Now that's a beer belly

Stealth drinking: The best gadgets to help you hide your habit

No, that's not our social media editor Fayza Elmostehi. But it IS a bra that canhide a full bottle of wine!
The flask concealed inside these Reef sandals could come in handy, if you don'tmind the sand and toe jam.
This stadium cushion will guard your butt and your buzz.

Some people say one of the signs of alcoholism is the compulsion to hide your drinking from others.

I say they’ve never known the total boredom of a dry wedding (nothing a bottle of wine in your over-sized purse can’t fix), the benefit of adding Jim Beam to your soft drink at a college football game (stick a flask in your boot and suddenly the score doesn’t matter so much), or the warmth a sip of Franzia can provide at the top of a ski slope (carry a Franzia pouch in your hip sack and you're sure to stay nice and "toasty").

I'm sure there have been times when you, too, have justifiably hidden your booze ... or wished you had. The common flask has always been the go-to device for stealth sippage, but we found some innovative alternatives for squirreling away your spirit of choice.

The Beer Belly
So what if you show up to your next event with a spare tire around your waist? Holidays present a perfect excuse for the extra pounds (even if it's President's Day) — I'm milking that excuse for all it's worth.

The Beer Belly holds up to 80 ounces; that’s more than a six-pack of beer. Drink the whole thing and that gut will go from faux to bonafide.

Sneaky Shorts
Two separate 10-ounce bladders, customized to maintain their flat shape even while full, hang from a belt in front of your thighs. Just keep your fingers crossed you don’t spring a leak and end up looking like you should be wearing Depends. A hose running the length of your leg empties at your ankle via a clamp valve. Lift your leg and pour.

Cell Phone Flask
Stressed at work? “Sorry, I have to take this call,” takes on a whole new meaning with the cell phone flask. Fill it with three ounces of nerve-calming liquid, screw off the antenna and sip away.

Wine Rack Flask Bra
Fill with your beverage of choice and go from a size “A” to a size “DD.” Stay busty even after you get your drink on by simply blowing into the device. It's cheaper than plastic surgery, and as a bonus, you will float effortlessly in the pool.

Reef Sandals
Walk this way! Each heel holds three ounces. Fill one with liquor, the other with a mixer and you're all set. That's if you can get past the toe jam and sweaty feet.

Undetectable Stadium Seat Cushion Flask
The internal flask holds up to 36 ounces, equal to three cans of beer or a bottle of wine. With the exception of the multiple bathroom breaks this device is sure to instigate, there is no need to ever leave your seat.

Starbucks Trenta
Starbucks' new Trenta size does more than feed your iced-coffee addiction, it can also hold a full bottle of wine. Drinking at your desk just got a lot less dicey.

unspecified

say hey to Hypsi

Houston chef's hip new Italian restaurant now open in Heights hotel

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

A new Italian restaurant is now open in the Heights. Located within the newly opened Hotel Daphne, Hypsi marks chef Terrence Gallivan’s return to professional cooking in Houston.

Known for his time as the co-execuive chef of The Pass and Provisions and owner of ElRo Pizza and Crudo, Gallivan brings strong culinary credentials to Hypsi. Although he isn’t known explicitly for Italian fare, he has significant experience making pizza, pasts, and other Italian-inspired dishes. After closing ElRo last year, the chef says that working for Bunkhouse Hotels, the Austin-based company that operates the Daphne, had a lot of appeal.

“My wife and I always made it a point to stop at their places whenever we’re in Austin. They know how to make cool stuff,” Gallivan says.

Hypsi’s menu includes updated takes on Italian fare begins with starters such as lamb meatballs, black truffle arancini, and Caesar salad. A selection of house-made pastas include squid ink radiatori with rock shrimp, butternut squash tortellini, and lumache with vodka sauce that gets a little heat from nduja. Entree choices include a roast chicken, pork Milanese, and roasted snapper with salsa verde.

The restaurant is also open for breakfast during the week and brunch on the weekends with items such as a panatone waffle, frittata, and breakfast sandwich. Lunch will follow in January.

“We took inspiration from tradition without being traditional,” Gallivan says. Later, he adds, “For me, it’s about balance. You try to please everybody. I want my mom to enjoy herself as much as a 25-year-old foodie. It’s important to hit as many marks as you can.”

One of the restaurant’s signatures will be the mozzarella cart that rolls through its dining room. Gallivan says he’s sourcing a mix of both American and imported Italian cheeses that will rotate every week or two. The cheese is served with a range of pickled fruit and vegetables, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, focaccia, and more. Of course, seeing a cart immediately grabs diners’ attention, making them want whatever is on offer.

“That’s the beauty of carts,” Gallivan says. “It’s a fun thing to do. I think sometimes we get a little too serious in restaurants. It’s supposed to be fun. People are here to enjoy themselves.”

All that eating and drinking takes place in a dining room that’s inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies, according to press materials. Details include blueberry lava stone on the bar, vintage velvet chairs, and custom Carimate dining chairs by Vico Magistretti. An outdoor patio features brick pavers, mosaic tables, and sculptures.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

news-you-can-eat openings the-heights hotels