San Antonio Magazine August 2021 by San Antonio Magazine

SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE AUGUST 202 1

30 best

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restaurants BEST RESTAURANTS / T EJAS RO D EO CO.

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Vol. 16 No. 10

How Ca fé Cotidia no is usin g cof fe e for good

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August FEATURES

WHE R E TO E AT NOW

Get to know the 30 best restaurants in San Antonio right now, from institutions that have helped turn the city into a culinary destination to new eateries putting creative spins on traditional genres.

A N I G HT AT THE ROD EO

The Tejas Rodeo Co. has become a Saturday night tradition in nearby Bulverde. Meet some of its regular competitors, from a high-stakes bull rider to a calf roping pro.

PHOTO BY ASHTON RODGERS

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August D EPART M E N TS

1 4 EDU CATI O N Why St. Mary’s University is preparing students for the growing field of drone engineering. 16 PERSON O F INTEREST The newest associate judge in Bexar County’s Children’s Court uses teamwork and creativity to find homes for youth in foster care. 1 8 CULTU RE Austin may be the music capital of the world, but Garrett T. Capps says there’s no sound like San Antonio’s.

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20 IN FLUEN CER How a fitness pro turned her side hustle into a full-time floral venture. 2 2 A RT Summer exhibitions provide just the excuse we need to head indoors for some art appreciation. 24 ST Y LE Add a few vintage finds to your back-to-school shopping haul thanks to these local shops. 26 T RAVEL Find an end-of-summer reprieve without ever leaving town at these staycation stops.

EAT + DRINK 5 6 S P OT L I G H T Every cup of coffee purchased at Café Cotidiano supports asylum seekers living in San Antonio. 58 DISH Find out how newcomer P. Terry’s stacks up against local standbys Whataburger and Burger Boy.

59 TAST E M A K E R Melody Goeken insists you don’t need a companion to enjoy eating out. 60 SHOP Sweet treats and toughto-find Filipino snacks await at Sari-Sari. 6 2 T H E GU I DE These nine patios are perfect for pups and their parents. 64 FINAL THOUGHT Kids undoubtedly make life more complicated, says Clementine co-owner and pastry chef Elise Russ. But the added challenge is always worthwhile.

ON THE COVER JoMando Cruz spent a week this summer shooting dishes at several of the Best Restaurants (page 28), including the short rib noodles at Botika.

CAFE COTIDIANO AND SHRIMP SNACKS: KATELYN LESTER

IN THE LOOP

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UP FRONT / EDITOR' S NOTEBOOK

ETC.

DINE WITH US This month’s cover feature is coming to life through two intimate dinners at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, Aug. 13-14. Head to sanantoniomag.com/ bestrestaurants to reserve a seat and enjoy a multicourse meal prepared by chefs from some of the city’s best restaurants.

BETTER BURGER? P. Terry’s joined the crowded San Antonio burger scene last month, which left us wondering: whose fast-food burger is best? I conducted a highly unscientific survey and ordered a basic burger, fries and chocolate shake from P. Terry’s, Burger Boy and Whataburger. The results are outlined on page 58 (spoiler alert: each place has its merits), but I’d love to hear which burger you most crave. Cast your vote this month at sanantoniomag.com/ burgerbattle.

Kathleen Petty Editor in Chief kpetty@sanantoniomag.com @kpettysamag

COMING UP NEXT MONTH Made in San Antonio: Meet 10 local makers who craft everything from leather wallets to whimsical dolls and made-to-order jeans.

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PETTY: JOSH HUSKIN; BURGER: COURTESY P. TERRY'S

was strictly a sneakers and sandals kind of kid when my Grandpa E.J. took my brother and I shopping for our first pair of cowboy boots. In town at the same time as Denver’s annual stock show and rodeo, he insisted we have the right footwear before he spent the day teaching us about the different breeds of cattle and horses. The perfect pair of boots should not only fit well, he told us, but also feel just right. So, when I found a pair with the slightest amount of pink stitching, he agreed those were the ones, and he didn’t flinch when my brother selected a pair he felt would match his swim trunks—his preferred item of clothing whenever wearing his boots as a preschooler. With our boots on the next day, we headed to Denver where my grandfather spent hours walking us through the stock show pens before finding us seats at the rodeo to watch bull riders, barrel racers and calf ropers. He told us of our mom’s barrel racing days as part of her 4-H club and of the Charolais cattle he raised on the side while working as a banker in Blue Hill, Nebraska. I’ll admit I never picked up his passion for the stock show and rodeo (and only partly because it turns out that I’m allergic to horses), but I still make a point to attend a rodeo most years, if only for the nostalgia of it. Looking through Ashton Rodgers’ beautiful photos of the Tejas Rodeo Co. in Bulverde (page 44) brought back all of my best memories of the rodeo with my grandpa, from admiring the mounted drill team rider who carries the American flag to cheering for the kids who hold on to their sheep for dear life during the mutton bustin’ event. Whether you grew up attending, or you’re new to the event, the Tejas Rodeo Co. and its small-town atmosphere provide the perfect diversion on a summer Saturday night. My other favorite diversion? Dinner out. Our trusted food writer, Edmund Tijerina, rounds up the 30 best restaurants in San Antonio right now in this issue. Tijerina brings more than a decade of food writing experience plus time as a restaurateur to his selections, which were made along with our editorial staff and work to recognize those eateries that continue to rise to the top, despite the unprecedented challenges of the last 18 months. The top 30 include some San Antonio institutions, like Bruce Auden’s Biga on the Banks, plus more casual options (see The Jerk Shack and 2M Smokehouse) and five newcomers to the dining scene, including Best Quality Daughter and Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. When people ask me which San Antonio restaurants they should try, I always lean on Tijerina’s stories to guide me in answering, and this feature is the perfect place to start if you’re looking for suggestions. I’ve already used it to compile my list of new places to try and of old favorites it’s time I return to. Take a look beginning on page 28 and start making reservations.

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AUGUST 2021 / VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 10 WHAT’S ONE SAN ANTONIO RESTAURANT YOU CAN RETURN TO AGAIN AND AGAIN?

EDITOR IAL EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kathleen Petty

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Chris Warren CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sallie Lewis, Bonny Osterhage, Katherine Stinson, Edmund Tijerina

OPEN S KY MEDI A CEO

Todd P. Paul PRESIDENT

Stewart Ramser

“Just one? I’ll say Guajillo’s, for the Mexico City-style dishes.”

VP OF SALES

Julie A. Kunkle EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Rebecca Fontenot Cord

COPY EDITOR

Patsy Pelton

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Hollis Boice

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Vivian Phillips, Molly Todd A RT ART DIRECTOR

David G. Loyola CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Vicente Martí

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Kerri Nolan “Clementine and we alACCOUNTS MANAGER ways get the Sabina Jukovic “feed me.” Who doesn’t love DIGITAL three desserts?” ACCOUNTING

DIGITAL MANAGER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

JoMando Cruz, Josh Huskin, Ashton Rodgers

Abigail Stewart DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Rosie Ninesling

INTERN

Katelyn Lester ADV ERTIS ING

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© Copyright: San Antonio Magazine is published by Open Sky Media, Inc. The entire document of San Antonio Magazine is © 2021 by Open Sky Media, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative. San Antonio Magazine is locally operated.

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In the Loop I NSI D E / DRO NE DEG RE E p .14 / A SID E H USTLE BLOOMS p. 20 /

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Texas Impact t’s been over 30 years since Donald Moffett lived in San Antonio, but curators Evan Garza and Ryan N. Dennis knew when they started working on the Texas Biennial exhibition that his was among the artist stories they wanted to tell. Opening this month and next across four San Antonio institutions— Artpace, the McNay Art Museum, Ruby City and the San Antonio Museum of Art—as well as one Houston venue, the exhibition features 51 artists who are from or are living in Texas as well as those who use the state and its history as subject matter for their work. “What happens in Texas has a global impact,” Garza says. “It felt important to us to make that an essential element.” Moffett, for example, hasn’t worked in Texas but as a Texas native has made major imprints on the art scene as an activist and founding member of the Gran Fury AIDS-activism artist collaborative. Dennis and Garza started planning for the exhibition presented by Austin-based Big Medium in 2019 with the goal of showing it in a large warehouse in East Austin. After COVID-19 hit, an open location meant for big crowds no longer seemed feasible, so the two began talking with leaders at museums. Garza says San Antonio institutions were enthusiastic about helping bring the exhibit to life, so the two curators decided to split it up between locations and tell a different contemporary art story at each. The first iterations open Aug. 5 at Artpace and Ruby City. San Antonio Museum of Art will open its display on Aug. 19 and the McNay, which will display Phillip Pyle II’s “Broken Obelisk Elbows,” pictured here, opens Sept. 1. For those who can’t visit one of the museums, the Texas Biennial will also be accessible via an app. Contemporary pieces on display speak to everything from border politics and Black Lives Matter to laws negatively impacting transgender individuals. “Issues of racial and social justice are central and that is by design,” Garza says.”—KATHLEEN PETTY

PHILLIP PYLE, II (B. 1980), BROKEN OBELISK ELBOWS, 2018, DIGITAL PRINT ON PAPER, 39 X 27 IN. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

TEXAS BIENNIAL

Artpace, Aug. 5-Dec. 26 Studio at Ruby City, Aug. 5-Jan. 30 San Antonio Museum of Art, Aug. 19-Dec. 5 McNay Art Museum, Sept. 1-Jan. 9 texasbiennial.org

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I N T H E L O O P / E D U C AT I O N

St. Mary’s University launches drone-focused engineering degree BY KATHLEEN PETTY

Voyage to the Deep

Three features to explore in The DoSeum’s latest exhibit, which is inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and is on loan from the Australian National Maritime Museum through Sept. 25

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Head into Nautilus An oversized replica of Capt. Nemo’s submarine fills the bulk of The DoSeum’s special exhibition space this summer. Snap a photo of the large orange squid sitting atop Nautilus and then head inside where kids can take the wheel and steer through the sea or peer through a periscope into the water. Meredith Doby, vice president of exhibits, says this is among the most immersive visiting exhibits to date.

Live Underwater Pretend you are part of Capt. Nemo’s crew by testing out submarine bunks, looking inside the crew’s lockers—which open up to touch screens with information about what might be needed to survive at sea—and surveying the galley, or kitchen, which is full of strange foods. Signage works to explain to children that Nemo relied on the sea for everything, from food to power, and that it will take work from us today to maintain the oceans and those resources.

Find the Fun The exhibit has plenty of STEM and narrative lessons, Doby says, but it’s also lots of fun. Send your kids down the twisting blue slide that was added to the outside of the Nautilus replica. Inside, there’s a pipe organ on which children can play plus a “cabinet of curiosities” with Nemo’s books, shells and tools. Upstairs, head to the Innovation Station and learn about how to cultivate a fish tank at home thanks to a video produced with Sea Life San Antonio Aquarium.

DRONE: ROBIN JERSTAD; VOYAGE TO THE DEEP: COURTESY DOSEUM

Flying Toward the Future

rones will not only be delivering Amazon packages, prescriptions and groceries in the years to come, they also will be measuring soil saturation and transporting organs from one hospital to another in record time, says Dante Tezza, assistant professor of computer/software engineering at St. Mary’s University. And that’s just the start of the technology’s capabilities, he adds. As the industry grows, St. Mary’s University students will be ready to fill jobs as drone designers, programmers and operators thanks to a new degree program launching this month. “Drones are here to stay,” Tezza says. “There are very few schools that are focusing on this emerging job market, so this new program really prepares them for that.”

The degree, which is a bachelor’s in engineering science with a concentration in unmanned aerial systems, includes courses on everything from building drones from scratch to developing programs and applications to help operate them. Each student also will take operations classes to prepare them for the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone pilot exam. In addition to classroom work, students in both the drone concentration and in other majors have access to a 1,734-squarefoot lab that opened in March. At 25 feet tall, the lab allows students to complete research, class assignments, test programs and operate drones in the building. Already students have developed an emergency alert system that deploys parachutes to help a drone land safely when something goes wrong in flight. Bahman Rezaie, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering, was one of the early advocates for adding drone research to the university as the industry expands. He says the technology is certainly not new but that until recent years it has been used mostly by the military, including at Joint Base San Antonio. Tezza knows most people imagine Amazon deliveries when they think of drones, but he says their capabilities stretch far beyond that. In agriculture, he says, one study has shown that drones can accurately measure moisture in the soil, allowing farmers to conserve water while yielding better crop outcomes. In hospitals, drones have delivered organs for transplant surgery from one facility to another more quickly than ambulances. They can even be used for simpler things like roof inspections. “When we designed the curriculum, we were really focusing on the broad spectrum so students have a foundation that allows them to work in any of those areas,” he says.

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Ban on Barkley / During an interview on The Fan earlier this summer, former NBA player and current Inside the NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley said he’s tired of “cancel culture,” which he says led his bosses to bar him from mocking on air the “big ‘ol women down in San Antonio”—something he has done during NBA Playoff coverage for years. Barkley insists his repeated comments about local women being overweight were jokes made in good fun. The characterization is one that women on Twitter certainly disagree with, and one it seems his producers now disagree with as well. Handle with Care / A San Antonio Pizza Hut delivery driver was fired this summer after a Nest doorbell camera caught him literally tossing a pizza box onto a Stone Oak porch. After a few slices slipped out of the box during his throw, he picked them up and placed them back in the pie, leaving a couple of pepperoni slices behind on the doormat as evidence of his bad aim, and even worse judgment. Historic Gift / After donating more than $60 million to San Antonio organizations, including Palo Alto College, earlier this year, MacKenzie Scott announced in June that she has more to give. The ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said she is donating $40 million to UTSA and $15 million to San Antonio College— the largest gifts both schools have ever received. The donations are part of $2.74 billion in gifts that Scott and husband Dan Jewett handed out to over 280 organizations nationwide. Fan Fest / After it was canceled in 2020, Celebrity Fan Fest returns to San Antonio July 30 through Aug. 8, bringing the chance to snag autographs and selfies (for a price) from stars like Hayden Christensen (known for his role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars), Krysten Ritter (of Marvel’s Jessica Jones), and Ewan McGregor (who has appeared in everything from Star Wars: Episode IX and Trainspotting to Moulin Rouge!).

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IN THE LOOP / PERSON OF INTEREST

knows well the challenges children face when removed from home due to abuse or neglect. As a judge, she says she hopes to follow the example of Garcia and work for the best interest of each child in her courtroom. “I’m still extremely excited and overwhelmed, but I’m feeling extremely blessed,” she says. “I’m going to keep doing what I can to help children.”

Children’s Advocate Recently appointed Children’s Court Associate Judge Kimberly Burley takes a team approach to finding solutions in abuse and neglect cases INTERVIEW BY KATHLEEN PETTY

imberly Burley has always insisted that her daughters put their all into everything they attempt. “I push them to reach for the stars and not to be deterred by anyone saying they can’t do it,” she says. So, while Burley, 51, was hesitant to apply when an associate judge position opened in the Bexar County Children’s Court after Judge Richard Garcia retired earlier this year, she realized she had to at least try. “I can’t look them in the eye if I’m a hypocrite,” she says. Burley was appointed by the county’s 14 civil district court judges and sworn in as associate judge in May, becoming the first African American woman to hold the position. “I feel like first and foremost, I am a role model to my African American teenagers,” she says. With over 20 years focusing on children’s cases in the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Burley

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FACT FILE

Experience: 23 years with Bexar County District Attorney’s Office Education: University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas School of Law Hometown: Hillsboro Mom: Burley has two daughters, 17 and 16

Is reunification of families the goal in Child Protective Services cases? I’ve seen an evolution in myself as a lawyer in this arena. When I started doing these cases, I was so focused on what the parent did wrong to these children that my goal was to terminate the rights of these parents because I felt the children deserved better. I’ve learned you can’t focus on what’s wrong with the family. You have to focus on what is right with the family and if there is anything we can do to salvage the family and put them back together. I’ve seen cases where we’ve terminated parental rights and unfortunately the children have languished in the foster care system. As they get older, it’s harder and harder to get these children out of the system and get them adopted. Reunification is always the first goal of the Department (of Family and Protective Services) so long as it is safe and in the best interest of the child. We have to work harder at trying to reach that goal. We might not be able to reunify these children with their parents, but if we can put them back in the family with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, someone they know so they aren’t totally cut off from their families. We can’t ever put them with perfect families because no families are perfect, but we have to be willing to put them back in their families when that is safe. As a judge, I will ask CPS to delve a little deeper to find appropriate family members. Parents don’t always want their families to know what’s going on so they may not give us those contacts. It’s part of the caseworker’s job, as well as all of the advocates, to find more appropriate family members. When we don’t have appropriate family members, we need to look to fictive kin, which are those friends of the family and people who have relationships with the family. Then the children are still going to someone they’re familiar with and perhaps can stay in the same neighborhood or school district. Of course, when that is not possible, we have to look at foster homes. I’ve seen a decrease in the number of appropriate foster homes over the years, which can lead to placing children in a group setting or ILLUSTRATION BY VICENTE MARTÍ

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shelter, where many of them don’t thrive. We need to recruit more foster families. It’s a hard job but we need to recruit those people who are willing to not just house these children but also provide some structure and guidance and love. Are parents willing to work with you to accomplish that goal of reunification? When you walk into a courtroom, you often think of it as one side versus the other side but my goal as a judge is for it to be more of a teamwork approach. All of the stakeholders—parents, children, attorneys, the department, CASA—are focusing on what we can do to help this family. If it’s one side versus the other, the children end up losing. Parents and children and CPS all have attorneys whose job it is to speak for their client, but it is also important that the voices of the parents and children be heard effectively in the courtroom and that parents feel like they’re invested in the system. Sometimes in criminal cases I feel like adults get more invested because their lives are on the line. I want them to come into these Children’s Court cases and feel like their children’s lives are on the line. CPS has garnered attention in recent years after a federal judge said it is not doing enough to keep children safe. This year, there were issues at San Antonio’s Whataburger Center for Children & Youth. What can be done to improve the system? Unfortunately, I believe placement of our children is a systemic problem. We cannot afford to point fingers at any one entity or agency. Child abuse is an ongoing problem and we’ve reached a point unfortunately where we have more children in care than we have placements for. One of the solutions is to recruit more foster homes. When children are removed, I think the system also has to be more willing to place them with other family members or fictive kin. We have to be more willing as a team to think outside of the box. I heard one former parent who had been reunified with her kids say that we not only have to start thinking outside of the box, we have to get rid of the box altogether. I liked that. We have to be willing to come in with new ideas and work as a team. It can’t just be one party. In the DA’s office, you were involved in working with and helping to develop some of the county’s specialty courts. Why are those important? Yes, I assisted in the development of the Crossover Court, which deals with children who are dually involved in the juvenile system and CPS system. I have to be honest and say I was skeptical at first because I didn’t know how two systems would work together but the model became one family, one court. We wanted the children and parents not to be overwhelmed and to have just one court and one judge to see. It also allows us to better understand how the two systems work together and to better understand the trauma the child has gone through and about how that trauma impacts the way they are acting out. I also worked in the Family Drug Court with parents that have drug and alcohol issues, in the Early Childhood Court and with the PEARLS Court, which serves female teenagers who are in the foster care system. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. AUGUST 2021

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I N T H E L O O P / C U LT U R E

R E V E R B E R AT I O N S

LISTEN

Capps will play Aug. 20 at The Lonesome Rose garretttcapps.com

San Antone Sound Unconventional year leads to new albums from Garrett T. Capps BY VIVIAN PHILLIPS

hough Austin has long been known as the live music capital of Texas, Garrett T. Capps is proud to be from San Antonio. In fact, much of Capps’ music focuses on just that. “Born in San Antone,” Capps’ most popular song with over 400,000 Spotify plays, is an anthem of his pride. “When I first started playing outside of San Antonio, I didn’t want to play ‘Born in San Antone’ because I thought it was just for the people of San Antonio and that only the people of San Antonio would like it,” Capps says. “But people love that song all around the world. I started playing it in the honky tonks in Austin and it became how people knew me—they knew I was the guy from San Antonio amongst that dense scene in Austin and I kind of just ran with it.” Capps says San Antonio’s music scene has become increasingly active in recent years thanks, in part, to venues like Paper Tiger and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Capps worked to contribute to that growth both as a musician and a supporter by co-establishing The Lonesome Rose in 2018. “I’d been booking bands around town for

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a few years before it all organically came together,” Capps says, of The Lonesome Rose. “I needed a place to book all of my friends’ country bands and I heard future business partners were opening a honky-tonk on the St. Mary’s Strip. The rest is history.” Despite the last year-plus being unconventional for the local music scene, Capps still found ways to reach his audience, aside from Spotify, where he has 14,000 monthly subscribers. In collaboration with Texas Public Radio, Capps dreamt up a telethon that raised over $6,000 in 2020 and over $10,000 in 2021 for the Luminaria Artist Foundation’s Individual Grants Program. The rest of his time in quarantine was spent working on and completing three new albums. The first of which, I Love San Antone, comes out Aug. 20. “I think that after this year, we all need something to celebrate,” says Capps, who played an Echo Bridge concert held in June (see sidebar) and has album release shows planned Aug. 20 and 21. “When you have a concert to go to, it adds a certain presence to the moment that cannot be replaced. [Booking concerts] is awakening an energy inside of me that I had forgotten existed.”

A bike ride nearly 20 years ago is to thank for a series of Sunday concerts that launched quietly this summer on the city’s South Side under the Mrs. Frank W. Sorrell Bridge. Known as the Echo Bridge Appreciation Society, the concerts are hosted by a group of artists looking to support local musicians while also building a unique outdoor concert space akin to the Arneson River Theatre. The spot is one they identified years ago after marveling at how long a fellow cyclist’s “hooting and hollering” reverberated off the concrete bridge when they rode under it. With limited space for seating under the bridge, guests are required to RSVP and provide a small donation to support the night’s featured artist. After the sun begins to set, the musicians set up on the opposite side of the bridge from the small crowd to perform. Garrett T. Capps, Bob Livingston and Austin Leonard Jones are among those who’ve played thus far, relying on the echo of the bridge rather than a complex sound system to deliver their notes across the water. The bridge is located just down the hill from the coffee shop and bar Tandem San Antonio and across the street from the Space C7 contemporary art gallery, affording the chance for a pre-concert drink or exhibition tour. Organizers say they launched earlier this year just to see if their idea could work and have been surprised by the positive reaction from locals, who turn out in larger numbers each month. Follow them on Instagram @echobridgeappreciation society for updates.—KP

KATHLEEN PETTY

ECHO BRIDGE APPRECIATION SOCIETY BRINGS MUSIC TO THE SOUTH SIDE

PHOTO BY JOSH HUSKIN

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IN THE LOOP / INFLUENCER

Pushing Petals Magen Sevilla spreads joy with Bloom + Stem BY BONNY OSTERHAGE

ot all flowers need perfect conditions to grow. Some bloom brilliantly even under the most challenging circumstances. The same could be said for Bloom + Stem, a floral business that firmly took root during a global pandemic and blossomed from a side hustle into a career for owner Magen Sevilla. As traditional florists were forced to close, Sevilla was creating colorful arrangements at her kitchen table and sharing them via social media. Pretty soon she was averaging around 50 orders per week and enlisting her sister to help with weekly porch drop-offs. “COVID turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me,” she says. Originally from Corpus Christi, Sevilla holds a master’s degree in health promotion from UTSA and has spent the past 12 years in the fitness industry, most recently at JoyRide Cycling + Fitness. Although she still teaches classes, Sevilla has stepped down from her role as the studio’s business manager to focus on pushing more petals than pedals. “The two businesses are similar in that both are about the client’s journey,” she says. “From the moment someone reaches out to the moment they take a class or book an event, you are creating a personal experience for them.” That means paying close attention to detail. You will never visit a website filled with pre-designed arrangements by Bloom + Stem. Sevilla takes pride in customizing every order, whether it’s a single bouquet or arrangements for a fancy fête. She once created a tray of floral Whataburger condiments as part of a wedding proposal for a couple who met at the fast-food chain. Those are the moments Sevilla lives for. Completely self-taught, Sevilla shares her love of flowers with the public via Instagram, private workshops and appearances on KSAT’s SA Live show. Her tips and tricks can help anyone turn a basic grocery store bouquet into a work of art. “The education piece has been a gamechanger for me,” she says. “Flowers are intimidating to a lot of people and my goal is to demystify the process and make beautiful arrangements accessible and easy to care for.”

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Field Trip Finds Look for these three pieces during summer special exhibitions BY KATHLEEN PETTY

“Point Lobos, Carmel” by F. Childe Hassam, 1914 American Impressionism— and, often, American art in general—can be dominated by work created in major cities and artist enclaves on the East Coast. “Point Lobos, Carmel” is one of several pieces in the San Antonio Museum of Art’s special summer exhibition that reminds visitors the West is important, too. On loan from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Hassam’s oil piece sits in the center of America’s Impressionism: Echoes of a Revolution, on display through Sept. 5, alongside several paintings by Texas artist Julian Onderdonk and other works that depict California’s landscape. Hassam was a Massachusetts native who studied Impressionism in Paris and was known for his paintings of New York. His pieces depicting California are lesser known since there are fewer of them, but they’re an example of how artists headed west to find scenes that they could paint while experimenting with the styles they learned from French impressionists. “Here, artists are seeking out landscape,” says Yinshi Lerman-Tan, Ph.D., acting associate curator of American and European Art.

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“Untitled” by Richard Anuszkiewicz, 1971 “Downy’s Scared of Thunder" by Loc Huynh, 2021 When Austin-born Huynh left for college at Texas State University (and then for graduate work at the University of Nebraska and University of North Texas, where he completed a master’s in fine arts in 2020), he left his dog Downy behind at home. In his portraits on view at Blue Star Contemporary as part of its Sitter exhibition, open through Sept. 5, Huynh uses cartoon-styled drawings to depict the changing relationship between himself and his mother and his mother and Downy, who she became close with after Huynh moved away. Here, Huynh’s mom comforts Downy during a storm. Elsewhere in the exhibit, he paints her making pho, a dish he grew up eating. Curator and exhibitions manager Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray says while Huynh’s style is fun and colorful, his subject matter is also intimate and tender. “Those two things are a compelling counterbalance,” she says. The portraits are included in an exhibition that focuses on artists who use portraiture to tell part of their subject’s story.

Anuszkiewicz, who died last spring, was known for his vibrant, geometric works, including this screen print that hangs in the McNay Art Museum’s Charles Butt Paperworks Gallery in Optical Dazzle, open through Sept. 5. Organized as a complement to the McNay’s Limitless! special exhibition, Optical Dazzle explores Op Art pieces from the museum’s collection, which are works that often make the viewer’s eyes twitch and move as they adjust and take in the various colors and shapes. A series of Anuszkiewicz works are featured in the exhibit, including this piece that was completed 50 years ago on Masonite. Here, the artist utilizes complementary colors in rectangular shapes of varying sizes, making it seem as if the piece is moving despite being static on the wall.

Ballet Basics San Antonio Museum of Art and The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas present Ballet in the Garden, Aug. 8 Instructor Zane Terry insists that failure is a critical part of mastering ballet. A faculty member at The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas, Terry and his colleague Rosie Forte Hensley are spending select Sunday mornings this summer (Aug. 8, this month) sharing the basics of their craft during Ballet in the Garden classes at San Antonio Museum of Art. “You will fail a lot, but just try everything,” says Terry, who shares his own tale of falling flat on his back during his first-ever professional rehearsal. “A lot of ballet is trial and error, so if something goes wrong, that’s OK.” With the museum’s Sculpture Garden grass acting as the studio floor and the backs of chairs as the ballet barre, Terry and Hensley teach the movements required to plié, tendu, battement and more during one-hour classes meant for adults of all levels. Like much of the art on display inside the museum, Terry says the artistry of ballet comes from its lines as dancers stretch, lift and hold their posture high, even when in plié, which means to bend. “The magic of ballet is to make it look not as hard as it is,” Terry says. Instructors say they know the art form can be intimidating, and they hope the informal nature of the garden provides an option that’s inviting, whether students are returning to the art after decades away or testing it out for the first time. “It’s great exercise,” Terry says. “You don’t sweat like this when you’re painting.”

F. CHILDE HASSAM, "POINT LOBOS, CARMEL," 1914, OIL ON CANVAS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART; MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM PRESTON HARRISON, PHOTO © MUSEUM ASSOCIATES/LACMA; LOC HUYNH DOWNYS SCARED OF THUNDER ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, COURTESY BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY; "UNTITLED" BY RICHARD ANUSZKIEWICZ, UNTITLED, 1971. SCREENPRINT ON MASONITE. GIFT OF EMMA-STINA AND KENNETH W. PRESCOTT. © RICHARD ANUSZKIEWICZ / LICENSED BY VAGA AT ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK

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IN THE LOOP / STYLE

Grey Moon Vintage What sets this vintage space apart is not just the fact that it’s located inside a 1969 Avion Travelcade trailer, but also that it serves as a community space that hosts pop-ups for other artists and makers. Here you’ll find vintage items selected with special attention to fit, wearability and sustainability plus a range of vintage denim cutoffs. Pair them with one-of-a-kind Grey Moon tees featuring artwork by co-owner Colin Bass (Natalie Medina is the other co-owner). Each is screen printed locally on vintage or second-hand tees. Find new arrivals each week on the shop’s Instagram and learn about upcoming events on its Facebook page. @greymoonvintage, 2202 Broadway, greymoon.online Hello Tallulah Named after her late pup and shop dog, Tallulah, owner Kristina Uriegas-Reyes runs this vibrant, whimsical space that specializes in colorful, curated clothing from the 1950s through 1970s plus selections of handmade jewelry from local artists. Uriegas-Reyes wants to help shoppers find their own style and emphasizes body positivity and inclusivity. Look out for new inventory such as novelty purses, earrings and vintage hats. @hello_tallulah, 1912 Fredericksburg Road, hellotallulah.com

Up your sneaker game, beat fast fashion trends or simply help the environment by back-to-school shopping at local vintage retailers BY MOLLY TODD

Canela Elisa “Canela” Kern wants to help “give old threads new vida” while making shoppers feel proud in their piel (skin). That means she offers intimate styling experiences for those who want help selecting items from a collection that includes hand-picked vintage and designer garments sourced from customers, markets and other shops. Canela specializes in Escada blazers in eclectic hues and St. John knits from traditional to modern cuts. Everything in store is selected with respect to sustainability and past fashion trends. @the.canela.vintage, 301 Blanco Road, Ste. P, canelavintage.com

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Sundown Vintage Curated items that owner Lauren Medellin says don’t “necessarily fit into one category or era, but all come together cohesively” is what her shop is all about. On her Etsy site and at markets around town, you’ll find wearable, vintage items such as dresses, jumpsuits and countless breathable cotton pieces that Medellin says all have a story to tell. Watch for a storefront coming this year in a 1970s camper and follow the shop on Instagram for “story sales.” @shopsundown, etsy.com/shop/shopsundown

COURTESY CANELA VINTAGE

Classic Style

Hyped Goods Step up your shoe game thanks to Hyped Goods. Two brothers started this shop in 2019 and work to combine '80s, '90s and early Y2K vintage style with modern street wear. The duo hand picks every item, from shoes to T-shirts, that comes into their space and takes pride in ensuring their selection is unique. Find brands like Supreme, BAPE, Vlone and more. Shoppers can also sell or trade items. @hypedgoods_tx, 2318 San Pedro Ave., Ste. 1

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The World is Ready for You Get back into the swing of travel by planning a getaway in your own backyard

At SeaWorld San Antonio, Turtle Reef plus the show featuring sea lions, dolphins and other creatures balance fun and environmental advocacy; the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa features a nineacre water park.

fter a year-plus of pandemic-induced isolation, my family’s definition of fun and adventure had shrunk to include mostly pixelated images on a screen or occasional socially distant bike rides and walks through the park. So as we settled into our seats at SeaWorld San Antonio’s Orca Stadium for the soon-to-start performance by the killer whales and their human keepers, it was hard to predict how we would react to sights and sounds emanating from actual living beings. With music pulsating in the background, the first fin came zipping into the stadium. A few moments later, a massive blackand-white orca rocketed through the surface of the water. This reentry into the world was the equivalent of a dive into very cold water—equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. But this was just what we were after. Prior to the pandemic, ours was a family that liked to travel for new experiences—to New England for a taste of history and California for outdoor adventures. That all stopped in 2020, but as infections dropped and vaccinations rose, we decided it was time to venture out once again. The good news for San Antonians is that you don’t have to go far to rekindle a love for travel; think of a staycation as both

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training wheels for longer trips and a reminder of the abundance of attractions that make this city a magnet for tourists. At SeaWorld, we particularly appreciated the sensory overload of the animal shows that deftly balance entertainment and education. We also wanted to experience staying at a hotel again. For that, we ventured to the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Though just a short drive from downtown, the resort feels very distant from the urban center. Arriving on a Sunday evening, we spent our first night strolling the quiet grounds and enjoying a less quiet but still very fun meal at the resort’s sports bar, High Velocity, where the bank of massive TVs rivals any Vegas sports book. During the day, my 10-year-old twins divided their time between the resort’s tall and speedy water slides and the languid lazy river that circumnavigates the on-property water park. If the bustle of downtown is more your style, consider the newly opened Canopy By Hilton, which boasts a terrace bar and local art throughout plus close proximity to the Alamo, San Fernando Cathedral and Briscoe Western Art Museum. A world beyond your living room is waiting. Dive back into it by starting in your own backyard.

PARK, TURTLES: COURTESY SEAWORLD SAN ANTONIO; HOTEL, SLIDE: COURTESY JW MARRIOTT SAN ANTONIO HILL COUNTRY RESORT & SPA

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Hush puppies at Clementine

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o i n o ant THE PAST 18 MONTHS HAVE BATTERED RESTAURANTS IN WAYS THE INDUSTRY HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE, SO WE KNOW THE PLACES THAT ROSE TO THE TOP HAVE STAYING POWER. HERE, WE ROUND UP THE 30 BEST RESTAURANTS IN SAN ANTONIO RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING 25 THAT HAVE PROVEN THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN THE LONG RUN AS WELL AS FIVE NEWER EATERIES THAT HAVE ALREADY SHOWN THEY KNOW WHAT IS REQUIRED TO LAST. IF THE PAST YEAR-AND-A-HALF HAS TAUGHT US ANYTHING ABOUT THE CULINARY SCENE, IT’S THAT IT NEEDS OUR SUPPORT TO THRIVE. GET OUT AND VISIT AN OLD FAVORITE FROM THIS LIST OR TRY SOMETHING NEW. YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED.

BY EDMUND TIJERINA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOMANDO CRUZ

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2M Smokehouse This is perhaps the city’s finest example of San Antonio barbecue. Pitmaster and co-owner Esaul Ramos, a James Beard Award Best Chef: Texas nominee, has received raves from Bon Appétit , Eater and Texas Monthly, which included it on its list of best barbecue in the state. Ramos and partner Joe Melig offer Central Texas barbecue through the Mexican American experience, making this Southeast Side spot a must-visit for any serious food lover. Enjoy the meltingly tender brisket with flaky South Texas-style flour tortillas plus sides of charro beans and Mexican street corn. And once a month, 2M offers barbacoa, elevating a South Texas tradition into transcendence. Must order: Brisket, house made pork sausage with serranos and Oaxaca cheese, chicharoni macaroni

2731 S. W.W. White Road, 210-885-9352, 2msmokehouse.com

Biga on the Banks No appreciation of the city’s best restaurants is complete without paying tribute to San Antonio’s culinary OG, Bruce Auden. From the time he arrived in 1985 to helm the restaurant at the Fairmount Hotel, he launched a movement of chef-driven, intensely creative restaurants that looked to the ingredients, history and culture of the city for inspiration. Now, many of his dishes have become local classics and chefs who have passed through his kitchen stretch throughout the city and beyond. Chicken-fried oysters, game packets, sticky toffee pudding Must order:

203 S. St. Mary’s St., 210-225-0722, biga.com

battalion Everybody knows meatballs are supposed to be round, right? At this renovated Southtown firehouse, they’re square, seared and delicious. They’re a highlight of this menu of regional Italian and Italian American classics that are served in an energetic, high-decibel and uber-stylish setting. Handmade pastas and a few red sauce favorites round out the offerings. The menu has simplified a bit since former partner Stefan Bowers stepped away from the restaurant to focus on Playland pizza parlor, but it’s still very much worth a visit. Three cheese beef and pork “meatballs,” spinach dumplings, chicken Parmesan

Must order:

604 S. Alamo St., 210-816-0088, battalionsa.com

Bliss Chef, partner and namesake Mark Bliss has been making San Antonians happy for decades, and his team works hard to make things look easy. Bliss, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Lisa, has a cooking résumé that goes back to working with Bruce Auden at the Fairmount Hotel, and he vaulted to local culinary stardom when he headed Silo Elevated Cuisine. Over his years of cooking and during a two-year hiatus, he honed his New American style that feels both contemporary and timeless. Oyster sliders, Georges Bank scallops, whatever combination of duck and foie gras is on the menu

Must order:

926 S. Presa St., 210-248-9926, foodisbliss.com

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This has turned into the go-to spot at the Pearl for sushi, sashimi and poke. But if you’re going to get those, why not get some Peruvian tiradito, too? It’s like sashimi topped with a rich, tangy and usually spicy sauce. Executive chef/ partner Geronimo Lopez opened the restaurant in 2016 to focus on the Chinese and Japanese influences on Peruvian cuisine, and the restaurant has stayed packed ever since. Short rib noodles, steamed buns with pork belly, hamachi tiradito

Must order:

303 Pearl Pkwy., Ste. 111, 210-670-7684, botikapearl.com

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Bohanan’s To the question of which is the best steakhouse in town, there is just one right answer: Bohanan’s. Chef/owner Mark Bohanan and his team turn out perfectly cooked steaks lightly perfumed with mesquite, decadent side dishes and elegant service in a charming old-school setting that overlooks Houston Street. The beef is the star here, but don’t overlook the well-prepared seafood dishes. Start downstairs with an impeccably made classic cocktail and move upstairs for a memorable experience.

Chama Gaucha Even with a lot more competition sprouting up throughout the city, San Antonio’s best churrascaria keeps churning out the hits, delighting customers and holding its position at the top. You know the routine: Start with a Caipirinha (the signature cocktail of Brazil), hit the overflowing salad bar (but not too hard), and then go to town on the seemingly endless parade of meats from strolling gauchos. When the dishes and service are this good, it’s easy to come back. Apple salad, leg of lamb, chicken legs, beef ribs, rib-eye Must order:

Must order:

French grilled oysters, rib-eye,

chateaubriand 18318 Sonterra Place, 210-564-9400, chamagaucha.com 219 E. Houston St., 210-472-2202, bohanans.com

Cappy’s Perhaps the most underappreciated mainstay in the city, Cappy’s consistently delivers excellent dishes, along with its smooth, organized and professional service, making it an always satisfying experience. The menu hews to accessible, comfortable dishes, but there’s never a sense of coasting. Instead, there’s the feeling that the staff here is working very hard just for you. To maintain that level of focus and performance since 1977 marks a true achievement in hospitality and culinary performance. Rib-eye with bone marrow butter, Mustang chicken, Heights burger Must order:

5011 Broadway, 210-828-9669, cappysrestaurant.com

Carnitas Lonja Many places around town offer carnitas, but few do it truly well. So calibrate your palate with the offerings from James Beard Award nominee Alejandro Paredes at the place that grabbed this city when it opened in 2017 and hasn’t let go. Paredes grew up in Morelia, the capital city of Michoacán, known in Mexico as the capital of carnitas. Paredes’ carnitas—slow cooked pork with crisp, chicharrón-like edges—demonstrate his home region perfectly. Even inside Mexico, few places make them this good. Tuck some carnitas into a fresh corn tortilla and top with a squeeze of lime, a spoonful of pico de gallo and one of the memorable salsas. Pair it with an ice-cold Mexican lager and give thanks that you live here and can get these tacos often.

Cured This is the place that put chef/owner Steve McHugh on the national culinary map and it still feels as fresh as when it opened in late 2013. The glass-walled charcuterie case stops visitors and starts conversations in the seemingly always crowded dining room, while the attentive, knowledgeable and very professional servers keep the action humming smoothly. McHugh’s crew continues to deliver dishes that show why he has received multiple James Beard nominations over the years, whether it’s a longtime menu favorite or the always changing menu specials. Already known for its excellent happy hour, word is getting out about the Sunday Suppers, and the Sunday-only order of fried chicken with collard greens, cornbread and grits. Charcuterie plate, beer can mussels, Blue Ribbon burger

COURTESY CURED/RICK CORTEZ

Must order:

Carnitas (of course), chorizo, quesadilla de carnitas or chorizo Must order:

306 Pearl Pkwy., Ste. 101, 210-314-3929, curedatpearl.com 1107 Roosevelt, 210-455-2105, carnitaslonja.com

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clementine The name here comes from a clementine tree that chef/ owners John and Elise Russ saw fighting its way through a crack in a parking lot while they were scouting locations, and it’s a fitting image for their entrepreneurial spirit. Together, these hospitality veterans have created a destination in Castle Hills that draws delighted customers from all over the city for their upscale Southern menu that draws heavily from international inspirations. At some point, you will want to order the Feed Me option, which means turning your dining decisions over to the culinary power couple and letting them create a personalized menu for the night. Make sure to take advantage of their thoughtful and delicious wine selection, too. Hush puppies, ricotta cavatelli, Clementine crunch bar

Must order:

2195 N.W. Military Hwy., 210-503-5121, clementine-sa.com

Dough Pizzeria Sure, we love this place, but if you want another vote of approval, look to the mayor of Flavortown. Yes, Guy Fieri loves this place and raves about the attention to detail that owners Doug and Lori Horn pay to the pizzas, dishes and service. Fieri has featured Dough on three separate occasions. From the beautifully rendered Neapolitan style pizzas to the house-pulled burrata, to the all-Italian wine list, there’s a lot to love, whether at its original eatery or its newer digs at Hemisfair. Must order: Truffle burrata, pork love pizza, polenta cake

6989 Blanco Road, 210-979-6565; 518 S. Alamo St., 210227-2900, doughpizzeria.com

The Jerk Shack Perhaps GQ magazine said it best when it described The Jerk Shack as “the finest Caribbean fare in the Lone Star State—maybe anywhere.” Chef Nicola Blaque and her husband Cornelius Massey created a sensation at the original restaurant near Our Lady of the Lake University in 2018, quickly amassing fans and accolades. It was named a Top 16 New Restaurant in America by Eater and one of both San Antonio Magazine’s and GQ’s Best New Restaurants. From that original location, they expanded and opened Caribbean street food outlet Mi Roti in the Bottling Department at Pearl. Now, they’re adding a larger Jerk Shack on the Far West Side that will include wine, beer and craft cocktails plus a third Jerk Shack at Hemisfair next year. Jerk chicken, braised oxtail, mac and cheese, jerk tacos Must order:

117 Matyear St., 210-776-7780, thejerkshacksatx.com

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Maverick True to its name, Maverick doesn’t follow the usual restaurant script, encouraging guests to create their own dining combinations from the a la carte menu of deliciousness. Dishes from chef/partner Chris Carlson evoke the spirit of a French brasserie, with a grounding in the traditions of South Texas. Here, the comfort foods are grilled over a wood fire, hospitality flows like its outstanding wines and an all-star team makes the high level of performance look easy. If you don’t want to create your own menu, consider one of the best dining values around—the $25 three-course daily plat du jour. Make sure to get a wine recommendation from manager/partner Joshua Thomas, an award-winning sommelier. Calamari and octopus, gougères, duroc pork chop

Must order:

710 S. St. Mary’s St., 210-973-6050, mavericktexas.com

Meadow Of course, you can’t go wrong by ordering the terrific fried chicken and excellent shrimp and grits from La Vernia native PJ Edwards, who heads this restaurant with his wife, Lindsey. With a menu they call Seasonal Texas Southern, the classics are in good hands. But try the English pea hummus, a seasonal salad like the peach salad with watercress, pecans and peach vinegar, or a brunch specialty of steak and eggs. No matter the dish, the South Texas and worldly sensibilities of Edwards shine through for delicious effect. Fried chicken, whichever seasonal salad is on the menu, burger (half price on Thursdays during happy hour) Must order:

555 W. Bitters Road, Ste. 110, 210-481-4214, meadowsanantonio.com

Nonna Osteria Showcasing the talents of chef Luca Della Casa, this dining destination owned by the Silo Group elevates Northern Italian comfort food with a high-level culinary technique. These are the flavors from an Italian grandmother’s kitchen reimagined by a talented chef. Although Della Casa gained national recognition in 2014 as runner-up on Food Network Star, the restaurant is perhaps best known now for its luxurious and high-priced tagliatelle and crab, tossed tableside in a giant wheel of Grana Padano cheese and topped with shaved black truffle. Other dishes might not be as well-known but are equally satisfying. Pair your selections with a bottle from the beautifully curated nearly all-Italian wine list. Must order: Papardelle al cinghiale (wild boar with housemade pappardelle), arancini ai gamberi, lobster ravioli

401 S. Alamo St., 210-224-8800, nonnasa.com

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Restaurant Gwendolyn Chef/owner Michael Sohocki and his intense band of kitchen warriors continue to find inspiration in the self-imposed restrictions of a menu that eschews electric-powered tools, draws from Victorian-era recipes and focuses on ingredients that come from within a 150-mile radius of the restaurant. This approach felt radical when it opened in 2011, and it continues to dazzle a happy and well-fed clientele. The dishes have broadened in their outlook from those initial years and now include influences from China, India and West Africa. But the basic approach still holds. For example, this crew obtains whole animals, butchers them in-house and uses every part, whether in main dishes, as stock or as ingredients in a cured sausage. Must order:

152 E. Pecan St., Ste. 100, 210-222-1849, restaurantgwendolyn.com

Rocotos Grill So what if this small family-run place in a strip mall near SeaWorld San Antonio doesn’t get the Instagram love it deserves? For more than 10 years, this bastion of Peruvian home cooking has been offering classics such as papa a la huancaina (boiled potatoes in a creamy, spicy yellow chile sauce), outstanding rotisserie chicken and delightful pisco sours. Sometimes, the simple approach is best.

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Don Bo underbelly pork, cucumber smash’d, spicy cumin lamb

Must order:

3505 Wurzbach Road, Ste. 102, 210-509-9999, sichuaneats.com

Signature The crown jewel at La Cantera Resort & Spa highlights the work of Andrew Weissman, who helped transform San Antonio into a culinary destination long before the culinary spotlight moved on to younger chefs. In the early 2000s, Weissman gained national fame for the fondly remembered Le Rêve, named one of the best in the country. The resort owners designed this restaurant around Weissman, who is the consulting chef, and shares a menu he describes as grounded in his upbringing in San Antonio, his training in Europe and simply what he likes to eat. Fortunately, we get to enjoy the results. Roasted pheasant, gold leaf risotto, brunch breakfast burger

Must order:

Fish ceviche, pollo a la brasa, lomo saltado

10555 Culebra Road, 210-521-4367, rocotosgrill.com

One of the best descriptions of this restaurant came from a local business executive who called it “San Francisco quality Chinese food in San Antonio.” The dishes here are just terrific. The location near Ingram Park Mall doesn’t scream luxurious, but a silky braised pork belly sure does. Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chiles throughout the menu are used skillfully and add heat and citrus notes. Monthly specials show even more of what this kitchen can do.

Charcuterie board, five- or seven-course

tasting menu

Must order:

Sichuan House

16401 La Cantera Pkwy., 210-247-0176, signaturerestaurant.com

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Walk through the stately lobby of The St. Anthony and into the violet glow and pulsating nightclub soundtrack of the city’s finest seafood restaurant. That delightful juxtaposition sets the stage for an array of delightful dishes, from raw East Coast oysters to char-broiled lobster or Gulf oysters to a chilled tower of happiness in the form of poached shrimp, tuna tartare and more. The helpful and professional service balances friendliness and attentiveness with strong knowledge of the menu that only enhances the experience. If you can’t swing a dinner visit, try visiting during happy hour or book a spot for Sunday brunch, which often fills up weeks in advance. One delightful surprise: Lamb and steaks thrill, too. Must order:

Char-broiled oysters or lobster, roasted rack of lamb

300 E. Travis St., 210-352-3171, rebellesa.com

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Silo Terrace Oyster Bar Although just about any restaurant in the Silo Group could hold a spot on this list, we decided to focus on this seafood temple near The Dominion for its rooftop ambiance, knowledgeable and helpful service, contemporary design and the array of consistently satisfying dishes throughout the menu. You can’t go wrong with the longtime Silo favorite chicken-fried oysters, though plenty of other thrills await throughout the menu. Lobster roll, grilled oysters Rockefeller, lobster ravioli, oak grilled tuna Must order:

22211 I-10 W., 210-698-2002, siloelevatedcuisine.com

Supper If you want to start your day right, zip over to Hotel Emma and try a green chorizo scotch egg, which features houseground pork with herbs, a bed of lightly dressed sprouts, jalapeno cornbread and a tomato Provençal. It’s a dish that expresses the care, creativity and talent of executive chef Jaime Gonzalez and culinary director John Brand, who heads up the dining offerings for the entire hotel. Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a cocktail, the items at this restaurant sparkle with intriguing combinations. Scotch egg at breakfast, crispy cauliflower and sprouts with caramel popcorn, chili honey and muzquiz nuts at lunch or dinner Must order:

136 E. Grayson St., 210-448-8351, supperatemma.com

Tre Trattoria Although chef and acclaimed restaurateur Jason Dady has launched several hot spots over his 20-some years in San Antonio, Tre has stood as a beacon of quality, consistency and typically filled dining rooms. His Tuscan-inspired menu quickly gained regulars when it first opened on Broadway in 2008 and its fans gladly came along a decade later when it moved to the San Antonio Museum of Art. Dishes such as the Nutella Three Ways dessert have grown into local favorites, while the cast iron pizzas and housemade pastas keep fans coming back for more.

Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery Who would have guessed that diners would clamor to nibble around fish bones to get at some succulent collar meat? Now, chef/ partner Jeff Balfour’s fried snapper throats have become a signature dish, and a San Antonio favorite. Balfour draws upon his childhood in Galveston to create a modern Gulf Coast cuisine with delicious items throughout the menu. Start with some chilled seafood, move on to one of Balfour’s signature creations, pair it with one of the many craft beers brewed in house and you have a party. Snapper throats, Galveston Bay shrimp boil, pressure fried chicken

Must order:

136 E. Grayson St., Ste. 120, 210-455-5701, southerleigh.com

Hand-pulled mozzarella, roasted golden beets with orange and mint, goat cheese pizza with pistachios M u st o r d e r :

200 W. Jones Ave., 210-805-0333, tretrattoria.com

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THE NEW BEST IN CLASS Best Quality Daughter Chefs and owners Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin and Quealy Watson offer consistently clever, creative and delicious dishes that not only delight but also make diners think. The restaurant name refers to a line in The Joy Luck Club and nods to the complex relationships between Chinese American women, like Dobbertin, and their Chinese-born mothers. The flavors, décor and atmosphere all examine the identity that comes from navigating different cultures and degrees of assimilation. There’s a lot to think about here, and a lot to simply enjoy. Must order: Impossible potstickers, fat noodle short rib

602 Avenue A., 210-819-4236, bestqualitydaughter.com

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou Are the steak frites here better than in Paris? Ponder that question while you sip on a glass of fruity Beaujolais in a beautiful Belle Epoque setting. The three French natives who created this dining sensation aimed to marry the best of South Texas hospitality with the finest of bistro and brasserie classics—and they’ve succeeded brilliantly. The attentive and helpful service elevates the dishes while the magical combination of the cuisine and Pearl atmosphere creates memorable experiences. Raclette, steak frites, escargot, a margarita (known as the marguerite).

Must order:

312 Pearl Pkwy., 210-469-3743, brasseriemonchouchou.com

Landrace The owners of the Thompson San Antonio hotel shrewdly placed their signature restaurant in the expert hands of Cured chef Steve McHugh and have created a place that showcases the best of San Antonio by focusing on the ingredients of South Texas. Action in the kitchen centers around a gleaming steel grill, which infuses smoke, char and a love of this area into the dishes. Red snapper crudo, baked spinach lasagna, lamb (in whatever form they’re serving) Must order:

111 Lexington Ave., 210-942-6026, landracetx.com

Mixtli The little restaurant that could has grown up. From its beginnings in 2014 with one communal table in a renovated railroad car, it garnered national accolades for chef/owners Diego Galicia and Rico Torres and their modernist vision of often ancient Mexican dishes. This summer, it moved into a much bigger space in Southtown that allows for more guests, and a separate bar. The restaurant still requires guests to purchase dinner tickets in advance. But seats at the bar do not require a reservation. As for the menu, it still changes regularly, featuring dishes from different regions in Mexico, or highlighting a concept, such as retracing the path of conquistador Hernán Cortéz. Torres often visits the Mexican Cookbook Collection at UTSA Libraries for inspiration, and the dishes here are brainy and delicious. The menu changes regularly here, but whatever they’re serving is worth your time

Must order:

812 S. Alamo St., Ste. 103, 210-338-0746, restaurantmixtli.com

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T HE

ANTS UR A

T REST ES

frida The energy that comes from this modern Mexican destination crowds out memories of the previous incarnations of this Stone Oak space. Former Mexican national soccer team player turned chef Sofía Sada scores gol after gol on her menu, combining the flavors of Mexican comfort food with the techniques of her classical French culinary training. Throughout the restaurant, the sounds of conversations in English and Spanish, corks popping on wine bottles and sizzling from platters of meat create a sophisticated, lively atmosphere that feels like a rarefied space of cultural connection. Coliflor asada (roasted cauliflower), Oysters Oaxaca-feller, Costilla de rib eye (beef rib), taco tasting

Must order:

18740 Stone Oak Pkwy., 210-463-9173, fridarestaurantsa.com

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PROFILES BY SALLIE LEWIS

•

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHTON RODGERS

RODEO

LIFE SATURDAY NIGHTS AT TEJAS RODEO CO. IN BULVERDE ARE ALL ABOUT BULL RIDING , CALF ROPING AND MUTTON BUSTIN’

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× WITH A POPULATION OF JUST OVER 5,000, NEARBY BULVERDE IS SMALL IN SIZE. BUT THE TOWN’S WEEKLY RODEO AND LIVE MUSIC SERIES, HELD EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT FROM MARCH TO NOVEMBER AT TEJAS RODEO CO., IS ANYTHING BUT SMALL. THE FAMILYFRIENDLY EVENT ATTRACTS TALENT AND VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE NATION, WITH EVENTS LIKE BULL RIDING, BARREL RACING AND MUTTON BUSTIN’ FOR THE KIDS. ALONG WITH THE WEEKLY RODEO, THE TEJAS STEAKHOUSE & SALOON OFFERS FAMILIES A REASON TO HEAD TO BULVERDE EARLY (FRIED PICKLES AND JALAPENOS, ANYONE?) AND ITS LIVE MUSIC AFTER THE RODEO IS THE BEST EXCUSE TO TEST OUT TWO-STEPPING OR ENJOY A COLD BEER FROM THE PAVILION BAR.

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COLETON ANDERSON, BULL RIDER Coleton Anderson, 20, visited the Fort Worth Stockyards a few times while growing up in Dallas, but he never imagined he’d participate in a rodeo. After he and his brother moved to San Antonio a year ago, though, he tried out the sport at the encouragement of friends and found a challenge that he now dedicates the bulk of his weekends to mastering. “Every bull is powerful, so it’s a different learning experience every time,” he says. “You fail a lot.”

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ATTEND THE RODEO

7:30 p.m., Saturdays through November 401 Obst Road, Bulverde tejasrodeo.com AUGUST 2021

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PHILLIP J. “PJ” RISALVATO II, BULL RIDER Phillip J. “PJ” Risalvato II, 24, broke his neck bull riding in August 2020. Today, he loves the sport as much as ever. The Missouri native and self-proclaimed adrenaline junky lives in Washington State and works in medical software, though his passion for bull riding flares daily. “I’m in the gym every single day of the week,” he says. Every weekend, he and his 4-month-old Blue Heeler hit the road and travel to different rodeos, making at least a few trips to Bulverde each year. “Bull riding has taught me many lessons, from overcoming my fears to being confident and never giving up,” he says. “I feel like I’m on top of the world when I’m on top of a bull. There’s absolutely nothing like it.”

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STEVE GREEN, CALF ROPER Natchez, Mississippi native Steve Green, 43, has been rodeoing since his teens. Today, the tie-down, or calf, roper lives in Bastrop and credits his quarter horse, Little Man, for getting him back in the groove. “He really changed it for me,” he says. “You got to have a horse that works—that horse is 95 percent of it.” When he’s not practicing his rodeo skills, Green is a technician at his family’s dental clinics. It’s the intensity and competition of tie-down roping that keeps him coming back. “The one thing I’ve learned is don’t take anything for granted,” he says. “You can be on top today and on the bottom tomorrow. With rodeoing you learn how to treat people kind, because in this sport you never know who you’re going to need. It teaches you to be humble.”

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LEXI SANTANA, MUTTON BUSTIN’ RIDER These days, 7-year-old Lexi Santana has more trophies on her shelf than years to her name. The rodeo star and one-handed mutton bustin’ champion is proud of her fast-growing collection, which she counted out one-byone on a telephone call earlier this year. “Our oldest is who got us into this life,” says Trina Santana, Lexi’s mom. Her 10-year-old daughter Khloe competes in barrel racing, which Lexi hopes to try one day herself. “They love animals, that’s it,” Trina says. “They’d never even been to a rodeo until after we went to Tejas when we started boarding (horses) there in 2019.” Today, the Tejas Rodeo is their home away from home, a place the family visits multiple times a week. “The kids run around like they own the place,” she says. “It’s just a wonderful environment. The owners are amazing—they want everyone to be happy.”

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BAILEY JAY, BREAKAWAY ROPER Rodeo culture is tightly coiled inside Bailey Jay’s DNA. “I think I was roping horses around 8 years old,” says the 22-year-old Boerne native and breakaway roper, which is a version of calf roping. “It’s been my main passion since I can remember.” Today, the Texas Tech graduate lives in Lubbock where she’s working toward becoming an equine dentist. “I always wanted to do rehab and conditioning for horses, and dentistry could fall under the same category,” she says. Despite living in West Texas, she still finds time to compete at the Tejas Rodeo, where she took some of her earliest roping lessons as a child. “It’s been neat to go back and compete there,” she says. “I plan on rodeoing as long as I can.”

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EUGENIA SOUTHWELL, MOUNTED DRILL TEAM RIDER Growing up, Eugenia Southwell dreamt of being a jockey. At 5-foot-9, her height made it tough for that dream to come to fruition, but her love of horses never wavered. Today, the Bulverde resident and career accountant is a member of the Tejas Rodeo’s Mounted Drill Team, the Rough Riders, which performs choreographed routines on horseback that display patriotism and sportsmanship. “Mounted drill is the most fun I’ve ever had on the back of a horse,” she says. “It’s a dangerous sport and we all say, as much as we practice, once that whistle blows the next two minutes are about survival.” Since starting drill practice seven years ago, Southwell says she has learned patience, compassion, teamwork and loyalty—along with family values. “It becomes a really tight knit group because we have to depend on each other,” she says, of the team. Also important is the horse and rider’s relationship. Southwell’s horse, Keno, also known as Squirrel, is half of the equation. “If he gets hurt or I get hurt, we’re done,” she says. “It’s a sadness, but also a reality.”

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Eat + Drink I NSI D E / CO F F E E FO R A CAUSE p. 56 / BATTLE OF TH E BURGER p. 58 / FILIP IN O FIN DS p. 60

Fresh Hits n ingredient list that includes smoked tomatillos, fennel, Granny Smith apples, celery and jalapenos could anchor a nice gazpacho. But at Pharm Table, the items are used to make the Sangre Verde, a star on the restaurant’s new cocktail list. Yes, Pharm Table, the plant-forward eatery known for its organic, locally-sourced ingredients, now has a bar and is increasing its dinner offerings. Ever since the restaurant moved from its former downtown location to Southtown, chef/owner Elizabeth Johnson has worked to transform it from a breakfast/lunch spot into a lifestyle destination. “There’s a bit of an education curve now that we have so much more to offer,” she says. “And as we move forward, we’ll have even more to offer.” Johnson realized in the early days of the pandemic that her business couldn’t rely primarily on downtown office workers, so she made the decision to move. After a short stint in a food truck out front, the new location opened in March, featuring an airy, bright indoor space and a clean, modern patio. Along with some of Johnson’s signature dishes, the new eatery features an expanded menu with several fresh hits, including a gravlax board—thick slices of buttery, house-cured salmon, almond-nut cheese plus shredded and lightly fermented vegetables, served with tortillas made from artisan corn. It’s unusual yet comforting and eminently craveable. Expect more items soon as the dinner menu expands, and a late-night weekend bar menu is added. Johnson also plans to host special event dinners that draw inspiration from a collection of spices she is building out. She calls it her spice library. Like in the food, the bar focuses on quality, offering spirits by artisanal producers. “It’s a continuation of the ethos we apply to the food, we apply to the beverage,” she says. “To create a complete dining experience, I really felt we needed to add that part.”—EDMUND TIJERINA

JOSH HUSKIN

PHARM TABLE

611 S. Presa St. pharmtable.com Lunch & Dinner, Wed-Sat; Brunch Sun AUGUST 2021

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CAFE COTIDIANO

1443 S. St. Mary's St. sanantoniomennonite.org Open daily

Coffee for a Cause Café Cotidiano serves tasty San Antonioinspired lattes but it’s their mission of supporting asylum seekers that sets it apart BY KATHLEEN PETTY

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abibi Bamuamba has become an expert in coffee. A native of Congo who immigrated to the U.S. from South Africa, Bamuamba can tell customers about how the beans that are ground and brewed at Café Cotidiano are sourced from Honduras and about which latte is most popular iced (The Southtown). But when the manager of the cafe gets a break to enjoy a drink of her own, she opts for anything other than java. “I’m not a coffee drinker,” she says, smiling slightly at the irony of her role as manager of the coffee trailer, which the San Antonio Mennonite Church opened in late 2020. “But we make great hot chocolate and tea.” Bamuamba arrived in San Antonio with her two teenagers a year-and-a-half ago and was referred to La Casa de Maria y Marta, a shelter and ministry of the church, because she and her kids didn’t have a sponsoring relative in the U.S. with whom they planned to live. Typically, families stay at La Casa de Maria y Marta just a few days or weeks, says Diane Garcia, family pastor for the church. But with the pandemic, the Bamuambas were among several families who

PHOTOS BY KATELYN LESTER

6/30/21 3:34 PM

All in a Name Café Cotidiano gets its name from lo cotidiano, which is the word for daily in the Lord’s Prayer. It symbolizes the ministry’s daily goal for its families of provision and community.

found themselves more or less stuck in San Antonio and at La Casa for months. Church leaders already had been discussing before COVID-19 hit ways to better connect the asylum seekers they serve with the community. The extended stays of families during the pandemic was just the push they needed to take action. “We want this to be a place they can receive love and hospitality, but also give it to others,” Garcia says. Coffee was not something the church’s leadership had expertise in, pastor John Garland says, but it kept coming up as an industry that volunteers thought they could learn. Plus, one of the asylum seekers the church served came from Honduras and had family who worked on a coffee farm. If they could purchase beans from them, they could help support asylum seekers in San Antonio and some of their relatives back home. “The cafe is a beautiful place that provides coffee but it’s really just a representation of what we’re trying to achieve—holistic, healing hospitality at all stages,” Garcia says. Sure, the parking lot where the trailer would sit was filled with trash when the idea for a café came about. But with its South St. Mary’s Street address, it was in a prime location, Garland says. They got to work cleaning up the lot, painting the back fence a bright pink and adding the phrase “Keep Calm con Puro Amor” to the wood. A church member fixed up a used trailer for the kitchen and a donor purchased an upscale coffee maker, Garland says. Now, they just needed to learn about coffee. Staff at Café Azteca down the street volunteered and worked with the church and asylum seekers to learn how to operate their coffee maker and about how to

serve everything from a basic cup to a flavored latte. Since opening, the trailer has provided several families each week a place to work, connect with neighbors and to practice English. Drinks are served at a suggested price and customers are asked to donate to cover their order. All money goes to the church, which uses it to support the families at La Casa de Maria y Marta. Bamuamba, who recently had a work permit approved, is now on staff at the church and serves as both the café manager and as a caseworker for other families. In South Africa, she spent most of her career in social services. “Jesus says blessed are those who care for the stranger,” she says. “The church does a great job of that—of seeing people as you would your family.” Along with menu items named for San Antonio—an Americano is called Baja King William, a dulce de leche latte The Lonestar and a café de olla latte The Lavaca— the trailer offers daily breakfast specials made by its volunteers, from tacos to empanadas. Coffee beans also are available by the bag or through a subscription service. Garcia says they recently opened a telehealth clinic for asylum seekers in conjunction with UT Health San Antonio, thanks in large part to coffee sales. Bamuamba has built a roster of regular customers and Garcia says many of those people also have become volunteers who serve at La Casa de Maria y Marta. “From a pile of trash, we have gotten community and love and support for people who have been told by the broader system that they are not important,” Garcia says. “We’re not just a coffee shop, in fact it’s not really about coffee, it’s really about supporting these families and showing them that they’re important and valued, and if you get a great cup of coffee, then that’s great, too.” AUGUST 2021

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ORDER THIS

The Southtown (A Mexican vanilla latte) The Bonham (Mexican hot chocolate) Specialty food items inspired by asylum seekers’ home countries are available on Sundays

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E AT + D R I N K / D I S H

Burger Battle

WEIGH IN

Austin-based P. Terry’s debuted its first San Antonio location last month, joining the city’s crowded burger scene and leaving us wondering, which Texas chain has the best burger combo? We put three to the test but we’ll leave the job of crowning a champion up to you.—KP

Visit sanantoniomag.com/ burgerbattle to vote for your favorite combo.

Home Turf Whataburger

P. Terry’s

Burger Boy

Corpus Christi was home to the initial Whataburger, which opened in 1950. It now has over 840 restaurants in 10 states and moved its corporate headquarters from Corpus Christi to San Antonio in 2009.

The flagship restaurant opened July 5, 2005 at South Lamar and Barton Springs in Austin. Its first San Antonio restaurant debuted exactly 16 years later, one of more than 20 restaurants in Austin and Central Texas.

Its first location opened on St. Mary’s Street in San Antonio in 1985 and it has since expanded to three additional San Antonio locations with a fourth opening this summer at Southcross and S. New Braunfels Avenue.

The Main Event The patty is as good as promised here. Made with 100 percent all-natural, hormone and antibiotic-free Black Angus beef, it’s thin but flavorful and just the right size for the house made bun. You can order it with cheese or as a double and it arrives topped with P. Terry’s special sauce, lettuce leafed by hand in the store and a tomato slice. Grilled onions, jalapenos, pickles, onion, bacon and mustard can also be added. There is a lettuce wrap for Paleo enthusiasts and a veggie bean burger made fresh in its Austin commissary. Combo: $6.40

Burger Boy offers a fish or chicken sandwich but there’s no reason to stray from the classic here. The Burger Boy is made to order and is a thin but flavorful patty that’s served with shredded lettuce, mustard, onion, tomato and pickles. Order a double or triple if you have a big appetite or splurge for some extras, whether jalapenos, bacon or Kraft cheese. Like at Whataburger, the bunless option arrives on a bed of shredded lettuce to be enjoyed with a fork. Combo (Bates Special): $6.59

Staple Sides The thin-cut fries are just salty enough, easy to devour and as addictive as the ones at that chain with the golden arches. Every San Antonian knows the real star with this side is the Whataburger ketchup, which comes in fancy and spicy varieties.

Fries here are fresh cut from Idaho Burbank potatoes and fried in canola oil. Staff perform a glucose test on each batch of potatoes to determine their sugar level so prep and cook times can be adjusted to ensure the side is consistently delicious every time.

The crinkle fries are perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, not too salty and the ideal complement to any burger (we’ve even seen some locals stack them on top of their burger).

Shake It Up The most notable thing about its chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shakes are the size. A 20-ounce medium provides enough dessert for the week (and at over 500 calories, it’s best to conquer it in multiple sittings). Don’t miss the limited-edition Dr Pepper Shake— it’s the best taste of Texas in one cup.

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Handspun with ice cream, the shakes here are as good as any you’d order from an ice cream shop. You can’t go wrong with double chocolate, strawberry or vanilla but the fun starts with less traditional flavors, from root beer and caramel to monthly specials like cookie butter.

Variety rules on the dessert menu, which features a dozen delicious shake flavors plus limited-edition offerings like the Almond Joy. From the San Antonio staple Big Red shake to the chocolate chip, each is madeto-order, served with whipped cream and thick enough to warrant the large straw with which it’s served.

WHATABURGER, P. TERRY'S: COURTESY RESTAURANTS; BURGER BOY: KATELYN LESTER

Whataburgers are made to order with 100 percent pure, never frozen beef. The standard comes with a thin, single patty topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, diced onion, mustard and pickles but the chain also is known for its variety. Burgers can be ordered as doubles or triples, with jalapeno and cheese, bacon and cheese, mushroom and Swiss or with avocado and bacon (which is served on oversized Texas toast rather than the standard toasted 5-inch bun). Plus, there are plenty of non-beef meal options Combo (Whatameal): $6.94

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TA S T E M A K E R / E AT + D R I N K

GOING SOLO Find the joy in eating out on your own thanks to Melody’s Table For One

DAVID G. LOYOLA

THE FIRST TIME MELODY GOEKEN TOOK

herself out to eat following the death of her husband, she was more than a little hesitant. “I thought it would be weird to sit by myself and I didn’t want to be pitied,” she says. It took only a few minutes, though, for Goeken to realize that not only were her fellow diners not feeling sorry for her, they also didn’t even notice her. “They’re all so enthralled with what’s happening at their own table,” she says. “Nobody cares if you’re sitting alone.” She and her husband had made a hobby of eating out—even plotting their road trips around restaurants they’d seen on the Food Network. When he died following a five-year bout with cancer, Goeken knew he would want her to continue their shared pastime. Since that first meal alone, she’s become a regular solo diner, turning her adventures into a Facebook page, Melody’s Table For One, and a regular segment on WOAI’s San Antonio Living. “After that first time, you realize you can go anywhere,” Goeken says. “Plus, you don’t have to share your dessert.” Here, she shares her tips for enjoying restaurants on your own.

1. Resolve to Have a Good Time Get dressed, get out of the house and decide you’re going to have a great time before you ever sit down at the table, Goeken says. “You don’t need to have someone across from you to enjoy yourself,” she says. Bring an iPad and read, chat with your server or simply people watch and soak in the kind of solace that can be tough to find amid busy days. 2. Eat Local Start your solo dining journey at restaurants where you already feel comfortable. Twin Sisters Bakery & Café is one of Goeken’s go-tos and a place she regularly returns. Once you’ve mastered eating alone at a place you already know, make a list of other locally owned restaurants you want to try. “They need your support just as much as you need to get out of the house,” she says. Tutti’s: A Place for Foodies, Cappy’s and Tre Trattoria are among her other favorites. 3. Get to Know Your Server Dining on your own affords the chance to chat with your waiter in a way that usually doesn’t happen if you’re part of a larger group, Goeken says. She often starts her meal by asking her server what they recommend and makes a point to continue talking with them each time they check in at her table. “I have found the waitstaff really takes good care of me and at my favorite places that I love, we get to know each other,” she says.—KP

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Filipino Fare Sweet treats and snacks from the Philippines await adventurous eaters at Sari-Sari markets

Mochi Ice Cream When you want a sweet treat without indulging in a full bowl of ice cream, pick up a box of Kyoto Style bites from the fridge. Not sure which flavor to start with? Try the Azuki Red Bean, Creamy Strawberry or Juicy Mango.

BY KATHERINE STINSON

ari-Sari is the Tagalog word for sundry or variety and that’s just what locals will find at these family-owned markets. With a store on Wurzbach Road and a second location that opened in Stone Oak earlier this year, Sari-Sari stocks Filipino snacks and drinks plus fresh produce and desserts, including its famous Halo-Halo, which consists of shaved ice, condensed milk, mixed and candied fruits, coconut jelly, Ube ice cream and more. Adam Valenzuela opened up the original Sari-Sari in 1995 after first operating a market from his garage. His daughter and son-in-law, Camille and Adrian De Los Reyes, have since taken over the business, staying true to its family atmosphere and an inventory of must-have pantry items plus lesser-known treats you won’t find at H-E-B. Want to visit without doing any cooking? The Wurzbach location features a Filipino restaurant and bakery plus Buddhafull Belly, a late-night Chinese takeout spot the De Los Reyes couple recently debuted.

6 Items to Add to Your Basket Chicken and Pork Lumpia Made-to-order chicken and pork lumpia are among the most popular items with regular customers. Lumpia are traditional Filipino spring rolls that are packed with flavor. Look for them in the back of the shop on the right side.

Sangaria Strawberry Milk Each can is filled with whole milk that’s blended with strawberries—the perfect drink for a summer cool down.

SHOP

5700 Wurzback Pkwy.; 18720 Stone Oak Pkwy., Ste. 115 sari-sari-satx.com

Buenas Sweet Purple Yam Spread This dairy-and egg-free spread is made with ube, a purple yam that originated in the Philippines. The ube has a sweetness that makes the spread perfect for toast, in desserts or just by the spoonful straight out of the jar.

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Kimchi Need something salty? Try a 32-ounce jar of kimchi from the store’s back refrigerator. Sourced from Houston, this kimchi is made from fermented Napa cabbage, radishes, garlic, green onion, red pepper, and shrimp and fish sauce.

Shrimp Snacks Skip the standard Lay's and give Marco Polo shrimp snacks a try. The crunchy crispy chips are made with real shrimp and come in two flavors: Bar-B-Que or onion and garlic.

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E AT + D R I N K / T H E G U I D E

BURLESON YARD BEER GARDEN (Dignow-

ity Hill) There are indoor seating options here but the spacious outdoor beer garden and seating is the real star—at least if you are a dog. So go ahead and let your pup lounge at your feet while you indulge in a Chamoy margarita, draft beer and burger. 430 Austin St., 210-354-3001, facebook.com/burlesonyard CAMP OUTPOST (Southtown) The vintage Airstream-turned-bar serves as the anchor to this outdoor seating area where dogs are welcome to join diners. Ask for a dog bowl to keep your pup hydrated in the heat while you enjoy a wood-fired rotisserie porchetta sandwich or half-chicken. Cocktails, wine and beer are available on tap. 1811 S. Alamo St., eatatcamp.com CHERRITY BAR (Downtown) With a spacious outdoor patio and grounds large enough for owners to take their dogs on brief walks, there’s no reason to leave your canine at home. Drink orders support local charities and the Tourette Association of America while the dumplings, katsu sliders and yakitori provide just the excuse we need to let happy hour roll into dinner. 302 Montana St., 210-598-0496, ramenbarsa.com THE COVE (Five Points) Dogs on leashes are invited to enjoy the outdoor beer garden, complete with live music. After ordering a beer on tap, ask your server for a disposable water bowl so your pup can stay refreshed, too. Humans will enjoy the vegan nachos, famous fish tacos or grass-fed burgers. Dogs aren’t allowed to eat on the premises, but the restaurant has doggy bags that live up to their name so you can give them a bite of your leftovers at home. 606 W. Cypress St., 210-227-2683, thecove.us

FRALO’S (North West) Ask for a table outside under the lights at this pet-friendly pizza place. There’s live music on select nights, Spurs game screenings and plenty of creative pies to try, including the Game Time with venison pepperoni, spinach and provolone. 23651 W. I-10, 210-698-6616, fralos.com THE FRIENDLY SPOT (Southtown) Owners Steve and Jody Newman have crafted a place that’s welcoming to adults, kids and dogs alike. The venue has 76 beers on tap, 300 brews in bottles and cans, specialty cocktails and a small bites menu that’s available until midnight. 943 S. Alamo St., 210-224-2337, thefriendlyspot.com THE HOPPY MONK (Stone Oak) This northside craft beer pub is known for its massive drink list, which includes dozens of beers plus cider and cocktails. But don’t sleep on a food menu that features a Blue Fox burger with cider-poached pears and a carnitas Benedict brunch that is worth waking up early to try. The spacious patio out front is dog friendly. 1010 N. Loop 1604 E., 210-545-3330, thehoppymonk.com HOPS AND HOUNDS (McAllister Park) With multiple outdoor play areas for dogs of all sizes and activity levels, there’s something for every pup here. Let your dog conquer the various obstacles while you sip a signature margarita flight alongside loaded tots. 13838 Jones-Maltsberger Road, 210592-9400, hopsandhoundsllc.com PHILOCOFFEE (Alta Vista) Grab a dog treat from the jar inside while you’re waiting on your specialty latte or pour over and head out to the patio to sip alongside your pet. The cafe serves coffee made with beans by What’s Brewing plus snacks from The Bread Box and Boss Bagel. 606 W. French Place, 210-314-8450, philocoffeesa.com

OFF MENU News from the restaurant scene

Nashville-based Gus’s Fried Chicken opened in Southtown. / Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails debuted inside Hotel Contessa on the River Walk in June. / The couple behind Fat Bastards BBQ and Grill food truck will open a brick-and-mortar eatery on Bandera Road later this year. / North Italia, a from-scratch chain with over 20 locations around the U.S., opened next to Southerleigh Haute South at The Rim. / A second location of Wayne’s Wings opened on Bandera Road on the Northwest Side. / Roger Herr launched Bar Loretta, which focuses on Texas cocktails and cuisine in the King William Historic District, opened in late June. / William Chris Vineyards released a red blend made with Texas grapes, the Wanderer Series Relief Project II, that benefits the non-profit hunger relief organization, Feeding Texas. / Comfort Cafe, which was recognized by Yelp as the best brunch spot in the nation, opened its second San Antonio location at Los Patios.

Restaurants' service and menus can change. Please call ahead to confirm. For our full directory of San Antonio restaurants, visit sanantoniomag.com/restaurants-bars.

If you were taking an out-of-town chef on a San Antonio food tour, what restaurants would you visit and why? I would start by showing them how we have strong traditions that anchor our city’s culinary identity. So, we would start with some classics: breakfast tacos, puffy tacos and barbacoa. Then I would make sure to show some of the most forward-looking places around the city, so we’d visit Mixtli and Landrace. Then, we would enjoy a couple of wonderful culinary mashups: jerk tacos at The Jerk Shack, and one of the barbecue and curry combos at Curry Boys. I’d want to show how our city respects tradition, looks forward and mixes traditions playfully. Have a question for our resident foodie? Email asked@sanantoniomag.com.

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DAVID G. LOYOLA

9 Dog-Friendly Patios to Try

AUGUST 2021

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The Best Kind of Complicated Elise Russ, the pastry chef who co-owns Clementine with her chef-husband John, on the joys and challenges of being a mom and business owner during a pandemic

ife is more complicated when you have kids—funnier, messier, germ-ier and way more entertaining. I’ve never felt this sentiment more than during the past year and a half. We recently had a tornado warning and I turned into a basketcase. Pre-kids, I would have finished my glass of wine, gone to bed and slept soundly. Now, I am a parody of myself. I ate all of the French onion dip, made myself a fake cocktail (I’m pregnant, and no, the fake cocktail did not help), and paced around my house while obsessively watching the most dramatic news coverage I could find. All this because I couldn’t decide if it was worth it to wake up my two young daughters to hide in the bathroom from a tornado that probably wasn’t going to appear. It was as if the last 18 months were playing out in one scene. Between kids, a restaurant staffed by people we care about, customers we love and zero medical knowledge or ability to see into the future, there has not been enough French onion dip or Tums in the world. I had so many decisions to make during the pandemic and almost every single one was

a huge gamble: Send my kids to school and risk COVID for them, then us, which could lead to having to close and ultimately lose the restaurant. Open our restaurant and risk staff and family getting sick. Keep our restaurant closed and risk losing our entire source of income—the list goes on. I have never felt so helpless or ill-equipped in my life. I hate the phrase “I need an adult,” so I’m embarrassed to admit how many times it went through my head (it was daily). It was the craziest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever been on. We would go to bed convinced there wouldn’t be enough dinner orders to cover the bills the next day. We would wake up and fake enthusiasm for the sake of our stir-crazy daughters and by the time we got back from our morning walk, I would have an inbox filled with orders. We were safe for another day. We managed to survive, and we owe a huge gratitude to everyone who helped. But mostly, it was my daughters who forced me to get out of bed, put a smile on my face, and come up with the next great idea to keep us (safely) in business. Yes, life is more complicated with kids, but it’s absolutely worth it.

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ILLUSTRATION: DAVID G. LOYOLA; RUSS: JOSH HUSKIN; CHILDREN SILHOUETTES: OSIJAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; TORNADO: NOKHOOKNOI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; SHAPES: BOGDANDIMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

FINAL THOUGHT

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SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE AUGUST 202 1

BEST RESTAURANTS / T EJAS RO D EO CO.

Vol. 16 No. 10

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