Cover Story
What the Hell is a Foodie? 3 local eaters on what food means to them
There are meet-ups, Reddit sub-groups, gift guides and “spots” for the gaggle of food-loving fiends known as “foodies.” While the term might have originally encouraged would-be diners to explore a world of eating as a hobby rather than for, you know, nourishment, being labeled a foodie hasn’t had the best connotation in several years. For…
Can You Guess What Texas Sucks at the Most?
Texas is awesome at a number of things: organizing armed militias, extracting fossil fuels from the ground, burning meat on a grill. But, hard as it is to admit, this great state of ours isn’t perfect. There are, in fact, certain areas where Texas frankly sucks, namely graduating high school students. That’s according to a…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 12/18 “Riding Dirty” Named after a scent introduced in Tom Robbins’ 1984 novel Jitterbug Perfume, Beacon Hill’s K23 Gallery aims to “provide a platform for artists who might otherwise not have one.” Billed as an “erotic bicycling multimedia event,” K23’s first ever group show comprises works by Louie Chavez, Frances Minten, Mark Olivares, Jessica…
11 Songs to Put on Your ’80s Christmas Playlist
For all you ’80s fanatics, here’s 10 totally bitchin’ songs songs to chill out to. Santa’s a rad dude, so hopefully you’ll get a badass ALF doll, cabbage patch doll or even a Mr. Microphone to spazz out your whole family. Wham!, “Last Christmas” We all know what it’s like to give our heart away…
Culinary Dream Teams: Diego Galicia, Rico Torres and Jesse Torres
Diego Galicia & Rico Torres, Co-owners, Mixtli Jesse Torres, Partner/bartender, Mixtli Three beards faced me across the table, but a single vision emerged from my chat with the boys of Mixtli. Get ready for a big move beyond Mixtli, the little cloud that could and its railroad car confines. Diego Galicia and Rico Torres met…
Beers We Love: 6 Brews for every palate
Soul Doubt IPA6.4 percent ABV The bittering units on this canned beaut (the second for Freetail after the inaugural Oktoberfiesta) aren’t for the faint of palate. Don’t be fooled by its signature pilsner-like hue, Freetail’s flagship IPA is for the hop-lovers as it delivers hop-forward notes and a fruity tail end with every sip. Stock…
Warm & Bright: Hot, spicy, smoky cocktail trends
Hot cocktails don’t just come in the toddy variety around these parts. This being South Texas and all, area bars are findings ways to combine the seasonality of local citrus and the availability of heat-adding ingredients to our favorite libations. We can’t talk about ‘tails without a mention of The Brooklynite (516 Brooklyn), which gained…
No Weak Links Here: 6 chains that break the mold
1. Luciano Restaurants Multiple locations, lucianorestaurants.com Headquartered in San Antonio, this family-focused chain has multiple locations throughout the Alamo City and four dining concepts that include a restaurant on the River Walk, neighborhood and family pizzerias, and express locations in area malls. Menu options range from a mozzarella bar to calzones and cannoli to Italian…
Culinary Dream Teams: John Russ and Elise Broz
John Russ, Executive chef, Lüke San Antonio Elise Broz, Pastry chef, Biga on the Banks Here’s a fair warning: This article could very easily dive into cheesy territory at any minute. Elise Broz, the statuesque brunette with the twinkly eyes that helms the pastry department at Biga on the Banks, and John Russ, the dark-haired,…
Culinary Dream Teams: Tim McDiarmid and Rebel Mariposa
Tim McDiarmid, Tim the Girl Rebel Mariposa, Rebel Eats Vegetables take on a sultry, irresistible look when in the hands of our next two subjects and it’s easy to see why. Whether they’re expounding the virtues of clean, vegan eating or rethinking the way veggies are presented in meat-loving South Texas, Tim “the Girl” McDiarmid…
5 Trending Ingredients for Your Pantry
1. Cardamom I don’t know who makes these decisions, but cardamom is frequently called the “queen of spices.” OK, fine, its use in cuisines as disparate as Indian and Scandinavian at the very least gives it claims to some diplomatic creds. The question is, however, which cardamom? There are three colors: green, black and white.…
Welcome to Flavor (Winter 2014)
The dining options keep expanding in San Antonio, and that’s most definitely a good thing. But let’s catch up on what’s happened around San Anto dining circles since this summer. In June, Cockasian Food Truck found a new owner in Luciano Valadez of Taps y Tapas; Locavore started serving a variety of cuisines out of…
5 Decadent Desserts That Will Make Us Forget Calories
The dessert game in San Anto is evolving to include a plethora of sweets. We’re taking you for a sweet ride through our favorite indulgences. 1. Canelés at Bakery Lorraine 306 Pearl Pkwy, Ste 110, (210) 862-5582, bakerylorraine.com There’s a lot to take in during any visit to the Pearl’s latest addition. We’re talking about…
6 Essential Farmers Markets in San Antonio
Whether you’re stocking up for the week or picking up breakfast, these markets are there when you need them Pearl Farmers Market This market is loaded with meat, nuts, bread, people and puppies, so get there early or fight the crowd. The market also features demos by local chefs and a chance to nosh at…
Hot San Antonio Restaurants: 10 spots to visit ASAP
1. Braza Brava Pizza Napoletana 7959 Broadway, Ste 300, (210) 320-2100, facebook.com/brazabrava About the first thing one notices upon entering Braza Brava in the Collection is the igloo-shaped, Neapolitan oven behind the bar: It’s tiled in brilliant red and exudes power and promise. Pause for effect. But the Diavola pizza that issued forth one recent…
13 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on in 2015
January San Antonio Cocktail Conference The new year means you get to pick up a new hobby, why not make it expert cocktail-making? In its fourth year, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, now under the scope of director Cathy Siegel, will host more than four days’ worth of dinners, seminars, parties and, of course, cocktail…
Farmers Market Know-how: Get familiar with these staples
Both the draw and the crux of farmers markets is that they are entirely dependent on Mother Nature for their farm-to-table offerings. While some may still have visions of watermelon and sweet corn dancing through their heads, there are plenty of fresh alternatives to be thankful for during the colder months. The Current reached out…
Culinary Dream Teams: Mark Martinez, John Philpot and Quealy Watson
Mark Martinez, Executive chef, Barbaro John Philpot, Executive chef, The Monterey Quealy Watson, Executive chef, Hot Joy Chefs Mark Martinez, John Philpot and Quealy Watson have three things in common. They all collaborate with Chad Carey and the Empty Stomach restaurant group. They are all causing a stir in the San Antonio food scene as…
8 Songs to Put on Your Hanukkah Playlist
Spin the turntable, not the dreidel with our handpicked mix for the Festival of Lights. The LeeVees, “How Do You Spell Channukkahh?”Does it begin with a “H” or a “C”? Are there two “N’s”? Two “K’s”? The LeeVees are here to enlighten us. Balkan Beat Box, “Balkumbia” It’s like this Israeli hip-hop trio has a…
ACLU Sues Obama Administration For Detaining Migrant Women and Children
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration for its policy to detain migrant mothers and children fleeing violence from their home countries in Latin America, mostly Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Specifically, the ACLU, its Texas and Pennsylvania affiliates as well as the University of Texas Law School’s Immigration…
Marquise Jones Supporters to Hold Peaceful March
Marquise “Skinnyblak” Jones was shot and killed by off-duty San Antonio police officer Robert Encina on February 28 at the drive-thru at Chacho’s on the Northeast Side. Supporters of the slain man will meet Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bethel AME Methodist Church at 225 North Swiss Street, and will start marching at noon into…
9 Free Events Happening This Week
Thursday, December 18 Miracle on 34th Street This week’s Wonderland of the Americas free movie the week is the timeless Christmas classic Miracle of 34th Street, a touching legal drama—as touching as legal dramas can be— about a institutionalized man who claims to be Kris Kringle. SPOILER ALERT: He is Kris Kringle. Free, 7pm, Santikos Bijou…
Former Bexar County Official Sylvia Romo Running for Van de Putte Senate Seat
Sylvia Romo, former Bexar County Tax Assessor and Collector, formally announced Tuesday that she is running to replace State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte in the Texas Senate. Van de Putte is vacating her seat in the upper chamber to run for mayor of San Antonio. Romo, a former member of the Texas House of…
Win Free Tacos for a Year at Torchy’s Tacos Public Preview
The Austin-based Torchy’s Tacos doesn’t officially open its first San Antonio location until Thursday, December 18. (They’ll be giving away free breakfast tacos from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. One per customer.) But you can get an early taste to find out what everyone is making such a big deal about at the Torchy’s public…
The Honest Trailer for ‘Love Actually’ Speaks the Truth
When Love Actually premiered 11 years ago, it became an instant holiday classic. The Richard Curtis-directed film seems almost scientifically engineered to tug at our heart strings with its collection of loosely interconnected romantic vignettes that occur during the holiday season in London. Curtis, as many know, is the man who wrote some of the…
Special Election To Fill SA Legislative Seats Set For Jan. 6
Mark your calendars, San Antonio, elections aren’t quite over yet. Gov. Rick Perry has scheduled special elections to fill legislative seats vacated by Mike Villarreal and Leticia Van de Putte for Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. A special election to replace outgoing State Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt from Bastrop will also take place that day. Villarreal and…
El Paso Rep. Proposes $100 Fine for Small-time Pot Arrests
A Democratic state representative from El Paso proposes removing the threat of arrest, jail time and a criminal record for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and assessing violators with a $100 civil fine. Texas State Representative Joe Moody introduced the bill Monday in Austin at a press conference hosted by Texans for…
10 Christmas Songs We Never Want to Hear Again
Bah! Humbug! There is something about holiday music that can make us insane. Maybe it’s the incessant cheerfulness that drives us mad, or maybe it’s the fact that during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, these songs are seemingly inescapable. Whatever the reason, these ten tunes are infectious Yuletide earworms that need to be wiped…
Live and Local: Jerry Jeff Walker at Gruene Hall
As my partner, Felicia, and I were gawking at historic Gruene Hall’s memorabilia and Texan holiday decor, 72-year-old country troubadour Jerry Jeff Walker strolled right past us, from the back of the hall, carrying his own guitar. As he calmly ambled towards the backstage area, apparently preferring a people’s entrance to the VIP treatment, the…
10 Gross Cocktails You Shouldn’t Drink This Christmas
Santa Claus is comin’ to town and he’s trying to get his drink on. When you’re mixing cocktails for your friends and family this year, don’t forget to leave one out for old St. Nick. Place it right by the plate of cookies on Christmas Eve and, if your kids insist on leaving milk for…
5 Things You Have To Do This Week
Monday, December 15 The X-Mas Pops Sing-Along The Alamo Drafthouse put together the most ridiculous holiday hits so you can sing falsetto with the Peanuts gang, jam to Wham’s “Last Christmas” and dance along with Justin Bieber. Also includeds hits from Bob Dylan, NSYNC, Mariah Carey, Santa Claus, David Bowie, and Mr. Hanky. $12, 7pm…
Review: ‘The Lion King’ at the Majestic Theatre
As a Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, The Lion King isn’t one of those rinky-dink Disney on Ice shows we all remember so fondly, nor does it promise to be. Instead, the stage can turn from a minimalist savanna into a lush rainforest, all the way to a barren elephant graveyard at a flicker of light. There…
Thanks Obama: President Praises San Antonio Spurs
Noted basketball fan President Barack Obama gave some love to the San Antonio Spurs yesterday. The president was a guest on the Friday episode of ESPN Radio’s The Herd With Cowlin Cowherd. During the course of the interview, he expressed his admiration to San Antonio’s NBA franchise, a team he respects for their selfless nature and…
10 Songs to Put on Your Punk/Alternative Christmas Playlist
It doesn’t matter if you rebel against the holiday or embrace it with a bottle of Jack Daniels, ‘tis the season for even the most unruly anarchist to unite with their fellow mates. Here are 10 songs to mosh out to. Ramones, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” Smashing someone’s face in with…
Rough Water for SeaWorld: CEO Resigns
In a press release issued on Thursday, SeaWorld’s Chief Executive Officer and President Jim Atchison elected to resign from his leadership position, effectively abandoning ship in the midst of the company’s recent economic downturn. He will officially leave his post with $2.5 million in severance on January 15th, 2015. Until the company appoints a formal…
Request Denied: Texas Same-Sex Couples Continue to Wait for Legal Marriage
A request to allow legal same-sex marriage to proceed in Texas ahead of a U.S Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on the matter has been denied. U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia denied a motion to lift a stay on his February ruling which found Texas’ same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional. Plaintiffs challenging…
Chasing the Boundary: On Jerry Jeff Walker, Dad and Texas Transcendentalism
I don’t like to get all personal. While I accept and appreciate the fact that folks have intensely individual relationships to, and experiences with, music—the transcendental beauty in what Nietzsche called “The Gay Science,” lies in its universality and timelessness. That being said, my father didn’t raise a music critic or philosopher, he raised a…
6 Shows to See this Weekend
Friday, December 12 Voodoo Glow Skulls, Piñata Protest Since ’88, Riverside’s Voodoo Glow Skulls has combined ska horn lines with Golden State pop punk. Active since ’09, the self-described mojado punks of Piñata Protest released their best effort yet in 2013 with the El Valiente EP. Like a lot of great punk works, El Valiente…
NDO News: AT&T Appeals Deposition Order
AT&T does not want three of its employees deposed by an attorney representing a transgender man who filed the first complaint under San Antonio’s amended non-discrimination ordinance. In early November, a Bexar County judge ruled that Matthew Hileman’s attorney, Justin P. Nichols, can depose two employees Hileman accuses of making threatening and disparaging remarks against…
5 Great ‘Chappelle’s Show’ Sketches (NSFW)
Comedian Dave Chappelle is doing two shows this Sunday at the Lila Cockrell Theatre, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to look back at Comedy Central’s Chapelle’s Show, one of the best sketch comedy programs of all time. Here are five sketches to remind you why Chappelle is a comedic genius. …
No, Jesus did not Show up on a Tortilla
It’s a Christmas miracle! A certain divine figure who has a birthday coming up is said to have made an appearance on a tortilla in Austin this morning. Andrew Key, who describes himself as an “Actor, Model and Texas Aggie” tweeted this photo of the Mexican staple with what he claims is the image of…
Will Lyft, Uber Make Good on Threat to Leave SA?
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from Lyft and Uber. Repeated last-minute attempts to persuade San Antonio City Council to delay a vote on proposed transportation network company regulations failed today, leaving the future of Lyft and Uber in the Alamo City uncertain. The regulations will take effect March 1.…
10 Festive Cocktails to Drink This Christmas
Mint mixed with vodka and martini glasses Black currant nectar and empty shot glasses Drunk Christmas caroling with friends who can’t sing These are a few of my favorite things We might have rhymed “glasses” with “glasses” there, but it’s the holidays and you shouldn’t be judging. This time of year can get stressful, what…
SA Zoo’s Mel the Gibbon Turns Sweet 16
There’s a party going down at the Gibbon Forest in the San Antonio Zoo On Friday, December 12, Mel the white-cheeked gibbon is turning sweet 16, and his keepers are pulling out all the stops to show this birthday ape a good time. The party’s starting promptly at 10 a.m., so don’t be late. Mel…
Health Insurance Enrollment Deadline Monday For Coverage On Jan. 1
To help Texans enroll in the health insurance plans available on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is hitting the road. The insurance company has launched an RV tour of Texas, scheduled to stop in San Antonio today through Monday, to provide onsite assistance for consumers wanting health coverage…
Aural Pleasure: Soundgarden’s ‘Echo of Miles’
Exploding out the speakers into your eardrums is Soundgarden’s newest release, Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path. Echo is a compilation comprised of B-sides, rarities and live songs, taking the band on another leap into Grunge god-dom. Every song on this three-disk set has a diverse blend of familiar and unfamiliar songs with some of…
Savage Love: Gender Solid
You may not be the right person to answer this, but your commenters might be able to help. I love and support my friends who are transgender, but I don’t understand all the 18- to 21-year-olds among my friends who are declaring themselves “gender-neutral.” I am a bit older and have always been interested in…
Big, Bad and Biblical: Ridley Scott’s ‘Exodus’ succumbs to stereotype
Ridley Scott has a history of fumbling with and missing the mark on sweeping historical epics. 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood were all criticized for lacking depth and racial/cultural sensitivity. Scott might be better suited for films set in the future (see Blade Runner) because Exodus: Gods and Kings was…
The Yard Farmers & Ranchers Market Opens Sunday and Coffee Festival Returns
Quarrygate is officially donezo. The market formerly known as the Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market is relocating to its new home at The Yard on McCullough. After several weeks of trying to find a new location (the market’s lease was terminated by American Assets Trust, the company behind Alamo Quarry), market founders F. David Lent…
5 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on this Week
Saturday, December 13: Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling turned four on November 21, but they postponed their celebration to December. Fans of the brewery can stop in for live music, food trucks and, best of all, special beer tappings and the release of Small Batch Series No. 10, a Belgian-style cardamom tripel. The brew will…
Freetail Brewing Co.’s New Taproom Gives You Room To Breathe
If practice makes perfect but nobody’s perfect, why practice? The folks at Freetail Brewing Co.’s new taproom (2000 S Presa, (210) 395-4974) clearly don’t share this nihilistic philosophy even though they are more than willing to let you write that on their tables. Freetail opened their Presa brewery last month and after several visits I…
Tyler, the Creator Matures… Sort Of
By now, you either like Tyler, the Creator, or you don’t. And although he’s passed the juvenilia of eating cockroaches and hanging himself in music videos, Tyler is still caught up as the ringleader of his Odd Future collective. He’s grown up and so has Odd Future—Frank Ocean won a Grammy and split from the…
Uber, Lyft Threaten to Leave SA if Regulations Approved
Less than a decade ago, YouTube was a new company. The video-sharing website revolutionized the internet and the way Americans and the rest of the world consume and produce information online. YouTube also gave small-time musicians and film producers a way around the mega-conglomerates that had a monopolistic stranglehold on the industry. To the list…
Is 2015 the Year for Legalized Clean Needle Exchange?
As the costs of treating HIV and Hepatitis C infections are rising, and as these blood-borne diseases continue to be transmitted at discouraging rates, will 2015 be the year that the Texas Legislature finally approves a needle exchange program? San Antonio state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, a Democrat who has represented the east and northeast…
Texas’ Most Beloved Beach is at the End of the Natural Gas Pipeline
Shallow-water fishing trips, dolphin-cove sightseeing tours, bird-watching excursions, sunning and playing on South Padre’s velvety sand—these are some of the thrills that draw more than a million tourists each year to the poorest metro region of the United States, making tourism and eco-tourism the biggest economic driver here at the Rio Grande Valley’s southern edge.…
Mayoral Horse Race
With a vote on proposed regulations for transportation network companies looming, and Uber and Lyft’s staunch opposition to the rules, mayoral candidate Mike Villarreal said innovation, technology and job creation is the definition of San Antonio. And while the majority of City Council seemingly supports the proposed rules, Villarreal hinted that he thinks they might…
Councilman Diego Bernal’s Greatest Hits
When President Obama appointed San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development last summer, he initiated some surprising changes in San Antonio’s political playbill. Those changes resulted in Diego Bernal’s decision this fall to give up his District 1 Council spot to run for Texas House seat 123, which…
The 30th Anniversary of the Butthole Surfers’ ‘Psychic… Powerless… Another Man’s Sac’
Punk rock hell has no fury like the scorned and scathing tones of the Butthole Surfers. Acidic, acid-laced and frothing at all orifices, the SA band tore a crazed path through the ’80s indie underground, leaving a few great albums and countless spent van parts in their wake. This December marks the 30th anniversary of…
Local Potter Diana Kersey and the Nature of Clay
Diana Kersey was going to be an art teacher and a basketball coach but then she found clay. Inside the ceramics department, she discovered a community and an art form that she has never turned away from. Standing in the Olmos Park Community Garden, it’s impossible to ignore the prominent role community continues to play…
The Essential Butthole Surfers
“The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey’s Grave” Butthole Surfers / 1983 When people write about the weirdness of “Tomorrow Never Knows” or “Get Yer Freak On?,” there’s always the qualification of ‘weird for their time.’ That’s the thing about the Butthole Surfers: In the 30 years since its release, the band’s debut EP has lost none…
Richard McGuire’s ‘Here’ is a Comic for the Ages
HereRichard McGuire | Pantheon | $35 | 304 pp | Indiebound In 1989, Art Spiegelman (author of the Maus series) and his wife Francoise Mouly published Richard McGuire’s Here in their avant-garde comics magazine Raw. What began as a modest, 36-panel, black-and-white comic has become the full-length, full-color graphic novel Here, published by Pantheon on…
Free Will Astrology, Week of December 8
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Lord Byron (1788-1824) was an English poet who loved animals. In the course of his life, he not only had dogs and cats as pets, but also monkeys, horses, peacocks, geese, a crocodile, a falcon, a crane, and a parrot. When he enrolled in Trinity College at age 17, he was…
