5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Tue 3/4 South Texas Jazz presents Mardi Gras South Texas Jazz’s 2014 series continues with a Fat Tuesday celebration of New Orleans jazz featuring bandleader/pianist/artistic director Dr. Brent “Doc” Watkins, clarinetist/singer Pierre Poree (a NOLA native), bassist Brandon “Daddy Longlegs” Rivas and others. $30-$50, 7:30pm Tuesday, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N St. Mary’s (210)…
St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans at Grayson Street Eatery
We’re hoping for Bailey’s Irish Cream macs. This year, you can make you St. Paddy’s celebrations count by shelling out a little green to attend “Patty O’Shearer’s St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans.” All proceeds from the $25 tickets ($35 at the door) support Teach For America in San Antonio, and guests will get a sneak…
SeaWorld Bites, or Does It?: On the Dilemma of Dolphins, Kids and Captivity
Photo credit: PETA Parents, it’s getting warm outside. Spring Break is around the corner. Shamu’s joyful image has been swimming up and down Broadway on a Via bus for at least a month. Hey, did you hear that a dolphin bit a kid at SeaWorld last week? It’s true. And I’m not talking about those goons out…
SA’s Best Restaurants as Picked by Redditors
Last week, we brought you just a few of the city’s worst restaurants according to reddit users. Let’s start the week off by being positive. Thanks to OldDickLemon for creating the thread. Here’s a sampling of restaurants SA Redditors love: My bests: Burger- Cured. Get the triple, let the grease drip down your arm, and…
Revealing San Antonio Internet Use Map Reinforces Digital Divide
A newly released broadband adoption map, created by the Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation, shows the disparity of Internet access in San Antonio along socio-economic lines, validating concerns over the digital divide. The maps come on the heels of the announcement by Mayor Julián Castro that SA is partnering with Google Fiber to bring high-speed…
Big Night for Mexico and Texas at the Oscars
As Matthew McConaughey would say (at every opportunity), “alright, alright, alright.” The Oscars are done. And while I and our film critic David Riedel rejoice in big wins for 12 Years a Slave (please be a star forever, Lupita N’yong’o!), for us in San Antonio, it’s easy to get excited about a pretty big night for…
Our Favorite Pizza Moments on Film
If Ellen DeGeneres taught us anything during this year’s Oscars telecast is that everyone loves pizza. As Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep chowed down on some ‘za and other A-listers clamored for a slice of pie (can you blame them, they’ve all been dieting for who knows how long?), we got to thinking about other…
What I Ate: Random snacks, Texan micheladas and Luby’s squared fish
It was a much more subdued food week. No chicken and doughnuts for this girl, but the week did have a few stops at Peeler Farms and Parker Creek Ranch for an upcoming feature on chickens. Look for that story next week. Plantain chips. #dinner Before/after. JK I took most of it home. #preview #taqueria…
Sunday Night Sound Bite: The Chainsmokers: “#SELFIE”
If you’re unaware of the “aggressively handsome” duo the Chainsmokers, brace yourself for saturation. Influenced by “Warren Buffet, puppies and well-crafted cheeseburgers” and distinguished by bushy eyebrows and an “uncanny ability to make love,” the New York City boys (Alex Pall and Drew Taggart) have entered viral territory with the celebrity-fueled video for the electro…
Hollywood’s Best And Brightest To Be Honored With A Naked Mexican
Here’s a fun fact, compadres: the svelte, nude frame of the Oscar statue is modeled after an undocumented Mexican immigrant. Yes, American cinema’s highest honor is modeled after someone who is not an American citizen, a tidbit that is sure to make Fox News and Bill O’Reilly apoplectic. Hollywood’s most coveted male body does not belong…
Why You Should Join the Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Callie (left) and her sister Alaina between transplants Tonight, local rapper Kusha Tarantino will host a jam-packed hip-hop bill at Fitzgerald’s. When James Courtney first pitched me an article about the show, I wrote back “fastest way to my heart!” That’s not because I particularly love Kusha, (though he seemed like a smart, passionate…
City Guide Ambassadors: East
Two of the most enthusiastic Eastsiders we know are Michele and Fabien Jacob. You get the feeling that between the two of them, they literally could have lived anywhere in the world, yet they chose a sweet little house on the East Side of town. Here’s why: Name: Michele and Fabien Jacob Michele and Fabien Jacob…
Swingers Spice Up Contemporary Art Month
“It’s going to be like wife swapping, only better!” In keeping with the theme of exchange promised by the forthcoming CAMx project “Crossing the Line” (a two-city collaboration involving Three Walls Gallery founder Michele Monseau, Mexico City-based art space Centro Cultural Border, curator/inaugural Casa Chuck resident Barbara Perea and six visual artists), two likeminded artist-run galleries…
Rise Up! There’s a New Mural Under Westfall Bridge
Jane Madrigal paints the final touches of “Dare to Be Powerful.” I was driving home for lunch when I passed artist Jane Madrigal painting the final touches of the mural under the Westfall Bridge on South Hackberry. It’s a bridge I drive under every day after work, and I’ve watched this mural evolve in the…
Cheesy Photo of the Day
So much cheese. (Courtesy) There’s a new Sam’s Club in town. Cue the plethora of samples and other grand opening festivities which include this giant block of carved cheddar as created by “Sarah the Cheese Lady.” The Coyote was carved into a 500 pound block of Wisconsin cheddar over the course of 12 hours by…
Dude Has His Way With a Hot Pocket, Disgust Ensues
Oh, how I hope this is a hoax, but might as well fill you in (pun intended). Thot Pockets or @VERSACEPOPTARTS, an anonymous Twitter and Vine user…had sex with a Hot Pocket this week. Reports say he’s an 18-year-old New Englander who works at a seafood restaurant. The saga, which has turned the weirdo…
Marriage Equality Case Plaintiff Old Friends With Abbott
Turns out one of the four plaintiffs in the victorious Texas same-sex marriage case is old pals with defendant, state Attorney General Greg Abbott. Plano lawyer, Mark Phariss, who has (temporarily) prevailed in challenging the state’s ban on marriage equality, attended Vanderbilt Law School with Abbott, where they first began a decades-long friendship, reported Dallas TV…
Bonehead Quote of the Week- Twitter Typo Edition: Dan Patrick on Same-Sex Marriage
Adamantly anti-gay state Senator and candidate for lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick (R-Houston), shocked conservative loyalists on Twitter earlier this week when he posted: The self-proclaimed “Christian first, Conservative second and Republican third,” candidate sought to fix the message with a major ‘whoops!’ moment: oops! #twittertypo. We have a new job opening on our campaign: social media intern. Send resume…
VIDEO: Pharrell Williams Reaches Out to Local Boy with Cancer
courtesy Damon Billeck is a nine-year-old boy from Universal City, a student at Olympia Elementary, and he’s battling it out with Osteosarcoma bone cancer. His jam, the song that gets him through untold tough times, is “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. It’s the Oscar-nominated song from “Dispcable Me 2,” that one that just topped Billboard charts. Damon’s…
Burger, Fries Save Super CUTE Kitten in SA
Everyone, meet Rio. (Courtesy ACS) I’m not one to blog about burgers and fries (oh wait, I am), but this press release sent over by Animal Care Services really caught my eye. Turns out a diet of the aforementioned eats saved the life of a cute black kitten. Cue the symphony of awws. According to…
Do You Love George Strait? This Map Says You Do
A new map that made the rounds on the internet yesterday claims to identify each state’s most distinctive artist, whatever that means. For Texas, that artist is George Strait. But if you think this map gives you any meaningful insight, then I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you. Paul Lemere, of the blog Music…
SA Redditors Pick Worst Restaurants in Town
Chris Madrid’s signature burger loaded with cheddar cheese. In a post titled “Worst Restaurant in San Antonio?” Alamo City Redditors (Here’s the thread) took to the forum to voice what restaurants are truly San Antonio’s worst and overrated. The one rule of this restaurant smack down? No chains. You can check out the thread here.…
5 Kalúha Recipes for National Kalúha Day
It’s National Kaluha Day which means it’s time to break out that bottle and get to cookin’. And drinking, naturally. Here’s five Kalúha-centric recipes to end the week get your weekend started off right. 1. Kalúha Café Recipe via Muy Bueno 2. Chocolate Kalúha Cake It’s a cake and drink in one! (Courtesy) Recipe via Nutmeg…
LGBT Friends and Foes Respond To Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
LGBT advocates (and haters) didn’t hesitate to respond to yesterday’s historic gay rights news. In an opinion issued Wednesday, San Antonio-based federal Judge Orlando Garcia ruled Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and said the restrictions against marriage equality “demean [homosexual couples’] dignity for no legitimate reason,” as the Current reported. via Creative Commons U.S. Rep. Joaquin…
City Guide Ambassadors: West
San Antonio’s West Side is full of charm and attracts residents in touch with both their Latino and artistic roots. Just ask these guys … First up: Jim Mendiola Occupation: Filmmaker/Artist in Residence University of Texas at Austin Neighborhood: West Side Years lived there: 1 year 1 month Why did you choose that neighborhood?: I was…
City Guide Ambassador: Downtown
Who better to lead you around downtown San Antonio than a longtime member of the Downtown Alliance and an urban planner? We asked Andi Rodriguez, who now lives right in the thick of everything on Market Street between Alamo and Bowie, for her spin on Downtown. Name: Andi Rodriguez Occupation: Urban Planner Neighborhood: Downtown Years…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 2/27 Andrés Ferrandis: “Numinous” After nearly a decade of operating on an appointment-only basis, Ruiz-Healy Art opened a public location last year and recently tripled its space by relocating to the triangular Olmos Park landmark that hosted Bistro Bakery. On Thursday, the gallery—which specializes in modern and contemporary works by Latin American and “Texas-connected”…
First Course Fodder: Silo Wine Dinner and New Chinese Food Truck
filet o’ delicious (Courtesy) This may the closest we’ll ever get to dining with Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Silo Elevated Cuisine (434 N Loop 1604) is hosting a dinner with winemaker Jesse Katz, who made a custom wine for two on their wedding day. Dinner and drinks are on Wednesday, March 5 at 7…
Shot of the Week: Come and Take It
Serrano chile meets Texas grapefruit. (Dustin Dooling) It’s not everyday that a company devotes an entire flavor to a state. Absolut vodka has done exactly that. Just released Absolut Texas combines fresh cucumber with a San Antonio favorite, Serrano chile. In celebration of the tasty Texas namesake, I present you with the Come and Take…
Caption Contest: Bill Clinton’s joke
We’ve all peeped the Twitpic seen ’round Loop 1604 by now, but is anyone else wondering what Bill Clinton said at that Mi Tierra summit that has Henry Cisneros, Mayor Julian Castro and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in stitches? Leave your best attempt in the comments section and we’ll give the winner free Current magazines…
11 Free Events Happening This Week
Jessikill & The Black Moods 9:30pm, Wednesday, February 26 Jessica Espinoza of X Factor notoriety fronts her own heavy metal band, Jessikill, with Anthony Carrillo on lead guitar and vocals, Arturo Alvarado on bass and vocals, Juan Alvarado on guitar and vocals and Miguel Morales on drums. Free Electronic Press Kits template from ReverbNation.com Location: Retox, 1031…
Contigo’s Andrew Wiseheart to Cook at Umai Mi
Wiseheart, third from left, will heat up Umai Mi. (Courtesy) Holy Chinese deliciousness, Chefs Jason Dady of Umai Mi and Andrew Wiseheart of Austin’s Contigo are serving a six-course Chinese dinner at Umai Mi on Tuesday, March 18. Wiseheart was named a 2012 Rising Star Chef by starchefs.com. Each chef is preparing a fun take…
Top 6 Pistachio Commercials for National Pistachio Day
Today marks National Pistachio Day so to celebrate, we’ve compiled our six favorite Wonderful Pistachios commercials. It’s clear from these commercials that everyone in pop culture eats pistachios differently. There have been so many unique, funny and surprising ones that have made us laugh for the few seconds it’s on TV. These spokespeople/pig/cat/cartoons have become…
5 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on this Week
Get ready for a party (Courtesy) Saturday, March 1: Alamo Beer continues its Siege Week 2 celebration with an SA Town Get Down Bash at VFW Post 76, the oldest post in the state. Stop in for live music, cheap-ass beer and wine, food by Slider Provider and Melting Point and prizes for best Texas…
San Antonio Federal Judge Rules Texas’ Ban Against Same-Sex Marriage Unconstitutional
Updated at 2:45 p.m. CT with comments from attorney Neel Lane and plaintiff Mark Phariss. San Antonio U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia has ruled Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and a denial of the equal protection clause, following a hearing earlier this month challenging the constitutional amendment. In an opinion released today, Garcia granted the two couples,…
9 Oscar Snacks Based on Best Picture Nominations
If the Oscars is Hollywood’s prom, then it’s an excuse for the rest of world to judge the prom dresses, decide who got robbed and eat food based on our favorites of the year. Here we have nine snack recipes to serve at your Oscar viewing party based on this year’s best picture nominees. Microwave…
City Guide Ambassadors: South
To guide us around South San Antonio, from Cesar Chavez on down, we reached out to Andy and Yvette Benavides, the founders of SMART and proprietors of the fun and funky 1906 building, hub of the emerging South Flores Arts District. We also heard from Nina Hassele, another arts maven well known for her many years…
City Guide Ambassadors: North
We asked a couple of cool Northsiders to show us around their neck of the woods. First up: Danielle Cunningham Occupation: Graphic designer/owner, seriousmedia.net Neighborhood: El Dorado Years lived there: 10 years; 35+ years in the same area Why did you choose that neighborhood? It was close to my mom, has great houses, a paseo, a greenbelt and…
The EN is Losing its Food Editor
(Courtesy) In everything’s-wrong-with-the-world news, food editor Karen Haram is retiring from the San Antonio Express-News. The paper wrote* about Haram’s retirement earlier this afternoon stating the following: “Haram is an outstanding editor who has made a huge impact at this paper. Under her guidance, the Taste section was named best in the country three years…
Flavor File: Petition to change TacoLand name, Alamo Beer celebrates ‘siege week’
Well, TacoLand (103 Grayson, (210) 223-8406) is now open, to the chagrin of most former Taco Land/Ram Ayala fans, after nine years of uncertainty. You can read more about the space on page 47, but if the bar’s faux re-launch really grinds your gears, there’s a newly formed Facebook campaign you can join. With less…
Saké to Me: A beginner’s guide to the Japanese brew
To be completely honest, I went into this assignment with little background on Japan’s drink of choice. Sure, I’ve had the occasional saké sip, though I never bothered checking the brand. At the behest of booze-guru Ron Bechtol, I visited with Howard Hu at Sushihana (1810 NW Military, (210) 340-7808) because if I was going…
This Hip-Hop Concert Could Literally Save Someone’s Life
According to SA rapper Kusha Tarantino, hip-hop “is important as an art form and needs to be recognized as art, not just a bunch of thugs or cats hoping to get rich.” And Tarantino, taking a phone break from a video shoot, is all about art. His rhymes are full of delirious wordplay, obligatory but…
SA Alt-rockers RMRS Release Truly Ambitious Debut
Sometimes, the best thing to happen to a well-known local band is the break-up. Just such a situation led to the formation of local alt-rock outfit RMRS. Born in late 2011 out of the ruins of three sonically divergent bands (Pygmaeus, Cure for the Radio and Collective Dreams), RMRS’ style is a unique blend of…
Crazy Spices and Low Prices at Thai It
Confession: I’ve had some of the best Thai out of tiny strip mall joints. Thai Taste off Evers and Thai Topaz off Huebner were haunts during college for their ridiculously cheap lunch specials. So, maybe I was a bit biased when I drove up to Thai It for my first visit. There was an evangelical…
Just Because You Hate the New TacoLand, Should Everyone Else?
I never set foot inside the old Taco Land. I was a 19-year-old Valley transplant when Ram Ayala was gunned down at his beloved bar after the Spurs earned their third NBA Championship on the night of June 23, 2005. I never had the chance to don my beat-up All-Star Chuck Taylors and thrash about…
Republican Primaries 2014: Extreme Party Makeover Edition
Don’t mess with Texas, Obama. Mr. President, you’re not a king! I’ll fight Obama’s liberal agenda. I’ll fight against Obama’s attacks on Texas. Come and take it, Obama. Judging by campaign ads and platform speeches, one could understandably assume the Republican primary candidates vying for Texas lieutenant governor are running squarely against the President. “You…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The battles you’ve been waging these last ten months have been worthy of you. They’ve tested your mettle and grown your courage. But I suspect that your relationship with these battles is due for a shift. In the future they may not serve you as well as they have up until…
Texas Politicians, Explained: Voting, titles, duties and more primary info
Primary Voting Day: March 4 Early primary voting period: Started Tuesday, February 18 and runs through Friday, February 28 Primary Party Primary elections allow voters to pick the party’s candidates in federal, statewide, city and county races for the upcoming November general election. Candidates need to score more than 50 percent of the vote—if no…
The Curator Diaries Week 2: Jumping right in
Curating an exhibition such as the Contemporary Art Month (CAM) Perennial is no easy task. As my first article suggested, I am balancing a myriad of factors between the public, the space and, of course, the artists with whom I will ultimately work. As I continue to contemplate what the exhibition could be, I have…
Bottle & Tap: Cask Beer’s the “real” real ale
In the December Bottle & Tap, I listed my favorite San Antonio watering holes and issued a plea to Current beer lovers to tell me theirs. Add this to the list: Big Hops Gastropub, at 22250 Bulverde. It didn’t take me long to realize this is my kind of place—I immediately spied a cask (or…
Cityscrapes: SAPD, SAFD contract angst has deep City roots
In San Antonio, our leaders, both business and political, have a habit of focusing on making the deal. They want to accomplish big things. The longer-term costs and implications of what it takes to do the deal don’t merit much concern. So it was with the Alamodome. Henry Cisneros, seeking to make the “deal” to…
SA’s La Panaderia Hopes to Build up Our ‘Bread Cultura’
There are a few things better than bread—sunshine, puppy breath and a Spurs win come to mind. So, it made sense for the Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market to add another bakery to its line up in September of 2013. Owned by brothers David and Jose Cacéres, La Panaderia is turning into the little booth…
Creative, Experimental and Traditional Talent at ‘Texas Draws III’
Drawing endures as the easiest way for artists to experiment with new ways of seeing. Playing with perspective sparks the most startling images in “Texas Draws III,” the third edition of the Southwest School of Art’s biennial roundup of the state’s artists putting pencil to paper. Austin artist Katie Maratta shrinks panoramic High Plains landscapes…
Academy Awards 2014: Who will win, and who should
When did we fall prey to the Oscars? When did we start using phrases such as “he deserved to win” to describe what is essentially a party for a bunch of rich assholes slapping each other on the back? On May 16, 1929, at the first Academy Awards ceremony, were there a bunch of hangers-on…
Roll Happy: Scouting SA for saké and sushi
Chips and salsa, sea salt and caramel … let’s add saké and sushi to the list of heavenly pairings. Unlike everything else I gave up when relocating to Texas from Hawaii (Spam musubi, anyone?), San Anto’s sushi take is comparable to that of the big island … and the saké choices aren’t bad either. I…
No Dog Left Behind at PAWsitively Sweet Bakery
If your dog is anything like mine, he’s always happy, hungry and up for an adventure. Car rides are good, especially if they lead to the farmers market–so many butts to sniff!–and slightly less so if they end at the groomer or the vet. Whichever your market of choice, be it the Pearl, Quarry, Leon…
Local Author’s New Novel ‘House of Purple Cedar’ Speaks Choctaw Truth
One wouldn’t think it to talk to the man, see him on stage or read one of his numerous award-winning books, but much of author and Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle’s life was once about hiding. Though Tingle’s grandmother’s home was a center of Choctaw pride—a gathering place where kinfolk shared food, stories and cultural traditions—no…
Savage Love: Anger Issues
I’m 21 and still a virgin. I also have depression. I’m not bad-looking. I work out and generally keep people laughing. I got a lot of female attention in school, but I was hopeless and still am. Most of my friends have girlfriends, so I don’t understand why I haven’t had a girlfriend since I…
Top 5 Most Offensive Remarks From Abbott’s Buddy Ted Nugent
By now you’ve likely heard that our leading Republican candidate for governor and state attorney general, Greg Abbott, is frolicking on the campaign trail with washed up 70s rock star and right-wing poster child, Ted Nugent. Abbott’s choice to invite Nugent— a notorious sexist, known for inflammatory remarks aimed at women, African-Americans and Democrats (like,…
4 Drinks to Sip During the Oscars
The Oscar’s are this Sunday with Ellen Degeneres as host, and we’ll need booze to make it through the usually boring affair. Here are four cocktails that remind us of the the four Best Original Song nominees. “Happy,” Pharrell Williams (Courtesy) Sip on this passion fruit cocktail via Dailyburn.com. A mix of St. Germaine,…
Green Team to Open Earth Burger
(Courtesy) Veggie burger boss, Mike Behrend is getting in on the fast food game. Behrend and his team at fast-casual Green Vegetarian Cuisine will open Earth Burger at 722 NW Loop 410 inside the Park North shopping center. Behrend, who recently opened a Green location in Houston, hopes to provide healthy options for the drive-thru…
Booze News: Max’s Wine Flight School, tequila tastings at La Fogata and CAM parties at Dorcol
Booze News slings up the latest gulp downs around town every Tuesday. Going back to school never tasted so good. (Courtesy) School is in session and it involves wine. Max’s Wine Dive (340 E Basse) will offer a flight school series with wine tasting classes focusing on a different type of wine each class. Classes…
3 Reasons Why the Waffle Taco Will Fail in SA
Go away Waffle Taco (Cat hissing sound here) (Courtesy) Sigh. I had hoped this breakfast abomination would stay in California where it was first tested last year. But, no, the Waffle Taco will hit nationwide Taco Bells by month’s end. By March 27, San Antonio Taco Bells will be equipped with weirdly shaped sausages and…
Nicolette Good Reviews Hall & Oates at the Majestic
Local singer-songwriter Nicolette Good is a big Hall & Oates fan, and, as evidenced by her multiple wins in our annual Music Awards, she’s a pretty good writer, too. So, we asked her to review the Hall & Oates show at the Majestic last night. Nothing makes me happier than watching people with private box…
