SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE
MEET 5 WOMEN TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AIR FORCE PILOTS
THE MEXICAN RESTAURANT YOU HAVE TO TRY
M AY 202 1 SUM M ER ROAD TRIPS / WO M EN O F T H E AI R FO RCE
Vol. 16 No. 7
destinations for the perfect summer getaway—near and far
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May FEATURES
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HI T T HE ROA D
If you have the itch to travel, but still want to avoid flying, find inspiration in this guide to 12 destinations within a day’s drive.
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F LYI N G H I G H
Meet five female Air Force pilots stationed at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland who’ve paved their own paths in a male-dominated field
PHOTO BY JOMANDO CRUZ
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IN THE LOOP 1 2 CITY NEWS The next wave of development at the San Antonio International Airport could include a third terminal and an overdue renovation of Terminal A.
EAT + DRINK
18 ESSAY Erica Hernandez’s story of becoming a mother and providing a loving family to a toddler with a traumatic past.
47 DI S H Doughnuts steal the show in Southerleigh Haute South’s twist on the brunch classic chicken and waffles. 4 8 E AT H E RE N OW Stone Oak’s Frida presents a playful twist on upscale Mexican and American classics.
1 4 PERSON O F INTEREST Guy Walsh is helping lead UTSA’s efforts in further establishing San Antonio as a hub for cybersecurity and data science.
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20 ST Y L E A truly San Antonio gift guide to the perfect Mother’s Day present.
16 CULT UR E The Briscoe Western Art Museum goes beyond the shoot-out in its exhibit on the history of Western films.
5 0 S P OT L I G H T Jeret Pena’s latest combines tiki drinks and authentic Thai dishes.
5 2 TAST E M A K E R The namesake of Southtown gem Little Em’s Oyster Bar is a restaurant newbie with impeccable taste. 5 4 T H E GU I DE Whatever you're craving, you'll find it at one of these nine food trucks worth a try. 64 FINAL THOUGHT Courtney Beauchamp and her family find relaxation and tradition in their annual road trip to West Texas.
ON THE COVER The drive to Wimberley, photographed by JoMando Cruz, is as scenic as the riverside town itself.
SOUTHERLEIGH: JOMANDO CRUZ; JOHN WAYNE: COURTESY BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM; FRIDA: MARTY MORRIS
D EPART M E N TS
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UP FRONT / NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
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ife has come full circle. There’s no truer statement to describe life for my family and me in the past year. My husband—a senior master sergeant in the Air Force— daughter and I spent five years in San Antonio before we were moved to MacDill Air Force in Tampa, Florida, in 2015. After five years there, last summer we were stationed back to the beautiful city of San Antonio. While we enjoyed the Florida beaches, rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and being able to drive to the Keys, our goal was always to get back to the place we felt most at home: San Antonio. My career has also come full circle. It all began with an early Sunday morning trip to H-E-B on the corner of 1604 and Culebra. I picked up my first issue of San Antonio Magazine at the checkout and was instantly engaged. I decided I wanted to not only subscribe to the magazine, I wanted to be part of this wonderful publication! A short time later, I became associate publisher for San Antonio Magazine, and upon returning to San Antonio last year, I was thrilled to become publisher. Not only is San Antonio Magazine a beautiful publication, it offers a voice and platform for our city, small businesses, the arts, entertainment, parks, museums and restaurants with stories that are fresh, exciting, and about the people of our city who are working on implementing change and making a difference. While editor in chief Kathleen Petty is out on maternity leave, I’m happy to be able to introduce myself and share my perspective with you. In addition to being a military spouse, I’m the mother of a 16-year-old daughter. As a parent, there are times when I’ve had to encourage, lift up and push my child to embrace and grow through the hard times, trying to instill in her the belief that she is capable of anything she desires. Reading the stories of five female Air Force pilots stationed at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland in “Flying High” (page 38) reminded me of that resilience. I shared their stories of grit and determination in taking control of their destinies in a male-dominated field with my daughter, Zoë, who is now exploring opportunities for her future with the Air Force Academy. Her dad is beside himself! This issue also features 12 destinations for a summer road trip. I am happy to say I have visited Castroville, Marble Falls, Spring Branch, Wimberley and the Blanco River—all mentioned in the “Get Away From It All” (page 26). Now, I am busy planning a few jaunts to Palo Duro Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of Texas, and Sitting Bull Falls. Looking through this month’s issue is a reminder of why I wanted to come back to San Antonio and San Antonio Magazine. There is still so much more of the Alamo City and state of Texas to see and experience, and the magazine continues to create new ways to connect with you, the reader, and introduce you to the best places to eat, shop, support and enjoy. As I continue to reconnect with this great city, let me know some of your favorite places to visit and shop locally. I would love to hear!
COMING UP NEXT MONTH
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A Pride Month celebration of San Antonio’s LGBTQ community
BRENDA PIÑA
Kathie Anderson Publisher publisher@sanantoniomag.com
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MAY 2021 / VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 7 WHERE’S THE NEXT PLACE YOU WANT TO TRAVEL?
EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF
Kathleen Petty CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Katherine Stinson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Courtney Beauchamp, Jade Esteban Estrada, Tommie Ethington, Bonny Osterhage, Edmund Tijerina, Chris Warren COPY EDITOR
Patsy Pelton INTERN
Jessica Lenamond A RT ART DIRECTOR
David G. Loyola CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Vicente Martí
OP E N SKY ME DIA CEO
Todd P. Paul PRESIDENT
Stewart Ramser
“I’m planning to check some more national parks off my list this summer: Mesa Verde, Bryce and Glacier!”
VP OF SALES
Julie A. Kunkle EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Rebecca Fontenot Cord DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Hollis Boice AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Kerri Nolan ACCO UN T IN G ACCOUNTS MANAGER
Sabina Jukovic DIG ITA L DIGITAL MANAGER
“Korea. Great food, beautiful scenery and very friendly people!”
Abigail Stewart
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
JoMando Cruz, Vincent Gonzalez, Louis Preciado, Marty Morris “Hawaii is on our bucket list.”
ADV ERTIS ING
Rosie Ninesling CO NTACT US
Kathie Anderson
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ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
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PUBLISHER
Christina Olivarez DIGITAL SALES MANAGER
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Jillian Clifton INTERNS
Castille Cantu, Kelly Clifton “Italy! I feel like I have eaten enough pasta and consumed enough wine during quarantine to become an honorary citizen!”
DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
EV ENTS EVENTS DIRECTOR
Macaulay Hammond
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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 / T HE F UT URE O F A IR TRAVEL p. 12 / STILL IN TH E SAD D LE p. 16 / BECOMIN G A MOM p. 1 8 FRIDA K AHLO'S OASIS
May 8-Nov. 2 San Antonio Botanical Garden sabot.org
A Blooming Ode to Frida an Antonio Botanical Garden’s new exhibition transports visitors to Mexico with a rendition of Frida Kahlo’s home, Casa Azul, and the surrounding gardens that served as the intimate universe of the iconic artist and her husband, Diego Rivera. “Frida Kahlo’s art was so inspired by nature,” says San Antonio Botanical Garden CEO Sabina Carr. “Her life was spent in the garden at Casa Azul.” The exhibit includes various gardens inspired by Mexican native, tropical and desert plants like golden barrel cactus, angel trumpet vine and bougainvillea, each one curated as an interpretation of those Kahlo surrounded herself with. One garden representing the artist’s marriage features the frog fountain, named from the “toad” nickname Kahlo gave to Rivera. An artist studio garden replicates Kahlo’s
COURTESY SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN
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desk and easel, and the pyramid garden honors Rivera’s famous museum housing pre-Hispanic artifacts. Throughout the grounds, sculptures of animals created by a group of Mexico City artists known as Materia Arte represent the creatures prominent in Kahlo’s life and art, including a Xoloitzcuintli, the Mexican hairless dog she loved, plus deer and monkeys. The pieces reflect the style and materials of the Mexican region of each animal. Frida Kahlo Oasis also premieres six giant botanical depictions of Frida, sculpted by Paul Zarkin and then designed by several renowned Mexican artists. The Frida botanicals were supposed to launch in Mexico City and then travel the world, but Carr says the artists fell in love with the San Antonio garden and decided to premiere the sculptures at the exhibition.—JESSICA LENAMOND
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IN THE LOOP / CITY NEWS
(Almost) Cleared for Takeoff The airport is closing in on a plan for future developments, including a third terminal
efore the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 10 million passengers flew through San Antonio International Airport each year. Last year saw a 61 percent drop in passenger volumes, but interest around expanding and modernizing the airport has remained intensively intact. After a one-year pause, progress on the Strategic Development Plan (SDP), which outlines 20 years of improvements, was presented to San Antonio City Council in March. The data-driven proposal requires a green light from the mayor and the council and is expected to be completed by late summer or early fall. En route to its potential completion, three virtual SDP meetings—two in English and one in Spanish—were held to provide updates on the developments being considered for the city-owned airport’s long-term outlook and to solicit community input. “It is imperative that the airport prepares for future growth and also involves the community in the process,” says Jesus H. Saenz, Jr., director of airports for the San Antonio Airport System. Plans include modernizing the 37-year-old Terminal A, which many say offers a tepid welcome to arriving
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passengers. “Terminal A dates back to the ’80s,” says SDP project manager John van Woensel, of the consulting firm WSP. “It’s functionally obsolete.” An expansion is also in the works, with the creation of a third terminal that will feature more of the passengerrequested food options that the airport currently lacks. The revival of the Terminal C plan, which was proposed and abandoned in 2008, seems to incite the most enthusiasm from those who hear about the SPD proposals. At the input-based meetings, airport officials said the new design concepts would represent “a more defined sense of place,” showcasing the local art and history of San Antonio’s vibrant culture. Funding for the proposal's projects, including the creation of a new terminal and renovation of Terminal A, could come from federal grants, customer fees, bond issues, and airline carriers. The total cost is still undetermined. Airport staff is still in the process of surveying COVID-19’s effect on their pre-pandemic growth projection, but there is hope that the traveler numbers will rebound within three years as vaccination rates increase and the public begins to feel more comfortable traveling again.
ILLUSTRATION: DAVID G. LOYOLA; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/AIRPORT: TRAVEL WITH ME; SIGN: BOSCORELLI; CONSTRUCTION SIGN: ANDREY POPOV; PLANE: PATRISH JACKSON
BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA
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Top Flier / Major Thomas Werner, of the 182nd Fighter Squadron at Texas National Guard at Kelly Field, will join the Air Force Thunderbirds team in June as the team’s operations officer. He will oversee all air space coordination, safety observation and ground communication with the pilots during aerial demonstrations.
ILLUSTRATION: DAVID G. LOYOLA; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/AIRPORT: TRAVEL WITH ME; SIGN: BOSCORELLI; CONSTRUCTION SIGN: ANDREY POPOV; PLANE: PATRISH JACKSON
Helping Hand / Following the winter storm that left many Texans without water or electricity, Hollywood star and Corpus Christi native Eva Longoria volunteered for the San Antonio Food Bank, delivering food, water and pet supplies to homebound seniors. “Thank you for the opportunity!” Longoria tweeted. Top Chefs / Two San Antonio chefs, Diego Galicia and Rico Torres, will take part in volume two of Cook with Jacques & Friends, a video recipe book featuring more than 40 chefs from around the country. Galicia turned in his recipe for queso botanero, and Torres entered his recipe for chicken ballotine (filled with olives and capers) with stewed tomatoes and chiles. Hot Dog! / The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made a two-day pit stop in SA in February. The mammoth 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels encouraged residents to take photos, meet the “Hotdoggers” and pick up their official “Wiener Whistles.” Some folks were even offered a sightseeing tour. Buy the Alamo / San Antonio will get its own Monopoly game. An Alamo City–themed edition of the board game will include spaces that feature local landmarks. Residents were asked to weigh in on what those places should be earlier this spring. The final product will hit shelves this September at a quintessentially San Antonio place itself—H-E-B. MAY 2021
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IN THE LOOP / PERSON OF INTEREST
group, which was tasked with integrating USCYBERCOM’s cyberspace capability development, and now looks to elevate San Antonio’s position in the fields of cybersecurity and data science. “A lot of people have an opportunity to command or lead an organization, but very few have the opportunity to stand it up from scratch,” he says. You have experience working with government, industry and academia. How do those work together to improve national security? Let me start with the relationship between the government and industry. My grandmother worked in a box factory putting stuff together back in World War II. It was the industrial base of the U.S. that gave us that success in terms of aircraft building. You don’t move a military forward unless you have that industrial base supporting it. As we started to cut costs in the government, we became much more dependent on industry for many years. You can start with Silicon Valley and some of the work that was done here in San Antonio, building from computers to chips to technology. The relationship between government and industry has been building over the past 40 years.
Cyber City, USA Guy Walsh, founding executive director of UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center, hopes to create a hub for cyber industry and academics alongside the new School of Data Science at the university’s downtown campus BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA
n 2019, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General (Ret.) Guy Walsh, 64, was named the executive director of the UTSA National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC), which broke ground this winter along San Pedro Creek downtown. Walsh spent 25 years as a pilot in the Air Force, providing close air support for both U.S. and coalition troops. In 2010, a year after retiring, he was tapped by the NSA’s director and commander of the U.S. Cyber Command to focus on cyber as the newest combat command organization in the Department of Defense. He later became an original member and deputy director of the Capabilities Development
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FACT FILE
Resume: U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, United States Cyber Command, UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center Education: Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences, United States Air Force Academy; Master in International Relations and Strategic Studies, University of Southern California
How does academia fit in? The academic piece is the interesting part because that’s exactly why we stood up here at San Antonio—we’re not creating the workforce that is needed, whether it be in industry or in national security or in the federal government. Cybersecurity is the one that everybody reads about, but it’s not just cybersecurity, right? It’s all about data science. It’s all about artificial intelligence. What we’re trying to do is be able to create that workforce in academia. If you don’t bring in the academic part, you don’t have the workforce that you really need out there. What does the next 10-20 years look like for everyday folks as artificial intelligence continues to infiltrate our lives? Part of our focus on the national security side is (being aware of the fact that) just as many positive changes as there are, we’re starting to see some of those same things on the bad guy side, right? That’s a big focus of what we’re trying to do within the broader national security spectrum is ILLUSTRATION BY VICENTE MARTÍ
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to make sure that people can actually enjoy the advances of these technologies that are coming about. Why is having this new school building in the downtown area so significant? I really want the NSCC and School of Data Science to be at the forefront of San Antonio. What we’re trying to do is make sure people understand that San Antonio is the place where this technology is happening. I want the building itself to be an education center. The bottom floor is really about drawing the public in to understand what the studies at the School of Data Science are providing to folks there. I really want the education for the center to attract visitors so they can look and say, “Hey, that’s what I want to do when I grow up.” We will see the police and doctors. We will see these folks in society and say, “That’s what I want to be.” You don’t put it out in the middle of nowhere, right? You put it in the heart of the city, where you’re going to have that visibility. I think that’s a big piece of what we’re trying to do there. It’s not just about the tourists, it’s about the people of San Antonio and getting them excited. How will the campus impact downtown’s tech sector? When you talked about the three pieces there: the government, the industry, and the academic building, that relationship between the technologies and all the groups that are coming into San Antonio is absolutely huge. We want to be able to attract other businesses and grow and expand the businesses that are here in the technology sectors. It’s all supply and demand. They’re only going to come and stay in San Antonio if we could provide those workforces. It’s an important piece to say, “Yes, San Antonio has an ability to meet our workforce requirements here.” Where will this school fall on the national landscape once it’s up and running? I think it will be relatively unique. The School of Data Science is not one school, it goes across at least three of our colleges. It has the College of Engineering, the College of Sciences and the College of Business, which has nationally ranked programs in cybersecurity and data science/data analytics. We spent the last year doing the design, and when I say the design, I mean floor by floor, room by room, chair by chair. I jokingly say we put the restrooms on one side so the industry people have to go through academia and the academics have to come through our area. Having that regular interaction really makes this facility and this approach that UTSA has taken unique compared to anything else I’ve seen across the nation. I think it will stand out. Am I going to say that it’s the No. 1? The answer is, if I do my job right, it will be. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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I N T H E L O O P / C U LT U R E
FIVE MINUTES WITH SAN ANTONIO SY M P H O N Y E X E C U T I V E DIRECTOR COREY C O WA R T —JESSICA LENAMOND
After nearly a year without live performances, the symphony returned to the stage in February, albeit with limited audiences and a new livestream. What has the response been like?
May 28-Sept. 6 Briscoe Western Art Museum briscoemuseum.org
Reel Talk The Briscoe’s new exhibit explores Western films’ reflections of society at large BY JESSICA LENAMOND
ransforming into a retro 1960s movie theater this summer, the Briscoe Western Art Museum will tell the dramatic history of Western films in Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western. Visitors are transported to the world of Wild West cinema with almost 60 original vintage movie posters, costumes, props and authentic lobby cards. The exhibit focuses on the late 1960s through 1980s—considered the last of the Western’s glory days. The time period defined by social unrest, political turmoil, economic uncertainty and a shift in culture through generational change is reflected through the genre’s films. American history has always been represented through Westerns’ heroes and shifts in perspective, Briscoe CEO Michael Duchemin, Ph.D., says, pointing to the variance in the characters of Gene Autry, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. “These films tell us more about the time period they were produced in than the Old West or real life back in an earlier time,” Duchemin says. “The Western serves as an allegorical space of fantasy where culturally we have gone time and time again to work out our differences of opinion and purpose. The conflicts within our culture: good versus evil, cowboys and Indians. Various different dichotomies that have come to represent our cultural shifts.” While some iconic film clips are displayed in the exhibit, visitors are encouraged to attend the Summer Film Series hosted by guest curator Andrew Patrick Nelson to discuss and watch five selected Westerns: True Grit, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Wild Bunch, Little Big Man and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Nelson, whose research and book helped create the exhibit, guides the audience’s viewing with historical context and background before the showings and Q&A discussions after.
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The symphony has dealt with some financial struggles in the past, and the pandemic heaped a financial burden onto arts organizations. How are things looking now? “We’ve had to drastically reduce our budget this year—it is less than half of what it has been historically. But we’ve been fortunate. I think 85 percent of our patrons that had purchased tickets to the canceled concerts in 2020 chose to donate the value of the tickets back to the symphony. It’s been challenging, but we’ve been able to navigate through with announcing this next season and being back to live concerts.” SEE THE SYMPHONY
May 14 & 15: Classics VII: Works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Beethoven, Sibelius & Schubert May 28 & 29: Classics VIII: Works by Wagner & Mozart; conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing sasymphony.org
COURTESY BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM
STILL IN THE SADDLE : A NEW HISTORY OF THE HOLLY WOOD WESTERN
“Overall, the feedback has been positive. It’s just good to have our musicians back together and performing live music for an audience. Those individuals that are choosing to come out and be here in person are ecstatic to be here. Even though it is half the normal capacity on stage and less than half in the house, it’s still that shared experience and it’s a step in a process to ideally return to normalcy.”
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I N T H E L O O P / E S S AY
Forever Mom KSAT digital journalist Erica Hernandez shares the joys and sometimes-tough realities on the road from fostering to adopting her 3-year-old daughter AS TOLD TO KATHLEEN PETTY
e always knew we wanted to foster to adopt. My husband was adopted by his stepfather, so it was something he had always wanted to do to give back. Working in the news, I had heard these stories and cases and just knew there were so many kids out there who needed a home and someone to love them. Our plan when we got married three years ago was to have one child and adopt one. I was about to be 33 at the time and, since we knew we wanted to have a family, we started trying right away. After two years, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. We struggled with whether to pursue fertility treatments because, technically, they hadn’t found anything “wrong” with us. We decided to go to an intro class for foster care and as soon as we finished, we knew that’s what we wanted to do. There are several classes you have to take to become certified. Plus, there’s a health inspection and an inspection by the fire marshal. There are so many people in
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and out of your house—and that doesn’t stop when you have a child. Then, you have the caseworker from CPS and someone from the agency coming by, and sometimes there’s a CASA volunteer. If you don’t like people in your home or you’re not willing to give up some of your privacy, this is not for you. We were licensed to become a foster home in October 2019, and our daughter was placed with us in December. We got a call about her the day before. Our agency said that Child Protective Services had a 3-year-old girl they were looking to place. That was exactly in the age range we were looking for, so we said OK and CPS dropped her off the next afternoon. We were told her case had been pretty publicized when she was first removed from home in 2018. She was one of four sisters (there are two more now) and it was a starvation case, but we did not know the full story right away. It took months for us to understand the whole scope of her case. She’d been in foster care for about a year already before PHOTO BY VINCENT GONZALEZ
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she was placed with us and had been in three foster homes and four respite homes. We did have a short honeymoon period like they talk about. She was kind of OK for a little while, but then it hit hard. I remember the day exactly: We were taking her to the doctor for a checkup and she refused to get into the car seat and started screaming and throwing things and pulling hair and scratching. We were like, ‘What is going on?’ She continued to have tantrums that could last for hours or half a day until she would just pass out from exhaustion. And it was emotionally exhausting for us. We learned she had so much fluid in her ears that she couldn’t hear, which contributed to her speech delay. She didn’t know how to express herself or communicate, and fighting and yelling and chaos was all she knew. The tantrums lasted for about a month and then we hit another good phase, but we’ve had other phases of aggression and testing boundaries over the last year. It’s an up-and-down journey, and her therapist said it’s going to be like that for a few years. For a while, if she saw her CPS caseworker, she would freak out because she thought she might be moving again. We worked to help her understand that she is safe and loved and she’s not going anywhere. She understands now that this is her forever home, but she still does ask us and needs reassurance that we’re Mom and Dad and that she’s staying here. There were points where we were at our wit's end because it was just so exhausting, and we were always wondering if we were doing the right things or if there was more we should be doing. We’re first-time parents, so I was calling my mom and friends and other foster parents. I tell my husband I feel like I cried more in the first month we had her than I had in the whole previous year just from sheer exhaustion. We literally took it one day at a time because there was no other way. We would see the exhaustion in each other and give each other breaks. My husband would tell me to go for a run or to go get my nails done. I’d encourage him to take one of his jiu-jitsu classes or to get something to smoke on the grill. If you don’t have a strong, supportive marriage, I don’t think you can do this. Her parents’ rights were terminated a few months after we got her, so we knew she would be eligible for adoption and that we wanted her to be part of our family. Despite the challenges, we never thought we wouldn’t adopt her. She fits in really well. She has a great sense of humor, and she’s so smart and our family just adores her. She’s ours. The first time she called me Mommy, she won me over. We adopted her officially in February this year with a ceremony through Zoom. She came to us with a lot of trauma and neglect. There were a lot of things that threw us for a loop and it’s still something we’re dealing with, but the child we have now is a totally different child than the one who was placed with us that December. It’s amazing. I’ll never regret this decision, no matter how many tears or frustrating days we have. When I look at her, I know it’s all worth it. This kid has a chance at life, and she’ll never have to worry about being loved.” Interested in foster care? Visit familytapestry.org/ foster-care. MAY 2021
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IN THE LOOP / STYLE
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
For the Mom Who Loves to be Pampered: Organically Bath & Beauty’s Rose Quartz Line Founder and CEO Kela Nabors and mom of six recommends anything from the shop’s Rose Quartz line, which debuted in December 2020, for a guaranteed hit on Mother’s Day. “Our Rose Quartz is a new favorite,” she says. “It’s a blend of rose geranium and lavender essential oil.” The “luxury line” is packaged in glass and refillable at the Northwest Military Highway shop. Choose from a body mousse, scrub, body wash, mist, candle or soap bar. organicallybathbeauty.com
Uniquely San Antonio experiences, indulgences and one-of-a-kind items to remind your mom she’s valued BY KATHERINE STINSON
ROSE QUARTZ BODY MOUSSE $35
For the Mom Who Deserves a Staycation: Hotel Havana Treat mom to a luxurious getaway without the added stress of airport travel. Whether you splurge for the Queen or Hemingway suite or book one of the historic boutique hotel’s studio space rooms with vaulted skylights, make sure she also enjoys Sunday brunch at Ocho. Send her back home with the kimono robe as a souvenir. havana sanantonio.com KIMONO ROBE $175
For the Mom With One-Of-A-Kind Style: Em’s Clay and Craft Elise Earrings Em’s Clay and Craft was born after creator Emily Butcher started working with polymer clay and macrame as hobbies after the birth of her daughter, Evelyn. Now she has transformed her talent into a handmade earring line. The Elise earrings pair a delicate shell design with pearl studs for a touch of style and elegance to any of mom’s looks. Looking for something completely unique? Butcher also does custom orders. @emsclayandcraft, etsy.com/ emsclayandcraft ELISE EARRINGS $30
For the Mom Who Loves Caffeine: Coffeecionado Custom Blend Patricia Butler’s all-female-run Coffeecionado sources its beans solely from women-owned farms and offers a fun experience for coffee lovers to handcraft their own roast. Mom can choose from an exclusive selection of single-origin, micro-lot coffees, while sampling four espresso, latte and handcrafted Cold Brew Nitro. She’ll take home a bag of her own signature roasted coffee to enjoy at home. coffeecionadosa.com PRIVATE ROASTING EXPERIENCE $30
For the Mom Who Loves Sweets: Purdy Cakes SA What’s a celebration without cake? At this 100 percent vegan bakery, it’s hard to tell that butter and eggs are missing from the decadent confections. In addition to traditional layer cakes, owner and baker Krystal Magaña Williams also offers cupcakes, bundt cakes, cookies and chocolate-dipped strawberries—all vegan! @purdycakessa CAKES START AT $35
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Summer Travel The open road is calling. Start planning your summer adventures with this guide to nearby destinations.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Kerrville
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ind yourself in Kerrville, the official capital of the Texas Hill Country, where tranquil outdoor activities, boutique shopping, authentic Texas dining and more await, all in a natural wonderland setting. The stunning Guadalupe River runs right through the heart of downtown, scenic beauty abounds in every direction and nonstop fun is waiting to be discovered. Make plans to relax and enjoy endless good times on your getaway to Kerrville this summer. Kerrville is home to an abundance of outdoor favorites that beckon visitors to take a stroll, relax and enjoy the Texas Hill Country landscape. Enjoy the Kerrville River Trail that connects Louise Hays and Kerrville-Schreiner Park by foot or by bike. And while you’re there, take advantage of hopping in a kayak or paddle board to
Fun Photo Ops • Lupe The Guadalupe Bass Sculpture in Louise Hays Park • Stonehenge II & Easter Island at the Hill Country Arts Foundation • Mother’s Love Sculpture in Downtown Kerrville
explore the natural beauty of the renowned Guadalupe River. Kerrville’s own Stonehenge II sits in its impressive glory near the Guadalupe River on the campus of the Hill Country Arts Foundation. The 24.5-acre “The Coming King” Sculpture Prayer Garden is a perfect place to find solitude amid beautiful scenery. Take a moment of reverence viewing “The Empty Cross,” the most symbolic cross sculpture inthe world, surrounded by stunning landscaping and more than 3,500 massive limestone blocks. The unexpected is waiting for you in Kerrville.
Insider Tip Kerrville is home to James Avery Artisan Jewelry Headquarters Drive Time Less than an hour west of San Antonio
KerrvilleTexasCVB.com 830-792-3535
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Salado
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tay at the inn that welcomed Texas legends, learn glass art, and enjoy the independent spirit and friendly small-town charm of the Village of Salado. Nestled among the rolling green hills of Central Texas, Salado has always been one of a kind. Home to one of the first co-ed colleges in the United States and a stop on the historic Chisholm Trail, Salado has been inspiring people for generations. Today, it is a haven for world-class artists, full of historic bed and breakfasts, restaurants and endless things to discover.
fashions, home décor and more. Stop and relax to enjoy local wineries, breweries and world-class dining options. Planning the perfect day in Salado just got easier! Start online at VisitSaladoTexas. com or download the Visit Salado Texas! mobile app. Explore more of our local hot spots, view upcoming events and discover other points of interest. Scan the QR code to download the Visit Salado Texas! app and start planning your trip today!
HIGHLIGHTS • Just 150 miles north of San Antonio on I-35, Salado offers visitors a quiet respite in the heart of Texas. • See public art throughout town, like the Salado Sculpture Garden and Sirena’s Garden on Salado Creek. • Visit any of the 40 historical sites, including the Salado Museum and College Hill, numerous homes, plus several churches and cemeteries.
Try your hand at glassblowing, create your own pottery or strike up a conversation with world-renowned painters and sculptors. As you wander through Salado, browse specialty boutiques featuring the latest clothing and jewelry
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EVEN IN NORMAL TIMES, WE ALL HAVE OUR REASONS FOR WANTING TO GET AWAY FROM THE FOUR WALLS AND ROUTINES THAT DEFINE DAILY LIFE. MORE THAN A YEAR INTO COVID-19, THERE ARE EVEN MORE REASONS TO BE ITCHING TO GET OUT OF TOWN. TRAVEL MAY NOT QUITE HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL JUST YET, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE OF SAN ANTONIO IF YOU WANT A BREAK WITHOUT BOARDING A PLANE. WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A QUICK WEEKEND GETAWAY OR YOU WANT TO PLOT OUT A ROAD TRIP TO REALLY ESCAPE, THESE 12 DESTINATIONS WILL REMIND YOU JUST HOW REJUVENATING IT IS TO TAKE A VACATION.
by TOMMIE ETHINGTON AND CHRIS WARREN
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CASTROVILLE a town that celebrated its 175th birthday a few years ago is no easy feat. Such is the case in Castroville, the nearby burg whose identity and appeal is firmly, and appropriately, rooted in its well-preserved history. In fact, willfully ignoring the past in this idyllic town along the Medina River is to miss the charm of a visit. A mixture of old world Fachwerk cottages and Alsatian architecture in the town’s 60-plus historic buildings gives Castroville an appearance that emphasizes its French, German and Swiss influence far more than its physical location in South Texas. Revel in Castroville’s European lineage with a trip to the Steinbach House, now an official visitor's center where you can take a self-guided tour and ask for information about other local sights and events. Originally built in the 1600s in Wahlbach, France, the Steinbach House was lovingly relocated and restored between 1998 and 2002 by students and faculty from an agricultural college in Alsace, France. While the Steinbach House undoubtedly made a much longer journey than any other buildings in Castroville, be sure to take time to visit other historically significant structures, such as St. Louis Catholic Church, which sprang up just days after the town’s original settlement in 1844. Don’t rely exclusively on your sense of sight to indulge in Castroville’s rich European roots. Haby’s Alsatian Bakery will reward your nose and your taste buds with its expansive menu of cakes, pastries and breads, including apple strudel and cinnamon rolls. When you need something a little more substantial, try an Alsatian sandwich piled with corned beef at the popular Castroville Café, or opt for one with schnitzel or more traditional deli fillings. As much as Castroville has earned a reputation as a place to gorge out on rich pastries and heavy German food, the opening of the Hillside Boutique Hotel offers both some counterprogramming and a new way to think about this destination. Heavily renovated in 2018 by owners Joseph and Jana Winkler, the 38-room boutique hotel emphasizes wellness at its spa, its bistro restaurant with upscale comfort food, and in its regular and special events, including yoga on the hill.—CW EMPHASIZING WHAT’S NEW IN
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The Steinbach House
Return Trip Tip Whether you’re there for the day or a full weekend, stretch your legs before climbing back in your vehicle while birding in the 126 acres at Castroville Regional Park.
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Jacob's Well
Miles from SA 64
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Place to Stay Collective Hill Country offers a glamping experience that includes beautifully outfitted, private tents on a ridge, farm-toranch cuisine and expansive spa treatments.
Cypress Creek
WIMBERLEY IN THE SPRING OF 2019,
news broke around Texas that a kangaroo had escaped from its home at the exotic animal ranch, Trails End Ranch, in Wimberley. For several days the marsupial named Harry hopped around Hays County before finally being captured by his owners. The dayslong hop-about delighted social media. But could anybody really blame Harry for wanting a few days of quiet to explore Wimberley? After all, this spot along the Blanco River has long been a magnet for those who seek a watery respite from the summer heat, eclectic shopping options and dining choices that range from upscale to comfort food. Any visit to Wimberley has to include a splash around the swimming hole at Blue Hole Regional Park, where the thrill of launching off the rope swing above Cypress Creek is as enticing as ever on a hot day. A logistical reality about another Wimberley attraction, Jacob’s Well Natural Area, says all you need to know about how worthwhile a visit is: Reservations are required to swim here for 2-hour slots between May 1 and Sept. 30. As of press time in late March, swimming in the artesian spring—and its yearround 68-degree water supplied by the Trinity aquifer—was suspended, but the natural area also has hiking trails to explore, which are open. This being the Hill Country, any visit to Wimberley should also include a hike up the 218 stone steps to the top of Old Baldy Park, which rewards those who make the effort with views into town and all across the Wimberley Valley. Old Baldy has understandably been a popular destination for a long time, so when the land came up for sale in 2014 the town and its citizens banded together to purchase it and keep it open to the public. All of this splashing and hiking is bound to get you in the mood for less taxing leisure. Relax at a patio table at The Leaning Pear, which takes the best of local ingredients, puts them in imaginative dishes and pizzas and serves them in a bucolic setting. Once satiated, browse shops like Wimberley Glassworks, where you can watch hand blown vases and sculptures get made, or Rancho Deluxe, which is filled with ranch accessories and folk art for those who are rural at heart. On the first Saturday of each month between March and November, the Lions Club and other civic organizations host Wimberley Market Days, which features nearly 500 booths with vendors offering all types of handmade crafts and art, antiques, clothing, jewelry and food. If you can, make it on a market day.—CW MAY 2021
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to narrowly define getaways. There’s the romantic weekend for couples, a guys- or girls-only trip, or a gourmand’s getaway, to name just a few. There’s nothing wrong with staying focused on a passion or person during precious time away from life’s responsibilities, but it usually means limiting your menu of potential destinations. That is, unless you choose to head just 90 minutes north to Marble Falls, where the diversity of attractions is enough to lure folks with decidedly different definitions of fun and relaxation. It’s hard not to devote at least some of your time to the many water-filled splendors of Lake Marble Falls or the nearby Highland Lakes of the Colorado River. Those inclined to commune at close quarters with all things aquatic can rent single or double kayaks or stand up paddle boards from Just Yakin rentals, which has boats available on Marble Falls Lake and will even deliver to nearby Inks Lake, Lake LBJ and much of Lake Buchanan. Those who prefer to be near the water but not actually in it can lounge in the sand at Lakeside Park and Beach, a favorite spot to watch the annual LakeFest Drag Boat Race each August. Landlubbers can choose from a wide range of both placid and adrenaline-pumping pursuits. One option: Zoom across the 200 miles of ATV, motorcycle and Jeep trails that crisscross the 2,500 acres of Hidden Falls Adventure Park. If you’d prefer to explore nature using your own two legs, consider the 13-acre Westside Park, which connects to the Backbone Creek Hike and Bike Trail that will deliver you to Falls Creek Park, Lakeside Park and Andrea’s Pass Waterfall—all worthy stops. Even the most restless respite-seekers will eventually want to slow down. When that happens, head to historic Main Street, which is home to dozens of independent shops and galleries. The town and the surrounding area have also become a hub of brewing and winemaking, including Bear King Brewing Co. and its outdoor beer garden and Save the World Brewing Co., which donates all of its profits to charity. More of an oenophile? Stop in at Fiesta Winery’s downtown tasting room to try its selection of Texas wines. And while we aren’t the first to recommend it, no trip is complete without a slice of pie from Blue Bonnet Café, an institution since 1929. —CW THERE IS A TEMPTATION
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Miles from SA 85 Pit Stop You may have hardly settled into the car by the time you hit Spring Branch, but that’s no reason not to fuel up on caffeine at The Loft Coffee House. Place to Stay History and a prime downtown location converge at the recently renovated McKenzie Guest House, which was originally built in 1907 as a hotel for stagecoach travelers. Kayaking at Inks Lake
Bear King Brewing Co.
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4 More Quick Texas Getaways The great thing about calling San Antonio home is that there is an abundance of alluring getaway destinations nearby. Lockhart Yes, we love the barbecue in San Antonio. But barbecue is closer to religion in Lockhart, where a stop at Kreuz Market lives up to the hype and proves how delicious passion can be. While in town, check out the Caldwell County Museum and linger in the town center. Stonewall When former President Lyndon Johnson needed a break from Washington, he made his way to his Hill Country retreat in Stonewall. See why it was so enticing at LBJ National Historic Park. When you’re done, make time to visit some of the best wineries in Texas nearby, like Becker Vineyards and Pedernales Cellars.
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Taylor Home to one of the creators of Bugs Bunny and the state’s youngest governors, Taylor is using its rich history and an influx of new residents to create a small town with big city amenities. Stroll the historic downtown and visit the old Taylor High School, which has been converted into a mixeduse destination for live music and drinks at the Loose Screw Craft Beer House and Garden. Padre Island Nothing rejuvenates and refreshes like a cool ocean breeze. That alone is enough to justify the trek to Padre Island. Want another reason? Between mid-June and August, you can watch sea turtle hatchlings be released on Malaquite Beach at the Padre Island National Seashore visitor center in Corpus Christi.
Carlsbad Caverns
Miles from SA 450 Pit Stop Big Bend gets all the love, but Texas’ second national park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park (just one hour from Carlsbad) has a lot going for it, too, including the highest point in the state. The 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak takes almost a full day to climb, but there are also plenty of shorter hikes if you only have time to stop and stretch your legs.
CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO New Mexico, isn’t surface level. In fact, its biggest draw lies more than a mile below ground. Carlsbad Caverns National Park consists of 120 limestone caves with some of the largest known formations in the world, from delicate “soda straw” stalactites to multi-story stalagmites. Descend into darkness via paved, albeit sometimes slippery, switchbacks to take in glistening pools and calcite clusters with names like “Rock of Ages” and “Witch’s Fingers.” Normally, you can channel your inner Indiana Jones to climb through tunnels, descend ladders and traverse less accessible parts of the park by lantern light on one of the ranger-led tours, but as of early spring, those were suspended. Beginning Memorial Day weekend, you can also get to know some of the cave’s summer residents through the free nightly bat program. Every evening around sunset, watch from an open-air amphitheater as 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats burst from the entrance and go in search of food. Visitors in August or September could spot the colony’s newest additions learning to fly. While it would be easy to spend days exploring all that the park has to offer—including 50-plus miles of above-ground backcountry trails—don’t sleep on the town of Carlsbad. The Trinity Hotel, with nine tastefully decorated rooms in a restored turn-of-the-century bank, is the perfect home base. The in-house restaurant’s slate of comfort foods, like huevos rancheros slathered in green chile sauce, provide ample fuel for more outdoor activities. Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park is particularly beloved by kids and bird watchers, with more than 40 species of animals and hundreds of plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert. When temperatures spike, Sitting Bull Falls offers a picturesque escape, complete with covered picnic tables and natural pools. And, if you exhaust all of Earth’s wonders, there’s The International UFO Museum and Research Center an hour north in Roswell.—TE THE ALLURE OF CARLSBAD,
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PALO DURO CANYON to the Grand Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of Texas” is a sight to behold—and, at more than 120 miles long, there’s plenty to see. You’ll cover the most ground by car, but horseback riding feels more apropos given that this is cowboy country. Book with Old West Stables, which has been leading guided trail rides of the area for more than two decades. Of course, you can also explore Palo Duro Canyon State Park on foot or via mountain bike thanks to nearly 30-miles of single-track fun. Arguably, the most iconic hike leads to Lighthouse
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Lighthouse Rock at Palo Duro Canyon
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Rock, a 312-foot red and orange monolith that pops even more against a sunrise. Once you’ve explored, enjoy the West Texas air while taking it easy during a showing of the TEXAS Outdoor Musical. Held in an outdoor amphitheater and preceded by a chuckwagon dinner, the “official play of Texas” runs from Memorial Day through early August and is a tradition that should be added to any Lone Star State bucket list. No road trip to these parts would be complete without a stop at the famous roadside attraction, Cadillac Ranch, off what was once Route 66 and is now I-40. Bring a can of spray paint so you can leave your mark on one of the upended cars, and on your way out of town, stop for a cheeseburger and root beer float at The GoldenLight Cafe and Cantina.—TE
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Miles from SA 495 Place to Stay To make an early start at Palo Duro Canyon easier, take advantage of the park’s camping (and glamping!) accommodations or book a room at the charming Hudspeth House Bed & Breakfast in nearby Canyon, Texas.
Check on Your Car Gassing up, checking your tire pressure and making sure all systems are in order is a good tip before any road trip. But it's especially important now to avoid sitting in some crowded service station waiting room or relying on the help of strangers on the side of the road. Taking one of the longer road trips? Consider renting a car.
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Pack like a Pro Hand sanitizer goes without saying, but it’s also wise to pack some extra masks (disposable are great for the road) and to stock up on plenty of water and snacks to minimize the number of pit stops (and public interaction) you’ll need on the way. Two locally made snack ideas: Bird Bakery’s Homemade Granola ($13.50 per bag) for munching and Merit Coffee Co. Instant Coffee ($17 per box) for a caffeine boost. Make a Plan Take advantage of AAA’s online TripTik tool to map out your route and find out which (if any) rest stops are closed or limited due to COVID-19. The tool also lets you explore places to stay and eat and figure out which hotels have upped their cleaning protocols in the last 15 months (spoiler alert: most have). If you can’t stomach the idea of a gas station bathroom until everyone has been vaccinated, consider a portable camping toilet.
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and the French Quarter. Perhaps you’ve been so lucky as to witness the explosion of color and culture that is Mardi Gras. But have you been introduced to NOLA’s outdoorsy side? As it turns out, there’s plenty of open-air, pandemic-friendly fun to be had in the Big Easy. Let the good times roll as you pedal through the cobblestone streets on a pastel beach cruiser with Flambeaux Tours. Their Creole Odyssey bicycle tour highlights the area’s early settlers and includes stops at an aboveground cemetery and the expansive City Park. If you prefer paddling to pedaling, Bayou Paddlesports can outfit you to explore Bayou St. John. As you go, be sure to scan the banks for the Pitot House. Now a museum that overlooks the water, it was home to the first American mayor of New Orleans and is one of the last remaining examples of Creole colonial architecture. If you’re up for going a little farther YOU KNOW BOURBON STREET
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A New Orleans swamp
Miles from SA 540 Pit Stop Nearly halfway between SA and the Big Easy, San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is a worthy detour to pay your respects in the spot where Texas independence was won. Learn about the legendary battle at the on-site museum before taking an elevator ride to the top of the San Jacinto Monument to look out over the land so many fought and died for. Return Trip Tip Before heading home, pick up some authentic road trip snacks, including a few flavors of Zapp’s Kettle Potato Chips, sweet confections from Loretta’s Authentic Pralines and boudin balls—a blend of pork sausage, rice and aromatic spices— cooked to perfection at Jacques-Imo’s.
A Banksy mural in the Bywater District
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afield, Canoe & Trail Adventures’ kayak tours of the swamp can’t be beat. Certified Louisiana master naturalists will guide you around towering cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss and share some of the ecological challenges the wetlands currently face, while pointing out eagles, alligators, and other wildlife. After you’ve worked up an appetite, mosey on over to the Bywater District for murals (including some by Banksy), art galleries and top-notch libations. Parleaux Beer Lab, the neighborhood’s only microbrewery, has an ever-changing tap list, games and culinary pop-ups. It sits catty-corner to Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits, a laid-back, self-described “backyard party” with live music six nights a week, delicious cheese plates and a wine program that has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation three years running. Should you wish to keep the party going, you can visit its sister establishment, The Elysian Bar, tucked inside what was once a church rectory and is now the well-appointed Hotel Peter and Paul.—TE
MURAL: COURTESY NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY /TRAVELING NEWLEYWEDS; SWAMP: COURTESY NEW ORLEANS & COMPANY/ STEPHEN YOUNG
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Chapman Adventure Playground
Miles from SA 540
John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park
COURTESY TULSA REGIONAL TOURISM
The Boston Building in Tulsa
Pit Stop Even if you’ve been to the Fixer Upper mecca that is Magnolia Market at the Silos, Waco is worth another visit to see the newest addition: six cottages known as the Shops at the Silos, which opened in October. Plus, Jo’s cupcakes are the perfect road trip treat and they’ve added a coffee shop in town, Magnolia Press Coffee Co., so you’ll have fuel for the remainder of your drive. Place to Eat Oklahoma’s first food hall, Mother Road Market, honors the city’s ties to Route 66 with its retro vibes while offering 20 restaurants and retail stops plus Route 66– themed mini-golf.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA THE SOONER STATE’S SECOND largest city is truly a hidden
gem. For starters, it boasts one of the world’s most extensive collections of art deco architecture—masterpieces commissioned by oil barons in the early 20th century. The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture offers several walking tours that educate visitors (and locals) about the various styles, from Zigzag to streamline modern. Get a closer look by booking a stay at the grand Mayo Hotel—which first opened in 1925 and has hosted, among others, President John F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth and Lucille Ball—or the Tulsa Club Hotel, occupying a nearly 100-year-old beautifully adorned building designed by Bruce Goff. Kids and kids-at-heart should hightail it to The Gathering Place, a sprawling riverfront park with nature trails, a boat dock and the 5-acre Chapman Adventure Playground, which features a slide that looks like a giant blue heron and castle-like fortresses perfect for acting out fantastical scenes. Another important part of Tulsa’s story can be found in the Greenwood District, a historic and entrepreneurial African American community once dubbed “Black Wall Street.” There, the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park memorializes the June 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, in which an alleged assault triggered unprecedented civil unrest. In the span of 24 hours, a white mob descended on the neighborhood, killing hundreds of Black citizens and burning Black-owned businesses to the ground. The 100th anniversary of the event will be marked this year by the June 2 dedication of Greenwood Rising. The museum’s state-of-the-art exhibitions are designed by the same firm that worked on the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City and will honor the many contributions of Tulsa’s Black residents, as well as spark conversation around important topics like reconciliation and urban renewal. Additional events include a nationally televised event on May 31 and a film festival.—TE MAY 2021
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+2 International Trips to Plan For
Darmstadt, Germany One of the most recent additions to our sister cities portfolio, Darmstadt is known as a tech center. It’s just a 30-minute train ride from Frankfurt, has a pedestrian-friendly city center with restaurants and coffee shops galore plus museums (Hessisches Landesmuseum), a castle and a lake for sailing.
Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain A sister city for more than 40 years, Las Palmas is known as the largest (read most cosmopolitan) city in the Canaries. It boasts a beach with views of deep blue water (Playa de las Canteras) plus access to some of the region’s top shopping and restaurants. The Momentary
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ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BIBADASH; BIKING: COURTESY VISIT BENTONVILLE/GH STUDIOS; BAR: COURTESY VISIT BENTONVILLE
One way to fill that wanderlust for farflung adventure? Start planning now for a 2022 (or ’23) trip to one of San Antonio’s sister cities.
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Walton's 5&10 and The Walmart Museum
Miles from SA 630
COURTESY VISIT BENTONVILLE
Pit Stop Get an early start and break for an indoor or outdoor homestyle meal at Marilyn’s Restaurant in McAlester, Oklahoma, three hours from Bentonville. The daily special won’t disappoint.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS northwest corner of Arkansas, this town of 50,000 is a study in contrasts as it manages to be both quaint and cosmopolitan, up-and-coming and a window into the past. At its center sits a charming square flanked by the county courthouse and Walton’s 5&10, a general store opened in the 1950s by Sam Walton, the future founder of Walmart. Next door is The Walmart Museum and a soda fountain serving up pure Americana in the form of banana splits and 99-cent cones of butter pecan ice cream (Sam’s favorite). A short drive away, you’ll find the legacy of Sam’s daughter, Alice, an art lover and philanthropist who, as a kid, dreamed of having a worldclass museum in her own backyard. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art showcases national treasures, from the colonial to the contemporary, while also highlighting the artistry of the natural world. The museum sits on 120 acres of native Ozark forest, with more than 4 miles of trails introducing visitors to local flora and fauna as well as large-scale works, like a painted Robert Indiana “Love” sculpture (it will look familiar if you’re a McNay Art Museum regular) and vibrant glass installations by the renowned Dale Chihuly. Inside, don’t miss Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter.” Hungry for more? Across town, The Momentary puts the visual and performing arts on display amid an industrial backdrop (it’s housed in an old cheese factory) and also happens to be an ideal place for a creative culinary affair. The rooftop Tower Bar, loosely inspired by a 1960s airport lounge, offers some of the best views—and cocktails—around, while the Onyx Coffee Lab is an Instagrammer’s dream, complete with pops of millennial pink, terrazzo-tiled walls, avocado toast and oat-milk lattes. For dinner, there’s no shortage of options. The Hive, inside the 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville, has made a name for itself with its “refined country cuisine.” Bar Cleeta packs a punch with memorable small plates, while The Preacher’s Son allows guests to dine on farm-to-table fare inside a restored Gothic Revival church. All three offer al fresco dining to boot. Lest you think Bentonville is all art and good eating, hear this: It’s also a bona fide mountain biking (and cycling) paradise. With miles and miles of single-track and paved pathways, the hardest part is choosing where to start. A safe bet, however, is the twisty ups and downs of Slaughter Pen. The folks at Phat Tire Bike Shop are also happy to offer personalized recommendations. If you still have time and energy after all that, consider a quick trip to the nearby Ozark National Forest and Buffalo National River. If not, well, you already have a good excuse to return.—TE TUCKED AWAY IN THE
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BY KATHLEEN PETTY
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTY MORRIS
FEMALE PILOTS ARE STILL A RARITY IN THE AIR FORCE, BUT THESE FIVE WOMEN DIDN’T THINK TWICE ABOUT THEIR GENDER WHILE PURSUING A CAREER IN FLIGHT. NOW AT JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO– LACKLAND, THEY’RE HELPING TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF SERVICEMEMBERS TO PILOT AIRCRAFTS, BOTH IN THE AIR AND REMOTELY FROM THE GROUND.
LT. COL. MEGAN PASIERB BY AN AIR FORCE TRAINING AIRCRAFT
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CAPT. ILMA VALLEE
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IT WASN’T UNTIL ILMA VALLEE WAS NEARING THE
end of basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland that she began to feel like a true American. A Lithuanian immigrant who came to the U.S. as an 11-year-old, along with her mother, Vallee remembers her early childhood on her grandparents’ farm, where they had to draw water from a well and warm it up on the stovetop before taking baths. It was the early 1990s and food and basic supplies like toilet paper were difficult to come by in Lithuania, which had been a part of the Soviet Union until the late 1980s. “We used newspaper instead of toilet paper,” she says. She and her mom landed in L.A. in 2000 in search of better opportunities, but Vallee says she struggled to find her place. By her senior year in high school, she knew her family couldn’t afford to send her to college and her grades weren’t going to earn her a scholarship, she says. Her stepfather suggested the military, which would provide her with money for a college education, so Vallee enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2007 as a cook. “That’s when I started to feel like a true American,” she says. “Wearing the uniform and hearing the National Anthem, I would tear up.” A commander took notice of her during that first year and encouraged her to apply to the Air Force Academy. Shortly after, she was invited to spend a year at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School (designed to prepare students who need additional help to qualify for the Academy) and paused her active-duty service for education, graduating from the Air Force Academy in 2013. Vallee says the rigor of academics, extracurriculars and military life was the toughest thing she’d endured—until she was accepted into pilot training. “That was the most difficult time of my life,” she says. “I was the only female in my class, an immigrant and prior enlisted. I looked different, talked different, acted different and struggled with confidence. It’s a lot of pressure.” She didn’t grow up yearning to become a pilot or playing video games like many of her male counterparts. Her first plane ride was when she immigrated to the U.S. Eventually, though, her confidence began to build as she passed exams and learned to maneuver simulators and aircraft. “I don’t have an alpha personality, but I learned that I don’t have to change who I am to succeed,” she says. She was stationed in Del Rio and Tampa, Florida, before coming to San Antonio, where she teaches aviation fundamentals to pilots who will be manning remotely piloted aircrafts, or drones. “It’s full circle for me because I get to see from an instructor point of view how students deal with stress, and I can mentor them and tell them my story,” she says.
MAJOR VANESSA BEAUDREAULT
AFTER GRADUATING FROM AN ALL-GIRLS
high school and watching her older sister enroll at the Air Force Academy ahead of her, Vanessa Beaudreault never considered her gender a factor when she set goals. So, she was taken aback when, at a welcome meeting for Air Force pilot training, a higher-ranking male asked her if she was attending in support of a husband or boyfriend. Only after she replied ‘no’ did he consider that she might be there on her own behalf—the only woman in her training class. While the Texas native says she’s encountered a few gender-based comments like that during her nearly 11 years of active-duty service, she’s also learned not to let others set expectations for her. “If someone ever tries to tell you, ‘Hey, you’ll have to prove yourself,’ it’s them they want you to prove yourself to, not everyone,” she says. “It took me a little while to understand that. Don’t ever let someone tell
you ‘no’ and don’t ever close a door on yourself.” The only active-duty female T-38 instructor at Joint Base San Antonio, Beaudreault now exudes confidence in her role as a pilot, even if she didn’t imagine this career path until after she started at the academy. In high school, she’d hoped to become an architect and had decided to study civil engineering at the Academy. Then she was assigned to spend three weeks one summer at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. There, she found herself taxiing a B-1 Lance and watching planes take off from the runway. “Right then, I knew that’s what I wanted,” she says. After completing pilot training, Beaudreault was stationed in Florida, where she flew a single-engine prop plane U-28A and was deployed several times to locations she can't disclose. Before landing in San Antonio along with her husband, a fellow Air Force pilot, Beaudreault trained future pilots at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, often working with students who had spent little time in the air prior to their arrival. In San Antonio, she trains future pilot instructors. “Obviously there are a lot more males than females in this career, but the glass ceiling was shattered a long time ago by some really awesome females,” says Beaudreault, a mom who is expecting her second child next month. “Seize the opportunity if you want it.” MAY 2021
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MAJOR CAITLIN MILLER LIKE IN ANY TWO-CAREER HOUSEHOLD, CAITLIN MILLER AND HER
husband have a packed schedule that balances parenting two young children with working—in this case, flying—full-time. Miller leaves the house early so she can be home at 3 p.m. to relieve their nanny while her husband, also a pilot, takes the later shift at Joint Base San Antonio, getting the kids ready for the day and returning home at 7 p.m. “It’s challenging but anything that’s hard in life is going to be very rewarding,” she says. Raised in Ohio, Miller didn’t grow up in a military family. Rather, she stumbled across the Air Force Academy while researching where to apply for college. The idea of an education that would be paid for and hold the promise of a job with the Air Force after graduation appealed to Miller, so she applied and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering with the hopes of becoming a pilot. Her degree prepared her in knowing how and why airplanes work, but she says the experience of actually piloting one proved to be quite different. “It was challenging,” she says. “It’s always challenging, so it keeps you on your toes and you’re never really bored.” She began her career as a pilot at Little Rock Air Force Base where she flew C-130Js and completed missions around the world, in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Greenland. “For that time in my life, it was great,” she says. “I got to see a lot of places you would never pay to see and complete important missions.” Training new pilots, as she did at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, and pilot instructors, which she does now, comes with its own thrills and challenges, she says. But it also provides a much more stable schedule that’s more suitable to life with two toddlers. In San Antonio, Miller flies at least once daily while training instructors and says the only time she ever noticed her gender impacting her career was when she was pregnant and not able to fly for safety because the seat in her plane doubles as an ejection seat. Regardless of whether young women strive to become pilots and mothers or to dedicate their life to an Air Force career, Miller says to go for it. “People usually regret the things they don’t do and it’s a great opportunity,” she says.
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CAPT. CORINNE EASTER
MAJOR HEATHER BURNS
AIR FORCE PILOT CAPT. CORINNE EASTER HAS A SURPRISING CONFESSION:
THE DAUGHTER OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES, MAJOR
“I really hate flying. I get air sick really easily.” As a fourth-generation service member—her father flew F-4 and F-15s in the Air Force—Easter knew from an early age, she wanted to enlist, telling her parents in just the fifth grade that she hoped to attend the Air Force Academy. When she was accepted, Easter set her sights on the space program. She had no intention of following in her father’s career path. The space program she’d been interested in got canceled, but once at the academy, she learned that not all pilots spend their days in the sky. As a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operator, she could use her love of robotics to pilot planes while in a control room at her assigned base. “I don’t get to physically touch the planes, but I’m on the leading edge of technology,” Easter says. Still, becoming any type of pilot in the Air Force requires rigorous training, so Easter did have to spend six weeks physically flying planes to qualify. Once that was complete, though, the rest of her training hours took place in simulators, which is what she uses to teach her students at Joint Base San Antonio. Though not new, RPAs, which are similar to drones, are being called upon more and more frequently in recent years to carry out missions, she says. Easter, who graduated from the Academy in 2016 and has been stationed in San Antonio for just over six months, has spent much of her career thus far piloting MQ-9s. They are equipped with weapons and built for precision so they can perform everything from reconnaissance to air strikes to combat search and rescue. Now an instructor, Easter says she’s able to combine her passion for flying and robotics with teaching, which she always imagined as an alternative career path. “It’s hard to beat this job,” she says. “I get to be an RPA pilot, but I also get to teach pilots.” Easter says she tells her students that both RPA pilots and in-air pilots face the same level of challenge, just in different forms. In the air, pilots are under mental and physical stress. On the ground, RPAs are asked to manage even more psychologically demanding tasks, making it equally tough despite the fact that they’re in an office chair at the base. “It’s more task saturated,” she says. The demand for in-air pilots will always exist, but Easter says she expects to see the use of RPAs continue to grow, both in the military and in the civilian world where they can be used for things like package deliveries.
Heather Burns grew up in a remote area of South America that was accessible only via a Cessna plane ride. “Because of weight and balance, I always had to sit in the back, but I always wanted to sit up front with the pilot,” she says. Burns returned to the States for college, knowing she wanted to help people as her parents had but that she also wanted to fly, perhaps as a medevac pilot. She enrolled at University of Central Florida, where she participated in ROTC, and was selected for Air Force pilot training when she was commissioned as an officer at graduation. “Going from basically no experience flying, there’s a steep learning curve,” she says. Burns found just one female instructor in pilot training—a reservist who wasn’t always on base—but she says she never viewed her place as one of the few women in her field as much of a factor when she began about a decade ago. “It never occurred to me to hesitate to try to become a pilot,” she says. Some of her early flying was completed on T-6 turboprop planes, which allow the pilot to flip and turn while performing acrobatics in the air. “It was definitely different than the flying I saw in the back of the Cessna,” she says. “I wasn’t great at it at first, but it is a lot of fun.” From Little Rock Air Force Base, she piloted C-130s for medevac flights and deliveries of cargo and people in missions from South America to Greenland and Afghanistan. She was transferred to Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, where she spent a few years instructing new pilots before moving to Joint Base San Antonio. There, she teaches pilots how to be instructors in the T-1 Jayhawks. When she sees young women come through as lieutenants, Burns’ biggest advice is to not be afraid to speak up. As someone who’s innately timid, she says that was one of the biggest lessons she had to learn. “There will definitely be tough days, but if I can do it, I think anyone can,” she says.
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Eat + Drink I NSI D E / CRE AT IVE M E X ICA N CUISIN E p. 48 / TH AI PARAD ISE p. 50 / LITTLE EM’S N AMESAKE p. 52
Southern Comfort mimosa might seem like the obvious brunch pairing for classic fried chicken, but chef Jeff Balfour suggests resisting that instinct and opting for Southerleigh Haute South’s Breakfast Old Fashioned. Made with bourbon, amaretto, orange and chocolate bitters, he insists that its subtle coffee undertones are the perfect complement to the Rim restaurant’s fried chicken and doughnuts, a twist on Southerleigh Fine Foods’ famous chicken and waffles. Freshly made doughnuts are topped with a chopped bacon glaze as a base for the pressure-fried bird. “We’re keeping those flavors simple and balancing the sweet and salty,” he says. When you’re not up for the full fried chicken combo, consider the chef’s doughnut of the week, which has ranged from Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch–topped Nutella doughnuts to graham cracker–crusted stuffed strawberry cheesecake treats. Creative doughnut combos aside, Balfour says the bulk of both the all-day and brunch menus at Haute South are “unapologetically things I love” and based on what he grew up eating in Galveston. His Gulf Coast upbringing inspired Southerleigh Fine Foods at Pearl as well, but that menu also reflects Balfour’s experiences living in other areas of Texas. Haute South at the Rim, however, he says is quintessentially a coastal restaurant.—KATHLEEN PETTY
SOUTHERLEIGH HAUTE SOUTH
5822 Worth Pkwy., Ste. 112 210-236-8556 southerleighhautesouth.com Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat-Sun
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FRIDA
18740 Stone Oak Pkwy. 210-463-9173 fridarestaurantsa.com Dinner Tues-Sat; brunch Sun
Dinner of Champions After years as an elite soccer player, Sofia Sada turned to cooking, where she’s earned a win with Frida’s clever takes on Mexican and American classics BY EDMUND TIJERINA
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ure, you can get carne asada all over town, but what about a coliflor asada? Yes, a roasted cauliflower, slathered with a piquant mayonnaise infused with chile morita and a dusting of Parmesan. It’s the best-selling item on the menu at Frida, says chef Sofía Sada, and her creation deftly evokes the feeling of street fair elote with a refined flavor and presentation. Her dishes and the restaurant’s casual elegance place it as part of a wave of restaurants in this country and in Mexico that elevate seemingly humble ingredients with fine dining techniques and presentations. “I make basic Mexican recipes and transform them into something modern,” Sada says. “A lot of it comes from where I grew up. A lot of it is influenced by where I’m from, and a lot of it comes from how I’m trained.”
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PHOTOS BY MARTY MORRIS
4/1/21 11:51 AM
OFF MENU News from the restaurant scene
Pharm Table opened in its new location in Southtown. / Chef Justin Ward, formerly of the Culinary Institute, and his wife, Cristina, debuted Glass and Plate in Olmos Park, serving American and European cuisine. / Two former online/pop-up bakeries, Republic Bakery and Alebrije, opened a shared storefront on South Flores Street. / Fruteria La Tropicana, a dessert shop specializing in homemade ice cream, paletas, mangonadas, churros and more opened on Culebra / The Devil’s River Distillery opened in downtown San Antonio / Two Step Restaurant and Cantina officially shuttered after being temporarily closed since March 2020. / Hop and Vine SA permanently closed its doors. / The River Walk got a few new restaurants with Domingo Restaurant and Otro Bar at the Canopy by Hilton and Landrace (by Cured Chef Steve McHugh) and The Moon’s Daughters at the Thompson Hotel. / Coffeeshops Shotgun House Roasters and CommonWealth (at the Alamo Heights location) both recently introduced beer and wine service and extended hours. / Little Rhein Steakhouse at La Villita reopened as Little Rhein Prost House following a renovation and revamped menu that focuses on German bites and beers. / La Panadería opened its third location, at La Cantera Heights.
ORDER THIS
Coliflor Asada Oysters Oaxaca-feller Churros
The native of Monterrey who was “born playing soccer” competed for her school, the state team of Nuevo León and ultimately the Mexican National Women’s Soccer Team from 2001–04. She went to study architecture at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey on a soccer scholarship, and that’s where she began to get into food and great cooking. “I realized I didn’t want to be an architect, so I started studying culinary,” she says. After receiving her degree from Tec de Monterrey, she went to culinary school in her hometown and came to South Texas in 2015. After first working in Boerne, she joined the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio, where she worked at NAO and then Savor. She still teaches at the CIA, overseeing the Latin Cuisines program and teaching culinary fundamentals. Meanwhile at Frida, she’s offering a sense of fun with dishes that are honed with her knowledge of classic European and Mexican flavors. One of the best examples of this begins with an
upscale American favorite, Oysters Rockefeller. In her hands, she adds a butter infused with mezcal and chorizo, along with minced cilantro and Parmesan for a combination that’s familiar, yet surprising. A year ago, there was a question of whether the restaurant, originally planned to open in March, would ever welcome in diners. “We started freaking out and asked, ‘Are we going to do this?’” she recalls. “We were very nervous about opening during a pandemic. We thought we could be successful, so we went for it.” Even with pandemic restrictions, the ambience still feels welcoming, with servers happy to explain different dishes and offer well-considered suggestions. Perhaps the best way to approach this menu is to split several dishes for a multicourse experience. Already, some couples are sharing a taco tasting as an appetizer. “I love shareables. I don’t want people to just order one dish,” Sada says. “I want people to order six different dishes and get them family style.” MAY 2021
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Tom Yum Noodles
HELLO PAR ADISE
520 E. Grayson St. 210-338-5114 helloparadisesa.com Lunch, dinner and late-night daily
Hello Paradise Promises Better Times Ahead The new Thai and tiki spot balances authenticity with tropical flair BY KATHERINE STINSON
ward-winning bartender Jeret Pena says his new restaurant and tiki spot, Hello Paradise, was built with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in mind—and safety for guests and staff remains a top priority still today. “Everything from the spacing of tables, how you order, how you are served and the environment are just a few (reasons) for what makes it special,” he says. A bright blue neon sign with the message, “Better Times Ahead” welcomes guests to the new Thai-inspired restaurant and bar on Grayson Street, which boasts a spacious outdoor seating area. Pena’s in-laws, talented home chefs from Thailand, inspired the
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menu. “The food is in its own category because it isn’t Americanized Thai food. My in-laws and wife wanted to make it as authentic as possible,” he says. Among those family recipes, the tom yum noodles and Thai wings have already become crowd favorites. Despite what diners might think based on the name, Pena says the noodles are nothing like tom yum soup. “The noodles are tangy with an absence of galangal and other ingredients associated with the soup,” he says. “It’s sweet, tangy and savory all in one bowl.” The Thai wings, in particular, were a specialty of Pena’s grandmother-in-law. “It is a very traditional recipe that my grandmother-in-law would serve in Thonburi in Bangkok,” he says. “The wings are marinated for hours and dropped in a wet batter. The tangy dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the crispy wing.” Naturally, with Pena’s cocktail pedigree—which includes starting several bars and a James Beard nomination during his time helming the beverage program at The Esquire—the bar menu is as well-executed as the food. Tropical drinks, like their best-selling painkiller made with a blend of three rums, serve as a complement to the Thai dishes, says Hello Paradise operating partner Stephan Mendez. “Most Thai food has a nice spice to it,” he says, “and a well-balanced tropical cocktail really helps to take that cool off without letting either one (spice or cocktail) overpower the other.” PHOTO BY JOMANDO CRUZ
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LIT TLE EM ’S OYSTER BAR
1001 S. Alamo St. 210-257-0100 littleemsoysterbar.com Lunch Thurs-Sun; dinner Thurs-Sat
No Experience, No Problem Emily Carpenter relied on inspiration from her travels, love of entertaining and innate style to create Southtown’s newest culinary gem
n the sea of Southtown eateries, Little Em’s Oyster Bar is a treasure as unexpected as, well, finding a pearl in an oyster. Located in what was once an old gas station, Little Em’s is quickly becoming one of the most Instagrammed restaurants in town. Easily recognizable by its crisp white façade, blue and white awnings, and pops of pink, it’s the kind of place that invites you to “shuck” your responsibilities, sip Champagne on the patio, and dive into seafood so fresh you can almost smell the salty air. Opening a restaurant is challenging, but opening a restaurant with no prior experience in the middle of a global pandemic takes it to another level. That didn’t stop Emily Carpenter, a self-described “hard worker,” from taking the plunge with nothing more than a love of travel, entertaining, and great food. “If you had told me two years ago that we would own a restaurant I’d have said, ‘hell no,’” says Carpenter, who came up with the Little Em’s concept while on an international culinary adventure with her husband, Houston. “We walked into this tiny oyster bar in Paris and a lightbulb just went off.” After securing the San Antonio location in May 2020, the couple began working to get the 700-square-foot space restaurant-ready, adding a bar, an open kitchen and redoing the plumbing. “We put a lot of love into it,” says Carpenter. The pandemic didn't greatly affect their development, as they’d always planned for the restaurant
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to have primarily outdoor dining, with limited indoor seating. They also put a lot of love into the menu, which features a mouthwatering selection of ceviche, crab cakes, a lobster roll and six to 10 varieties of East Coast oysters that rotate weekly. “There are literally thousands of different types of oysters, all with different flavor profiles,” says Carpenter. “They are raised for restaurants, so they are no longer seasonal. You can eat them all year long.” Served with horseradish, cocktail sauce, and the restaurant’s signature blood orange mignonette, Little Em’s is making converts out of the “I don’t eat raw oysters” crowd. “When people tell me they don’t like oysters, I tell them they haven’t tried ours,” says Carpenter. “But we also have a really good burger on the menu for people who just aren’t into seafood.” With a second Southtown seafood restaurant in the works called Up Scale, Carpenter has hit upon the recipe for success. “There are three things every restaurant needs and that’s good food, good ambiance, and good service,” she says. “If even one of those is missing, the experience won’t be good for the customer.” When she isn’t at the restaurant, Carpenter and her husband enjoy entertaining at their King William home. “I love to host, which is why I love this industry,” she says. “Sure, the restaurant business is tough, but I look at it as welcoming new friends into my home every day, serving them great food, and making sure they are having a good time.”
COURTESY LITTLE EM'S OYSTER BAR
BY BONNY OSTERHAGE
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CARNITAS DON RAÚL (Mahncke
Park) The name might tip you off to its culinary specialty, but this food truck just so happened to have originated in the birthplace of carnitas: Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. That original location, started by the father of San Antonio co-owner Michelle, was featured in the Netflix documentary Taco Chronicles. The menu in the Alamo City has the same favorites as in Mexico: carnitas in the form of tacos, tortas and Moreliana-style quesadillas, which includes melted cheese, guacamole and a choice of meat. 2202 Broadway, carnitasdonraul.com EL REMEDIO (Woodlawn) The 2021 Best of the City readers’ winner for Best Food Truck has plenty of options in its lineup, from the fan-favorite birria tacos to carnitas, hot doriceviche and more. Wash down the tacos with an ice cold Modelo served with El Remedio’s own chamoy dip. 2924 Culebra Road, @elremedio_sa FUGU SUSHI ASIAN & CUISINE
(Far West) Sushi from a food truck? This mobile eatery started serving rolls from its window at the Area 51 Food Truck Park at the beginning of the year. The menu includes a rotating variety, including their take on the San Antonio roll, plus poke bowls, other entrees and appetizers like the jalapeño bombs (three large jalapeños, spicy tuna, spicy mayo, creacm cheese, eel sauce sesame seeds and green onions). 12275 Potranco Road, @fugusushi_sa
HOLY SMOKE SA (Museum Reach, UTSA) This food truck from owner Ricky Ortiz and pitmaster David Romero is a partnership made in smoked meat heaven. Romero’s work stands out with his combinations, like the Holy Grail Cheese, a monster of a grilled cheese sandwich with brisket. Another hot order: the brisket birria tacos. With two locations and Instagram- (and TikTok-) worthy meals, Holy Smoke SA is a delicious example of comfort-style barbecue at its finest. 1221 Broadway Street, 14530 Roadrunner Way, @holysmokesa
Frequently found at the StreetFare SA food truck park on Austin Highway, Sauce’s Southern Kitchen serves up authentic Louisiana Cajun and Creole cuisine with menu favorites like chicken and sausage gumbo, Cajun fries, po’boys, red beans and rice, and fried catfish and shrimp. Want more? Order frozen shipments of its most popular items so you can indulge any time you get that Creole craving. Follow @saucessouthernkitchen for locations.
LA GLORIA MARGARITA TRUCK
SENSATIONAL SALADS AND
One of the best things to come out of 2020, the concept from La Gloria and Burgerteca chef Johnny Hernandez has been described by many as an ice cream truck for adults. You can book the margarita truck online or order for delivery when the truck posts that they’re within a 3-mile radius of your location. The margaritas are the stars of the show, but they must be ordered with food. Follow @lagloriamargaritas for locations; margaritatrucks.com
WRAPS Trey VanCleave and Scott
MASSHOLE FOOD TRUCK The purveyor of perhaps the best lobster rolls in town, chef Adam Bylicki presents a menu with house-made breads, such as the split top brioche, which serves as the foundation for the Maine's mayo, celery, salt, fresh tarragon, lemon juice and zest—and of course, Maine lobster. Another must try? The St. Anthony, a lobster roll with sweet Texas onion, mayo, cilantro, lime juice and zest, and jalapeños. Follow @massholefoodtruck for locations.
SAUCE’S SOUTHERN KITCHEN
Akin created this concept back in 2012 with the mission of providing top quality salads to business workers, and today, they’re still going strong. Many of the menu options can be ordered as either a salad or wrap, like the fajita fusion or the Buffalo or pesto chicken. sensationalfoodtruck.com. THE SNACK BAR FOOD TRUCK
(Far West) Why stop at an ice cream sundae when you can have a churro sundae? This mobile eatery can satisy even the strongest of sweet tooths with offerings like strawberry cheesecake or s’more churro sundaes, or one of their many flavored lemonades. Parked in a space with outdoor seating and lawn games, the atmosphere is great for families and pets (ask about their puppachurros). 8701 FM 1560, @thesnackbarfoodtruck Restaurants' service and menus may be affected by COVID-19. Please call ahead to confirm.
What changes due to COVID-19 have you seen at restaurants that you think will stick in the months and years to come? Outdoor seating is here to stay, and I think the trend of family-style meals or date night packages for takeout will stick around for a while. I sure hope restaurants keep offering takeout cocktails—they’re terrific! Have a question for our resident foodie? Email asked@sanantoniomag.com.
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DAVID G. LOYOLA
9 Food Trucks for Delicious Outdoor Dining
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West Texas Traditions COURTNEY BEAUCHAMP, owner of The Tiny Finch, on finding solace and family bonding during annual road trips
here is a curve in the road as you come over a hill about 2 miles outside of Sanderson where the vista is simply breathtaking. My family and I usually have REM or Tom Petty blaring, the windows down. And although you can’t hear it, I know all four of us exhale when we see it. After five hours in the car, we are almost there. The air has changed (it’s drier), the colors have shifted (they’re more muted) and there is barely another car in sight. To me, this is heaven on earth. My husband, John, and I started going out to West Texas when we first began dating almost 20 years ago. I’d never been, but John loved it. We decided we would camp for a few nights before spending New Year’s Eve at the Gage Hotel. Without knowing a thing about where we were headed, I was all in because I wanted to spend time with John. Little did I know I would discover one of the loves of my
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life—besides my now-husband—Big Bend. Over the last decade, we have packed up our daughters and dogs and headed out west to celebrate New Year’s in the Texas desert. We have camped, hiked, swum in the hot springs in Big Bend National Park and ventured across the border to explore the most charming little town, Boquillas del Carmen. I love all of the traditions we’ve created for our girls, now teenagers—from stopping at Rudy’s BBQ in Del Rio to filling up the car in Sanderson to hiking in the national park. There have been phenomenal dinners at The Gage Hotel, strolls through stores in Alpine and days spent venturing over to Marfa to check out art galleries and funky homes. With all of the unknown in the world these days, West Texas really does offer an escape into some of Mother Nature's beauty—blue skies, calm mornings and an abundance of green cactus.
SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE (USPS 008-350) IS PUBLISHED 11 TIMES A YEAR: MONTHLY EXCEPT FOR A COMBINED ISSUE IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY FOR $14.95 PER YEAR BY OPEN SKY MEDIA, INC., 1712 RIO GRANDE ST., STE. 100, AUSTIN, TX 78701. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT SAN ANTONIO, TX AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.
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ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID G. LOYOLA; ALL SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ROAD: SANIT FUANGNAKHON; CAR: ILTERRIORM; RUDY'S AND GAGE HOTEL SIGNS: ROSEMARIE MOSTELLER; ALPINE STORE: PIERCARLOABATE; MARFA WATERTOWER: TEACHERKARLA; BIG BEND SIGN: CRACKERCLIPS STOCK MEDIA; BIG BEND MOUNTAIN RANGE: ZACK FRANK
FINAL THOUGHT
MAY 2021
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SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE M AY 202 1
SUM M ER ROAD TRIPS / WO M EN O F T H E AI R FO RCE
Vol. 16 No. 7
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