1. R Gallery
110 E Lachapelle, (210) 793-8899, rgallerytx.net
Run by artist and art mentor extraordinaire Alex Rubio and longtime promoter Roland “Nightrocker” Fuentes, R Gallery specializes in highlighting up-and-coming talent with more than a nod toward female and Latina/o artists. Just across the tracks from the fabled 1906 building, and its ever-evolving gallery scene within, R Gallery is itself a major attractor to the burgeoning Lone Star Art District on South Flores and Lone Star Boulevard, inhabitants of which populate Best Art Gallery spots 2 and 3 as well. Viva R Gallery! Viva Lone Star!
2. Gravelmouth
1906 S Flores, (210) 367-2528, gravelmouthgallery.com
3. Gallista Gallery
1913 S Flores, (210) 212-8606, gallistagallery.com
1. Rick Riordan
Rickriordan.com
Born and bred in the Alamo City, Rick Riordan is the author/alchemist of The New York Times’ best-selling young adult series Percy Jackson and the Olympians (the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, was made into a feature film), the Heroes of Olympus, and the Kane Chronicles. In 2011, he received the Children’s Choice Book Award for Author of the Year. In addition to creating books of fiction for YA readers, Riordan has written an award-winning mystery series about English Ph.D-martial arts master-private eye Tres Navarre for the grown-ups. Those tales combine the sleuth with prickly conundrums and casualties in South Texas. This fall Riordan will release The Titan’s Curse, a graphic novel adaptation by Robert Vendetti and art by Attila Futaki, along with The House of Hades, part four of the Heroes of Olympus series.
2. Scott McDowell
3. Sandra Cisneros
sandracisneros.com
1. Bakery Lorraine
511 E Grayson, (210) 862-5582, bakerylorraine.com
They met at Thomas Keller’s famed Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley, and Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell have been baking together ever since — a sweet story that is reflected in the delights at Bakery Lorraine that have made them the darlings of the SA culinary scene. The croissants and pain au chocolate are golden flakes of goodness, but try the selection of sweet and savory tarts, too. And for a special friend, take home a box of their macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons), a meringue confection quickly approaching local legend.
2. Broadway Daily Bread
5001 Broadway, (210) 822-1621, broadwaydailybread.net
3. Mi Tierra Restaurant & Bakery
218 Produce Row, (210) 225-1262, mitierracafe.com
1. The Lion and Rose
5148 Broadway (for smoking, multiple locations elsewhere in SA)
(210) 822-7673, thelionandrose.com
Home to British comfort food like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and a hearty selection of international beers to wash ‘em down, the Lion and Rose is a local exemplar of Britain’s best export — the neighborhood pub. A recent visit proved the point, when a stogie-chomping geezer (yes, you can still smoke in Alamo Heights) demanded royalty fees for our photos. “Just tryin’ to help out my friends, the management,” he said. “I come here all the time.” A true local, indeed. For a more sociable crowd, join in the Geeks Who Drink pub quiz, dates and time vary by location.
2. Freetail Brewing Company
4035 N Loop 1604 W, Ste. 105,
(210) 395-4974, freetailbrewing.com
3. Southtown 101
101 Perieda, (210) 263-9880, southtown101sa.com
1. The Lion and Rose
5148 Broadway (for smoking, multiple locations elsewhere in SA)
(210) 822-7673, thelionandrose.com
Home to British comfort food like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and a hearty selection of international beers to wash ‘em down, the Lion and Rose is a local exemplar of Britain’s best export — the neighborhood pub. A recent visit proved the point, when a stogie-chomping geezer (yes, you can still smoke in Alamo Heights) demanded royalty fees for our photos. “Just tryin’ to help out my friends, the management,” he said. “I come here all the time.” A true local, indeed. For a more sociable crowd, join in the Geeks Who Drink pub quiz, dates and time vary by location.
2. Broadway 5050
5050 Broadway, (210) 826-0069, broadway5050.com
3. Hooligan’s
13920 I-35 N, Live Oak, (210) 654-4444,
hooligansbarandgrill.com
1. Kathy Hedgepeth
Randolph AFB Parr Club Barber Shop
For the past five years, Kathy Hedgepeth has run Randolph Air Force Base’s shear shop. A red, white, and blue barber pole marks the outside of her shop, located in the basement of Randolph’s on-base Parr Club, what was once called the Officer’s Club. A decades-long barber, Hedgepeth says she’s not tired of giving, well, the exact same hair cut numerous times a week, and looks forward to keeping it high and tight for the base’s military families for years to come.
2. Chris the Barber
Clippers, 6991 Blanco, (210) 789-3928
1. Elyse Blechman
The Irish Pub, 9726 Datapoint, (210) 692-7620
An unassuming pot o’ gold near Medical Center, the Irish Pub’s lucky charms are considerably enhanced by bubbly bartender Elyse Blechman. The UTSA fine arts student pours her creativity into every cocktail, favoring cordials, infused liquors, and “other out-there ideas from baking,” another of her passions. Also a craft beer fan, Blechman can mix, muddle, and mingle with the best of them, counting her regulars among her circle of friends. That should hint at how seriously she takes the social aspect of her job. “I have such a great time going to work and creating an atmosphere where people can enjoy themselves,” and keep on coming back, she said, noting, “you can always go home and drink.”
2. TIE: Brian Gorychka
Jeret Peña
The Brooklynite, 516 Brooklyn, (210) 444-0707, thebrooklynitesa.com
3. April Poerner
Halcyon, 1414 S Alamo, (210) 277-7045, halcyonsouthtown.com
1. Chris Champlin
Chris Champlin likes to call himself “an agent of the collective.” The Overtime Theater’s sole employee, Champlin does a little bit of everything, from answering phones and working the box office to helping build sets. Champlin helped guide the Overtime through its latest relocation/expansion. Exiting stage left from Blue Star amid the Art Complex’s reconstruction last year, “the people’s theater” has settled nicely into its new digs right off the River Walk’s Museum Reach. The closest thing San Antonio has to fringe, off-beat theater, Champlin’s a good Overtime spokesman. On a recent visit, he showed up with aviator goggles and a safari hat in tow. He began growing out his beard soon after he finished his days as a military contractor. His latest beard — for which he’s very well known, apparently — sports about three years’ growth.
2. Josh Huskin
3. “The Montreal,” as grown by Nan Palmero
1. Mission Reach
Sanantonioriver.org/mission_reach/mission_reach.php
Cruise down Mission Reach during spring’s temperate climes and you’ll have to agree, this rehabbed stretch of the San Antonio River is pretty damned special. Wildflowers and waterfowl compete for attention, while the paved routes accommodate most any type of bike. The South Side reach, which connects to a larger bike trail system along the river that starts near the San Antonio Zoo, recently opened an additional two-mile long section between Padre Park to Mission San Juan. The entire 10.2 mile project, stretching from Roosevelt Park and Lone Star Boulevard to Mission Espada, is due to be completed by the end of August. The proximity to several municipal parks and the Missions means amenities are never too far away, and a recent influx of B-Cycle hubs allows everyone to ride the river, bike-owner or not.
2. Leon Creek Greenway
Sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/greenway_trails_leon.aspx
3. Salado Creek Greenway
Sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/greenway_trails.aspx
1. Bike World
Multiple locations, bikeworld.com
When it opened nearly 40 years ago as a Schwinn shop, Bike World was one of the first to champion cycling in San Antonio. It’s now part of the patchwork of local cycle shops, offering a range of road bikes, cruisers, and hybrids out of its restored 1920s-era building in Alamo Heights, and a newer location on Loop 1604 near Bulverde Road. Eager to promote the growing bike community in San Antonio, the shop regularly offers tips on trails, group rides, and safety, and even played a role in bringing the B-Cycle public bike-share system to San Antonio.
2. Bicycle Heaven
1931 NW Military, Ste. 121,
(210) 342-2453, bicycle-heaven.com
3. Blue Star Bike Shop
1414 S Alamo, (210) 858-0331, bluestarbikeshop.com
