Gugliani’s MAM Night to Benefit Memorial Assistance Ministries Tuesday, January 31

January 10th, 2012

Houston, TX — Jan. 10, 2012. . . .

Gugliani's Memorial Chef Joaquin Alcocer will serve up lamb chops and other delicious fare for MAM Night

Gugliani's Memorial Chef Joaquin Alcocer will serve up lamb chops and other delicious fare for MAM Night

Simply stating “I’m dining here for MAM” at the new Gugliani’s Memorial restaurant on Tuesday, January 31, will mean newfound financial support for Memorial Assistance Ministries. From 5 p.m. till closing that evening, the Memorial-area modern Italian restaurant and bar will donate 15 percent of guests’ dinner bills (beverages included) to the nonprofit emergency and financial assistance agency.“As good neighbors, we want to do what we can to support MAM’s mission to help families and individuals who find themselves in temporary crisis,” said Gregg Gugenheim, Gugliani’s Head of Operations. MAM provides emergency and financial assistance and other services designed to put clients back on their feet, largely the working poor faced with immediate and critical personal and family situations. For info on MAM, please go to www.helpherehelpnow.org.

MAM supporters will enjoy Gugliani’s full menu, comprised of fresh American Cuisine as well as traditional Italian Gugliani’s pasta and pizza fare and beverages from a fully stocked wine and cocktail bar. The contemporary neighborhood gathering place, designed by hospitality and retail award-winning architect Carlo M. Di Nunzio, AIA, is located at 12389 Kingsride near Gessner. It is steps from the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital complex, Memorial City Mall and neighboring office buildings and adjacent to the Memorial Villages.

Gugliani’s Memorial offers seafood, lamb and pork dishes, as well as specialty pizzas and seasonal hand-crafted raviolis that spotlight Chef Joaquin’s skills in developing flavorful, well-prepared and presented menu items at a neighborhood-friendly value,” said Memorial born-and-bred Gregg Gugenheim, who oversees operations. “Of course, we maintain Gugliani’s core Italian favorites that have been our staples for 16 years.”

Up-and-coming Chef Joaquin, a shining star graduate of the Art Institute of Houston Culinary School, according to AIH Chef Instructor Michael Holderfield, prepares a daily selection of the freshest fish available, along with freshly grilled lamb chops, pork tenderloin and angus steaks. He has created such American cuisine menu offerings as Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Topped with a Grilled Vegetable Medley; Warm Salmon Salad grilled to order; Lamb Chops with Sherry Wine Reduction Sauce, Kale Ragout and Roasted Purple Potatoes, Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Mustard Sauce, Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes and Asparagus Tips; Sizzling Whole Baby Red Snapper Veracruz; and Zabaglioni with Prosecco served over Berries.

The new location, in a freshly renovated retail center, drew Gugenheim to bring the restaurant and fully stocked bar to his own backyard. He went into the Memorial-area space with the idea to evolve Gugliani’s décor and menu into a neighborhood spot that embraces the culinary and entertainment diversity and growth of west Houston.

“We want to be the go-to restaurant and happy hour spot for people who work and live in this neighborhood,” said Gugenheim, a graduate of Memorial High School and the University of Texas with a degree in finance. The second-generation Houston restaurateur noted that this Gugliani’s grew from conversations with friends and business associates looking for a quality, local restaurant for dine-in, take-out and delivery among the increasing number of national restaurant chain offerings in west Houston. It has free wi-fi as well.

Gugliani’s is open daily for lunch and dinner; Saturday and Sunday brunch; and available for dine-in, take-out and delivery. For information, call 713.464.1444.

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Release at will
Contact: Susan Farb Morris
susan@farbulous.com
(713) 661-7377; (713) 805-2608

JOBS! Gugliani’s Memorial Restaurant Now Taking Applications

December 6th, 2011

Houston, TX — December 5, 2011 – Gugliani’s new Memorial location is now taking applications for positions to work with Executive Chef Joaquin Alcocer at the soon-to-open modern Italian restaurant and bar. The restaurant, which will introduce a fresh American Cuisine perspective to its traditional Italian Gugliani’s pasta and pizza fare, promises to be a dynamic neighborhood gathering place. Located at 12389 Kingsride Road near Gessner, Gugliani’s Memorial will be open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch starting later this month.

Applications for the following Gugliani’s Memorial job openings will be taken on-site Monday through Saturday,

2-6 p.m.:

Host/Hostess
Servers
Cooks and Prep
Bartenders
Bussers and Dishwashers

“Our Memorial location will have a contemporary design and offer seafood, lamb and pork dishes, as well as specialty pizzas and seasonal hand-crafted raviolis that spotlight Chef Joaquin’s skills in developing flavorful, well-prepared and presented menu items at a neighborhood-friendly value,” said Memorial born-and-bred Gregg Gugenheim, who will oversee operations. “Of course, we’ll maintain Gugliani’s core Italian favorites that have been our staples for 16 years.”

Up-and-coming Chef Joaquin, a shining star graduate of the Art Institute of Houston Culinary School, according to AIH Chef Instructor Michael Holderfield, will prepare a daily selection of the freshest fish available, along with freshly grilled lamb chops, pork tenderloin and angus steaks. He has created such American cuisine menu offerings as Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Topped with a Grilled Vegetable Medley; Warm Salmon Salad grilled to order; Lamb Chops with Sherry Wine Reduction Sauce, Kale Ragout and Roasted Purple Potatoes, Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Mustard Sauce, Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes and Asparagus Tips; Sizzling Whole Baby Red Snapper Veracruz; and Zabaglioni with Prosecco served over Berries.

The new location, in a freshly renovated retail center, drew Gugenheim to bring the restaurant and fully stocked bar to his own backyard. He went into the Memorial-area space with the idea to evolve Gugliani’s décor and menu into a neighborhood spot that embraces the culinary and entertainment diversity and growth of west Houston. It will offer free wi-fi as well.

Steps from the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital complex, Memorial City Mall and neighboring office buildings and adjacent to the Memorial Villages, the new Gugliani’s will offer crowd-pleasing regular- and thin-crust pizzas and a host of tantalizing Chef’s signature items,, topped off by an array of Blackboard Daily Specials. Happy hour specials at the bar will feature specially priced drinks and light bites.

Hospitality and retail award-winning architect Carlo M. Di Nunzio, AIA Principal of Di Nunzio, Lifestyle Architecture, is using refined and natural materials for the restaurant’s wrap-around bar, curved drop-down ceiling and contemporary artful decor. The restaurant will have a raised barrel vault ceiling, vibrant Italian-styled light fixtures, a wine display at the entrance, and framed mirrors layered throughout the restaurant.

Gugliani’s will be open daily for lunch and dinner; Saturday and Sunday brunch; and available for dine-in, take-out and delivery. For information, contact ggugenheim@yahoo.com. # # #

PR Fairy in Action: “Gifts That Give Back” on KHOU/CBS “Great Day Houston”

November 29th, 2011

The PR Fairy was working overtime on this one.

I pitched CBS KHOU-TV’s “Great Day Houston” on a story about “Gifts That Give Back,” highlighting, of course, my client’s children’s book, “Wanda and the Oblahlahs.” Proceeds of all the sales of the Houston-based children’s book benefit Children At Risk in their efforts to combat child trafficking in our society.

The producer loved the idea for the show, but said she needed other items to show on Deborah Duncan’s Houston-based talk show. That’s when the PR Fairy went into overdrive.

I turned to Facebook and posted my need to find other gifts with a social conscience. I received a myriad of responses, including from the publisher of Bright Sky Press, who said they had several more books in addition to “Wanda and the Oblahlahs” that benefited nonprofit organizations. Sun & Ski Sports, a Houston-based company that I worked with this summer on a TOMS Shoes Back-to-School promotion, noted that they were selling Blue Cure Foundation T-shirts benefiting a prostate cancer education organization founded by Gabe Canales.

My next move was to contact the M.D. Anderson Children’s Art Project to see if they could provide an array of gift items that benefit pediatric cancer patients and projects at the famed Cancer Center. I also asked Sun & Ski if they could provide TOMS Shoes, TOMS sunglasses and a Sun & Ski spokesperson to talk about TOMS One-for-One initiative on the air.

It took dozens of phone calls, emails and follow-up phone calls and emails to the “Great Day Houston” producer and the various representatives of the participating entities: Bright Sky Press, Children At Risk, Sun & Ski Sports, Blue Cure Foundation and M.D. Anderson Children’s Art Project "Gifts That Give Back on CBS KHOU-TV's "Great Day Houston"to make it happen. In the end, each spokesperson was so well-versed in his or her socially-conscious products; it made for great TV. “Wanda and the Oblahlahs” got its due mentions, plus the appearance of the life-size cut-out of Wanda on camera — as did the other groups represented.

It was a win-win for all. I hope that you’ll watch the segment to see how seamlessly it all came together.

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Holiday Gift Ideas from Houston Chronicle Gift Guide

November 28th, 2011

The Houston Chronicle published its annual Holiday Gift Guide on Thanksgiving Day and included “Wanda and the Oblahlahs” (www.wandabooks.com) on the children’s page.
Joe Sutton’s cautionary tale is a wonderful storybook to share with your children and it makes for a very meaningful gift in that all proceeds from its sales benefit Children At Risk to support programs to help bring a halt to child trafficking.

# # #"Wanda and the Oblahlahs" highlighted in Houston Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide

“Stuff the Sleigh of Katy” Holiday Toy Drive to Benefit Local Children with Cancer and Their Families

November 17th, 2011

Contact: Susan Farb Morris (713) 661-7377;
(713) 805-2608 (cell) susan@farbulous.com

Lucy Schuler was a recipient of the Stuff the Sleigh of Katy toy drive in 2011.

Lucy Schuler was a recipient of the Stuff the Sleigh of Katy toy drive in 2011.

“Those interested in supporting ‘Stuff the Sleigh’ can stop by the Firethorne Community Center to select a ‘sleigh’ gift card that has one wish list item on it from a young cancer patient or their brother or sister,” explained Garrett Ashmore, “Stuff the Sleigh” Co-Founder/Coordinator. “Donors — whether individuals or companies — may purchase one or more of these gifts to fulfill that child’s holiday wish,” he said.

Ashmore and his wife, Kelli, Firethorne residents, launched “Stuff the Sleigh of Katy” in 2010 to support young cancer patients and their families by helping ease their financial and emotional burdens during the holidays. “As the parents of two healthy children, we wanted to do something to help those who may be hospital-bound this holiday season and provide them with as joy-filled, meaningful and worry-free a Christmas holiday as possible,” Garrett Ashmore said.

Katy mother Meagan Henderson, whose 8-year-old Zach has been undergoing treatment for leukemia since age 3, expressed her heart-felt appreciation to “Stuff the Sleigh”: “I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that helped me and my family last Christmas. If it wasn’t for your organization, I don’t know what kind of Christmas my kids would have had. With 5 kids, and only one of them being sick and diagnosed with cancer, it puts a strain on the entire family. Last year my son, who has leukemia, was in the hospital for Christmas undergoing more treatment, and when I brought him all of the wonderful gifts that were donated he was so happy. He cried and said to me “Mommy, this is the best Christmas EVER! I can’t thank you guys enough for everything that you did. My entire family finally saw some joy, in times when we had no hope.”

The “Stuff the Sleigh” toy drive and holiday party have received a tremendous outpouring of community support. Sponsors (to date) include: Texas Children’s Hospital, Voice Runner, Katy’s local phone and Internet company; Firethorne, Keller Williams Premier Realty Katy, Target, the “Pay It Forward” project of the first graders of Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary School in Katy I.S.D. Country Park Portraits, McFatrige, Baker & Schmidt, Chasewood Bank, Capital Benefits, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Chuy’s Mexican Food, Chick-fil-A, the Geddes family, the Ashmore family and Holy Covenant Staff. “A special thanks, too, to ‘Santa’ Tom Gibbs,” added Ashmore.

After purchasing toys for all the children on the list, “Stuff the Sleigh” organizers will apply any additional funds towards grocery gift cards or gas cards to the children’s families. For individuals and companies that would like to participate in the toy drive, donations may be made to “Stuff the Sleigh”-C/O Voice Runner, Inc. 2501 S. Mason Rd. Ste. 260, Katy, TX 77450. One hundred percent of the toys and monetary donations will go directly to benefit the TCH – West patients and their families.

Firethorne, situated 10 and 15 miles west, respectively, of the Texas Medical Center-West Campus and Houston’s Energy Corridor, blends the best nature has to offer: 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, tennis courts, Fitness Center, resort-style swimming pool, wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. Served by highly acclaimed schools, Firethorne combines the vibrancy of West Houston with the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear. To tour Firethorne, take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, call 281-693-1011 or visit http://www.firethorne.info

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PHOTO ID: “Stuff the Sleigh-Katy” 2010 gift recipient Lucy Schuler, 3, chatted with Santa Claus at last year’s holiday celebration at Firethorne. For info. on the 2011 “Stuff the Sleigh,” call 281-693-0003.

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