Texas Republicans Are Calling News They Don’t Like ‘Fake’
Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. And now, Texas Congressman Lamar Smith. These are just a few Texas lawmakers who have hijacked a term used to define an actual threat to American democracy — so-called “fake news” — in order to delegitimize any reporting they simply do not like. And for Texas Republicans, that apparently covers a…
Don’t Miss Your Last Chance at Serious Sandwiches
Fans of last summer’s sammy pop-up will want to pencil this in. Sandwichserious, the sandwich-happy kitchen takeover by Dave Rizo and Mauricio Gudiño, will hosts its last hoorah before Rizo moves out-of-state. Though a menu hasn’t been released yet, I’m hoping for a repeat of their fried chicken sandwich or their barbacoa banh mi. A…
Oh Snap! Mondo Nation’s Back!
To the outsider, San Antonio might not come across as a rich, cultural playground brimming with artistic talents of many flavors. We’re known to most as home of the Spurs or that place with the Alamo, or that city close to Austin (also, why don’t you move to Austin?). I’m sure you’ve had this conversation…
Booze News: Bar Parties, Anniversaries and Openings this Month
A Very Zach-y Hour | After four years Freetail Brewpub is saying goodbye to brewer Zach Wolfe with a happy hour celebrating his tenure. If you’re a fan of Freetail’s diverse and ever-changing lineup of brews, you may want to thank Wolfe in person for helping shape one of San Antonio’s first breweries. Prices vary,…
Composers Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross on Writing the Meditative Score for “Patriots Day”
Nearly five years have passed since Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and NIN producer and programmer Atticus Ross were each presented with an Academy Award for composing the captivating score for director David Fincher’s tech drama The Social Network. Until then, most critical acclaim for a film’s score went to musicians who benefited from…
Guadalupe’s Artist Lab Yields Promising Results
Funded in part by the New York-based Surdna Foundation, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Artist Lab fellowship provides selected artists with both creative and business development opportunities and culminates with a year-end showcase. The latest edition gathers works by 2016 participants Lisette Chavez, Raul Gonzalez, Sarah Fox, Jose Villalobos, Andrei Renteria and Kristel Orta-Puente. On…
Bastille, Young the Giant, De La Soul Headline Maverick Music Fest 2017
With its fifth installation and a recent partnership with The Tobin Center, the Maverick Music Festival is back with a line-up that ain’t too shabby lookin’, darlin’. Most notable are hip-hop heavy weights De La Soul, the legendary rap trio from Long Island with their classic jam “Me, Myself and I” and a Grammy award…
Police Make Arrest in Murder of Woman Found “Burned Beyond Recognition”
Early one morning in August 2015, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office got a call about a body engulfed in flames on the side of the road on San Antonio’s far southeast side. Not only did police have few leads, they didn’t even know who the victim was. The body had been, according to the sheriff’s…
Free Will Astrology (1/11/17-1/17/17)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is a huge holy tree that links all of the nine worlds to each other. Perched on its uppermost branch is an eagle with a hawk sitting on its head. Far below, living near the roots, is a dragon. The hawk and eagle stay in touch with…
Savage Love talks Clubbing
My partner and I have been playing with male chastity devices. We’ve been considering going to a strip club while his cock is caged up and getting him lap dances. Is there some etiquette for this with the dancers? Do we let the dancer know before she is on his lap? Or do we not…
Music Picks: 10 Shows to See This Week
Baby Bangs Thursday, Jan. 12 This show at Vapure Lounge, which is shaping up to be yet another promising and active DIY venue for the San Antonio music scene, features two of our favorite young bands in town. For starters, Baby Bangs is a rough and tumble bubble-grunge two-piece, led by gifted singer-songwriter Elena Lopez.…
Uni’Ko Japanese House’s Interesting Translation
A couple of Japanese-themed restaurants opened recently within a yen’s toss of one another on I-10W. Both displayed some degree of Mexican influence. With elaborate rolls taking front and center, neither seemed to be emphasizing sushi in its traditional form. How to decide which to try first? Count the cream cheese. The cream cheese count…
Local Literati Join the Movement to Re-inaugurate Shared Values
On January 15, just five days before the inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump, literary arts center Gemini Ink will join local publisher Wings Press, the citywide summit DreamWeek and a host of San Antonio writers and activists to present Writers Resist: SATX, a daylong poetry reading and forum for free expression. The event, which is…
150-pound Pet Tortoise Starts House Fire on City’s Northwest Side
A fire broke out on the Northwest side just after midnight on Tuesday due to an unusual suspect — a 150 pound pet tortoise. KSAT 12 reports that according to firefighters, the tortoise knocked over a heat lamp that was inside its outdoor cage, which started a fire that eventually spread to the neighbor’s home.…
SA Shows to Look Forward to in 2017
Atmosphere/Brother Ali January 18, Paper Tiger If your identity was wrapped up in a particular music scene growing up, you could definitely feel a full spectrum of emotions when a particular artist from that scene starts to experience some conventional success: Stoked that your favorite artists are making some money but bummed that people you…
“Bush Mama” to Screen at Alamo Drafthouse as Part of DreamWeek
This timely, 1979 feature film by director Haile Gerima, which was part of the L.A. Rebellion movement of political and experimental black cinema during the 1970s, explores the harsh realities of urban poverty and the systemic imprisonment of African American men, which continues today in record numbers. Recently, Selma director Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed Netflix…
What to Brace for as Texas Embarks on Another Season of Legislative Lunacy
Texas is so ‘meh’ about governing that state lawmakers here only meet for 140 days of breakneck-speed legislatin’ — every other year. Which means that when the 181 voting members of the Texas Legislature gather this week, things could get real weird real fast. Like on the very first day of the 2015 session, when…
Discovering the Puerco Chile Colorado Taco at Chile Tomate y Cebolla
Reposted with permission from The Tacoist. Located in the retail block just up Donaldson Avenue from Jefferson High School, Chile Tomate y Cebolla’s name gets to the very heart of Tex-Mex/Mexican cooking. Cajun cooking has the holy trinity. We have peppers (green), tomato (red) and onion (white) — the colors of the Mexican flag and…
Roaming the Aisles at Hung Phong Oriental Market
“The outside and neighbor might look skeptical, but you won’t be disappointed…” Gotta love online reviews. But as I don’t want anyone or anything looking or being skeptical, here’s my take on this bustling pan-Asian Market. First thing to know: the neighborhood is far from posh, but the unpromising intersection of Fratt and Remount was…
Water Protectors Shut Down Construction of the Trans-Pecos Pipeline This Weekend
Dozens of self-described water protectors flooded a construction site in Far West Texas Saturday morning, shutting down construction on a high-pressure natural gas pipeline for more than two hours. Members of the Society of Native Nations and Big Bend Defense Coalition, two of several groups fighting the construction of the Trans-Pecos Pipeline, chained themselves beneath…
Medina Finally Says He’s Definitely Running for Mayor
As of this weekend, Ivy Taylor now has at least two official challengers as she seeks a second term as mayor of San Antonio. On Saturday, current Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina launched the mayoral campaign he’s been teasing for weeks, rallying supporters in Main Plaza in front of the San Fernando Cathedral. While…
Sheriff Says Hill Country Woman “Mutilated,” Stabbed 5-Year-Old Daughter to Death
A woman in the Texas Hill Country has been charged with stabbing her 5 year old daughter to death in what the local sheriff says is probably the most horrific crime his county’s history. Hays County prosecutors charged 24-year-old Krystle Villanueva with capital murder after her 5-year-old daughter Giovanna Hernandez was found stabbed to death in…
San Antonio Still Runs on Duncan
This year is shaping up to be a busy one for the Tim Duncan completist. Earlier this week, Tejano artist Arturo Torres released a gorgeous print of Duncan basking in Fiesta colors. Later this month, HEB will offer a honey nut toasted cereal with chocolate puffs called Slam Duncan O’s for a limited time. Just…
San Antonio Tech to Explore Ancient Asteroids
San Antonio technology is headed into orbit. NASA has selected San Antonio’s Southwest Research Institute to design, build, and lead a 2021 mission to explore the solar system’s oldest asteroids, some 400 million miles from Earth. NASA scientists will ultimately use the collected data to better understand how the universe began. While much of the…
Red Hot Chili Peppers, in Kaleidoscopic View
I remember watching this Turkish dude play “Under the Bridge” on his acoustic guitar at this cafe in Izmir, Turkey in 2001. I went up to him afterwards and told him that he did a really good job, and though my Turkish was terrible and his English wasn’t that much better, our friendly gestures communicated…
You’re Going to Want to Avoid I-35 More than Usual this Weekend
Ah, I-35. Whether you have a decent relationship with the highway or it’s the bane of your existence, we suggest you find an alternative way to get to and from downtown this weekend. With the demolition of the New Braunfels bridge slated from 9 p.m. Friday through 5:30 a.m. Monday, trust us when we say…
Bexar County Jailer Who Beat Inmate Sentenced to One Year in Jail
A former Bexar County jail guard who beat an inmate so badly he had to be taken directly to the hospital was sentenced to one year in jail on Thursday, the maximum sentence allowed. Avery Lemarcus Lawrence, 32, went before a judge Thursday for sentencing after a jury in November declared him guilty of official…
San Antonio 100: Cured’s Blue Ribbon Burger Deserves the Title
We’re compiling a list of our favorite 100 dishes in the city with the San Antonio 100. Check back weekly for a new dish we love that either screams SA or you need to enjoy ASAP. Good things come to those who can wait, or in Cured’s case, those that can lunch. One of the…
Lt. Gov. Patrick Unleashes Anti-Transgender Bill
Texas Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick began his Thursday press conference introducing a bill that would segregate transgender people from the general public by quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent on things that matter.” But not once during his press conference with GOP state Sen. Louis Kolkhorst,…
The Second Natural Grocers in SA Will Open this Spring
The city added a new grocery store last June and there’s another on the way. Natural Grocers, which opened off 13310 NW Military Hwy. on June 14, will open a store at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave. sometime this spring. The Natural Grocers chain has more than 130 stores in 19 states and was first founded…
San Antonio Man Using Misleading Story About Deaf Daughter to Collect Money
A door-to-door solicitor may be using a false story about a local school for deaf children to collect money. A handful of San Antonians have reported a man knocking on doors across town asking for donations to buy a hearing aid for his deaf daughter, saying he’s associated with the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf…
Federal Judge Delays Fetal Burial Rule. Again.
A federal judge has put Texas’s proposed fetal burial rule on hold until the end of the month — at least for now. After two long days of testimony in Austin, federal district court Judge Sam Sparks said he needed more time to sort through the evidence and arguments presented by both sides. But to…
Bandcamp Spotlights SA Band for ‘Tradition of Punk Anti-Colonial Resistance’
As we all come to learn (to varying degrees) sooner or later, emotions like anger and alienation can alternately act as wellsprings of despair or vital energy sources, fueling no-bullshit efforts at important change. San Antonio hardcore/punk band Amygdala is a prime example of what it looks/sounds like when the latter happens, when anger and…
Northside ISD Hack Compromises Personal Info of 23,000 Current and Former Students, Staff
At first, it was just a few Northside ISD staff members who went to the district’s IT department, concerned about some random emails from strangers with attachments they were afraid to open. Back in August, school district officials thought maybe just a few NISD email accounts had been compromised but brought in a computer forensics…
Could an Anti-Cyberbullying Bill Do More Harm Than Good For Texas Kids?
In December, a pair of San Antonio state lawmakers filed a bill to address what seems to be a universally agreed-upon menace: Cyberbullying. In particular, aggressive cyberbullying across social media platforms by school-aged kids — the kind that can push kids to commit suicide. But with its focus on incarceration and potential to violate free…
El Mirador Reopened and You Should See This Makeover
Holiday deadlines and PTO kept me from sharing the news of El Mirador’s reopening on Thursday, December 29. Now owned by Chris Hill, who also owns The Esquire Tavern and its river-level counterpart Downstairs bar, El Mirador is decidedly back in business. Whether the menu (kept relatively intact) checks out will require a few more…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 1/5 Red Hot Chili Peppers If you can’t Name That Tune within a couple guitar notes of “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, you either were born after 2010 or have been living under a rock since forever. So if you’re the latter and if you’re reading this, welcome. Shit’s all…
Texas Congressman Sued for Sexual Harrassment Was Behind Attack on Ethics Committee
When Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi was accused of sexually harassing his former staffer in 2014, he “did not like” how the Office of Congressional Ethics handled the case. That may explain why Rep. Farenthold pushed House Republicans to gut the nonpartisan ethics office earlier this week — and replace it with members of…
Mike Casey Finds His Next Chapter in the Isaac Maxwell Metal Studio
As the unofficial “Mayor” of King William, Mike Casey is known amongst our community as many different things: Sharp-dressed man about town. Retired attorney. Arts patron. Bicycle rider. Classic car owner. King William renaissance pioneer. Metal studio owner. Wait … what? As of October 2014, Mike suddenly and unexpectedly found himself as co-owner of Isaac…
Texas Sues Feds For Seizing State’s Illegally-Imported Execution Drugs
Texas wants its death drugs back. So for his latest lawsuit against the federal government, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has decided to go after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which a year and a half ago seized a shipment of lethal injection drugs that it argues the state tried to illegally import from…
Two Arrested for “Brutal” Sexual Assault, Stabbing of Infant Girl
Two people were arrested Tuesday after sheriff’s deputies discovered a one-year-old girl who appears to have suffered multiple stab wounds and a “brutal” sexual assault, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Officials on Tuesday arrested Isaac Andrew Cardenas, 23, on charges of super aggravated sexual assault and a second suspect, Crystal Herrera, 22, on the…
Live Music Roundup: Who to See This Week
Islands & Tigers Wednesday, January 4 The members of Islands & Tigers are still so young that it’s hard to believe that the local grunge-pop outfit has already put out a handful of good albums and has undergone a few lineup changes, but such is the case. Led by singer-songwriter Bobby Rivas, Islands & Tigers’…
SA Has a New Kind of Ice Cream Shop
Y’all. Hong Kong waffles have officially made it in our fair city with the opening of Kuma late last week. Brought to you by partners Cong Li, Billy Ip and Kevin Chu (behind Nama Ramen), Kuma offers Hong Kong waffles topped with choice of ice cream, fixings and syrups. At $7.50 a pop, the dessert…
San Antonio 100: Boudro’s Legendary Tableside Guacamole
We’re compiling a list of our favorite 100 dishes in the city with the San Antonio 100. Check back weekly for a new dish we love that either screams SA or you need to enjoy ASAP. Boudro’s managing partner, Richard Higbie, says they serve 50,000 orders of their tableside guacamole per year (I’m assuming that…
10 Easy Ways to Add Some Art to Your Week
Thu 1/5 “Perception” Presenting works that are “slightly different from what they usually show,” photographer George Krause, multimedia artist Bonnie Maygarden, holographer August Muth and photographer Ansen Seale examine how our perceptions of reality can become twisted or challenged. Free, 6:30-9pm Thu, Cinnabar, 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 147, (210) 557-6073, cinnabarart.com. Thu 1/5 …
Texas Judge Gives Doctors “Religious Freedom” to Discriminate Against Trans Patients and Women Who Have Had Abortions
A Texas judge this past weekend issued a nationwide injunction against a federal health rule, allowing doctors to openly discriminate against transgender patients and women who have had an abortion. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor’s Saturday ruling was in direct response to an August lawsuit filed against the feds by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton representing…
The Mid-Week Market Is Back this Wednesday
After a successful December pilot, the Mid-Week Market is back starting Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. In December, Shaun Lee founder of the Truckin’ Tomato stressed how the Mid-Week Market will hopefully reignite the Tomato’s market efforts so chefs and home cooks alike can get their pick of fresh produce and locally made products.…
Taqueria Los Arcos Delivers All-Around, Quality Tacos
Reposted with permission from The Tacoist. How did I discover Nacogdoches Road just last week? I’ve driven on Perrin Beitel Road, but never to where it turns into Nacogdoches. It’s like the SW Military Drive of the north side. It’s definitely more working class than any neighborhood I’d associate with the area. All those taquerias…
Texas Immigrant-Harboring Law Heads to Appeals Court
The legal challenge against Texas’ omnibus border-security bill heads to a federal appeals court on Wednesday, where immigrant rights advocates will argue the law is an unconstitutional overreach that could bar landlords from renting to undocumented tenants and disrupt the work of nonprofits that run homeless and refugee shelters across the state. House Bill 11,…
2016 Was San Antonio’s Deadliest Year in Decades
San Antonio saw a 61 percent increase in homicides over the past year — 151 murders total — making 2016 the city’s deadliest in 21 years. This is the highest homicide rate increase from 2015 out of the country’s twenty largest police departments. This data, however, doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. By August, the San…
The Fairview Has Closed Its Doors
Personal circumstance has forced the closing of one of SA’s favorite coffee shops. The Fairview, which opened in August of 2015, has closed its doors as of December 30. The shop became popular for its Chingon drink with house-made horchata, waffles and toasts. The decision by husband-and-wife owners John and Whitney Collins was made public…
Sound City: 20 SA Bands You Should Pay Attention to in 2017
All morbid jokes about 2016’s record wretchedness aside, the year did see a lot of activity and great work from local musicians of all types. No matter your genre of choice, there’s a good chance that plenty of stuff you would like was done by local artists last year. As a way to help you…
South Texas Lawmaker Shot in the Head During “Celebratory” NYE Gunfire
A state lawmaker is recovering from what officials are calling a “stray bullet” to the back of his head after “celebratory” New Year’s Eve gunfire broke out in his Rio Grande Valley neighborhood this weekend. The McAllen Monitor reports that Texas Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez was welcoming the new year with family and friends in a…
DreamWeek Returns with Messages of Tolerance, Equality and Diversity
Established in 2013 with a mission to advance voices of tolerance, equality and diversity, DreamWeek is a citywide summit filled with discussions, screenings, concerts, exhibits and mixers rooted in 12 key topics: city, sports, cuisine, health, environment, technology, education, arts, youth, spirit, justice and business. Spread across 16 days and anchored by the Martin Luther…
Bill Could Make it Harder for Poor, Abused Spouses to Get a Divorce in Texas
Texas State Rep. Matt Krause says he isn’t trying to deter divorce. He is, however, filing bills to make divorce more expensive, more time-consuming, and much more complicated to get in Texas. The Fort Worth Republican has filed two bills for the looming 2017 Texas Legislature: One that more than doubles the amount of time…
An Iconic Couple Through the Lens in ‘Diego y Frida: A Smile in the Middle of the Way’
Guillermo Kahlo lamented “an elephant married a dove” after the 1929 wedding of his 20-something daughter, Frida, to the famous Mexican artist and womanizer Diego Rivera, almost twice her age. But he also warned the groom that she was “un demonio,” a devil. “Tempestuous” is a barely adequate description of their rocky relationship marked by…
Federal Judge Reminds State to Take Foster Kids Out of Unsafe Homes
Last December, federal Judge Janis Jack ordered the state to guarantee all Texas foster children are living “free from an unreasonable risk of harm.” Now, more than a year later, Jack says there are still thousands in harm’s way. Part of Jack’s 2015 decision mandated that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services remove…
Medina Makes Mayor’s Race Sound a Lot Like a Democratic Primary
Manuel Medina might say he’s still weighing whether to run for San Antonio mayor, but he talks about his presence in the race with near certainty. He’s already pledged a quarter million of his own dollars to the effort, held a big, public event earlier this month naming his campaign treasurer, and when he dishes…
Incoming Sheriff Secures Restraining Order Against Outgoing Sheriff
Bexar County’s incoming sheriff has secured a restraining order against the county’s current sheriff Susan Pamerleau, claiming she’s dodged department rules in order to keep her staffers employed after she leaves the position — in two days. “The actions I took today weren’t only done to protect the men and women working in the sheriff’s…
You Can Now Find Rise Up Acai in Alamo Heights
Açaí bowls are so hot right now. And one of SA’s top purveyors of berry-filled and ornately topped bowls has found a new home. Rise Up Açaí, owned by John Farnel, is now operating out of a brick-and-mortar location in Alamo Heights. The new 3,200-square-foot space will allow Farnel and his team to whip up more…
Reminder: There’s a Hotline to Rat You Out for Using Fireworks on NYE
For any of you planning to pop off some seasonally-acceptable explosive devices this Saturday, a reminder: local officials have made it really easy for your neighbors to rat you out. Only in the unincorporated areas of Bexar County can you legally set off fireworks here — and even then, you have to be 600 feet…
South Texas Inmate Killed in Shootout Following Christmas Eve Escape
An escaped inmate died in a police shootout Tuesday night, three days after he mysteriously slipped out of a sheriff’s car transporting him to Live Oak County Jail. The county sheriff’s office said 36-year-old Jake Childers was killed by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Campbellton, a town 50 miles south of San Antonio —…
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Will Host Lightsaber Vigil for Carrie Fisher
Rally your closest lightsaber-wielding pals and head to area Alamo Drafthouses to mourn the death of Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia and later General Organa in the Star Wars franchise. The vigil, which takes place at all Alamo Drafthouse locations in San Antonio, New Braunfels and Laredo, will kick off…
The Dark, Electric Sadness of Saakred’s 2Ø25
Despite the friendliness of our gigantic small town, San Antonio can sometimes have harsh and unforgiving soil for artists and musicians trying to dig their roots deep. The community is small, everyone knows each other and when anyone, anywhere does anything within the 410 Loop, a version of such thing, (regardless of how many fragments…
Trinity’s Saturday Farmers Market Is Being Discontinued
In a message posted to their Facebook page, the Trinity Farmers Market announced it is now discontinued. The market, which was first announced in early 2016 was made possible through a grant that is now completed, per the announcement. Though relatively low-key especially when compared with its Pearl counterpart, the market had a variety of…
10 Things You Have to Do This Holiday Weekend
Thu 12/29 Harlem Globetrotters Earlier this month, Harlem Globetrotter Anthony “Buckets” Blakes celebrated “World Trick Shot Day” by draining an unbelievable shot from the roof of the Tower of the Americas. Blakes’ long-range bucket, from 583 feet and 8 inches away, is now the highest trick shot recorded on the continent. Blakes and the Globetrotters…
Meet Sid Miller’s Growing Facebook Fan Club
In his rise to statewide office, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has become the kind of brash, politically incorrect and culture war-crusading politician that’s made him a favorite among the hard right. At the tail end of a largely forgettable, decade-long tenure in the Texas House, it was Miller who authored the state’s 24-hour sonogram…
Your Favorite Taqueria Added a Food Truck to its Lineup
Taco Palenque, which opened a second location in late August, has added a mobile kitchen to help keep its foothold in SA. Originally from Laredo, Texas, the fast-casual Mexican eatery is known for its tacos piratas, caseros, Matamoros or al pastor as well as its fideo and chip and salsa bar. The truck will park…
San Antonio Gets a Psych Festival: K23 Announces “Psych Del Rio”
Gem and Glenn Hotvet, the co-owner couple behind San Antonio’s scrappy, beloved art space K23, will venture to Arneson River Theater next fall for a new psychedelic music festival they’re calling “Pysch Del Rio.” The fest is not only a welcome addition to SA’s burgeoning music landscape, but also a major development for one of…
The Bang Bang Bar Brings You a Night Full of Morrissey
If you can find it in your heart to forgive Morrissey for the rollercoaster of emotions he sent us on this year with scheduling a show in San Antonio, canceling, rescheduling and canceling again, then get to The Bang Bang Bar this Friday for four hours of non-stop Moz. Houston DJ Abrahán will be spinning…
CPS Crisis Got Worse After Gov. Abbott Took Office
Under the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott, a supposed “champion of children,” Texas has witnessed an increase in deaths and neglect within the state’s child welfare system, according to a Dallas Morning News investigation. Based on internal emails recently obtained by the News, Abbott, who entered the governor’s office in 2014 with a promise to…
Live Music Roundup: Who to See This Week
Dwight Yoakam Wednesday, December 28 “Well I’m back again for another night of trying to break free from this sadness that I can’t lay to rest,” Dwight Yoakam croons. “This old honky-tonk sure does feel like home and the music with the laughter seem to soothe my loneliness.” During an era of Nashville focusing on…
Tacoart Has Closed Its Doors
With just five weeks under its belt, Tacoart has closed its doors. The restaurant concept launched by owner Adriana Llano in place of Urban Taco (which she brought to San Antonio) first opened its doors on November 19 at the The Quarry Village. In a letter to customers released on Monday, December 26, Llano briefly…
12-year-old Boy Shot While Riding in Truck on Loop 410
A 12-year-old boy was shot in the neck while riding in the backseat of a moving truck on NE Loop 410 Monday night. The unknown suspect shot the boy from a passing car around midnight, reaching up over the top of the car from the passenger side to fire directly into the truck’s backseat window…
New Hooch: Edwards Ridge Distillery Adds Fine Rum to SA’s Spirit Lineup
“At first, the city wanted to lump us into the ‘refinery’ category [for permitting purposes],” says Luis Gonzalez of Edwards Ridge, the distillery he and three partners opened in October. And that was just one among many regulatory twists and turns of the three and a half year gestation process they had thought might take,…
El Rinconcito’s Open Kitchen Lets You Take in a Show
Reposted with permission from The Tacoist. One of the hair-netted cooks, who was young and assertive, asked me “para llevar?” from the exposed kitchen I faced as I walked into El Rinconcito on the west side. I said “for here,” because I’m a coconut and then she motioned me toward the dining area to the…
Townes Van Zandt Tribute Takes the Stage at Alamo Beer
Townes Van Zandt, Texas country laureate and sad Hank song personified, died on New Year’s Day 1997, from complications associated with never skipping out on a chance to adore oblivion. His deep, poetic and often unbearably dark lyrics, like the somber songs he fashioned to deliver them, have, over the years, become gospel among his…
Self Care in 2017 — Because We Need All the Help We Can Get
Smudge stick: For local curandera Erika Flores Casasola, the intent behind each smudge stick is different for everyone. Whether you’re building one to bring peace to your home or specifically to cleanse and remove evil spirits (seriously, we’re taking all precautions in the new year), you want to make sure your personal intention is behind…
WTF 2016: Remembering the Year We’d Rather Forget
We as a society like to do this whole worst-year-ever thing a lot, probably because it can be a clean, almost therapeutic way to recognize all the failures of the recent past in hopes we don’t repeat them in the coming year. But 2016 was an uncommonly awful year. Maybe you slipped into this year’s…
Chow Down on a Four-course Insect Dinner at the Witte
For the most part, if you’re like us, you’re probably pretty content to leave bug eating to people who have grown up knowing how to do it and/or to the occasional, adventurous Travel Channel host. However, if you’re feeling like trying something different in the new year, the Witte Museum, as a part of its…
Ring in 2017 with Pride Center San Antonio’s New Year’s Eve Kiki
With their 2012 club favorite “Let’s Have a Kiki” and its accompanying instructional video (allegedly filmed at the Kiki Institute of Mental Instability), the playful pop band Scissor Sisters explained, “A kiki is a party, for calming all your nerves / We’re spilling tea, and dishing just desserts one may deserve / And though the…
Remembering the Year the Music Died
David Bowie (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016) To say that David Bowie had a monumental impact on the direction of popular and avant garde music is not only somehow an understatement, but it fails to encapsulate the full cultural magnitude and the deep impact of the man that fell to earth. As a…
Dozens Report Food Poisoning at SAHA Holiday Party for the Elderly, Disabled
Metro Health is investigating why dozens of people got really sick, some having to be hospitalized, after attending a San Antonio Housing Authority holiday party for elderly and disabled residents last week. People first started reporting sudden, mysterious gastrointestinal problems following SAHA’s Golden Gala event at Freeman Coliseum last Friday, December 16. According to local…
Cured’s Turning 3 With an Uber Festive Happy Hour
A mere three years ago, Steve McHugh and co. opened Cured at the Pearl and we’ve been getting our fill of awesome plates and charcuterie. The James Beard Award finalist will celebrate year three of Cured on Friday, December 23 with the now-signature .23 cent happy hour. Specials will include $0.23 mini Cured cocktails in…
Our Favorite Openings of 2016
Even though this year wasn’t ideal by any means, we did get a wave of new eateries that helped us eat our feelings. Here’s a list of ones that added more to our landscape and others we loved and can’t wait to go back to: 2M Smokehouse & Catering The 20-seater restaurant, with its Tiffany…
Whiskey Cake Is Serving Brunch on Friday
You’ll need pancakes to fuel the rest of your last-minute shopping, and booze to deal with the nightmare that is parking at La Cantera during the holidays. They want you to shop ’til you drop, but you know better than that. Whiskey Cake, the Plano-based local-centric eatery, will open for brunch at 10 a.m. through…
In Texas, a War on Christmas (Displays)
This week a federal judge cleared the way for a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott for taking down a secular Christmas display inside the capitol building last year, saying the case raises legitimate free speech issues. On Tuesday, Austin federal judge Sam Sparks refused to dismiss the case filed against Abbott by the Freedom From Religion…
City Sues Landlord Who Refuses to Fix Raw Sewage Leaks
On Wednesday the City of San Antonio filed a lawsuit against the owners of a North Side trailer park where persistent, widespread sewage leaks from decrepit septic tanks forced a dozen families to evacuate earlier this year. District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg and the city attorney’s office announced the lawsuit against Oak Hollow Mobile Park…
