FOOD The
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE GREATEST GROCERY STORE
How H-E-B secured its place at the top of the supermarket food chain and created an unmatched fan culture
FARM TO TABLE
Issue WHAT CHEFS THINK
5 top chefs on surviving COVID-19, cooking at home and what they want all diners to know
Meet the family raising Wagyu beef in South Texas
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August FEATURES
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CHE F TALK
Five San Antonio chefs get candid about running a restaurant during COVID-19, the markets they visit for tough-to-find ingredients and the tools they’re using while cooking at home.
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RA N CHI NG LEGACY
The family behind Peeler Farms has a long history of raising animals in South Texas and they continue to expand and innovate.
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H- E- B
How H-E-B grew from a small Hill Country store to a top supermarket chain with unmatched customer loyalty.
48 COURTESY PEELER FARMS
F E E D I N G SA N A NTONI O
How the San Antonio Food Bank and Meals on Wheels have stepped up to address food insecurity for a growing population—and plan to continue doing so for months to come.
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August D EPART M EN TS
1 4 BUSINESS From finding supplies to connecting with customers during lockdown, three entrepreneurs share how they launched a new business during COVID-19.
26 I N S I DE R’S GU I DE
UTSA’s Department of Criminal Justice chair says research and data should drive police reform.
New to San Antonio? Read this essential advice for loving your new home.
20 CULT UR E How two local artists are using their work to record and react to the major events of 2020.
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Boerne Brand Sauce gives hot sauce life beyond the chip.
EAT + DRINK 57 DRI N K Visiting Squeezers for the first time? Try the SA Punch for a healthy taste of summer.
ON THE COVER
2 2 IN FLUEN CER Joy Love Bernstein provides personal attention and care through her virtual yoga courses.
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63 S P OT L I G H T
The Magpie continues to shine as it reworks its menu with takeout options.
Enjoy a taste of France’s slow food culture thanks to Brie Here Now.
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60 DISH
Sticking close to home this summer doesn’t have to mean giving up your vacation thanks to these new Texas hotels.
The pastry chef behind Flourpress Bakes hopes her sweet treats, like chocolate chip cookies and decadent cakes, bring people together.
BACK PAGE
16 DEVELOPMEN T Desks have been spaced apart and employee temperatures are being checked but that’s likely just the start of the pandemic’s impact on work spaces.
61 MAKER
6 4 LO O K I N G BAC K How the Chili Queens set the tone for San Antonio as a Tex-Mex mecca.
Photographer Nick Cabrera shot the ultimate San Antonio grocery bag, featuring seasonal produce, wine, fresh bread, H-E-B-exclusive products and a few of those coveted H-E-Buddy Bucks.
OPEN: LUCY ENGELMAN; CHARCUTERIE: COURTESY BRIE HERE NOW; DISH: JOMANDO CRUZ
IN THE LOOP
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UP FRONT / EDITOR' S NOTEBOOK
uttermilk scones, shrimp curry with rice, pork Wellington, and, of course, tacos with homemade guac—these are just a few of the dishes I cooked in quarantine. It’s not unusual for me to cook. I was raised in a house where the whole family gathered for a homecooked dinner each night, and I’ve mostly carried that into my adulthood. With the stay home orders and an absent commute, I began to enjoy cooking again. Rather than going to the grocery store multiple times a week and falling into a rut of eating the same five to 10 dishes, Andrew and I began planning out meals a week in advance and expanding our repertoire. We often relied on H-E-B personal shoppers to help gather our ingredients—almost always successfully, even at the onset. We watched chefs share their own home cooking tips and recipes on social media (including through some videos with San Antonio Magazine). And when we took the occasional night off, we enjoyed takeout from local eateries. San Antonio has always been a city that loves food, but the pandemic may have taught us to appreciate it—and the people who help produce it—even more. We already had a “food lovers” issue planned for this year and when it came time to brainstorm what exactly that would look like, we wanted to focus on the people and brands behind the food. We gathered a (virtual) roundtable of chefs (page 28) just a few weeks after restaurants were allowed to reopen for dine-in service to discuss the experience of running a restaurant during a pandemic, plus some lighter topics. They talked about their fears and the challenges—and how some of them had similarly reveled in the experience of cooking for their own families while spending more time at home. We also explore in this issue what makes H-E-B such a great grocery store. It’s always been beloved by San Antonians—and not just because it has a near monopoly in the market—but the company rose to even greater acclaim here and nationwide for its practices as COVID-19 spread. Executive editor Kathleen Petty explains the company’s foresight and ability to stay ahead of trends (and in the hearts of consumers) on page 42. Taking a step back even further in the food chain, SAM’s former chief food writer Julia Celeste profiles the family behind Peeler Farms (page 36), which raises some of the finest beef served in local restaurants and home kitchens. And we also felt the need to acknowledge that not everyone has the privilege to love food right now—for many in our area, there’s a dire need for food. The thousands of cars lined up to receive food from the San Antonio Food Bank made national headlines in April, and CEO Eric Cooper says the need remains urgent. We talked with him and Meals on Wheels’ Vinsen Faris about how they’re tackling the food shortage and how long they expect the increased need to last (page 48).
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COMING UP NEXT MONTH
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AN ODE TO THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER—ITS IMPACT ON THE CITY AND WAYS TO ENJOY IT NOW
VINCENT GONZALEZ
Rebecca Fontenot Cord Publisher & Editor in Chief
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AUGUST 2020 / VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 9 “WHEN YOU HEAR H-E-B, YOU THINK…”
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© Copyright: San Antonio Magazine is published by Open Sky Media, Inc. The entire document of San Antonio Magazine is © 2020 by Open Sky Media, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative. San Antonio Magazine is locally operated.
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In the Loop I N S ID E / SO CIA L LY DISTA NT O F F ICE D ESIGN p. 16 / DATA-D RIVEN POLIC E REFORM p. 18 / YOGA RED EF I N ED p . 2 2
SHOP THREE BEES BOUTIQUE
instagram.com/three_bees_boutique threebeesboutique.com
Shop for a Cause Former Bachelor contestant partners with family to open online boutique that supports literacy t was a melding of passions that led to the creation of the family-run Three Bees Boutique. Founder and “queen bee” Alayah Benavidez—a former Miss Texas USA and a contestant on the most recent season of ABC’s The Bachelor—remembers being told at a young age that she was dyslexic and would always struggle to read and write. She pushed herself to succeed anyway, reading as much as she could and falling in love with literature along the way. She’s also always had a love of “all things glam.” With an idea to combine her passions, she approached her mom, Cynthia, now known as the “boss
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bee,” and her sister, Isabella, fondly called the “honeybee” for her sweet disposition, about launching an online boutique together that could support local literacy efforts and last summer they did just that. “It was the perfect way to spend time with the family,” Cynthia Benavidez says. A portion of the boutique’s profits help to purchase books for local schools and libraries. Together the women curate a selection of vibrant earrings, clutches, blouses, skirts and other items, largely from San Antonio brands. “We are always looking for beautiful, creative pieces and San Antonio artisans never disappoint,” Alayah Benavidez says. —BIANCA TORRES
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IN THE LOOP / BUSINESS
Launching A Business During COVID-19
CHANGING COURSE COVID-19 HAS FORCED MANY ENTREPRENEURS TO MAKE TOUGH BUSINESS DECISIONS
Three small business owners on how they persevered and opened their doors despite coronavirus challenges BY KATHERINE STINSON
Raul Martinez-Salinas III Salinas had planned to open his shop, Wong’s Bodega in March, but initially decided to hold off considering the pandemic. However, he says, the close-knit community in Southtown kept pestering him to provide an alternative to H-E-B so in April he acquiesced to their requests. Located on South Flores Street near the Blue Star Arts Complex, Salinas says getting off the ground in 2020 required taking cues from his customers when making decisions about what they needed while (mostly) staying home. He stocked fresh produce and vegan options as well as some of the personal protective gear needed for being out in public during the pandemic. He also gave customers the option of purchasing a box of fresh produce that he would donate to charity on their behalf. “What makes Wong’s special will always be the feeling of community and sharing. If you need something to eat or drink, we will get it for you. If the community needs protective gear, we will have it. If they just want to come spend some time, to read or chat they are welcome,” he says.
“Wong’s will continue to evolve into whatever the community needs us to be.” Lizzy Stites The owner and barista of Tuxedo Cat’s Coffee trailer, which opened in March at the Garden Center on Bandera Road, says it took creativity to connect with customers during the spring. She found success by ramping up her online ordering system and partnering with other local businesses, like Miss Chickpeas Bakeshop, to sell her product. “The No. 1 challenge since COVID has been the effort to keep proper mitigation supplies available not only for myself, but also for my customers— things like hand sanitizer, gloves, face masks, bleach and paper towels. Deliveries went from weekly to biweekly—I was having to drive to Austin on my day off or meet a delivery truck downtown, which affected my business hours. There were also times I ran out of dairy milk and could only offer alternative milk options. My parents were a big help, driving around to search for and wait in line for milk or cleaning supplies when I was running the business.” Luckily, she adds, the trailer offers a welcoming experience with “built-in social distancing.” James and Natalie Cochran James and Natalie Cochran launched Coffee Me Crazy on Tezel Road in early March and not only pushed through the early weeks of the city’s stay home orders but also dealt with a break-in that cleaned them out of supplies and some equipment. “Opening during the pandemic that we’re all still facing was definitely scary for us. We had originally planned on having four to five employees to start but ended up working by ourselves for the first couple weeks while we were slow. Fortunately, our local community has given us great support and we’ve started to thrive and have begun hiring more help and expanding our menu as we’ve been getting steadily busier,” James Cochran says.
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Ashley Martinez reopened Alamo City Yoga in June but found her clients were still more comfortable practicing online. With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise during the summer, Martinez made the tough decision to give up her studio space permanently and shifted to online and outdoor classes only. She’s partnered with the San Antonio Botanical Garden to offer classes outside and will continue practicing with her community virtually. “I think this is going to be a new way of practicing for about a year to 18 months,” she says. “The beauty of that is I think there’s going to be more partnerships and more people utilizing outdoor spaces.” For San Antonians who hope they don’t see more closed signs in the months to come, Martinez says, “Support local as much as you can—even if that means just buying a gift card.” + 2 OTHER CLOSUR ES Bird & Pear closed its Dominion location just more than a year after it opened. Owner Liz Leatherby announced it on social media, writing “Dear Covid-19, you suck.” The shop continues to sell its handmade gift items, from face masks to koozies, at its La Villita store and on Etsy.
Baker Tatum announced in May it would close for good at the end of June. The owners of the gift and garden shop known for its fresh orchids said COVID-19 made it difficult to do business, but they shared in their closing announcement, it also reminded them of “the joy of spending time with our families at home again, something we did not realize how much we had missed.”
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IN THE LOOP / DEVELOPMENT
4 THINGS TO TA LK ABOUT AS YO U STAY INS IDE TO ESCA P E THE SUM M ER H EAT
Chief of the Year / San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood was named chief of the year by the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. Hood, who has led the department for 13 years, used his acceptance speech to address the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and to describe instances of racism he’s encountered in his own life and career.
Pandemic Designs How COVID-19 is impacting workplace design—now and in the years to come BY KATHLEEN PETTY
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Antonio had been seeing in places like downtown, especially among large companies that are discovering their productivity level can hold steady when employees are working from home. “If you can work effectively remotely and you feel safe and we feel safe, I think that will be a more permanent trend,” she says. Virginia Visser, principal at Workplace Resource, which provides planning and design for office interiors, says the expectation that a corporation will have some remote working option—even if only for a certain number of hours—is something that will become the norm, with some companies even giving up their large communal workplaces. “If companies didn’t have work from home options before this, they will moving forward,” she says. For those who do need to be in the office, cleanliness has to be ensured, even after a vaccine for COVID-19 is found. “Today it’s COVID. Next year it could be something else,” Bartlett says. That means unfinished wood or woven waiting room couches that absorb germs could be replaced with more wipeable options, like hospital-grade vinyl, antimicrobial synthetic materials and copper or brass for door handles that aren’t automatic. Conference rooms may accommodate a few people plus a large screen for participants to join via Zoom and some offices may add outdoor-style conference room tables so large group meetings can take place in the open air. Visser says standards for recirculating air within offices will also become more stringent for new builds. And while the trend of coworking was growing downtown, Bartlett says that model will have to shift to survive. The idea of shared workspaces, close collaboration and laid-back environments simply doesn’t make people feel safe right now.
Selena Forever / UTSA will add “Selena: A Mexican American Identity and Experience” to its course offerings starting this fall. Students will look at the singer’s life, career, celebrity status and the media coverage around her life and death as a means of examining the Tejano experience in Texas. Mammal Mapping / Leaders at Texas Biomedical Research Institute said that its first few months of research showed that baboons and Rhesus macaques are the most reliable animal models for studying the impacts of COVID-19 and its potential vaccines. Animal models are important for fast-tracking the development of any vaccine, which officials said in June still likely won’t be ready for public use for 12 months or more. Read with Coyote / Spurs Give teamed up with Whataburger to release a free digital kids’ book, The Coyote Family Stays Home!, that teaches children how to deal with the changes and emotions brought on by COVID-19 and about what they can do to prevent the spread of the virus. The title is available in English and Spanish.
OFFICE: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MARINA ANDREJCHENKO; HOOD: COURTESY SAFD
rowded conference room tables, desks fashioned out of reclaimed wood and shared workspaces with community snacks may become a thing of the past. Instead, local interior designers and architects say post-pandemic commercial design will likely favor wipeable surfaces like are used in health care facilities, more outdoor spaces and automatic lights and faucets. “The whole world is going through this thing and we’re all trying to figure it out together,” says Christina Davis, principal over the interior design department at RVK Architects. “There will definitely be changes that last.” While in the past automatic faucets, soap dispensers, lights and doors were often seen as a luxury, Davis says they are now becoming necessities. Mary Bartlett, partner at Marmon Mok Architecture and lead over its interior architecture practice, agrees and says they’re also seeing businesses invest in wallmounted modules or automated kiosks that can check the temperature of an individual before providing their badge access to swipe into the building or suite. Companies that have brought employees back into their buildings are spreading out desks, increasing the height of cubical dividers and adding plexiglass protections around reception areas. Others are staggering their work schedules to keep capacity down, having some departments come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays and others on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Bartlett says spacing employee desks out has been easier in San Antonio than in New York, or even Austin, because commercial real estate prices per square foot are more affordable locally, meaning many businesses had more space. Even with that being the case, Bartlett says the virus may impact the commercial growth San
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IN THE LOOP / PERSON OF INTEREST
police has led to police reform over the years and he’s hopeful that will again be the case following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis this spring. But to ensure those specific reforms are what’s most needed—whether in Minneapolis or San Antonio—Smith says municipalities need to analyze racial profiling and use of force data. “The kinds of structural changes that sometimes need to be made are not easy and they’re not overnight fixes,” he says. “They need to be thought through carefully, put in place and they need to be followed sometimes for a long time (before effects are realized).”
Michael Smith Chair of UTSA Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice says research and data is key to implementing the right kind of police reform INTERVIEW BY KATHLEEN PETTY he use of force by police has been the most prevalent issue in criminal justice since policing began, says Michael Smith, University of Texas at San Antonio professor and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Smith began researching the topic more than two decades ago and he says it is inextricably tied to race. “The history of African Americans and how they first came to be in this country and how they were treated for many years afterward is unique, and none of it’s good,” says Smith, who conducted one of the first racial profiling studies for a police department in the country and has since become a national expert and consultant on the issue. “Those perceptions about authority and policing in the Black community go back to the founding of the country so I don’t think you’re ever going to be able to, at least in our lifetime, disentangle the two.” Smith says that the killing of Black citizens by
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FACT FILE
Education: Bachelor’s, Virginia Commonwealth University; J.D., University of South Carolina; Ph.D. in justice studies, Arizona State University Research: Smith has analyzed pedestrian or traffic stop data for police departments in San Jose; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Miami-Dade County; Richmond, Virginia, and elsewhere, as well as with the Department of Justice.
How did you get into studying racial profiling and the use of force by police? That term racial profiling wasn’t really used very often until about 1999. I was a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University at the time and the police department in Richmond reached out to me to do a study on racial profiling. They wanted to know whether their police officers were stopping minorities disproportionately. No one had done that kind of work before, but I was young and agreed to design the methodology to study that. I published an article on the findings, which I believe is the earliest empirically reported study on racial profiling in the country. That led to a lot more work on looking at racial disparities and profiling in different places over the next decade. I also worked as a consultant with the Department of Justice. I started studying use of first force, primarily because it is probably the most critical issue in policing. It’s always a matter of great concern to communities, police agencies, the courts. It’s been that way pretty much for as long as we’ve had police. In recent times, and by that I mean since the 1960s, it has been sort of a seminal flash point between police and communities. Every time there is a major incident it sets off a lot of discussions nationally about the use of force. Have those discussions led to any changes? Yes, policing has evolved, and it continues to evolve. Typically, after one of these major events, there’s kind of an inflection point for change. That was certainly true in the 1960s when there was a presidential commission on law enforcement that arose out of the riots in the summer of 1967—most of which were touched off by a police use of force incident. We saw that again after Rodney King in L.A. when a third of the city of Los Angeles burned as a result of a not guilty verdict and then again after Michael Brown. The whole movement toward de-escalation training is a result of what happened with Brown. I do think this incident will bring change. What that looks like remains to be seen.
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What changes would you like to see? I think that you’ll start to see better movement in collecting data on the use of force, which has been a problem nationally. I hope you’ll see more and better information and research being produced at the local level. And then I think you’ll see policy change. I think some police agencies will revisit some of their use of force policies, particularly the need for de-escalation techniques. I hope that there’s a national conversation that comes out of these unfortunate times that we’re in, including as it applies to crowd control and attempting to manage protests or civil disturbances. Many who talk about defunding police want to see police departments receive less funding so that money can be diverted to mental health and social services, which are things police officers often end up dealing with. What do you think of that? I think it’s worthy of conversation. We ask our police to do too much, quite frankly. We ask them to do too many things they’re not well trained or prepared to do. So, to the extent that we could involve other professionals in performing some of these duties, that’s definitely a conversation worth having. It remains to be seen whether local jurisdictions have the wherewithal to stand up the cadre of personnel that would be required to effectively take over some of those responsibilities from the police. There’s been a lot of talk about the role of unions in preventing police departments from making some improvements, whether with personnel or training. What role do you see them playing? Unions don’t play a constructive role in driving change. Typically, what unions do is protect the status quo. What labor unions and collective bargaining agreements do is they make it difficult for police executives to hold officers accountable for misconduct and, to me, that’s a major problem. It’s a political problem at the end of the day because cities don’t have to enter into these agreements, but they do. What changes could the San Antonio Police Department make? Locally, I would love to see an ongoing partnership between the San Antonio Police Department and researchers, criminologists at UTSA, who study these kinds of things and have for many, many years. We’re the seventh largest city in the country. We have a major research university here with national experts in their respective areas, and I think we should have that relationship. We can help inform the community and the police department on what the local issues are here in San Antonio around force and race and stops by police and all of these things that are back on the national stage as a result of what happened in Minnesota. We have approached the department about research ideas, including one on use of force, and we haven’t been able to get those off the ground. Locally, we don’t have all of the data to draw conclusions. With empirically valid information, we could talk about what we’ve found and implement changes, if needed. Have more cities started collecting data since you began this work? There’s now more than 30 states that require some type of data collection by local police departments. That’s a major change since 2000 when there was no state that required it. The quality and requirements vary dramatically so there’s still a lot of room for improvement. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, I hope we see reinvigorated attention to those kinds of data collection and, most importantly, how the results are used to drive change. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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I N T H E L O O P / C U LT U R E
Creative Response San Antonio artists use their mediums to respond to COVID-19, racial injustice and other current events
thel Shipton has long noticed language in the street, like a Wrong Way sign she encounters at just the right moment in life or a detour sign placed on the way to Devine, a “devine detour.” “It’s poetic and beautiful,” she says. Ruiz-Healy Art included some of Shipton’s work in More Than Words: Text-Based Artworks II earlier this year, and when the gallery had to move the exhibition online, Shipton saw it as an opportunity to give some of her work new life. She took three of her street sign pieces and screen printed them onto masks that read “Rough Road,” “Wrong Way” and “Turn Around.” Anyone who purchases one of Shipton’s prints through Ruiz-Healy’s exhibition will receive a mask along with their piece.
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“They communicate, whether you’re having a rough road, or this is the wrong way of living for you or you want to turn around because you’re afraid of encountering another person right now,” she says. “The prints are certainly important but those aren’t in the public eye. I’ve often used T-shirts to put work in the public eye. The shirt, or now mask, becomes a form of communication. It’s funny how work comes back around sometimes and has a different voice and different power.” The San Antonio–based artist who was raised in Laredo isn’t alone in shifting her work so it’s relevant to current events. René Paul Barilleaux, head of curatorial affairs for the McNay Art Museum, says art has long been important for recording and reacting to history. Before film and video, that was done through
MASK: COURTESY ETHEL SHIPTON
BY KATHLEEN PETTY
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paintings and sculpture. As photography became more prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, documentarians and photojournalists began recording daily life and events in photos. “Art has always served as a vehicle for capturing and recording important moments,” he says. With the widespread access to digital photos and film today, Barilleaux says the function of art now is less about documenting what’s occurring and more about interpreting it or providing a commentary. “There’s always some interpretation going on, but I think more so now,” he says. “We look to artists to reflect what’s going on in the world and to help us make sense of that and interpret that.” That’s what Colton Valentine hoped to do with his “Enough is Enough” mural painted on San Pedro Avenue near downtown following the death of George Floyd. Based on a design by Brandy Chieco, the mural shows the outline of eight faces in varying skin tones. On the far left side, he lists organizations and ways locals can become involved with fighting for equality and against racism, such as donating to the National Bail Out Fund or registering to vote. “If you’re someone who doesn’t deal with the daily injustices and the systemic racism that we live, it makes you aware,” Valentine says, of the mural. Before “Enough is Enough” went up, Valentine, a street artist from Southern California who’s known for his depictions of superheroes and hip-hop stars, used that same wall to paint a mural of Cardi B wearing a mask with a speech bubble that read “Corona Virus!!! Sh** is real!!!” Valentine says he became serious about his street art after moving to San Antonio with his now-wife about five years ago and that while he’ll continue to create fun murals, like the Looney Tunes characters he painted on the side of Supreme’s Sports Bar, he hopes to become known for pieces that react to what’s occurring in the world. Already, he says, he’s heard from families that “Enough is Enough” has inspired their kids to start painting about what they’re experiencing. Shipton says art can also offer hope in dark times. During the first months of COVID-19, she crafted two Little Free Libraries that she filled with food for those in need and says she’s been uplifted every time she sees someone restock the pantry with supplies. “It’s such a small thing with the protests and everything that’s going on, but I don’t want people to lose faith,” she says.
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IN THE LOOP / INFLUENCER
The Joy of Movement Joy Love Bernstein is redefining what it means to practice yoga BY BONNY OSTERHAGE ention yoga in a room full of people and you’ll likely receive a lot of mixed reactions. Some think it’s only for the fit and flexible while others picture yogis sitting in a dark, quiet room meditating. Instructor Joy Love Bernstein, founder of Practice Yoga with Joy, is dispelling those myths one down dog at a time. “I say, ‘Take your practice seriously, just don’t take yourself seriously,’” she says. “I always encourage my students to laugh.” Raised in a military family, Bernstein describes her younger self as a “very self-aware child,” who learned to meditate in the third grade while living in the Middle East. That’s also around the age she began practicing yoga—although she didn’t realize it at the time. “I was just getting into poses and meditating,” she says. “I didn’t go to my first yoga class until I was at NYU, and I thought it was too strict.” It wasn’t until she moved to San Antonio 18 years ago that Bernstein met a teacher who embodied the feeling of yoga that first attracted her as a child. “She taught me that my practice didn’t have to be strict or perfect,” she says. “That’s when I decided that I wanted to teach people and show them the yoga that I know—the one that is accepting of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels and that allows you to explore who you are.” That belief led her to eventually cut the number of students in her classes from as many as 20 to 40 to between four and eight so that she could provide each person with individualized attention. “Sometimes you have to take it down to build it up,” she explains. She applied that same philosophy to her business during COVID-19, permanently shutting the doors to her private studio and transitioning to an online-only platform. She still maintains the small class size and connects with every student prior to class. As a massage therapist for the past 21 years, Bernstein knows the positive effects yoga has on the body, but it’s what happens beyond the physical that Bernstein wants her students to understand. “Yoga definitely challenges the body, but it also challenges the mind because you have to sit in stillness,” she says. “My yoga style includes exploring who you are—not who everyone else tells you should be. It’s about finding your authenticity… Your size and age don’t matter. It is what your body is capable of doing. Yoga is a constant reminder of ‘This is who I am.’”
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TAKE A CLASS
Practice Yoga With Joy thiscantbeyoga.com facebook.com/practiceyogawithjoy
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I N T H E L O O P / T R AV E L
WILL DRIVE FOR FOOD 4 DISHES WORTH TAKING A ROAD TRIP TO TRY
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Sausage in Elgin Lots of people claim the flame, but Southside Market, one of Texas’ oldest BBQ joints, slow cooks its famous meat over Post Oak wood, Central Texas style. southsidemarket.com
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Venturing Out
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Plan a road trip to one of Texas’ newer hotels and satisfy your travel yearnings without having to board a plane BY BECCA HENSLEY The Hill Country You won’t have to choose between wine and beer at Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa (3), the only combination brewery-winery in the Hill Country. The resort that opened this year is owned by the McPherson family, who have been making award-winning wine in Lubbock since 2016, and offers a retreat with stand-alone villa-suites on the estate grounds situated between Johnson City and Fredericksburg. Don’t want to leave your pup at home? Dogs are welcome and spoiled here thanks to sWag bags and more. A little farther west, JL Bar Ranch Resort & Spa in Sonora is like a summer camp for grown-ups. It offers cowboy cookouts, sunset cocktails, skeet shooting, yoga, karaoke, horseback riding, biking, ATV adventures, cooking classes, archery—you’d have to stay for a month to do it all. The resort spreads across 13,000 acres of bucolic landscape and even features an FBO private airport. Large families can make reservations for the Archer’s Nest Villa, or there are several Western-themed luxury cabins. cartercreek.com, jlbar.com
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Austin Design buffs will want to take notes at Austin Proper Hotel & Residences (1), where interiors have been created by style icon Kelly Wearstler. A luxury boutique experience perched amid downtown’s Second Street District, the intimate LEED-certified hotel that opened in January has a rooftop pool, gym and full-service Mediterranean restaurant. Book directly through Austin Proper through the close of summer to receive a 30 percent discount and have a portion of your rate donated to charities responding to COVID-19. Across town on 10 acres in the Hancock neighborhood sits the newly opened Commodore Perry Estate, a glamorously restored historic, Mediterranean Revival mansion. An Auberge Resorts Collection property, the hotel offers 42 guest rooms and suites, an organic garden and plenty of curated culinary and wellness experiences. Its restaurant, Lutie’s, is worth a visit even if you’re not staying—though you'd be wise to consider it. Through August, the third night is free. properhotel.com, aubergeresorts.com
Fried Gulf Seafood in Rockport Pop’s Tavern and Cafe serves up Neptune-pleasing, fried seafood platters emblematic of the Texas coast. Look for the little red house or act like a local and ask for “Pop’s Place.” popstavernandcafe.com Kolaches in West Czech Stop in West sells fuel to get your vehicle from San Antonio to Dallas on I-35 but its best road trip fuel comes in the form of incomparable kolaches filled with fruit, cream cheese and more. czechstop.net
El Paso Make like Elizabeth Taylor, and be coddled at The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park, a landmark urban lodge built in 1930, but reimagined and opened anew in June. Rising 19 stories, its original Pueblo Revival Art Deco facade sets an evocative tone that the elegantly contemporary interiors reenforce. A favorite for Hollywood elites decades ago (including Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad Hilton), the hotel infuses nods to its past throughout. Taylor’s favored penthouse suite has become La Perla, a rooftop lounge set to open this fall with views of Texas and neighboring Mexico. Inside, Ambar (2), the signature restaurant, continues the mood in a celebration of the borderland region’s distinctive flavors. Take advantage of the “Legendary Return” package, which offers 30 percent off of stays through Dec. 30, among other perks. plazahotelelpaso.com
AUSTIN PROPER: THE INGALLS; THE PLAZA: COURTESY THE HOTEL; MCPHERSON: COURTESY CARTERHOSPITALITY; VAN: THE.STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Pecan Pie in Marble Falls Plunge into Texas’ most famous pecan pie at Blue Bonnet Cafe. Its caramely, crunch stands up to your grandma’s version—but you don’t have to tell her that. bluebonnetcafe.net
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IN THE LOOP / INSIDER'S GUIDE
Be a tourist in your hometown
Eat jerk chicken at the Jerk Shack
—CHRISTINA JOVANNA OLIVAREZ, FOUNDER AND CEO, THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY GAL
—ANDREA LAURIE, OWNER OF ORCHID BEAUTY
Olivarez spends the bulk of her day on her laptop working on social media management for clients but when she has time to spare, she and her husband love to play tourist in their own town. Here, she shares some of their go-tos: Do it for the ’gram: Stop by the murals under St. Mary’s Street and I-35 and post a photo of yourself next to your favorite. Don’t forget to tag @sanantoniostreetart. Downtown date night: Ride a scooter from downtown to Southtown for a drink at The Friendly Spot or Stella, or dress up for dinner at Rosella at the Rand, which transforms from a daytime coffee shop to a romantic dinner spot by night. Have a picnic with the F.I.S.H: Pack a lunch and enjoy it near the F.I.S.H sculpture under the Camden Street Riverwalk Bridge. Olivarez says this part of the River Walk is less crowded and ideal for locals.
“(Owners) Nicola Blaque and Cornelius Massey are ex-military and they opened up The Jerk Shack. They’re very popular, the food is great. I know the chef personally. The people that own it, they’re good folks. They’re bringing a diverse ear to San Antonio. They’re bringing something from a different part of the world here, just the same as myself and bringing my culture to San Antonio ... We just have a diverse community here.”
Follow the river —RILEY ROBINSON, DIRECTOR OF ARTPACE
When artists travel to San Antonio to participate in Artpace’s International Artist-in-Residence program, Robinson typically takes the group on a tour, starting at Artpace and following the river south so that he can talk about some of the city’s history. They stop at Mission San José to see the diorama, view the acequias and look at public art along the river, including at Confluence Park. Outside of that, Riley says he tells any newcomer to ride the Mission Reach trail by bike and to stop at Margarita Cabrera’s “Arbol de la Vida” tree of life piece near Mission Espada. To cap off the day, relax with a meal at Papa Jim’s Tropical Fish or La Tuna.
JERK CHICKEN: JOMANDO CRUZ; F.I.S.H: MARK MENJIVAR; ARBOR DE LA VIDA: CADE BRADSHAW/COURTESY SA RIVER FOUNDATION
Live Like a Local
We asked five San Antonians to tell us the one thing they say newcomers to town should know
Learn about Indigenous culture at Woodlawn —REBEL MARIPOSA, CO-OWNER AND OPERATOR/CHEF AT LA BOTANICA
“A lot of people don’t know that Woodlawn (Lake Park) is a representative part of the center of the city. There are Indigenous ceremonies that happen there at different times, because it is considered a central point. I would definitely recommend people going in and walking Woodlawn and seeing the views and seeing a sunrise or sunset and just feeling what it’s like to be in the center.”
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Look for what’s local —ALEX HILMY, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND PARTNER AT HILMY
Hilmy moved to San Antonio in 2006 to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio and says it wasn’t until he moved inside of Loop 410 in 2011 that he fell in love with the city. “There’s just a community and a sense of camaraderie,” says Hilmy, who settled in Lavaca after living in Alamo Heights and Tobin Hill. “There’s everything from kickball leagues to independent coffee shops and restaurants that offer a glimpse into San Antonio … San Antonio’s brand as a whole shouldn’t be related to colored umbrellas on the River Walk.”
JOMANDO CRUZ
Hilmy’s Favorites • • • • •
Shotgun House Roasters Battalion Rebelle at The St. Anthony Hotel Jazz, TX Playland
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The Food Issue
CHEF confessions What were chefs really thinking when deciding to reopen their restaurants (or not)? Where do they shop for ingredients? What’s their favorite tool in the kitchen?
We found out Illustrations by Christopher Vela
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On June 1, editor in chief REBECCA FONTENOT CORD and executive editor KATHLEEN PETTY gathered five San Antonio chefs in a Zoom room for a virtual roundtable about the state and future of the restaurant industry in San Antonio, what they’d been eating when their restaurants were temporarily closed, what they want diners to know and more. Here, is a transcript (edited for length and clarity) of the candid conversation REBECCA FONTENOT CORD: How are y’all feeling about the industry right now? How has that changed in the last couple months and what do you see the future looking like? JASON DADY: The million dollar question. HINNERK VON BARGEN: We can, on one hand, say the future looks uncertain, but it’s also time for opportunity. That’s how I see it right now. My hope right now is that the numbers don’t go back up and we get new lockdowns. That is my biggest hope right now. RFC: Ming, Nicola, y’all are both in the process of opening new places. How are you feeling about that? NICOLA BLAQUE: For me, I’m a little nervous. I kept The Jerk Shack open through COVID. We just closed off the patio seating. For us, it was an easy transition because at least 50 percent of our business was take-out. That part was easy. With Mi Roti opening at the Pearl, which is a major attraction in San Antonio, I worry about my employees. I worry about them being exposed. Even though the Pearl’s doing everything that they can to mitigate risk and everything, it’s still a fear. MING QIAN: For me, it’s the same. I’m scared.
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THE CHEFS Bruce Auden Chef/Owner, Biga on the Banks Jason Dady Chef/Owner, Jason Dady Restaurant Group, which includes Alamo BBQ Co., B&D Ice House, Range, Tre Trattoria, and Two Bros. BBQ Nicola Blaque Chef/Owner, The Jerk Shack and Mi Roti Hinnerk von Bargen Professor and Culinary Arts Team Leader, Culinary Institute of America (CIA) San Antonio (and husband to Ming Qian) Ming Qian Chef/Owner, Ming’s Thing, Ming’s Noodle Bar (and wife to Hinnerk von Bargen)
Qian is opening a second Ming’s Noodle Bar near Pearl later this year. Blaque planned to open Mi Roti in Pearl’s Bottling Dept. Food Hall over the summer. A June 17 order from Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff mandated that employees and customers wear face masks when social distancing can’t be maintained. Businesses, not customers, can face a fine for not requiring this, a detail that allowed for the mandate to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s orders. Wolff’s original order had been renewed through July 15 at press time in early July, when cases were rising sharply.
Yeah, you open a new restaurant in this pandemic, and it’s scary. On the other hand, I wanted to have a rule to how we’re going to open, how our customers are going to act. I feel like we are going to have hand sanitizer before the customer can even go into your store because face it, customers touch everything—kids touch everything. You cannot just send your staff to constantly sanitize everything they touch. It’s impossible. I just feel like I will just offer hand sanitizer for every customer. Before they come in, they just pump some and open the door. Maybe they will feel a little bit safe that way. NB: Then there’s also the fear of telling them you have to do it and if they don’t want to do it. I know at the Pearl, they’re saying if someone doesn’t come in with a mask, they’re going to offer them a mask. If somebody doesn’t want to wear a mask—because it’s still their choice— how are you going to deal with that and turning them away? It’s all unchartered ground that we’re all trying to maneuver through. JD: We really tried to make sure that our staff understood that we had their back, first and foremost. We also made it very clear, we’re not the social distancing police and we’re not the sheriff. We wanted our teams to know that... What we did, is we really went overboard as far as signage out front and inside. Everywhere you look, there’s signage that says you should be wearing a mask. Here are the 6-foot apart signs. We did our best to really just communicate to the general public as much as possible that ‘Hey, we’re taking this extraordinarily seriously.’ I don’t want our team to feel like they have to be the sheriff and have to confront somebody because it’s a losing situation. There’s going to be many people that walk in the door that, quite frankly, don’t give two
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sh**s that you want them to wear a mask. Like you said, it’s their personal choice. I just told our team, “If that person makes you feel uncomfortable, then just take two steps back and communicate with them from 8 feet away. If that’s awkward for the customer, so be it. As long as you feel safe with that, then I’m OK with it.” I think everybody is still learning. HVB: Yes, it’s also hard to maintain or to mandate masks in a restaurant. Eventually, they’ll have to take them off in some form. It’s very hard to mandate masks in a restaurant. Staff will wear them to make sure they’re protected, but for the guests, it’s very hard to mandate that. Luckily, in Ming’s new place, we’ll also have a good area of outdoor seating where some people can feel more comfortable to sit outside. JD: Yeah, absolutely. We’re seeing that real strong. Most of our places, being barbecue places, are designed for outdoor seating, which has been a huge asset as far as being able to accommodate a little bit of a higher number of guest count. Whereas at Tre, the patio is full every night, but the inside is maybe 25 percent capacity if we’re lucky. KATHLEEN PETTY: Do you anticipate things getting a little more back to normal? How do you even predict what the months to come will bring? BRUCE AUDEN: I think we’re all in the same boat, that we really don’t know what’s going to happen. You’re talking about opening new restaurants. I feel when we reopen Biga, that it’s like opening a new restaurant because we’re downtown. We rely on the hotels and the conventions and the tourists. If they’re not there, what do we open as? We certainly aren’t going to be able to open as the way we were doing business before March because all our private dining rooms were full, which are huge, with a lot of convention people. For Biga, it is like opening a new restaurant with all these new restrictions and concerns. I think that they probably really don’t understand that in the restaurant business,
Auden reopened Biga on the Banks for takeout and dine-in with a limited menu and limited hours on June 16.
Jason Dady Restaurant Group was one of the first local restaurants H-E-B partnered with beginning in March and April to stock heat-and-serve meals in select stores.
As of press time in early July, Dady had still not reopened Range, his steakhouse, which is connected to the Embassy Suites San Antonio Riverwalk downtown.
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we have been doing this sanitation and keeping the place organized and clean for so long. It’s just part of what we do. I think that once the customers get used to it, I don’t think they’re going to have as much concerns. The next few months are going to be (what) counts. That’s going to be a make it or break it, for us, in the next few months. RFC: A lot of chefs and restaurateurs were doing really creative things during COVID to try to make things work with extra takeout or the meal kits or the pre-made meals at H-E-B. Do you think that’s going to end up being a big part of the culinary industry moving forward? NB: I think it is. I’m actually updating my menu at The Jerk Shack right now to put our family packs on the menu permanently. I never had it before because it just didn’t make sense. I was like, they’re going to spend the same amount. It’s whatever. But seeing that this is the go-to, I decided I’m just going to put it on there permanently. I think people are going to continue ordering those. I even do it at home—some of it’s because I have a newborn, so it’s easier for me just to pick up food and share it. Then they have leftovers. HVB: Yeah, I think so. I’m also sure that H-E-B will continue to work with local restaurants to promote them a little bit. It’s a win-win situation. I think the biggest problem there will be, once we identify the cool place to be promoted in the H-E-Bs, can restaurants keep up with the demands for H-E-B-style production? Running a restaurant is one thing, but going into food manufacturing… There will be some massive changes around the corner, how we run our business, I’m sure. I see it also in the CIA perspective, everything changes. What those changes are, what those changes will be, we don’t know yet. The moment you make a decision, something else comes around the corner. RFC: Jason, how has that H-E-B partnership been for you guys? JD: I mean, we’re very fortunate that we were able to be a part of that. It certainly was a huge kick starter for us through the process to bring back people and to keep revenue going. It is a lot of work. You just can’t imagine the amount of effort that it takes to fill grocery stores because we’re not used to that scale or that scalability to be able to do that. Every day, we’ve got five cooks and two drivers. That’s six days a week. Like I said, we were very lucky and fortunate, but it is a lot of effort. That program is supposed to run through at least the end of August. We’re just going to keep trucking along. HVB: Nice, good for you. JD: Very, very fortunate. Like Bruce is saying, for Range, Range is in a hotel downtown. I have no idea when I’m going to reopen Range. I’m not going to open up to lose money, just because I’m in a hotel. If I were to try to open right now, it would instantaneously be throwing money right down the drain. There would be zero chance of real profitability with the amount of food I would have to bring in just to kick it back up, the amount of staff I would have to get going again. We will not reopen Range as the same restaurant. It’ll still be Range, but it will be a completely different concept, in a sense that I just have no faith that $40 and $50 steaks are what the general public are going to want coming out of this.
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We’re going to—I know it’s the most overused word in the industry right now—but I’m certainly going to have to pivot that kind of business model to be more casual, more approachable, much lower price point. That’s kind of our game plan. I don’t know if that’ll be July, I don’t know if that’ll be August, I don’t know if it’ll be September. We’re trying to work with the hotel and the operators there, but at the end of the day, the hotels have less than 20 percent occupancy. I just don’t see it being all that great until tourism comes back a little bit, like Bruce was saying. Who knows when the hell that’s going to be? MQ: I don’t know if it’s going to come back to normal very soon, to be honest with you. I only can see it’s going to change when they have something to prevent this virus. Then things can change back. Before that, I really don’t see it’s going to change. Especially now, we opened up like at 50 percent. I can see customers, they’re eager to go out, eager to sit, eager to sit in the dining room and eat. That I can see. I can say, ‘Oh, I’m happy to have a customer.’ On the other hand, I’m so scared. I don’t want to put everyone in danger. JD: It’s not just the virus. It’s the economy that’s going to play a big part of that too.
I know that my feeling is in San Antonio, we have a lot of fighters in this town, people that are going to dig deep. I think the communities’ support has been great. I’m not worried about it from that perspective, but there’s certainly going to be more dominoes fall before more dominoes are picked back up in a sense. That’s a whole other part of the equation. Even once things are lifted and things get back to normal, we’ll see what happens. When the extra stimulus from unemployment goes away, you’re going to see a lot more desperation in folks that maybe we haven’t even seen yet. With 40 million people unemployed and retail’s not coming back at 100 percent and obviously restaurants are currently at 50 percent, that’s the part that scares me, I think maybe even more than the virus at this point in time, is how long does it take for the economy to bounce back, regardless of what certain people in public office have to say about that. BA: I think it’s a wait and see about downtown, as Jason was saying. I’m not coming into town much, but when I do come into town, it’s just empty and so uninviting downtown. Until some groups come back in and tourists come back in, I think with Range and with Biga, we’re just in a wait and see mode. We are going to open up, figured we might as well, but not until later on (in June). JD: I was on Houston Street last week walking up and down and it was
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In late 2019, Tim Rattray closed The Granary (and his second restaurant, Fontaine’s Southern Diner & Bar, closed soon after when he filed for bankruptcy), Dady closed Shuck Shack with plans to possibly reopen on the North Side at a later date and Chef Mark Weaver shuttered his Periphery on Main. Other closings included Feast, Hawx Burger Bar, Burger Culture (the sister eatery to Southtown Pizzeria), White Elephant Coffee Co., TBD Bar + Social, Cuppencake and others.
literally a ghost town. For me, it made me even push back more than I was already on when I thought I might think about opening. (Another downtown restaurant) is opening this week. He’s taking a big risk. He knows he’s taking a big risk, but he will also be able to tell us where it stands. He told me that typically 75 percent of his business is out-of-town people and 25 percent is local. If you’re running 50 percent of your capacity with only 25 percent of the people, it’s a risk. I’m just not willing to take that risk just yet. NB: Do you feel like there’s a point where you have to say, I just have to open now? It’s inevitable. We can’t stay closed or not opening for the rest of the year? You have to get to a point where you just have to be open. JD: Yeah, I think that’s an individual conversation. I don’t think it’s something that you can blanket comment on because it’s all based off of each person’s (situation). If you own your own building, is your bank working with you? Are your landlords working with you? Are your landlords giving you a discounted rate? If you can only open at 50 percent, is your landlord expecting 100 percent of the rent? I think that if anything, it’s empowered restaurants a little bit, especially successful restaurants, to go back and negotiate a little bit of a better deal or a better situation. There’s going to be a demand for that as we crawl out of this. You are going to see a lot of people closed, you’re going to see a lot of chefs that mismanaged their money. RFC: Even before COVID happened, we were seeing a wave of restaurants closing in San Antonio. Do y’all feel like San Antonio can support a strong culinary industry? HVB: Yes, absolutely. Whenever somebody came in from out of town, they were often amazed by or didn’t expect such a cool culinary scene. We’re nothing like Austin, we won’t ever be like Austin. I don’t want us to be like Austin, but we have, all over town, some cool pockets, some cool places. I do
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think San Antonio is able to support a strong culinary industry. Also, because there’s a growing awareness of what else is out there, what else can be had, so I’m certain. In the long run, absolutely. JD: A lot of restaurants were closing pre-COVID. What does that really mean? You’re going to see a lot of restaurants close. You see a lot of big name chefs that are closing their restaurants nationally, not necessarily here in San Antonio. To me, I think I scoff at that a little bit, in a sense that those weren’t good business models to begin with; those were overspent, completely 100 percent investor-driven restaurants. The investors are basically saying, “Yeah, I’m not going to keep pouring money into this, so you might as well shut the doors now.” I know that my feeling is in San Antonio, we have a lot of fighters in this town, people that are going to dig deep. I think the communities’ support has been great. I’m not worried about it from that perspective, but there’s certainly going to be more dominoes fall before more dominoes are picked back up in a sense. BA: Rebecca, you asked earlier about innovative ideas during all this. I’m still trying to get Johnny to come up to Wimberley with his margarita truck. RFC: That was a great idea! Hinnerk, do you feel like this is going to make a lasting impact on the way students are taught at the CIA and maybe more focused on business and resiliency? HVB: Yes. That’s a very good question. It has a massive impact already. We had to change from one day to the other to an online teaching model. We closed after two weeks and then within those two weeks, we had to change. It’ll change in that we began to realize it’s actually a cool model that much of the academics can be taught as an online model to begin with. Why put more stress on the resources? Why have the students commute, some of them for an hour, to and from campus just to sit in a classroom listening to an instructor? We can do this online. That’s the first major change, which will happen over time, that more and more we will shift it to an online model.
I have to say since I’ve been here, I’ve never felt as welcome anywhere like I have in San Antonio. I love the community here. They’re very open, very engaging. To be frank, very, very helpful during this crisis.
In late May, Johnny Hernandez deployed La Gloria food trucks that would deliver margaritas, cocktails, taco kits and other snacks in a limited radius.
it’s more about the delivery of the programs that’ll change, but the program itself won’t change much. NB: I think that’s good to know, Chef, because I graduated a few years ago and I had two CIA students working for me. They looked like they were going crazy with all the changes. I just told them, you got to flow. They were used to structure; they were used to everything being by the book. I guess in these times, you can’t. You’ve got to be able to change every day. HVB: You actually bring up an interesting point. We see this now with our students, how the very strong ones, they’re strong no matter what. It’s all of a sudden now that completely different students actually shine and stand out, who before didn’t really do so well in a structured environment, but all of a sudden, they’re completely outstanding. It’s interesting how this actually changes our outlook and how it changes who is doing well and who is not. Certainly, the deck’s being shuffled left and right. RFC: Is there anything that y’all wish San Antonians knew about the restaurant industry that you don’t think they do? HVB: I see it from both sides—from the educational side and from the restaurant side. Often, what I feel, especially when you’re doing a casual business, I wish people would realize we don’t just sell food. Even in the casual business, we sell an experience. I don’t sell you a Coke or a beer, I sell you the experience of drinking a bottle of beer in my environment. I’m doing my very best to make sure you feel well about this. Of course, you pay a little more than at H-E-B for this. That is often what bothers me a little bit. In general, I have to say since I’ve been here, I’ve never felt as welcome anywhere like I have in San Antonio. I love the community here. They’re very open, very engaging. To be frank, very, very helpful during this crisis.
Now, we’re doing mainly the associate’s program in San Antonio. We’re not doing too much business. That’s happening in our main campus (in Hyde Park, New York) as part of the bachelor’s program. There’s big changes on the way. Classes will come: crisis cooking, pandemic cooking, running a business in a pandemic, what to do to survive. Yeah, there’ll be major changes, but not too much here. Here,
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33 Ali Baba International Food Market 9307 Wurzbach Road San Antonio, TX 78240 210-691-1111 alibabasanantonio.com
BA: I’m hoping that all this will change the social media aspect of restaurants, which is just ugh. Even before this, I’d already turned off my Facebook, Instagram and all that because I just couldn’t take it. Maybe people will realize that (they shouldn’t be) picking on restaurants and invalidating restaurants and comparing restaurants. All that pretentiousness. Maybe they’ll realize it’s not as important now when there’s so many other things that are important. The lack of work, the virus. I’m hoping it’ll change social media for the better, but I don’t know. I don’t know if it will. HVB: Good point. Very good point. That’s something I actually do see when I talk to the guests, that guests have become more appreciative about what we’re doing. We can only hope it’s going to stay this way. MQ: Well, not everyone. I had an angry customer two days ago, I think. I had a phone call and they ask me, “Do you deliver?” I said, “No, I’m sorry. We don’t.” Boom, hang up. HVB: We work with Uber, so there are options. MQ: There are options. I feel like from this pandemic, a lot of people actually realize how much DoorDash and Uber take, like 30 percent of your revenue. As a restaurant, 30 percent, that’s a lot of money. What is our profit margin? We all know that. It’s just like wow. I’m glad that some of the customers realize that. A lot of my customers stopped ordering from them, and they call me straight away now and say, “We’ll pick it up. I’d rather you keep that 30 percent.” I said, “Oh, thank you so much.” In this time, you will see so much good in
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Tim’s Oriental & Seafood Market 7015 Bandera Road, Ste. 8 San Antonio, TX 78238 210-523-1688 H Mart 11301 Lakeline Blvd. Austin, TX 78717 737-717-6900 hmart.com
99 Ranch Market 6929 Airport Blvd., Ste. 110 Austin, TX 78752 512-381-8899 99ranch.com Seoul Asian Market and Café 1005 Rittiman Road, Ste. 101 San Antonio, TX 78218 210-540-7908 seoulasianmarket.com South Texas Cuisine, 1301 E. Commerce St., imports high-quality Latin American and European foods, exclusively for business-to-business sales. Hung Phong Oriental Market 243 Remount Drive San Antonio, TX 78218 210-655-8448
people, but there are always people who are not. They’re like, “Why you don’t do this?” Well, I guess this is the time you see the true people. RFC: Let’s switch to some more fun topics. Tell me about your favorite places around town for takeout or to source ingredients, either for your restaurant or for cooking for your family at home. NB: My favorite family pack for my family is from Southerleigh. They give a lot of food and it’s real good. I like that they were changing the menu, so I’ve done a lot of orders from Southerleigh. MQ: I have to say we’re really bad because since this happened, I know we didn’t even order any food from any restaurant. We just cook at home a lot. HVB: Yeah, I was confined to home anyways, so I make dinner. MQ: Yeah, we’re just cooking at home. Every day, pretty much every day. The first meal we have outside this house—guess who? I’m so sorry. It’s Whataburger. I said, “Man, we’re so bad. We didn’t support anyone, but we had Whataburger.” HVB: Somewhat local. When it comes to sourcing good food, what I really enjoy is we often go to Ali Baba on Wurzbach and I-10. I really enjoy going there. We go, oftentimes, to Tim’s Seafood on Huebner and Bandera. They deliver to Ming actually a lot. We drive to Austin. They have a bigger H Mart, the bigger Asian stores. MQ: 99 Ranch. I’m going to take the chance to go now because the traffic is not that bad to Austin. KP: Are there farms or ranches or vendors at the farmers market that y’all rely on? MQ: We used to get lots and lots of vegetables from farmers and the farmers market. Right now, it being closed, we’re not able to get anything from the farmers. Every Saturday and Sunday, when the Pearl Farmers Market is over, we (would) do trading. We give them some food, they give us some vegetables. We just go through whatever they have leftover. We trade or pay the minimum they want. Right now, we don’t really have none. Also, with a lot of shortages, like pork is short and the beef, it’s crazy. The pork belly, I feel like oh, my god. I need to make a phone call almost every day. Do you have pork belly? Do you have this? Do you have that? It’s a challenge right now. JD: Yeah, Ali Baba is amazing. I think that’s probably my No. 1 store. I love Seoul Market too, over off of Rittiman and Wurzbach. MQ: Yeah, Seoul Market. I love their roti bread. JD: I do a lot of sourcing through Julie at South Texas Cuisine, a lot of specialty kinds of things. Those are the vendors that are incredibly important. They’re small, they’re independent. They understand the fabric of what we’re trying to do of building and continuing to grow the food culture of San Antonio for sure. HVB: Perhaps one place I should mention: It’s an Asian store called Hung Phong. It’s on Remount. The neighborhood’s a little shabby, the shop looks a little like back from the ’60s, but every Thursday when they get fresh produce, it’s like you’re in Saigon somewhere. It’s crazy. Love that place. On a Thursday morning when they get fresh produce out of Houston, it is phenomenal. BA: Talking about that place, I started going there I think 30 years ago. We still go there once a week and it’s still the same people. HVB: Yeah, it hasn’t changed. BA: The children have taken over from the parents. It’s pretty cool. RFC: When you’re doing your weekly home grocery shopping at H-E-B or Central Market, what’s always on your list? HVB: I’m German. Cold cuts. We get cold cuts all the time, liverwurst. Yeah, we buy produce there too, I guess.
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MQ: Yeah. Fruits and daily shopping at H-E-B, Central Market. I like their salami, one I like very much but only Central Market has it and H-E-B at Alon. BA: Well, I hate shopping no matter what. The only kind of shopping I like is thrift shopping. Debra does all the shopping. She goes to the Central Market or Whole Foods, seems to buy the most expensive things she can find. Then she comes home and we try to make dinner with them. It’s great. NB: We buy a lot of milk, ramen and drinks. My stepson is 17 and he’s been home schooled for the last three months, so we go through a lot of ramen. HVB: We always have our emergency stash of ramen here. NB: Yeah, anywhere I can find ramen, I have Tim’s on speed dial. “Did y’all get your ramen shipment yet because my son is eating us out of ramen.” HVB: At 17, I can believe so. JD: That’s funny. NB: Can I say something? Chef Jason Dady, what you did at the beginning of the pandemic was amazing. For the (unemployed hospitality) workers—coming through and feeding them, that was above and beyond. It was extreme selfless service. You didn’t have to do that. I just want to say thank you because that really showed the heart of the chefs here in San Antonio. You stepped out in the forefront and did that. I really appreciated you doing that. BA: Yeah. JD: Thank you. HVB: Yes, I second that. MQ: Yeah, very nice. JD: Thank you. It had to be done. For me, I think the most important thing with that situation was I had just laid off 220 employees. I wanted our staff to know that we were going to do as much as we possibly could. This was pre-stimulus where nobody knew what the hell was going on and how they were going to get paid. It turned out that,
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Within 10 days of restaurants being ordered to close for dine-in service, Jason Dady had partnered with Culinaria to open the HospitALLity House using his space at Alamo BBQ Co. For over seven weeks, they offered free meals and then take-home food to any hospitality worker who had been laid off.
Rodriguez Butcher Supply 1715 W. Commerce St. San Antonio, TX 78207 210-223-6131 homebutcher.com
pretty quickly, we were able to raise some money for it. Not only were we doing hot meals every day, lunch and dinner, but then that morphed into meal kits so we could send them home. I was sending home literally a 10-pound pack of spaghetti, a tin can of tomatoes, a deli of Parmesan and 3 pounds of hamburger. Just saying, “Hey, here’s dinner for two or three nights.” It was hard. It was hard to see the fear on people’s faces and really be faced with the grim reality of what was going on at that time. It was a unique experience for sure. You also, just like you said, it was really about you not fighting the hospitality industry. We had literally people from every walk of life, every part of San Antonio, from servers to housekeepers to dishwashers to hotel maintenance workers. Anybody that needed something, we just wanted to make sure that we were there. I’m not very good at not doing anything, so it kept me very busy, but it was also for obviously a great cause. There were a lot of people that helped make it happen. I would say that I might have the long hair, but there were many, many, many people that made it happen. I can’t really take too much credit, other than just trying to grind it out and be helpful. Next question. RFC: Tell me, each of you, what your favorite kitchen tool is. NB: My knife. RFC: What kind of a knife? NB: I have a knife that I got made. It’s an 8-inch kitchen chef knife that I got made at Rodriguez Butcher Supply. It’s like my favorite thing in the world and I paid a lot for it. JD: I think, for me, I just like a really good nonstick pan. I think it makes cooking at home really easy and easy to clean up. You can do so many different things in it, so I think that’s what I’ve morphed into. I know you asked earlier, where have you eaten out? I cooked at home, I think, 30 days in a row or close to 30 days in a row for dinner, which I obviously have never done in my life. I kind of pulled my kids into that part of it. We had so much fun. It just brought us together as a family. Man, I used the hell out of that nonstick pan almost every single night. RFC: I feel like I don't hear a lot of chefs talk about nonstick pans. It always felt like something that was maybe not “chefy” enough. JD: I agree completely. I think there’s a weird unwritten rule and taboo. These gray hairs—gray hair, don’t care. RFC: Yeah, I love mine. HVB: They’re versatile. I like them. I like the nonstick skillets. For me, I don’t know. Of course, the tool I work mostly with is a knife. I enjoy working with a good knife. Is it my favorite tool? No. I can’t take it for granted, it’s there in the drawer. I keep them sharp, I maintain them. Fun tools to work with? I like my microplane to play around with. I like to play around with a blender or a food processor. I can do cool things for that. Just like Jason, I’ve never had that much time to cook. I cook dinner every day (now); Ming was busy with the noodle bar and everything and opening the new place. I made dinner almost every day. Like Jason said, that hardly happens. We rediscovered my kitchen, but now our daughter’s in college so she’s
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not here anymore. I rediscovered my kitchen a little bit and had good fun playing around, but also learning something. When I have a chance, I like to play with the microplane. It’s a cool gadget. BA: One of my favorites, which again like Jason’s nonstick, it’s not something you’d usually hear from a chef, but the Instant Pot. I hate being inside, I hate spending two hours making a meal, so the Instant Pot is great. You put it together, come back in and it’s ready. It’s amazing what you can do in that thing. HVB: It’s a cool gadget. I’ve been working with this for a recipe development gig. It’s a cool gadget. BA: Oh, yeah? Send me some. HVB: But I like to touch the food. For me, I enjoy a thing in the kitchen. MQ: Yeah. What is mine? HVB: I don’t know? Your wok. MQ: Yeah. Yeah, I guess. Whenever I do stir fry—guess what? I have two woks. One is nonstick, one is stainless steel. Guess which one I use the most? Nonstick. It’s just so easy. I don’t have to heat the pan really, really, really hot. Like Jason said, it’s really easy to clean. I guess at home, I think I prefer nonstick pan. Yeah, my wok. Yes. HVB: Rebecca, what’s your favorite toy in the kitchen? RFC: Mine? Gosh. The thing I use the most is my nonstick skillet. That’s pretty much every night, my dinner is in there. KP: Do you all have customers that ask you things like that—about which knife or what they should be using at home? MQ: Well, not really a knife. They will ask what is your favorite dish on your menu? I say, “Oh, my God. Don’t ask me. Everything on the menu.” That’s the most question I get asked. NB: People always ask me for my jerk seasoning recipe. Like, no. HVB: No, that’s your thing. You can’t. When I walk over at the Pearl, the questions come all the time. I find it a little annoying sometimes. “Oh, you’re a chef?” I say, “Yeah, the uniform.” “So what’s your specialty?” “Food.” Of course, I’m more polite about it, but I’m a little annoyed by this. You can’t really afford to specialize these days. We have to be, not a jack of all trades, but a little more broad spectrum than focusing on one thing only. RFC: Anything else y’all want to add before we wrap up? JD: I think it’s just important to remind the readers how important it is to, on any level, on any scale, to support their local restaurants as much as possible. It’s kind of a gray area not to tell people to eat at chains or eat at corporate restaurants. The reality of it is that money goes to other cities. When you’re eating at those restaurants, that money is going to Houston or it’s going to Dallas or it’s going to Atlanta. It sure would be nice for our community and our food community to keep that money here in San Antonio, which would make a huge difference. It really does. HVB: Yeah, I agree with this. Also, to maintain the culture of the city. Otherwise, if there’s only franchise restaurants, then you might as well be in Atlanta, not San Antonio, if it’s all going to be the same. To maintain the culinary culture, the culinary uniqueness of San Antonio, it’s important that local restaurants need support, especially in these days. We just need it. JD: And even if it’s takeout. MQ: Yeah. Actually, yeah, we do a lot of takeout. The customers who support San Antonio restaurants, local restaurants, they support us so
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much. (Up to now during COVID) we just do takeout, we don’t really do dine in. Right now, we do where you can sit on the patio, but still only 50 percent. Our revenue, we’ve reached like 70 percent. HVB: Starting off at like 20 percent. MQ: Yeah, just takeout food. Through this pandemic, there are so many customers that find us. They said, “Oh, yeah. I wanted to try your restaurant all the time, but I never come. I’m so sorry. I’m going to try takeout.” I got so many new customers through this business. HVB: Yeah, it’s safe to say I feel blessed with this community. I feel blessed. It’s a cool community and I’ve really enjoyed it. Let’s hope they continue to support what we’re doing. NB: I can agree with that. We’ve had a ton of support at The Jerk Shack. We’re kind of like on an island, on the West Side, and people have come out from far. They’ve ordered big orders. We got a lot of support from the businesses that were opening downtown. They did catering orders and stuff. I think all of that should be highlighted as well. JD: Absolutely. RFC: Great. Well, thank you all so much for taking time. This was a really interesting and engaging conversation, so I really appreciate it.
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the food issue
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THE FAMILY BEHIND PEELER FARMS OVERSEES THE PRODUCTION OF THEIR BEEF FROM THE DAY THEIR CALVES ARE BORN UNTIL THE MOMENT THEIR BEEF IS SOLD TO RESTAURANTS OR HOME CHEFS
b y J U L I a C e l E sT E
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COURTESY PEELER FARMS
The
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visit the farm
h
COURTESY PEELER FARMS
undreds of sleek Wagyu cattle, lively goats, curious sheep, sturdy working horses and docile water buffalo roam the roughly 3,000 acres of lush land at Peeler Farms, located just south of Floresville. Marianna Peeler became the face of the ranch about 10 years ago when she began selling the family’s eggs and chickens at the Pearl Farmers Market. “The kids were little and they’d help gather the eggs, round up the chickens, and then they’d come with me to the market on the weekend,” she recalls. “Everyone watched them grow up. But once they hit high school, they got busy and I wanted to be a mom, not a chicken wrangler.” At 19, 21, 23 and 24, the “kids” are no longer kids. Two of them are studying agricultural science, and all remain active in the family business when they’re home from school. And while chickens is what they were once known for, beef is what the Peeler family has been dedicated to for generations and is what they shifted their primary focus to as the children got older. Jason Peeler, Marianna’s husband, comes from a cattle ranching family with roots running back to 1882 when his great-great-great grandfather first
The working farm and ranch extends an open invitation to customers and those simply wanting to learn about their operation. This summer, guests who visit on open farm days can cut their own flowers as well as purchase eggs and meat. Follow their Facebook page for updates on open days or call for a reservation. “We love giving tours. Just please set up an appointment first,” Marianna say. “Even though someone’s always here, we’re all pretty busy.”
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what is Wagyu?
raised registered longhorns. Jason’s dad, Justin, still owns and operates the family’s venerable A.M. Peeler Ranch in Atascosa County. Marianna, on the other hand, grew up in Arlington, where her dad was an FBI agent. After he retired, he went to work in security for the NFL, surrounded by friends from his TCU football glory days. “My childhood was all about sports and football, not farming or ranching,” Marianna says. She went to Texas A&M University, where she earned a degree in elementary education and met Jason, the “handsome ranching man” who would become her husband. Eventually the couple settled into married life on land outside Floresville and began their ranching business. Jason and Marianna are deeply devoted to the land and the animals it serves. Jason often jokes that he’s a grass farmer, because the grass and hay fields are the foundation of everything they do. The herds, wrangled by six to 10 mounted cowboys, move from field to field to graze, a land management practice that maintains a healthy ecosystem. “If we don’t take care of the land, it can’t take care of us,” Marianna says. Peeler Farms raises two pure breeds of USDA certified Wagyu, Japanese beef cattle that produce well-marbled meat with a rich flavor and satisfying chew. All of the cattle are born on the stress-free Peeler Farm, raised in
COURTESY PEELER FARMS
Wagyu beef is the overarching name for Japanese breeds of cattle. There are only two Wagyu breeds in the U.S., black and red/brown (also known as Akaushi). The quality of the meat is heralded for its high amount of the omega-6 fatty acid CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid. Wagyu contains 30 percent more CLA than other beef breeds. In addition, the saturated fat in Wagyu beef contains a high percentage of stearic acid, which only minimally raises cholesterol levels. Wagyu is not Kobe nor is it American-style Kobe, which is most often a cross of Japanese and American cattle breeds. Peeler cattle is 100 percent pure Japanese breeds, not cross-bred with any others.
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purchase their Beef Email orders@ peelerfarms.com for a current price sheet and to place an order or visit peelerfarms. com for more information. Home delivery is available for San Antonio customers and orders can be shipped almost anywhere. On a recent price sheet, 80/20 blend ground beef was $8/pound; a 2-pound package of kabob meat was $20; a 1– 1.3-pound center cut sirloin steak was $13, and a boneless 1 – 1.2-pound ribeye was listed at $41. There are also bones, marrow bones, oxtails, and a host of other cuts available.
COURTESY PEELER FARMS
the family-owned pastures, fed a vegetarian diet of grass, and not exposed to antibiotics or hormones. “Some years ago, we realized we had to travel too far with the cattle to a processing center. So, we set up a small custom facility in Poth with Dustin Dean, a meat scientist,” Marianna says. That gives Peeler Farms 100 percent ownership, from the day the calves are born through their maturity, then through the harvesting, grading and butchering process, all the way to the final sale of the meat. The Peelers only harvest enough cattle to fill the weekly demands of their buyers. The pandemic changed the dynamics of the ordering system, though. “(Previously) about 90 percent of our weekly sales were whole or half carcasses sold to restaurants, where the chefs broke them down into the cuts they needed. Since the middle of March when restaurants cut back on their orders, we’ve focused more on individual cuts for direct sales to consumers,” Mariana says. That pivot helped Peeler avoid layoffs or pay cuts during the height of the pandemic’s impact on the restaurant industry. Coincidentally, about three months prior to the pandemic, the Peelers hired their first full-time staff butcher, Julia Poplawsky. “She’s a chef and a butcher, so she has really been instrumental in knowing the popular retail cuts people want and understands what chefs want too,” Marianna says. Along with Dean, the Peelers’ opened their first retail meat market this summer in a temporary space in Floresville. The permanent location, which will also feature a custom processing plant, will be in nearby Poth. “It’s a little shop right now, but there’s plenty of land. We’re going to add a smokehouse and should be open by the end of the year,” Marianna says. When her sheep are ready, the cases will be stocked with a variety of lamb cuts too. In San Antonio, the Peelers distribute directly to restaurants and customers for now since Pearl Farmers Market has filled their quota of beef vendors. Marianna has been a regular fixture at the Downtown Austin Farmer’s Market and has just begun selling at the Wednesday Dripping Springs market, as well. Locals will also see Peeler Farms listed as a source on many San Antonio restaurant menus, including Supper at Hotel Emma, Cured at Pearl, The
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why water buffalo milk?
COURTESY PEELER FARMS
Water buffalo milk is considered the most nutritious non-plant milk for human consumption. It is less allergenic than cow’s milk and it has twice the amount of protein and calcium, plus half the cholesterol and 40 percent more nutrients than cow’s milk.
Cookhouse, Sanchos, The Bread Box and Dignowity Meats. Chef John Russ, of Clementine, is also a loyal customer. “I sourced chickens from Marianna at a different restaurant years ago. That chicken was above and beyond anything I had ever had. When we were getting ready to open Clementine, we tasted beef from a lot of purveyors and ranchers,” he says. “The quality of Peeler’s beef was as good or better than anyone else’s so it made perfect sense to work with a community partner I already knew, who we run into at church and who has always been a great supporter of the San Antonio restaurant community.” Russ is particularly fond of Peeler’s NY Strip steaks. “Pound-forpound, dollar-for-dollar, it’s the best beef we can serve our guests,” he says. Now, about those water buffalo: The Peelers are raising the bovines for their milk, partnering with entrepreneur Phil Giglio who uses the “white gold” in his buffalo mozzarella and gelato business in Blanco. Reported to be the largest herd of water buffalo in the state, the gentle giants are milked in Peeler Farms’ on-site milking parlor. “We’re really taking a back seat on this. The herd has spent the last four or five years having babies and now there are about 400 of them,” Marianna says. Whatever the venture, the Peelers are known in the industry for their integrity. “We do what we say we do,” Marianna says. “This is a lifestyle—not a job—all day, every day. It is truly our passion.” That’s why she thinks of chefs as kindred spirits. “We get each other,” she says. “They’re passionate about their lifestyle too, spending all day every day thinking about their craft. We appreciate and support that in each other. I’m proud to call so many of them our friends.”
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The Food Issue
THE MAKING OF H-E-B, SAN ANTONIO'S TEXAS' THE GREATEST GROCERY STORE HOW THE SAN ANTONIO SUPERMARKET CHAIN FOUND SUCCESS AND A LOYAL FAN BASE DURING ITS 115-YEAR HISTORY—AND WHERE IT GOES FROM HERE
By Kathleen Petty
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SINCE MID-MARCH, THE SAN ANTONIO TODDLER’S PARENTS,
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: DAVID G. LOYOLA; TROPHY: TRIDKOT/PIXELSQUID.COM; BASKET: ECLEPOSS/PIXELSQUID.COM; ARIA PLATA: COURTESY LORI PLATA
Y
Tantrums from 2-year-olds are about as common as 90-degree days in August, but the reason for Aria Plata’s fit this summer was more than a little unique: She missed visiting her neighborhood H-E-B. Lori and Eric Plata, had been leaving her at home whenever one of them visited the grocery store due to concerns over COVID-19. When Lori returned home in June with a handful of plastic bags stamped with that red H-E-B emblem, Aria started wailing, saying between her sobs that she wanted to go to the store, too. Her reaction may involve a few more tears than adult H-E-B superfans who’ve been separated from their favorite retailer, but the underlying sentiments are the same. H-E-B staff say they regularly receive requests from former Texans to bring H-E-Bs to their new hometowns and there are entire Reddit threads dedicated to former H-E-B shoppers looking for similar products in their new cities. “Nothing compares,” wrote one Reddit user in reply to another’s query about finding tortillas like the ones H-E-B makes in-store. “As someone who has been in Denver for a decade, I still miss H-E-B every single time I go to buy groceries.” The San Antonio–based grocer that now has over 400 locations in Texas and Mexico started 115 years ago as a small store in Kerrville known as C.C. Butt Grocer. Founder Florence Butt (who named the store after her husband, Clarence Charles Butt, a pharmacist whose tuberculosis diagnosis originally brought the family to Texas in search of a temperate climate) turned the business over to her youngest son, Howard E. Butt, in the 1920s, and he led the store’s initial expansion, first with locations in Del Rio and Laredo and by 1940 with three stores in San Antonio. “We often joke about it because H-E-B opened in 1905 as a cash-and-carry store so we were delivering groceries long before delivering groceries was cool,” says Dya Campos, director of governmental and public affairs, who’s been with the company 14 years, a tenure she describes as relatively short compared to many of her peers. Greg Souquette, the senior vice president of the San Antonio region who started by working in the deli in Uvalde, just celebrated
50 years with H-E-B and Idell Bean recently retired after 52 years serving in the store on W.W. White Road. Grocery stores have always been a staple in people’s lives but that’s perhaps never been more prevalent than over the last several months as individuals hunkered down to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and began cooking more at home. “The grocery industry is now in the forefront of people’s needs,” says Lewis Shaye, president of the market and restaurant consulting firm Grocerant Design Group and the former chief concept officer at Taco Cabana (and a regular at H-E-B). “Before, people were taking it for granted. Now, it’s vital and it’s necessary for life even more than it was before.” PLANNING AHEAD H-E-B’s ability to respond during times of disaster—whether a hurricane or a pandemic—began as far back as the mid-1930s when it opened its own canning plant, Campos says. It now has 13 manufacturing facilities, including a milk plant in San Antonio that’s the largest in the state and one of the biggest producers of organic milk in the entire Southwest. Its bakery in Houston produces an average of 750 buns and 153 loaves of bread each minute. Those facilities combined with the Texas-based producers with whom H-E-B works means that when a crisis hits, they’re still able to put food on their shelves. “The ability to manufacture food and produce food locally here in Texas is really important for Texans,” Campos says. “What customers may not be able to see all day is how much work it takes to get product to the shelf.” That’s why in March, H-E-B implemented shorter store hours to allow staff more time for restocking as well as purchasing limits on dozens of items, but it didn’t take long for them to adjust and meet customer demand. By June, hours had returned to near normal and the number of products with purchasing limits had declined.
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annual sales. (In 2020 it ranked No. 11 with $28 billion reported in revenue, according to Forbes). Just this year, H-E-B beat out Trader Joe’s, Costco, Publix and Walmart to come in at No. 1 on a list of top U.S. grocery retailers based on an annual consumer survey by Dunnhumby, which evaluates over 60 stores nationwide. In San Antonio, Walmart has remained a competitor in groceries and Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Natural Grocer have entered the market in recent decades, but experts say H-E-B still holds an unusual market share. “Kroger and Albertsons are very good, but H-E-B is the local player,” says Shaye, mentioning its reputation for offering good value. “It’s hard to compete. In the supermarket business, you get a good following by having good store-level management and good store-level execution, which is where you’re creating relationships with visitors. They do those things.” Scott Benedict, director and executive professor at the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University, who spent much of his career with Walmart’s corporate office, says dominating a market isn’t totally unheard of. Publix has done that in Florida. Wegmans in the Northeast is another example. “Is there precedent for that type of market success? Yes. But it’s still somewhat rare, so to be able to take on that caliber of competition and still be as successful as they are is impressive,” he says.
COURTESY H-E-B
That was due in part to the company’s emergency operations arm, which ran for over 100 consecutive days, says Julie Bedingfield, public affairs manager and one of the team members who responded to the Gulf Coast with meals and supplies when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017. “COVID-19 is obviously different than a hurricane but the infrastructure is set up to evolve and respond to disasters as they change,” she says, adding that planning for something like COVID19 started years ago. And while H-E-B is now widely known as a San Antonio–based company, it wasn’t until 1985 that the corporation moved its headquarters, which were then in Corpus Christi, to the former U.S. Arsenal along the San Antonio River near downtown. “San Antonio is home and San Antonio just kind of mirrors the culture of H-E-B,” Campos says. “The very warm culture and the foodie culture here. I think that matches H-E-B’s passion for food.” Between San Antonio, New Braunfels and Boerne, H-E-B has over 50 stores plus a Central Market near Alamo Heights. When it moved its corporate staff to San Antonio, Kroger still competed in the local market, but by 1993 it closed its San Antonio stores. Albertsons followed in 2002, shuttering its last 20 locations in the Alamo City (one of which is now a YMCA). By 2003, Forbes ranked H-E-B 10th in the nation among privately held companies based on its $11 billion in
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H-E-B Through the Years 1905
Florence Butt invests $60 to open C.C. Butt Grocery Store in Kerrville.
BUILDING A BRAND Benedict and Shaye say several factors weigh into the loyalty H-E-B has been able to build among its customers, who can in many cases be just as accurately described as ardent fans. The first piece of its success comes down to knowing their customers—and H-E-B does. They not only understand that Texans value Texas products, but they also cater to customers’ needs depending on the city or neighborhood they’re in, merchandising each location based on its shoppers. “They carry high quality products, they have an incredible private brands program, they run very efficient, high-caliber stores—they’re always clean and well merchandised,” Benedict says. “They understand their customer, which is tough for retailers to master.” Some of those Texas products are part of the H-E-B brand, which was introduced in the 1990s and has grown to include nearly 12,000 products since. Campos says they focus on Texas flavors in those offerings, like corn tortilla chips made with Texas corn and shaped like the state of Texas or Creamy Creations strawberry ice cream made with Poteet strawberries each spring. “Texans want Texas products and that’s what we’re committed to give them,” Campos says. That commitment extends from the products’
1920s 1940
The first three H-E-B stores in San Antonio open. This is also the year it adds air conditioning to some of its stores and begins selling frozen food.
1976
H-E-B opens its milk plant in San Antonio, the largest milk plant in the state. H-E-B also operates Texas’ largest bread bakery, which opened in 2004.
1994
H-E-B opens its first Central Market in Austin. San Antonio’s Central Market opened three years later in 1997; there are now nine locations in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
2002
The company opens its Quality Assurance Lab, becoming the first retailer in the U.S. to conduct “extensive safety testing” on ground beef and produce items.
2006
The company’s first Mi Tienda store, which focuses on Latino products, opens in Houston.
2014
The first True Texas BBQ opens at H-E-B in Pleasanton. There are now 12 restaurants, including two in San Antonio.
2020
After months of a temporary pandemic pay raise for its hourly store, manufacturing, warehouse and transportation employees, H-E-B announces in late June a “permanent investment” for those workers (“partners” in H-E-B lingo) that represents the largest pay increase in the company’s history.
Howard E. Butt, Florence’s son, takes over the store and opens a Butt Grocery Company store in Del Rio and Laredo.
1950s
H-E-B debuts what it describes as its first supermarket—a store with a butcher, bakery, fish market and pharmacy all in one facility.
1985
H-E-B moves its corporate headquarters from Corpus Christi to San Antonio.
1997
H-E-B expands to Mexico with a store in Monterrey.
2000
H-E-Buddy is born.
2001
H-E-B expands into Houston.
2004
H-E-B teams up with the Spurs to create commercials that feature players from the team enjoying H-E-B products.
2008
H-E-B reports annual sales of over $15 billion across its 307 stores. It now employs more than 71,000 people and is Texas’ largest privately held company.
2017
Hurricane Harvey hits the Gulf Coast and H-E-B responds with millions of dollars in donations plus the distribution of 50,000 meals, water, ice and more.
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“Giving back is deeply ingrained and is something that is just an expectation of working at H-E-B,” she says, explaining that the company's philanthropy includes donations of time, money or food. During COVID-19 alone, H-E-B donated $3 million to support local organizations. When Hurricane Harvey hit, it was H-E-B trucks that Gulf Coast residents saw driving in as everyone else was fleeing. The company donated thousands of meals, water bottles and bags of ice plus over $3 million to relief efforts then. Locally, it’s rare to attend a city-sponsored event or 5K fundraiser that H-E-B’s not involved with at some level. Even if those moves are purely altruistic, they’ve gone a long way in gaining H-E-B fans. “You see a number of retailers who have realized the importance of being involved in their local communities,” Benedict says. “That’s particularly important in the grocery space because that’s an area where once a habit is established, getting someone to change retailers is pretty difficult. So that relationship with the customer and how they perceive you is just as important as the items you have in stock.”
COURTESY H-E-B
development to its label and branding. H-E-B employs product developers, a package design and review team and in-house photographers, graphic designers and writers to make sure every detail of an in-house product is done just right. “We have teams of product developers who really search the state, search the nation, search the globe for very unique flavors,” Campos says. “Sometimes it takes years to figure those out. We obsess over everything.” Shaye says that development process seems to have carried over into H-E-B’s ready-to-heat Meal Simple program, which has grown in the last year and during COVID-19 even expanded to included dishes made by local restaurants. The ready-to-heat meals and in-store restaurants, like True Texas BBQ and South Flo Pizza, are elements that grocers are increasingly working to grow and are spaces where H-E-B seems to have already found its footing, he says. Outside of its own brand, Campos says H-E-B brings products created by small Texas businesses into its stores through its Quest for Texas Best competition, which has resulted in shelf space for San Antonio companies such as Wildway, Grain4Grain and Humble House Sauces. The company also has embedded itself into the community by giving back, a tradition Campos says started with Florence Butt.
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Local Favorites Butter Tortillas
Made fresh in the store, the butter version of H-E-B’s flour tortillas are delicious enough to devour plain and even inspired an article in Bon Appetit earlier this year about why they’re “so dang good.”
Café Ole
Try the Taste of San Antonio, a medium roast coffee, or take a tour of Texas with the Houston Blend, Texas Pecan, Taste of Austin and Taste of the Hill Country.
Creamy Creations
Its seasonal Strawberry Ice Cream is made with fresh Poteet strawberries. If you missed this year’s batch, opt for 1905 Vanilla, which is named for the store’s founding year and made with bourbon vanilla.
LOOKING AHEAD Benedict says that across the industry, grocers have been slow to move into the e-commerce market, but H-E-B has been a leader there. It acquired Austin’s Favor, an app-based delivery service, in 2018 and has continued to invest in its own apps—both moves that have paid off during COVID-19. “H-E-B’s decision to invest in those things meant they were ready when the customer was willing to go there,” he says. “When this is all over and there’s a vaccine, a lot of people will still shop at H-E-B digitally because they’ve gotten used to it.” Campos says having Favor meant during COVID-19, they were able to quickly begin offering grocery delivery for seniors, an at-risk population. Others have begun relying more heavily on curbside pickup, which has been free if booked more than a day in advance. In 2019, e-commerce made up about 6 percent of grocery industry sales, but in recent months it has grown to 24 percent, according to a report by analytics firm Escalent. It’s a trend that Shaye says companies can expect to continue. “H-E-B has been able to take care of their customers in a way that maybe others haven’t been able to do multidimensionally,” Shaye says. There are still improvements to be made. Campos says they’re working to evolve their apps so that customers who shop online can “find interesting products they may not have on their grocery list” just like they do when in a store. “We are a great digital retailer and we will continue to improve in becoming the best digital retailer,” she says. Will its continued growth mean those forlorn shoppers in other states may soon see H-E-B in their own neighborhood? Not likely. Campos responds to questions about expansion by saying only that H-E-B still considers Houston its emerging market and is growing there, most recently through a new store in Richmond. A location also opened this summer in South Austin, boasting many of the company’s latest in-store amenities, from an expanded “Texas Backyard” department to its first-ever indoor children’s play area. It’s a play area that Aria Plata would no doubt enjoy. She still wasn’t allowed to accompany mom back to H-E-B over the summer as COVID-19 cases surged locally, but Lori Plata came up with the next best thing. She ordered a play checkout stand online and customized it to mirror the ones they see at H-E-B, complete with their signature yellow coupons and red logos. She even added a photo of Aria to a frame naming her H-E-B employee of the month.
H-E-B Corn Chips
Extra points if you can find the ones shaped like Texas.
Humble House Sauce
We love the Ancho & Morita Smokey Sauce made by San Antonio’s Luis and Marsha Morales. They also offer a Guajillo & Red Jalapeno plus a Habanero & Aji Amarillo Sauce.
Meal Simple
The store has plenty of made-in-house easy meals, ready to pop in your oven or microwave—from healthy salmon and asparagus to jumbo coconut shrimp with spicy sesame noodles. Through at least this month, they’re also offering ready-to-heat meals from restaurants like Tre Trattoria, Rosario’s and Max & Louie’s New York Diner.
Texas Wine
H-E-B is the No. 1 wine retailer in the state, which means they put plenty of care into training sommeliers who stock their shelves with wines from Texas and around the world and who are on-site to answer questions for customers. You can’t go wrong with a bottle from Stonewall’s Becker Vineyards.
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AN INEQUITABLE TABLE
AT
THE INCREASED NEED FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS A STARK REMINDER OF THE POVERTY AND ECONOMIC DISPARITY THAT ALREADY EXISTED IN SAN ANTONIO BY KATHLEEN PETTY
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a San Antonio Food Bank distribution held earlier this summer at Northside ISD, president and CEO Eric Cooper walked down the line of cars waiting their turn for a box of food. He’d stop to wave at families, letting them know they were thinking of them. Sometimes he was met with a fist bump through the car window. Other times, parents would roll down their windows with profuse thanks for the food they were about to receive. Many had never needed to ask for help before and they wanted him to know that a lifeline was being provided. Partway down the line, he stopped in front of a car with a single woman inside. She began effusively waving her arms, encouraging him to back away. Curious, he kept looking through her windshield, trying to figure out what had happened. She pointed to herself, put her fingers together into a plus sign and waved him away again, indicating that she had COVID-19. That same week, one of Cooper’s own family members in another state had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and he’d had meals delivered to them to help nourish them as they recovered. This woman, he thought, didn’t have someone like that. “She’s struggling with this virus, but she’s desperate for food,” says Cooper, adding that volunteers placed food into her trunk without ever coming in contact with her. “It has just been humbling. Those sacrifices, those realities,
COURTESY SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK
The Food Issue
7/2/20 8:58 AM
VOLUNTEER: COURTESY SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK; DELIVERY: COURTESY MEALS ON WHEELS SAN ANTONIO
those situations that this crisis has made evident.” Just a few weeks into the pandemic this spring, the San Antonio Food Bank saw the need for food in its 16-county service area double as they went from feeding nearly 60,000 individuals per week to about 120,000. That number dipped slightly when stimulus checks arrived and as they were able to help seniors and families renew their SNAP benefits. But overall, Cooper and the team at the San Antonio Food Bank expect to see an increased need for another year or more. “I think that’s going to take time,” Cooper says. “It’s not a few weeks or months—I think it’s a few years we’ll be at this level of demand and we’re going to work to meet it. We’re not going anywhere.” COVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts on the economy, public health, education and healthcare. In San Antonio, it has also been a stark reminder of just how close to poverty many families and individuals have long been living. Census data released in 2019 showed the San Antonio metropolitan area, which includes New Braunfels, had the highest rate of poverty in the nation among the country’s 25 largest metro areas at about 15.4 percent. Within San Antonio’s city limits, the poverty rate is 20 percent. Mayor Ron Nirenberg in his State of the City address in June said the pandemic made clear the “fault lines” of inequity that already existed in the city. “COVID-19 has moved the ground beneath our feet. It’s changing our landscape, shifting our immediate needs and further exposing long-term problems that have too often plagued us,” he said. While Nirenberg said he was heartened to see the community step up to meet the increased needs the community has experienced, he also said locals must not overlook the fact that food insecurity was a problem before the pandemic. “In our zeal to return to normalcy, we cannot forget that the San Antonio Food Bank was already feeding 60,000 people a week before the pandemic,” he said. “This is unacceptable.” Along with food insecurity, Nirenberg said COVID-19 made apparent disparities in education attainment, internet access and financial security as more and more families struggled to pay rent or put food on the table. Data from a 2019 Texas Appleseed report shows that San Antonio families have lower median credit scores, higher delinquent debts and more limited savings compared with the rest of the country. Hispanic and Black residents also reported those things at higher rates. (Among Hispanics, the poverty rate is 19.22 percent for the metro area and among Black residents it’s 16.9 percent. Non-Hispanic whites report a poverty rate of just 9.5 percent, according to Census data.) The report also showed that poverty exists most frequently in pockets in San Antonio, including in zip codes like 78207, 78211, 78208 and 78202 on the city’s East, West and South Sides. Children born into the lowest income bracket in those neighborhoods tend to remain in the low-income bracket as adults, the report states. Along with serving those in poverty, Cooper says the San Antonio Food Bank has increasingly found itself serving those who were living at just above the poverty line before COVID-19. When they lost jobs or had hours cut, particularly in the city’s hospitality industry that employs one in seven San Antonians, their savings couldn’t sustain them for more than a week or two. The food bank is not alone in responding to greater need. At Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to homebound
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BY THE NUMBERS $6 MILLION
IN FUNDS AND FOOD ARE NEEDED WEEKLY BY THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK TO MEET THE CURRENT NEEDS OF ITS SERVICE AREA.
17 MILLION
POUNDS OF FOOD WERE DISTRIBUTED IN MAY.
33,500 CARS
WERE PROVIDED FOOD AT DRIVE-THRU DISTRIBUTIONS IN MAY.
26,000 HOURS
WERE WORKED BY SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK VOLUNTEERS IN MAY.
60 PERCENT
MORE THAN OF DONATIONS MADE TO THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK COME FROM INDIVIDUALS.
$1
HELPS TO PROVIDE SEVEN MEALS TO THOSE IN NEED.
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seniors, CEO Vinsen Faris says they added about 1,000 new clients between mid-March and the end of June, a steep increase from what they normally see. For the safety of clients and volunteers, they shifted from daily hot meal deliveries to twice-weekly deliveries that included three chilled meals. Faris says the community’s generosity has matched the need. Along with increased donations, they also partnered with chef Johnny Hernandez and Chow Train to create many of those extra meals since Meals on Wheels’ facility is limited in space for preparing and storing of food. They’re now strategizing about how to sustain the amount of money and food that will be needed to continue meeting those new needs for the next three-and-a-half to four years, the average amount of time the organization serves a client. “The San Antonio community is so generous. Right now, we have the resources to do what we do but over the next four years, that’s going to be an additional $6 million in paying for those meals,” he says. Cooper says the food bank also has seen an outpouring of support, both from individuals, foundations and companies in San Antonio and from people around the world who saw photos of the thousands of cars lined up at a record-setting distribution site in April. Images from the 10,000-car distribution that had vehicles lined up along Loop 410 ran in the San Antonio Express-News, as well as on NBC’s Today, CBS Evening News and elsewhere. Photos from another mega-distribution graced the cover of New York Times Magazine in May. “Everybody gave an unprecedented amount,” Cooper says, adding that they saw both gifts of time from volunteers working tirelessly and monetary donations. “It’s really enabled us to meet that unprecedented need and strengthen our response.” Cooper says that over the years they’ve worked to be good stewards of donations and to only ask for help when it’s truly needed. He’s hopeful donor fatigue will not set in as long lines of cars waiting for food fade from the daily news—and, hopefully, as the number of coronavirus cases decline. “The food bank will be working to bridge that gap and be that safety net as people cross over from the old world to the new world,” Cooper says
7/2/20 12:27 PM
When COVID-19 shut down San Antonio, the Big Give switched gears, postponing its annual 24-hour online giving day from March 26 and instead launching an Emergency Relief Campaign that ran for 10 weeks and raised almost $1 million for 321 local nonprofits. Now, the Big Give is back on the calendar for Sept. 10. The following pages were part of an annual supplement that went to subscribers along with their March issues. We’re rerunning a portion of it now as the new Big Give is just weeks away. Save the date and give big on Sept. 10.
2020
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stats
Big Give by the Numbers
2019 Look Back
12% of 2019 participating nonprofits reported that funds raised during the Big Give account for at least half of their budget
2017
$4,681,522 43,400 donations
2018
43% of donors were new to the Big Give in 2019
93% of Big Give 2019 gifts were made online and the website received 512,239 pageviews between March 21-28, 2019
$5,110,741 43,834 donations
$25+ million
Since the Big Give was founded in 2014, more than $25 million has been raised for area nonprofit organizations.
2019
COURTESY WEST AVENUE COMPASSION
62% of participating organizations transitioned new Big Give donors into recurring donors
$4,334,561 39,394 donations $4,302,417 40,400 donations
Nearly 200 donors gave to an organization during the Big Give 2019 that they weren’t previously familiar with
Meeting the Community’s Need
$2,095,606 21,909 donations
2016
42% of nonprofits raised more money in 2019 than they did in 2018
2015
was raised in 2019 from 28,102 donors for 545 nonprofits
2014
$4,711,825
History of Giving
WEST AVENUE COMPASSION
$4,711,825 28,102 donations
DATA PROVIDED BY THE NONPROFIT COUNCIL, WHICH SURVEYS PARTICIPATING DONORS AND NONPROFITS
Roughly 1 in 6 families in Bexar County live in poverty
15.1 percent of Bexar County residents were uninsured in 2017
31 percent of San Antonio students failed to meet a level II satisfactory on their third grade STAAR Reading Test
66 percent of adults 25 and older in San Antonio don’t have a college degree
$931,795 was raised by 3,478 donors for 321 organizations during the Big Give's Emergency Relief Campaign, that ran from mid-March through May to support nonprofits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DATA FROM COMMUNITY INFORMATION NOW, SA2020, SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS
AUGUST 2020
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We asked locals why they support area nonprofits I N T E RV I E WS BY KAT H E R I N E S T I N S O N
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When Daniel Anastasio founded Agarita Chamber Players along with three other local musicians, he wanted to ensure that music and the arts were available to everyone. It was March of 2018 and the San Antonio Symphony had just survived the near cancellation of its 2017-18 season. Even with a major orchestra like the symphony providing classical music, Anastasio and the other Agarita Chamber Players believed there needed to be more options for the public to enjoy and support the arts. In addition to Anastasio, a pianist and an instructor at San Antonio College, Agarita also includes viola player Maris Bushman, who is part of the San Antonio Symphony; Ignacio Gallego, a cellist who has his own studio and is assistant director of strings at Alamo Heights High School; and violinist Sarah Silver Manzke, who also plays with the San Antonio Symphony. The more the four began exploring their options for collaborating with other artists, the more they realized that San Antonio had a thriving arts scene. They put together an inaugural 2018-19 season that included four
NATALIA SUN
WHY I GIVE
Daniel Anastasio, artistic director and pianist, Agarita Chamber Players
AUGUST 2020
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COURTESY SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN
Jorge Zeledon-Castillo, CEO and president, Zeledon-Castillo LLC
free concerts that featured live music played alongside everything from a live culinary arts demonstration to a visual art exhibition. They returned for a second season in 2019-20 that includes six free concerts featuring collaborations with other creatives, such as spoken word artists and fashion designers. The reason they volunteer their time, Anastasio says, is because they believe arts is for everyone. And by teaming up with artists that specialize in something other than classical music, the group is reaching an audience that might not have considered attending a concert in the past. The Big Give, he says, helps them continue that work. “The success of Agarita and its creative mission relies on funding through drives like the Big Give, and Agarita is continually grateful to have such support in its community,” he says.
“Why do we participate and support the Big Give? It’s easy—because we love our community and it provides a simple, fun and effective way to give big,” says Jorge Zeledon-Castillo, CEO and president of Zeledon-Castillo LLC, which prints the branded materials used by the Big Give during its annual fundraising day as well as sponsoring prizes for participating nonprofits. Zeledon-Castillo says they know that prizes are a major reason nonprofits have success during the Big Give so he joined Big Give leaders at their headquarters during the 2019 giving day to announce on Facebook Live the winner of the afternoon prize block that Zeledon-Castillo LLC had sponsored. The video not only brought great news to one organization, it also was shared over 30 times, which led to greater exposure for the Big Give. “It’s our stance that every one individual should have a desire to help make our community a nurturing and culturally rich environment, through volunteering or donations,” he says. “As a business, we are in a unique position to lead by example.”
Linde Murphy, board member, San Antonio Botanical Garden “I’ve had the honor of being on-site at the Botanical Garden many times and have witnessed the growing smiles and awe of children as they race into the garden. The Botanical Garden is a community gem that brings joy to children and peace to so many of us. It fulfills the need we all have to connect with nature.”
David Snowden, SVP of communications, Argo Group “At Argo, we take pride in being part of the San Antonio community, and Big Give is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate this commitment by encouraging employees to donate to the local causes that matter to them most,” says David Snowden, senior vice president of communications for Argo Group, which participates in the Big Give’s Business Fundraisers program and matches its employees’ donations. “Last year, Argo employees raised more than $13,500 for Big Give, which totaled $33,850 following the company’s match.”
AUGUST 2020
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Local nonprofits are amplifying their impact by working together BY J E N N I F E R H E R R E R A
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COLLABORATING FOR A CAUSE 7/1/20 9:50 AM
Clockwise from left: Fa m i l y Ta p e s t r y adoption event, Je w i s h Fa m i l y S e r v i c e ga t he r i ng, Mo rga n ’s Wo n d e r l a n d c e l e b r a t e s Adoption Day with Fa m i l y Ta p e s t r y, Fa m i l y Ta p e s t r y a n d Te l e m u nd o ’s ad o p t i o n phone bank fundraiser
COURTESY FAMILY TAPESTRY; JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE
S
Students in South San Antonio Independent School District now have access decreases the stigma that can be associated with seeking help. “I think this to licensed mental health professionals thanks to a creative collaboration is going to be the model of the future,” she says. between six area nonprofits. The power of collaboration can also be seen among agencies serving The idea for what’s known as the Mobile Mental Health initiative was children in foster care. still in its earliest stages when a group of students at South San High Last February, the state named The Children’s Shelter its lead organization School began in the spring of 2019 to advocate for more mental health for Bexar County in Texas’ new Family Tapestry model, which is working to create community-based care systems. services within their district. Jessica Weaver, CEO for Communities in Schools, noticed their efforts and got in touch with Talli Dolge, Jewish “Although The Children’s Shelter (through Family Tapestry) is taking Family Service’s CEO, to see what could be done to help. Along with leaders the lead on this initiative, this is truly a community effort and a community from four other nonprofits—Clarity Child Guidance Center, Rise Recovery, collaboration,” says Annette Rodriguez, president and CEO. Family Service Association and Children’s Bereavement Center of South By having a local organization contract with the state to coordinate Texas—the women got to work and expedited the initiative so that it could services, Family Tapestry is working to better serve foster children in launch in the fall semester. their own county—and to move them less often Mobile Mental Health opened at Athens to other cities for care. “The goal is to transform Elementary in November 2019 and has since the system so that it’s tailored for the children and “ T he g oal is to expanded to what’s called the South San Care Zone, families that we’re serving in our community,” t ra ns fo r m t he s ys te m s o Rodriguez says. a program that serves all 17 South San ISD schools. Providing services to every campus was a goal the Through this new model, The Children’s Shelter t ha t i t ’s t a i l o re d fo r t he nonprofits initially didn’t think they would reach as the lead for Family Tapestry has established c h i l d re n a nd f a m i l i e s until year two, but when they saw the need they over 140 contracts with different agencies in Bexar brought together staff from each of their organiCounty, and around the state of Texas, to provide t ha t w e ’ re s e r v i ng i n zations to make it work. Through the Care Zone, assistance and resources to children living in foster ou r co m m u n i ty.” a licensed mental health professional from one of care placements. the six participating nonprofits is now available Rodriguez says over 3,000 children in Bexar to students each weekday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. County were matched with foster care or adop“The best part of the collaboration is to be part of the six agencies working tive placements within the first 10 months of the program. Because of the new model, more of those children were able to stay closer to home than together to provide these mental health services,” says Dolge, whose organization is spearheading the effort. “It’s something that nobody else is doing would have been the case in the past. Rodriguez says they hope to only right now, and honestly it seems simple, but it’s a really complex program.” see improvements going forward. Already, Dolge says they have more referrals for services than they can “The first four to five months were bumpy, because we can train and handle and they’re working to expand. prepare but it’s not until you’re actually in it and living it, that you start Jessica Knudsen, CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center, says along with seeing where things can be different and where things can be better,” making mental health care more accessible, having clinicians on campus Rodriguez says. AUGUST 2020
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C H EESE MON GERS p . 6 3
Detoxifying Barriers hen Squeezers first opened in Southtown in 2015, co-owner Keith Simpson says his friends and family made up the majority of their customers. Black-owned juice bars and health-focused restaurants were uncommon at the time and Simpson says he sensed a hesitancy from the community about the shop he opened with his wife, Alexandria. Still, Simpson, a former educator, says the lack of healthy options in the neighborhood is part of what inspired them to open, especially after they learned that the obesity rate for children in Bexar County was over 28 percent—more than 10 percent higher than the statewide average. Situated near the Blue Star Arts Complex, the couple specializes in fresh juices and juice cleanses and as more families and young professionals moved into the area, they found a niche market among those who were into fitness and wanting to add more nutritious options to their routine. After the killing of George Floyd in May, posts began circulating on social media about ways to support Black-owned businesses in San Antonio (including a list by San Antonio Magazine) and Simpson says they’ve seen a surge of newcomers since then. For those individuals, he recommends starting with SA Punch, which is inspired by San Antonio and made with refreshing summer fruits like watermelon, pineapple and grapefruit—a fruit that stimulates fat burning. The juice also contains ginger, which targets inflammation in the joints and is high in antioxidants, and beets, which are meant to improve overall blood flow. “We recommend it for people who are in need of all of those things,” Simpson says, adding that it’s also a great juice for overall health. A San Antonio native, Simpson is working to spread his investment in the community by opening a second location on Elmira Street near Pearl in the coming weeks.—ALEX FULTON
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SQUEEZERS
732 S. Alamo St., 210-376-7455, squeezersco.com Open daily
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THE MAGPIE
1602 E. Houston St., Ste. 106 210-389-1584 magpie.us Dinner Thurs-Sun, Lunch Sat-Sun
Global Creativity East Side newbie The Magpie shines with takeoutfriendly dishes on its multicuisine menu BY EDMUND TIJERINA
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n a time of uncertainty, the future of San Antonio restaurants will look a lot like the East Side’s newest gem, The Magpie. Since its opening in late November, this 700-square-foot eatery named after the Korean symbol of prosperity and good luck has developed into a citywide destination. Even more amazing, it overhauled its menu and still maintained quality and its quirky sensibility. Originally, the dishes celebrated global flavors by chef Jungsuk “Sue” Kim, a Korean native. But then she had to close the dine-in options and switch to takeout. Here’s the inspired part: instead of simply shoving her carefully plated creations into takeout containers, she reworked her menu to focus on simple dishes that travel well. What that meant was one of her early standout dishes—a sophisticated combination of roasted cauliflower with romesco sauce, gremolata, fried quinoa, roasted pepita and Calabrian chile dust—took a break for a while and as of press time was available only for customers who dined on the patio.
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ORDER THIS
½ Fried Chicken Set (above) Magpie Napa Kimchi Orecchiette with Tarragon Crème and Pistachio (left) Freestyle Butter Cake (right)
“Before coronavirus came, our restaurant was dine-in only. But after this happened, of course I had to change it,” the chef says. “We focused on making something that could be as close as possible to the quality of what people eat here. It’s not perfect. But the focus was just on keeping food quality as high as possible.” She’s being modest. Even her simple dishes are deeply satisfying, showing a delightful balance of flavors, colors and textures. For example, a generous portion of to-go orecchiette pasta serves as the backdrop for a delightful mixture of fresh and bright English peas and pea tendrils with earthy bits of pancetta and guanciale mixed with a touch of tarragon-enlivened creme fraiche for a dish that hits so many culinary notes. Kim draws upon her travels, training and experience to make this understated eloquence look easy. Raised in Seoul, she has worked in New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Angeles. In San Antonio, she cooked at Andrew Weissman’s late Minnie’s Tavern and served as sous chef at Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. She and her husband, Eugene Sanchez, chose to launch their restaurant in his family’s hometown and it quickly became a neighborhood favorite in this rapidly changing part of the city. Although she makes an outstanding version of Korean fried chicken, she doesn’t consider herself a Korean chef. “I love Korean food. It’s so healthy, it uses a lot of vegetables, a lot of fermentation. My diet is almost totally Korean food. Korean food is what I eat, but it’s not my ‘thing,’” she says. “If I’m in Korea I only use a certain type of chile, a certain type of garlic, rice from my preferred region, 20-year-old pickles, gochujang and doenjang that are not store bought. So many of the ingredients I need just aren’t available here, but I worked with what I had.” Besides, the fried chicken, kimchi and pickled side dishes or banchan also work great as takeout items. And although the couple prefer doing dine-in, they will continue takeout as long as they have to, knowing that only those who are nimble will survive COVID-19. “If the pandemic was over, I would stop doing takeout immediately. People can have more fun when they come here. Better flavor, better taste,” she says. “But I know if I try my best, and it’s good, I won’t be able to hide that from anyone. I will always do my best, and I will survive. People need to eat food!”
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2202 Broadway flourpress.com Pre-order and pickup or delivery only during COVID-19
A Sweet Gathering Flourpress Bakes’ cookies, cakes and breakfast treats are the perfect excuse to gather around the table he owner of Flourpress Bakes can artfully execute anything from a lemon curd–filled vanilla buttercream cake to mini chocolate bourbon pies, but if you’re going to judge her baking ability she asks that you start with a simple chocolate chip cookie. “I love our chocolate chip cookie. It’s a little salty, but it’s still really classic,” says Shara Perez, who opened Flourpress in the Broadway News lot last November. “I’ve always been real persnickety when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.” After graduating with an emphasis in pastries from Le Cordon Bleu in Portland in 2012, Perez says she threw herself into building a culinary career, working for James Beard Award finalists in Oregon, helping to open restaurants in Orlando and spending a year at Dozen Bakery in Nashville. Perez grew up in San Antonio until middle school and her family had relocated here in recent years, but when she
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thought about returning to Texas she assumed she’d end up somewhere like Austin. A job opportunity for her husband in San Antonio convinced them to reconsider and she’s grateful they did. “I didn’t know the magic that is here,” she says. Her sister drove her to the Broadway News lot soon after they arrived, and Perez says she immediately fell in love with the community vibe among the small businesses there. Eight months into her startup, Perez jokes that Flourpress is a bit like running a glorified bake sale since the shop is just 120 square feet and she prepares everything in an off-site commercial kitchen. But, she adds, it’s been an exhilarating challenge. Since COVID-19, she’s shifted to pre-orders for pickup and delivery only. Place orders on Mondays and Fridays for breakfast staples like cinnamon rolls, scones and Pop Tarts plus an array of classic cookies, pies, cream puffs and cakes, including specialty birthday and wedding cakes. Everything is made with as minimally processed ingredients as possible and no artificial dyes. Whether customers are celebrating a special occasion or just that they’ve made it through another week, Perez hopes her desserts can be part of what brings them together. “Just the idea of gathering around a table and how food can bring so many different types of people together is really, really impactful for me,” she says.—KP
OFF MENU News from the restaurant scene
Delia’s Tamales plans to open its first restaurant outside of the Rio Grande Valley this year at Hausman and Loop 1604. / The owners of Mr. C’s Chicken and Waffles debuted Tio’s Tex-Mex at Huebner Road and I-10. / Bella on Houston’s owners filed for bankruptcy in late May. / Zedric’s closed two of its three locations but remains open in the Colonnade Shopping Center. / The Jerk Shack was named one of GQ’s Best New Restaurants. / Mixtli’s Rico Torres was featured on the first episode of Taste the Nation, a Hulu series. / Alamo Farms, a meat market with Halal processing methods, opened just south of downtown in June. / Weathered Souls Brewing Co. launched a Black is Beautiful brewing collaborative to support organizations that work for equality. Over 720 breweries across 50 states and 13 countries have signed on to participate. / The Tea Crate closed after less than a year in business due to COVID-19. / W.D. Deli and the building it resides in are for sale. The owners say the decision was not influenced by COVID-19 and they hope new owners will continue the Broadway deli’s legacy. / Jared Sorensen and his family opened Texas Cookie Shop in Stone Oak in June. Soon after, they closed temporarily due to COVID-19.
LAUREN BOWSER/COURTESY FLOURPRESS BAKES
FLOURPRESS BAKES
AUGUST 2020
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M A K E R / E AT + D R I N K
BOERNE BRAND SAUCE
Available at Boerne Epicure, Central Market or boernebrand.com
FAMILY-FRIENDLY STAYCATION IN LAFAYETTE Rôder (pronounced row-day) in Cajun French means to roam or run the roads and Lafayette is the perfect destination to pile the family in the car and rôder. Whether you’re passing through or planning a vacation with the family, the Happiest City in America has something for everyone. LafayetteTravel.com
A TOUCH OF SPICE Boerne Brand sauce uses fresh ingredients and fermentation to deliver an authentic Texas kick THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF SALSA OPTIONS IN
Texas. Catherine C. Myers and the team at Boerne Brand Texas Style Hot Sauce know that. But, says Myers, when they founded the company in 2018 after a few years of brainstorming, there weren’t a lot of hot sauce options for those wanting to spice up an entrée—rather than just using it as a dip for chips. “We were looking at the restaurant industry and there wasn’t a hot sauce that complemented foods the way we wanted it to,” says Myers, a Houston native. “We wanted to create sauces that would go well with multiple dishes and not take away from what chefs are preparing.” Myers has a background in psychology, which she says has been helpful in marketing and branding the products, so she worked with a former Peggy’s on the Green chef in Boerne plus a food scientist to craft their sauce recipes. They all agreed they wanted a thicker sauce
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that tasted fresh and could sit atop everything from paella and empanadas to eggs. Instead of simply chopping jalapeños and adding them to a sauce blend or pre-ordered mash, they decided to make their own mash, taking whole jalapeños, grinding them and fermenting them for 90 days. Their commitment to freshly grown ingredients mean the green sauce, known as Boerne Brand Select, is seasonal. “It’s small batch crafted so just like any fine wine or whiskey, it may vary just a little bit from batch to batch,” Myers says. This summer, they also released a Smokin’ Red Hot Sauce, which has a complex, smoky flavor that can be used to marinate brisket, add spice to pizza or drizzle over tacos. “We wanted this to be a little hotter and spicier but still versatile,” Myers says. A second batch of the red sauce is due out this month. Along with connecting with chefs to get their sauce distributed in Texas, Myers says she and her husband and their small team love visiting markets, like those held in Boerne prior to COVID-19, so they can watch people react as they take their first bite. “That’s the fun of it,” she says.—KP
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13 Spots for Seafood
from the 840-bottle wine list. 219 E. Houston St.,
Antonio tradition for over 50 years, Rudy’s serves
210-472-2600, bohanans.com
daily lunch specials that ring up at less than $10 plus combos that include fish and jumbo shrimp
210 CEVICHE $$ (Medical Center) This “Pacific
THE COOKHOUSE $$ (Monte Vista) Inspired
or juicy oysters plus fries, lemon and bread. Family
style” cocina creates artistic presentations of
by Louisiana cookhouses, chef Pieter Sypesteyn
packs also are available and Rudy’s continues to
traditional seafood dishes from the Pacific coast of
offers classic New Orleans fare, including crab
offer takeout. 4122 S. Flores St., 210-532-1315
Mexico. Try a classic ceviche with diced avocado,
salad, blackened catfish with preserved lemon
shrimp fajitas or the 210 Fish Filete, a grilled mahi-
rice, New Orleans BBQ shrimp and pan-seared
SEA ISLAND SHRIMP HOUSE $$ (North Central,
mahi on a bed of marlin, shrimp and octopus.
bycatch fish with charred leek and fennel aman-
Northeast, South, Northwest, New Braunfels) The
9502 I-10, Ste.101, 210-593-9300, 210ceviche.com
dine. Can’t decide where to start? Order oysters
San Antonio–based chain offers everything from
charbroiled or on the half shell while you choose.
grilled shrimp and blackened catfish to hand-
ACADIANA CAFÉ $$ (Far West) Classic Louisi-
Reservations are strongly recommended as seating
breaded fish filet sandwiches and weekend-only
ana-style crawfish etouffee and fried catfish po’boys
is limited. 720 E. Mistletoe Ave., 210-320-8211,
flounder filets. Dining with a non-seafood lover?
are a staple but there’s also red beans and rice, Gulf
cookhouserestaurant.com
They also have multiple chicken and beef options. Multiple locations, shrimphouse.com
shrimp and the Grilled Acadiana, a catfish fillet topped with crawfish etouffee. 1289 S.W. Loop 410,
COSTA PACIFICA $$ (Stone Oak) Owner Moris
210-674-0019, acadianacafe.com
Saide grew up in Mexico and works to bring the
SMASHIN’ CRAB $$ (Leon Valley, Stone Oak)
vibe of his home country’s seaside cafes to San
Inspired by Gulf Coast backyard crab and crawfish
BAYSEAS SEAFOOD $ (Various) A San Antonio
Antonio with housemade tortillas, rice and beans
boils, this casual seafood restaurant focuses on
tradition since 1975, Bayseas is known for its
served alongside shrimp green enchiladas, red
fresh ingredients. Enjoy oysters (raw, grilled or
Louisiana-style gumbo, po’boys and catfish plus
snapper, beer-battered fish served with shrimp and
fried), shrimp, king crab, redfish, snow crab, clams,
family-style meals that can include flounder,
octopus. Saide uses his grandmother’s recipes for
lobster, crawfish and more with sauces like Cajun,
cod, tilapia or trout plus hushpuppies, fries or
desserts like tres leches. 434 N. Loop 1604 W., Ste.
citrus pepper and garlic. Select a heat (they range
onion rings. Find the original on South W.W.
2101, 210-503-9752, costapacificausa.com
from “safe zone” to “Alamo reaper”), tie on a bib and dig in—just like you would at your neighbor’s
White Road, or visit one of its many franchised locations. Five locations, bayseascorporate.com/
OSTRA $$$ (Downtown) This River Walk–level
backyard get together. 8910 Bandera Road, Ste.
locations
restaurant inside Mokara Hotel & Spa is sophisti-
305, 210-509-7702; 700 E. Sonterra Blvd., Ste. 1117,
cation at its best. Take a seat by the river or in the
210-402-3337, smashincrab.com
EL BUCANERO $$ (North Central, Far West) This
well-appointed dining room and start with chilled
isn’t just another Tex-Mex joint with fish tacos. It’s
oysters, Gulf Shrimp or ceviche from the Oyster
SOUTHERLEIGH FINE FOOD & BREWERY $$
pure Sinaloa-style freshness—seafood cocktails
Bar before moving on to the main course, which
(Pearl) Chef Jeff Balfour pairs classic comfort
awash in spicy, onion-spiked shrimp broth with
features everything from roasted Gulf redfish with
cuisine with coastal favorites in a menu that
fresh tomato and cucumber, loaded with large
gristmill grits and applewood roasted salmon with
includes everything from boiled Gulf shrimp to
shrimp and tender octopus; camarones aguachiles,
butternut squash and beans. 212 W. Crockett St.,
stuffed crab and iced oysters. Wine is available but
butterflied flash-marinated shrimp pin lime juice
210-396-5817, mokarahotelandspa.com
beer is the real high point at this brewpub that’s
and serrano peppers or moist, flake whole-grilled
housed in the former brewery building at Pearl.
red snapper. 16505 Blanco Road, 210-408-9297;
PINCH BOIL HOUSE $-$$ (Downtown) Sean Wen
Look for up to 20 brews on tap, including several
13802 Embassy Row, 210-333-0909; 8300 Mar-
and Andrew Ho turned their Southeast Asian-style
crafted in-house, such as the Darwinian IPA and
bach Road, 210-645-7337, el-bucanero.com
pop-up into a brick-and-mortar restaurant on the
the Southerleigh Gold Lager. 136 E. Grayson St.,
ground floor of the Rand Building. Enjoy individ-
Ste. 120, 210-455-5701, southerleigh.com
ual rice bowls or fresh seafood boils that can be
$$$ (Downtown) Chef-owner Mark Bohanan was
ordered family-style featuring shrimp, crawfish and
among the first in the country to serve Japanese
other seafood plus corn, potatoes or sausage and
Akaushi beef but the upscale eatery is just as well-
your favorite spice. Don’t forget the fried dump-
known for its selection of seafood, which includes
lings or veggie egg rolls to share. 124 N. Main Ave.,
mesquite-grilled Gulf red snapper, Australian
210-971-7774, pinchboilhouse.com
cold water lobster tail and grilled crab cakes with remoulade sauce. Ask your server for suggestions
RUDY’S SEAFOOD $$ (Mission Reach) A San
$
Most Entrees Under $10
$$
Most Entrees $10 to $25
$$$
Most Entrees Over $25
Restaurants' service and menues may be affected by COVID-19. Please call ahead to confirm. For our full directory San Antonio restaurants, visit sanantoniomag.com/restaurants-bars.
What are some of your favorite local food products and markets? I always have a can of Picosos’ spicy mixed nuts in my pantry, and I love the Mexican chorizo from Kiolbassa and the Spanish chorizo from Aurelia’s. All three of those are at H-E-B. When I’m feeling especially carnivorous, I’ll run to Bolner’s for skirt steak or rib eye, or I’ll splurge with Dean & Peeler beef from Smoke Shack Meat Market or whatever cuts are available from South Texas Heritage Pork at the Pearl Farmers Market. I prefer the corn tortillas at Adelita’s and baguettes from La Boulangerie. For specialized markets, I’m a fan of Tokyo Mart, Tim’s Oriental & Seafood Market, Seoul Asian Food Market & Cafe and Ali Baba. I’m overdue for a visit to Los Angeles Tortilleria for their salsa quemada, a roasted red salsa that evaporates quickly in my house. Oh, and I also appreciate the Old Fashioned kit from The Modernist. Have a question for our resident foodie? Ask Edmund Tijerina your questions by emailing asked@sanantoniomag.com.
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BOHANAN’S PRIME STEAKS & SEAFOOD
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S P OT LI G H T / E AT + D R I N K
MINDFUL BITES Brie Here Now aims to bring the slow food culture of France to San Antonio
COURTESY BRIE HERE NOW
HAYLEY PINGREE AND MOLLY BADGER FIRST CONNECTED WHILE WORKING
as yoga teachers, and as the two sat together dreaming about their ideal job one evening, they realized their shared passions reached far beyond the studio. “We’d both traveled in France and loved the food culture there that’s very much about slowing down, enjoying the food you eat and the people you eat it with,” Pingree says. “If we could do any job in the world, we said we would just want to be able to share with people how much food can change your life.” As they talked further, the women also agreed that what they loved about yoga—the ability to slow down, approach an activity with mindfulness and share a space with others—were all things they loved about dining with friends. They decided to build a career around that. “The next day I woke up and said, ‘I’m going to become a cheese monger,’” Pingree says. She took a job at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin to learn all things cheese while Badger, a former pastry chef, went to work formulating what their business might look like. In October 2019, they launched Brie Here Now. The women host public, private and (since COVID-19) virtual classes that work to educate consumers about cheese and other foods, all while inviting them to slow down and enjoy the people with whom they share their table. Classes can include charcuterie board building demos, French cheese 101 lessons or guided tastings for dinner party guests. “It’s a really great way to get together with people you love and just do something a little bit different,” Badger says, adding that they curate food for guests but never just drop it off catering-style. They also release monthly e-books, including one that teaches diners how to engage all of their senses while eating. “It’s just taking the time to know where your food comes from and prioritizing quality over quantity,” Pingree says. “The French tend to eat a little bit less, but they eat really high quality food. They worry less about fad diets, but they focus on sitting down and eating things they really enjoy.” brieherenow.com—KP
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LOOKING BACK
Chili Queen Legacy
rom its signature Tex-Mex flavors to the festive food booths that have become a Fiesta staple, San Antonio can trace much of its culinary heritage to the Chili Queens, a group of women who brought the Mexican tradition of open-air food stands to San Antonio in the 1880s. With tables situated in Market Square, Military Plaza and later Haymarket Plaza and Milam Park, the Chili Queens would haul food from home to cook over mesquite fires, according to an entry by Frank W. Jennings in the University of the Incarnate Word’s Journal of Life and Culture in San Antonio. The stands soon became an attraction for locals and tourists alike with musicians performing in the squares as customers crowded in for chili con carne, tamales, enchiladas and more. Jennings writes that the City Council shut down the stands numerous times over the years citing sanitation issues, but the women were usually allowed to return after public outcry over their removal. By 1939, six years after this photograph was taken in Haymarket Plaza, the number of stands had begun to dwindle amid increased regulations. That year, Mayor Maury Maverick required the stands to consolidate to a central commissary kitchen, where they would have to display their passing health inspection cards much like restaurants do today, according to Jeffrey M. Pilcher, a professor of food history who’s written numerous articles about the Chili Queens. The move changed the atmosphere of the Chili Queens’ booths and they all but faded out by 1940. Pilcher writes that race and culture struggles in the 1930s likely also contributed to the Chili Queens’ demise as new businesses downtown pushed much of the Mexican population into the city’s West Side. Still, the stands not only set the tone for the city’s culinary industry but also left a lasting impression of the power of community gatherings.
Credited with paving the way for San Antonio’s Tex-Mex flavor, the chili queens were pushed out of downtown in the 1930s BY KATHLEEN PETTY
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