Biga on the Banks
203 S St. Mary’s, (210) 225-0722, biga.com
Ask serious, local food folk which restaurants have the best overall service and these names consistently appear: Bliss, Boudro’s and Chez Vatel Bistro. Also touted, and getting the nod for sheer longevity of its core staff, is Biga on the Banks; some of the servers and managers have even been there since the original location on Locust Street. It’s difficult to mention all, but here are some on the management side: Jon Baumgartner, Michael de la Vega and Missy Ramos. On the floor: Chris Sanders, Gigi Gallegos, Ben Vargas and Cesar Martinez. And behind the bar, Bronson Ketchum and Kim Woods. Many diners ask for favorites by name; one group was even inspired to write a poem, massively excerpted below:
“Ode to Biga”
… Your hostess greeted us kindly
Your chef’s menu was divine
And it’s hard to say what we loved more
Our server, Chris, or the wine! ...
1. Charlott’s Antiques
2023 Austin Hwy, (210) 653-3672, charlottsantiqueshop.blogspot.com
2. Karolina’s Antiques
1709 Blanco, (210) 731-9787
3. Alamo Antique Mall
125 Broadway, (210) 224-4354, alamoantiquemall.com
What makes them so special? Comment below.
Hills Snyder, Sala Diaz director/curator
hillssnyder.com
He rarely gives himself marquee billing on the many solo and group exhibitions he puts together every year, but Hills Snyder gets our vote for San Antonio’s best curator. Snyder is the guiding force behind the consistently unique offerings at Sala Diaz, one of SA’s premier contemporary project spaces. He encourages resident solo artists to overtake the unconventional facility at the limits of their imaginations, which has made for some of the most ambitious and original work in town. For group shows, Snyder addresses uncommon but accessible conceptual themes with customary wit; his “Lonely Are the Brave” Contemporary Art Month show at Blue Star five years ago, inspired in part by the 1962 Western film of the same name, set the bar high for SA, and he doesn’t let up.
1. Nik Soupé (Soup) (pictured, left)
The Paint Yard, 525 San Pedro, (210) 229-1707, thepaintyard.com
2. Lloyd Walsh
facebook.com/lloyd.walsh
3. TIE: Robert Tatum
tatumoriginals.com
Oscar Galvan
galvanstudios.org
What makes them so special? Comment below.
1. Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs, nba.com/spurs
2. TIE: Manu Ginobili & Tony Parker
San Antonio Spurs, nba.com/spurs
3. Drew Bignall
Mission CrossFit San Antonio, 827 E Rector,
(210) 865-9348, missioncrossfitsa.com
What makes them so special? We want to hear from you in the comments below.
1. Jenny Browne
jennybrowne.com
With three collections under her name, poet and Trinity University professor Jenny Browne has eked out a quiet but commanding career as a bard (it can still be done, English majors!). Just as impressive as her literary oeuvre is her work as a teacher around SA, sharing her talents with the San Antonio Housing Authority, the Good Samaritan Center and the Borderlands Collective, where she documents the experiences of recently resettled refugees living on the Northwest Side.
2. Sandra Cisneros
sandracisneros.com
3. Scott McDowell
1. Chris the Barber
Clippers, 6991 Blanco, (210) 525-8292, clippersbarbershop-tx.com
2. Jose Luis Granados
Rene Roberts Hair Studio, 1207 McCullough, (682) 224-9969,
styleseat.com/joseluisgranados
3. Jordan Rangel
Diesel Barbershop, 11255 Huebner, Ste 104, (210) 745-1255, dieselbarbershop.com
What makes them so special? Comment below.
1. Gabriel’s Wine & Liquor
Multiple locations, gabrielsliquor.com
2. Pig Liquors
712 S St. Mary’s, (210) 226-OINK (6465), pigliquors.wordpress.com
3. Don’s & Ben’s
Multiple locations, donsandbensliquor.com
What makes them so special? Comment below.
1. Bike World
Multiple locations, bikeworld.com
2. Blue Star Bike Shop
1414 S Alamo, (210) 858-0331, bluestarbikeshop.com
3. Bicycle Heaven
1931 NW Military Hwy, Ste 121, (210) 342-2453, bicycle-heaven.com
What makes them so special? Comment below.
1. The Twig Book Shop
306 Pearl Pkwy, (210) 826-6411, thetwig.indiebound.com
2. Nine Lives Books
4907 NW Loop 410, Ste 102, (210) 647-5656, ninelivesbooks.com
3. Imagine Books & Records
8373 Culebra, (210) 236-7668, imaginebookstore.com
What makes them so special? Comment below.
1. Dirt Cheap Distro
600 E Amber, facebook.com/dirtcheapdistro
More than a decade ago, Debi Lambright graduated from selling patches at punk shows to owning Dirt Cheap Distro—a snug Southside shop catering to the alternative set. While burlesque/rockabilly/horror fans might find larger emporiums elsewhere, Lambright clearly knows her customers and keeps them coming back for specialties like retro pinup dresses ($29-$95), Killer Klowns T-shirts ($16), locally made hair accessories ($6) and sequined pasties ($11).
2. Montage Vintage
423 W Grayson, (210) 324-0157, montagevintage.com
3. Voge Boutique
1846 N Loop 1604 W, #105, (210) 254-9297, facebook.com/vogeboutique
