Texas jewelry lovers have fallen in love with the Southern California charm of Gorjana, the beloved Laguna Beach-based jewelry brand, which is steadily growing its Lone Star State presence.
Now, the jewelry favorite will open the doors to a new Houston location in Heights Mercantile (714 Yale St.) on August 30, offering Houstonians an array of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and more crafted with signature laid-back style and elegance.
Gorjana has been making waves with its rapid expansion, and this new store — the second in Houston — is proof of the brand's soaring popularity. Following successful Texas openings in Fort Worth and Southlake earlier this year, this new location will be Gorjana's eighth brick-and-mortar store in the state, with yet another Houston storefront planned to open in Rice Village in early 2024.
"The warmth and hospitality we've received from shoppers across Texas since opening our first store in 2021 has been overwhelming," Gorjana Reidel, the brand's co-founder, noted in a statement. "The Heights neighborhood, with its charming Victorian homes and picturesque streets, is the perfect place to continue our statewide expansion and bring the essence of SoCal to our second Houston location."
Gorjana's 1,539-square- foot store at Heights Mercantile is meant to transport shoppers to the sun-soaked shores of Southern California. Designed by co-founders Reidel and Jason Griffin Reidel, the space features light wood finishes, a crystal quartz chandelier, and a hand-dipped Lauren Williams Tapestry that pays homage to the iconic Laguna Beach coastline.
Gorjana's Heights Mercantile is a whole vibe.Rendering courtesy of Gorjana
Pushing a customized experience, Gorjana's in-store stylists assist shoppers in curating layered looks that reflect their unique personal style. Each location also offers complimentary engraving for online orders, adding a personal touch to every purchase.
Keeping with the brand's ethos, Gorjana has been deeply committed to philanthropy and community-building since its founding in 2004. The brand has collaborated with nonprofit organizations supporting various national causes, focusing on women and children.
In the spirit of giving back locally, Gorjana will launch a one-day event with the Kids In Need Foundation on August 25. Supporting this organization dedicated to helping under-resourced schools, Gorjana will donate 10 percent of all online and in-store sales to provide backpacks to needy children, making a difference in their lives and education.
A major tenet of journalism is to not bury the lede, meaning, don’t bury the most important info and just get straight to it. So, at risk of doing just that, here’s the top-line info:
Charming singer/actor/pitchman Michael Bublé will host a fan meet-and-greet and tasting event for his Fraser & Thompson Whiskey from 4 pm to 5 pm Thursday, December 7 at Spec’s - Fountain View (2020 Fountain View Dr.).
That means fans should plan for a long line, arrive early, and be ready to sip the Canadian showman’s celebrity spirit at what’s dubbed the Fraser & Thompson “Easy, Now” pop-up lounge within the store. Always one to spread the love to his fans, Bublé is expected to pass out sips only — officially, he’s not slated to sign bottles or pose for photos.
But, knowing his love for fans, there’s no telling if he’ll grab a phone for a selfie — or suddenly start “correcting” certain sparkling water bottles with a Sharpie (as displayed in this ad):
Smooth, subtle, and Bublé-backed — all for a mere 30 bucks!
We mention his love of fans specifically because Bublé’s whiskey retails for a mere $29.99. Hardcore whiskey purists might raise a judge-y eyebrow at the price, which to some, could suggest a rough bottom note. However, the blend, according to press materials, is crafted with “hand-selected aged liquid” to create an “inviting whiskey,” with “sweet fig and blood orange on the nose, and a subtle finish of caramel, vanilla, and a hint of spice.”
Wait…“hand-selected aged liquid?” Ummm...
Ah, further review finds it’s made with“ Canadian Whiskies with Kentucky Bourbon in Bardstown, Kentucky.” And all that crafting comes courtesy of Master Distiller and blender Paul Cirka, who co-founded the brand with Bublé. Whew.
Additionally, Fraser & Thompson also promises “less burn, more Bublé.” Hey, a distilled spirit from a silky-smooth songman has just gotta be smooth, yes?
The greatest press release in the history of Canadian celebrity-backed whiskies for $29.99
Okay, that’s the top-line info; now, let’s talk about this Fraser & Thompson press release. The official press announcement of the brand is very on-brand for the self-effacing superstar. Consider this passage from the release:
This whiskey is a triumph, an achievement, the product of years of hard work and collaborative efforts involving dozens of beverage alcohol professionals, yet we haven’t received much more than a winking emoji from Mr. Bublé when asked how we should advertise it. It strikes us as supremely ironic that a guy with such an extensive catalog of music has mastered radio silence.
We toyed with the idea of constructing an attractive, well-dressed scarecrow stuffed with hay next to a tape recorder playing “Haven’t Met You Yet,” but the coincidental sentiment felt too on-the-nose for our marketing team, whose calls keep getting bounced between assistants.
An attractive scarecrow? CultureMap receives thousands of press releases a week. In this editor’s 20-plus years of experience, this might be the best release...ever.
And it gets better. Bublé, who has his hands full being a superstar, father, husband, bottle editor, and frequent napper, was apparently hard to pin down for marketing. “At some point, from somewhere, he released this very nice statement that we’d like to share with you now,” the release continues:
“I spent many summers with my grandfather at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson rivers in British Columbia," said Fraser & Thompson founder Michael Bublé. “When I heard Paul’s vision for creating a new kind of whiskey, I knew instantly what I wanted to call it. For the last three years, we worked together to perfect a whiskey blend that is equally elegant and approachable. We can't wait to pour you a glass!”
Meet a “sentient tuxedo of a man”
Well, hey, that sounds earnest enough. But the press team isn’t buying it. The press release responds:
“Isn’t that great? As if Michael is just the salt of the earth, sitting on a porch somewhere talking to the neighbors, and pouring you a glass of his smooth, delicious whiskey? This overbooked, overextended, sentient tuxedo of a man is thousands of miles away telling us, “Easy, now,” like he’s gone fishin’ instead of playing sold out shows in a new city every night.
(Please excuse us as we steal “sentient tuxedo of a man” for our Instagram bio/description.)
Later, as the release describes the Fraser & Thompson brand launch — all while trying to contact its star founder for comment:
Well, there you have it. I guess we just launched Fraser & Thompson. Tell the concierge at Michael’s hotel to pass along a thumbs up from us so we don’t interrupt his beauty sleep. We wouldn’t want to harsh Mr. Bublé’s mellow.
Sheesh, seems like Michael and the PR team might need to hash things out over a glass of a certain Canadian celebrity-backed blended whiskey, one retailing for a mere $29.99.
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Michael Bublé will host the “Easy, Now” Fraser & Thompson pop-up lounge/tasting experience from 4 pm to 5 pm Thursday, December 7 at Spec’s - Fountain View (2020 Fountain View Dr.). Event is free; participants must be 21 years or older.
Photo courtesy of Fraser & Thompson
Superstar and “sentient tuxedo of a man” Bublé will pass out whiskey here in Houston.
What do you get the person who has everything? Hint: It's not another "thing."
This holiday season, consider gifting experiences instead of items — and you won't even have to wrap them.
According to Take Care of Texas, a statewide campaign to conserve and protect our one and only Lone Star State, about 8,000 tons of wrapping paper is used each year. Most wrapping paper contains glitter or metallic materials —which means it can’t be recycled — and ribbons, bows, and gift tags also aren’t recyclable.
To help you get into this new holiday groove of gifting time together instead of stuff, TCOT has a pretty amazing experience to give away.
Sign the Take Care of Texas pledge this winter and you'll be entered to win two tickets to Blake Shelton's Back to the Honky Tonk Tour, presented by Kubota.
Shelton's only stop in Texas is at the world-class Moody Center on March 1, 2024, where he'll be backed by opening acts Dustin Lynch and Emily Ann Roberts. This is your chance to hear Shelton sing "Austin" in Austin!
The prize package also includes a one-night stay at the luxurious Thompson Hotel Austin, so you can return from the Friday night concert and sleep in style.
To enter, simply click here and take the pledge to help keep our air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste.
The contest is open through December 31, and you only need one entry per person. The winner will be drawn on January 2, 2024.
A new option for Texas comfort food has arrived in Spring Branch. Wild Oats has started a quiet soft opening ahead of its official opening day of Friday, December 8.
Previously located at the Houston Farmers Market, Wild Oats is Underbelly Hospitality’s restaurant that pays homage to Texas’ various culinary traditions. After closing its original location in September, Wild Oats has relocated to a new development at 1222 Witte Road next to its sister concept, Underbelly Burger, and The Decoy, a new bar from the owners of Wakefield Crowbar with volleyball courts and a high-energy atmosphere.
Underbelly Hospitality culinary director Scott Muns tels CultureMap that the move gave the company an opportunity to make some changes to Wild Oats’ menu, which was developed by his predecessor, chef Nick Fine. He wanted to respect the restaurant's original vision while expanding to include traditional favorites that hadn't appeared on the menu before.
“There’s room for new items and new ideas,” Muns says. “It’s a new team with a new chef. I wanted them to be able to have a voice in the menu also.”
Those new items start with a wild boar shank that’s braised in salsa verde and served with grits that are treated like masa. For Muns, having a wild game dish on the menu feels appropriate for a restaurant devoted to Texas foodways. “If people think of it as pork, they’re going to be surprised by how much more depth of flavor you can get,” he says.
Muns and chef de cuisine Omar Munoz collaborated on a new seafood boil. Currently, it comes with shrimp, blue crab, and snapper, but the flexible format allows the kitchen to utilize whatever comes in from the restaurant’s seafood purveyors. Instead of a large steak, the menu now offers a smoked short rib as its beef option, which more explicitly pays homage to Texas barbecue.
Puffy tacos, a request from Underbelly Hospitality president Nina Quincy, allow the restaurant to put its spin on a dish that’s identified with San Antonio. In this preparation, the grits gets turned into the masa that becomes the tortillas, which are fried until they’re puffy. Diners can choose from beef suadero, smoked chicken, or pastor mushrooms as a filling.
“It takes technique to get a good puff,” Muns says. “Yesterday was the first day we had it on the menu. From one day’s data, it seem to be something people are going to gravitate towards.”
Menu staples have also been reworked. The chicken fried steak now comes with one patty as a default with the option to “Texas size” it by adding a second patty. When Wild Oats opened, the dish, which is made with wagyu beef from Texas-based R-C Ranch, cost more than $40. Now it starts at $18.
“We’ve tried to be mindful of pricing and making sure things don’t get too high,” Muns says. “The idea of a 40-something dollar chicken fried steak can seem ridiculous, even if you’re using wagyu and expensive products. I don’t want to go out and spend that much money on a chicken fried steak.”
The opening of Wild Oats completes a busy 2023 for Underbelly Hospitality. In addition to opening a second location of Underbelly Burger, the company recently welcomed Comalito, a taqueria developed in partnership with acclaimed Mexican chef Luis Robledo Richards, to Wild Oats’ original location at the Houston Farmers Market. Earlier this year, the company opened Pastore, an Italian seafood restaurant, next to its Georgia James steakhouse in the Regent Square mixed-use development.
“We’re thrilled to plant roots for Wild Oats on Witte Road,” Underbelly Hospitality partner Jeff Lindenberger said in a statement. “Community has always been our core vision for the reintroduction of Wild Oats, and we have drawn inspiration from our neighbors to build a space that reflects the warmth and diversity of Texas. This is a concept and menu we all really love and are eager to share it with our newfound neighbors and loyal patrons.”
Photo by Becca Wright
Wild Oats officially opens this Friday, December 8.
Gorjana's Heights Mercantile is a whole vibe.Rendering courtesy of Gorjana
