Tasting at Pluckers Wing Bar

pluckers3 — 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

41st Annual CineFestival

cine19 — Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center recently announced the official film lineup for the nonprofit’s 41st Annual CineFestival sponsored by the San Antonio Film Commission. This year’s festival will take place Thursday July 11 through Sunday July 14 with the theme ‘Frontera in Focus.’ Of the films featured in this year’s lineup, 30 of the films were shot in Texas or directed by Texas filmmakers with 17 of the films directed by San Antonio filmmakers or shot in San Antonio. The four-day Latino film festival will feature 42 films from Latino artists, including the Texas premiere of Phoenix, Oregon, starring San Antonio native Jesse Borrego. Now celebrating its 41st year, CineFestival is the longest running Latino film festival in the country. Festival details and schedules are available online. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2019)

‘The Infiltrators,’ directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, will open the festival on July 11 at the Guadalupe Theater. The festival’s opening night will serve as the South Texas premiere for the film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the NEXT Innovator Award. The Infiltrators tells the true story of young immigrants who get arrested by the Border Patrol and put in a shadowy for-profit detention center on purpose. Marco and Viri are members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, a group of radical Dreamers who are on a mission to stop deportations. The best place to stop deportations, they believe, is in detention. When Marco and Viri try to pull off their heist, a kind of “prison break” in reverse, things don’t go according to plan. By weaving together documentary footage of the real infiltrators with scripted re-enactments of the events inside the detention center, ‘The Infiltrators’ tells this incredible true story in a boundary-crossing new cinematic language.

‘Premature,’ directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green, will close out the festival on July 14 at the Guadalupe Theater. The critically acclaimed film follows Ayanna, who is making the most out of her last summer in Harlem before heading to college. She is bold, confident and not really looking for love, until she meets the slightly older Isaiah. After one of those rare first dates that last for hours, she knows there is something different about him. Ayanna has found herself at an intimidating crossroads: one foot is still under her mother’s roof, while the other is primed to step out on her own with Isaiah. ‘Premature’ debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and makes its South Texas premiere at CineFestival.

CineFestival will also feature the Texas premiere of ‘Phoenix, Oregon’ directed by Gary Lundgren on July 13. Starring Jesse Borrego and indie film veterans James Le Gros (Drugstore Cowboy, Living in Oblivion), Diedrich Bader (Napolean Dynamite, Office Space) and Kevin Corrigan (Pineapple Express, True Romance), ‘Phoenix, Oregon’ takes a comedic look at the existential crisis many face when trying to find meaning and relevancy at midlife.

Tickets can be purchased online. Ticket options include:
• Festival Badge – $50 (Includes all Films)
• Evening Film Tickets – $10
• Daytime Film Tickets – $8
• After Parties Admission – Free (beverages available by donation)

Guadalupe Theater
1301 Guadalupe Street
San Antonio, TX 78207
(210) 271-3151

Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Woodlawn Theatre

beautyandbeast — Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ opens this Friday July 5 at the Woodlawn Theatre.

Good news for anyone who cannot get enough of Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ This Friday July 5 is opening night of the local production of the beloved tale at the Woodlawn Theatre. This family friendly production will run through Sunday July 28. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. Ticket prices range from $18 to $30 and are available online or by calling the box office at (210) 267-8388. This classic story revolves around Belle, a young woman in a small town and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. (Woodlawn Theatre, 2019)

Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a musical based on the 1991 movie of the same name with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. It is the story of a prince who is transformed into a hideous beast as punishment for his cruel ways and the young woman he keeps captive in his castle. When an old beggar woman comes to the prince’s castle asking for refuge from the cold he cruelly turns her away. The woman then changes into a beautiful enchantress, turns the prince into a beast and his servants into household items. She gives him a rose in an hourglass and tells him that the only way to break the spell is to learn to love another and earn her love before the last petal falls. Years later, Belle, a young beautiful woman from a small town, wanders into the woods looking for her lost father. She finds him imprisoned in a castle’s dungeon and strikes a deal with Beast that allows him to go free but she must remain behind. Soon they become friends and eventually break the spell when they fall in love and Beast is returned to his human form. Musical performances include audience favorites ‘Be Our Guest’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

Cast includes Reagan Wilson as Belle and Chris Fuglestad as Beast, Cary Farrow IV as Gaston and Michael Parisi as Le Fou. Christopher Rodriguez is Director/Choreographer, Josh Pepper Music Director and Kristin McGregor Assistant Director/Choreographer.

Throughout the run of Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ the Woodlawn Theatre will be collecting donations to benefit SA Reads. Founded in 2010, SA Reads is a project of Literacy San Antonio, Inc. whose mission is to successfully teach children to read by training and inspiring teachers.

Special promotional dates:
Saturday July 6 Student Night: $10 Child/Student tickets with code STUDENT
Friday July 19 Pride Night: 25% off all tickets with code PRIDE
Friday July 26 ASL Night: 25% off all tickets with code ASL

Woodlawn Theatre
1920 Fredericksburg Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 267-8388

Fourth of July specials around town

southerleighjuly — Celebrate the Fourth of July with drink specials at Southerleigh. Photo: Southerleigh, used with permission.

The Fourth of July holiday is almost here and local businesses have special menus, activities and offers to celebrate the holiday in style. (Davila’s BBQ, Pearl, Southerleigh, La Panaderia, Hotel Emma, 2019)

Davila’s BBQ
Davila’s BBQ will offer a brown bag special available to pick up or to eat in the restaurant on the Fourth of July. The special features two Davila’s freshly ground cheeseburgers with crispy French fries and a fountain drink of choice for $12.99. Davila’s BBQ will be open from 11a.m. to 5p.m. that day.

Pearl
Join Pearl for a Great American Picnic in honor of the Fourth of July. The Bottling Department will offer picnic specials and a special pop out by Bud’s Southern Rotisserie who will be selling BBQ chicken with corn and watermelon, as well as bacon-wrapped jalapeño sausage-on-a-stick for guests to purchase and enjoy while listening to live music by the Peterson Brothers. This event will be free and open to the public in Pearl Park.

Southerleigh
This Fourth of July Southerleigh will offer drink specials at their outdoor oyster bar. Pearl patrons can stop by to get $1 off the famous house punch, frosé, frozen Bellini and canned wines. This is the perfect option for those enjoying Great American Picnic in Pearl Park or who are interested in enjoying the outdoors that day. Southerleigh’s oyster bar is located outside nearest Pearl Park.

La Panaderia
The popular San Antonio bakery will be open to visitors this Fourth of July at both locations so guests can stop in and treat themselves to decadent pan dulce while taking a break from the heat. Guests can also try new menu items at the restaurant, like the La Panaderia Patty Melt, a unique twist on the Texas favorite.

Hotel Emma
Hotel Emma will offer the perfect staycation for the Fourth of July. Readers can book a hotel room that week and receive complimentary valet parking, a La Babia Margarita upon check-in to kick off the celebration, nightly turndown service and access to the rooftop pool to cool off in the Texas heat.

Book review: ‘Off the Grid’ by Robert McCaw

Robert McCaw is an American author who graduated from Georgetown University and served as a lieutenant in the US Army before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm with offices in Washington, DC and New York City and maintained a home on the Big Island of Hawai’i. This allows him to bring a unique authenticity to his Koa Kāne Hawaiian mystery novels in both his law enforcement expertise and his ability to portray the richness of Hawai’i’s history, culture and people. “Death of a Messenger” is the first book in the series and the second, “Off the Grid” is due out on Tuesday July 2. In “Off the Grid” Hilo police Detective Koa Kāne investigates two deaths that at first seem unrelated but when he discovers how they are linked, the crimes could rewrite history or cost him his career.

Chapter One of “Off the Grid” begins on a poetic note “The plume of smoky steam rising like a sulfur cloud from a volcanic vent told Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne he’d been called to a nasty scene” but ends with a staged accident that left a woman dead. That leads him to the second murder of the day: the tortured remains of an unfortunate soul left to burn in the path of an advancing lava flow. He soon discovers that the two murders are related when they turn out to be a reclusive couple living off the grid. They are mysterious fugitives, so naturally the CIA, the Chinese government and the Defense Intelligence agency try to impede all attempts to get to the truth of who wanted this couple dead. Despite growing political pressure, Koa digs further only to find himself drawn into a web of international intrigue. His investigation uncovers a government conspiracy that culminates in the arrest of Nāinoa Nihoa, the Hawai’i state representative running for governor, for murder in the deaths of the couple.

Robert McCaw brings the beauty of Hawai’i to the average reader and softens an otherwise grisly tale of murder and conspiracy. Espionage, treason and murder makes for a fascinating read and the action flows effortlessly through the pages. The language is easy to read and understand including the law enforcement and military lingo. An interesting detail is that the protagonist, Hilo Detective Chief Koa Kāne has a secret: as a young man, he killed a sugar mill manager to exact revenge on behalf of his father. He still feels guilt and remorse, yet he has not told anyone, including his girlfriend, and it affects his crime solving decisions. How long will it take for the secret to catch up to him? Stay tuned. “Off the Grid” is an intriguing crime mystery novel with enough plot twists to keep the reader turning pages until its jaw dropping ending. It is recommended for fans of mystery/crime novels with a flawed leading man who would not mind learning a thing or two about Hawai’i’s culture and its people. A definite must-read.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Theater review: ‘Don’t Blame the Car’ at The Classic Theatre

dontblamecarstage — Jaston Williams’ ‘Don’t Blame the Car’ runs until Sunday June 30 at The Classic Theatre. Photo: Sandra Cruz

On Thursday June 27, The Classic Theatre opened their Second Series production of Greater Tuna’s Jaston Williams’ ‘Don’t Blame the Car!’ Texan favorite Jaston Williams returns to the Classic Theatre with more amusing anecdotes from his childhood and personal experiences and there are still a few chances to catch the show. It runs until Sunday June 30 with showtimes at 8p.m. Saturday and 2p.m. and 7p.m. on Sunday. General admission tickets are $25 and available online. There will be no late seating at any performance. Written and Performed by Jaston Williams.

As is customary, Jaston Williams did a small introductory scene and introduced himself and the material he is about to cover. This is not his first visit to the Classic Theatre and most of his loyal fans are those who are familiar with his work with Joe Sears in the Greater Tuna franchise, the much-loved series of satires set in Texas. He builds up the anticipation by carefully setting up his props before he begins the storytelling and does it with a subtle smile. The show’s title comes from when his mother tried to teach him how to drive a standard and basically assured him it was permitted to pass on the right, even on a two-lane road. His father’s advice: he told him to “write down everything she had told me about driving a standard, take it out in the backyard and burn it.” Spoiler alert: his life-time hatred of potatoes comes from being overexposed to them because his family farmed potatoes. True story. The guy was traumatized by the experience.

The set has funny graffiti on the wall and a couple of paintings. Scattered throughout the stage are several props, including a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. In ‘Don’t Blame the Car!’ Jaston Williams shares his lifetime of experiences and, being a humorist, manages to make them hilarious. One audience favorite was when he went trick or treating as an adolescent and an elderly female neighbor questioned whether he was too old for the Halloween tradition and threw in a single Tootsie Roll into his candy bag. He did not make a scene but rather returned later that night and toilet papered her house and “made it rain” with a water gun. The one that goes with the St. Francis of Assisi statue on stage? Earlier he placed several stuffed dogs around it and later explained that they represented the dogs his mother had accidentally ran over on the driveway with her car. That one is more sad than funny. But overall, he recounts his stories with a certain gusto that makes them enjoyable. Overall, it is also a tribute to his brother Corky, who taught him to see beyond a person’s outer shell. It is a must see production and fans of his work are in for a treat. The show runs approximately 90 minutes long without an intermission.

Upcoming July events at Pearl

cancionesjuly19 — Past Canciones have included Carrie Rodriguez, Laboratorio and Eva Ybarra. Photo: Matt Buikema, used with permission.

Pearl is excited to present its July programming including Sound Cream Sunset Sessions with Cumbias Necias themed DJ sets, Great American Picnic to celebrate the Fourth of July, and Canciones: Sounds of San Antonio. Each event is free and open to the public with food and drinks available for purchase. (Pearl, 2019)

Sound Cream Sunset Sessions returns to Pearl Park this July with Cumbias Necias themed DJ sets. DJ sets are every Wednesday this summer from 5:30p.m. to 9p.m. Sound Cream Sunset Sessions is proud to partner with Lipton for the month of July and all month long, the sessions will feature complimentary ice-cold Lipton Texas-Style Sweet Tea, an exclusive product only available in Texas this summer.

The featured DJ for July include:
• July 3 – DJ Manny Dojo
• July 10 – DJ Isaiah
• July 17 – DJ Gracie Chavez
• July 24 – DJ Mexican Black Bird
• July 31 – Gio Chamba

Great American Picnic – Thursday July 4 from 5p.m. to 8p.m.
In honor of Fourth of July, Pearl will host a Great American Picnic. The Bottling Department will offer picnic specials and a special pop out by Bud’s Southern Rotisserie who will be selling BBQ chicken with corn and watermelon, as well as bacon-wrapped jalapeño sausage-on-a-stick–for guests to purchase and enjoy while listening to live music by the Peterson Brothers.

Canciones: Sounds of San Antonio – Friday July 26 from 6:30p.m. to 9p.m.
Canciones, the free concert series celebrating the sounds of South Texas, returns to Pearl Park this July for musical performances highlighting the unique Sounds of San Antonio. Mitch Webb and The Swindles will return to the Canciones Stage and welcome Rosie Flores, Will Owen Gage and D.T. Buffkin. The performance will highlight stories about the songs that have helped shape the musical landscape of San Antonio. Food and drink will be available for purchase at the Bottling Department and Southerleigh’s oyster bar.

Pearl Park
Pearl Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78215

Tasting at Sweet Paris – La Cantera

sweetparis4 — 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.

Float Fest 2019 cancellation

floatfest19 — Float Fest 2019 has been cancelled. Courtesy photo: used with permission.

Float Fest 2019 was scheduled for July 20 and 21 in Gonzales, Tx but due to unforeseen circumstances, it has been cancelled. See official statement from Float Fest below: (Float Fest, 2019)

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM FLOAT FEST:
We are extremely saddened to announce today that Float Fest 2019 is being cancelled. This was a difficult decision to make, but due to several recent roadblocks outside of our control and in an effort to do right by our fans, the decision to cancel the event was the best option.

We have been working around the clock to prepare the new festival site in Gonzales, but at this time we don’t feel the grounds are ready to fully showcase everything Float Fest is about. With weather, Gonzales saw an extraordinary amount of rain in May and June. Although the site cleared, the rain created delays of construction. We want to provide a first-class experience to our fans, therefore we will be finishing out the site so that it is ready for the festival in 2020.

All ticket holders will be 100% refunded for the cost of their tickets. That refund process will be initiated through our ticketing partner, Eventbrite, for all attendees who purchased ticket(s) through their site. There is no action necessary on your end and you can expect to see the refund on your credit/debit card statement within the next 5-7 business days.

Book review: ‘The Ultimate Droodles Compendium’

Roger Price was an American humorist, author and publisher who created Droodles in the 1950s and later collaborated with Leonard B. Stern on the Mad Libs series. Before he delighted fans with Mad Libs, comedian Roger Price invented Droodles – absurdly funny drawings that joined hula hoops and UFOs as one of the biggest fads of the 1950s. His Droodles books sold more than 1 million copies between their debut in 1953 and his death in 1990. On what would have been Roger Price’s 101st birthday, Tallfellow Press released “The Ultimate Droodles Compendium: The Absurdly Complete Collection of All the Classic Zany Creations of Roger Price.” Featuring over 350 hilarious Droodles, it is the first and only full retrospective of Price and his creations.

“The Ultimate Droodles Compendium” is arranged and annotated by Emmy-winning writer Fritz Holznagel and features a foreword by America’s best-known film historian, critic and author, Leonard Maltin. In the foreword titled ‘Roger Price and Me,’ Maltin recalls how he met Price and how he helped him grow up and guided him in his quest to becoming professional writer. In ‘What Are Droodles’ he defines them as “small silly drawings in a square box.” Price, in his 1952 collection “The Rich Sardine,” describes them as “the new IMPROVED way to waste time. You….can show them to other people and waste their time too.” The rest of the book is divided into the different types of Droodles: Droodles, Madison Avenue Droodles and Kinda Croodles. There is even ‘A Brief History of Roger Price and Droodles’ that features his biography and career highlights: Radio Years, Bob Hope years, Nightclubs and Broadway, Television and Books, Droodles and Mad Libs.

Always funny and often provocative, Price was one of America’s most original comic voices. At the peak of their popularity, Droodles had their own TV show, daily newspaper column, bestselling books and even cocktail napkins. This book has something for everyone: more than enough Droodles to tickle the funny bone and a biography and behind the scenes information. It is a one-of-a-kind collection that longtime fans will enjoy while newbies might discover the joys of silly drawings and humor. “The Ultimate Droodles Compendium” is recommended for fans of humor and history of humor and is a definite conversation starter.