Culinaria has launched ‘Restaurant Weeks To Go’ to meet the needs of the community. Photo: Culinaria, used with permission.
This week, Culinaria launched ‘Restaurant Weeks To Go’ in response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) measures restricting gatherings. Restaurants are adapting and evolving to best fit the needs of the dining community. During this time, it is important to stimulate the economy and a community which has put San Antonio on the national map as a culinary destination, named UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017, an honor shared by only two cities in the U.S. ‘Restaurant Weeks To Go’ will run indefinitely until they are assured that the COVID-19 crisis is behind us. (Culinaria, 2020)
Culinaria is also organizing a donation-based EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND to help restaurants on the financial brink, cover operating costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A complete list of participating restaurants, menus and information on the Emergency Relief Fund is available online.
“Participating restaurants have $15 lunch, $30 dinner three-course prix-fixe menus, and some are also offering family meals. The mission of Culinaria has always been to promote San Antonio as a culinary destination, and, to support the restaurant and hospitality community when they need us in times of financial hardship or family emergencies, as they have been there for the community in times of hardship – natural disasters, flood and hurricane relief. So, we ask the community to give what you can to help restaurant owners keep their establishments operational. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible.” – Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, president and CEO, Culinaria
Culinaria is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting San Antonio as a premier wine and food destination while fostering community growth and enrichment. Culinaria is a registered 501 c (3) tax-exempt organization. A volunteer board of directors who represent the community and guide the organization in its mission to champion the wine and food industries governs Culinaria.
Rashi Rohatgi is the author of the new novel ‘Where the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow.’ Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Rashi Rohatgi is an Indian-American Pennsylvania native who lives in Arctic Norway. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in A-Minor Magazine, The Misty Review, Anima, Allegro Poetry, Lunar Poetry and Boston Accent Lit. Her non-fiction and reviews have appeared in The Review Review, Wasafiri, World Literature Today, Africa in Words, The Aerogram and The Toast. She is a graduate of Bread Loaf Sicily and associate professor of English at Nord University. Her new book “Where the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow” was released this month and is the beautifully written story of a girl who has no plans to become anything more than what has been promised to her by history.
“Where the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow” is set in 1905 and begins as 16-year old Leela and her younger sister Maya are on a small rowboat in the middle of the Ganges River awaiting the sun rise. They have used the excuse of an early morning ‘prayer expedition’ to spend time on their own. Japan’s victory over the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War has shocked the British and their imperial subjects. In India, Leela and Maya, are spurred on to wear homespun as a sign of protest to show the British that the Indians will no longer be oppressed. But when Leela’s betrothed, Nash, asks her to circulate a petition among her classmates to desegregate the girls’ school in Chandrapur, she is wary. She needs to remind Maya that the old ways are not all bad, for soon Maya will have to join her own betrothed and his family in their quiet village. When she discovers that Maya has embarked on a forbidden romance, Leela’s response shocks her family, her town and her country firmly into the new century.
Part historical novel, part coming of age story, “Where the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow” offers a glimpse into a young girl’s world that is changing around her. Leela wants to adhere to family traditions but the lure of the possibilities is too strong to resist. Like most teens, she and Maya are rebellious in their own way “Now that we all have to wear the widow’s weeds, we can’t go around getting soaked through like the heroines in the romances we hide under our pillows.” The historical background helps the reader better understand what these girls, and others like them, are experiencing and will certainly appeal to history aficionados. With simple but poetic language, the author successfully combines the tumultuous times in India with the often confusing and difficult teenage years, “I stand at the edge of the flat roof and want to step off, certain that if my body were to act the way I feel I would fly,” to create an interesting first novel. The most unexpected part comes towards the end when Leela sets off a bomb at a speaking engagement, propelled by a feeling of power that comes from the sole knowledge that something big was about to happen. Overall, “Where the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow” is a fascinating look at India at the turn of the century as well as into one Indian girl’s family and traditions.
“Nash agreed with us, at first, with Gandhi: that maybe images of war can replace war, for who on earth could look at images of war and risk bringing it about?”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Bourbon Brawl 2020 will take place in Austin on Thursday May 7. Photo: Garrison Brothers Distillery, used with permission.
Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, recently announced the semi-finalists in its Bourbon Brawl 2020 contest, a state-wide bartender competition with a grand prize of $10,000. (Garrison Brothers Distillery, 2020)
Dan Garrison, founder and proprietor of Garrison Brothers Distillery, visited a selection of bartenders and after tasting their cocktails and listening to their stories of inspiration, Garrison offered a select few the opportunity to advance on the Bourbon Brawl Semi-finals, on the spot. Those are the Golden Ticket winners. Consumers’ Choice winners are the bartenders whose cocktails received the most votes via Garrison Brother’s voting app.
In each semi-final competition, the city’s top five bartenders and mixologists will showcase their creative and technical cocktail-making skills, vying for the opportunity to represent their home turf at the state-wide final competition in Austin and take home the prestigious title of Garrison Brothers 2020 Bourbon Brawl “Bartender of the Year.” During these events, attendees will enjoy libations while watching the bartenders compete in a three-round, Top Chef-style match-up.
In Round One, guests will sample the five best cocktails in each city and interact with the five semi-finalist bartenders. These cocktails will be crafted with love using the 2020 vintage of Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon. Guests will receive one (1) wooden token at check-in to cast a vote for their favorite cocktail.
During Round Two, each bartender will take the stage to prepare and present “Native Texan Wildlife”-themed cocktails in real time. A panel of judges will score each cocktail and factor in the crowd-favorite cocktail from Round One. The two bartenders with the highest scores will advance to Round Three.
Round Three is a mystery ingredient challenge. In this round, the city’s top two bartenders will go head to head to create the best cocktail using secret ingredients from a veiled box. Sampled and scored by the judges, one bartender will be announced as the winner of this semi-final event and will advance to the Finals to compete for the prestigious title of Garrison Brothers 2020 Bourbon Brawl “Bartender of the Year.”
Tickets for each semi-final event are $30. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, a 501(c)3 public charity founded by the Garrison Family and their staff in 2018.
Dates, time, and locations for each event are below. The Garrison Brothers team highly encourages attendees to use local ride-sharing services, ensuring a safe ride home for everyone. Lyft codes are provided for $5 off each ride for up to 200 rides at each event.
San Antonio
Thursday, April 2 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Arcadian at Sunset Station | 1174 E Commerce St. | San Antonio, TX 78205 Tickets | Lyft code BB2020SA
Dallas
Thursday, April 9 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Empire Room | 1225 N Riverfront Blvd | Dallas, TX 75207 Tickets | Lyft code BB2020DAL
Fort Worth
Thursday, April 16 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Ostreum | 108 South Fwy Ste. 130 | Fort Worth, TX 76104 Tickets | Lyft code BB2020FW
FINALS (Austin)
Thursday, May 7 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
Fair Market | 1100 E 5th Street | Austin, TX 78702 Tickets | Lyft code BOURBONBRAWL2020
Qualifying contestants must have participated in Garrison Brothers’ Bourbon Takeover of Texas, two weeks during which 75+ distinguished bars and restaurants across Texas featured cocktails incorporating the 2020 vintage of Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon. From February 17 – February 28, the Garrison Brothers team visited every participating location to taste, critique, examine and enjoy the creations, considering each for potential advancement to the next round of the competition. However, the cocktails themselves were not the sole criteria for advancement; the bartender’s attitude, charm, camaraderie with customers and concern for the well-being of their community were also factors under consideration.
Adam Ochoa and Alyx Irene Gonzales in The Classic Theatre’s production of ‘Our Town.’ Photo: Siggi Ragnar, used with permission.
The next production at The Classic Theatre of San Antonio, ‘Our Town,’ opens on Friday March 20. A three act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Written by Thornton Wilder and directed by Mark Stringham ‘Our Town’ will run until Sunday April 12. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. Tickets are $39 for general admission, $35 for senior, military, educator or SATCO, and $24 for student and are available online. ID is required. On opening night, there will be a complimentary champagne reception after the show. (The Classic Theatre, 2020)
This heartfelt classic drama by American playwright Thornton Wilder tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens. How do the characters find meaning and contentment as their dreams, relationships and futures unfold?
Special events:
Free Student Nights- March 26, April 2, April 9 at 7p.m. School groups can register online for this program.
Community Conversation- April 5, 2020. Join The Classic Theatre for a conversation with the cast and director of ‘Our Town’ after the show. This event is free and open to the public.
The Classic Theatre of San Antonio
1924 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 589-8450
Nettie glided along the sidewalk in her best dress, her mother’s creation that would soon be too small. That Saturday, however, the colorful outfit still fit and perfectly complemented her wide smile and earnest stride. The dress was spring blue with flower patterns bursting open into full blossoms, quite like Nettie herself.
She stayed out of the way of the white pedestrians inspecting her with what appeared to be a mixture of curiosity and irritation. “What’s that one doin’ here?” one woman asked as she passed by. So Nettie hugged the buildings as she moved, trying to disappear against the facades. There was something big going on in the square, but Nettie couldn’t see over or through the gathering, since she was just seven years old.
She had pleaded with her parents to go with her father from their home in Mooretown, Lynwood’s section for blacks, to a nearby town while he delivered a meal to a close friend who was gravely ill. At the last minute, Nettie’s mother had wanted one more item added to the delivery from a store on Lynwood’s downtown square—an establishment that served them only from the back door off an alley. Nettie was supposed to wait in the car, but despite her father’s admonishments, the strange and festive noises drew her out into the nearby crowd where she was protected only by her look of youthful wonder.
Lynwood’s civic core was comprised of an expanse of lawn with a massive oak reigning over the surroundings. Four perpendicular streets framed the lawn, and they had been closed for several hours so people could mingle without regard to sputtering cars. The attendees had obliged the gesture by swarming the entire area by midmorning. The day’s activities appeared to originate across the street nearer the tree, allowing the spectators along the periphery to wander about with more freedom. From where Nettie was she could see the crown of the tree, and she moved in that direction as if pulled by some invisible force.
The day was hot and humid. High clouds had gathered through the morning and darkened the midday sky, but the music played on and people chatted in small groups as if they were at an annual parish fair.
After several minutes of distant rumbling a sprinkle started, and it soon developed into cascading water pouring from invisible pots in the sky. The drenching dispersed the crowd into stores and under awnings. Deserted chairs and soda bottles lay across the lawn.
The scattering of the masses created large openings around the square. What was an impenetrable wall of people became a flat, open field of vision. The oak, of course, remained right where it had begun decades before as a sapling.
Nettie couldn’t run into any of the stores like the others caught out in the street during the rainstorm. So, like the oak, she remained standing, although now she had a clear view of the square. Her dress—dripping and heavy with water—would have distracted her in any other setting, but unanswered curiosity kept her searching the square for clues about the day’s festivities.
The oak tree had long, thick branches, like the heavy arms of a giant. A braided rope was slung over one of these arms, out about ten feet from the trunk. The rope was wrapped once about the branch and secured to a large stake in the ground. The other end of the rope was fashioned into a noose, and suspended from it was the still body of a black man. The man’s neck was grotesquely angled, and the feet were bare. His hands were bound behind his back.
Nettie leaned forward like she was about to rush toward the oak. But she neither ran away nor went to it. She stared up at what had been until moments before a living, breathing person. She was frozen in place and time—alone in the moment when her world changed forever.
Her father came running from behind and snatched her up with such force that the dress ripped along a side seam. He covered her with his protective embrace and spirited her away to the car that waited in the alley. They headed straight home using back streets and little-known shortcuts, the car not speeding despite the urgency of the situation. The trip to deliver the meal basket was abandoned as her father kept swearing that he’d never go to the square again.
Nettie didn’t look outside the car. She kept her head down and stared at one of the dress’s printed blossoms, the flower part of the pattern ending at the hemline to reveal her trembling knees.
**************************************************************************** Michael McAuliffe is the author of ‘No Truth Left to Tell’ and has been a practicing lawyer for thirty years. He was a federal prosecutor serving both as a supervisory assistant US attorney in the Southern District of Florida and a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. In 2008, Michael was elected and served as the state attorney for Palm Beach County, leading an office of approximately 125 prosecutors. He was known for leading the ethics reform movement in county that resulted in the creation of a permanent inspector general, an ethics commission and new ethics code. Michael and his wife Robin Rosenberg, a US district judge, have three children and live in Florida and Massachusetts.
The San Antonio Food Bank launches program to help community prepare for coronavirus. Photo: Google
On Thursday March 5, the San Antonio Food Bank launched a month-long coronavirus “preparedness and prevention campaign.” The effort aims to reach as many as 300,000 low-income households in the Food Bank’s southwest Texas service territory with a 14-day supply of food and a coronavirus preparedness kit. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)
The Food Bank’s 14-day food benefit will consist largely of items in its “12 Most Wanted” list. This includes staple non-perishable items like rice, beans, pasta, soups, canned meats, canned vegetables and fruits, along with diapers and pet food. The coronavirus preparedness kit will contain hand sanitizer and cleaning disinfectant, along with other items available to the Food Bank.
The Food Bank will implement a three-part effort to help deliver their preparedness food benefits and coronavirus prevention kits to those in need: targeted mobile distributions in urban and rural areas of southwest Texas; stocking super-pantries and senior centers with the benefit; and opening up a portion of their warehouse for individual drop-in to secure the benefit.
To meet goals of this month-long campaign, the Food Bank aims to raise $1,500,000, or the equivalent of 15,000,000 lbs. of food/cleaning supplies. The public is invited to make contributions at the Food Bank’s website and every $5 provides one food/cleaning benefit to a person in need, with the goal to distribute 300,000 prevention and preparedness benefits in a month. Volunteers will also play a critical role in this response. If you cannot give food or funds, you are invited to give the gift of time. Special volunteer shifts will be set up for the campaign.
“Our low-income families, particularly our seniors on fixed incomes, don’t have the luxury of stocking up in case of a virus outbreak, and they certainly don’t have the ability to weather a two-week quarantine or leave-without-pay if their place of employment sees a slowdown in business.” – Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank
Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
This month, hit the trail and head West without ever leaving the River Walk during Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Lil Partners spring break series, “Tales and Trails.” With Lego animation, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, storytelling, cowboy games and more fun than you can lasso, capture the excitement and adventure of the West, learn about the Western lifestyle and the see the stories shared through Western art brought to life. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)
Lil Partners “Tales and Trails” offers children and caregivers different activities to enjoy together. The daily program includes story times and activities that celebrate the heritage and culture of the American west. There will be different activities throughout the week, giving Lil Partners the opportunity to enjoy something special each day. Lil Partners who participate each day will receive a certificate of completion, showing their mastery of Western Tales and Trails.
“Tales and Trails” is included in museum admission and no reservations are required, however, caregivers must accompany participating children. And in case Lil Partners get a hankerin’ for some grub, snacks are included in the program.
The Briscoe’s Lil Partners program regularly offers story times on the first Wednesday of each month to introduce little ones to the excitement and adventure of the American West. Families can also check out “Buckaroo Bags,” with stories and games to play and bring the West to life while exploring the museum’s galleries. Buckaroo Bags are available at the guest services desk during regular museum hours.
Lil Partners Spring Break Series, “Tales and Trails” will take place Monday March 13 through Friday March 13 from 1p.m. to 4p.m. daily.
Scheduled programming includes: Monday: Lego Animation, Leather Stamping Tuesday: Model Magic – Re-enact Briscoe Sculptures, Drawing – Create a Comic Wednesday: Seed Pods – Texas Wildflowers, Scavenger Hunt – Tracking Animals Thursday: Red Clay Pottery – Create an Indian Bowl, Monochromatic Drawing Friday: Watercolor Painting, Movie screening – “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West”
Open daily, admission to The Briscoe Western Art Museum is free for children 12 and under, as well as active duty members of the military and up to four members of their family. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for retired military, first responders, educators, fireman and police officers. The Briscoe offers extended hours and free admission every Tuesday from 4p.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is located on the River Walk, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or at one of many downtown surface lots.
Briscoe Western Art Museum
210 W. Market St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 299-4499
San Antonio’s first and longest running contemporary art non-profit, Blue Star Contemporary, located in the heart of the Blue Star Arts Complex, is pleased to present the Novel Ideas Art Book Fair which will take place on Friday March 6 from 5p.m. to 9p.m. and Saturday March 7 from 10a.m. to 6p.m. at SAYSi. The first and only art book fair in the region coincides with Blue Star Contemporary’s spring exhibitions featuring the work of Emilia Azcárate, Ann Clarke, Arturo Herrera, Candace Hicks, Rand Renfrow, Benedikt Terwiel, Hye-Ryoung Min and Sarah Welch. Also complementing the fair are Contemporary Art Month San Antonio and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference taking place in San Antonio, March 4 to 7, 2020. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2020)
Novel Ideas Art Book Fair is a two-day art book fair organized by Blue Star Contemporary. It will feature artists’ books, monographs, zines, printed ephemera and more. Conceived as a platform and community-building event for artists and producers operating primarily in the Southwestern US region and Mexico who are dedicated to books as medium and material, the Novel Ideas Art Book Fair includes a range of exhibitors, both publishers and artists. Novel Ideas includes programming such as talks, pop-up workshops, signings, an after party hosted by Paper Tiger and four complementary onsite exhibitions.
The fair presents noted artist and curator Julie Ault as the keynote speaker for the event on Saturday March 7 at 3p.m. Julie Ault is a curator, writer, editor, artist and designer who began her career establishing the temporary exhibition as art form.
Admission
$15 – Friday, March 6, 2020 opening night (CAM supporters receive $5 discount at the door with CAM sticker)
$20 – Saturday, March 7, 2020 all day
Door cover charge – closing concert at Paper Tiger on Saturday, March 7, 2020 7p.m. to 11p.m.
$40 – All access pass to all the above, advance purchase only, limited edition artist print by Rand Renfrow for the first 40 purchasers.
BSC members, TPR members and members of any of our museum month partner organizations receive a $5 discount on the all access pass.
Participating 2020 exhibitors include
Animal Facts Club (Wimberley)
Annie May Johnston (Austin)
Artpace (SA)
Bill’s Junk (Houston)
Cattywampus Press (SA)
Cortney Cassidy (Oakland)
Coyote Bones Press (San Antonio)
Feral Editions (SA)
Flowerpot Books (SA)
French & Michigan (SA)
Glasstire (TX)
Hare and Hound Press (SA)
Hellen Jo (LA)
M12 (Colorado)
Lawrence Markey (San Antonio)
Lorenzo Gomez (San Antonio)
Pey-Jing Li Mehrinfar (San Marcos)
Mixed Media Press (Mexico City)
Modernizm Zine (Houston)
MOSAIC Student Artist Program (San Antonio)
Mystic Multiples (Houston)
Rand Renfrow (Austin)
San Anto Zine Fest (SA)
Southwest School of Art (SA)
Spend Time Zine Mart (Austin)
Sybil Press (SA/Baltimore)
Texas State University Photography Program (San Marcos)
TPR/David Martin Davies (TX)
Trilce Ediciones (Mexico City)
UT Riso Room (Austin)
Yes, Ma’am Press & Xicana Vegan(SA)
Blue Star Contemporary (BSC) is the first and longest-running nonprofit venue for contemporary art in San Antonio. Its start 32 years ago created a pathway leading to city bond funding that supported the revamp of an old warehouse complex into an artist-centric, mixed-use development, sparking the total revitalization of Southtown as it is today. Their mission to inspire, nurture, innovate and support artists and nurturing the community’s relationships with them are the very fibers of Blue Star Contemporary’s rich cultural tapestry.
SAYSí
1518 S Alamo St.
San Antonio, TX 78204
(210) 212-8666
The first official day of Spring is March 19 but flowers of all kinds have been blooming for weeks. For anyone who loves flowers and nature, there is a new tulip farm that just opened last month in La Vernia. Texas Tulips is a family-owned “you pick” tulip farm in La Vernia, TX just 30 minutes south of San Antonio. This is the ideal road trip to get some much needed fresh air, spend time with family and friends and pick your own tulips to create a custom made bouquet. There are thousands of tulips to choose from at only $2.50 a stem and the flowers are then wrapped in pretty paper and the stems are put in flower gel. Entrance fee is $5 per person. Additional information as well as farm rules and regulations are available online.
We visited the Saturday morning after Valentine’s Day to be able to spend some time outdoors and the opportunity to create our own unique bouquet. The trip there did not take long but it took awhile to find the farm since it is in the outskirts of town. They provide a basket for guests’ convenience and it comes in handy once the picking starts. There are indeed many varieties to choose from and it is impressive to see the many colors available but I was expecting the location to be bigger. It was early in the day but the crowd was already growing and while it is the picture-perfect location for Instagram worthy shots, some of the guest were trampling the greenery around the tulips and access was limited due to lingering groups. Regardless, I got to pick the colors I wanted and ended up with a small bouquet of one red, one yellow and one white tulip and took the necessary pictures to show off our visit. The return trip home took an hour and they were already wilting but once placed in a vase with fresh water and plant food, they perked right up.
The overall trip was pleasant enough to recommend it to nature lovers. A chance to pick your own bouquet is a unique experience and more people should try it. It appears to be a popular place so my advice is to go early in the day because the traffic can get overwhelming. Parking is free so the parking lot was full by the time we left and it took us twenty minutes of idling just to get to the exit. Perhaps the owners underestimated the traffic they would get because the entrance gate is only one way. Hopefully this will be fixed in the near future. One major drawback is that it is not pet friendly; it would have been nice to be able to take our dog. The primary location is in Dallas. Business hours are 10a.m. to 6p.m. seven days a week and they expect to be open through early March, depending on the weather.
Texas Tulips – San Antonio
15122 FM 775
La Vernia, TX 78121
(940) 440-0232
Texas Tulips – Dallas
10656 FM 2931
Pilot Point, TX 76258
The first official day of Spring is March 19 but flowers of all kinds have been blooming for weeks. For anyone who loves flowers and nature, there is a new tulip farm that just opened last month in La Vernia. 
SA Examiner 