Goode Company’s Chocolate Bourbon Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie is available for a limited time. Photo: Goode Company, used with permission.
Celebrate Father’s Day in San Antonio: Food, Fun & Unforgettable Gifts
Father’s Day, celebrated on the third Sunday in June, honors fathers and father figures across the United States. It’s a day to express gratitude through cards, gifts, and quality time. Families often gather for barbecues, outings, or special meals. Children may craft homemade presents or share heartfelt messages. Communities also host local events leading up to the day. While traditions vary, the spirit remains the same—celebrating the love, support, and guidance dads provide.
In San Antonio, businesses are making it easier than ever to honor dads with indulgent food, thoughtful gifts, and some much-needed relaxation. From bourbon pies to Wagyu burgers and spa treatments, here’s a roundup of top Father’s Day offerings around the city. (Goode Company Online Shop, La Panaderia, Bakery Lorraine, Corinne San Antonio, Dean’s Steak & Seafood, Twang, iFLY Indoor Skydiving, 2025)
Chocolate Bourbon Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie is back for a limited time! Infused with Milam & Greene bourbon and crafted with Texas-grown pecans and rich chocolate, this 9-inch pie serves 10 and costs $60. Available for nationwide shipping.
The Alamo Burger is a must-try! Featuring 8 oz. Wagyu beef, Swiss cheese, organic greens, and pickled jalapeños on a spiral croissant—best enjoyed with a cold craft beer.
June 13–15: Enjoy an Old Fashioned made with Elijah Craig Private Barrel Bourbon paired with a fine cigar—perfect for the dad who appreciates luxury and flavor.
Bakery Lorraine’s Two-Layered Moist Carrot Cake. Photo: Bakery Lorraine, used with permission.
Easter is a cherished holiday celebrated worldwide, symbolizing renewal, hope, and resurrection. For Christians, it marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, making it one of the most significant religious events of the year. Beyond its spiritual meaning, Easter brings people together in joyful celebration. Traditions vary globally—from sunrise church services to colorful egg hunts, festive meals, and spring-themed decorations. Many enjoy brunches filled with seasonal dishes, while others gather with family for large dinners. In some cultures, parades, dances, and special pastries mark the occasion. Regardless of tradition, Easter serves as a time of reflection, unity, and new beginnings.
If you’re in the San Antonio area, or plan to be during the upcoming holiday weekend, here are some ways you can celebrate Easter in the Alamo City. (Bakery Lorraine, Tenfold Rooftop Bar, La Panadería, Dean’s Steak & Seafood, Chef Jason Dady Restaurants, Hotel Contessa, Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Omni La Mansión del Rio, 2025)
Bakery Lorraine – Bakery Lorraine is offering a delightful selection of seasonal pastries to celebrate Easter, including:
Easter Chick Tart ($7.50) features a whimsical design with raspberry jam, vanilla sponge cake, and a refreshing lime mousse
Easter Nest Tart ($7.00) combines a rich caramel chocolate filling with Cadbury Milk Chocolate Eggs and a crispy fillo dough topping
Easter Bunny Carrot Cake ($7.50) is a moist blend of pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and fresh carrots, finished with cream cheese frosting and playful white chocolate bunny ears
Easter Egg Moon Pie ($5.50) offers a nostalgic twist with graham cookies, marshmallow, and white chocolate
Flower Macaron with Lemon Ganache ($4.00) is a refreshing, tangy treat with a smooth lemon filling
For those seeking a complete Easter experience, Bakery Lorraine offers the Easter Box ($25), which includes one of each of the featured treats—Easter Chick Tart, Easter Nest Tart, Easter Bunny Carrot Cake, and Easter Egg Moon Pie. The Easter Box is available now for pre-sale orders, with store pickup on April 18-20, and limited quantities will be available for in-store purchase.
Additionally, Bakery Lorraine is offering their Two-Layered Moist Carrot Cake in 7” & 9” sizes ($50/$70), made with pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and fresh carrots, topped with cream cheese frosting and mini macarons. Whole cakes are available for pre-sale online now through 4/16, with pickup available at all Austin, Boerne, and San Antonio locations on April 19-20 only.
Tenfold Rooftop Bar at Kimpton Santo – Tenfold brings two exciting cocktail offerings to Easter brunch this year. The Bunny Blanco ($16) combines 400 Conejos Mezcal with carrot, lemon, ginger, and sparkling wine for a unique, vibrant drink. The Tenfold Tulip ($15) is a beautiful blend of Teremana Tequila, lime, agave, butterfly pea tea, and tonic, creating a striking, flavorful sip. Both cocktails will be available for guests to enjoy Easter weekend from Friday, April 19, to Sunday, April 20. Reservations are encouraged and can be made online through OpenTable.
La Panadería – La Panadería is offering their fan-favorite Brunch on Easter Sunday from 7a.m. to 4p.m. at all four San Antonio locations. The brunch menu features signature dishes like Fiesta Lobster Benedict, Tequila Butter Steak and Eggs, LP Waffle Croissant, and Ranchero Eggs Benedict, alongside unique twists on traditional bites like Tortas and Ensaladas. Guests can also enjoy mimosas and cerveza with their meal.
Dean’s Steak & Seafood at Kimpton Santo – Dean’s Steak and Seafood is offering a unique, Easter Sunday cocktail: the Springtime Spritz ($15). Crafted tableside with Ketel One Botanicals, St. Germain, Washington Peache, and house bubbles, this refreshing cocktail is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Alongside their iconic brunch menu served until 3p.m. this exclusive cocktail will be available all Sunday, April 20, adding a festive touch to any Easter gathering at Dean’s. Reservations are encouraged and can be made through OpenTable.
Chef Jason Dady Restaurants is thrilled to offer special coursed brunches at Jardín and Tre Trattoria this Easter Sunday, April 20. Each restaurant will also offer kids’ menus for those 10 and under, making these brunches perfect for families to celebrate the spring holiday together. Jardín will exclusively offer a four-course, Mediterranean-inspired brunch menu for $49.95 per person. Tre Trattoria will serve a four-course, Italian-focused brunch for $54.95 per person.
Optional wine pairings are available at both Jardín and Tre Trattoria for $29.95 per person. Tax and gratuity are not included. For those interested in dining at Chef Jason Dady’s other concepts, Two Bros BBQ, Range and Tre Pizzeria will all remain open for regular service on Easter Sunday.
Hotel Contessa Easter Bunny Happy Hour | Saturday, April 20 | 3p.m. – 5p.m. The Easter Bunny is hopping into Ambler Bar for a uniquely San Antonio pre-Easter celebration. Friends and neighbors can pop by for specialty drinks and deviled egg specials. There will be photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny while enjoying Ambler’s festive atmosphere. It’s a grown-up Easter celebration with all of the fun and none of the early morning egg hunt.
Easter Sunday Brunch | Sunday, April 20 | All Day Experience a San Antonio Easter tradition reimagined at Ambler Bar. Chef Mike Collins has curated a special brunch menu featuring seasonal Texas ingredients and festive spring flavors. Meals will be paired with their handcrafted Easter cocktails for the ultimate Sunday celebration.
Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection Corinne Easter Brunch – Indulge in a chef-curated brunch featuring seasonal favorites this Easter Sunday, April 20. From 10a.m. to 3p.m., guests can look forward to chef-carved ham, shrimp cocktail, cinnamon rolls, a mimosa and juice bar, and much more. The Easter Bunny will also be present for delightful family photos. Pricing for the Easter brunch is $65 per adult and $17 per child (10 & under). Reservations are highly recommended.
Easter at Ostra at Mokara Hotel & Spa – Ostra’s limited-time Easter menu includes a Beet Cured Ocean Trout served with Everything Bagel chips, orange marinated sun gold tomatoes, whipped chive cream cheese and dill. A Salad Nicoise also graces the holiday selection, with seared Ahi Tuna, haricot vert, fingerling potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, a soft-boiled egg, baby cucumbers, baby lettuces, marinated olives and red onion. Easter Brunch at Ostra is $55 plus tax per person.
The Spring festivities continue at the bar with the Peeps Spritz, a 2025 “Easter basket candy” must-have according to Forbes. Crafted with Lalo Tequila, Cointreau, lime, Topo Chico and Dr. Pepper, and topped with a Peep, this cocktail is a signature treat for this time of year. All weekend long, families and couples can experience exquisite seafood cuisine at this AAA Four Diamond riverfront restaurant at Mokara Hotel & Spa.
Four Brothers at Omni La Mansión del Rio – Flavors of the South with a Tex-Mex flare take over the Easter Brunch menu at Four Brothers, the stunning on-site restaurant at Omni La Mansión del Rio. This three-course style menu begins with Street Corn Deviled Eggs topped with roasted corn, jalapeño and cilantro followed by a Chicken and Corn Bread Waffle served with a side of blueberry compote, maple syrup and jalapeño butter. The dessert course is appropriately named the Easter Basket, a pineapple upside-down cake topped with a cremé cheese mousse and candy eggs. The three-course brunch is $65 plus tax per person; Brunch is served all day.
To sip on Easter flavors, the Cotton Tail delivers a taste of Spring in a glass with Brugal 1888 Rum, pineapple and real coconut topped with whipped cream and jelly beans.
Marty Roppelt was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and enjoys writing in the paranormal and horror genre. He has written a series of short Christmas stories to raise money for St. Herman’s House, a homeless shelter in Cleveland. In his first novel “Mortal Foe,” a picture is worth a thousand words, but what if that image can only be seen through the lens of one special camera? (Amazon, 2024)
“Mortal Foe”– Buddy Cullen dreams of his grandfather’s death just before it happened. After his death, he inherits his grandfather’s antique camera which captures an image that haunts him and seeks his death. Can Buddy survive the curse that he sarcastically dubs “Popcorn”—a curse that no one wants to believe exists and stalks the city of Cleveland, beginning with its baseball team—a mortal foe?
Review: The story is set in Cleveland, Ohio and begins with Buddy Cullen, a journalism professor, waking up from a nightmare about his grandfather Jimmy Cullen. In it, he sees his grandfather, who’s a photographer, and within the nightmare, he has an out of body experience and becomes Jimmy and experiences his last night alive. Buddy and his girlfriend Kelly attend Jimmy’s wake at O’Leary’s, his father’s Irish pub. There, he takes a picture of Jimmy’s friends with his old camera. This picture, and others that Jimmy took throughout his life, will haunt Buddy and he believes they are linked to the curse of the Cleveland Indians. Together with RJ, his best friend, and Erika, RJ’s sister, they investigate these pictures which inevitably opens hell on earth for Buddy and will endanger his loved ones in ways he never saw coming.
“Mortal Foe” is a gripping thriller that deals with the complexities of family and the human condition. Roppelt masterfully creates a narrative filled with suspense and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with each twist and turn. The characters are well developed and their relationship with each other moves the story along at a steady pace. Buddy is a flawed but compelling character, struggling with his own moral dilemmas while chasing down a formidable antagonist. From the beginning, with Buddy awakening from a nightmare: “Don’t show the darkness any fear,” readers are immerse in his world, where menacing shadows lurk everywhere.
There is heavy sports talk since the narrative centers around baseball, specifically the Cleveland Indians, but you don’t have to know the sport well to get caught up on the story, which intensifies after Chapter 11 when Buddy starts seeing all sorts of creepy and scary images. The language is vivid and descriptive: “Mannion wears the profound loss of a close friend like a floor-length, black overcoat” and brings the story to life.
Overall, “Mortal Foe” is a must-read notable addition to the thriller genre, showcasing Roppelt’s talent for creating an engaging and thought-provoking story. By exploring the themes of death, faith, family, friendship, and good vs evil, it is a treat for baseball and supernatural fans alike. The author’s attention to detail and ability to build tension is evident throughout the book, making it a page-turner that’s hard to put down. It’s recommended for fans of suspenseful, character-driven narratives.
“The shadow approaches my bed. The odors intensify with each step, both the reeking of too many roses and the stench of corruption. Decay. Death.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Based on a true story, the movie adaptation of ‘Mustang Miracle’ will be released nationwide on April 12, 2024. Photo: Amazon
Humberto G. Garcia was born in 1955 and raised in the San Felipe section of the City of Del Rio, Texas. He spent many years as a migrant farm worker before graduating from high school in 1972. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received his BA in Government in 1975 and then received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1978. He returned to Del Rio to practice law for six years and then moved to San Antonio where he has practiced as a litigator of civil cases for over twenty five years. In 2006 he became a professional golfer, playing several qualifiers into the Champions Tour as well as several mini tours. He continues to play golf professionally and is devoting time to writing. (Amazon, 2024)
“Mustang Miracle,” his first published book, is the story of young caddies who are recruited to form the San Felipe High School Golf Team and competed against all-white schools for the Texas State High School Golf Championship. The movie adaptation, which will be released on Friday April 12 under the name The Long Game, is directed by Julio Quintana and stars Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, and Cheech Marin.
“Mustang Miracle” – In 1957, when very few Mexican-Americans were familiar with the game of golf, and even less actually played it, the young caddies are recruited by two men who loved the game but who had limited access to it. Despite having outdated and inferior equipment, no professional lessons or instructions, four young golfers with self-taught swings from the border city of Del Rio captured the State title. Three of them took the gold, silver and bronze medals for best individual players. This book tells their story from their introduction to the game as caddies to eventually becoming champions.
Movie synopsis: The Long Game tells a true story of the San Felipe Mustangs, a group of Mexican-American youths located in Del Rio, Texas. In 1955, the group sets out to play golf at a white country club in town. Determined to learn how to play they created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert. Despite prejudice, the Mustangs overcame these obstacles to become the 1957 Texas state champions and broke barriers for many Latino PGA Golfers to come.
The Long Game Drama Rated PG for language, racial slurs, thematic material, some violence, and brief rude material. Run time: 1h 52 min
‘Successful Penalty Kick: A Successful Life’ is available as an e-book or audio book. Photo: Sports Euphoria
Motivational books have the power to influence and change lives. They offer advice on personal and professional development as well as coping with life’s ups and downs. Athlete or not, If you have ever experienced sports euphoria, this feeling can be applied to everyday life. This is the topic discussed in the book “Successful Penalty Kick: A Successful Life” by Kemal Letifov and available through Sports Euphoria. It serves as an incredible source of inspiration and motivation for athletes of all kinds. It is also an all-around extremely educational and helpful manual for anyone looking to enhance their soccer penalty kick abilities.
Sports Euphoria is the ultimate destination for unlocking the secrets to success on and off the field. Sports Euphoria believes in the transformative power of sports and the invaluable lessons they can teach us about life. Their mission is to inspire and empower individuals to reach their full potential by drawing parallels between the world of sports, particularly the art of penalty kicks, and the journey to a successful and fulfilling life. Discover the secrets to penalty kick success and life triumphs in this powerful e-book. Unveil the mental process behind successful penalty kicks and learn how it intertwines with achieving success in life. Dive into the pages to unravel life-changing insights and revolutionize your approach to both sports and life. (Kemal Letifov, 2024)
“Successful Penalty Kick” is available through their website for a suggested price of $11.00, which reflects its value. However, if that prices poses a challenge, feel free to contribute what you can. They operate on a ‘pay-what-you-can’ model, allowing people to set their own price, ensuring that it is accessible to all. All contributions, regardless of amount, is appreciated.
“Successful Penalty Kick” – Is it possible to escape the hopeless fate of the penalty kicker who misses a penalty kick? Is every penalty kicker doomed to his fate and how can it be avoided? Can failure be completely avoided?
These are highly significant questions, and you will discover their answers within the pages of this book. These responses are impeccable, as they come from the very source of the emotional sports spirit, derived from years of practical experience. The crucial principles for achieving success are unveiled through the description of the mental process behind taking a penalty kick. There are sentences within that possess the potential to revolutionize anyone’s life, as the achievement of success in penalty kicks is intrinsically intertwined with achieving success in life. You will have an amazing experience of unique sports euphoria.
‘Apropos of Running’ is the new memoir by Charles Moore. Photo: Charles Moore, used with permission.
Memoirs provide an insight into a world that we might not otherwise experience, whether it is from the viewpoint of a celebrity, musician, or athlete. If you are a fan of memoirs, especially sports memoirs, today’s new book release by Charles Moore might interest you. “Apropos of Running” is the story of a world-class marathoner who completed all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Charles Moore brings to light his experiences as a Black man in the world of marathons in this insightful memoir. So if you enjoy these types of books, put this one on your to read list. With a release date of November 5, it will be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Charles Moore has published work on the subject of contemporary arts and related topics on Artnet, Artsy, and Cultured Magazine, and many other places. Based in New York City, he graduated from Harvard University and is currently a doctoral student at Columbia University. His new book “Apropos of Running” is a timely and unforgettable memoir of long-distance running and an essential testament to the persistence and power of Black marathon runners and how one man transformed his life and the sport of running just by showing up at the starting line time after time. (Charles Moore, 2023)
“Apropos of Running” – Based on Charles Moore’s experience running 24 marathons between 2016- 2023, this memoir is both a celebration of his journey to become a 24-time marathon runner and a candid, deeply personal interrogation of how race and culture are intertwined. The author explores the lack of diversity in marathoning, as he came face to face with the predominant myth that “Black people don’t run marathons.” From international races in major cities across Asia, Europe and the United States, including his native Detroit, he is confronted with not only the racial history of America, but the racialized history of the sport he had devoted his life to. Moore is one of the few to address the Venn diagram of Blackness and long-distance running.
SA Examiner 