Ice Houses
The Texas ice house is a steadily disappearing landmark. Once dotting the street corners of San Antonio, much like Starbucks does today, they provided communities with, as the name suggests, ice. As ice houses took on the role of local gathering places, they started to offer other goods. Beer, natrually, became the most popular. Sometimes…
Dance Clubs
When the sun goes down and you’re achin’ to strap on your dancin’ shoes, there’s only one thing that can be done: find a spot out on the nearest dance floor and start shakin’ it. Channel your inner dancing queen (or king) and check out these discothèques sure to keep you groovin’ and movin’ in…
Taco Town
Tacos for breakfast, tacos for lunch, tacos all the time! SA is awash with taco joints — many are quite good, and most of us have faves. Here are four that continue to amaze with homey goodness. Henry’s Puffy Tacos Henry’s Puffy Tacos has been a family affair since 1978 at their original (and now…
Walley Films rolls camera, takes action, and visits Tía Chuck
Meet Mark and Angela Walley, the dynamic dyad of arts advocates and documentarians professionally known as Walley Films. After studying film at Northwest Vista College, they received an emerging filmmaker fellowship from the Houston-based Southwest Alternate Media Project and decided to pursue their craft seriously. The Walley’s work ranges from documenting the curious comedy of…
Brewpub Guide
Even if you’re not a beer aficionado, there’s something about drinking a well-crafted brew and a meal only steps away from both were made. In the last few years, San Antonio has exploded into a good beer town with three brewpub/restaurants in the city, two outside town, and soon-to-be seven microbreweries in the area. Here’s…
Museums
A city without museums is hardly a town, and though San Antonio prides itself on retaining a small-town feel, our museums are known internationally — as institutions that could only happen here. – Scott Andrews San Antonio Museum of Art SAMA is San Antonio’s encyclopedic museum, spanning cultures ’round the globe from Ancient Egypt to…
The Cook's Tale
Stefan Bowers, Feast Stefan Bowers, the driving food force behind Southtown’s Feast, grew up in Berkeley and spent time in the Navy as a rescue swimmer, and then served an apprenticeship at an Italian restaurant in San Diego. The experience inspired him to attend Houston’s Culinary Institute LeNotre, after which he landed a job at…
Pit Stops
Texas is a national contender for BBQ king, with the pits in the Hill Country strong advocates of tradition. But in SA, the trend is towards chef’s interpretations of old customs. Here is our short list for both flavors. B&B Smokehouse Tiny and unassuming, B&B Smokehouse is known for melt-in-your-mouth brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, and…
Cocktails
Cocktail culture hit SA with an obsession the last year, with crews of young mixologists (yes it really is a word — from the early 1900s) in eager attendance filling new drinks venues. Here’s a list of our favorite new and old houses of elegant libation. –Eli Miller BAR 1919 Tucked snuggly under the lofts…
Eat Local
Farmers markets offer an abundance of delights such as charcuterie, fermented foods, salsa plump tomatoes, and select seasonal fruit, and it is a good place to enjoy some freshly baked goods over a steaming cup of joe. Elimination of packaging, shipping and wholesale costs also adds to the perks of being a farmers market consumer.…
VIA Buses
A public transit system that is extensive and useful, and extensively used, has long been one of the hallmarks of a thriving metropolis. For over 30 years, VIA has been San Antonio’s answer to the great subways of the east and impressive bus grids of the west. In recent years VIA has upped services in…
Vegetarian
A list of vegetarian and "veggie-friendly" establishments that will help tender eaters survive in Meat City. Green Vegetarian Cuisine Macrobiotic, vegan, and vegetarian tastes are well served at this family-owned, homegrown vegetarian café. Tasty baked goods and savory breakfast and lunch options abound. New location opening in March at the Pearl. 10003 N W Military,…
Pearl
Anchored by the campus of the Culinary Institute of America, the Pearl is poised to become the city’s most concentrated dining destination; quality taken into account, it already is. And with the start of construction on a new boutique hotel and the announcement of plans for even more housing units, the concentration can only continue.…
Walk the City Creeks
Sure, you know the River Walk, and may have explored the Mission Reach that strikes south from the Blue Star Complex towards the green land surrounding the acequia of Mission Espada. But if you want to really escape turista town, take a hike on one of the creek trails. Now known as the Howard W.…
Fab Finds
Desperately seeking a Kabbalah from 1874? Can’t sleep without an ‘N Sync pillow? For treasure, oddities, and other things you never knew you needed, look no further than our nine new favorite stores. – Words and photos by Bryan Rindfuss Bearded Lady Emporium The compelling conversations one might hear in Janessa Consenz and Jedidia Reid’s…
Flea Markets
Here in San Antonio we have fine flea markets, influenced heavily by the vast indoor/outdoor mercados of Mexico. Looking to get a sonogram and a haircut, pet a donkey and ride a pony, eat some ice cream and a corn cup, play some videos games and pick up some new home furnishings? If you choose…
Live Music
With national and regional talent taking increasing notice, and local heroes making the big time, it will soon be impossible for even the staunchest pessimist to consider San Antonio a second-rate music town. From national to local, from Tejano to metal to indie pop, and everything in between — here are some of the top…
Santikos Bijou
Once dubbed "Ramboville" by movie distributors who assume that its taste in movies is not subtle, San Antonio boasts many state-of-the-art facilities for viewing blockbuster art. However, only one local theater is likely to be showing the latest release by Michael Haneke, Guillermo del Toro, or Zhang Yimou: the six-screen Bijou. It is true that…
Microbreweries
BRANCHLINE BREWING CO. Branchline Brewing Co. officially opened and started selling beers on the market in early February. A snazzy tasting room is part of the brewery, which makes 10-barrel batches. Branchline plans to use it for special events, and perhaps even for Friday evening tours. 3633 Metro Pkwy RANGER CREEK BREWING CO. While microbreweries…
Southtown
Artsy Southtown claims some of the city’s greatest restaurant finds. For those who have yet to venture into this eclectic district, here’s a short list of spots you may want to try — Lauren Silva Bliss Serving up American cuisine, Mark Bliss’ menu rotates, based on availability of seasonal ingredients. Menu staples include the Australian…
On Stage
Community theater in SA has roots a century long. Here is our short list of favorite venues, specializing in repertory theater, new works, and community action. AtticRep Since it began in 2005, the professional theater company in residence at Trinity University has engaged the community with new and acclaimed works by established and emerging playwrights,…
Sports Bars
Whether you’re looking for a place to watch the game or just a place to meet with friends, San Antonio has much to offer in the way of sports bars. The key, of course, is plenty of televisions. These local spots afford patrons multiple screens dialed to sports heaven. Don’t worry about bringing too many…
Wonder Twins
Julián Castro quickly rocketed past the heights of political celebrity Henry Cisneros, San Antonio’s once best-known mayor, reached in the 1980s. From the outset, Julián’s trajectory appeared almost pre-determined. Born to a celebrated West Side Chicana activist, Julián was elected San Antonio’s youngest-ever mayor in 2009. The following year, The New York Times Magazine drooled…
Thrift Shops
Whether it be your deep-seeded need for a unique piece for your home or your newfound love for Macklemore that brings you there, thrift shops are the treasure and trash troves for the millions. Regardless of economic background, a person can enter a thrift shop and be transported to childhood memories, inspired by vintage design…
Cycling San Anto
You’ll finish sweatier, dirtier and smell like the receiving end of a VIA bus tailpipe. But biking is, and will remain, the best way to move in and around downtown San Antonio. Expect more of us traveling to and from work, running errands, or heading out at night on two wheels as SA continues to…
DIY
There comes a time, for some people, when working for a company just doesn’t make sense anymore — unless it’s their own. But the typical business strategy of obtaining heavy funds, hiring staff, then looking for a profit 3-to-10 years in the future isn’t an option. Here are two local outfits that get the job…
Dos Carolinas
The origin of the guayabera is debatable, but its name likely refers to the Cuban farmers along the Yayabo River who used the shirt’s lower pockets to store guava (aka guayaba). Some attribute the style’s breezy design to an 18th-century Andalusian who immigrated to Cuba and made her husband a white linen shirt with four…
Wine
Texas is beer country, but even before the cocktail scene exploded, wine bars were offering an alternative, providing us with a less-rowdy atmosphere to participate in the cult of Bacchus. Here are our steady favorites. 20NINE Named after the highway that runs through Napa Valley, 20nine has expanded its California focus to include wines from…
Groveling For a Grocer
Downtown San Antonio has an ever-expanding roster of eat spots – from food trucks to high dining – to choose from, but good luck finding somewhere to stock up on goods for a home cooked dinner. Within the small downtown loop enclosed by interstates 35, 10, and 37, downtowners have few options: Delivery Market on…
Early Art School
If you want to be an artist, don’t wait till college to make your move. Young eyes (and minds) have the best shot at attaining this life/work goal. SA is rich in community after school art classes. What, didn’t get a chance when you were a kid? Some offer classes for adults, too. — Scott…
Green Dreams
When we first met Brandon McKelvey two years ago, his food truck was still in construction. "I’m going to put solar panels on this puppy someday," he told us. Since then, Say.She.Ate, with their duck-fat sweet potato fries and Akaushi beef sliders, has gained fame as one of the very top food trucks in town.…
