San Antonio Current - Flavor - Summer 2016

SUMMER FLAVOR

SUMMER 2016 PRICELE S S

San Antonio’s Ultimate Food Lover’s Guide

SAN ANTONIO’S ULTIMATE FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE

BOTIKA AT PEARL’S EYE-CATCHING WHOLE FISH SPECIAL

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Home to eighteen world-class restaurants, fourteen totally unique shops, the best coffee in Texas, cocktails for every season and reason, the weekly Pearl farmers market, the San Antonio Campus of the Culinary Institute of America, and the unique luxury of Hotel Emma.

S U M M E R

All on the banks of the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River.

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STATUS:

San Antonio Treasure De-Classified OPERATION:

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S U M M E R

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Left to right: Chef Robbie Nowlin, Chef Jason Dady, and Chef Stefan Bowers

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Summer 2016

Publisher: Michael Wagner Associate Publisher: Lara Fischer Editor-in-Chief: Michael Barajas Flavor Editor: Jessica Elizarraras Art Director: Sarah Flood-Baumann EDITORIAL Contributors: Ron Bechtol, Mark Stenberg, Jeremy Banas, Lizzy Warburton, Michelle Claire Lorentzen, Dan Payton, Bryan Rindfuss, Jaime Monzon, Lauren Salguero, Rob Carr, Ismael Rodriguez, Brian Caron Digital Content Editor: Alejandra Lopez Interns: Stephen Acevedo, Nick Joyner ADVERTISING Sales Manager: Chelsea Bourque Senior Multimedia Account Executives: Carlos Aguirre Jr. Multimedia Account Executives: Sarah Estrada, Maria Zadel, Jenavie Aguilar, Joe Rodriquez Account Manager: Zach Yurcheshen MARKETING & EVENTS Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events and Promotions Manager: Mary Gonzales PRODUCTION Production Manager: John Mata Graphic Designer: Tina Corbeil Production Interns: Joseph Drake, Phillip knowles, Olivia Mulder CIRCULATION Distribution Manager: Richard Garcia Distribution: Pam Clepper, Gabriella Gutierrez, John Miller, Joe Dominguez, Alfredo Gutierrez, Oscar Alpizar, BUSINESS Operations Manager: Sarah Estrada Office Assistant: Kelsie Perez San Antonio Current 915 Dallas St. San Antonio, Texas 78215

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Editorial: (210) 227-0044 / Fax: (210) 227-7755 Advertising: (210) 227-0044 Fax: (210) 227-7733

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SOUTH TEXAS SPICE CO. Retail - Institutional - Specialty Blends 8oz. - 300lbs. or more

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Any submission include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising and business correspondence should be mailed to 915 Dallas St., San Antonio, TX 78215.

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66

HOT RESTAURANTS

TRENDS

From Sichuan faves to great pizza, here’s where you should be eating this season

DINE

44

ENTERTAIN

COFFEE CULTURE A guide to finding the best beans in town

A SAN ANTONIO TREAT Next-level paletas are keeping us cool

A SOUTH TEXAS PIG ROAST They named the pig Jon Hamm

COCONUTS OPTIONAL Throw your own tiki bash

S I H IN T

E U S S I r

summe

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BROTENDERS

FOOD LOVER’S CALENDAR

We catch up with brother bartenders in SA

12 culinary events to pencil in

BEND & BREW

ADVERTISING INDEX

Why yoga and beer sessions aren’t as silly as you might think

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Your fave South Flores distillery is now crafting delicious beer

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LIBATIONS

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ON THE COVER The Pearl’s latest restaurant is packing in Peruvian fusion, sushi and dazzling specials. Learn more on page 18.

Photography \\Liz Warburton Art Direction by Sarah Flood- Baumann

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[ FOOD + NIGHTLIFE EDITOR ] sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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Stay hungry, San Antonio

Gluten Free Kitchen with Paleo & Vegan Options

S U M M E R

hether you’re into great cocktails, hoppyas-all-hell beer, or finding your next favorite restaurant, it’s the perfect time to be a food-lover in San Antonio.

Since we last met, San Antonio welcomed a slew of new eateries — The San Antonio Crab Shack on the Northeastside, a Hopdoddy Burger Bar to call our own at The Rim shopping center, a second Bakery Lorraine location in the Medical Center and the re-opening of The Luxury, after a brief hiatus and a seriously gorgeous facelift. There are more places to chow down, break bread and avoid washing dishes than ever before.

With this installment of Flavor, San Antonio’s Ultimate Food Lover’s Guide, we make it easy for you to eat your way through the city with 12 (mostly new) restaurants from casual fare at Café Dijon to legitimately delicious and nonplussed Sichuan eats to the new-to-San Antonio fusion happening at Botika. You’ll want to up your mileage as you tackle these menus. Caffeine lovers can get their fill with our complete guide to locally owned coffee shops, from chill, student-friendly spots to spaces for serious bean fiends only.

For the enterprising host, we’ve included tips on how to throw your own tiki-themed bash with cocktails from some of the area’s best bartenders along with recipes for island snacks. Serious home cooks will want to take a stab at roasting their own pig and we show you how a local gourmand tackles roasting an entire 110-pound pig.

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DINE

T O P

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LIZ WARBURTON

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F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

DINE

BOTIKA

Where To Eat Right Now!

303 PEARL PKWY., SUITE 111, (210) 670-7684 BOTIKAPEARL.COM

A

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little more than a year ago, San Antonio lost one of its first Pearl complex eateries, and the vacant space once occupied

by Arcade Midtown Kitchen had its fair share of speculation swirling around it.

Though even Geronimo Lopez had heard whispers of Tyson Cole’s Uchi maybe, sorta, kinda in talks to fill the void, we’re pretty sure the chef is more content with what currently fills the spot.

Botika, announced in March and opened in July of 2016, is Lopez’s take on two new-to-SA ways of cooking. He blends Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) and Chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) methods to winsome results. Think fresh sashimi-grade fish meets comforting South American classics. Lopez’s opening menu, executed effortlessly with a staff mostly developed during his days as executive chef at the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio’s NAO, features familiar dishes to the San Antonio palate. The picaderas (appetizers) feature duck confit and potato empanadas, tuna tartar and crackers, and anticuchos, though these aren’t the same one you’ll find while stumbling around NIOSA during Fiesta.

The Peruvian-style ceviches — available in Nikkei, classic and Chifa — are worth exploring, while the sushi rolls keep with the restaurants fun and funky theme.

Whispers of Arcade remain, but they’re just that. The industry-chic look designed by Urbanist Design (now part of Clayton & Little’s San Antonio office) contains flurries of color as orchestrated by Courtney + Co design firm. Touches of teal velvet dot the bar stools along with pairs of Peruvian pom poms, while a chandelier of baskets works the main entrance. The open kitchen, pushed forward to add a sushi bar, which is guarded by a fierce Hilmydesigned dragon.

You’ll want to take it all in over cocktails, which Botika also nails. Pisco sours, anyone? -JE

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ORIGIRI ROLL

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SARAH FLOOD-BAUMANN

DINE

BAAN ESAAN 1035 S. PRESA ST. (210) 354-3772 BAANESAAN.COM

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aan Esaan’s Albert Smith is a cocky, confident guy. Half Anglo, half Thai, he handily spins tales about trekking through Thailand’s vast Esaan province, learning about the cuisine and culture and teaching the locals a thing or two about cooking. The rest of us need to learn a thing or three, at least.

Esaan (sometimes spelled Isaan — or simply Isan) is the kingdom’s easternmost region, bordered on three sides by Laos and Cambodia. It’s poor, little visited, and, from most accounts, not necessarily high on one’s Asian bucket list (though locals and expats would doubtlessly disagree). The hardscrabble cooking that results from what The Rough Guide has called “appallingly infertile soil” is nevertheless both vibrant and subtle, qualities that are equally on display in Baan Esaan’s dining room.

At the head of Baan Esaan’s menu is somtum, the spunky-spicy salad of green papaya that is an Esaan specialty. As served here, the salad – laced with shredded carrot and presented with romaine leaves that accompany many dishes – is a marvel of limey, fish-sauce flavors played against the papaya’s clean crunch. The rendition with slivered Granny Smith apple is, surprisingly, a more-than-worthy alternative.

Laab, also known as larb, is another northeastern favorite, one that also happens to be the national dish of neighboring Laos. It’s available with minced beef, pork or chicken, and I have to assume that all three are treated equally as I’ve never made it past pork; it’s just too good. Lime, lemon grass and mint dominate, and the heat level can vary depending on the aggressiveness of that day’s chiles. My advice: stick to medium heat but be prepared to tolerate variances.

Outright great is the kaw moo yang, which translates as marinated and grilled pork shoulder.

This is traditionally made with pork neck (but, hey, the neck bone is connected to the shoulder bone) and is sometimes presented with a spicy fish sauce, lime, chiles, traditionally a little palm sugar and toasted, cracked rice. Best of all, however, may be the Baan Esaan sausages, cured, fried and bursting with lemongrass flavors. In a display of naked confidence, they are served only with lime and Thai bird chiles.

Yes, you must. -RB

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6/8/2016 3:12:43 PM

DINE

BRIGID/ FRANCIS BOGSIDE

803 S. ST. MARY’S ST. (210) 263-7885 (210) 988-3093

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C

hange is hard for some people.

Uncertainty, newness all swirl around menu and staff changes, but at its core, the changes happening at Brigid/Francis Bogside, Stephen Mahoney’s restaurant/bar concept have been generally appealing.

The menu, currently a collaborative effort

by Justin Richardson, Halston Connella, Evan Martinez and Noel Hallagan, features Continental fare as executed by the foursome and their staff. Brigid has retained that level of fine dining first found during its opening, but the guys are having more fun with the specials board, often filled with creative takes on duck, the occasional bouillabaisse lobster spaghetti, elegant and flowery charcuterie boards and a popular brunch spot come weekends.

If technique and elegance are part of the formula for Brigid, then skill and whimsy are what’s in store at Francis Bogside, where the chefs' South Texan upbringing blends to create elevated bar fare. A standard menu applies here, with standouts like the Thai fried chicken and green chicken curry, but the specials are where the staff really lets loose with clams and bacon, a nacho bar come Tuesdays, pork belly quesadillas, and grilled oysters. It’s great, locally sourced, inventive food sans the stuffy setting.

Don’t get too familiar with this menu as Martinez and Richardson make their way to Hanzo, Mahoney’s next venture, a Japanese-style Izakaya or gastropub opening in the Lincoln Heights area.

And there’s more change on the way as Connella, who’s known for his Rebel Pizza concept, tweaks the recipe for his already popular pies. The oven’s on. Are you ready for the next menu? -JE

S U M M E R

B RYA N RINDF USS

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Picante Grill BEYOND THE BORDER

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S U M M E R

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Breakfast served all day!!!

Service member discount: 15% OFF

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3023 S Presa St • 210-994-5403 • mon-sat 10a-8p F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE CLAIRE LORENTZEN

DINE

OPEN SANDWICH TRIO: AVOCADO, CHICKEN SALAD AND STRAWBERRY GOAT CHEESE

CAFÉ DIJON

555 E. BASSE ROAD, SUITE 113 (210) 822-2665

dinner with summer hours running 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Even non-Francophiles will get a kick out of the ratatouille toast, with herb-roasted vegetables and tomato-basil puree, and Madamoiselle of toasted brioche, poached egg, prosciutto, gruyere and diced tomatoes. A recent frittata du jour — handily picked up from the deli counter — was piled high with fresh roasted vegetables and custardy eggs. A Napolean allowed for the same roasted produce to meet a flaky crust, and paired nicely with the blue cheese and fruit salad, also picked up as takeout.

Come weekends, the menu features more of those egg-based breakfast classics along with mimosas and micheladas for a chill brunch that just so happens to include a violinist. It’s casual chic at its best. -JE

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ans of Parisian fare, vegetables and pastries will want to head to Café Dijon. Opened by the culinary team of Iverson Brownell, Christopher Jara and Chris Nieto all formerly with the St. Anthony Hotel, the eatery takes fresh, local and seasonal produce and turns it into casual, quick service meals.

Housed inside Café Salsita’s former home in Lincoln Heights, Café Dijon is a hop-skip from The Quarry.

Outfitted with a sleek patio and a calming blue hue that fills the walls, Café Dijon serves both the dining in, chitchat-prone crowd of ladies who lunch and the grab-andgo needs of those who can’t afford to leave their desk for an hour but still want to indulge in an éclair or two.

The menu, broken down into a la carte, main course, sweets and beverages serves breakfast, lunch and

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CAFEDIJONSA.COM

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DINE

BRUSCHETTA ALLA EDERA

Edera Osteria Enoteca

1903 SAN PEDRO AVE .

(210) 530-1111

S U M M E R

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EDERAOSTERIA.COM

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F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

PHOTOS BY DAN PAYTON

E

dera’s dining space comes across a little spartan by day, but at night, the place takes on a more intimate air — especially in the intermediate dining space with its lower ceiling. Prices on equivalent items don’t change de noche, but the selection is naturally larger.

Gambas a la plancha are one plus of after-dark dining. Served with head and tail on, these impressive shrimp are worth every effort; their messy succulence accented with peppery oil and slivered garlic. In such company, I would normally not have thought of ordering the unassuming bruschetta alla Edera.

But it turns out that this supremely simple appetizer, with toasted baguette, tomato compote and garlicky oil, is a perfect prelude to the meal to come. If the staff should offer additional balsamic, say yes.

Also assumed to be simple are gnocchi. But as one of my more notable kitchen failures, I’m especially attuned to their texture. Where these should have been pillowy, they were instead doughy. Their secondary sautéeing was nevertheless faultless, and although we didn’t get a lot of the

advertised sage, the “alla bava” (basically “slobbery”) sauce with fontina cheese was luxurious to the point of lasciviousness. Also the essence of simplicity (and a Roman standby) is the bavette (a thin, flat pasta) cacio y pepe, counting for its appeal on an artful blending of cheese and showers of black pepper. Next time.

Dining at a nearby table, an off-duty local chef of serious renown gave the grilled salmon two thumbs up, and his word can be trusted — not the least because Chris Carlson once helmed the city’s best seafood restaurant.

We ordered the special of the day — a sautéed snapper fillet with an array of sidekick components.

“Everything tastes exactly like what it is,” my dining companion said, herself the product of a HispanoItalian home kitchen. Some might take this as a compliment, others might have wished for more transformation in the blending of fennel, onion, nappa cabbage, artichoke hearts and assertively aldente yet brothy cannellini beans that buoyed the excellent fish.

Served in classy Riedel glassware, a beautiful Burgundian Chablis from a wine list that’s fairly priced served as a willing consort. -RB

WINE ENTHUSIAST RATINGS SCORE OUT OF 100 POINTS

PTS

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My American vodka beats the giant imports every day.

Try American! It’s better.

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S U M M E R

Handcrafted to be savored responsibly DISTILLED & BOTTLED BY FIFTH GENERATION INC. 40% ALC./VOL. © 2016 TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA.

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ROB CARR

DINE

ESTATE COFFEE CO. 1320 E. HOUSTON ST. (210) 667-4347 ESTATECOFFEECOMPANY.COM

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS C

M

Y

NOT-YOUR-DAD'S

CM

DUNKIN' DONUTS

MY

CY

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hen Estate Coffee Company and Oak and Salt Quality Goods opened their doors the last weekend of Fiesta, the Instarazzi came running. The rush was predictable — coffee is having a well-deserved moment in San Antonio, and co-owner Brian LaBarbera had been teasing bits and pieces of the space and wouldbe drinks for months.

And several months in, the word of mouth and double-tap happy coffee drinkers that flood the tiny space are helping the partnership grow. The relationship is symbiotic, though. Oak and Salt founder Ben Annotti first launched the boutique spice shop as Pantry Provisions, a web-based food and drink bodega, out of Warehouse 5 on the city’s West Side.

That’s where he met LaBarbera,

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who had turned his woodworking hobby into a small business also housed in Warehouse 5. But LaBarbera, 27, had his eyes set on coffee. He joined Alex Dyck, 23, as a roasting intern at Brown Coffee Co., one of SA’s premiere bean operations.

The trio eventually leased out the space at 1320 E. Houston St., just east of I-37 and next door to Tucker’s Kozy Korner. The landmarks and directions are key here, as Estate Coffee Co. and Oak and Salt are adding an überboutique element to an evolving East Side, where Annotti infuses most of his salts and what-nots, while Dyck roasts beans twice a week inside the tiny shop.

Where Estate and Oak separate themselves from the onslaught of coffee joints is their specialty coffees that combine both great

beans and one-of-a-kind ingredients.

Let’s just say you’re not going to find them on Starbucks’ menu any time soon. The cold brew mint julep will win over most cold brew fans, with its Woodford Reserve mint-infused sugar, muddled mint and splash of Topo Chico, “for the bubbles,” says LaBarbera.

Take a step further with the Coffee Old Fashioned. The drink starts with a double shot of the Kenyan Nyeri Othaya Peaberry beans as expressed via the EK 43 grinder, and combines Crude “Sycophant” orange and fig bitters, with a very fragrant Woodford Reserve bourbonsmoked sugar from Bourbon Barrel Foods, Topo and orange peel garnish. At $8, most people won’t be drinking this every morning, but it’ll make coffee and cocktail connoisseurs swoon. -JE

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM of ART 200 West Jones Avenue • San Antonio, TX. •

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S U M M E R

Art Party, Trivia Night, Family Flicks, Film on the Green, Art off the Wall, Art Bites...

For details visit samuseum.org/calendar.

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Your Weekend Starts Here! Open ’til 9 p.m.

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BART TAYLOR

DINE

FRANK 1150 S. ALAMO ST. (210) 265-5292 HOTDOGSCOLDBEER.COM

However, Frank’s St. Francis Room, now a dining area and bar, was most definitely worth waiting for.

Already the Alamo Methodist Church and later Green Room Dinner Theatre in its past lives, the St. Francis Room is spooky, yet inviting.

Here’s a former place-of-worshipturned-lively-eatery-and-bar with tin ceiling tiles up above, awe-inspiring stained glass and a sizable stage that commands the eye, be it with bands or Spurs games on a giant projection screen.

The waffle fries (order the Reuben version, trust me) were hot and crisp and sturdy vessels to the mounds of sauerkraut, Thousand Island, Swiss and corned beef they’re tasked with carrying. Another early hit was the ginger cherry limeade, an addicting and light blend of vodka, cherry cider, ginger, lime and Main Root natural

lemon lime soda. The pretzel — a massive beast of a baked good easily shared between four — was crisp and chewy both times we’ve tackled one (it comes with a steak knife, that’s how serious this pretzel is).

A recent Texalina — custommade smoked pork and beef sausage, grilled horseradish coleslaw, Carolina mustard barbecue sauce and white cheddar — was nuanced, messy without being cumbersome to eat and the bread was buttery and soft.

The Chicago dog, one of their daily offerings (the custom menu fluctuates some), carried all of the requisite relishes, fresh onions and peppers and made for a tasty bite. If you’d rather not bother with the bun, the German currywurst, doused in curry barbecue sauce is a winning alternative.-JE

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hough first announced in October 2014, the second location of the Austin-based hot doggery, which opened this past February, had a few construction woes to contend with. Rehabbing a building originally erected in 1912 probably wasn’t easy, but the neighborhood’s anticipation was understandable.

Yet, it was also easy to see why it took so long to complete. The indoor dining room on the bottom floor stands in stark contrast to the haphazard space that former owners Steve Silbas and Barbara Wolfe added in 2008.

Those rasquache qualities worked for Casbeers, of course, but that was then. Now restaurants looking to make a splash in the bustling culinary scene are often tasked with delivering intricately designed spaces, though not to the detriment of the food.

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TEXALINA DOG

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ON

BROOK’S CITY BASEOOLONCATI OPENING S

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1423 MCCULLOUGH AVE. | 210.226.7556 | WWW.ARMADILLOBURGER.COM

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DINE

DAVID RANGEL

GRAYZE

521 E. GRAYSON ST. (210) 481-8776 GRAYZEONGRAYSON.COM

VARIES WEEKLY

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THE BRUNCH BUFFET

S U M M E R

LIZ WARBURTON

F

irst, the name: love it. Just the right degree of clever.

The menu tries for some of the same and occasionally scores as well. Take the Cheeks n Buns, in which the name and the product come together perfectly in the form of just greasy enough barbacoa cradled in a sturdy slider bun with cilantro ginger slaw and kewpie mayo for crunchy/tangy contrast. At happy hour, one of these puppies is on special. Run, don’t walk.

Continuing with the name thing, let’s next arbitrarily pick the Caulicious. This plate turns out to be reasonably straightforward roasted cauliflower with a nutty, tahini vinaigrette, and it successfully delivers just what it says it will. As for The Harvest salad (they seem to have run out of cleverness when naming this one), it may deliver more than it needs to. There are red and golden beets, chewy barley and farro (the distinction between the two is lost in context), shaved, raw asparagus and pretty crunchy green beans, dabs of creamy ricotta, a few almonds and a vinaigrette in which the advertised preserved lemon doesn’t quite come through. Top all this with a few greens and there’s just a little too much going on — especially for a menu on which all the food offerings are simply labeled “Grub.”

Grayze’s take on mac n’ cheese is simply called “The Mac,” and with its four cheeses, caramelized onions and topping of pickled chiles, it’s decidedly wicked and probably better than many. As it’s un-American to knock burgers, I won’t presume to diss the Grayze Burger. It, too, is better than many with a dense, properly cooked patty topped by “freedom cheese” and “garden fixings” that include zucchini. A fried egg is only a buck extra and worth it. But if you’re going to go with the burger over less mainstream choices such as the Fiery Red Head (a blackened redfish po’boy), then you must have the fries, here called Ma Frittes. In fact, you should have the fries no matter what you order, they’re that good. That perfect pairing of crisp, peppery exterior with almost-creamy interior is only enhanced by especially good “grayze” ketchup and garlicky aioli.-RB

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F O O R

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EVERY DAY IS LIKE SUNDAY

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Signature Dishes Served All Day

Sunday Soulfood Brunch

Daily Lunch Specials

(210) 451-1234 | 119 Heiman St. | San Antonio, TX 78205 | www.tonygssoulfood.com F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

VIVA VILLA TAQUERIA 905 DOLOROSA ST. (210) 987-8482 VIVAVILLATACOS.COM

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iva Villa is the Cortez clan’s latest venture in the family compound that is Market Square. Filled with rustic woods, exposed brick, nostalgic photos and a catch-all collection of light fixtures, it’s flashy, fun and more than holds its own with venerable Mi Tierra next door — an institution that has had generations to evolve into a beloved caricature of itself. It’s also helmed by a this-gen family member, Cariño Cortez, who just happens to be a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America-Hyde Park and the kitchens of the equally impressive restaurants of Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York and Rick Bayless in Chicago.

Step right up to the counter and place your order at this cafeteria-style line where green chile con queso comes to you in a clay cup flanked by a raft of chips. The name suggests that chile will dominate — or at least participate equally. You will now have guessed that it doesn’t. There are just a few strands on top of the melted cheese mixture. That mixture, however, is an unexpectedly rewarding blend of sharp cheddar and avocado — smooth, creamy and in need only of a little more thermal heat and the zing of a few more rajitas de chile. This could easily become the perfect bar snack with one of Viva Villa’s craft or Mexican beers on tap or in bottles or cans. (The drink list is otherwise confined to wine and wine-based margaritas.)

The strong suit of two visits was decidedly the puerco en chile colorado. Served in a small cast-iron cazuelita, where the lustrous sauce was deep, dark and magical, the cubes of pork were tender and flavorful in their own right, and they were plentiful enough to satisfy. All cazuelitas (ribeye and cochinita pibil are among other possibilities) come with tortillas for your taco-making pleasure.

The street-size corn tortillas are way better than their big sisters, by the way, but understand: This is a DIY effort. The tortillas line the bottom of a canasta with the chopped mix ladled over them, jumbled nacho-style. More than some assembly is required. -RB

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PHOTOS BY DAN PAYTON

DINE

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DINE

MICHELLE CLAIRE LORENTZEN

AMERICANO: POMODORO, MOZZARELLA AND PEPPERONI

IL FORNO 122 NOGALITOS ST. (210) 616-2198

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produced with house-made dough, cheese, cured meats as well as locally sourced veggies. The house-cured meats shine not just on the dough (and we’ll get to that in a second), but you won’t need them in the aptly named Big Bad Anti, an antipasto plate piled high with flatbread, and seasonal vegetables.

A recent plate included a chickpea salad, cured ham, baked cheese topped with pumpkin seeds and grilled peppers. It’s hard to eclipse the excellent pies, but this board does just that.

But let’s get back to the pies. Made-toorder and bearing the perfect amount of bubbly char, the Neapolitan-style pizzas are delicate, pliable and piping hot. Dotted with cheese, fresh herbs, not-so-thinly sliced pepperoni or delicate prosciutto, the pizza soars and leave you wanting more. -JE

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nswer these questions three: Does pizza complete you?

Are you a locavore?

When’s the last time you bit into something and thought, “This is it. I could die right now and be totally happy?”

If you answered “yes, yes, can’t remember” to the questions above, do yourself a giant favor and go to Il Forno, the latest concept by James Beard Award semifinalist Michael Sohocki.

Opened inside a former dive bar, the restaurant is rustic and thoroughly DIY from the wooden tables to the refurbished pews donated by a local church. The oven — il forno — itself was hand-crafted by Sohocki brickby-brick and we’re not saying it makes the pies taste better, but it definitely doesn’t hurt.

Pies range from $12 to $14, all are

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Mon-Fri 4pm-2am Sat-Sun 7pm-2am

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Happy Hour 4pm-7pm Mon-Fri

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PHOTOS BY DAN PAYTON

DINE

SICHUAN HOUSE 3505 WURZBACH ROAD, SUITE 102 (210) 509-9999

Just when I was getting acquainted with the first menu, a page-worth of new winter items made an appearance.

My visits — and at this point there have been plenty — usually consist of bringing in one other person.

This is by far my biggest mistake. Sichuan House should be enjoyed with several friends because dishes are all served family style. This runs the gamut from the 32-ounce soups to tofu in fermented bean sauce. It’s hard to beat a mix of soft tofu cubes, leafy napa cabbage and glass noodles floating in a light, fragrant chicken broth. The soup is more than enough for two but really could use a third slurper.

Try the shrimp and tofu (comfort food at its finest), the tea-smoked duck (which calls for both hands and definitely a side of the hot chili oil) and the scallions (tossed with cumin lamb).

All were noteworthy and delicious, but menu highlights definitely included the recommended dongpo braised pork belly that’s marinated, deepfried, cubed and steamed. The end result is sweet, tender and a must-try. -JE

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t first glance, the tiny strip the restaurant is in isn’t compelling unless you’re into anime, need to rent a tuxedo, print a few signs or get a touch up on your Shellac. Not quite in the corner lot of this string of random shops sits Sichuan House, inside the former 4 Star Chinese Cuisine. Once inside, Sichuan House is a whole other story. Instead of tossing red lanterns every which way, Sichuan chooses demure décor and lets the food handle the rest. And boy does it.

Technically, Sichuan House was a recommendation itself from the folks at Hot Joy, who also pointed me in the direction of Kung Fu Noodle, a wee little joint off Bandera that delivers with fresh house-made noodles and dumplings. But instead of home-cooked Anhui province dishes, Sichuan House delivers regional favorites hailing from Sichuan, found in the southwest of China. The menu is a bit daunting, because unlike Kung Fu Noodle where there are maybe 10 things available to choose from, this one features several dozen items.

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FA C E B O O K . C O M / S I C H U A N E AT S

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210-366-4508 Mon-Fri 11AM-10PM • Sat - Noon-10PM 6905 Blanco Rd.San Antonio, TX 78216

I! X E R O KAIL

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ETITE)

D APP

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John the Greek’s restaurant serves food the way mom used to make it for over 25 years and will continue to evolve and expand.

In the southern hillsides near Naples, Italy brothers Luciano and Gennaro Centofanti grew up learning traditional family recipes from Nonna Lina. She taught them the importance of using only the finest & freshest ingredients. When they came to San Antonio they brought with them Nonna’s passion for great food and her True Italian Passion for family. Step into a Luciano’s today and become part of our family.

Out Shopping

S U M M E R

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The Shops at La Cantera Shops at Rivercenter Ingram Park Mall South Park Mall Northstar Mall

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Call us for all your CATERING needs: 866-349-0022

DINE

THE WELL 5 5 3 9 U T S A B LV D .

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side of the home-style/kitsch divide.

The waffles and chop, essentially nachos served with succulent beef over waffle fries, feeds three handily.

The twice cooked wings, served with a house-made sauce of piri-piri peppers, and the Texas torpedoes, fried jalapenos stuffed with chorizo, each brought piquant, nuanced heat — comfortably below sweat-levels, but sharp enough to encourage a bracing sip of beer.

The alcohol selection has breadth, offering everything from local brews, to blush, to the “Red-Handed Bourbon,” a cocktail made with the local ichor Big Red. Expect more of the same from mixologist James Tivera who’s heading up the cocktail and beer selection for the expansive joint. You’ll definitely want to make this a haunt. -MS

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generally be considered a remediable snafu, if not welcome augur of popular reception.

Once ID’d and wristbanded, customers first encounter the amphitheatrical layout of the sprawling outdoor space and a synthetically grassed seating area with a performing stage abutting the back wall. A deck hugging the side of the bar leads visitors inside, where the clamorous, oaken interior splits into three arenas: an island bar, long bar and warehouse seating for diners (and on certain nights, dancers). In total, the restaurant, bar and dancehall patio clocks in at more than 20,000 square feet.

The food is on point. The menu, assembled by CIA graduate Chemo Barrera, hits unctuous notes without over-indulging, landing just on the right

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KODY MELTON

Q

uickly becoming the pragmatic San Antonian’s one-stop shop for all things well, the corner of I-10 and UTSA Boulevard has recently given its Wells Fargo a new neighbor in the form of The Well, an expansive watering hole intent on promoting “Drink, Dine and Dance.”

Though together for only a short time, interplay between the two Wells began in earnest when The Well opened its doors to a slavering public, only to find its parking lot comically undersized. In a textbook display of the inveniam viam school of parking, patrons-to-be began blithely parking in clearly restricted areas, the first of which was the adjacent Wells Fargo.

Still, parking woes are a common blight among new businesses (see: Golf, Top), and as growing pains go, should

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, g n i l r da h s o g Oh my

n w o t h t u Sosooooo is cool!

BITE S U M M E R

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ENTERTAIN

PHOTO BY ISHMAEL RODRIGUEZ

A local’s guide to tackling a whole pig

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by // JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

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he oohs, the ahhs. The looks of wonder and hunger from most and inevitably disgust from some. The smartphone-wielding crowd — and there’s always a crowd — happily snapping photos and videos of the reveal, the exact moment when a whole pig that’s been slowly roasting for hours on end finally makes its debut.

Pig roasts, luaus, lechons … whatever the cooking method, parties across San Antonio now center around said glistening hogs.

Whether they’re laid-back shindigs at Rumble where chef Pieter Sypesteyn toiled over a pig for several hours, or tiki soirees for the San Antonio Public Library Foundation catered by chef Luis Colon of Folc where he unveiled a crisp hog with immaculately broiled skin, hungry hordes congregate around these primal beasts.

It was only a matter of time, then, before enterprising food lovers decided to try their hands at roasting a whole pig.

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This July, Aldo Mancilla, fired up his third pig in just under a year.

Aptly named Jon Hamm, the hog went into a cinderblock fire pit designed by Mancilla. We documented the process and Mancilla shared his journey from smoking a few briskets overnight to delivering a perfectly roasted pig for a party of 100 guests.

The Right Tools Mancilla, a trained architect with a forte

in construction management first accepted the challenge of cooking an entire pig as a birthday party request from his friend Rene Lemos last July.

“I said let me figure out what we need, I can make it happen,” Mancilla says.

Over the course of two weeks he turned to Munchies, Vice and YouTube for tips on how to approach the roast when he stumbled on a cooking method that seemed most practical for

ENTERTAIN

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OLIVARES (LEFT) AND MANCILLA (RIGHT) WITH JON HAMM BEFORE PREP WORK STARTS.

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Prepping the Star When it comes to sourcing a pig, Mancilla and co. went the Mexican route.

“We went to La Michoacana,” he laughs. Now on his third roast, the butchers at the Crossroads location of the Mexican grocer are familiar with the order.

The 110-pound pig is picked up the night before and carried away in a large cooler. The head, all 8 pounds of it, isn’t attached to the body so Jon Hamm can easily fit inside the container that’s outfitted with plenty of ice.

At around 5 a.m., Mancilla makes both a rub and the brine (a combination of Valencia oranges, garlic, and chipotle in adobo sauce for some South Texas flair) he’ll inject into the pig’s larger muscles. Once it’s been butterflied using a hatchet and a hammer to allow for

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him: a cinderblock pit, often dubbed a Cajun microwave.

Because of his access to spare materials, Mancilla was able to build his first oven using blocks, rebar and plywood for a total of $20 odd dollars.

“If you have a plan and know how to work tools semi-well, it’s not hard at all,” he says almost flippantly.

There’s no mortar involved with construction — literally anyone able to stack blocks on a level surface can do this.

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ENTERTAIN

even cooking, the pig is injected with the brine using an injector, the rind is rubbed down and massaged with copious amounts of salt that will help seal in moisture while making for extremely crunchy skin. At 7:45 a.m. Jon Hamm is ready for the heat.

The oven’s temperature is kept at a relatively low 225, using oakwood ­­­— pecan or mesquite would flavor the meat too harshly over the long cook-time — briquettes that are fired up using a small inexpensive fire pit from Home Depot.

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The Wait Throughout the 9-hour cooking process, Mancilla checks on the roast and refuels the coals at hourly intervals until the shoulder meat reads 175-180 and the hams come in at 185-190 degrees.

“You’re only as good as the people helping you,”

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Mancilla says. “You can do it yourself but you’d be shooting yourself in the foot.”

Flanked by fellow architect and long-time friend Jeff Olivares, Mancilla and a few other pals eat breakfast tacos, drink Lone Star and discuss “man stuff” (grilling, local happenings, fire, the usual), until the pig is complete.

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The Reveal “There’s something about taking a whole animal … we see everything in parts, you don’t associate too much with the whole animal, but there’s something about seeing a whole pig, every feature of it, your primitive self lights up,” Mancilla says.

“If you can’t handle the sight, you don’t really know where your food comes from.”

When the party starts after a 12-hour day, Mancilla and co. let their guest enjoy picking apart Jon Hamm while listening to local musicians — VANDALS, Lonely Horse, Chris Conde, among others — and watching fire dancers entertain the crowd. Clean up would have to wait until the next day.

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ENTERTAIN

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Your Family’s

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l a n r e t a Twins Fr CENTRAL: 4200 Broadway @ Hildebrand • (210) 826-0800 MOBILE RESERVATIONS: www.cheesyjanes.com

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ENTERTAIN

T I P S

O N

R O A S T I N G A

P I G

A T

H O M E BRIAN CARON

▲ Luis Colon // folc Rub it down: Always consider the crowd and hunger level. Marinating is crucial. I do a mojo rub as opposed to a brine (blended cilantro, green onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, salt). Salt is your friend. If you think it’s too much salt, add more. There’s more meat than you can imagine. Score the animal. I add salt in the scores plus I stuff garlic cloves in each crevice. The garlic roasts in there and it flavors the meat around it.

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Cooking a pig: Caja China is the way to go....

Super efficient, set it and forget it almost. Set it belly up first so the bones heat up and help with the cooking. Then flip that bad boy over 3 hours in to crisp up the skin. The broiling action with that direct heat creates that glass like crackling on the back of the animal.

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BBQ Plates | Sandwiches | Tacos Picnic Specials | Daily Specials

Stop by and see us before the San Antonio FC match. We’re located right next to Toyota Field in the Chevron Gas Station!

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To get your hands on some of this just call 210-885-9352

ENTERTAIN ALDO MANCILLA

Steve McHugh // cured Choosing a pig: I always advise to go to go local — support the farmers in your area. These are the go-to guys for buying a whole hog because the smaller farms raise heritage breed pigs known for their fat, as opposed to a more economic hog that has been raised for its meat. Fat is flavor!

Brining a pig: The great thing about roasted pigs is that they transcend all cultures — Asian, European, Hawaiian, Southern, you name it. Regardless of how you are going to flavor it, you always need to brine the pig first. Grab a large ice chest big enough to hold the pig and make a water/salt solution, I like to add some sugar as well. Depending on the size of the pig, let it soak for a minimum of 24 hours, and up to two days.

Brining helps pull out the moisture, giving you that great crackily skin.

Rub-a-dub-dub: I usually use a dry rub with brown sugar and salt equal parts. Then add any other spices depending on the cuisine you are trying to cook with the pig. I like to rub it for at least a day or two.

Choosing the wood: When it comes to wood it’s either pecan or oak wood. The other important thing is to not get the fire too hot or else it will burn the skin before the pig is finished cooking.

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Halston Connella // brigid/francis bogside

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Cooking a pig: Slow and low!

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ENTERTAIN

ECCO

C O C O N U T S O P T I O N A L

How to throw your own rum-fueled tiki bash this summer by JESSICA ELIZARRARAS @JESSELIZARRARAS JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

(

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hough landlocked, San Antonio has found a way to keep that island fantasy afloat by capitalizing on the once forgotten tiki movement (some tiki scholars posit the U.S. involvement during the Vietnam War and its tropical shores along with the unfair treatment of indigenous people caused the style to fizzle out).

Our taste for everything pineapple began in 2012 with Tiki Tuesdays at The Brooklynite, but with several personnel changes since then, the trend has spread, first with the opening of Concrete Jungle off South Presa and later with tiki nights at Park Social, Mezcalería Mixtli and even Faust Tavern, which recently hosted its first Shrunken Head Sunday and will do so every first Sunday of the month. And not to be outdone, Esquire Tavern and Hotel Emma’s Sternewirth have rum-filled menus this season.

It could be our love of laid-back, temperate climes that have helped spur this boozy trend. Perhaps it’s our love of nostalgia and themed parties. For

F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT LANI HONI AND TWO TIKI’S TO PARADISE

Hillary Woodhouse, one of SA’s tiki priestesses who rocked Tiki Tuesday at The Brooklynite before moving over to The Esquire, the style’s retro feel and the surf vibes are most appealing.

“I saw Dick Dale, the King of the Surf Guitar when I was 14 and I’ve loved him ever since,” she said. “It’s just a big party every time.”

But one can’t just make a single tiki drink to enjoy while listening to Jack Johnson. No, tiki requires that you commit to the whole experience. We tapped a trio of bartenders from Park Social to Sternewirth for recipes on throwing your own tiki shindig, and we’re sharing a few bites for you to soak up that rum .

Crank up the surf rock, scour estate sales for tiki glassware, pull that old Hawaiian shirt out of your dad’s closet, buy a bunch of mini umbrellas, squeeze your own citruses (we’ll allow storebought fresh-squeezed pineapple juice from Central Market) and don’t forget the citronella for your torches — it’s party time.

ENTERTAIN

THE BASICS Words to know to get your started in on your tiki adventure.

DON N B E A CH

Native Texan, smuggler, and founder of Don the Beachcomber restaurants in California, a chain of “Polynesian”-tinged eateries and bars. Real name: Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt.

SPAM MUSUBI

T RADER V I C

ingredients 1½ ounce white rum ½ ounce lime juice ½ ounce orange Curaçao ½ orgeat syrup (fancy word for almond syrup) ¾ ounce dark rum directions

ISLAND BITES S PAM MU S U B I

Makes 10 servings

The most labor intensive, but likely the most addictive, this Spam-centric dish is a must. Make it yourself or pick up a platter from L&L Hawaiian Grill on Austin Highway.

ingredients

Shake all ingredients, except for the dark rum, with ice. Strain into glass and float dark rum on top.

2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice 2 cups water 6 tablespoons rice vinegar ¼ cup soy sauce

T HE PA I N K I L LE R

¼ cup oyster sauce

A twist on the piña colada ingredients 2 ounces Pusser’s rum 4 ounces pineapple juice 1 ounce orange juice

1 ounce cream of coconut directions Add ingredients to a Hurricane glass or large snifter and fill with ice. Stir to combine and garnish with orange wedge, cheery and freshly grated nutmeg.

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

You bet your ass Don Draper drank these.

directions

½ cup white sugar 1 (12 ounce) container fully cooked luncheon meat (e.g.

Spam) 5 sheets sushi nori (dry seaweed) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Soak uncooked rice for 4 hours; drain and rinse.

2. In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir.

3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar, and set aside to cool.

4. In a separate bowl, stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Slice luncheon meat lengthwise into 10 slices, or to desired thickness, and marinate in sauce for 5 minutes.

5. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook slices for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Cut nori sheets in half and lay on a flat work surface.

Place a rice press in the center of the sheet, and press rice tightly inside. Top with a slice of luncheon meat, and remove press. Wrap nori around rice mold, sealing edges with a small amount of water. (Rice may also be formed by hand in the shape of the meat slices, 1 inch thick.) Musubi may be served warm or chilled.

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MAI TA I

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Born Victor Jules Bergeron Jr., who founded a similar chain to Don the Beachcomber named Trader Vic’s. Both lay claim to creating the Mai Tai.

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g i B e n O ndly Family Fri e se

the univer

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center of

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ENTERTAIN

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

◀ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

ISLAND BITES (CONTINUED)

WH I T E CE V I C H E

Makes 4 servings

Make friends with your local fishmonger for the freshest ingredients. ingredients

1 pound scallops, redfish, or 1 raw garlic clove, crushed shrimp, cubed and chopped 6 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon chopped ginger, crushed

Salt, to taste

4 ounces raw red onion, diced small

Pepper, to taste ½ small Serrano pepper or 1 Thai chili, chopped and crushed directions

4 ounces chopped cilantro 4 ounces diced tomato 4 ounces coconut milk

1. Marinate seafood in lime juice for 2 hours, or until fish turns bright white. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Add vegetables, herbs and aromatics. Finish with coconut milk.

3. Serve with tortillas, tostones or cucumber or all of the above!

Helpful hint: Using a mortar and pestle to crush up the ginger, garlic and onion extracts more flavor. – Katrina Cailao of Kalye food truck

AH I PO K É S ALAD

Makes 1 serving or 2 appetizers

Add this to your summer repertoire. ingredients

4 ounces sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 teaspoon diced green onions

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 pinch minced ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 pinch chili flakes

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1 teaspoon sesame seeds

60

directions

1. Combine tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, green onions, ginger and chili flakes in a small bowl.

Gently toss the tuna in the marinade and serve immediately with nori chips, cucumber slices or on a bed of greens.

Modified via Luis Colon

F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

Listen, most tiki cocktails require a bit of work. From juicing your own limes and using fresh — never bottled or canned — pineapple juice, tiki tipples call for several ingredients each. David Naylor of Park Social, Hillary Woodhouse of Esquire Tavern and Danielle Chapman of Sternewirth helped whittle down a few drinks that don’t call for a ridiculous number of ingredients.

ENTERTAIN

L I B A T I O N S

LA TRINIDAD

Q U EEN’S PARK S WIZ Z LE ingredients 2 ounces Demerara rum (Woodhouse used El Dorado 12)

1½ ounce Trinidadian rum (Angostura 7yr, Pusser’s or any decent aged rum you can get your hands on)

1¼ ounce Chipotle syrup (recipe below) 1 ounce lemon juice

directions 1. Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin, shake hard. Strain into a tall glass packed with crushed ice, garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.

CHI P OT L E SY R U P ingredients

1 ounce orange juice

¾ ounce simple syrup

1½ ounce passion fruit syrup (Woodhouse used BG Reynold’s)

Mint leaves

1-2 ounces soda, to taste

¾ ounce lime juice

directions 1. Shake rums, lime juice, orange juice and passion fruit syrup with ice. Pour over crushed ice and finish off with soda.

PAGO PAGO

1 cup sugar

2 chipotle peppers, cut in half

ingredients

1 cup water

¼ teaspoon cayenne powder

1½ ounces dark Jamaican rum (Woodhouse used Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Gold)

½ ounce grapefruit juice

1. Combine sugar & water to make a simple syrup over medium heat

1 ounce orange juice

¾ ounce honey syrup (one part honey to one part hot water for easy pouring)

2. As sugar is dissolved and steam rises, throw in the peppers and cayenne spice and bring to a boil

½ ounce lime juice

1 dash Angostura bitters

directions

3. Let cool, strain peppers out and bottle. Will last up to 1 month if left refrigerated. Multiply for larger batches.

David Naylor of Park Social

directions 1. Shake ingredients with ice, pour over crushed ice, and garnish to your heart’s content.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 65 ▶ sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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ingredients

Angostura bitters

S U M M E R

L A T RI N I DA D

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S U M M E R

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CONCESSION STANDS

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210.651.7000 • 1 Retama Pkwy, Selma, TX • visit RetamaPark.com for upcoming events!

F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

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FOOD, FOOTBALL, & YES, BEER! THIS FALL AT

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COME WATCH YOUR FAVORITE NFL & COLLEGE TEAMS EVERY WEEKEND WE ARE YOUR PLACE FOR All ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE SOCCER

1221 Broadway, #116 | 210.251.3184 gs1221.com | Follow us @GS1221TX

sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

S U M M E R

DELIVERIES THROUGH FAVOR | AS ALWAYS - KID & PET FRIENDLY!

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OPEN FOR LUNCH DAILY 11am - 10pm (OPEN AT NOON SUNDAY)

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Puerto Rican Grill Y tapas LUNCH - DINNER - SUNDAY BRUNCH

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Phone: 210-314-3111 210-577-8774 2603 SE MILITARY DR #106 SAN ANTONIO,TX 78223

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SUNDAY BRUNCH 12PM-2PM HAPPY HOUR TUESDAY - FRIDAY 5 PM TO 7 PM

LUNAROSATAPA S.COM F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

ENTERTAIN

◀ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61

(CONTINUED)

L I B A T I O N S

T W O T I KI S TO PAR AD I S E ingredients

LAN I HO NI ingredients

½ ounce Averna

1 dash Angostura bitters

½ ounce Trader Vic’s macadamia nut liqueur

1 ounce orange juice

½ ounce grapefruit juice ¾ ounce honey syrup (one part honey to one part hot water for easy pouring)

½ ounce lemon juice

1½ ounce passion fruit syrup (Woodhouse used BG Reynold’s)

¾ ounce pineapple juice

1-2 ounces soda, to taste

1 ½ ounce Benedictine 1 ounce Wray & Nephew Jamaican rum ½ ounce lemon juice directions 1. Combine ingredients and shake with ice.

2. Serve in a large snifter over crushed ice

S IDEWINDER’S FANG

directions

ingredients

1. Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Serve in a Collins glass with crushed ice. Modified from Danielle Chapman

1 ounce dark Jamaican rum (Woodhouse used Appleton Estate 12) 1 ounce Demerara rum (Hamilton Demerara) 1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce orange juice 1½ ounce passion fruit syrup (Woodhouse used BG Reynold’s) 1-2 ounces soda, to taste) Mint leaves

directions 1. Press mint leaves in bottom of pint glass. Add crushed ice and fill to top. Add lime and rum and swizzle ingredients using a swizzle spoon, but try not to move the mint around. Add more ice to the top, and add several dashes of Angostura. Garnish with more mint sprigs.

sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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3 dashes tiki bitters

S U M M E R

1½ ounce pineapple infused rum (Chapman used Plantation Pineapple, which can be easily found at liquor stores, or can be made by combining pineapples and white rum for 3-4 days)

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TRENDS

A guide to SA's coffeeshops

LOCAL COFFEE

C O F F E E C U l T U R E by

S U M M E R

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STAFF

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F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

TRENDS

3011 N. SAINT MARY’S ST. ♢ (210) 738-0099 CANDLELIGHTSA.COM

A buzzing local favorite that is quick, cheap and fresh, Aspen Brewery offers a wide variety of ways to enjoy your cup of joe and free wi-fi. Compliment your morning bagel with a flavorful cold brew iced coffee for only $5.

Looking for a little romance? Not ready for your perfect date night to come to an end? Pop into Candlelight with your honey for post-dinner espresso and pie. Located in an old house with soft lighting, plenty of comfy corners and mismatched, old furniture, Candlelight packs just enough quirky touches to make you feel right at home.

3735 CULEBRA ROAD ♢ (210) 519-5403 BARRIOBARISTA.COFFEE

Part-community center, part-café and part-java emporium, this self-proclaimed coffee house is bringing San Antonio Coffee Roasters’ beans to the West Side. Owned by father and son team Gilbert De Hoyos (Jr. and Sr.), the former meat market is a haven for poetry nights, healthful lunches by Ruben Jimenez and Mexican American studies. Don’t miss the horchata iced latte.

Brown Coffee

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ♢BROWNCOFFEECO.COM

Calling all coffee snobs: Walk into Brown Coffee Co. (either their roasting operation on Kings Hwy., second shop at 1800 Broadway or the latest location inside Methodist Stone Oak Hospital) and you will immediately understand that this place is serious about its beans. The minimalist design is sleek and clean, providing few distractions from the main point of focus. What’s even more minimalistic than the décor is the actual coffee menu itself. Brown’s knowledgeable baristas craft coffee and espresso beverages from their in-house roasted beans. Walk in a coffee novice and leave a neophyte connoisseur.

Café Punta Del Cielo Cafeina Bar 115 N. LOOP 1604 E., SUITE 1105 FACEBOOK.COM/PUNTADELCIELOSTONEOAK

Hailing from Mexico, this bar takes its role as dealer to caffeine-addicted crowds seriously. The recently opened joint is sleek and steely. Fuel up with the cold Polar Bear or Espresso — cool versions of your java faves.

Commonwealth Coffee

118 DAVIS CT. ♢ (210) 560-2955 COMMONWEALTHCOFFEEHOUSE.COM

Tucked right off Broadway, Commonwealth Coffee has quite the homey feel — probably because the building is a recent convert from an Alamo Heights bungalow. With King Louis and crooner standards on the stereo, a delightful shaded patio and iced coffee served in Mason jars, Commonwealth favors the cute without ever going overboard.

France is an inspiration, with a pâtisserie and Francophile lunch menu. But fear not, they know they’re in SA — they serve breakfast tacos until 11 a.m.

Copalli Cafe

555 W. BITTERS ROAD, SUITE 112 ♢ (210) 233-1974 FACEBOOK.COM/COPALLICAFE

If you need a place to escape from reality, Copalli Cafe is your getaway. At this low-key and cozy cafe, try a rich and foamy mocha or its signature coffee cake, baked with a gratuitous layer of cinnamon crumble and caramel drizzle.

Cuppencake

22211 W. I-10, SUITE 1111 ♢ (210) 892-3010 CUPPENCAKE.COM

Pay this place a visit for some great service and even better bean juice. Try the affogato with vanilla ice cream for a fantastic mixture that will wake you up and keep you cool on a hot Texas day. Don’t forget to try a giant cookie or cinnamon roll from the bakery.

Ethos Coffee Cafe

9439 BANDERA ROAD ♢ (210) 523-9089 ETHOSCOFFEECO.COM

Brand spankin’ new to SA cuppa scene, Ethos offers fair trade, eco-friendly coffee on the site of Bandera Road City Church. They’ll make you any espresso drink and even a smoothie if you’re caffeine-averse, whether you’re staying for the service or not. sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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Barrio Barista

E

Candlelight Coffee House

11255 HUEBNER ROAD, SUITE 100 (210) 561-5551 ♢ ASPENSBREWCOFFEE.COM

S U M M E R

AMANDA RODRIGUEZ

Aspen’s Brew

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sic u M e v i L

S U M M E R

live music, great booze, delicious food, good people

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F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

106 PERSHING AVE (BEHIND THE SMOKE SHACK)

TRENDS

Cool off the ALL-NATURAL way this summer with Keva Smoothie!

NAoddSeyd rSuugaprs

No

l No arteifniceia s r Sweet

ESTATE COFFEE

Estate Coffee Co.

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

No Powders

1320 E. HOUSTON ST. ♢ (210) 667-4347 ESTATECOFFEECOMPANY.COM

The folks at Estate source the best coffee and ingredients for its beverages by working with familyowned importers. They also promote transparency by displaying their roasting and brewing methods front and center for everyone to observe. Try the coffee cocktails which use products from neighboring Oak & Salt.

Halcyon

All Natural just the way nature intended it to be!

5238 De Zavala rd. #122 • 315 E. Commerce st #102 • 8 8 8 - 9 3 5 - 2 4 1 2 • k e v a s m o o t h i e . c o m

1414 S. ALAMO ST., SUITE 101 ♢ (210) 277-7045 HALCYONSOUTHTOWN.COM

Located in the Blue Star District, Halcyon features a hip, industrial loft-style interior adorned with local art and modern décor. With plenty of tables to work and lounge areas to hang, Halcyon functions as a study space during the day. This café transforms into a hopping bar scene come 10 p.m. with full bar and spiked espresso beverages.

Hinee Gourmet Coffee 11881 BANDERA RD., SUITE 107 (HELOTES) (210) 695-2000 ♢ HINEEGOURMETCOFFEE.COM

MOLINAS 700 N. ALAMO | 210.444.0711

Opened in 2011, this wee shop is in on the joke: “Funny Name, Serious Coffee — No Butt’s About It” just so happens to be its slogan. The neighborhood joint in Helotes packs in the wild flavors and Frapp-like creations along with Panini, soup and baked goods.

Indy Coffee Co.

• FUEL • RESTAURANT • PRODUCE • MEAT MARKET • sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

S U M M E R

SA’s first mobile espresso provider moved away from its semi-permanent parking spot at Huebner and Vance Jackson and into a space of its own that caters to discerning college taste buds. Order one of everything and admire their little cactus mascot by the register.

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7114 UTSA BLVD., SUITE 103 (210) 233-9203 ♢INDYCOFFEECO.COM

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way delicious , h s e r f , hy r!

The healt OFF this Summe L O to CO

1 8 8 6 6 S to n e Oa k P k w y # 1 0 5 • P h o n e : ( 2 1 0) 5 9 5 -3 9 3 2

7007 Bandera Rd. Suite 14 | 210-451-1410 | fruitmixusa.com

Thank you!

Open 7 Days a Week

For voting for us!

S U M M E R

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Authentic Thai Cuisine

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226 W Bitters Rd #124 • (210) 545-3354 • saebthainoodlesa.com F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

TRENDS

LOCAL COFFEE

AMANDA RODRIGUEZ

CUSTOM CAKES • COOKIES • PIES • COFFEE • PASTRIES

La Taza Coffee House

15060 SAN PEDRO AVE. ♢ (210) 494-8292 ♢LATAZA.BIZ

There is no place better to enjoy a nice cup of coffee than at home, but La Taza Coffee House sure comes close. The coffeehouse comes complete with puzzles, paintings of horses, and, of course, plenty of coffee — all brewed from local Kiva Coffee Roasters in Fair Oaks Ranch.

Local Coffee

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ♢LOCALCOFFEESA.COM

A “local” favorite and winner of the San Antonio Current’s “Best of SA” coffee category for several years in a row, Local Coffee is serious about its craft. With several locations around the city, San Antonians have made Local their favorite go-to café — for good reason.

Mildfire Coffee Roasters

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ♢ MILDFIRECOFFEE.COM

This "little shop that could" opened in 2005 as one of two joints in town roasting its own beans. Now, 10 years and two locations later, Mildfire is still kicking and thriving. Stop by the original location or the newest one by the Medical Center for pour overs and more.

Olmos Perk

1010 S Flores St #116, SA, TX 78204

210.592.1404 | whipstitchcc.com sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

S U M M E R

Something about Olmos Perk just seems to promote productivity. The classy but relaxed atmosphere encourages work and socialization. Students get a 15 percent discount, which makes Olmos Perk a perfect study destination to bring a group or go solo. Claim your territory at one of the modern but comfortable couches or plant yourself in one of the four individual study cubicles, complete with cozy chairs, power outlets and spacious desks — a studier’s holy grail.

You’ll finish that essay in no time.

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5223 MCCULLOUGH AVE. (210) 858-2956 ♢ OLMOSPERK.COM

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ETHOS STRIVES TO BRING YOU THE BEST THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER IN COFFEE. YOU ARE WHY WE EXIST. 9439 Bandera Rd. on Campus of City Church Open Tuesday - Sunday

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY NOW.

S U M M E R

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NO GROUP IS TOO SMALL. CALL US FOR DETAILS.

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1902 South Hackberry | 210.532.4235 • Visit us at: littleredbarnsteakhouse.com F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

TRENDS

LINDA ROMERO

Chicago Bagel& Deli

If your bagel is not boiled, it’s just a roll with a hole.

PARAMOUR COFFEE

e c n e r e ff i D e h Taste T

Paramour Coffee 102 9TH ST. ♢ (210) 340-9880 PARAMOURBAR.COM

During the day when it isn’t harboring drunk urbanites, Paramour serves up some first-class espressos, lattes and teas. While the coffee is undoubtedly great, the best part about visiting Paramour is enjoying its beautiful outdoor roof where you can take in a view of the entire downtown area.

Press Coffee 606 W. FRENCH PL. (210) 758-5513 ♢ PRESSCOFFEESA.COM

7959 BROADWAY ♢ (210) 701-0725 REVOLUCIONCOFFEE.COM

This shop boasts a unique flair, providing customers with a cafe experience in the bright and pristine environment of a juice bar. The coffee offerings reflect Revolucion’s health focus with options ranging from honey lavender lattes to matcha green teas to vegan and gluten-free drink and snack options. Take advantage of the grab-and-go convenience of stocked refrigerators full of fresh-pressed juices. Come in for a latte and pick up your favorite juice to go. Namaste.

SAN ANTONIO

Now accepting new wholesale accounts, please inquire for more information.

10918 Wurzbach Ste. 132 SA, TX 78230 | 210.691.2245 sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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Revolucion Café + Juice

Support your local, longest-established, family-owned bagel shop

S U M M E R

Fairly new to San Antonio’s coffee scene, this petite (600 square feet) coffeehouse is located within biking distance from San Antonio College. Press almost gives you a sense of being in a friend’s house — a very posh and clean friend’s house. Imagine if they served coffee at Anthropologie and you’ll get the picture. Sit at one of its handful of tables with the latest Current while sipping on your Buddha’s Brew Kombucha chai tea (provided on tap) and you’ll forget you ever left home.

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PATISSERIE •COFFEE •BREAKFAST&LUNCH

Fresh Food, Not Fast Food

Dine in – Take Out Juice • Smoothies • Milkshakes • Homemade Pastries Tues-Sat: 11am-3pm Sun BRUNCH: 11am-3pm

Tues-Fri: 8AM-11AM/5PM-7PM Sat: 8AM-11AM

18771 FM 2252 Bracken, TX 78266 (210) 441-8338

21320 Water Wood Drive Garden Ridge, TX 78266 Inside the Fitness center

(210) 632-5630

Ease into the weekend by indulging in our authentic French crepes every Saturday morning from 7am – 3pm.

118 Davis Court. San Antonio, TX 78209 | 210.560.2955 commonwealthcoffeehouse.com

A SAN ANTONIO DINING TRADITION SINCE 1933

R E S TA U R A N T & B A K E R Y Can’t beat our burgers!

sun.-wed.: 7a-9p | thurs. - sat: 7a-10p

Breakfast served All Day!

Best Fried Chicken In San ANtonio!

TRY OUR NEW:

S U M M E R

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TEXAS BISON BURGER PUEBLO BURGER HOT & SPICY TOSTADA BEAN BURGER CHICKEN & WAFFLES

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earlabelssa.com | 210.822.3358 | 1201 Austin Highway, Suite 175 F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

TRENDS

MIRIA M SITZ

ROSELLA COFFEE CO.

PASTA LUNCH BUFFET MON. - FRI. | 11:30A – 2P Come in Tuesday & Thursday for our Downtown Localite Lunch Special where the pasta buffet is only $10!

Rosella Coffee Co.

203 E. JONES AVE. ♢ (210) 277-8574 ROSELLACOFFEE.COM

Rosella’s two-story loft has plenty of space for you and your friends to hang out, meet up or work on group projects. If you get carried away into the afternoon talking or working, you’ll find that Rosella transitions into a fun evening spot, offering wine and an extensive selection of Texas craft beer. Who knows, you might get a little extra brilliance from whatever you choose to sip on.

Sip

160 E. HOUSTON ST. ♢ (210) 222-0149 FACEBOOK.COM/SIPBREWBAR

Buffet offers soup of the day, salad bar, customized pasta platter and dessert spread.

For reservations please call 210 510 4477 123 Losoya Street sanantonio.regency.hyatt.com Located inside the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk

ngry for more? u H SACurrent.com visit

This quaint little cafe offers a wide selection of coffee and juice. The Americano is one of the best in the city. You can also grab breakfast here as it offers an impressive menu of sandwiches and platters. Be sure to try the Sexy Sandwich that comes with a perfect combo of avocado, bacon and egg.

The Fairview Coffee Bar & Grub 3428 N. ST. MARY’S ST. ♢ (210) 731-8009 THEFAIRVIEWSATX.COM

S U M M E R

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The Mulberry and St. Mary's intersection was blessed with a quaint and retro shop that treats beans the right way. Owners John Sanchez and Whitney Collins roast their own beans, fire up a mean weekend brunch and keep us all happy with vegan doughnuts from The Cake Thieves.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 79 ▶

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F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

VOTED BEST

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

BY YOU! 3lb.

cinnamon roll!

918 N Main Ave • San Antonio, TX 78212 • 210.222.9422 • LulusBakeryandCafe.com sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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HOME OF THE

S U M M E R

AS SEEN ON

77

San Antonio’s Best

Turkish Grill LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS OPEN 11AM-10PM EVERYDAY

NOW SERVING BEER AND WINE! 8507 McCullough #B13 • 210-399-1645 (LOCATED BEHIND NORTHSTAR MALL)

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IT ALL starts 78

WITH THE BREAD.

555 W Bitters Rd, #115 | (210) 277-8612 | thebreadboxsa.com F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

TRENDS ◄◀ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 75

LAWTO N THE

FA MI LY OF RESTAURANTS

Cappy’s Restaurant, Cappyccino’s & La Fonda on Main COURTESY OF THEORY COFFEE COMPANY

WELCOME new applications OFFER exceptional pay, benefits, training, and opportunities for growth THEORY COFFEE COMPANY

VALUE healthy relationships and a positive working environment APPLY today in person or online.

Email resume to admin@cappysrestaurant, download application from websites below, or visit any restaurant M-F, 2:00-5:00PM .

www.CappysRestaurant.com • www.LaFondaOnMain.com

Theory Coffee Company

2347 NACOGDOCHES ROAD ♢ (512) 507-3025 FACEBOOK.COM/THEORYCOFFEE

Manned solely by a man with beard enough for two, Mark Vollmer’s coffee trailer offers quality coffee and pastries to cappucino-craving commuters at 410 and Nacogdoches. Grip an iced latte (there’s house-made almond milk for vegans, too) and admire one of the classic muscle cars that frequently stop by.

The Wander’N Calf Espresso Bar & Bakery 128 W. BLANCO ROAD, SUITE 9, BOERNE 830-331-9156 ♢WANDERNCALF.COM

1415 S. PRESA ST., SUITE 107 (210) 465-9478 ♢ WECOFFEECOMPANY.COM

The latest micro-roaster to hit Southtown comes via Jose Carlos de Colina, a Rio Grande Valley transplant.

Pick up the usual latte or a bag of beans for your own brewing pleasure.

MONDAY- THURSDAY: 5:30AM-9PM FRIDAY: 5:30AM-10PM SATURDAY: 5:30AM-11PM SUNDAY: 7AM-3PM 521 E Woodlawn Ave. • 210.737.8646 sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

S U M M E R

White Elephant Coffee Co.

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Situated just off Boerne’s Main Street, The Wander’N Calf shares retail space with boutique bakery, Sugar Belle’s Bake Shop. Run by South Florida transplant Wendy Riggott, the menu boasts a host of well-curated sips, including 100 percent Ethiopian Yirgacheffe cold-brew coffee and the most legit Cubano this side of Miami.

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Participating restaurants will offer a prix-fixe menu – encompassing a three-course lunch and dinner – for one of two different tiers.

Tier 1: $15 Lunch/$35 Dinner Tier 2: $10 Lunch/$25 Dinner

For more information, visit culinariasa.org.

Restaurant week

Twitter: @culinariasa Facebook.com/CulinariaSanAntonio Instagram: @culinariasa

S U M M E R

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AUGUST 13-27, 2016

sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

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TRENDS

A S A N

A N T O N I O

As Paleteria San Antonio opens at Hemisfair, we're finding more ways to stay cool with paletas JESSICA ELIZARRARAS | @JESSELIZARRARAS

O

S U M M E R

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BRIAN CARON

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n June 7, as temperatures dawdled up to the high 80s and urban creatives made their way to the rescheduled Pecha Kucha Vol. 22 at Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair (434 S. Alamo St.), Paleteria San Antonio made its official debut as the park’s first tenant.

Opened by husband-and-wife team Joey and Cecy Rodriguez, Paleteria San Antonio drew a steady crowd with free paletas, but the tiny shop inside the historic Pereida House was able to handle the popsicle madness because they had been open for almost three weeks.

Though the shops were announced in late 2015, construction on the historic homes has been predictably slow. You can’t just take a home built in 1883 and toss a kitchen in there. More tenants, including the Danny Delgado-owned Con Safos, and a brewpub, OK Eishaus, will also open inside postbellum homes.

In its soft opening phase, the Rodriguezes along with their precocious 2-yearold daughter, were able to glean early reactions to their simple, but delicious product, the recipes for which aren’t actually written down anywhere. Early crowds have consisted of Magik Theatre summer campers, neighborhood regulars and F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

those looking for sweet treats.

“We have a big crowd on weekends,” Cecy said.

“Those are my favorite days.”

As of right now, PSA has 54 varieties of paletas and carry more than a dozen each day. Joey, 28, who learned the paleta craft from his father at La Gran Michoacana, usually whips up new batches of whatever’s needed three or four times a week at an off-site commercial kitchen in the city’s South Side. His day starts early in the mornings with trips to H-E-B to hand-pick the produce and he’ll make it into the shop at 10 a.m. From there, a 13-hour day ensues with Joey chopping and blending all the fruits, pouring them into molds, placing wooden popsicle sticks in each and packaging every single paleta by hand.

The popsicles hover at the $3 range and include popular flavors such as Lucas and watermelon, mango, avocado, pistachio and Oreo.

The young couple’s passion and their tasty product was part of what earned them a spot in the redeveloped site. As Drew Hicks, communications manager for Hemisfair put it, the paletas won the staff over.

“Joey walked in, said here’s how to get in touch with me, here’s some paletas ... meanwhile [their daughter] is running around the office. Five minutes later, he’s gone and we just looked at each other like ‘I guess we got free paletas,’” Hicks said.

Paletas Galore

Paletas are by no means new to San Antonio.

El Paraiso Ice Cream has been cooling down palates (and heating them up simultaneously with the Lucas-laced pops) since 1984. The process of making these sub-zero treats is relatively easy, and the advent of real ingredients in everything has thankfully dripped into paletas. With the addition of SA Pops (3420 N. St. Mary’s St., 210-882-8903) in 2013 and now Paleteria San Antonio (510 S. Alamo St., Suite 104, 210-954-6753), it’s increasingly hard to navigate SA without stumbling on paletas in all sorts of iterations.

Here’s where you can get your fix these days.

.

lick honest ice creams

At Pearl in San Antonio,Texas

ilikelick.com

510 S Alamo suite 104 210-954-6753 | paleteriasanantonio.com sacurrent.com • F L A V O R

S U M M E R

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FROZEN TREATS WITH REAL INGREDIENTS

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Cafe & Hookah A Colorful Blend Of Middle Eastern & Contemporary Ambience

SHARING THE MOST INNOVATIVE ARTISTS WITH SAN ANTONIO AND THE WORLD visit us: S U M M E R

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WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY 12-5pm

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445 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78205 210.212.4900 artpace.org F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

TRENDS

Farmers Market Cool Down Head to the 78209 Farmers Market (1800 Nacogdoches Road) on Sundays 10 to 2 p.m. and get a refresher from the WaterBar Company. Owned by market organizer Stephanie Guerrero, the infused water booth launched in February. They cater to weddings, parties, events and corporate clients with infused H20, but come weekends Guerrero and co. add all-natural popsicles, such as watermelon, limeade, mangonada and hibiscus tea, to their lineup.

Sweetened with either small amounts of raw turbinado sugar, agave or coconut sugar, the popsicles are $3 each and change seasonally. A recent market favorite has been seasonal sliced seasonal fruit combined with coconut water. Guerrero shared her recipe below: • Purchase home molds from Walmart, Target or a Dollar store • Fill each mold with 4 ounces of coconut water or coconut flavored water (Mix it up with coconut with lemonade, pineapple, açaí, etc…)

• Stir in a tiny pinch of sea salt.

• Add fresh asorted fruit cut into pieces for each mold. Freeze for 8-10 hours.

• Remove popsicles and enjoy!

At Trinity Farmers Market (609 N. Campus Drive), which launched this March, market-goers will find the quaint Pop’topia Pops cart. Based out of New Braunfels and operated by Zack Salsman, Pop’topia carts can also be found at the New Braunfels Farm to Market, Barton Creek Farmers Market in Austin, Good Earth Market off Eisenhauer and Castle Hills Farm to Market with more than 30 flavors. What sets Pop’topia Pops apart from their cool brethren is their smooth texture. Salsman uses a sorbet style recipe for his vegan pops, and an ice cream recipe for his dairy bars. Favorites are also unfortunately seasonal. That batch of grapefruit popsicles will be this year’s last, while he’s now starting to play with mango variations. Peek inside the cart and reach for cucumber lime, dark chocolate truffle or matcha and make sure to share your thoughts with Salsman who personally tweaks each recipe.

Jungle Bird Paleta First layer • 4 ounces Campari • 10 ounces applesauce • 8 ounces strawberry puree • Freeze for at least eight hours, adding popscicle sticks at the 4-hour mark.

Second layer • 6 ounces Bacardi Black • 12 ounces pineapple juice • 6 ounces lime juice • 4 ounces simple syrup.

• Mix and pour over first frozen layer and freeze overnight.

Add A Crunch It’s 2016. Adding Pop Rocks to food isn’t entirely new or exciting ... or is it? At Paper Tiger, Chris Cullum takes the puro San Anto paletas from El Paraiso and tops them with said explosive candy for funky combination of flavors out of his Attaboy food truck. At $3 a pop, the combinations are near endless, but a recent pickle juice paleta with blue raspberry was particularly refreshing on a humid weeknight. Grab one after dancing your ass off at a show.

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Maybe you need hard liquor paired with your favorite childhood treat? For times like these, several restaurants in San Antonio are cooling down cocktails with an icy pop. The trend may have started last year as Jason Dady opened Shuck Shack (520 E. Grayson St., 210-236-7422) on Fourth of July weekend with a “Limonade” cocktail of Deep Eddy Lemonade, a lime paleta and splash of Topo Chico, perfect for patio pounding.

Or visit Park Social (224 E. Olmos Drive, 210-822-0100) for this year’s iteration of their rumsicle. Bar manager David Naylor takes on the tiki Jungle Bird in popsicle form and combines it with more dark rum and Topo. Here’s the recipe if you’re hoping to get popsicle-wasted.

To complete the Jungle Bird, Naylor adds 1 ounce Bacardi Black, splash of lime, splash of simple and Topo Chico.

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hus spoke Henry V, in Shakespeare’s play of the same name, on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt; the “band of brothers” term has been appropriated multiple times since — so we’ll just borrow it one more time.

But this time for a less militaristic fraternity, the brotherhood of bartenders. It’s a tight-knit one.

And instead of talking about shedding blood, let’s turn instead to the notion of sharing it: in San Antonio, there are more actual blood brothers in the profession (commonly referred to as “the industry”) than you might ever have imagined.

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He moved from there to Jeret’s old haunt, the Contessa, then, not yet feeling the industry passion of his elder brother, left for an entrepreneurial job at The Scooter Store in New Braunfels — which turned out badly for all concerned.

“I applied to lots of 9-5 jobs and then Ron [Herrera] and Lutfy [Flores] gave me a job as a bouncer at SoHo — it was better than unemployment,” Jorel says. (It should be noted that Jorel might be the younger, but he’s also sturdier.)

With Brooklynite then underway, Jeret plucked Jorel away from SoHo to become a bar back (“bar bitch” might have been the term). Learning at the Rob Gourlay “boot camp,” (“you’re off — do it over”), Jorel says he finally gained enough experience to become an actual bartender “and not suck.” He can now be found, fully confident, at places such as the upscale Last Word.

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before its revamp by consultant, Sasha Petraske.

“I learned indirectly from Tim [Bryand] and Chris [Ware] who did work there with Sasha,” says Jeret — who by this time was working occasionally at Steve Mahoney’s Green Lantern, then heading up the bar at now-defunct Le Midi down Houston from Bohanan’s.

“I still miss the antique glassware I collected for that bar,” he says.

Moving from Le Midi to The Esquire Tavern, Jeret did some mentoring of his own with current bar stars Karah Carmack, Rob Gourlay, Javi Gutierrez, Steve Martín and Jonny Yumol. His next leap was to his own place, The Brooklynite; he took people such as Gourlay with him.

In the early stages of all this, Jorel was working in insurance and “[Jeret] begged me to come work with him at the Valencia. I got a job in banquet room service, and when Jeret did V Bar, I got on as banquet bartender.”

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he first booze-slinging siblings to come to my attention were Jeret and Jorel Peña; you know them best from the family enterprise, The Boulevardier Group, that runs The Brooklynite, The Last Word, Stay Golden Social House, The Old Main Assoc. and most recently Rumble, but the back story is way more complex.

Born 14 months apart, Jeret, the oldest at 35, began his career at the then-new Hotel Contessa from which he moved on to Pesca (now Ostra), all the while also filling in at the Hotel Valencia’s V Bar during the time when there was a precraft-cocktail circuit on Houston Street comprised of places such as Suede, The Davenport and Zen Bar — “you didn’t have to know shit,” he admits.

Somewhere in there he learned more than shit about tequila, studies that landed him a job as a brand ambassador for Partida.

He left that gig after two years to help open the downstairs bar at Bohanan’s

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another’s sentences, but you have the feeling that they could.)

More shuffling went on, with Jordan helping Petrasketrained Matty Gee open Juniper Tar “after all the money had been spent; I even painted urinals. But [Matty] was like a gargoyle over my shoulder getting me to do things right.”

Jake, meanwhile, had opened a custom ice business and planned to do bar consulting … fast forward to Jordan, now back at Bohanan’s, winning Patron’s Margarita of the Year award and Jake having taken a post as general manager of the soon-to-open Jazz, TX at the Pearl where his cocktails will play on classics but with Texas ingredients. (Josh, who never really got behind a bar professionally, but has “an enthusiasm for spirits”, has recently been promoted to catering manager at Bohanan’s.) Jordan will also be helping formulate the menu – “not centered on pre-Prohibition cocktails” — at Mark Bohanan’s newest venture, Peggy’s on the Green at Ye Kendall Inn in Boerne.

“I’m happy with the way things are going,” says Jake, in regards both to the cocktail movement and their personal lives.

In response to the question “Are we in danger of losing either of you?” I get a wry smile from Jordan and this from Jake (or was it Jordan?): “We’re gypsies by nature.” And from Jordan (or was it Jake?): “Everybody wants to have their own place.”

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ohanan’s street-level bar has been an incubator for many of SA’s finest, craft-oriented bartenders, and the Corney brothers (there are three of them) are a prime example. Jordan, 31, was the first to arrive for our interview (Josh, 35, couldn’t make it), so he got to spin the origin story.

“Josh started [in the industry] in McAllen where we’re from, bounced around and ended up at the Tower of the Americas when Scott Becker [now at Bohanan’s] was manager. My first job was at Starbucks in the Valley; I then came up here to live with Josh and go to UTSA and got a job as Scott’s busboy.”

Jordan then moved back down to the Valley where he says he “was trying to sell craft cocktails to a Bud Light and Margarita crowd.” He and Jake, 29, effectively switched places with Jake going straight to the newly-opened Bohanan’s where Becker was now manager and Petraske took him under his wing. Before long, Jake, who had quickly become head bartender, told him “you need to get back up here.”

“Sasha wanted people without experience so he didn’t have to undo bad habits; he had it all down to a science: temperature, alcohol content … I don’t think that way every time [I make a drink], but it was good to learn it,” says Jake.”

“But it ruins you for having a proper Manhattan anywhere else,” interjects Jordan. (They don’t actually finish one

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manager and bar honcho at NAO, a position partly bequeathed to him by Tim, and where he has taken up the baton of working with exotic Latin liqueurs such as the traditional spirit of Bolivia, the pisco-like singani.

Tim’s continuing resumé, filled in by Josh when he left something out, is much more complicated, so we’ll skim the top: Piatti, La Mansion del Rio, Mi Tierra (“I totally didn’t fit in”), Coco, SoHo, then as a first hire at Bohanan’s. But wait, there’s more: from Bohanan’s to a cameo at Esquire, back to SoHo in management, then to Vino Volo at the airport, after which the CIA/NAO opportunity came along.

“I even taught hospitality classes, gave lectures, graded papers,” he says somewhat wistfully.

These days, Tim is in the Steve Mahoney camp, mostly at George’s Keep, occasionally at Brigid, and will help open up Japanese-themed Hanzo in Alamo Heights.

“So when do you open your own bar,” I ask? “We have talked about it; we work well together,” says Tim. Confirming the compatibility, while brushing beard trimmings off of Tim’s shirt, Josh says, “Tim and I are against snooty bartenders, too much education required … it’s all about hospitality. And Aaron [the youngest brother, who went into the military] can wash dishes.” To start, of course.

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oes he always talk faster than you do?” I ask Tim Bryand, 34, of his younger brother Josh, 33. “He talks faster than anybody,” replies Timmy (as many call him) — fondly, it seems.

And these so-called “Irish twins” (a slang term for siblings born within 12 months of one another) do seem to have a closer bond than many, despite pretty divergent paths to the same goal. Tim began in the industry as a host at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen at age 16. Josh soon followed, about which he says, “[They figured] Tim’s good, might as well get Josh,” adding that “Tim has stayed in the industry more than me.” “I have no aspirations for anything else,” confesses Tim. “When you’re a natural what else do you do?” adds Josh, whose natural talents might have led him to a career in music following his graduation from Trinity with a focus on piano, organ and composition.

Fortunately for us, neither sibling stayed at Pappadeaux. Tim, who had been made a manager, was gone by age 22 (“I was young, I fraternized, I got fired. I might otherwise still be there.”), Josh left two years later to finish his degree, did home sales for a time, went back to Pappadeaux in management for several years, opened Arcade with Chris Ware, jumped ship to a financial services group, left for Chili’s, then ended up in his current post as assistant

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ago, when he moved on to Peña’s Boulevardier group. When asked who his most important bar influences have been, he immediately says, “Adrian, No. 1.” “Bullshit,” counters Adrian. Other important mentors have been Roy Guerrero (he worked with him briefly at Concrete Jungle), Houston Eaves and Myles Worrell (both at Esquire) and Rob Gourlay.

“He initially thought that anyone could do a bartender’s job (there was actually more colorful language), but he later came back to me and said ‘you’re right; there’s a culture here,’ and now he’s one of us — for better or for worse,” says Adrian, who plunged right into the culture without hesitation — first at a high-volume vodka bar in Dallas.

“It was all function and no passion,” Adrian says.

He undid Dallas by moving to

Manhattan for nearly six years, where, among other things, he worked as a manager for one of Tom Colicchio’s restaurants. Passion for craft cocktails was developed in part by visits to one of Sasha Petraske’s properties, Dutch Kills.

Returning to Texas, Adrian put that all to use at Esquire, then Brooklynite, Blue Box (where he was manager of events and marketing) and Brigid.

Wanting to get back behind a bar, his newest venture is as part of the opening bar team at Botika, the Peruvian-Asian restaurant taking over the old Arcade space at Pearl.

Vicente, meanwhile, remains with The Boulevardier Group but has also opened a tax preparation franchise where he does some pro-bono work for local bartenders. “It helps pay the bills,” he admits.

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he nomadic nature of bar guys is equally apparent in the Sarabia brothers, Adrian and Vicente.

“He got me involved,” says Vincent, 37, of Adrian, 35. But not before a lot of other career moves: paralegal in a law firm, real estate and commercial debt placement in Dallas (which he still does), “but at age 33 I wanted to be more active. Sitting at a desk, you want to be outside that window,” he says.

The window is a metaphor, of course, since he segued to The Esquire Tavern where brother Adrian and Jeret Peña were holding fort.

“I worked 8-10 hours a day as bar back and in the kitchen and lost 20 pounds, but I certainly wouldn’t change it,” Vicente says.

Even after Adrian left to work with Peña at The Brooklynite, Vicente remained — until about a year

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didn’t make sense at the time.”

He also briefly managed a juice bar, but once he decided to jettison all that and got hired as a busboy at Esquire, “I knew from the start I wanted to be a bartender,” he says. Both credit Esquire’s Eaves and Worrell as influences, but, not having been brought up in the Bohanan’s/ Petraske school, have a slightly different take on craft cocktails.

“The same booze can yield many different results,” says Gerard; “It’s like the way a guitar can play lots of different styles.” “Craft is not the only thing,” adds Steven.

The brothers are currently working at Swig where they were hired to change up the menu a little. When asked about the difference in patrons from Esquire to Swig, they freely admit that this is a different kind of setting. “I was never a slow bartender, but I also didn’t know [drinks such as] the Star Fucker and the Three Legged Monkey,” says Steven. This hasn’t stopped

him from coming up with a section of the new menu called “Timeless Cocktails”, based on a timeline from 1790 to 1910. “You can’t completely change the world, and you have to have fun.

We have fun here,” says Gerard.

They would probably have fun no matter where they were (and based on experiences from a recent vacation to New Zealand, they might even take a work sabbatical there in the future).

“We’re not always working together, but we see one another as a bartending team,” says Steven, to which Gerard adds, “living and working together, we have similar palates, and we have our own phrases even from childhood…you also benefit from having people you can trust.” The sentiment apparently resonates with youngest brother Nicholas, freshly back from a semester abroad in France and now at Swig for the summer.

“I can definitely see myself working in the industry for a while,” he admits.

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hough many of the above bros in the business may have lived together in the past, most now do not.

An exception is the Rickhoff brothers, Gerard, 25, and Steven, 23. Gerard was working in Sylvia Romo’s tax office when he decided to walk across Main Plaza to The Esquire Tavern and take the plunge.

“Houston Eaves was literally the first person I met, and I was hired as a busboy the same day.” He later moved on to barback, a rite of passage, for seven months. “I never actually thought I’d end up bartending,” he admits, but it seems to have worked out. “I was answering phones and writing letters [to unhappy taxpayers], and now I get smiles—even though I see people at highs and lows,” he says.

Steven didn’t start out in the industry, having first gone to real estate school “where everybody was a bartender—it

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oga and beer. Two words that most folks would usually not expect in the same sentence, let alone actually be involved with each other.

Times are a-changin’ though and a growing movement known as “brewga,” which involves the meditative practice of yoga, while enjoying a finely crafted ale or lager, has gone crazy throughout the United States and has definitely put down roots in San Antonio.

These days, practicioners of this ancient Hindu way of improving health and relaxation also eat red meat, drink beer and then some. Ages definitely vary and all participants seek some level of spiritual discipline, as well as a balance in their lives while imbibing a fine handcrafted brew. So why not bend and imbibe on a few beers?

San Antonio saw its first blend of yoga and beer in 2011, when Dallas transplant Cassandra Fauss began teaching yoga locally. That same year she launched “Tap That Asana” during San Antonio’s first-ever Beer Week and the practice is still held every year since at The Friendly Spot in Southtown. Two short years later, Fauss launched Mobile Om, taking yoga out of the classroom to unique locations around the city.

Fauss first gained a love of good brews and the knowledge to back it up, while working at both The Flying Saucer and The Gingerman craft beer pubs in Dallas.

“I fell in love with good beer and learned a lot about various styles while serving,” says Fauss. “For me it was only natural to combine beer into my yoga when I later started teaching.”

Mobile Om holds regular classes at Freetail Brewing every Thursday evening at 7 p.m. inside the brewhouse. After class, yogis will congregate in the

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brewery’s taproom for a few cold ones. Fauss also holds classes Wednesdays on the Historic Hays Street Bridge right next to the Alamo Beer Co. and craft beer bar Big Hops, both of which see many yogis popping in to a quick pint before heading home.

Hope Cowgill Pedraza, owner of InBalance SA, has recently also started once a month yoga classes at Freetail Brewing on the first Friday of every month at 6 p.m.

"We wanted to provide an opportunity for people who might not consider themselves ‘yogis’ to try yoga in a stress-free, no-pressure environment. Sometimes a yoga studio can be intimidating to people, so why not entice them with some cold brews,” says Pedraza.

“It just gives people another way to come together as a community and find common ground,” says Pedraza.

Pedraza’s yoga and beer classes meet at 11 a.m. every second Saturday of the month at The Point Park and Eats, a food craft beer and food truck park, as well as every third Saturday at La Gloria located on Dominion Crossing at 10:30 a.m.

Whether you’re in it for the beer or the Zen, check these classes out, grab a cold one after and get your asana on.

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HighWheel Beerworks spreads brews around Downtown

hese days, it is not unusual to find a brewery that also distills spirits or vice versa. However you slice it though, it is hard to deny that San Antonio has cornered the market on this combined business model in Texas.

Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling started the party off in 2010 when they released their first brews along with their .36 Small Caliber series Texas Bourbon the following year. Joining Ranger Creek is HighWheel Beerworks located at 1902 S. Flores St. in San Antonio’s revitalized South Flores district, making both breweries the only combined operations in Texas.

HighWheel Beerworks is the brewing side of Dorcol, makers of Kinsman, a Serbian spirit known as Rakia. Dorcol debuted the Kinsman brand in December 2013 and announced last December that they would be adding a brewing component to the company.

Preceded by a soft opening during San Antonio Beer Week this past April, HighWheel officially debuted May 21, 2016 much to the joy of Dorcol founders and college friends Chris Mobley and Boyan Kalusevic, as well as a new partner and longtime homebrewer, Randy Ward.

Ward who has been homebrewing for more than 20 years, (and earned a medal or two along the way) met Mobley and Kalusevic at small business

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incubator Café Commerce, where they found common ground. With Ward already looking to take the next step, Dorcol had its brewer.

Brewed off their seven barrel brewing system obtained from Brew Bilt Manufacturing, three of their four core beers have already been released and are currently available at Liberty Bar in Southtown, as well as Lüke and Francis Bogside. The four year-round offerings include 56, a West Coast-style IPA with notes of citrus and piney hops; the aptly named Porter, a malty and slightly hop-forward American Porter; Betty, a crisp and light German Kölsh; and Coq Hardi, an American Farmhouse ale with tart notes and a peppery finish, which was released in mid-July.

This hyper-local focus may be a product of necessity at the moment as they look to expand organically, however, the guys are embracing it.

“We love being in Southtown and contributing to its revitalization,” said Kalusevic. “Serving just our immediate community in San Antonio gives us great satisfaction.”

Though their availability is confined to the Downtown area for now, expect HighWheel Beerworks to expand out to other areas of San Antonio soon. Beer enthusiasts eager for a taste can always stop by their taproom for a flight or a pint Thursday through Friday.

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Culinaria Fall Restaurant Weeks During this year’s Culinaria, San Antonians can grub on some of the best food from the finest restaurants in the Alamo City for two entire weeks. Restaurants will feature three-course prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner ($10-$15 and $25-$35, respectively). Some of the participating restaurants thus far are Bliss, Biga on the Banks and Shuck Shack, to name a few.

For each meal, restaurants donate to Culinaria, which provides the means for students to enter into culinary fields. Multiple locations, August 13-27, culinariasa.org.

Brews and Blooms This hoppy event brings together two beautiful things: flowers and beer. When the heat of summer begins to fade (it will happen, promise), the San Antonio Botanical Gardens provides the perfect setting for a relaxing evening, complete with food truck fare and music. September 10, sabot.org.

Untapped Festival Untapped Festival has already taken place in Dallas, Forth Worth, Austin and Houston, and now San Antonio joins that list. The festival, which combines indie music and beer, comes to San Antonio on September 17. Details are still in the works, but you will definitely want to stay tuned, because this festival is sure to be kickass. September 17, untapped-festival.com.

Greek Funstival The 56th Annual FUNstival brings Greek culture to SA in mid-October at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church. With music, dance, food and wine, the festival will have you saying “opa!” Dates TBA, stsophiagoc.org.

Gruene Music And Wine Festival The festival originally began in 1987 as a one-day event and has now become a fourday event that celebrates Texan, German and Americana music, wine, beer and food.

Get some liquid courage and jump on to this storied dance floor. October 6-9, Gruene Hall, gruenemusicandwinefestival.org.

Lebanese Food Festival Experience the Lebanese culture with entertainment, dance, music and food. But let’s focus on the food: hummus, baklavas, falafels and so much pita bread. October 28-30 St. George Maronite Church, stgeorgesa.org.

Oktoberfest At Beethoven Maennerchor If you can’t make it to Wurstfest, don’t fret, you can eat all the brats and drink all of the Spaten Oktoberfest your belly desires at Beethoven’s two-weekend long Oktoberfest (October 7-8 and 14-15) here in SATX. Prost! Prices vary, beethovenmaennerchor.com.

San Antonio Beer Festival Beer lovers, rejoice! With over 300 brews, from porters and stouts to ciders and pale ales, the Beer Festival takes over Lockwood and Dignowity Parks on October 15. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy live music while sipping on a cold beer. Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday. October 15, tickets on sale now at sanantoniobeerfestival.com.

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DEC. KAY RICHTER

Wurstfest German history runs deep in the Texas Hill Country.

Celebrate it with lots of beers, music, carnival rides and, of course, sausage (which puts the wurst in wurstfest). The 10-day festival takes place in New Braunfels. Get those lederhosens ready, y’all.

November 4-13, wurstfest.com.

La Gran Tamalada The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center hosts the annual community event, which brings together the tradition of making tamales with storytelling.

Cultural experts show participants how to make the delicious golden-wrapped tamales, so you can take the tradition home with you. Date TBA, guadalupeculturalarts.org.

NOV.

Dia De Los Muertos The traditional Mexican holiday, Dia De Los Muertos, is a celebration where departed loved ones are commemorated and remembered. Altars (ofrendas) are set up around the city where beautiful art is displayed and poetry readings and calaveras (skulls) processions take place. People honor their deceased loved ones by placing sugar skulls, marigolds and the departed person’s favorite food and drinks on the altars. November 2, multiple locations.

Tamales! at the Pearl Here in South Texas, winter (or even Christmas dinner) isn’t complete without some tamales. Tamales! at the Pearl features over 40 tamale vendors ranging in price from $1-$5. Lines do tend to get crazy, so head out there early to snag some of the best tamales in San Anto, and don’t forget to bring cash! Usually the first week in December, atpearl.com.

4th Annual Tango of the Vines Tango of the Vines showcases some of the tastiest wine from the Texas Hill Country (Yeah, we can make wine too, California!). This festival takes place at the Lambermont Castle. Relax in the outdoor gardens, sample food from local restaurants and sip on the nectar of the gods. Proceeds from the event benefit the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation. November 4, afesupport.org.

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ANDREW LOPEZ

Diwali Diwali, the festival of lights, coincides with the Hindu New Year and celebrates the victory of light over dark, good over evil. This free event features Indian music, dances and cuisine, vendor booths and a lighting ceremony. November 5, La Villita, diwalisa.com.

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Raise a pint to conservation.

Thursday, October 6 7 p.m. to 1 1 p.m.

Join us at the San Antonio Zoo for our 2nd annual Croctoberfest. It’s a wild evening filled with Bier and Brats. So don your Dirndl and Lederhosen, raise your glass and say “Prost!” to all the creatures of the Earth.

TICKETS & INFO AT SAZOO.ORG 7/25/16 3:58 PM

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ADVERTISERS INDEX 281

FAR NORTH CENTRAL

FAR WEST SIDE

1604

NORTHWEST

NORTH CENTRAL

10

FAR NORTHEAST

FAR NORTHEAST

NORTHWEST

35

16

INNER WEST SIDE

281

NORTHEAST

FAR WEST SIDE

CENTRAL

410

10

INNER WEST SIDE

35

87

FAR WEST SIDE

35 87

90

90

10

10

DOWNTOWN

1604

EAST SIDE

ALAMO HEIGHTS + TERRELL HILLS

EAST SIDE

SOUTH SAN ANTONIO

410

35 37

FAR NORTHEAST1604

NORTHEAST

NORTHWEST

SOUTH SIDE 87

INNER WEST SIDE FAR EAST

EAST SIDE

410

MICHELLE LORENTZEN

FAR WEST SIDE

NORTHEAST

NORTH CENTRAL

NORTHWEST

SOUTH SIDE

SOUTH SAN ANONTIO

INNER WEST SIDE

CENTRAL

EAST SIDE

DOWNTOWN

ALAMO HEIGHTS/ TERRELL HILLS

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37

Nectar Wine Bar and Ale House 214 Broadway, (210) 375-4082 Bar

Artpace 445 N. Main Ave., (210) 212-4900 Gallery

Paramour 102 9th St., (210) 340-9880 Bar

Agave Apartments 633 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 858-1581 Living

S U M M E R

281

Rosario’s Mexican Cafe Y Cantina 910 S. Alamo St., (210) 223-1806 Mexican

Bar 414/Market on Houston 205 E. Houston St., (210) 554-1721 American, Bar

108

Molina’s San Antonio Country Store 700 N. Alamo St., (210) 444-0711 Market

F L A V O R • sacurrent.com

DOWNTOWN FAR NORTH CENTRAL

1604

Downtown

CENTRAL

FAR EAST

SOUTH SIDE FAR NORTHEAST

35

FAR EAST

Bite 1012 S. Presa St., (210) 532-2551 Modern

San Antonio Museum of Art 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100 Museum

Institute of Texan Cultures 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd., (210) 458-2300 Museum

Luciano Ristorante Italiano 849 E. Commerce St., (210) 223-0500 Italian

Keva Smoothie Co. Paleteria San Antonio 315 E. Commerce St., Suite 102, 510 South Alamo St. Suite 104, (888) 935-2412 (210) 954-6753 Special Diets Dessert Kimura Whip Stitch Custom Cakes 152 E. Pecan St. Suite 102, 1010 S. Flores St., Suite 116, (210) 444-0702 Asian (210) 592-1404 Desserts Ruth’s Chris 600 E. Market St., The Aztec Theatre (210) 227-8847 104 N. St. Mary’s St., American (210) 812-4355 Venue

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624 Venue Friendly Spot 943 S. Alamo St., (210) 224-2337 American, Bar GS 1221 1221 Broadway, Suite 116, (210) 251-3184 Bar

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The Big Bib BBQ 104 Lanark Drive, (210) 654-8400 Barbecue Bok Choy 5130 Broadway, (210) 437-2200 Asian The Barbecue Station and Catering 1610 NE 410 Loop, (210) 824-9191 Barbecue Cappy’s Restaurant 5011 Broadway, 210) 828-9669 Modern Cheesy Jane’s 4200 Broadway, (210) 826-0800 American Earl Abel’s 1201 Austin Hwy., Suite 175, (210) 822-3358 American Mila Coffee 2202 Broadway, (210) 929-3678 Coffee The Pigpen 106 Pershing Ave., (210) 267-9136 Bar Urban Taco 290 E. Basse Road, Suite 105, (210) 332-5149 Mexican Tong’s Thai 1146 Austin Hwy., (210) 829-7345 Asian Picante Grill 3810 Broadway, (210) 822-3797 Mexican Piranha Killer Sushi 260 E. Basse Road, Suite 101, (210) 822-1088 Asian

5 Points Local 1017 N. Flores St., (210) 267-2652 Special Diets Lick Honest Ice Creams 312 Pearl Pkwy., Building 2, Suite 2101, (210) 314-8166 Desserts

Y EVERP R E K PO AY AT 8 M! TUESD

Lily’s Cookies 2716 McCullough Ave., (210) 832-0886 Desserts Lulu’s Bakery and Cafe 918 N. Main Ave., (210) 224-5001 American Luther’s Cafe 1503 N. Main Ave, (210) 223-7727 American Ilsong Garden 6905 Blanco Road, (210) 366-4508 Asian The Old Main Assoc.

2512 N. Main Ave., (210) 562-3440 Bar, American El Milagrito Cafe 521 E. Woodlawn Ave., (210) 737-8646 Mexican Chris Madrid’s 1900 Blanco Road, (210) 735-3552 American Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club 618 NW Loop 410, Suite 312, (210) 541-8805 Venue TBA 2801 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 320-1753 Bar

N OKE O S! A R A K ESDAY N D E W Happy Hour from 4-7pm Open 7 days a week 11am-midnight 2525 S WW White Rd. | 210.616.2313

R

af es RESTAURANT & BAR

GREAT FOOD • DANCING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Open for Lunch & Dinner | Closed Mondays

Mediterranean Turkish Grill 8507 McCullough Ave., (210) 399-1645 Mediterranean Grill Armadillos Texas Style Burger 1423 McCullough Ave., 210) 226-7556 American

Botika 303 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 111, (210) 670-7684 Fusion

Happy hour: Tuesday-Friday 11AM-6PM &Tuesday-Thursday 9pM-11PM 1039 NE Loop 410 • 210.826.7118

www.rafflesrestaurantandbar.net • raffles.restaurantandbar@gmail.com

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Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub 5148 Broadway St., (210) 822-7673 Pub

Central

S U M M E R

Alamo Heights/ Terrell Hills

SPORT’S GRILL

109

A BEER

YO U C A N H AV E A

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BEER WITH 110

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY © 2016 A-B, Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO

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North Central WiseGuysA Chicago Eatery 441 W. Nakoma St., (210) 248-9609 American

Smoke Restaurant 700 E. Sonterra Blvd., Suite 1117, (210) 474-0175 Barbecue

South San Antonio Alamo Molino 2600 Commercial Ave., (210) 921-0295 Mexican

Brindles 11255 Huebner Road, (210) 641-5222 Desserts

Mr. Tim’s Burgers and More 3023 S. Presa St., (210) 994-5403 American

CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery 118 Davis Ct., (210) 560-2955 Coffee, Desserts, & Bakery

Bolner’s Meat Company 2900 S. Flores St., (210) 533-5112 Butcher

Saeb Thai & Noodles 226 W. Bitters Road, Suite 124, (210) 290-9670 Asian The Bread Box 555 W. Bitters Road, (210) 277-8612 Coffee, Desserts, & Bakery Keva Smoothie Co. 5238 DeZavala Road, (888) 935-2412 Special Diets Chicago Bagel 10918 Wurzbach Road, Suite 132, (210) 691-2245 American Roux Cajun Firehouse 14355 Blanco Road, (210) 444-9495 American

Far North Central Claude Hoppers 19178 Blanco Road, (210) 479-5445 Pub Mellow Mushroom 115 N. 1604 E., (210) 370-9219 Italian

Luna Rosa Puerto Rican Grill y Tapas 2603 SE Military Drive, Suite 106, (210) 314-3111 Puerto Rican

Far East Texas Pride Barbecue 2980 TX 1604 Loop, (210) 649-3730 Barbecue Pruski’s Market 10140 US-87, (210) 649-2151 Butcher Northwest Fujiya Japanese Garden 9030 Wurzbach Road, (210) 615-7553 Asian Naara Cafe and Hookah 9329 Wurzbach Road, Suite 101, (210) 558-9800 Mediterranean Di Frabo Ristorante Italiano 22211 I-10 W., Suite 1101, (210) 272-0758 Italian

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Bakery Lorraine 306 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 110, (210) 862-5582 Bakery, Desserts & Coffee

Eskimo Hut 18866 Stone Oak Pkwy., Suite 105, (210) 595-3932 Convenience Store

Fruitmix 7007 Bandera Road, Suite 14, (210) 451-1410 Special Diets

S U M M E R

Shuck Shack 520 E. Grayson St., (210) 236-7422 Seafood

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CULTURE

tickets

L O C A L C U LT U R E T I C K E T S . C O M

TICKETS TO THE BEST LOCAL EVENTS AT LOCALCULTURETICKETS.COM

WHISKEY | WINE | LOCAL CUISINE | LIVE MUSIC

WHISKEY BUSINESS | FRI AUG 26 Jack Guenther Pavilion at The Briscoe

Northeast

Miscellaneous

Tejanitas Mexican Restaurant 10704 Perrin Beitel Road, (210) 653-9133 Mexican

CoSA-Metro Health sanantonio.gov/health

Smokin Hot BBQ 5115 Thousand Oaks Drive, (210) 391-5113 Barbecue John The Greek Restaurant 16602 U.S. 281 Access Road, (210) 403-0565 Greek Charlie Brown’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill 11888 Starcrest Drive, Suite 101, (210) 496-7092 American Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling 4834 Whirlwind Drive, (210) 775-2099 Brewery Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub & Grill 16620 U.S. 281, (210) 572-9307 Bar Raffle’s Restaurant & Bar 1039 NE 410, (210) 826-7118 American

showcase

SAN ANTONIO MUSIC SHOWCASES | SEP 24 sa

saturday N.october St. Mary’s strip 15, 2016

tx

S U M M E R

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SAN ANTONIO BEER FESTIVAL | SAT OCT 15

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100+ BREWERIES Maverick Park

SELL YOUR EVENT TICKETS ON LOCALCULTURETICKETS.COM and get FREE PROMOTION in the CURRENT Email:BENEFITING Cyardeni@sacurrent.com www.sanantoniobeerfestival.com

F L A V O R • sacurrent.com @sabeerfest #sabeerfest2016

East Side Loop 13 Sports Bar & Grill 2525 S. W.W. White Road, (210) 616-2313 American

Traders Village San Antonio tradersvillage.com/sanantonio The Trinity Market trinitymarket.trinity.edu Dr. Ralph A. DeFronzo, MD Deep Eddy deepeddy.org Bucay Dermatology drvivianbucay.com Rodriguez Butcher Supply homebutcher.com Anderson Marketing Group andadv.com Bud Light budlight.com Culinaria culinariasa.org Mission Restaurant Supply missionrs.com Lone Star / Pabst Brewing lonestarbeer.com Tito’s titosvodka.com McNay Art Museum mcnayart.org Retama Park Race Track retamapark.com

Tucker’s Kozy Korner 1338 E. Houston St., (210) 320-2192 American

Smirnoff Ice smirnoff.com

Inner West Side

South Texas Spice Co. 2106 Castroville Road, (210) 598-6374

El Chivito Tortas Ahogadas 204 Crossroads Blvd., (210) 369-9638 Mexican

San Antonio Zoo sazoo-aq.org

Spec’s specsonline.com

Far West Side Ethos Coffee 9439 Bandera Road, (210) 523-9089 Coffee

S U M M E R

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BENEFITI NG

www.sanantoniobeerfestival.com @sabeerfest

#sabeerfest2016

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