JANUARY 2021 MIXING IT UP CREATING THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL PEAK PURPOSE DOCTOR GOES TO GREAT HEIGHTS Extreme athletes COMMUNITY, COMMITMENT AND THE PURSUIT OF PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE ALL FIRED UP TURNING CLAY INTO ART PLUS » SHINING A LIGHT ON RARE BETTY LAMP JANUARY 2021 $7.99 COASTMONTHLY.COM 645485005999 TIDE TO TABLE HOW A HOUSTON CHEF FOUND HIS WAY TO SAN LEONFeatured Listing KELLY KELLEY | BROKER ASSOCIATE / CO-OWNER | RE/MAX LEADING EDGE 21910 Lampasas Drive | Sea Isle 822 Ramsar Rd | Beachtown 4119 Liberty Drive | Sea Isle 4304 Spanish Main | Jamaica Beach 1826 Seaside Drive | Beachtown 10810 Sweetwater Cove | Sweetwater Cove 4131 Pointe West Dr #301 | Pointe West 281.794.9463 | KELLY@KELLYKELLEY.COM • KELLYKELLEY.COM/PROPERTY-SEARCH ASK ME ABOUT THE DISCOUNTED LOTS AT THE ESTATES AT SUNSET COVE 16502 Bayfront Drive | Jamaica Beach Stewart Mansion | Bayside at Waterman’s 12916 John Reynolds Rd | Bermuda Beach COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 3 1510 Marina Bay Dr., Bldg 124, Clear Lake Shores, Texas 77565 281.334.00064 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 JANuArY 2021 | VOLuME 14 | ISSuE 1 2072 76 FEATURES 14 POWER COUPLE A fitness pact leads to first-place wins and a stronger family 20 WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH Triathletes turn to community, camaraderie and their own commitment 76 SHINING A LIGHT Island shop features rare Betty lamp 80 STRANGER THAN FICTION Long before COVID, author began writing thriller about dangerous virus 26 GOING THE DISTANCE Good trainers, overall fitness and internal motivation key to running marathons 34 DR. ADVENTURE Friendswood doctor combines adventure travel in Nepal with medical expeditions 72 ALL FIRED UP Dickinson pottery artist finds inspiration in working with clay6 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 42 ON THE COVER Gabor Farkas, 41, a chiropractor and competitive professional bodybuilder. Read more about Farkas on Page 14. Photo by Stuart Villanueva DEPARTMENTS 42 DOWN THE HATCH Mixologists go to extremes and expense to make the ultimate cocktail 46 DOWN HOME How a renowned Houston chef found his way to Pier 6 in San Leon 50 TASTE OF TEXAS This Southern specialty is a solution to a glut of ripe tomatoes 54 GAME ON Fajita fans will go wild for this venison version 56 DESSERT ISLAND End the year on a sweet and elegant note 58 COUNTER CULTURE An accidental Texan’s kitchen is a tribute to her English heritage 64 HOMEPORT Once abandoned and in disrepair, these island houses have happy futures 46 82 STEM TO STERN Island couple’s 214Lr Stingray brings family and friends together 84 HOOKED Before you acquire a boat, know where you’re going and what you need 92 SHUTTERBUGS readers share their coastal photos 828 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 © Copyright: Coast Monthly is published by The Daily News. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative. WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA coastmonthly.com EDITOR Laura Elder PUBLISHER Leonard Woolsey CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ DESIGN EDITOR Melissa rivera PHOTOGRAPHERS Jennifer reynolds Stuart Villanueva CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joey Quiroga Capt. Nate Skinner Hannah Sturtecky CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shannon Caldwell Barbara Canetti Matt deGrood Christina Mattison Ebert John Wayne Ferguson Sue Mayfield Geiger Mark G Hanna Keri Heath James LaCombe Esther Davis McKenna Phil Newton Capt. Nate Skinner Angela Wilson REVENUE DIRECTOR Amy Scott ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Maureen Beans Catherine Boudoin Cynthia Cogan Jana Knoell John Nagy Kristi Neal Kristi Quigley Donna rhoades MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 628 Galveston, TX 77553 EDITORIAL 409.683.5248 ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 409.683.5202 STORY IDEAS editor@coastmonthly.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to editor@coast monthly.com. Be sure to include your full name, city, state and phone number. Coast Monthly reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. SUBSCRIPTIONS 409.683.5260 ONLINE EDITOR Kevin M. CoxRESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENTNext >