San Antonio Riverwalk Expansion

East meets West.

This phrase is usually meant to point out two contrasting entities that are blended into a harmony.

Nowhere is this more literal than in the city of Istanbul.  First Byzantium, then Constantinople, Istanbul has been a global crossroads for nearly all of the civilized history of the world.

Rob and I honeymooned in this exotic city twelve years ago.  I can still smell the spices of the Iskender kabobs, remember the alabaster bathrooms of the Dolmabahce Palace, and hear the prayers sung from the minarets of the mosques.  But my very, very favorite memory of Istanbul was riding on a boat on the Bosporus River.  You see, Istanbul lies on two continents.  Half of the city is in Europe, and half of the city is in Asia. 

East meets West.  This contrast, this blending of cultures was so apparent as we sailed along.  To my left, Europe.  To my right, Asia.  Fascinating. 

Contrasts are captivating to me, and they follow my life.  I enjoyed sitting on the remote banks of the Susquehanna River when I lived in Pennsylvania, and yet I was equally comfortable walking down 5th Avenue in New York City.  I love homes where colored walls meet crisp, white trim.   My iPod will play Mozart, followed by U2.

So, I was pleasantly surprised today when we discovered a new contrast in San Antonio - the Riverwalk Expansion.   

Now, contrast is not new to San Antonio, which is part of why I like it.  The flair of the Mexican culture blends with the rigidity of the German culture.  (I'm German, so I can say that.)  The historic Alamo stands in the shadow of the towering buildings of the modern age. 

The Riverwalk is perhaps the biggest contract.  Locals meet tourists.  The serenity of the river is mixed with the liveliness of the restaurants. 

Today, we drove to Pearl Brewery and parked near the start of the main part of the expansion.  I was just looking forward to a nice walk with my family.  But, I walked away with an even deeper love of my city.

The first sound you hear is the rushing of water.  A wide waterfall borders a circular area, meant for river taxis to do their turn-arounds.  As you walk on, the river narrows just a bit, and resembles what you know of the original Riverwalk - sidewalks on either side.

But, the comparisons stop there.  This part of the Riverwalk is quiet, a haven for cyclists and walkers.  Tourists are not stopping to read menus and look for directions.  This is the local's Riverwalk.

The first contrast that is apparent to me is the newness and crispness of this expansion, surrounded by the older, industrial part of San Antonio.  Staring with the Pearl Brewery - itself, a reincarnation, the River is flanked by a parking lot of semi trucks, backs of commercial buildings, windows broken on abandoned buildings.  But, instead of being ugly, the scene is one of harmony between nature and industry.  It is the mix of the guts of the city with the spirit of the city.

As we turn the corner, we see see a concrete, fairytale-like grotto, with yet another waterfall.  We sit on a bench, and feel like we are in a cave.  This is the $3.5 million project of local artist Carlos Cortes, a favorite of mine.  His work can also be seen at La Cantera - the tree-like tables outside of the food court, and the Easter Island heads at the playground, as well as the bus stop outside of Central Market and many other places in the city.

He has outdone himself with the grotto.

The next art project is a school of colorful sunfish under the freeway.  Hung by cables, and illuminated from within at night, the fish give the feel of being under the water, at one with nature.  This is an amazing feat for a highway overpass.  I love the contrast and the surprise.

A little further down, we we encounter a tunnel of sound, playing the music of birds in a rainforest, and another underpass full of color and mirror-like strips.  We walk past the San Antonio Museum of Art, the home of indoor art, surrounded by outdoor art. 

The kids are getting tired at this point, so we end our walk near the locks.  I convince them to sit and wait for the river taxis to come by so that we can watch them in the "boat elevators".  Twenty minutes later, not one, but TWO boats came by and entered the locks at the same time.  As one boat descended slowly and headed towards downtown, another one rose towards us and made its way back to the Pearl Brewery.

And, so did we. 

Our afternoon was a wonder of sights, sounds, contrasts, and an even deeper pride for our city.  With the San Antonio Riverwalk Expansion, this city is embracing art and nature, and making an even bigger place for itself on the map.  I look forward to coming back soon and discovering more.

Click here to learn about taking a River Taxi ride.

Flour Power Cafe

I'm a sucker for anything promising bright colors and a cheery time.  I still love coloring books and jawbreakers.

So, I was intrigued when a multi-colored, hippie-fonted sign went up on Huebner advertising the Flour Power Cafe and Bakery.

It's one of those places that I've been meaning to try, but my life as a working mom of four has limited my free time.  Today, though, I was having some mommy time with Mary Teresa (4), and decided to take her to lunch.

I had intended to get there early, before the lunch rush.  I have learned the hard way that fellow diners don't always appreciate the antics of little ones, so this is the prime time for me to dine.  However, a layover at Bed, Bath, and Beyond got me there right at noon.  I braced myself for the lunch crowds.

They never showed up.

Flour Power Cafe, painted every color of the rainbow, was sadly lacking customers.

Only the third ones there, we chose a table by the window.  Mary Teresa was excited about ordering a pizza and playing tic-tac-toe.  I had fun looking at the extensive menu, and I can say truthfully that I have rarely had so much trouble deciding on my order.  There were so many choices, and they looked delicious.

Leaning towards the salmon burger (yum!), I switched last minute to the muffuletta, in tribute to my visits to New Orleans.  I also ordered a mango peach smoothie.

Much later, (I think they may have been growing the peaches and curing the salami), our lunch came out.  What they lacked in timing, they made up for in taste and in friendliness.

The bread of the muffuletta was intoxicating, and the smoothie was fresh and delicious.  The homemade potato salad had lovely chunks of hard-boiled eggs, and was not overpowered by mayonnaise, as many potato salads are.

Besides offering yummy lunches, Flour Power Cafe serves breakfast, does catering, and makes made-to-order cakes and desserts.  In addition, they host birthday parties where your budding chef can invite their friends, don an apron, and make pizza and cupcakes.

In my opinion, Flour Power Cafe has a few kinks to work out, but I recommend giving them a chance.  I plan to go back soon and try that salmon burger.  And, then again later, to work my way through the menu.

Note:  There are two coupons for Flour Power Cafe in the new addition of the Entertainment Book.  One coupon is good for $5 off of a $20 order, and another is for Buy One Get One Free entress.

Flour Power Cafe
11703 Huebner, Suite 200
San Antonio, TX 78230
210-694-9288

Click here for the Flour Power Cafe website, featuring their menu and custom cake selections!

Bygones on Broadway

It took ten years of marriage and six moves for my husband and I to finally furnish a place that we could call home.

We started with the standard newlywed furniture. A white couch from his parents, tables from The Bombay Company, a bed from my childhood, and various items from Ikea to fill in the blanks.

All this time, we watched HGTV, gathered ideas, and tried to define our style. When we moved into our permnent home, we were ready to get to work.

We knew that we wanted our home to reflect our love of Texas, while being tasteful. Texas decor can definitely be over the top.

I drove all over San Antonio, kids in tow, waiting to be inspired.

Inspiration struck at an unusual store called Anteks on San Pedro. They were going out of business, and were advertising big sales.

Wandering around rustic wood pieces and wrought iron accessories, I found it - a round, five-foot diameter ottoman in various patterns of authentic longhorn hide. It was stunning. A definite conversation piece.

Rob loved it as much as I did, and we made the unthinkable splurge on this item with which we would build our whole  Living Room/Dining Room around.

The ottoman set back our furniture budget, and sat alone - literally alone, in the large room for about a year.  But boy, was it that conversation piece!  Everyone that came in loved it, and it became the place that I would sit and visit with friends since the only other choice was, well, the floor.

The ottoman sparked many nice chats, so it got me to thinking - why not fill the room with conversation pieces?  I think that in the world of interior design, this technically means having a piece that stands out among the rest, and to overdo it would be gaudy.  I didn't want to go in that direction, but I wanted every piece to be well-thought out.

Our second piece was inspired by a table at StoneWerks in Stone Oak.  I go to dinner once a month with six other friends, and with the size of our group, conversations often get split between the sides of the table.  But, at StoneWerks, we were seated at a square table.  Everyone could see each other easily, and it allowed the conversation to be more unified.

Could I reproduce this effect?

I looked high and low for a square table, but I could never find out.  Rectangles, ovals and circles had the corner on the table market.  A circle would have served the same purpose, but it wouldn't have fit in with my desire to do something unique.

I finally found a table that I liked at Monterrey Furniture.  Rustic Mexican pine, very sturdy legs - it was great.  And, it was a rectangle.  They often advertised their ability to make custom furniture, so I asked them if they could take that table and make it into a square.  No problem.

Several weeks later, I had my massive square table in my Dining Room.  It fit like a glove.  And for these years since, it has been as much a conversation piece as the ottoman.

We filled in here and there - a red couch and red slipper chairs, a trunk as a coffee table, a sisal rug to pull it together, and a Pottery Barn chandelier that made it look like there were candles flickering above our heads.  All of the pieces have been received a lot of comments.  Another favorite is a wall of pictures that I have, which I first saw on an episode of "Divine Design" with Candace Olsen.  They were perfectly hung (I cheated with a template!), and filled with family photos that I had ordrered in a sepia tone.  Click here to see the frame display.

I was excited that this major area of our home was finally coming together.

But, there was one gaping, empty spot.

The dining room table hadn't taken up all of the space, and I knew that a sideboard would be the perfect addition.  Again, I looked high and low., but I only found mass-produced items that wouldn't work with my ecletic theme.

And then, I walked into Bygones on Broadway.

Owned by a mother and daughter, Bygones (now also with a location in Castle Hills) is a furniture consignment store with the highest of standards.  Located near Alamo Heights, it attracts customers with unique pieces of good quality.

I had been before, but usually just to browse, without a particular piece in mind.  I was getting desperate in my search for a sideboard, though, and decided to try it out.

As soon as I walked in, it was there, as if it were waiting for me.  Just the right length, just the right height.  Dark wood to contrast with my light pine table.  Panels on the doors, distressed and tastefully touched with a brush of turquoise. 

I was in love.

My mother-in-law was with us, and saw the possibilities for it as well.  But, I didnt want to buy the piece without Rob having seen it.  It wasn't cheap, but it was perfect.  What would he say?

For a few days, I tried to get him to go to the store with me, but it didn't work out.  I got really worried that it would be gone.  Being a one-of-a-kind kind of piece, I knew that I would never find it again, and that nothing else would work in that space as well as it did.

Mother-in-law to the rescue!  She saw my anguish and decided to make things easy - she would get it for us as a Christmas present!  I was so happy!  I called the store immediately, and a few days later, it was sitting in our home.  Rob loved it and agreed that it was the ideal piece for the space.

Now, our home is fully furnished, but I still stop into the two Bygones locations frequently.  If you love interior design, it is a haven away from the cookie-cutter stores.  It is a spark for your imagination as you look around and piece rooms together in your head.  Now that my mother-in-law has moved to San Antonio, she also drank the Bygones Kool-Aid, and has begun furnishining her house almost exclusively from it. 

She's not quite done, though, so I see more shopping expeditions in our future.  I will just have to sacrifice myself and go with her.  So she won't be lonely.  Yes, that's right.

Note:  For more of a flea-market feel in the world of consignment, try the nearby store, Off My Rocker, located off of Olmos Circle.

*************************************************************
Bygones on Broadway
3615 Broadway
San Antonio, TX 78209
210-828-1424

Bygones of Castle Hills
2211 NW Military Highway #107
San Antonio, TX 78213
210-348-1919

IHOP Cafe

The place was Denver.  The time was 2am, Christmas morning in the late 1980s.

While the world was asleep, dreaming of sugarplums, two families walked down the aisle of a marble-clad downtown church.  The choir had just completed the "Hallelujah" chorus.  Thousands of lights sparkled on towering Christmas trees.  The children were getting hungry.

They were adorned in all of their Christmas finery - the mothers in fur, the girls in patent leather shoes.  The boys had ties, loosened and unkepmt after a long Midnight Mass.  The fathers smelled of incense, as they had served at the altar and been surrounded by the sweet, prayerful smoke for the past two hours.

The families walked outside into the dark, bitter cold, and the mothers pulled their furs around their bodies a little tighter.  Holding the smaller children's hands, they walked across the deserted street to the parking lot.

No one was ready to go home to sleep.  Perhaps the children thought that they would get a glimpse of Santa.  Perhaps they were lured by the promise of pancakes.

This was the Christmas of my childhood.

One particular year, we made plans with another family to go to the International House of Pancakes after Midnight Mass.  I was excited for so many reasons - the promise of presents in the morning, the thrill of being dressed up at a pancake restaurant, but most especially, because the cute altar boy that I not-so-secretly liked was going with us.

The steep, orange roof of the restaurant was dwarfed by a five-story abandoned factory next door.  We walked into the International House of Pancakes (no one called it IHOP then), and stood out among the few customers that were dining at this desolate hour.  A haze of stale cigarette smoke hovered, and a discontent waitress resented that she was there. 

You've come a long way, baby.......

The pancake house of my youth bears no resemblence to the IHOP of today.  And, the IHOP of tomorrow bears no resemblence of the IHOP of today.

When we think of this iconic eatery, we think of crowded tables, smiley-faced pancakes, and children all over. 

But not the IHOP Cafe.  This is the Starbucks of pancakes.

The IHOP Cafe, located at NW Military and West in Castle Hills, opened just recently, and is the pilot location for the whole country.  That's right, the only one in the world is right here in San Antonio.

The IHOP Cafe is clean, fresh, and has a contemporary neighborhood vibe.  Small, but bright, this is an ideal place to meet a friend for a casual breakfast. 

The reduced menu still has hearty offerings, smoothies, and coffee.  Your order is taken at a counter, and you wait in a shiny red seat for your order to be ready.

Inexpensive and quick, and equipped with free Wi-Fi, this is an experiment that is sure to succeed in our era of troubled economy and hurried pace. 

We may just see one on every corner in upcoming years, just like a certain behemoth coffee house.  Aren't we lucky to get to try it out first?

***********************************************************************************
IHOP Cafe
Click here to visit the IHOP Cafe Website!
2195 Northwest Military Highway
San Antonio, TX 78213
210-524-9960

Dough

This week, I travelled to Italy and back in a matter of hours. Twice.

Ok, not really, but I thought I did.

And you can, too.

This week, I finally went to the much-talked-about restaurant, Dough, located in Castle Hills, south of 410.

I had wanted to try Dough for quite some time, but my Italian husband is a pizza snob, and wasn't interested in trying it unless a fellow Paesan recommended it.

Being of Italian heritage myself, I hope that my unequivocal endorsement will be enough.

You know you're near Dough when you approach and see the very full parking lot. That's always a good sign. Another good sign, literally, is the Zagat rating sticker posted on the front window.

But, my favorite is the restaurant's boast that it is the only restaurant in San Antonio to be certified by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture as an authentic Pizzeria Napoletana. Wow. It's the real deal. There was even a ceremony in June.

There are strict requirements to be a Pizzeria Napoletana, specifically, the use of particular ingredients and methods.

Dough makes its own mozzarella, hand-tosses the dough, grows its own herb garden, and gets its produce from local farmers. Oh, yes - the tomatoes were red, red, red, and very juicy. Perfecto!

My adventures at Dough started on Wednesday. I had lunch with my friend, Catherine, who is married to an Italian as well. We ordered and split Burrata Caprese and an arugula and prosciutto pizza. Now, caprese salad is one of my all-time favorite foods - buffalo mozzarella with tomates and basil. It reminds me of our weekly lunches with my in-laws when we lived in San Francisco.

But, THIS caprese salad was unlike anything I've ever had, and I am spoiled for life. This homemade mozzarella was creamy, and was layered with marscapone (the same cheese used in tiramisu), ricotta, and truffle oil.

One bite, and I could hear angels singing in my head. I wanted to eat the whole thing, but it would have been poor etiquette and a hit to my waistline.

The pizza was equally stunning - the taste and smell literally made me close my eyes and feel like I was in the Piazza Navona.

I was so impressed that I bought a gift certificate for my parents, called them on the spot and said, "You have dinner plans tonight."

My dad - a non-Italian, but we'll forgive him for that, has been to Rome over twenty times, speaks the language better than any of us, and is about to lead a tour group to Italy.

Would it pass his test?

My parents decided to order the same food that I had earlier in the day, and they were not disappointed. They also enriched the experience with Pellegrino with lemon, cappuccino, and tiramisu, all of which they raved about.

My dad marked his exuberance for the cappuccino so completely, that the manager thought the waiter had written out his own comment card. Coming by to investigate, the owner introduced himself to my parents, and got into a discussion about Italy and food. (My two favorite subjects, by the way.)

As a treat, Doug Horn (see where the name "DougH" comes from?) gave my parents a 15 minute tour of the restaurant - during the busy dinner rush! He showed them why his cappucciono is so authentic, demonstrated how they make the bread every day, let them see the three-and-an-half ton oven from Naples, and sent them on their way with a large loaf of fresh bread.

Generously, they brought half of it to me, and just the scent of it transported me to the motherland.

Two days later, I was back, introducing it to other friends, and I expect to go back to Italy, er, Dough, again soon.

I'm just glad that I don't have to fly over water to get there.
*****************
Dough
6989 Blanco Road
San Antonio, TX 78216
210-979-6565
Visit Dough's Website!

Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch, closed for siesta, and open for dinner - "until the fresh mozzarella runs out"

Taco Taco

As a child, my favorite pizza came from Little Caesar's. Perhaps it was the cute Roman character, or the fact that I was mesmerized with the fact that you could only pick up your pizza order, and not eat it on the premises.

Or, maybe I loved it because they named it twice. Little Julius Caesar grunted out: "Pizza, Pizza".

This is the thought behind Taco Taco in San Antonio. It's so good, they named it twice.

I am embarrassed to admit that the first time that I heard of Taco Taco, Rob and I were watching the Food Network. They were doing a special on the best foods around the country. Bon Appetit magazine and Food TV rated Taco Taco as the best, uh... tacos in the country. I was so excited, just as I always am when my hometown gets some recognition.

And, ok, it's not a big shock. The best tacos are in San Antonio. It's not as if they revealed that the best shrimp gumbo can be found in Boise or that the best winery is in Orlando.

So, intrepid explorers that we are, we headed to Taco Taco the very next day.

Located at McCullough and Hildebrand, near Monte Vista, we almost missed the modest, white building. Parking was scarce. The door to the restaurant was plastered with magazine articles and various kudos from all over, hailing the almighty Taco Taco. We got excited.

Like the parking lot, space was limited, and seats were full. It looked as if fifty people in this room would be a very tight squeeze. People from all backgrounds were there. Gardeners in jeans and men in high-power suits sat at tables next to each other, speaking the same language - TACO.

We got a seat rather quickly and started perusing the menu.

Not surprisingly, considering that we are ordering tacos, the menu was very inexpensive. But, $1.39 for a meal? That was unexpected. So, we supposed that we had to order several to fill up.

We were so wrong. We ordered several tacos and quickly realized that we would have to loosen our belts. This is no Taco Bell Super Value Menu-sized taco. This is for real.

Everything that we tried was excellent - the famous El Nortena, the chorizo, the bacon and egg. Not one disappointed. We could see why this had garnered so much notoriety.

It was not until my second visit, though, that I really fell in love. I ordered a potato, egg, and salsa taco, and my mom ordred the carne guisada. Oh, the carne guisada. (Angels singing) I quickly coveted my mom's taco, and like any good mom, she offered to split it with me, insisting that she couldn't finish it herself. (Yeah, right.) After that tender meat, perfect gravy, and melt-in-your mouth tortilla, I am now ruined, and cannot ever order carne guisada anywhere else. Nor, will I be likely to be able to order anything BUT carne guisada when I visit Taco Taco again.

Which, of couse, I will, and soon. I am now a missionary for Taco Taco, and will be spreading the word to my friends often. They just have to take me with them.

*********************************************************

Taco Taco
Visit Taco Taco's Website!
145 E. Hildebrand
San Antonio, TX 78212
210-822-9533
Hours: 7am to 2pm every day

Marburger Orchard

I have a history with ripe strawberries.

In 7th grade, I was in a production of "Oliver!" I had the largest role that I'd ever had - the understudy of the character "Bet". Alas, the girl playing that role made it to every performance, so all of my time on stage was in my chorus role.

During the Second Act, I was a strawberry seller. I sang the lyrics, "Ripe strawberries, ripe" throughout the "Who Will Buy" song.

For the last performance, I decided to go to authenticity.

Instead of the platic prop strawberries, I brought fresh strawberries for my basket. It's not as if the audience would know the difference, but I would.

After the show, I put the strawberries in a bag, along with my costume and other props, and focused my attention on cast parties and program-signings.

A week later, I was cleaning my room, and found my bag. I realized by the smushy red goo in the bottom that I had forgotten to clean out the strawberries. They leaked through the bag, and onto the carpet, leaving a permanent red stain.

The rest of the story involves scissors, a vacuum, a chair, and some deception on my part. My parents never discovered the hole in the carpet, and I long since confessed it to my priest.

Needless to say, ripe strawberries, although delicious, certainly bring back memories.

I'm creating new strawberry memories, though, thanks to Marburger Orchard in Fredericksburg.

About an hour from San Antonio, Marburger Orchard is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city and suburbs. At various times of year, you can pick peaches, blackberries, tomatoes, summer vegetables, and strawberries.

We came out first thing in the morning in order to get there when they open at 9. We wanted to beat the heat and the crowds. If you go after lunchtime, you might not find anything worth picking. We learned, too, that if you call to make an appointment, the owner might open up for you as early as 7.

The owner gave us a demonstration on strawberry picking - what to look for, and the proper way to pick them. He gave us STRICT instructions not to walk on the black tarps covering the berries, and we learned from someone else that this kind of violation will send him into Soup-Nazi status, like the character on "Seinfeld".

We each took a strawberry container, and headed out to the fields. For two glorious hours, our eyes were keenly focused on any sign of bright red. Further inspection would tell us if a berry was large enough and ripe enough to make the cut. It became an addiction - we kept saying that we were done, but we'd see ONE MORE worth picking, and then ONE MORE, and then just ONE MORE. Well, a half hour of "one mores", and we had another half-basket!

We couldn't get out with with just the berries, though. When we went to check out, our wallets lost out to homemade honey, strawberry preserves, peach amaretto preserves, and more.

What a wonderful day it was. We have pounds and pounds of strawberries to eat and share, and my kids got to learn that strawberries don't come from the grocery store.

Best of all, I have a new memory when I think of "ripe strawberries".

Note: Always check the Marburger website before going. They are very honest about the status of the fruit and vegetables. For example, after a recent hail storm, they basically said that it wasn't worth coming out.

*******************************************************
Marburger Orchard
559 Kuhlmann Road
Fredericksburg, TX
830-997-9433
Visit Marburger's Website!