Whataburger delivered on childhood dreams for a selected group of fans. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.
As a year, 2020 has been more Scrooge than Santa, more coal than cookies, more “no, no, no!” than “Ho, Ho, Ho!” But for some of Whataburger’s biggest fans, it was the year that their childhood wishes came true. Whataburger asked fans across its social channels “What’s the one thing you asked Santa for but never got?” Then, Whataburger surprised 15 lucky fans across the United States from Arizona to Florida with their childhood dream gifts. These included retro game consoles, action figures, model cars, Legos, light sabers and more. Santa even hand-delivered gifts to two lucky fans in his orange hot-rod sleigh, a 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe. His gift bad also included their favorite Whataburger meals and Whataburger-For-A Year gift basket. (Whataburger, 2020)
Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Whataburger now has over 800 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals every day with superior customer service. Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.
‘Act of Revenge’ is the third book in the Doc Brady series. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
John Bishop M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon, keyboard musician and author of the beloved Doc Brady mystery series. The series includes “Act of Murder,” “Act of Deception,” “Act of Revenge,” “Act of Negligence,” “Act of Fate” and “Act of Atonement.” Jim Bob Brady, the protagonist, is an accomplished orthopedic surgeon with a talent for solving medical mysteries who also moonlights as a blues musician. The series is set in the 1990s and features Houston and Galveston locales. In “Act of Revenge,” Jim Bob Brady is once again helping in an investigation, this time in regards to Lou Edwards, one of his colleagues, who is the prime suspect in the murder of Paul Thompson, the CEO of an insurance company.
In “Act of Revenge,” Doc Brady and his wife Mary Louise are in Colorado for a combined continuing education conference and ski getaway when he crashes into another skier. That skier turns out to be Lou Edwards, a plastic surgeon from Houston and a colleague of Jim Bob Brady. Once back in Texas, Lou has knee surgery and while he is in the hospital, Mary Louise spends time with Mimi, Lou’s wife. As it turns out, Mimi has lupus along with other health issues brought on by leakage of her breast implants, which were inserted by Lou. Lou is being sued multiple times for other faulty silicone breast implants and because of that, his medical malpractice insurance has been cancelled. Days later, he shows up at a protest downtown at the office of that insurance company and while being interviewed, he threatens Paul Thompson live on the air. Later that same day, Paul is found murdered in his luxury penthouse and Lou, being the main suspect, disappears. Since he has successfully helped before, Jim Bob is brought into the investigation and with the help of his son J.J., he follows the paper trail to uncover the real killer.
In “Act of Revenge,” John Bishop M.D. once again takes his real-life knowledge as an orthopedic surgeon to give his writing an authentic voice even though the medical aspect of the story is not the mystery. Jim Bob Brady is once more lured into an investigation that puts him in the crosshairs and this time he is trying to find out who killed Paul Thompson. He is almost run off the road: “As I slammed on the brake and ducked down into the seat, the sound of a sonic explosion, followed by shattering glass, deafened me” and towards the end, he is held captive at gunpoint. Descriptions of the author’s native Texas are spot on, especially Houston and the characters are familiar, believable, and relatable. Except for the sections explaining plastic surgery and medical insurance, it is an easy read and the story is entertaining and light-hearted. The language is poetic at times: “The evening was spectacular, an unusually clear, starlit night with a half-moon shining through the cloudless sky” and acts as a transition between the dialogue. The extensive backstory on Felicia Edwards (Lou Edwards’ daughter) and Annie Harrison makes it seem it seem like revenge was a motive in Paul’s murder so the plot twist at the end came as a surprise. Even though this is the third in the Doc Brady series, it stands perfectly fine on its own and should not dissuade readers who have not read the previous books. A definite page-turner, “Act of Revenge” is a must-read for fans of murder mysteries who appreciate the intricacies of the medical profession as background and want to learn more about the different types of plastic surgeries.
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Plaza San Saba at La Cantera Resort & Spa. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Ring in the New Year with a Great Gatsby inspired New Year’s Eve Celebration at La Cantera Resort & Spa. Come dressed as a flapper or don a tweed jacket, vest, and bow tie to bid adieu to 2020 in 1920s style. The New Year’s package includes resort room accommodations, New Year’s dinner for two at SweetFire Kitchen and a midnight toast presented by Moët & Chandon. (La Cantera Resort & Spa, 2020)
SweetFire Kitchen will be serving a southern style three course meal with old-world flair. After dinner, enjoy live piano music by Ken Brown in the resort lobby overlooking Plaza San Saba. Then, at the stroke of midnight raise your glasses and toast in the New Year provided by Moët & Chandon. Your ride home is the elevator to your floor and room.
The New Year’s Eve package for two is $399. For reservations, call 210-558-6500 and mention promo code SOIREE. Space is limited, social distancing and masks are required.
The Resort strives to provide the safest and cleanest environment to our guests and to our associates, as much as possible. The Resort has teamed up with safety, engineering and chemical partners, consultants, and adopted recommendations from the CDC in the development of their CLEAN TOUCH initiative.
For a complete list of New Year’s Eve offerings and to review the resort’s Clean Touch initiative, visit La Cantera Resort & Spa online.
La Panaderia’s Rosca de Reyes. Photo: La Panaderia, used with permission.
La Panadería continues to share their traditions and bread cultura with San Antonio residents. Starting on Tuesday, December 29, La Panadería will begin selling their traditional Rosca de Reyes for Epiphany Day on January 6, 2021. (La Panadería, 2020)
The sweet bread features orange and guava flavors with chocolate and vanilla butter crust and cherries, and in Mexican culture, it is tradition to hide a plastic baby to symbolize baby Jesus. Whoever finds the baby traditionally must throw a party on February 2 for family and friends, though this year they might just oversee sending the Zoom link for a virtual party. As not everyone is familiar with the tradition, La Panadería includes the baby separately so people can hide them on their own.
Guests will have the option to purchase a small Rosca de Reyes for $4.50, a six-pack of small Rosca de Reyes for $24, or a family size Rosca de Reyes for $24. Rosca de Reyes can be preordered online starting December 29, 2020.
Winner in the Fiction category: ‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig. Photo: amazon
These are the winners of the 12th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards decided by readers. Congratulations to the best books of the year. Winners in other categories include: Nonfiction: ‘Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You’ by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi, Memoir & Autobiography: ‘A Promised Land’ by Barack Obama and History & Biography: ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents’ by Isabel Wilkerson. The complete list of winners is available online.
Highlights include:
Fiction: ‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig– Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
Mystery & Thriller: ‘The Guest List’ by Lucy Foley– On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast. And then someone turns up dead.
Historical Fiction: ‘The Vanishing Half’ by Brit Bennett -The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it is not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it is everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation when their own daughters’ storylines intersect?
Fantasy: ‘House of Earth and Blood’ (Crescent City) by Sarah J. Maas – Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life―working hard all day and partying all night―until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She will do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Romance: ‘From Blood and Ash’ by Jennifer L Armentrout– Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.
Science Fiction: ‘To Sleep in a Sea of Stars’ by Christopher Paolini – During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she is delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move. As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact is not at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human. While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation.
Horror: ‘Mexican Gothic’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She is not sure what she will find; her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, Noemí may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
Pluckers Wing Bar’s Fried Twinkie dessert. Photo: Pluckers Wing Bar, used with permission.
In honor of the new year, Pluckers Wing Bar will feature an anti-resolution special from January 1 to January 7, 2021. During the week, guests can expect half-priced desserts and a $1 upcharge on salads when dining-in at the restaurant. The extra dollar will be donated to Breakthrough Central Texas, an education nonprofit that creates a path to and through college for students who will become the first in their families to earn a college degree. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2020)
To ensure the well-being of guests and their employees, safety procedures and precautions currently implemented at all Pluckers locations include taking the temperature of all guests before they enter the restaurant. Any guest who registers a temperature above the current guidelines will be asked to place a takeout order; strongly encouraging guests to use the Yelp waitlist; kindly requesting that guests limit their dining times to 45 minutes after they receive their food; per Texas requirements, Pluckers will only seat parties of ten or fewer people at a table. Children of all ages are included in the party number; checking employees for fever upon arrival for their shift; installing sneeze guards at the host stands; requiring all back-of-house employees to wear gloves and requiring all employees to wear face masks. All Pluckers locations are currently open for dine-in service at 75% capacity.
Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul, and Sean Greenberg, 2017 Ernst and Young Central Texas Entrepreneurs of the Year, opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 25 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 29 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston Killeen, San Marcos, and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for its signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant in the cities where it is located. Offering 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,” ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work” for three years by Austin Business Journal.
Wilfredo Lam, Untitled, 1965, charcoal and pastel. Art Museum of the Americas Collection. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
On February 12, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will open ‘No Ocean Between Us,’ an exhibition that explores the art of Asian migrations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The exhibition features approximately 65 works of modern and contemporary art by Latin American and Caribbean artists of Asian descent, including painter and printmaker Wifredo Lam; installation artists Carlos Runcie Tanaka and Eduardo Tokeshi; painters Manabu Mabe and Tomie Ohtake; and video artist Laura Fong Prosper, among numerous others. The works included range from paintings and works on paper to installation and new media. ‘No Ocean Between Us: Art of Asian Diasporas in Latin America & the Caribbean, 1945–Present’ will remain on view through May 9, 2021. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2020)
The exhibition is organized around Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Panels within the exhibition provide brief descriptions of Asian diasporic communities and cultures in these countries as well as context for the histories of migrations from China, India, Indonesia, and Japan. Global forces such as colonialism, plantation labor, and war shaped the courses of Asian migration to Latin American and the Caribbean.
Some artists featured in the exhibition engage directly with these histories of migration and diaspora, the intergenerational Asian Latin American experience, or the hybridity of cross-cultural exchange. Many of the featured artists converse with global artistic movements of their moment. For example, the art of Wifredo Lam engages with the legacies of colonialism and enslavement in his home country, Cuba, while deploying the aesthetic language of cubism and surrealism. Peruvian artist Carlos Runcie Tanaka has leveraged the formal qualities of ceramics, origami, glass, and video installations to break down and examine existing cultural understandings of identity and history. The exhibition also features American artists who identify as part of these communities, including Guyana-born, Denver-based artist Suchitra Mattai, whose works in painting, fiber, drawing, collage, and video question historical narratives and colonialism and reclaim cultural materials.
‘No Ocean Between Us’ was inspired by the permanent collection of the OAS AMA | Art Museum of the Americas of the Organization of American States, with additional loans from public and private collections. It was originally conceived by Adriana Ospina, OAS AMA’s Collections Curator and Educational Programming Manager, under the title Cultural Encounters: Art of Asian Diasporas in Latin America & the Caribbean, 1945–Present. At SAMA, the exhibition is being curated by Lucía Abramovich Sánchez, Associate Curator of Latin American Art, and Yinshi Lerman-Tan, Acting Associate Curator of American and European Art. Following its presentation at SAMA, the exhibition will conclude its tour at OAS AMA, opening there on June 5, 2021.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
“Cross-cultural exchanges and dialogues have had an incredible impact on the development of global art movements and continue to shape the creation of art today. No Ocean Between Us offers an opportunity to learn about the under-explored influences of Asian artists in Latin America and Caribbean, as well as the history and contemporary identities of the region.” – Lucía Abramovich Sánchez, SAMA’s Associate Curator of Latin American Art
House of Má and Hugman’s Oasis will be opening in early 2021 in downtown San Antonio. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Restaurateur Chris Hill, responsible for the award-winning Esquire Tavern and Downstairs at the Esquire Tavern, is excited to announce both a new restaurant and a new bar coming to downtown San Antonio in early 2021. The bar concept, Hugman’s Oasis and the restaurant, House of Má, will be in the Historic Witte Building on East Commerce Street. (Hugman’s Oasis, 2020)
Jill Giles and Project Lead Mark Anders conceptualized and designed Hugman’s Oasis and the street level space for House of Má. To assist with the design of Hugman’s Oasis, Giles Design Bureau brought in Bamboo Ben, a well-known tiki bar expert whose work has been featured in numerous bars throughout the country including Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas and Luau in Beverly Hills.
The bar menu will feature drinks like the Bermuda Triangle, a tropical rum-based drink, a Piñagroni, a pineapple version of a traditional negroni, and more under the supervision of Beverage Director and Boulevardier Group Owner Jeret Peña. Hugman’s Oasis, named for the visionary architect responsible for the creation of the San Antonio River Walk, Robert H. H. Hugman, will occupy the river level of the Witte Building.
House of Má is a concept by Louis Singh and Eric Treviño, the same team behind the popular Singh’s Vietnamese restaurant in San Antonio. Guests will be able to order items from the menu like Hủ Tiếu (Cambodian Noodle Soup), Phở Gà (Chicken Pho), and more from House of Má, while dishes like Candied-Jalapeño Rangoons, Seasonal Yakitori Skewers, and more will be featured on the bar menu at Hugman’s Oasis.
Jeret Peña will also lead the bar program at House of Má, where guests can order cocktails with names like Old Siam, Soi Cowboy and more. House of Má will occupy the first floor of the building, with private dining available on the second floor. Hugman’s Oasis will be located on the river level directly on the River Walk.
The Witte Building received additional transformations to accommodate guests including a new elevator and a set of stairs leading up from the River Walk to the street level. The new elevator tower was designed by Architect Tobin Smith. Andrew Douglas of Douglas Architects served as the lead architect on the project and Lewis Fisher of Fisher Heck Architects served as historical architect for the project.
“We are particularly excited to add some depth and interest to not only the Riverwalk, but to the overall food and drink scene in San Antonio. We wanted to create an environment on the River Walk that can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.” – Restaurateur Chris Hill
The ‘Tango Frogs’ have a new home at the Truck Yard. Photo: google
For six years, the late Texas artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade’s beloved “Tango Frogs” — a collection of three 10-foot-tall frog sculptures perched atop Taco Cabana’s former Dallas Greenville location — brought joy to Taco Cabana guests and passersby. Following the location’s closure earlier this year, several members of the Dallas community have begged the question, “what will happen to the frogs?” Today, Taco Cabana has officially announced their new home. (Taco Cabana, 2020)
Taco Cabana will donate the “Tango Frogs” to the Truck Yard at 5624 Sears St. off Lowest Greenville Avenue in Dallas where they will take up permanent residence. The “Tango Frogs” will be prominently positioned atop the popular beer garden’s roof facing Sears St., welcoming visitors to the venue.
The former Taco Cabana location was originally a nightclub called Tango, where the “Tango Frogs” first claimed their home in 1983 and reclaimed the rooftop in 2014 when recovered and reinstalled by Taco Cabana.
“I couldn’t be more hoppy. Truck Yard has always desired and worked toward being an iconic Dallas location that our city can be proud of. We will position the ‘Tango Frogs’ so they can be an Instagram-worthy staple in our city and to continue to show the appreciation of this ‘unfrogettable’ artwork.” – Jason Boso, owner of Truck Yard
Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI), was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up, and delivery. As of Nov. 1, 2020, Taco Cabana operates 144 company-owned restaurants in Texas.
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana® restaurant brands. The brands specialize in the operation of fast casual/quick service restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature fresh-made cooking, drive-thru service, and catering.
Emmer & Rye pasta boxes. Photo: Emmer & Rye, used with permission.
The team behind the highly acclaimed Emmer & Rye is excited to announce that beginning Tuesday, December 15, Emmer & Rye pasta will be sold by the package exclusively at Whole Foods Market in Austin, San Antonio, and select Dallas locations. This is the first time the beloved pasta will be available for purchase in a national grocery store. (Emmer & Rye, 2020)
Since its inception in 2015, Emmer & Rye has focused on highlighting the depth and complexity of flavor in freshly milled heritage grains. Each specialty pasta features heirloom grains which are grown and milled by Hayden Flour Mills in Arizona and Barton Spring Mill in Dripping Springs. The pasta will be sold in 12oz. packages (about 2 – 3 servings) and the options are Blue Beard Durum Spaghetti, Egyptian Emmer Rigatoni, and Rouge de Bordeaux Strozzapreti. Each individual package will be $7.99. The pasta will be available in all Austin and San Antonio Whole Foods Market locations and will be available in select Whole Foods Market Dallas locations, including Highland Park, Lakewood, and Plano.
Emmer & Rye has been recognized as one of the most prominent restaurants in Austin. In 2016, Executive Chef Fink was named Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef.” He was also named a 2018 James Beard semifinalist and 2019 finalist for “Best Chef Southwest.” Emmer & Rye was named one of America’s best new restaurants in Bon Appétit.
Directed by owner and Executive Chef Kevin Fink and partner Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Emmer & Rye brings cuisine that is rustic and seasonally inspired to Rainey Street. Emmer & Rye is a restaurant designed around the farmer’s haul, featuring a menu that changes daily with a focus on seasonal and local cuisine. Heirloom grains are milled fresh for house-made pasta, bread, and desserts, and an extensive in-house fermentation program captures flavors at their peak and preserves them for the offseason.
“Pasta is a staple in our house. It is such a simple product—flour and water. When you use heirloom grains for your flour it adds a richness to the pasta that you can’t help but fall in love with. These flavors are something we have played with at Emmer & Rye for five years now. I am really excited to get to bring something that we treasure in the restaurant to your home kitchen.” – Kevin Fink, Executive Chef
SA Examiner 