Chef Brooke Smith will be leaving The Esquire Tavern after eight years. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The Esquire Tavern, a San Antonio staple on the River Walk for over 85 years, is announcing the departure of Chef Brooke Smith after eight years of graciously helming its historic kitchen. Chef Smith’s dedicated years at Esquire Tavern and its team has made an immense impact on the staff and its loyal customers. (The Esquire Tavern, 2019)
Over the past eight years of Chef Smith’s career, she:
Worked approximately 2,100 days, good times and bad, all weather, onsite and off.
Hired, trained, and mentored more than 150 kitchen staff members.
Designed and opened 3 kitchens.
Wrote, taught, and executed 16 seasonal Esquire Tavern menus, along with menus for Downstairs and El Mirador, all simultaneously.
Twice bested barman Houston Eaves (and therefore everybody else) at Lucha Limon, an Esquire Tavern original San Antonio Cocktail Conference event.
Gave an eloquent and charming talk at PechaKucha San Antonio.
Made from scratch and served 250,000 burgers, 245,000 deviled eggs, and 610,000 fried pickles.
The Esquire Tavern is now accepting applications for its next Executive Chef. Those interested in applying may email a resume and cover letter or apply online.
“Closing this chapter and saying goodbye to nearly a decade of Brooke at the center of it all won’t be easy. While The Esquire will be welcoming a new chef, we’re excited to see where Brooke’s culinary journey takes her next.” – Owner Christopher Hill
Pluckers Wing Bar is celebrating its 24th anniversary with weeklong specials. Photo: Melissa Skorpil, used with permission.
Pluckers Wing Bar is celebrating its 24th anniversary next week and is hosting a week-long celebration from Tuesday, July 23 through Monday, July 29 at all locations in Texas and Baton Rouge. The weeklong celebration will feature food and drink specials, including 75-cent wings, $1 beers, and $5 Holy Mac, “Keep the Mason Jar” special and more. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2019)
From July 24 to July 28, the first 100 guests at each location can participate in the “Keep the Mason Jar” special where guests who purchase a 16-oz. Pluckers Cocktail can keep the commemorative 24th anniversary mason jar. On Sunday, July 28, Pluckers will offer a new special giving the first 25 people per store the chance to get a commemorative “I Survived 5” T-shirt by eating 5 Fire in the Hole wings.
Pluckers fans at all locations (excluding the new San Antonio Landmark location) can also participate in 90s-themed Live Team Trivia on Wednesday, July 24 as well as 90s-themed Pluck Hunt on Thursday, July 25 or Friday, July 26 (pending location). In addition, Pluckers will be selling their Pluckers Club memberships for $10 all week.
The full list of anniversary food and drink specials and events includes:
Tuesday, July 23: $1 Miller Lite, 75-cent wings
Wednesday, July 24: Keep the Mason Jar, $5 Holy Mac, 90’s Trivia
Thursday, July 25: Keep the Mason Jar, $5 Fried Pickles, 90’s Pluck Hunt
Friday, July 26: Keep the Mason Jar, $5 Buffalo Bites appetizer, 90’s Pluck Hunt (Killeen, Lakeline, Oak Hill)
Saturday, July 27: Keep the Mason Jar, $5 Fried Cheese
Sunday, July 28: Keep the Mason Jar, “I Survived 5” T-Shirt
Monday, July 29: National Chicken Wing Day, $1 Bud Light, 75-cent wings
Pluckers Wing Bar
14881 IH-35 North
Selma, TX 78154
The Baked Bear will opens its first San Antonio location this Friday July 12 after a 7p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo: The Baked Bear, used with permission.
The Baked Bear, a San Diego, California-based ice cream shop well known for its colossal ice cream sandwiches and original recipes, is excited to announce the opening of its first-ever San Antonio location, on Friday, July 12, at The Shops at La Cantera. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7p.m. after which it will open to the public. (The Baked Bear, 2019)
Located in San Antonio’s top luxury shopping district, the ice cream shop will feature ice cream sandwiches made with fresh-baked from scratch cookies and brownies, in addition to craft ice creams like Blackberry Crumble, Toasted S’mores, Bear Batter and more. The Baked Bear allows guests to customize their sandwich order to find their favorite combination with the option of rolling ice cream sandwiches through colorful toppings, such as fruity pebbles, resulting in its Instagram-worthy reputation. The San Antonio location will also offer rotating, seasonal flavors and a Cookie of the Month.
The Baked Bear concept was started by childhood friends, Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger, who left their careers to follow their true passion: serving up inventive sweets in their hometown of San Diego, California. The Baked Bear quickly became a phenomenon, known for high quality desserts, and has been recognized by Forbes and Business Insider. The favorite shop has now grown to 24 current locations in eight states, with Texas locations in Austin and El Paso. Due to its growing population, The Baked Bear sought San Antonio as its third Texas location.
The Baked Bear
15900 La Cantera Pkwy, Suite LS3320
San Antonio, TX 78256
The new Pluckers Wing Bar location will open officially on Monday July 8. Photo: Joel Cruz
Pluckers Wing Bar, Texas’ favorite sports bar and wing restaurant, will officially open its second San Antonio location in the Landmark Center at 15651 I-10 W on Monday, July 8. The new San Antonio location will be open daily from 11a.m. to 12a.m. and will feature the iconic Pluckers menu, including fan favorites Fried Pickles, Holy Macaroni, The Bypass Burger topped with bacon, cheddar, grilled onions and jalapeños and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Pluckers will also offer their famous wings paired with signature sauces Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, and Spicy Ranch, along with unique flavors, like Fire in the Hole, Ginger Peach Sriracha, Gochujang, and Spicy Mandarin.
All this week, the new Pluckers Wing Bar has been opening their doors to the public during their training shifts for lunch and dinner. With today being a holiday, I had the opportunity to see the new location for myself during lunch. The line of people waiting to get in was not long but by lunchtime, they had seen approximately 375- 400 people. While waiting at the bar for a table, I tried the tasty Strawberry Margarita and once able to order food, I tried the Pluckers Nachos, tortilla chips topped with chicken (on the side, for my taster), queso, Honey BBQ sauce, red onions and cilantro. Everything was delicious and the inside is spacious with plenty of televisions for a sports bar. The managers on site, Courtney, Jason, Morgan and Keegan had service running smoothly and server Myranda and her trainer Tra were helpful and polite. Looking forward to a return trip to try the Impossible Burger.
Once open, the new restaurant will offer Pluckers’ signature rewards program, Pluckers Club, for just $10 until July 21. Pluckers Club members enjoy a variety of rewards, including, but not limited to, free birthday meals, invitations to exclusive events, food and drink specials and more. After July 21, Pluckers Club memberships will cost $20. The Pluckers club membership is now available through the app on iTunes and Google Play – a treat for current and aspiring members. As Pluckers continues to open new stores, they are expanding their platform via social media and the app that connects, serves, and grows with their fans.
Pluckers Wing Bar
15651 I-10 W
San Antonio, TX 78249
The Very Berry milkshake and a Nutella Crepe. Photo: Sandra Cruz
Before the official opening of Sweet Paris on Main Street at The Shops at La Cantera on Thursday, this new French eatery hosted a tasting today to introduce the public to their brand. The Parisian-inspired, fast casual restaurant offers a critically acclaimed selection of sweet and savory crêpes, from Apple Cinnamon Crème Brȗlée and S’mores made with Nutella®, torched marshmallows, graham crackers and semi-sweet chocolate to the ribeye-and-provolone stuffed Philly cheesesteak and the Nordic made with smoked salmon, dill sour cream, pickled red onions and capers. Sweet Paris will donate part of its grand opening proceeds to the not-for-profit Culinaria, which promotes San Antonio as a premier food and wine destination through year-round events including the Culinaria Wine + Food Festival.
Judging from the sampling of delectable food and drink, San Antonio is in for a treat. Customers will be able to come in from the summer heat and enjoy a tasty milkshake or take a break from shopping to quench their thirst with a wide array of drinks available. The sweet crêpes, including the Nutella and Bonne Maman, satisfy the sweet tooth while the savory ones, like the Chicken Carbonara and the Philly Cheesesteak, make excellent brunch choices. Mimosas are naturally in the beverage menu with an additional option to add flavored syrups like lavender instead of orange juice. Either way, they pair naturally with almost anything in the menu. Milkshake options range from the ultra-chocolatey Oreo to the fruity Very Berry and they are both delicious.
The La Cantera café has elements familiar to all Sweet Paris restaurants: Large industrial European chandeliers with crystal and large iron orbs all around, iron sconces and antique mirrors on blue, venetian plaster walls and marble top bistro tables. The outdoor patio space faces a fountain and gives café-goers the opportunity to enjoy the natural landscaping of The Shops at La Cantera.
Founded in Houston in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Allison Young Chavez and Ivan Chavez, the expansion into San Antonio is an exciting addition to the Sweet Paris family. The Chavez’ love of crêpes goes back to college, when Ivan spent a couple of summers studying French in Paris. That love inspired them to open the first Sweet Paris. Locations include six cafes in the Houston area, including College Station, Katy and The Woodlands and a location inside a resort hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
Wine infused popsicles at the Bottling Department at Pearl. Courtesy photo: used with permission.
Summer is here and several businesses around town have happy hours to help customers deal with the rising temperatures. (Savor, Southerleigh Fine food & Brewery, Majestic Theater, Bottling Department at Pearl, The Esquire Tavern, EVO, 2019)
Starting in July, The Culinary Institute of America’s Savor will launch a new happy hour on Tuesday evenings. Specials include $5 cocktails like the Savor Margarita (formerly NAO Margarita voted best in SA) and $1 off appetizers like Pomme Frites, Brisket Meatballs and Orange Chili Wings at the bar. Savor rotates unique talents, featuring a fresh batch of students in the Culinary Institute of America program.
Savor
200 E. Grayson St. #117
San Antonio, TX 78215
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery will hosts happy hour at the oyster bar Monday through Sunday with specials on food and drink from 3p.m. to 5p.m. Featured items on the menu include $1 pressure fried wings and $.75 fried biscuits. There will also be $2 off all beer, wine, punches and mixes. This happy hour is only valid at the oyster bar and is not applicable to the restaurant. The inviting walk-up bar opened late September and features six Southerleigh beers on tap, plus several varieties of fresh seafood, including oysters, gulf shrimp, crab, caviar and more. The oyster bar is open daily during normal restaurant hours.
Southerleigh
136 E. Grayson St. #120
San Antonio, TX 78215
Happy Hour Tours at The Majestic:
Monday June 24, and Monday July 1 at 5p.m. and 6p.m.
Cool off and join The Majestic for a series of summer happy hour tours of the historic, renowned space. The happy hour tours feature a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the theatre’s 90-year history, architecture and character, led by a knowledgeable tour guide and a trip backstage. Guests will experience insider tidbits throughout the tour and have the option to sip on Frosé, wine, local craft beer. In celebration of the Birthday month, a complimentary “Crown Jewel” cocktail will be included. Tickets cost $25 per person and are available at the Majestic Theatre Box office or on Ticketmaster online. A portion of ticket proceeds support the Las Casas Foundation Performing Arts Scholarship Program.
Majestic Theatre
224 E. Houston St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
Visitors to the Pearl can satisfy their taste buds this summer at The Bar at Bottling Department. Grab a drink during their happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3p.m. to 6p.m. Featured items include $3 Texas Beers, $3 off glasses of wine as well as $3 off Frosé. This open, walk-up bar is located in the heart of the Pearl and features a vast selection of red and white wines plus several unique cocktails like their wine infused popsicles and strawberry Frosé.
Bottling Department at Pearl
312 Pearl Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78215
River Walk wanderers can stop by Esquire Tavern for happy hour Monday through Friday from 3p.m. to 7p.m. with $3 snacks. During weekday happy hour, all glasses of wine and cocktails are $3 off with seasonal drinks like Pirate and $1 off Texas draft beers. Night owls can indulge in the late-night happy hour, offered Thursday through Saturday 11p.m. to 1a.m. Featured items include Chef Brooke Smith’s $6 chili-salt fries, $8 fried pickles, and an $11 grilled pimento cheese sandwich.
The Esquire Tavern
155 E. Commerce St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
Patrons who visit EVO can enjoy happy hour Monday through Thursday from 11a.m. to 6p.m. Specials include $1 off craft draft beer, $2 off domestics, $3 wells and fireball, $4 jager and $5 house margaritas, like a fresh Watermelon Margarita. Tuesdays at EVO see the $5 frenzy all day $5 bowling, movies, craft beer and select appetizers such as classic nachos, cheese fries and fried mushrooms.
Evo Entertainment Group
18658 IH 35N
Schertz, TX 78154
Krause’s Double Beef Mushroom Burger. Photo: Krause’s Café, used with permission.
July is National Grilling Month and with the Fourth of July almost here, nothing says grilling like burgers. When it is too hot outside to get the grill going, area restaurants offer their own unique version of the beloved burger.
Wildcat Burger
A true Texas favorite, Esquire Tavern’s Wildcat Burger is created with locally sourced beef that will satisfy even the most demanding summer grilling connoisseur. It is topped with American cheese, sweet grilled pineapple, crisp lettuce, red pepper jelly and creamy habanero aioli; all nestled in a sweet roll bun. This delicious mix of savory and sweet is available for $16.
The Esquire Tavern
155 East Commerce Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Krause’s Double Beef Mushroom Burger
As part of the 5th Annual James Beard Blended Burger Project,™ Krause’s Cafe and Biergarten has vowed to create and offer a sustainable burger that consists of 25% mushrooms. The Double Beef Mushroom Burger is made with Texas Beef Brisket, ground with local Kitchen Pride mushrooms and seasoned with peppered beef jerky, havarti cheese, crisp pancetta, wild arugula and pickled beech mushrooms, all served on a toasted brioche bun. The burger is only available throughout the competition, until July 31, and costs $10. From Monday through Thursday during lunch hours, patrons who order the Double Beef Mushroom Burger will get any of Krause’s other house ground burgers for half price.
Krause’s Café and Biergarten
148 S Castell Ave
New Braunfels, TX 78130
La Panaderia Patty Melt
June brought the launch of the Caceres brothers’ latest invention, La Panaderia Patty Melt. This unique take on the traditional Patty Melt takes the hearty sandwich to the next level with a high-quality ground beef patty with savory caramelized onions and sandwiched between decadent poppyseed bread. La Panaderia Patty Melt is now be offered at both locations and is priced at $14.99.
La Panaderia
301 E Houston St
San Antonio, TX 78205
8305 Broadway St
San Antonio, TX 78209
Davila’s 1/2 Brisket Burger
This specialty burger is a traditional American burger with a Davila’s BBQ Texas twist. The burger comes with a patty meat along with Davila’s specialized mesquite smoked brisket for double the protein and flavor. The burger is then topped off with tomato, onion, lettuce and cheese with optional Jalapeños for an extra kick. Adrian Davila uses his grandfather’s South Texas and Latin techniques, such as smoking meats directly on the embers or in an underground pit, where the traditional vaquero style comes into play. The Davila’s burger is priced at $8.99.
Davila’s BBQ
418 W. Kingsbury St.
Seguin, Texas 78155
Honey Sriracha Burger EVO’s signature half pound patties are crafted with a custom blend of locally sourced beef that is hand-ground and pressed daily. Originally created from an employee contest, the Honey Sriracha Burger dominated as the company favorite, now with a permanent stay on the menu. This burger combines pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, bacon and is topped with grilled onions and peppers. This incredible taste of spicy flare is fixed between a sweet fresh baked bun and is priced at $13.50.
EVO Entertainment Group
18658 IH 35N
Schertz, TX 78154
Shack Stack Burger
San Antonio is now home to two Shake Shack locations that feature the Shack Stack burger. The Shack Stack features a classic ShackBurger with cheese, stacked with a crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, complete with lettuce, tomato and the famous ShackSauce. This over the top burger is available for $10.29 at the Park North location and the newly opened Brackenridge Shack.
Park North
7427 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX 78216
Brackenridge
3003 Broadway Street
San Antonio, TX 78209
Pluckers Wing Bar will opens its second San Antonio location on Monday July 8. Photo: Melissa Skorpil, used with permission.
Pluckers Wing Bar, Texas’ favorite sports bar and wing restaurant, just announced the official opening of its second San Antonio location in the Landmark Center at 15651 I-10 W on Monday, July 8. The new San Antonio location will open daily from 11a.m. to 12a.m. and will feature the iconic Pluckers menu, including fan favorites Fried Pickles, Holy Macaroni, The Bypass Burger topped with bacon, cheddar, grilled onions and jalapeños, and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Pluckers will also offer their famous wings paired with signature sauces Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, and Spicy Ranch, along with unique flavors, like Fire in the Hole, Ginger Peach Sriracha, Gochujang, and Spicy Mandarin. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2019)
Once open, the new restaurant will offer Pluckers’ signature rewards program, Pluckers Club, for just $10 until July 21. Pluckers Club members enjoy a variety of rewards, including, but not limited to, free birthday meals, invitations to exclusive events, food and drink specials and more. After July 21, Pluckers Club memberships will cost $20. The Pluckers club membership is now available through the app on iTunes and Google Play – a treat for current and aspiring members. As Pluckers continues to open new stores, they are expanding their platform via social media and the app that connects, serves, and grows with their fans.
Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul and Sean Greenberg opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 23 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 23 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen, San Marcos and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for their signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant. They offer guests a fun, laid-back atmosphere where friends, family, and co-workers can enjoy a great meal and watch sports. Pluckers has been named in USA Today’s “Top Ten Wing Restaurants” and ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work 2017” by the Austin Business Journal and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar.”
“We are so excited to open our second San Antonio location. It’s been a year since we opened our first area location in Selma and San Antonians have really shown how much they love the Pluckers experience. We are thrilled to open our second San Antonio location close to UTSA and to continue to grow our Pluckers community in this city.” – Dave Paul, co-owner of Pluckers Wing Bar.
Pluckers Wing Bar
15651 I-10 W
San Antonio, TX 78249
Dads can eat free this Sunday, Father’s Day, at all Pluckers Wing Bar locations. Photo: Melissa Skorpil, used with permission.
Pluckers Wing Bar is thrilled to announce that this Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, dads eat free at ALL locations. All dads can enjoy a complimentary entree, side and non-alcoholic beverage, up to a $15 value, from Pluckers’ extensive menu when they show their Pluckers Club or Pluckers Club Lite membership on the Pluckers mobile app upon arrival. The Pluckers app is now available on iTunes and Google Play and allows members to ditch the Pluckers Club card and explore more ways than ever to earn points and keep up with the latest specials, events, and competitions.(Pluckers Wing Bar, 2019)
Pluckers menu includes such fan favorites as Fried Pickles, Holy Macaroni, the Bypass Burger topped with bacon, cheddar, grilled onions and jalapeños, and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Additionally, Pluckers will offer their famous wings paired with signature sauces Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, or Spicy Ranch, along with unique flavors Fire in the Hole, Ginger Peach Sriracha, Gochujang, or Spicy Mandarin.
Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul and Sean Greenberg opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 23 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 23 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen, San Marcos and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for their signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant. They offer guests a fun, laid-back atmosphere where friends, family, and co-workers can enjoy a great meal and watch sports. Pluckers has been named in USA Today’s “Top Ten Wing Restaurants” and ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work 2017” by the Austin Business Journal and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar.”
Pluckers Wing Bar
14881 IH-35 North
Selma, TX 78154
COVER 3 has several activities this month in support of Women’s World Cup. Photo: COVER 3, used with permission.
Attention soccer fans: COVER 3, Austin’s premier sports bar and restaurant, is excited to announce that the locally-owned-and-operated restaurant group is launching a brand-new initiative in support of the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup, which kicked off Friday, June 7 through the championship match on Sunday, July 7. All COVER 3 locations, along with COVER 2, will be offering a month-long, multifaceted campaign that includes a variety of incentive-laden punch card programs and limited-time-only in-store offerings. (COVER 3, 2019)
To help kick off the “Wings of the World” World Cup promotion, COVER 3 hosted a bracket competition last week for local patrons to pick the ultimate winner of this summer’s Women’s World Cup. The grand prize for the bracket competition is free wings-for-a-year and a $500 Gift Card, although the competition required a $5 buy-in to participate. 100% of proceeds raised from the bracket competition will be donated to local Partnerships For Children (PFC), COVER 3’s official charity partner in Austin, to help cover the cost of local foster children participating in organized team sports activities and recreational leagues.
All COVER 3 locations will host a drive for new team sports equipment to help stock PFC’s Rainbow Room with the overwhelming number of requests received specifically for sporting equipment. Key items include soccer balls, goalie gloves and shin guards, baseball bats and batting helmets, footballs, basketballs, cleats of all sizes and types and gift cards to Academy which will be used to purchase child specific sporting equipment needs.
PFC is a local nonprofit that provides critical resources to abused and neglected children in Central Texas who are in the care of Child Protective Services, and The Rainbow Room is PFC’s 24/7 resource center where caseworkers can gather essential items for children in crisis. Research supports that extracurricular activities increase a youth’s likelihood to not only stay in school, but to also maintain a certain GPA. The state of Texas does not cover the expense for any of these normalizing activities and nonprofit organizations, like PFC, work to fill this gap.
COVER 3 also had a special “Wings of the World” poll on its main Facebook and Instagram pages to ask fans what team they think will be the 2019 winner. Based on these findings, COVER 3 will create a custom chef-driven menu of five distinct World Cup-themed new flavors for the restaurant’s popular chicken wings, which have been named “Best Wings” at the Austin Chicken Wing Festival in recent years. One lucky fan will also be gifted a $50 gift card just for participating in the Facebook poll.
Finally, COVER 3 is creating a special Women’s World Cup Passport, a punch card and raffle contest, for which patrons are encouraged to participate in all facets of this month-long summer program. The punch card will have seven total holes which fans must complete in order to be entered in the larger Women’s World Cup raffle. Patrons must not only submit a completed bracket (#1) and donate a piece of children’s sports equipment (#2) at any COVER 3 or COVER 2 location, but they must dine at least four times at any COVER 3 location or COVER 2 during the period of June 7 to July 7, 2019.
The passport raffle will feature a variety of prizes, including a grand prize for one lucky fan:
• Grand Prize (x1): Free wings-for-a-year
• Second Prize (x5): $100 gift card
• Third Prize (x1 each):
o Two general admission tickets to an upcoming Austin Bold FC (at Circuit of The Americas)
o Merch bundle feat. t-shirt, tank top, and cap
o Branded product bundle feat. canteen, wine tumbler, wine key and bartender’s bottle opener
In addition to this month-long campaign, COVER 3 and COVER 2 will be hosting a variety of watch parties for those looking to catch some of the World Cup matches, including all of the early round games confirmed for Team USA on June 11, June 16, June 20. Specific promotions, discounts, and watch party information will be revealed closer to each game on Facebook and Instagram.
SA Examiner 