Culinaria Restaurant Weeks returns in January

The bi-annual culinary extravaganza returns January 15-29, 2022. Photo: Culinaria, used with permission.

Culinaria Restaurant Weeks, the bi-annual extravaganza, returns January 15 through 29 with participating eateries in San Antonio and neighboring counties. Participating restaurants will offer special three-course prix-fixe menus: $20 and $30 for lunch, and $35, $45 and $55 for dinner, with to go options at select restaurants. Guests can expect some restaurants to offer additional course options as well as wine, cocktail and beer pairings. It is the perfect opportunity to try out a new restaurant that has been top of mind or let it serve as the catalyst to reconnect with friends, family, or co-workers. (Culinaria, 2021)

“San Antonio is a hub for great dining hotspots and Restaurant Weeks presents the ultimate opportunity for local residents and visitors to discover new culinary delights. It also generates enthusiasm within our diverse culinary community and extends another opportunity for Chefs to showcase the variety of food and flavors that define San Antonio and neighboring cities.” – Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, president/CEO, Culinaria

The best advice to anyone participating in Restaurant Week is to plan. Full details on participating restaurants, including Restaurant Weeks menus can be found online. Reservations are not required but are encouraged as walk-in service cannot be guaranteed.

Culinaria is continually expanding. Additional participating restaurants are added weekly, as well as new events throughout the year. Please visit Culinaria for all the latest in Restaurant Week details as well as upcoming events.

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. Events that make up Culinaria include Restaurant Weeks, a 5K Wine Run, the Wine + Food Festival and the Hallowine Run as well as smaller events and several community partners’ events throughout the year.

Accolades:
Best Food and Wine Festival to Visit – Readers Digest, 2018
Best Food & Wine Event in Texas – Essence 2017
Top 10 American Food Festivals – The Telegraph 2016
Most Popular Food and Wine Festival – Vanity Fair, 2011

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WB Liquors & Wine’s festive champagne combo package

Make your New Year’s Eve celebration festive with a champagne combo package from WB Liquors & Wine. Photo: google

From Wednesday, December 29 through Friday, December 31, WB Liquors & Wine will be offering a promotional champagne combo package of Moet & Chandon Imperial, 750ML, and a 4 pack of stemless champagne glasses at $65. The promotional special will be available at all WB Liquors & Wine locations. WB Liquors & Wine stores will be open regular hours from 10a.m. to 9p.m. It will be closed on New Year’s Day. (WB Liquors & Wine, 2021)

For more than fifty years, WB Liquors has helped Texans across the state celebrate their special occasions. As a family-owned business, we began with a simple desire: to help customers make the good times even better with convenient locations and an extensive variety of liquor, beer, and wine – along with fast, personalized and expert-level service you would expect from a neighborhood store. Today, that simple vision still defines our business and it is what keeps our customers coming back.

Photo: WB Liquors & Wine, used with permission

Celebrate the holiday season with La Panadería’s traditional Rosca de Reyes

La Panadería’s Rosca de Reyes will be available through January 7, 2022. Photo: La Panadería, used with permission.

As we look ahead to the New Year, one thing that remains constant is La Panadería’s pride and dedication to sharing “Bread Cultura” with residents and tourists to San Antonio, Texas. Beginning December 27, 2021, La Panadería will offer their traditional Rosca de Reyes in celebration of the holiday season and Epiphany Day on January 6, 2022. (La Panadería, 2021)

The Rosca de Reyes pan dulce features flavors including orange and guava with chocolate and vanilla butter crust and topped with cherries. In Hispanic culture, it is tradition to hide a plastic baby figurine inside of the Rosca de Reyes to symbolize baby Jesus. Every year on Epiphany Day, families and friends then gather together to celebrate Día de los Reyes Day (or Epiphany Day) by cutting a slice of the Rosca. La Panadería offers the plastic baby separately so families can enjoy the fun of hiding it within their pan dulce at home. 

Guests can purchase a small Rosca de Reyes for $4.00 or a family size Rosca de Reyes for $24.00. Rosca de Reyes can be pre-ordered online starting December 27, 2021 and bought in store from January 3, 2022 through January 7, 2022.

In philanthropic news:

Thanks to the community’s support during the month of October and their Pink Concha initiative, La Panaderia was able to donate nearly $3,000 to the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation. 

It is a cause near and dear to founder David and Jose Caceres after losing their mother to breast cancer. After the success of the Pink Concha initiative, the brothers are looking forward to a continued partnership and collaboration with the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation to help raise awareness for breast cancer research in San Antonio throughout the year. 

JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa’s New Year’s Eve concert

Ring in 2022 with a New Year’s Eve concert in the Private FBO Hangar at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, used with permission.

What better way to ring in a brighter 2022 than a New Year’s Eve concert in the Private FBO Hangar at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa? The 13,000 acre, luxury ranch and resort boasts its own airport that doubles as a concert venue, in addition to outdoor activities including horseback riding, cowboy cookouts, archery, and more. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2021)

On Friday, December 31, guests will dust off their boots, raise a glass, and celebrate the coming of 2022 with a night to remember. The concert will begin with an opening set by local favorite and requested returning performer William Beckmann. Afterwards, Texas native and country music star Wade Bowen will take the stage to wrap up 2021:

  • Doors/Bar Open: 6:30p.m.
  • Performance Times:
    • William Beckmann, 6:45p.m.
    • Wade Bowen, m.
  • Ticket Options:
    • General Admission Ticket: $75.00 per person
    • VIP Private Table (8 Tickets Included): $1,500

To help grant more music lovers the opportunity to attend (after all, JL bar is a boutique resort with 32 luxury rooms), JL Bar has partnered with surrounding hotels offering availability and will be providing shuttles to/from Sonora:

  • Quality Inn, Sonora Location – $105/night**
    • Shuttle Services to and from Sonora: $25.00 per couple
    • Shuttles depart Quality Inn at 4:15pm and 6:00pm
  • Holiday Inn Express, Junction Location – $115/night**
    • Shuttle Services to and from Junction: $50.00 per couple
    • Shuttles depart Holiday Inn Express at 4:00pm and 5:45pm.
  • **Mention the JL Bar Resort for quoted rate, limited rooms per location, first come basis.
Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Action-thriller Confession to be released in January

Stephen Moyer and Colm Meaney star in Confession, coming in January 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired North American rights to writer-director David Beton’s action-thriller, Confession. The film, starring Stephen Moyer (“True Blood,” “Fortunate Son”) and Colm Meany (Seberg, “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), had its market premiere at EFM earlier this year. Uncork’d will be releasing the film in theaters January 21, 2022 followed by a VOD release Jan 25. (Uncork’d Entertainment, 2021)

An intense-thriller played in real time during one fateful night, Confession fixes on a wounded man (Moyer) who takes a priest (Meany) hostage, determined to confess to a past misdemeanor before it is too late.

Written and directed by David Beton (One Last Heist), Confession also stars Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men). Producers are Picture Perfect’s Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar and Jeet Thakrar. Signature’s Elizabeth Williams is an executive producer. Andrew Nerger of Signature Entertainment negotiated the deal on behalf of the film team with Keith Leopard of Uncork’d Entertainment.

“Confession is a very suspenseful, thrilling ride with terrific performances from two always-dependable performers, Moyer and Meany. It’s an incredible film to kick off our exciting 2022 slate.” – Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment.

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Acclaimed drama HipBeat to be released on digital platforms

HipBeat will be released on digital platforms this Thursday December 23, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Writer/director Samuel Kay Forrest’s acclaimed drama HipBeat, described by the critical community as Easy Rider with dresses instead of motorcycles, has been acquired by Indie Rights. (Indie Rights, 2021)

The film, produced by Mother Earth Films, FC Films, and Castle Matrix Productions, tells of a political activist fighting against the system while searching for love in the Berlin queer community. Forrest also stars in the film alongside Marie Céline Yildirim, Judy LaDivina, Helmut Wößner, Filip Süt Rutkowski, and Andriana Manfredi.

“We’re excited to be distributing and are looking forward to finding an audience for the film.” – Linda Nelson, CEO Indie Rights

“The love revolution taking place in Berlin inspired me to start a conversation about love, gender, and politics.” – Samuel Kay Forrest

Indie Rights, who have acquired global rights, will release HipBeat on Digital platforms beginning December 23, 2021.

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Majestic Theatre announces lottery for ‘Hamilton’ tickets

Elijah Malcomb, Joseph Morales, Kyle Scatliffe, Fergie L. Philippe, and Company. Photo: Joan Marcus, used with permission.

Producer Jeffrey Seller and North Park Lexus Broadway in San Antonio announce a digital lottery for ‘Hamilton’ tickets will begin in conjunction with the show’s first performance January 5 in San Antonio at the Majestic Theatre. Only forty tickets will be available for every performance for $10 each. The lottery will open at 10a.m. Friday, December 24, 2021 and will close at 12p.m. Thursday, December 30, 2021 for tickets to performances January 5-9, 2022.  Subsequent digital lotteries will begin on each Friday and close the following Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances. (Majestic Theatre, 2021)

How to enter:

  • Use the official ‘Hamilton’ app, now available for all iOS and Android devices in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
  • The lottery will open at 10a.m. every Friday and will close for entry at 12p.m. the next Thursday prior to the following week’s performances.
  • Winner and non-winner notifications will be sent between 1p.m. and 4p.m. every Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances via email and mobile push notification.  Winners will have two hours to claim and pay for their ticket(s). 
  • No purchase or payment necessary to enter or participate.
  • Each winning entrant may purchase up to two (2) tickets. 
  • Only one entry per person. Repeat entries and disposable email addresses will be discarded.
  • Lottery tickets may be picked up at will call beginning two hours prior to the performance with a valid photo ID.
  • Lottery tickets void if resold.
  • All times listed are in the local time zone. 

Additional rules:

Patrons must be eighteen years or older and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the name used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice.

Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final – no refunds or exchanges.  Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. A purchase will not improve the chances of winning.

Tickets for ‘Hamilton’ are currently on sale.  Patrons are advised to check the official ‘Hamilton’ channels and BroadwayInSanAntonio.com for late release seats which may become available at short notice.

‘Hamilton’ is the story of America then, told by America now.  Featuring​ a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, ‘Hamilton’ has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. 

With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, ‘Hamilton’ is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony​®​, Grammy​®​, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

Multi-award winning psychological thriller Help

Help will be available on digital formats starting February 15, 2022. Photo: google

Ridder Films, in association with Executive Producer Lucas A. Ferrara, are delighted to share the new trailer and poster for their award-winning psychological thriller Help, which will be available on digital download in the USA and Canada starting February 15, 2022. Help was filmed over just twelve days. Due to UK lockdown restrictions, only twenty cast and crew members were involved. Help is a testament to producing high-quality films during such a turbulent time. (Ridder Films, 2021)

A young woman’s life turns chaotic when she uncovers a deadly secret about her friend. A painful break up prompts Grace to visit her friend Liv who is living in the idyllic English countryside with her boyfriend Edward and his dog Polly. The trio start the weekend in high spirits but soon turns into chaos, as well-kept secrets are exposed and the friends come to see each other in a whole new light. Everyone has a secret.

Help boasts an impressive cast of promising actors of Louis James (The English Teacher, A Simple Robbery), Emily Redpath (Romeo and Juliet, Casualty), Sarah Alexandra Marks (Glamour, Psychosis), and including a cameo performance from iconic boyband Blue’s very own Duncan James.

With a plot as dark as Help’s, you might not expect to see former boyband member Duncan James’ cameo, but the unlikely pairing came about organically. “I met Louis whilst filming in Liverpool, a mutual friend introduced us, and we immediately struck up a friendship,” explains James. “His passion was palpable and there was a lot of mutual respect. I watched his performance in a few of Ridder’s short films, such as ‘The English Teacher’ and ‘A Simple Robbery’ and thought he was great, so I wanted to support him and be involved in his next project.”

“No matter how hard we try, no one is perfect. We all have our own issues and help that we seek for. Especially in our personal relationships, much like the characters in this film. During the UK’s first lockdown in March 2020, it pushed me to create even more short films than I ever did before. Of course, with each film you make, it teaches you something, you learn from your mistakes and understand what really captures the audience through my storytelling. Which ultimately made me decide it was time to make my debut feature film.” – Director Blake Ridder

“As the script was developed I could sense from the early stages he was crafting something unique. Coming onboard as Producer I knew I would I have to match Blake’s machine like work ethic. I got to work immediately assembling a strong cast and crew to lift his story off of the page. We worked closely together to make sure our visions for the production were kept aligned each step of the way.” – Producer Louis James

Distributor: Ridder Films
Digital Download Date: February 15, 2022
Digital Platforms: iTunes, Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play & Microsoft
Writer and Director: Blake Ridder
Producer: Louis James
Executive Producer: Lucas A. Ferrara
Cast: Louis James, Emily Redpath, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Duncan James, Blake Ridder, Amy Jim, Stuart Wolfe-Murray
Run Time: 96 minutes
Rating: TBC

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Terror Films launches AVOD channel in January with two new movies

Isaac Rodriguez’ Last Radio Call is one of the movies that will premiere on AVOD in January. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Genre distributor Terror Films will officially launch their YouTube AVOD channel in 2022 with 2 new releases. The first film out of the gate will be Isaac Rodriguez’ found footage horror film, Last Radio Call on January 14, followed by Kipp Tribble’s home invasion horror film, Evil at the Door on January 21. The films will premiere exclusively on the Terror Films channel featuring a live chat event with the filmmakers, cast and fans during the premiere. The films will be released wide, across Digital and VOD platforms one week later after their premieres. (Terror Films, 2021)

In addition to new releases, the channel will also feature the distributor’s entire library of diverse, indie horror films, which will eventually expand to an international audience.

“This is such an exciting time for us as a company. This was a necessary, next step in our ongoing efforts to grow our brand while increasing the reach and revenue streams of our amazing library of horror films.”- Joe Dain, Terror Films President

Written and Directed by Isaac Rodriguez, who also produced alongside Cynthia Bergen, Last Radio Call centers around Officer David Serling, who went missing inside the abandoned Yorktown Memorial Hospital. One year later, his wife has hired a film crew to help bring light on what really happened that night. Using recovered body cam footage, she discovers a dark secret that sends her spiraling down a horrific path of ancient evil. She must now face an unknown terror to find the answers she desperately seeks. Starring Sarah Froelich, Jason Scarbough, June Griffin Garcia, Ali Alkhafaji, KeeKee Takatsuki, Bert Lopez, and Makayla Rodriguez, the film will be available across digital and VOD platforms January 21, one week after it debuts on the Terror Films Channel.

Written and Directed by Kipp Tribble, who also produced alongside Patrick Rivera, Kenny Yates and Executive Producer Richard Siegelman, Evil at the Door centers around a secret guild that has operated for nearly a century, known as The Locusts. Once a year this guild treats its members to a night of curated home invasions (aka, “runs”), known underground as “The Night of The Locusts.” With 180 minutes to do as they please with the occupants of the selected home, four masked men enter the home of Daniel and Jessica and begin to engage in sick, twisted games with them. Unbeknownst to the intruders, Liz, Jessica’s younger sister, is hiding under the bed. While the run time winds down, Liz plots her escape as The Locusts realize there is a traitor in their group. But will the division amongst the intruders be enough distraction for Liz to survive before The Locusts’ clock runs out? Starring Bruce Davison, Andrea Sweeney Blanco, Robert Allen Mukes, Kipp Tribble, Kenny Yates, Sunny Doench, and Richard Siegelman, the film will be available across digital and VOD platforms January 28, one week after it debuts on the Terror Films Channel.

Upcoming new book release: ‘The Starless Crown’ by James Rollins

‘The Starless Crown’ by James Rollins is book one of the Moon Fall series. Photo: amazon

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers including, among others, the Sigma Force series, six individual thrillers, the Tucker Wayne Series, the Jake Ransom middle school grade series. His writing has been translated into more than forty languages and has sold more than 20 million books. Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets matched with stunning suspense. As a veterinarian, he had a practice in Sacramento for over a decade and still volunteers at local shelters. In his new book “The Starless Crown,” which will be released January 4, 2022, an alliance embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world. It is book one of the Moon Fall series. (amazon, 2021)

“The Starless Crown” – A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death. Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts: A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he is forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home. A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother’s shadow and claims a purpose of his own. An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact – one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe. On the run, hunted by enemies old and new, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation. But with each passing moment, doom draws closer.

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