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    a little love from the barkeep

    13 Houston bartenders boldly bare it all for charity calendar

    Eric Sandler
    Nov 25, 2019 | 2:30 pm
    Slinging Love bartender calendar
    Find the calendar at bars across Montrose, downtown, and The Heights.
    Photo by Alex Crawford

    A group of Houston bartenders are stripping down for a good cause. The newly released Slinging Love calendar features 13 drink makers in cheeky nude poses.

    Organized by Catbirds owner Shelly Wilburn, the calendar aims to raise $15,000 for the Houston Area Women’s Center. It’s on sale now for $15 at a number of the local watering holes where the participants work, including Rudyard’s, Penny Quarter, Poison Girl, Houston Watch Co., The New Potato, and Catbirds.

    “For 20 years, the running joke has been we’re going to make a calendar of all these Montrose bartenders. [Supporting HAWC] was the motivation to get it done,” Wilburn tells CultureMap.

    Inspired by pinup girls from the ’30s and ’40s, Wilburn put together an idea board. Alex Crawford, a photographer who works at Ralph Smith Studios, took all the pictures. Former Catbirds bartender Zach Doyle helped Wilburn recruit participants. The bartenders, who work at places such as OKRA, The New Potato, Present Company, and more, contributed some suggestions of their own.

    “For example, Mike McMullin from OKRA, wanted to be Mr. January and pineapples are good luck,” Wilburn says. “I went and bought pineapples. I’m, like, I don’t know what to do with these. It kind of went from there.”

    Generally, the photos are more amusing than titillating. In addition to pineapples, strategically placed picnic baskets, Christmas presents, and a watering can keep the pictures strictly PG.

    “I like how it’s very much, we’re going to support the women in our lives with the men in our lives,” Wilburn says. “It’s not sexual. It’s mostly comical.”

    As for next year, she’s already heard from bartenders who were disappointed that no one invited them to participate. She’s also contemplating a version with female bartenders dressed up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. Assuming the calendars sell out, it will have been a good experience.

    “We had 13 guys get naked for us, and it was fantastic,” Wilburn says.

    Here are the men of the Slinging Love calendar:

    • January - Mike McMullin, OKRA
    • February - Danny Furness, Houston Watch Co
    • March - Paul Redmond, The New Potato
    • April - Charlie Fernandez, Sassafras/Big Star Bar
    • May - Scott Michael H., Dan Electro’s
    • June - Roberto, The West End
    • July - Jonas Thompson, Poison Girl
    • August - Zach Boyle, Dino’s
    • September - Micah Youngblood, Catbirds
    • October - Ryan Sawyer, Rudyard's
    • November - Tommy Ho, Anvil/Penny Quarter
    • December - Noah Edger, Griff’s/Boondocks
    • 2020 - Chris Burns, Present Company
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    coming to fredericksburg

    Star Houston chef signs on to luxurious Hill Country hotel

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 22, 2026 | 3:00 pm
    Aaron Bludorn headshot
    Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group
    Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

    Houston chef Aaron Bludorn is coming to the Hill Country. The chef’s Bludorn Hospitality Group will open a restaurant and lead the culinary program at The Kimpton Fredericksburg, a luxury hotel that’s expected to open in late 2027.

    The still-unnamed restaurant will be a fresh concept from the company that’s behind five Houston restaurants — its flagship fine dining concept Bludorn, seafood restaurant Navy Blue, French-inspired Perseid at the Hotel Saint Augustine, and two locations of Bar Bludorn, including its recently-opened location in The Woodlands. Later this year, Bludorn, his wife Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner Cherif Mbodji, will open a new restaurant in San Antonio.

    “We really loved the idea of being out in Fredericksburg. With us opening in San Antonio, we’ll already have a team out there,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “We’re a growing Texas hospitality group. We see it as a great opportunity to grow our brand with Texans in really cool spaces.”

    Bludorn adds that the restaurant will be a new concept from the company. Details, including its name and menu, will be released closer to the opening.

    “We were drawn to Aaron’s ability to create a dining experience that feels both approachable and elevated, where exceptional food and thoughtful service come together in a way that makes every guest feel welcome,” said Blake Berg, senior vice president of development & construction for hotel owner DC Partners. “We recognize that experiential dining is an important part of what makes a destination successful, particularly in a market as distinctive as Fredericksburg. Our vision is to build on the area’s existing culinary character while introducing a new level of creativity, quality and hospitality. Aaron understands that balance. His philosophy aligns with our intentional approach to The Meuse, where every element is designed to complement the community, create a lasting impression and give people a reason to return.”

    First announced in 2025, the Kimpton Fredericksburg is a 210-room luxury hotel. In addition to the Bludorn restaurant, it will offer a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool and deck, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and more than 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

    The hotel will anchor The Meuse, a 22-acre mixed-use development with more than 70,000 square feet of retail space. Previously announced tenants include Houston-based Padre’s Wine Company, Texas bootmaker Lucchese, westernwear label Double D Ranch, gourmet food company Fischer & Wieser, and Jackson Ballard Gallery.

    Aaron Bludorn headshot

    Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

    Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

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