans to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. The awards, which are considered the highest civilian honor in the nation, will be presented at the White House on July 7, according to a White House press release.

Joining Biles on the prestigious list is fellow Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe. Other distinguished recipients include Denzel Washington, Steve Jobs, and Senator John McCain.

The award is given to “individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” notes the release. Biden, in the statement adds that the 17 recipients also “demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith.”

Notably, NBC Sports notes that Biles, who is 25, shatters Tiger Woods’ record as the youngest athlete to receive the honor. He was 43 when he received the award in 2019.

A fierce advocate for mental health and sexual abuse victims, Biles scored a bronze medal despite her globally watched challenges in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games and is engaged to Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens.

She also launched a clothing line with athleisure brand Athleta and was named Time Magazine’s 2021 Athlete of the Year and also to Time’s Most Influential People list. She also recently landed on the cover of Wheaties boxes everywhere.

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sushi in the park

2 star chefs roll out sushi spot with fresh-from-Tokyo goods along with intimate new bar in buzzy Buffalo Bayou hub

Doko Bar Doko Daniel Lee, Patrick Pham, Andrew Lin

Photo by Alex Montoya

Daniel Lee, Patrick Pham, and Andrew Lin.

Two of Houston’s most prolific sushi chefs have signed on to an eagerly anticipated mixed-use development. Chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee, the owners of 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant winner Aiko, will open Doko, a new sushi restaurant, and Bar Doko, an intimate cocktail bar, in the Autry Park mixed-use development.

Expected to open this fall on the ground floor of the Hanover Parkview mid-rise, Doko will serve a menu of sushi that utilizes fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. The 1,900-square-foot restaurant is expected to seat 50 in its main dining room and 12 at its bar.

Tiny Bar Doko will occupy just 600-square-feet in a space that’s adjacent to Doko. The group’s first bar, it will serve Japanese-inspired cocktails. Houston architecture firm JT ARC Studio and Los Angeles’ JAW Collective will create the designs for both establishments

Taken together, Doko and Bar Doko are the latest projects from Duckstache Hospitality, the company that chefs Pham and Lee established with business partners Andrew Lin and C.J. Short. In addition to the aforementioned Aiko, they also operate Kokoro in downtown’s Bravery Chef Hall, Himari at the Stomping Grounds in Garden Oaks, and two outposts of hand roll concept Handies Douzo.

“Autry Park is an amazing opportunity to continue to showcase our culinary creativity in a unique setting,” Lin said in a statement. “We look to evolve our offering in Japanese cuisine to provide our guests with memorable dining experiences.”

Doko and Bar Doko will join a number of new restaurants at Autry Park. They include two new concepts from Berg Hospitality, Annabelle Brasserie and Turner’s Cut; two restaurants from MF Sushi chef-owner Chris Kinjo, MF Lobster and Ceviche and Annam, a Vietnamese restaurant; Auden, a vegetable-forward, globally inspired restaurant; a second location of pilates studio and coffee shop Duo; and the first Houston location of Austin favorite Lick Honest Ice Creams.

Developed by local real estate firms Lionstone Investments and Hanover Company, Autry Park occupies 14 acres on the western edge of Buffalo Bayou Park. The project's three-phase masterplan includes five towers encompassing 1,450 residential units, 350,000 square feet of Class A office space, and 100,000 square feet of retail, according to press materials.

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