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HOME & DESIGN AWARDS Honoring the best in San Antonio architecture and design
HOM E & DESIG N AWAR DS / CASA M IA
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How a new facility will offer hope and healing to moms recovering from opioid addiction p.44
Meet the guardian of hospitality at Brasserie Mon Chou Chou p.50
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April FEATURES
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T HE I N AU GU RA L HOM E & D ES I G N AWA R DS
The style and approach to the winning projects in San Antonio Magazine’s Home & Design Awards varies as widely as the city’s dozens of neighborhoods, but all share elements of beauty and ingenuity.
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L EGACY OF HOP E
Crosspoint Inc. and UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing are doubling the capacity of their program that serves new moms overcoming opioid addiction in the hopes of breaking the cycle of drug abuse that has long plagued Bexar County— the county with the state's highest rate of infants born with opioid withdrawal.
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T HE F R E NC H TOU C H
Meet Phillippe Place, the gregarious French native behind the well-curated hospitality that has become just as much a signature of Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery and its newest sibling restaurant Brasserie Mon Chou Chou as the menus.
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April D EPART M E N TS
1 2 CITY NEWS A look at how the multmillion-dollar donations from MacKenzie Scott will impact San Antonio in the months to come. 1 4 PERSON O F INTEREST St. Philip’s College President Adena Williams Loston was named one of the top 10 HBCU leaders in the country, and she’s worked tirelessly to build a legacy of equal opportunity in higher education.
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2 2 IN FLUEN CERS Fiesta may have been postponed to the summer, but the couple behind Mira Medals are hard at work on 2021 medals featuring their artistic and pop culture twists for companies and nonprofits alike. 24 G ET O UTSID E An experienced rock-climbing coach on why the sport is one anyone can tackle (and where to go if you want to start).
26 CASA Upgrade your patio or backyard for pandemic -friendly outdoor spring gatherings.
EAT + DRINK 5 5 L I BAT I O N S Amor Eterno is an ideal escape for an afterdinner drink or first date cocktail. 5 6 E AT H E RE N OW Creative Chinese dishes with San Antonio twists are fitting and delicious tributes to the heritage and culture of Best Quality Daughter chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin.
58 DISH The Hayden at The Boardwalk on Broadway proves you don’t have to go to New York for a good pastrami sandwich. 6 0 S P OT L I G H T Plant-based soul food is attracting vegans and non-vegans alike to Urban Soul Scratch Kitchen. 64 FINAL THOUGHT How an influencer and dad found a passion for civic engagement, and why he encourages you to vote in next month’s municipal election.
ON THE COVER Ford, Powell & Carson’s “Blue House” in Comfort was the winner of a Home & Design Award, along with its former dairy barn, transformed into a guest house. Photo by Mark Menjivar. FOOD: JOMANDO CRUZ; CULTURE: COURTESY MCNAY
IN THE LOOP
16 CULT UR E Bold women and interactive art are the hallmarks of the McNay Art Museum’s latest exhibition.
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APRIL 2021 / VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 6 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR HOME?
E DITO RIA L EDITOR IN CHIEF
Kathleen Petty CONTRIBUTING FOOD EDITOR
Edmund Tijerina CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Julia Celeste, Stephen Delgado, Jade Esteban Estrada, Joan Kennedy, Bonny Osterhage, Jennifer Chappell Smith, Katherine Stinson FACT CHECKER
Katherine Stinson COPY EDITOR
Patsy Pelton “The living room is my favorite part of my home. It’s a perfect spot for wife, my dog and I to enjoy and relax.”
INTERN
Jessica Lenamond
O P E N SKY ME DIA CEO
Todd P. Paul PRESIDENT
Stewart Ramser
“My overstuffed and cramped kitchen. It’s where my wife, son and Schnauzer spend the most time.”
VP OF SALES
Julie A. Kunkle EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Rebecca Fontenot Cord DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Hollis Boice AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Kerri Nolan ACCO UN T IN G ACCOUNTS MANAGER
Sabina Jukovic
A RT ART DIRECTOR
David G. Loyola
“My home office/ studio. Complete with a DIY recording booth/closet.”
DIG ITA L DIGITAL MANAGER
Abigail Stewart
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Vicente Martí
DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Rosie Ninesling
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
JoMando Cruz, Vincent Gonzalez, Josh Huskin
CO NTACT US
210-268-1100 sanantoniomag.com
A DV E RT ISIN G PUBLISHER
Kathie Anderson ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Christina Olivarez AD SALES & SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR
Jillian Clifton INTERNS
Castille Cantu, Kelly Clifton EV E N TS EVENTS DIRECTOR
Macaulay Hammond “Our detached garage that we have turned into an outdoor movie theatre and hang out.”
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© Copyright: San Antonio Magazine is published by Open Sky Media, Inc. The entire document of San Antonio Magazine is © 2021 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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UP FRONT / EDITOR' S NOTEBOOK
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Kathleen Petty Editor in Chief kpetty@sanantoniomag.com @kpettysamag
CORRECTION
In March’s Best of the City, we incorrectly attributed the Corona Arts Relief Program to the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture. Luminaria created the program with funding support from the city’s Department of Arts & Culture, as well as the San Antonio Area Foundation and individuals.
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GET READING The San Antonio Book Festival has helped me discover new favorite authors over the years and is always an event I have marked on my calendar. It’s online this year, April 9-11, which means you can hear from authors, chat with other book lovers and more all from the comfort of your favorite home reading nook. Nowhere Bookshop is the festival’s partner bookseller and its owner, author Jenny Lawson, shares some of her picks for what to read this spring on page 18.
A NEW ADDITION A few weeks before this issue went to press, on a snowy, freezing day at the beginning of the winter storm that plagued the state, Kathleen and her husband, Zach, welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Anna. Coming home a few days later to a house that had power returned shortly after their arrival, Kathleen said they were feeling pretty blessed. (She’ll be out on maternity leave the next few months, but her ideas and byline will still be present thanks to her diligent planning early this year.) —REBECCA FONTENOT CORD
COMING UP NEXT MONTH Inspiration to get away from it all, safely, with a summer road trip.
JOSH HUSKIN
e had just finished dinner with my extended family a few years ago—six of whom were staying with us for an early Christmas celebration—when water started to drop ever so slightly from the fluorescent light box in the middle of our kitchen ceiling. My brother-in-law noticed it first, glancing up to see it dripping from the corner of the wood. As we looked up to where he pointed, the drip turned into a light stream that poured until there was a noticeable puddle in the middle of our floor and water had begun pooling inside the light fixture. I’ve repainted many-a-wall and even refinished some furniture, but plumbing is not my forte. We eventually pinpointed the leak to the guest bathroom toilet upstairs and turned its water off until a plumber could come to repair it the next day. I’d never liked the light box and the leak was just the incentive my husband and I needed to have it removed and replaced with recessed lighting. In true “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll ask for a glass of milk” fashion, the light upgrade prompted us to dedicate many of our weekends that summer to sanding, priming and repainting our kitchen cabinets. Once that was done, we eventually replaced our 1990s laminate countertops and added a backsplash. When finally completed, the kitchen had been upgraded thanks to some DIY work on our part but also to professionals who know a lot more than us about materials, design and installation. The work of some of San Antonio’s top architectural and design professionals is on display in this month’s issue, which celebrates the winners of San Antonio Magazine’s inaugural Home & Design Awards, presented by Keller Williams. Knowing our staff has more DIYers than home design experts, we relied on respected architecture and interior design professionals from around the country to judge the entries submitted last fall and select finalists and winners in 29 different categories. Turn to page 32 to see the winning projects, which include everything from a stunning dining room that blends modern and classic elements to the picturesque Hill Country “Blue House” featured on this month’s cover. None of the winning projects are feats I would ever attempt to accomplish on my own, but they may just serve as inspiration the next time a simple repair leads me down a remodeling rabbit hole. As we all continue to spend more time at home than we did pre-pandemic, we hope the featured designs leave you feeling excited—not just about the vast array of talent that exists in San Antonio but also about how it might embolden you the next time you want to tackle a home upgrade.
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In the Loop I NSI D E / HBCU L E A DE R p .1 6 / EXP ERIEN TIAL ART p. 18 / UPGRAD IN G YOUR OUTD OORS p. 26
Art Everywhere eep Calm Et Macar-On” seemed like such a simple, fun sentiment when artist Kathy Sosa painted it in five pastel colors on the side of the downtown building that houses French bakery, La Boulangerie, as part of the Art Everywhere initiative. After photos of it began to blanket social media feeds and attract locals to visit the bakery and linger below the mural in the parking lot, Centro San Antonio’s Andi Rodriguez knew they were onto something. The organization’s vice president of cultural placemaking, Rodriguez had recently launched the Art Everywhere initiative meant to bring more public art to downtown. “There was a joyous response,” she says. So despite the pandemic and social unrest of the year,
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“we decided to push forward with the arts." By the close of last year, 10 projects had been installed throughout downtown—from “SA is Amor” by Martha Martinez Flores to a poem written on the street around Travis Park by Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson to a student mural at the base of Frost Tower. And Centro now is on its way to bringing 21 pieces of art to downtown in 2021. Prioritizing the Art Everywhere project during the pandemic not only brought art downtown, but also helped put artists back to work. Each artist who participates is selected through an open call process and paid for their work. “We’re celebrating, honoring and recognizing what artists do in our community,” Rodriguez says.—KATHLEEN PETTY
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IN THE LOOP / CITY NEWS
An Amazon Impact How San Antonio charities are working to transform services to those in need using the millions of dollars received in 2020 from MacKenzie Scott BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA
ORGANIZATION
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MACKENZIE SCOTT’S MULTIBILLION DOLLAR GIFT
to nonprofits across the nation, including seven in San Antonio, all started because of a 19-year-old in Chicago. The woman wanted to help those in her neighborhood who’d lost a job during the pandemic and raised $7,000 after texting her friends about getting involved by buying supplies for those in need. Scott, the former spouse of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, heard about the effort and was inspired to act, she wrote in a post for Medium. Over four months, she gave $4.2 billion to 384 high-performing charities nationwide, including more than $60 million that came to San Antonio. “MacKenzie’s gift will keep us from going into debt and from having to get loans
for our projects,” says Michael Guerra, chief resource officer for the San Antonio Food Bank. Each of the donations were unrestricted, meaning there are no strings attached. To identify organizations, Scott and her team used data to find nonprofits that had solid leadership and a track record of results. “This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” Scott wrote on Medium. “Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.” Here’s a look at what Scott’s donation will do for San Antonio.
AMOUNT GIVEN
WHAT WILL THE MONEY DO
EASTERSEALS REHABILITATION CENTER
UNDISCLOSED
This nonprofit will use funds to expand their services (from early childhood intervention to training and job placement) to meet the needs of children and adults living with an autism spectrum disorder or other disability. Programs help those with disabilities engage in the community, and demand often outpaces what’s available.
GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SAN ANTONIO
$10 MILLION
Having just celebrated 75 years in San Antonio, this organization is currently in a vetting process to see how it will utilize its funds to boost its diverse programming, all of which is aimed at combating poverty while creating job opportunities.
LIFTFUND
$10 MILLION
LiftFund, which provides micro and small business loans to entrepreneurs, will use the money to support minority entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses during the pandemic.
PALO ALTO COLLEGE
$20 MILLION
The funds will allow the college to enhance support for student scholarship assistance through AlamoPROMISE, which provides free tuition toward a certificate or associate’s degree for students from participating high schools. It also is being used to increase resources at the college’s S.H.A.R.E. Center, which connects students with counseling, career services, peer coaching and more, and it will help launch a soon-to-beannounced new program.
SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK
UNDISCLOSED
The gift will allow the organization to complete its capital projects, including the Culinary Center at their main campus and the Apple Seeds Apartments in New Braunfels, without having to take on loans or debt.
UNITED WAY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY
$20 MILLION
United Way’s staff says much of the donation will go toward their efforts to help combat economic, educational and social disparities in the community, while another part of the gift will go specifically to the United Way Dual Generation Partnership, which works to help families break the cycle of poverty through housing, education, childcare and employment programs.
YWCA SAN ANTONIO
$1 MILLION
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The million dollars will go toward building its racial justice and gender equality department and making it sustainable over the next three years. The YWCA also plans to update computers and provides raises to staff members.
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2021 Mood / Days after Fiesta announced it would postpone this month’s fest until June, Merit Coffee Co. opened pre-orders for its 2021 Fiesta medal, perfectly capturing the blah spirit of the year so far. It features the widely shared inauguration image of Bernie Sanders, only on the medal he’s also holding a cup of Merit coffee and wearing a sombrero. “Me hearing Fiesta has been postponed to June … at least there’s coffee,” the company wrote. Proceeds from the medal’s sales benefit Snack Pak 4 Kids SA.
COURTESY MERRIT COFFEE
The Award for Most Admired / USAA was named the 24th most admired company in the country by Fortune magazine, receiving high marks because of its global competitiveness, innovation, people management, financial soundness and social responsibility, which it demonstrated over the last year through a $30 million gift to help military service members and veterans who’d suffered due to COVID-19 and a commitment to donate $50 million over three years to organizations fighting against racial inequality. Gators in the Hippo House / When February’s winter storm cut power to a well pump at the San Antonio Zoo, animal care specialists got creative, temporarily moving the flamingos into Riverview restaurant and the alligators into the Africa Live! building, where they could view the hippos swimming.
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IN THE LOOP / PERSON OF INTEREST
a special price.” When people were polite and kind, he would sometimes finish the work for free, Loston says. If they called his kids names, they paid more. “He used the same words, ‘I have a special price for you,’ but they had different meaning,” she says. “Individuals thought they were getting a great price either way, but we knew he was restoring our humanity.” That principle of getting whatever work was out there done while still standing for what he believed in never left Loston, especially as she broke barriers in her career as the first Black or first Black woman in leadership roles at numerous higher education institutions and at NASA, where she served as a director of education and the agency’s highest ranking African American woman. You’ve said you never set out to be the first Black leader in any of the positions you’ve held, but did it impact your roles? I was the first or only African American or African American woman in every job I held until I came to San Antonio and it did. I didn’t set out to be the first or only because that puts you in a fishbowl and there are some challenges with that. You are constantly thinking about the fact that all eyes are on you. There’s no one who looks like you and there’s no network of people or someone to talk to, so you’re constantly mindful of that. And if you make simple mistakes, all eyes are on you, so it does influence you. You represent not just you, but you represent your people and I carried that with me. When someone would say, ‘You’re different,’ I would say, ‘No, I’m not different.’ I never allowed anyone to elevate me because I came from the segregated South and I experienced and felt that pain. And I knew that in changed circumstances or a different environment, I could be treated very differently.
Educational Trailblazer Adena Williams Loston, president of St. Philip’s College, celebrates making history as a Black woman while always looking ahead INTERVIEW BY KATHLEEN PETTY
rowing up in the segregated South, Adena Williams Loston and her siblings would take messages for her father’s plumbing business. He was the first Black, self-employed plumber in her hometown and served predominately white clients, never turning down a job but also showing his kids that dignity mattered. “They would say, ‘Send that n****r over here—because that was his label,” remembers Loston, the president of St. Philip’s College who was named one of the 10 most dominant HBCU leaders of 2021. “We had to write it down and then he would charge people according to the way they talked to his children, always telling them they were getting
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FACT FILE
Hometown: Vicksburg, Mississippi Education: bachelor’s, Alcorn State University; master’s and doctor of philosophy, Bowling Green State University Years at St. Philip’s College: 14
Congrats on the HBCU honor. St. Philip’s College is the nation’s only federally designated Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution. How does that fit into the school’s history and purpose? The (honor) came as a surprise. I’m honored and very flattered. I’ve worked very, very hard in my roles as a trailblazer. It’s also another opportunity for me to tell the story of St. Philip’s College. People often ask, ‘How can you be an HBCU when San Antonio is predominately Hispanic?’ We were established 123 years ago as a Black institution. The little church at La Villita was originally our home. We ILLUSTRATION BY VICENTE MARTÍ
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were established through St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, which also established a white school and TMI. St. Philip’s immediately began focusing on opportunities for daughters and granddaughters of former slaves, so they began with cooking and sewing classes but always had the ethos that they would promote leadership. For years, St. Philip’s has been open to everybody. We are now a predominantly Hispanic serving institution, but we will always be historically Black. We never send out a rejection letter. Everyone is welcome here. I cannot overstate the significance of our founder, Artemisia Bowden. She was a leader and the mission was even greater than her title. When she was demoted to dean, she continued to lead and do whatever she had to to keep the school going, even bartering with chickens and eggs after St. Philip’s lost support from the church. How do workforce programs continue to be part of the mission of St. Philip’s? We have more career and technical programs than any of the Alamo Colleges. That’s a reflection of our history as San Antonio College was originally a feeder program into universities and we were responsible for workforce programs as a Black institution. Now, we serve both students who plan to transfer to a four-year school and we prepare students to graduate and make a living wage. Our graduates have a roughly 93 percent employment rate and many make $60,000 to $70,000 a year, which catapults them into middle income America with careers in fields like cardiac sonography or welding. And getting students career-ready is also being done with partnerships at SAISD? We have a well-established feeder program with SAISD. Sam Houston High School is one of our neighboring school, and we have a P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) that we established last year in cyber security. This semester we announced two more P-TECHS, one in construction science with Lanier and one at Highlands that will include aerospace, automotive, welding and engineering. Has the pandemic impacted enrollment? Yes. We are down about 4 percent from where we were at this time last year, which is roughly 200 students. We are happy we were able to maintain at that level. We have even seen some students that have financial aid or scholarships that covered the cost of them attending who have not returned. We have advisors reaching out to them and about 74 percent we were able to recover, but others are saying it just doesn’t work right now. Even before the pandemic, many of our students have children or spouses or family members they’re caring for. They’re juggling many roles, so we try to make sure that we have wrap-around services and systems to help them stay in school and be successful. I tell students they will have obstacles. If they must leave because of life circumstances, we want them back. I tell them to consider this a freeway with on and off ramps. If you have to get off, we still want you to come back and finish, and we have support systems for you when you’re ready to do that. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. APRIL 2021
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I N T H E L O O P / C U LT U R E
+4 OTHER EXHIBITS TO SEE NIGHT OF ART ISTS
Through May 9 at Briscoe Western Art Museum This year marks the 20th anniversary of the public exhibition and auction event that served as the inspiration for the museum’s creation. The ongoing exhibit and sale features more than 295 works from over 75 of today’s leading contemporary Western artists. NO OCEAN B ET W EEN US
Through May 9 at San Antonio Museum of Art
Sandy Skoglund’s immersive pieces among several female-created works in McNay Art Museum’s latest exhibition BY KATHLEEN PETTY
rtist Sandy Skoglund never wants her art to come off as superior. Rather, she sees her works as reflections of a society of which she is as much a part as anyone examining her pieces. That’s what she told René Paul Barilleaux, McNay Art Museum head of curatorial affairs, in a video interview when “Cocktail Party,” which features cheese doodle covered sculptures, was first installed at the museum a decade ago. That sentiment has continued to hold true for her, including in her new largescale piece, “Winter,” which made its museum debut as part of the McNay’s latest exhibition, Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art, on display through Sept. 19. “‘Winter’ is an intense blue and it’s really meant to evoke the cold and crisp bareness of winter,” Barilleaux says. In “Cocktail Party,” part of the McNay’s permanent collection and back on display in Limitless!, Skoglund uses cheese doodle snacks to highlight the unnaturalness of interacting at a social gathering—an experience everyone has at some point. In “Winter,” she also captures a moment in time, albeit a quieter one, and leaves space for contemplation thanks to her carefully crafted figures and recognizable forms, like snowflakes, plus the focus on a singular color. Elsewhere in the exhibition, guests will have the chance to experience video installations, including “Botanic 3,” by Jennifer Steinkamp, which is part of the permanent collection and is projected on floating screens. Another video by Martine Gutierrez is presented on all four walls of a pavilion that is meant to make visitors feel like they’ve stepped into a club. An installation in the AT&T Lobby by Letitia Huckaby opens the exhibition while Yayoi Kusama’s “All the Eternal Love I Have for Pumpkins” sits near the end of the show and literally invites guests into the piece. Made with mirrors, wood, LED and other materials, the work is a full room that individuals can step into one by one, just as they did in 2018 when Kusama’s “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity” was on display as part of the McNay’s Immersed exhibition. Knowing how much locals loved that experience is what first inspired this latest exhibit, Barilleaux says. After securing a loan of the Kusama piece from the Dallas Museum of Art, he and Lauren Thompson, assistant curator, built the show around women—an important focus at the McNay—including artists of varying generations, mediums and backgrounds. “They’re all very different, but they all share that fearlessness and are very independent,” he says.
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S PRING 202 1 IN T ER N AT IO N A L ARTIST-IN-RESIDEN C E
Through May 9 at Artpace Austin-based Adrian Aguilera, Brooklynite Valerie Tevere and Arizona’s Nazafarin Lotfi, who is from Tehran, are the featured artists in this first residency exhibition of 2021. Selected by guest curator Gilbert Vicario, each of the artists has been living and working in San Antonio since late January and will present their works in this exhibit. WHEN DID YO U FO RG ET YO U WERE AN IMM IG RA N T ?
Through May 9 at Blue Star Contemporary Artists Sergio De La Torre and Chris Treggiari use their pieces to challenge locals to think about the history and policies of immigration in the U.S. They also want San Antonio to contribute to their work by calling 210-342-2667 and submitting their personal answer to the question, “When did you forget you were an immigrant?”
COURTESY MCNAY ART MUSEUM
Artful Mingling
The 75 pieces on display include modern and contemporary works by Latin American and Caribbean artists of Asian descent that look at how one’s heritage can intermingle with the culture in which they live.
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In Full Bloom
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Accessorize for spring with wildflower shawls from local designers Sorella Clothing Co. BY SALLIE LEWIS
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an Antonio native Carolina Lewis and her cousins, Margaret and Alicia Amberson, were raised to have a full appreciation for their surroundings. “We’ve learned how to ask questions and respect the land and wildlife,” says Alicia. “We were taught how to predict rain by watching the wild cenizo, and how to tell the seasons by migration patterns …We want to capture everything that makes Texas special and share our vision with people within and beyond our home state.” The trio married that love of the outdoors with a strong sense of style when they launched Sorella Clothing Co., a fashion-forward ranchwear brand for women, last August. The signature line from Sorella (which means sister in Italian) includes tailored shooting vests, silk scarves, and thoughtful accessories that elevate and feminize outdoor fashion while honoring their South Texas upbringing. For their latest launch, the cousins celebrate one of Texas’s most beloved spring attractions with shawls and silk ribbons featuring wildflower scenes. As with their other designs, the patterns in this capsule collection are one-of-a-kind, made
from Alicia’s original artwork. Every Sorella print is painted by hand before being digitally scanned and finalized through Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Not only the beauty of the state’s iconic blooms but also the folklore surrounding them inspired the cousins. “I love the stories that surround wildflowers, like the folktale of the Widow’s Tears and the legend of the Pink Bluebonnet and Blue Water Lily,” says Alicia. “The oral tradition of passing down strange origin stories fascinates me… It’s almost like an alternative version of ‘the language of flowers.’” Available in petal pink, French blue, and dayglow yellow, the oversized Sallie Silk Shawl is a kaleidoscope of color and a tribute to the prolific flora and fauna that blankets Texas. Additionally, they designed two double-sided silk ribbons that feature a mix of fruit and flowers. “In the spring when the wildflowers grow, so do the number of vendors that line the roads with heavy bags of grapefruit and oranges, crates of strawberries and ripe watermelons,” says Alicia. The limited edition designs are available on Sorella’s website. sorellaclothingco.com
COURTESY SORELLA CLOTHING CO. /JOSH HUSKIN
IN THE LOOP / STYLE
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What to Read Next
HANDPICKED BY AUTHOR JENNY LAWSON San Antonio’s New York Times bestselling author and Nowhere Bookshop owner Jenny Lawson releases her third book this month, Broken (In the Best Way Possible). Touted as “her most personal book yet,” this release includes a discussion of Lawson’s experimental treatment for depression using transcranial magnetic stimulation. As with her previous titles, Lawson takes everything from calls with her insurance company to business ideas she would pitch on Shark Tank and turns them into hilarious essays. Lawson and Nowhere Bookshop host an online book club, Fantastic Strangelings, which sends subscribed readers a new book each month. In April, they’re digging into Broken (In the Best Way Possible). Once you’re through with that, consider one of these titles recommended by Lawson.
The young artist behind Alles Klar Aesthetic found community and inspiration upon returning home BY KATHLEEN PETTY
anielle Becknell began creating colorful dishes for the most utilitarian of reasons: she needed plates for her new house. After relocating to her hometown of San Antonio in 2020, those pieces of practical art helped her make connections, with other artists and with locals looking for something unique to add to their homes. “My sculpture professors would shake their heads because sculpture is not meant to be usable—it’s just artwork for art’s sake,” says Becknell, the artist behind Alles Klar Aesthetic, which has a kiosk at Broadway News. “But, of course, if I had studied ceramics it would be completely fine.” Returning to Texas wasn’t in Becknell’s plans for last year, but it also wasn’t the first time she shifted based on circumstances. After earning an undergraduate degree in art history, Becknell worked “random jobs” in New York City before enrolling in the
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sculpture program at National Arts School in Sydney. She stumbled upon the campus while in Australia for a wedding. “I thought it was a museum,” she says. She later did a residency in France, which she sought out while in the hospital recovering from emergency surgery in 2019, figuring she needed a reason to be hopeful. COVID-19 restrictions sent her back to San Antonio, and Becknell says she plans to stay for a while, having found an art community that is both open and poised for growth. “The vibe here is really welcoming and not snooty like most cities,” she says. “As a young artist, we tend to be self-conscious, so it’s nice to have plenty of support.” As a way to support her new community, Becknell donates 10 percent of her sales to the San Antonio Food Bank. “There is a lot of need and it’s just a small way to help,” she says. Along with solar-fired ceramic bowls, plates, chalices and vases—she'll be exhibiting five vases during September's Milan Design Week—Becknell also creates film photography prints and glass work and is dabbling in textiles, all drawing from inspiration in nature and her family history and experiences. @alles.klar.aesthetic
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism Part educational, part humor, this book from Lacey Lamar and sister Amber Ruffin is hilarious while also eye-opening about everyday racism. Ruffin is a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and she and her sister write about the encounters Lamar has while living and working in Nebraska—everything from people touching her hair to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman. Follow Me to Ground Sue Rainsford’s debut novel was the first pick of the Fantastic Strangelings when it launched in January 2020. Lawson wrote when she made the selection that it’s a bit of horror, sci-fi, fantasy realism and folklore rolled into one and that it’s beautifully written. Follow the story about a woman and her father who have the power to heal.
DANIELLE BECKNELL
Usable Art
Mexican Gothic A 2020 release and New York Times bestseller by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this novel is akin to classic gothic horror stories. Set in the 1950s, the female protagonist leaves Mexico City after a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin living in the Mexican countryside. This book was also a Texas Book Festival Book Club pick.
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IN THE LOOP / INFLUENCER
Purposeful Design Albert and Natasha Gonzales’ Mira Medals grew from a hobby and a passion for creativity BY BONNY OSTERHAGE
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efore ever dabbling in their own Fiesta medal designs, San Antonio natives Albert and Natasha Gonzales were longtime collectors of the commemorative coins and wearable art pieces that have been a Fiesta tradition since King Antonio passed out his first coin in 1946. They added to their collection in 2017 with a few medals they designed just for fun. Those medals caught the eye of businesses and individuals alike and requests for custom medals started pouring in faster than margaritas at NIOSA. “It was just a hobby for us,” says Albert. That hobby turned into an official business, Mira Medals, and just over three years later, the couple now counts IKEA, Luby’s and several city officials among their clients. Even though Fiesta was postponed until June this year, the Gonzaleses have been busy with 2021 orders for months (and are still accepting more). A self-taught digital designer, Albert says they enjoy collaborating with clients to come up with original work that reflects their organization or mission. “It’s almost like giving out a business card so you want to make sure that it is on brand and conveys the message you want, while still being fun,” he says. That “fun” element is usually found in pop culture (think Baby Yoda) or festive themes that Albert says emerge every year as they talk with clients. This year’s trending theme? “We are getting a lot of design requests for mascots wearing face masks,” he says. One of his favorite designs was a medal he created not for a large company or public figure, but for his own 12-year-old son, who has “high-functioning autism” and was Fiesta Especial king in 2020. Through sales of the medals, lemonade and cupcakes, he raised $5,700 for Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, to win the title. “He was obsessed with Godzilla, so we designed his king medal around that theme,” Albert says. They even collaborated with Godzilla comic book artist Matt Frank on the design. After last year, Albert and Natasha, who is a full-time nurse and manages Mira Medals' marketing and social media, are hopeful Fiesta will come back stronger than ever, regardless of how different celebrations may look. “People don’t realize what an important event it is because it generates funds that go back into our city and into our economy,” Albert says, adding that their company also donates a portion of its annual profits to charity. “At the end of the day, it is so much more than just a party.”
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IN THE LOOP / OUTDOORS
Take a Class Most climbing gyms are open to newcomers without a course requirement, but it never hurts to get a little professional instruction. If your first climb is outdoors, Andress and other coaches recommend taking a class or at a minimum getting some instruction from an experienced friend. Indoor Intros An Intro to Climbing class is available every Saturday at 3 p.m. at Armadillo Boulders. Learn the basics about gear and climbing technique during the hourlong session and then test your skills on a wall. At 6 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday at The District, newbies can join an intro class that features warm-ups and stretching plus basic instruction on technique. armadilloboulders.com, thedistrictsa.com Outside Basics Rock-About Climbing Adventures and Texas Climbing Adventures offer in-depth beginner climbing courses for groups or individuals. During the half-day class, students get to complete multiple climbs while learning the fundamentals of the sport, its terms and its safety guidelines. Both companies take groups to Enchanted Rock, greenbelts in Austin and Reimers Ranch Park near Dripping Springs. rock-about.com, texasclimbingadventures.com
Get a fresh perspective this spring while rock climbing f Andrew Andress had free time as a teen or young adult, he could usually be found cycling. He loved being outdoors and the rush of competing and training but after years dedicated to the sport, the Abilene native realized he was spending an awful lot of his time alone on a bike. “It was very isolating,” he says. At the invitation of a buddy, Andress had rock climbed outdoors a few times and enjoyed it. It wasn’t until he visited his first bouldering gym with a friend about seven years ago, though, that he realized he’d found his new sport. “I fell in love with the community aspect of it,” he says. “You’re still training and getting a workout in, but there’s also down time for conversation and people become friends pretty quickly as they’re trying to figure out routes or solve problems.” Now the director of climbing at Armadillo Boulders, Andress has climbed throughout the world, moving to San Antonio after running a climbing gym in Kenya. He says with a little guidance, anyone can enjoy the sport—from kids to his father in his 70s who tried climbing later in life. “What I love about climbing is that it’s a lifelong sport and you can start at any point in life,” he says. Want to give it a go? Here are a few pointers.—KATHLEEN PETTY
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Find a Friend Climbing is not just more fun with friends, it’s safer. While basic bouldering a few feet off the ground can be done alone, climbing solo isn’t recommended. “It’s a community sport,” Andress says. Plus, he adds, along with providing safety, it’s helpful to have the input of a group when strategizing about how to begin or which route to follow to reach the top of a rock you never thought you’d be able to conquer. Get Outside Bouldering gyms are ideal places for regular training, but Andress says there’s nothing like being in nature. In San Antonio, The Texas Climbers Coalition has acquired and reopened Medicine Wall, which is just north of Loop 1604 and accessible from the Salado Creek Greenway. For a day trip, make reservations at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area or McKinney Falls State Park, which permits bouldering. Franklin Mountains State Park and Hueco Tanks State Historic Park deliver a fresh challenge when you have time for a longer road trip. texasclimberscoalition.org, tpwd.texas.gov
ILLUSTRATION: DAVID G. LOYOLA; STONE: NUSUPPLY; EVERYTHING ELSE: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MOITUMAGO
Bouldering On
Practice While there’s always more to learn and new climbs to try, the saying that practice makes perfect is standard for a reason. Andress says if you’re climbing regularly, whether indoors or outdoors, you can expect to see vast improvement in just your first three months. There’s a lot to learn, he says, but it gets easier with each week.
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Protect Yourself And Our Community From Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protéjase a Usted Y a Nuestra Comunidad Del Coronavirus (COVID-19)
#SíSePuedeSA #DoItDowntown
COVID-19 HOTLINE: (210)207-5779 APRIL 2021
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IN THE LOOP / CASA
Upgrading the Outdoors Even as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, the need for safe spaces to gather outside remains. Make your own patio or backyard seating area more welcoming for family and friends with these tips from local shops BY JENNIFER CHAPPELL SMITH
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String bistro lights for instant ambience. Retro strands with exposed filaments shimmering from Edison bulbs bring a nostalgic quality to any yard, says Andrew Galindo, owner and lead designer at Bryant Outdoor Lighting. “They remind you of a good time in your life, maybe at a beer garden or a first date at a cafe,” he says. Galindo advises hanging lights in a triangle or zig-zag pattern, rather than “willy-nilly” about the yard. Bonus: Edison bulbs can be energy-efficient. LED bistro strands use 2 watts per bulb compared to 11 watts per incandescent bulb. Galindo suggests going with dimmable strands that allow you to control the glow. “You don’t want to have to wear sunglasses in your backyard,” he says. His favorite options include Brightech Ambience Pro, Waterproof LED Outdoor String Lights and the Smart Dimmer Plug by Treatlife. String lights can be tricky to install, so Galindo offers a few tips: • Fix strands to thin, steel cables using zip ties for a more secure hold. • Use hardware such as carabiners, which allow for easy removal if a repair or light bulb change is needed. • Allow slack in the strands between trees or between the house exterior and a tree.
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Dress up outdoor seating with throw pillows. “Outdoor pillows are an inexpensive way to change the look,” says Elva Solis, a design consultant at the Summer Classics showroom on Broadway. Solis says to select from the variety of outdoor fabrics that can take the Texas heat without fading, such as Sunbrella, which can be hosed down and even bleached, or faux leather. “Choose great embellishments, from faux leather to tassels and trims, all rated for the weather,” Solis says.
CONCRETE PATH: COURTESY BIG GRASS LIVING
Seek out inspiration. Consider a walk through the San Antonio Botanical Garden, where its Mays Family Display Garden offers plenty of ideas for floral color combos, and its WaterSaver Lane, which features six demonstration cottages that show how to implement drought-tolerant landscape, provides solutions for every home style.
Green up your space. Mary Broemer, a plant expert at Milberger’s Landscaping and Nursery, suggests planting impatiens for a quick burst of springtime color on a shady porch, along with elephant ear-shaped caladiums. For year-round vegetation, consider English Ivy and various asparagus fern varieties, including Myer’s (also known as foxtail), which Broemer says creates “an organized look” with its burst of structured tendrils. “It doesn’t get out of control, and it can stay in a pot for three years before being broken out,” says Broemer, who also serves as the nursery’s resident plant consultant and diagnostic specialist for when your green thumb turns on you. Want something even simpler? Chica Verde offers easy-to-maintain succulents plus quirky accents, vintage containers and other pops of color that can brighten a patio without requiring a lot of upkeep. Create a path to your outdoor oasis. You won’t even need to clean up inside if you’re able to guide guests to your outdoor living space without having them traipse through your home. Big Grass Living, tucked away amid antique stores on West Hildebrand Avenue, offers unstained wandering path pavers, which are tapered and molded concrete shapes meant to offer a DIY option that can be arranged in a variety of ways. It’s the perfect alternative for those not into flagstones or brick pavers often used by homeowners. APRIL 2021
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T HE 31 WI N N E RS OF T H E I N AUGURA L C OMP E TITION
by Re be cca Fon tenot Cord
THE 2021 HOME & DESIGN AWARDS
DROR BALDINGER
Just as the landscape of San Antonio and its surrounding areas varies drastically, so too does the range of architecture and design found in the neighborhoods of our sprawling metro area, from modern urban abodes and historic renovations to expansive suburban estates and countryside farmhouses. There’s also no shortage of talented design professionals to perfectly suit each homeowner’s unique desires. That’s more than clear after seeing the entries that poured in for San Antonio Magazine's inaugural Home & Design Awards, presented by Keller Williams. Submissions included projects completed in the two years leading up to fall 2020, when the competition opened. A renowned panel of judges (see page 38) from across the country critiqued the works, selecting these winners as the best of the best.
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The Galeana Group T H EGA L E A NAG ROUP.CO M
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“The Julz Box” DI N I N G RO O M P OW DE R RO O M
Wallpaper, window coverings and textiles provided solutions to a variety of challenges this homeowner faced, including how to incorporate an antique dining set into a bold, transitional home and how to cover a 10-by-10-foot wall of windows in a powder bath without losing the natural light. The Galeana Group used privacy film on 90 percent of that ill-placed window and added showstopping wallpaper in both rooms to draw the eye away from problem areas. Reupholstered chairs give the dining set, which belonged to the homeowners’ grandmother, a fresh take, while black and brass accents complement the glimmering design of the wallpaper in the powder room.
“The Hoel House” LIVING RO OM
Functionality was paramount in the design of this living room that needed to be suitable for both family time and entertaining—at small and large scales. An artfully designed round table at the entry can double as the location for an intimate meal or a fundraiser check-in. The furniture pieces were selected to move easily to function as needed for the occasion and withstand any party mishaps (the luxe-looking fabrics on the sofas are all treated to be stain-resistant).
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Clayton Korte “Savor” R ESTAURAN T/ BA R
VE Luxury Homes
“Hill Country Soft Contemporary” DEC K / PAT I O/ P O RC H /OUT DO O R KITC HEN
Nearly 1,300 square feet of covered space make up this outdoor living area. Automatic sliding glass doors create a 10-by-24-foot movable glass wall that opens the great room to the patio, which includes an outdoor kitchen, game room, fireplace, dining/living space and an aviary. Solar screens around the edges can be used for shade or privacy. Lighted steps lead down to a pool, which is flanked by additional seating, a firepit and the lush landscape with fully automated maintenance systems. veluxuryhomes.com
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SAVOR:DROR BALDINGER; DECK: TREVOR SMITH
The striking design of the Culinary Institute of America’s teaching restaurant in a former Pearl warehouse building starts before you even enter the space. A glowing canopy made of a blackened steel frame with brass connections and backlit textured glass runs from the patio to the interior and all the way through the dining room to the open kitchen that’s showcased at the back of the space. The warmth and natural finishes are carried through the rest of the design, creating an intimate environment and neutral backdrop for the rotating menu. claytonkorte.com
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RVK “The Lynd Company Headquarters” OFFICE
For the headquarters of this local development company, RVK was tasked with creating a distinguished building that would house employees, a museum dedicated to the Vietnam War—the owner served in the conflict and is active with the veteran community—and event space. A double height lobby with a floating staircase separates the museum on the first floor with open office space on the second and private offices, plus employee amenities and a terrace that can be used for entertaining on the third floor. The energy-efficient building features abundant windows, and the use of glass in a long hallway and elevator help bring a cohesiveness to the design. rvk-architects.com
Sol Studio Architects, LLC
“Nacogdoches” BUI L DI NG A RC H I T ECT UR E
NACOGDOCHES: AGAINST THE GRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY; LYND OFFICE: LINES & LIGHT STUDIO
Sol Studio Architects looked to Palm Springs, California’s Tramway Gas Station, designed by Albert Frey, for exterior inspiration of this parallelogram sited building with a cantilever roof and lots of windows designed to attract potential tenants to a redevelopment project. solstudioarchitects.us
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MARK MENJIVAR
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“Dairy Barn” ACCESSORY DWE LLI N G U N I T H ISTOR IC R EN OVATI ON INTE R IO R DESI G N | M OD E R N R E MODE L | U P TO 1 ,0 0 0 SQUA R E FE E T
Ford, Powell & Carson principal John Gutzler transformed a former dairy barn on his Hill Country property into a guest house that’s modern while maintaining its historic charm and connection to the surrounding land. Windows offer views of the Hill Country from three sides of the home and let in natural light during the day, while custom gable end windows that replaced wood siding let the stars peek in at night. The original decking and roughhewn rafters of the ceiling were retained by sistering them with fir two-by-fours, creating a striking wood ceiling that contrasts the cool whitewash of the refreshed plaster. Another eye-catching element comes in the herringbone Endicott brick floors. Ford, Powell & Carson brought its best to the renovation of this rundown property, creating a beautiful result that stays true to the simplicity of the barn’s past.
“Blue House” R ES I DE N T I A L L A N DSCA PE WAT E R F E AT UR E
Gutzler created an outdoor living room in the renovation of the property's main house, a 1903 farmhouse along the confluence of the Guadalupe River and Holiday Creek near Comfort. Reminiscent of cattle troughs, low limestone walls that double as seating enclose a fishpond with lily pads, goldfish and water that reflects the blue sky, sunset and flames from the courtyard’s firepit. APRIL 2021
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JMS Architects
“Midsomer” ARCH I TECTU R E | MO DE R N E XTE R I OR USE O F CO LO R
The modern façade of this house features concrete, metal, wood and glass, each material providing a striking contrast to the others and the greenery of the landscape. In the resort-style backyard, a blue pool adds to the palette. From a large window in the front, the home’s dynamic floating stair tower can be seen. Inside, the open-concept floorplan is anchored around the kitchen, and a large sliding door opens up to the backyard, creating an indoor-outdoor living space. jmsarchitects.com
“Monkeypod Conference Room Table” CUSTO M/ R E PUR P OS E D F UR N I T URE
To create this industrial-style conference room table, Hill Country Woodshop imported a 12-foot by 51-inch single live edge slab of monkeypod wood from Costa Rica. The grain of the hardwood has a distinctive 3D nature that’s highlighted through the use of a hard wax. An unfinished steel beam base gives it the unfinished industrial style the client was looking to achieve. hillcountrywoodshop.com
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MIDSOMER: AMANDA TERRY/TWIST TOURS; TABLE: COURTESY HILL COUNTRY WOODSHOP
Hill Country Woodshop, LLC
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Bradshaw Designs “Lakefront Retreat” F UL L BAT H
The renovations of this primary bathroom took it from 1980s Tuscan to modern glam. A soaking tub is flanked by his-and-hers vanities that pair simple brass-bracketed mirrors with drama in starburst hardware on the deep blue cabinets and quartz pendant lights. Some space from the attached closet was repurposed to allow for a larger walk-in shower. bradshawdesigns.com
CROSS
“Bright & Airy Elm Creek Master Suite”
VANITY: KRISTIN CASTANEDA; FIREPLACE: RYANN FORD; POOL: COURTESY GARNER CUSTOM HOMES
PR I M ARY SU I TE
The homeowners wanted a stylish transitional space that could age along with them. A gas fireplace with floor-to-ceiling custom plaster in the bedroom sets a calming tone that’s carried into the attached bathroom, which was updated with clean, contemporary design elements and ADA-compliant features, such as large entry doors, a curbless shower and 35-inch vanity height. cross-tx.com
Infinity Pools of Texas “Curved Pool with Vanishing Edge” R ES I DE N T I A L SW I MMI NG P O O L /S PA
This uniquely positioned pool wraps around the edge of an elevated patio in the backyard of a Cordillera Ranch home. The vanishing edge creates the same visual effect as a true infinity pool. A firepit and seating on the salt-finished concrete deck provides an additional place to take in the Hill Country views. infinitypoolstx.com
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Nicole Curtis
Detroit-based Nicole Curtis is the high-energy, charismatic star of Rehab Addict, the long-running hit HGTV and DIY Network show. The self-taught home renovator, designer, and tireless champion of saving and restoring old houses is famous for her extraordinary home transformations and unbridled passion for rebuilding neighborhoods.
Bobby Berk
Alongside the rapid growth of his eponymous brand and his lifestyle site, BobbyBerk.com, Bobby Berk became the resident designer on the Netflix show Queer Eye, which has won three Emmy Awards. As a member of the Fab Five, the Los Angeles–based designer helps bring change to people’s lives starting within their homes.
Allison Crawford
The founder of Allison Crawford Design and HOTELette, Allison Crawford creates beautiful and functional spaces that reflect the personality and passions of her clients. She believes that design creates balance between comfort and luxury. Crawford currently resides in Austin but is moving to Paris this year with her husband and daughter.
Kinley C. Puzey
Kinley C. Puzey, AIA, is a licensed architect who has spent the last 18 years in the design and construction industry. His project experience ranges from humanitarian efforts on the Navajo reservation to multimillion-dollar custom homes. In 2015 he founded Utah-based Onyx Design Collective, which specializes in high-end residential and unique commercial projects.
Kayla Cooper
As the founder of Kayla Cooper Design, Pennsylvania-based Kayla Cooper loves to design with clean lines and strong architecture. From clothes to cars to spaces, Cooper has designed it all. Though her styles and practices have evolved over the years, her love for design and the creative process has not.
Brad Engelsman
Brad Engelsman is the founder of BEDA, an architecture and design practice based in Brooklyn whose work has been recognized internationally. He has served as full-time faculty at Montana State University and is currently a visiting professor at the New York Institute of Technology.
Barrie Spang
Barrie Spang has been an interior designer for 25 years. She worked for a residential interior design firm in Cleveland, Ohio, for 22 years before starting her own, Sapphire Pear, in 2015. Spang is inspired by color and encourages her clients to go beyond their comfort zone with design.
Lee Starke
Lee Starke is an interior designer for Cline Design Associates in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lee manages an expansive portfolio of projects from residential buildings to corporate office spaces. Her attention to detail and ability to quickly gather consensus among team members makes her an asset to any project.
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Styleberry Creative Interiors ST Y L E BE R RYC R E AT IVE.COM
Shawna Percival R I S I NG STA R | L ESS THAN F I V E Y E A RS
In just over four years, Shawna Percival has established her fresh and focused take on interior design through her firm, Styleberry Creative Interiors. “I believe that an ordered, meaningful and beautiful space is the fastest way to relaxing and enjoying time at home, and that is what drives every project we do,” she says. That ethos to design rooms where clients can live a comfortable, full life has led to designs that draw inspiration from nature, incorporate personal touches and emphasize function along with beauty. A prime example, her winning children’s room/play space ("Primera Project Play Room") was once a sunroom that had been used for storage. She transformed it into a children’s play area that has dedicated spaces for crafts, video games, Legos and board games, music, reading and more. Lego and art creations by the kids serve as décor, while comfy chairs welcome the whole family and ensure the room will age gracefully alongside the children. For a more sophisticated game room for teens and adults at another home ("Waterford Project Game Room," winner of the specialty room category), she and her team added a high-contrast look to a space blessed with abundant natural sunlight. They balanced black wallpaper, a gray leather couch and black tile behind a candy and soda bar with woven pendants, light cabinetry, a gallery wall of white frames and the metallic and natural hues of saxophones and guitars that double as art on the walls.
CURTIS: A.J. MULLER; BERK: LUKE FONTANA; OTHERS: COURTESY JUDGES
Meet the Judges
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“Primera Project Play Room”
PLAYROOM: STYLEBERRY CREATIVE INTERIORS; OTHERS: MADELINE HARPER INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY
C H I L DR E N ’S RO O M/ P L AY S PAC E
“Waterford Project Game Room” SPECIALT Y ROOM (GY M , MUSIC, BIL LI A R DS, CRAF TS, E TC.)
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McKinney York Architects “Hillside Pavilion” H O ME I N T H E H I L L COUNT RY
At this Hill Country home for Texas-born Nebraska snowbirds, the pavilion and pool offer a place to relax while taking in the views of the sky and the lake below. Nestled into the hill, the pavilion includes retractable openings and a rooftop meadow that blooms with wildflowers in the spring. mckinneyyork.com
Younique Designs “Traditional Kitchen Gets a Modern Makeover” This kitchen is a master of contrasts—matte and high gloss, wood and black stone—that all complement one another. The kitchen is set at an angle to allow for traffic flow and to serve as the hub of the home. A wall of cabinets around two ovens (the kitchen has two full-sized ovens plus a steam oven) include pull-out pantries and motorized doors on upper cabinets. An appliance cabinet holds a microwave keeping countertops clutter-free, while custom iron floating shelves and a wine closet behind black iron framed doors puts curated items on display. myyouniquedesigns.com
K. Rue Designs, LLC “Fireplace Transformation” F I R E P L AC E
A builder-grade fireplace with dark red brick and a surrounding wall painted light brown were given a lighter treatment with stone travertine, white wood molding and panels, new wall sconces and a faux wrought-iron design piece overhead that disguises the grill vent while still allowing for air flow. k.ruedesigns.com
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PAVILION: DROR BALDINGER; KITCHEN: JENNIFER SIU-RIVERA; FIREPLACE: AMANDA MAEYAERT
K ITCH E N
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Carla Royder Designs & Co. “John Wayne Inspired Study” LIBRARY/ST U DY/ H OM E OFFI CE
The homeowner of this study has a love of Texas and John Wayne and a personal history in the power and electricity business, inspiring the design team to honor his roots with vintage accessories. An embossed crocodile wall covering adds depth and texture to the entire room while a custom Kyle Bunting rug pairs well with a structured Noir desk. A submarine accent table aside a leather chair makes for a striking reading nook. carlaroyderdesigns.com
Virtuoso Builders “Shavano Estates Expansion”
OFFICE: CARLA ROYDER DESIGNS & CO.; CABINETS: JASON ROBERTS; KITCHEN: SHOOT2SELL
CUSTO M CA BI NE T RY
In an effort to minimize waste, the homeowners of this remodel project requested that their original cabinets be salvaged and reused. Virtuoso Builders took special care to remove them, sand them down and re-stain them for re-installation throughout the project. The island size doubled with the use of old cabinets, while others were used to expand an appliance wall. For some, the design team removed the fronts and replaced them with wire mesh for the look of open cabinets. virtuosobuilders.com
Dave Isaacs Homes “300 Queen Anne” R E MODE L | M OR E TH A N 1 ,0 0 0 SQUAR E FE E T
This Mahncke Park home was a 1920s-built triplex that Dave Isaacs Homes stripped to its studs to rebuild. The team drew upon the French influence of the neighborhood for a French modern style that’s a beautiful reinvention. di-homes.com APRIL 2021
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Ken Bentley, Bentley Architects If an element in one of architect Ken Bentley’s homes is beautiful, it almost always also serves a functional purpose. “Define what is essential and then make art out of what is essential,” says Bentley, who started practicing in San Antonio in 1965 and has had his own firm, Bentley Architects, for 40-plus years. “You make functional art.” An Abilene native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Bentley says he’s loved to draw since he was a kid and was pulled to architecture after summers spent working in construction as a teen. “It became apparent to me early on that I wanted to be an architect,” he says. “I was just fascinated by it.” He began as a 20-something working with Bartlett Cocke before joining O’Neil Ford’s firm, where Bentley says he learned many of the elements of material and place that still influence him today. “Ford was one of those who was naturally gifted,” Bentley says. In opening his own firm, Bentley quickly found that he liked to remain involved in each of the projects the group took on and has kept his staff small to allow for that type of hands-on interaction, typically having just three to five associates. They’ve worked throughout San Antonio, Texas and Mexico, focusing largely on residential projects—which Bentley says allows for more creativity—and relying on word-of-mouth to drive business. Whether at a site on the far Northwest Side or sitting in the garden at the Alamo, Bentley always keeps his sketch book on him and insists on drawing his projects, even as computer programs have allowed for less physical sketching in recent decades. “One has to be careful not to lose their soul with a computer,” says Bentley, who also designs sculptures. “I still draw everything with a pencil. I have a deep commitment to feeling what I’m drawing.” In each of the homes he designs, Bentley takes pride in responding to both the region where the house is built and to its site, taking into account everything from wind and sun exposure to trees. “We want our work to function and for everything to have a purpose,” he says, explaining that that means avoiding cliches, relying on regional material and considering the culture of the place where a home is constructed. Torrey Carleton, executive director at AIA San Antonio, says that care and attention to each of his jobs has made Bentley one of San Antonio’s true standouts, even if he doesn’t ever seek recognition. “He’s someone who has always created architecture because he adores architecture,” Carleton says. “It just runs in his blood. His work is very much his own and can be easily overlooked because he shies away from the spotlight and doesn’t submit for awards. His work is timeless, gorgeous and just really sings.”—KATHLEEN PETTY
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COURTESY AIA SAN ANTONIO
L EGACY AWA R D
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UP & Co. “Neutrals vs. Brights” US E O F CO LO R
Up & Co. relied on distinct color palettes to set the tone for disparate areas of this home, all while ensuring cohesiveness within the house’s composite design style. They used whites and neutrals to create a calming guest room that would be welcoming to every visitor. Outside that bedroom, a common entertaining space leads into vibrant kids’ rooms and serves as a conduit between the two areas with varying needs. Color is introduced there but in shades that aren’t fully saturated to avoid overstimulation.
“Sevilla Project” R E A DE RS ’ C H O I C E BEST OV E RA L L H O ME
CKC Custom Homes “Hill Country Transitional”
Modern elegance, efficiency and comfort were the leading design themes in this home, which was the clear favorite for our readers, who voted online during January to select this as the top overall home among the architecture and interior design finalist entries. Up & Co. says this budget-conscious project needed to satisfy a penchant for entertaining with the functionality necessary for the homeowners and their young daughter to enjoy the rooms in day-to-day life. They juxtaposed dark furniture with white, open spaces and made sure to allow areas for large groups to gather and move about. Original art throughout the house was specially curated to match the family’s personalities and hobbies. dmupandcoming.com
LIGH TING
UP & CO.: PAOLA LONGORIA PHOTOGRAPHY; CKC CUSTOM HOMES: LAUREN KELLER, LRES MARKETING
CKC Custom Homes eschewed can lights and boring chandeliers in this New Braunfels home, instead installing a variety of eye-catching light fixtures in various rooms. ckccustomhomes.com
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by
Kathleen Petty
photography by
Vincent Gonzalez
BEXAR COUNTY has the highest rate in the state of babies born with opioid withdrawal. UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing and Crosspoint Inc. are working to rewrite the cyclical nature of maternal drug addiction with a program that keeps new moms and babies together while recovering from addiction
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Tiffany Harper was the first graduate from Casa Mia, where she lived with her son, Matthew, while participating in an addiction recovery program.
T TIFFANY HARPER’S WEEKDAY AFTERNOONS
are filled with routine. She picks up her almost 3-year-old son Matthew at daycare after getting off work at 3 p.m. The toddler, “a ball of energy,” plays hard, running around at home until Harper can convince him to take a breather and cuddle with her on the couch while watching an episode of his favorite show, PJ Masks. She makes dinner next, or picks up fast food, enjoying it alongside Matthew at their apartment. Then it’s bath and bedtime by 8 p.m. so the two can get some sleep before doing it all over again. If the predictability sounds boring to some, Harper is fine with that. The San Antonio native says it’s exactly the kind of schedule that eluded her family when she was a child and one she dreamed of while working to get through recovery after a 10-plus year battle with addiction. “Being a mom is challenging and it’s always a learning experience, but I love it,” she says. “He never stops. Some days are hard, and I want to cry, but the good days outweigh the bad and the good part is, I get to see my son happy and growing up.” When Matthew was born in 2018, Harper had recently started a recovery program. But she’d been using for years before that, including through part of her pregnancy, resulting in her newborn testing positive for opioids. Child Protective Services took custody of him and placed him with Harper’s sister. Glad he was with family,
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BREAKING THE CYCLE
Harper was determined to get him back and followed her treatment program closely, making sure she fulfilled all of the requirements outlined by the court. Even if she did everything perfectly, though, with just a small income from a new job at Luby’s, she knew she didn’t have enough money for an apartment—a requirement for gaining custody. That’s when someone at her treatment program let her know about Casa Mia, a new home that was opening through a partnership between UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing and the nonprofit Crosspoint Inc. The home was specifically designed for women who had recently had babies and were recovering from opioid addiction and was based on research showing that moms and infants have better long-term outcomes when they’re together during a woman’s recovery. Harper figured she had nothing to lose and enrolled as one of its first residents. Matthew was six months old when the two were reunited. “The first night with him was really awesome,” she says. “I didn’t know anything about being a mom and I was also learning how to be a responsible adult and to stay clean. There were other moms there who helped me and staff who had children and offered pointers. It was like a family there.”
WITH ONE-THIRD OF ALL TEXAS’ CASES OF
neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), Bexar County leads the state in the number of infants born with withdrawal symptoms due to a mother’s opioid use. Casa Mia has just 20 beds and within a few months of opening in 2018, it already had a waiting list. Now, UT Health San Antonio and Crosspoint are on their way to helping better meet that need as they break ground in the coming months on a larger Women’s Wellness Campus that will double the number of beds at Casa Mia and expand the services they can offer to new mothers. “This is going to have a profound effect
Women’s Wellness Campus Phase 1: Expanded Casa Mia program
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on the community,” says Lisa Cleveland, associate professor at UT Health’s School of Nursing who spearheaded the partnership with Crosspoint. “The idea is to stop the cycle of trauma.” The expansion will add an on-site nursery for newborns who otherwise would likely have had to spend time in the NICU, as well as private rooms for mom and baby once the child is discharged, a primary care clinic run by the School of Nursing plus programs for behavioral health, parenting and more. It will be one of only a few centers like it in the U.S., Cleveland says. “Typically, babies with NAS go to the ICU and mom gets discharged. For the most part, these babies are full-term and they’re miserable with no one to hold them,” she says. “We say first line of management for these babies is what you do for any fussy baby—cuddle, rock, skin-toskin contact, breastfeed—all the things that moms do really well and aren’t able to when they’re separated.” At the Women’s Wellness Campus, eligible moms and babies will be able to move into the specialty nursery after both are stable at the hospital, and the mother gets to act as primary caregiver there under the constant guidance of professionals. “It’s a much more humane way to care for babies, and it’s a better use of resources,” Cleveland says, adding that research shows mothers establish a better bond with their infants and are more motivated to achieving success in recovery when they aren’t separated. Infants, too, benefit from the bonding and stability not always found in foster care. Once the babies are released from the nursery, moms and babies have the opportunity to move into one of Casa Mia’s rooms, where they can stay while the mother participates in a treatment program. A former NICU nurse who learned of the prevalence of opioid addiction in San Antonio infants while working on her Ph.D. dissertation over a decade ago, Cleveland has long researched and worked to address the issue. “It’s very traumatic to have a child taken away,” she says. “These babies are motivators to mamas to apply
themselves to recovery.” Along with her research efforts, by 2017, Cleveland had received grant money from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to create a countywide collaborative to assess the problem. One of its main takeaways: There was nowhere for women to go to recover from addiction while caring for their child. Not only was separating children and mothers traumatic for both parties, research showed it was also more expensive for the state. Cleveland put together a proposal for a program that would help new moms parent while going through treatment and counseling. She qualified for funding, but she didn’t have a facility to house her endeavor. That’s when Colleen Bridger, Ph.D., former director of Metro Health, introduced Cleveland and Kevin Downey, Ph.D., CEO of Crosspoint Inc. The nonprofit that was founded in 1963 operates residential facilities for homeless veterans and those who have been released from behavorial health hospitals. When Downey and Cleveland met, the organization had a small recovery support home for women who had just completed inpatient addiction treatment, but they’d long struggled to fund it. After operating at a loss for years, the board was considering shutting it down at the close of 2018. In partnership with Cleveland, they transformed the home into Casa Mia, targeted at new moms recovering from opioid addiction. The School of Nursing worked with Crosspoint’s existing staff to learn how to care for moms and children and also have provided education for residents in everything from nutrition and parenting to therapeutic gardening. Moms living at Casa Mia have their own individualized treatment program, many working with Center for Health Care Services or Alpha Home. Crosspoint staff enforce strict rules, ensuring they’re meeting the requirements of their program, checking in by curfew, maintaining sobriety and participating in Casa Mia programming.
UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing was awarded $3.8 million by Texas Health and Human Services. Of that, $2.9 million is going toward land purchase and construction of Phase I, with the remainder going to cover operating costs. Crosspoint Inc. is securing the remaining money through fundraising.
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Crosspoint Inc. CEO Kevin Downey says it was fate that he and UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing's Lisa Cleveland would meet, leading to the partnership that created Casa Mia.
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BREAKING THE CYCLE
By The Numbers Sources: Department of State Health Services, Metro Health, UT Health San Antonio
1/3 OF ALL NAS CASES IN TEXAS OCCUR IN BEXAR COUNTY (BETWEEN 300-400 ANNUALLY)
AS MANY AS 94 PERCENT OF INFANTS EXPOSED TO OPIOIDS IN THE WOMB DEVELOP NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME (NAS)
Like Harper did, many of the women also work while living there and learning how to become parents. “It’s been an amazing experience,” Downey says. “Clearly it was fated that Lisa and I would meet.” Cleveland and Downey believe the new center will serve as a national model for what can work for moms and infants and as an example for nursing or medical students to be able to see addiction, and barriers to recovery, on a personal level in a way that’s simply not available in the classroom. “I think it makes them much better caregivers in the future,” Cleveland says. Once the new facility is complete, Downey plans to expand from there. Crosspoint already is fundraising to construct additional homes that would house female residents from its other programs. “It will take a while, but it’s just been amazing the people who have stepped up,” he says. The campus is being built on 3 acres purchased from Emmanuel AME Church on the city’s East Side. The final piece in their dream, Cleveland says, is to obtain grants to establish a supportive housing program so those who finish the program at Casa Mia can move into a partially funded apartment while working their way up to being able to pay the full rent on their own place. The ultimate goal, she and Downey say, isn’t just to restore these women and give them a new path—though it is that—it’s also to break what they’ve learned is often a cycle of trauma and addiction in Bexar
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70% ONE INFANT IS BORN ROUGHLY EVERY 15 MINUTES IN THE U.S. WITH SIGNS OF NAS
TEXAS HAS SEEN A 300 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF NAS SINCE 2000
County. “People often see these programs as serving people right now, but a program like this has an intergenerational impact that is hard to overstate,” Downey says. “It will make our community stronger and safer for generations to come.”
That’s certainly been the case for Harper. Harper herself was born with heroin in her system due to her mother’s drug use. As a kid, she remembers living in a van with her parents before being dropped off one day at an uncle’s home. He cared for her and her siblings until she was 8, at which point her mom returned, still addicted to drugs. Back with her mom, Harper was experimenting with pot by the time she was 9. Alcohol followed and by 14 she was using heroin. “I didn’t let it go for almost 11 years. It just progressed rapidly. I would go to treatment because it was court ordered but as soon as I would get out, I would go back,” she says. “I wasn’t ready to stop.” By her 20s, Harper was homeless, crashing on friends’ couches, in drug houses or on the street. Her father had died of an overdose after being released from prison when she was a child, and when Harper was a teen, her mom died of an infection in her heart due to hepatitis C contracted through drug use. “When my mom died, I spiraled down in
OF WOMEN WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS HAVE YOUNG, DEPENDENT CHILDREN, BUT NATIONALLY, VERY FEW RECOVERY HOMES OFFER BEDS FOR CHILDREN
my addiction,” she says. “I think the reason why I stayed in addiction for so long was because I had no motivation. A part of me always wanted to get clean, but I thought, ‘For what? I have no reason to live.’ Because of my choices, my family did not trust me, and I isolated myself. I thought I didn’t have anyone who loved me and that no one would notice I was missing if I overdosed.” Matthew provided that motivation. Now an employee at Crosspoint’s transitional home, Harper hopes to eventually transfer to the new facility so she can be an example to other moms of what’s possible. “That’s my goal,” she says. “I think it’s really important for them to see that there is hope, regardless of their background. I came from drugs and living on the street.” Recovery, she says, is a day-by-day process but one she’s been blessed by thus far. “I don’t have the desire. Everyone’s recovery is different, but for me, God lifted that desire and I believe it’s because I had motivation and a purpose in life—and that was to give my son a better life,” she says. Harper remembers as a kid questioning why she wasn’t good enough to make her mom want to give up drugs. She never wants her own son to have reason to ask that question. So she sticks to her routine: work, playtime, a cartoon and dinner. “If I can do it, other women can definitely do it,” she says. “It’s so beautiful to see your kids grow up and know that their parent loves them, and they don’t have to question that.”
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U G HOSPI
the
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TAL I T of
It only takes one encounter with Philippe Place to understand why his signature smile, welcoming nature and French accent are as much a hallmark of Southerleigh Hospitality Group’s eateries as the food
by Julia Celeste photography by Josh Huskin
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conversation with Philippe Place is akin to a joyful journey through Europe with stops at some of the world’s top hotels. These are the stomping grounds where he honed his talents as a respectful server, spellbinding raconteur, gracious host and inspirational leader—all skills he relies on as operations officer for Southerleigh Hospitality Group. Best known for his outgoing and welcoming presence inside the group’s bustling dining spots, Place’s warmth and, let’s face it, his French accent, charm even the ‘hangriest’ patron waiting for a seat. “I always had a desire to entertain others,” says Place, who was among the visionaries behind Southerleigh Hospitality Group’s most recent venture, French restaurant Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, located just around the corner from Southerleigh at Pearl. “I was the class clown, never had trouble meeting people, talking to strangers. And I wasn’t super academic, so I was directed toward a vocational trade school for high school.” Even before that, the hospitality industry was in his blood. “My heritage is one of commerçants—retail people,” he explains. Before he was born in Chartres, near Paris, Place’s maternal grandparents owned a bar/café, and his paternal grandparents owned a combination wine/liquor/grocery/dry goods store from the early 1900s into the late 1960s. After receiving his diploma, Place moved to London for his first industry job as a busboy at the venerable Claridge’s Hotel. He was soon elevated to chef de rang, assisting the captain with the VIP section of the restaurant, where he often oversaw service for royalty, including Queen Elizabeth, Lady Diana Spencer and the King of Belgium. He returned to France, first to work as director of banquets at the 5-star Hotel Lutetia, planning fashionable fêtes for the elite, then for his mandatory year of military service as a French native. His assignment there as the personal maître d to General Michael Roquejoffre, one of France’s most celebrated military leaders, played to his skillset and deepened his leadership experience as he directed the general’s cooks, drivers and servers. Place returned to the public sector at Pavillon Ledoyen, one of Paris’s oldest and most elegant restaurants, before being lured to the United States by a friend who shared his love
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of adventure. “I went on vacation to meet him at his job at the Wheatleigh Hotel in Lenox, Massachusetts. Within a few months, I returned as the assistant general manager,” Place says. It was in Lenox, at a wedding, that Place’s move to San Antonio began. “I met this wonderful, gorgeous woman named Kim, who is now my wife,” Place says. The couple planned their wedding in San Antonio, where Kim’s parents had retired. “It was to be a quick stop, just for our wedding, but the magic of the city took root and we stayed.” Within a few months, Kim was enrolled to earn her master’s of social work at the University of Texas and Place was beginning his new job as director of restaurants at the La Mansión del Rio hotel, where he spent seven years shaping the higher level of service for which he’s become known. In 2008, he scratched the itch to own his own business and opened Coco Chocolate Lounge & Bistro, selling his share three years later to move on and help open Sustenio. Ready for a new challenge again by 2013, Place answered a call from Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery founder/chef Jeff Balfour that would take his career in a new direction. Balfour was working to open a new restaurant in the former brewing facility at the budding Historic Pearl and needed someone to helm customer service. For Balfour, hiring Place was an early win. “You don’t get an opportunity like this often,” Balfour says. “Philippe has as big a following in the city as a lot of chefs do. I had experienced his style, his welcoming nature and gift of gab at La Mansion and at Coco, so I knew bringing him on was a home run.” The two worked side-by-side during the pre-opening phases of Southerleigh. Their similar age, family size, values and mutual respect forged a lasting business partnership and what has become a close friendship. When the San Antonio International Airport concession
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Place’s Picks Visiting a Southerleigh Hospitality Group restaurant? Here’s what Place recommends ordering first.
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery Snapper throats— they’re flash-fried, crispy, flakey and made with a portion from behind the gills
Southerleigh Haute South
Brasserie Mon Chou Chou
Fried chicken topped with shrimp boil— seriously, just try it
Lobster bisque en croute—creamy bisque enveloped in a flaky pastry
contract was up for bid in 2019, Balfour joined with a few other restaurateurs to bid for the concessions and, out of necessity, Southerleigh Hospitality Group was born. The group officially includes Place, Allison Balfour, Jérôme Sérot and Justin Blumhoff as officers and partners, with Jeff Balfour topping the org chart. The concession contract went to a different group, but the Southerleigh team used their new venture to pursue growth in other ways, starting with Southerleigh Haute South, which opened just over six months ago at The Rim. Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, which opened less than three months later in December 2020, came next, taking a frenetic route to fruition as Pearl management looked for the right idea to fill the space that formerly housed Nao, the Culinary Institute of America’s teaching restaurant that preceded Savor. “French food was a comfortable concept for Jérôme and me, and we had known Chef Laurent Rea for more than 20 years,” Place says, noting that Rea, the former executive chef at Signature, and Sérot also are natives of France. “Together with Jeff, we quickly created the plan for an authentic brasserie and got it into the right hands at Pearl just under the wire.” The result has been a tour de force. Place’s role as “guardian of hospitality” plays to all his strengths and his years of experience. It's mesmerizing to see his natural service gene put into action as he welcomes each guest and engages them in conversation—especially for return visitors. “I’ve always had a photographic memory for faces and remember details of the conversations we have,” he explains. “I have a genuine love of people and absolutely love hearing about their background. If someone wears an outfit I like, I remember it the next time I see them. I don’t understand why, but there it is.” Place also shares himself with each restaurant’s staff daily, traveling between the three to work “hand-to-hand and elbow-to-elbow” with the managers, staff and customers. Place wants each manager to offer an extension of the personal hospitality that has become his signature. He looks to hire people who are genuinely kind and caring, understand the line between being attentive and intrusive and have a sense of humor plus the ability not to take things personally—because nary a day in the restaurant industry is without its hiccups. “Connecting with the customers is absolutely the top job of the manager. I have done what I can to reduce their paperwork and meetings so they can be on the floor,” he says. “Our goal is to differentiate our restaurants through hospitality, great food, and warm, welcoming yet professional service.”
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Eat + Drink I N S I D E / ASIA N-A M E RICA N F USIO N p. 56 / BOURBON FOR BREAKFAST p. 60
/ VEGAN SOU L p . 6 2
Noches de Amor I NG R E D I E NTS ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 ounce strawberry syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1.5 ounces blanco tequila Splash of Champagne P R E PA RATI O N Add ingredients to shaker tin, shake and strain into a coupe glass. Top with Champagne of choice. Want to make it more Instagram-worthy? Garnish with dehydrated strawberries.
AMOR ETERNO
540 S. Presa St., instagram.com/amoreterno_sa Open Wednesdays-Sundays
A Different Kind of Bar fter originally hoping to open in time for Fiesta 2020, Aaron Peña (who also owns The Squeezebox) and Brian Correa (owner of Bar America, which has been in his family for decades) put their hope in a better 2021 and in January, opened Amor Eterno, transforming the former Don Martin’s Coffee Co. on South Presa Street into an intimate venue meant for close conversation, craft cocktails and elevated bites. “Both of our other bars are crazy and loud,” Peña says. “We wanted the opposite of that, so there’s a place where you can go on a nice date, have some good food and great cocktails—a bar for adults.” They deliver just that with a carefully curated menu of classic and creative cocktails
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PHOTO BY MARTY MORRIS
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plus ceviche wonton tacos, Tejano Cubanos, carnitas Benedict and more. The Tejano street food pop-up ¡Bucho! handles the food and now operates out of the nearby Bar America. One signature cocktail, the Don Martin, includes housemade coffee syrup and aged rum in homage to the building’s namesake while the Noches de Amor incorporates Champagne and tequila so it can be savored as a nightcap or as part of brunch. The twist on a classic margarita was created by Peña and his former colleague from The Brooklynite, JC Salinas, and contains the ideal balance of lime, strawberry and tequila, plus a splash of Champagne. “People are always up for strawberries and Champagne,” Peña says.—KATHLEEN PETTY
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E AT + D R I N K / E AT H E R E N O W
BEST QUALIT Y DAU GHTER
602 Ave. A. 210-819-4236 bestqualitydaughter.com Lunch & dinner Tues-Sat
A Creative and Culinary Legacy Best Quality Daughter celebrates Chinese culture with a San Antonio point of view BY EDMUND TIJERINA
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APRIL 2021
uring the run up to the fall opening of Best Quality Daughter, chef and co-owner Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin described it perfectly: “Imagine the glory dishes of The Monterey, but all the dishes are Asian.” The Monty, for newcomers or those who missed out, was one of the most influential restaurants in the city’s recent culinary history. During its five-year run that ended in 2015, the Southtown hotspot combined ingredients in a way that felt both inspired and insane— while also utterly irresistible. Dobbertin began her culinary career there as a fry cook, under the direction of chef Quealy Watson. Best Quality Daughter is the second restaurant from Dobbertin and Watson and just more than four months in, they have already delivered menus that have a dazzling sense of creativity with control and finesse. This balance comes out in dishes like the smashed cucumbers, which places chunks of mashed
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cucumber on a bed of garlicky, earthy tahini for a Sichuan-meets-Mediterranean feel. There are multiple “rolled options,” but the guilty pleasure of egg rolls filled with a mixture of crabmeat, Cajun boudin and gooey queso Oaxaca is a must. Once you’ve selected a veggie and roll, head to the menu’s “Noodles and Rice” options, where the Fat Noodle Short Rib delivers with a black bean sauce, roasted tomato, gai lan, five spice and cilantro with crispy shallots. An anything-but-typical ice cream sandwich (one fried mantou sandwich came with chocolate and salty fried peanuts) rounds out the meal. Throughout this regularly changing menu, the dishes have their roots in Dobbertin’s Chinese heritage, infused with flavors and worldwide influences of today’s San Antonio. A San Antonio native, Dobbertin grew up in a culinary family. Her father was a chef, her mother a cook, one of her grandfathers a Chinese pastry chef and an uncle owned a Taiwanese noodle stand. She initially followed a different path, though. After attending Texas A&M University, she decided to move to Thailand in 2005 to work in the nonprofit world while pursuing her master’s in international relations. Her one-year stay turned into six. Back in San Antonio by 2011, she felt burned out on the nonprofit world. She moved into a place just south of downtown, next to The Monterey, and soon enough, she began working there in the tiny kitchen making the restaurant’s famous fries. From there, she worked with Watson on
Asian-influenced pop-ups that later turned into The Monty’s sister restaurant, Hot Joy, and she did some of her own Thai-Chinese pop-ups. The duo moved quickly: Hot Joy opened in 2013 and received raves from Bon Appétit magazine the following year. Then in 2016, the pair left Hot Joy to open Tenko Ramen in the Bottling Dept. at Pearl in 2017. For this latest restaurant, the name came first. It’s inspired by a line in The Joy Luck Club when a character says to her daughter, “You pick worst quality crab because you have best quality heart.” Best Quality Daughter is a nod to the complex relationships between Chinese American women and their Chinese-born mothers. With the idea in place, Dobbertin began working with Anne Ng of Bakery Lorraine and artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk on some pop-ups that quickly evolved into the restaurant. They brought Watson into the project and Dobbertin says, “It moved fast from our last two pop-ups to a brick and mortar.” Ng stepped away to focus on her bakeries while Datchuk brought her influence in the eatery’s art, including through a few of her own pieces. For now, the biggest challenge is making sure the newest place in the former Granary at Pearl runs smoothly while keeping tabs on their nearby ramen spot. Any larger ambitions can wait. “Pre-pandemic, I was like, ‘We want to be a restaurant group,’” Dobbertin says. “Now I’m, ‘Let’s just run a restaurant.’” APRIL 2021
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ORDER THIS
Smashed Cucumbers Crab Boudin Egg Rolls Fat Noodle Short Rib Any Ice Cream Sandwich
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The Perfect Pastrami The Hayden brings Texas smokiness to a New York deli favorite BY JOAN KENNEDY THE HAYDEN
one are the days when San Antonians were forced to trek to New York and pay $30 (transportation and lodging not included) at Katz’s Delicatessan for a good pastrami sandwich. Now, one need only head south on Broadway to The Hayden Restaurant. “Rarely ever am I blown away,” a customer stops to tell The Hayden’s owner, Adam Lampinstein. “See you again soon,” Lampinstein replies, pleased but not surprised. The sandwich distinguishes itself from others by way of The Hayden’s careful attention to detail found in 6 ounces of thick-cut brisket, homemade sauerkraut, a special house deli mustard, house-fermented pickles and rye bread from local favorite The Bread Box. There’s also a double meat version in case that doesn’t sound filling enough. “We’ve had people in here who have been to Katz’s in New York, which is like the mecca of pastrami sandwiches, say, ‘This is as good or better than the one I had there,’” Lampinstein says. Making pastrami is a long and arduous process: It has to be brined, crusted, smoked, then steamed to add moisture back in. Lampinstein, who had always wanted to open a deli-meetsold-school-diner, particularly with a pastrami focus, sees his sandwich as the combination of his Jewish roots with Texas barbecue sensibilities. It brings something different to both sides of its inspiration—those looking for a traditional pastrami sandwich are delighted by the lingering smokiness while those who love barbecue will find something new in a tangier, mustard-crusted brisket. The Hayden, with its motto of “thoughtful, not overthought,” brings purposeful reasoning to an all-purpose spot. The food is done with a sharp chef’s mentality, but the setting and prices are not as intimidating—fitting in with the diner-ethos at the restaurant’s core. “If you want to come in and get a steak and a glass of wine you can … if you want to get a burger and a Lone Star that’s totally cool, too,” Lampinstein says. He measures his success by whether a chef would want to eat at the restaurant on his day off. He also hopes they’re creating a place where people will meet their friends for happy hour, then bring their family in for breakfast on the weekends.
4025 Broadway, thehaydensa.com Lunch & dinner Tues-Sat, brunch Sat-Sun
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+3 Other Local Sandwiches to Try The Californian Turkey
Habanero Roast Beef
One of the most popular lunch options at Bird Bakery, this is made with roasted turkey, Havarti, arugula, avocado, tomato, red onion and raspberry chipotle mayonnaise, all on seeded bread. 5912 Broadway, birdbakery.com
The Station Café’s roast beef sandwich with melted mozzarella, habanero aioli, lettuce and tomato is a must-try. 108 King William St., thestationsa.com
Serious Sandwich With salami, two types of ham, provolone cheese, cheddar cheese, chopped black olives, onions, tomatoes and lettuce on Italian flatbread, this Zito’s Deli favorite is often enough for lunch and dinner. 8800 Broadway, Ste. 108; 6007 Callaghan Road, zitosdeli.net
PHOTO BY JASON CHETWOOD
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Steeped with Love (and Bourbon) Top everything from French toast to veggies with The Man-Child Goods & Sorts’ Fire Side Bourbon Syrup BY KATHLEEN PETTY
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he courage to launch The ManChild Goods & Sorts started the way many of the best ideas do— over a bottle of bubbly. Tiffany Galvan came home one day in 2019 and shared with her husband, Em Garcia, that she’d been laid off. Rather than commiserate, Garcia popped Champagne and partway through the bottle Galvan told him she wanted to open their own business. Garcia, who previously worked as an excavator, had developed quite the repertoire as a home chef and even been a featured dessert chef at San Antonio’s annual Taste the Dream Gala. Galvan, a food lover, wanted him to share his talents and her newfound unemployment seemed like just the push she needed to figure out how to create an LLC. “I love food, specifically good food. I’m a hardcore empath, so I can literally taste in the food if a chef hates his job or his life,” Galvan says. “I can tell if there was love put into the food. That’s one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband. I could tell he loved making delicious things.” The couple attended workshops during San Antonio Startup Week, and in October of 2019 launched their venture, opting to stand out by focusing on Garcia's Fire Side Bourbon
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Syrup. Made initially to top raspberry hotcakes, the syrup is created with a combination of pure cane sugar, molasses citrus, spices and bourbon that’s cooked down over 10 hours. The type of bourbon used makes all the difference, Garcia says, which is why he never shares his preferred brand. Pancakes, waffles and French toast are obvious places to start with syrup, but Galvan says they also love it as a sweetener in coffee or as part of an Old Fashioned. Customers have even told them they use it as a glaze on salmon or veggies or to marinate meat. Garcia hopes to add other syrup products to their lineup in the future. Initially, the couple sold their syrup at farmers and pop-up markets, including Huebner Oaks Farmers Market, but since COVID-19 hit, they have been largely connecting with customers through social media. Galvan, who also works as a consultant fundraising for nonprofits, says they’ve been grateful for the support of the community over the last year, though they’re anxious for markets to become more frequent so they can watch people react as they try the syrup. “The look of surprise and delight across their face,” she says. “That’s my favorite part.” instagram.com/themanchild210
COURTESY THE MAN CHILD GOODS
E AT + D R I N K / M A K E R
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O F F M E N U / E AT + D R I N K
OFF MENU News from the restaurant scene
Chefs Jeff White (Tucker’s Kozy Korner, Boiler House, Eastside Kitchenette) and Luis Colon (Folc, Bexar Pub) debuted J’Dubs Burger and Grub, a ghost kitchen— meaning delivery and to-go only—in February at the former Five Points Local serving smash patty burgers, battered fish cod sandwiches, hand-spun milkshakes and freshly baked cookies. / Sommelier and certified wine educator Jennifer Beckmann opened Texas wine tasting room Re:Rooted 210 Urban Winery in February. / Savage Coffee Co, a woman-owned coffee company dedicated to celebrating and uplifting women, opened their first coffee truck in January. / Revolución Coffee + Juice opened a new location at the Rim in January and added craft cocktails to their traditional fare of coffee options and freshly squeezed juices. / I Love Churros began serving up handcrafted churros, coffee and gelato in February in Leon Valley. / Green Vegetarian closed their Pearl Brewery location and moved to a new spot at the Alamo Quarry Market. / Ocho chef Jesse Kuykendall launched a side project, food truck Milpa, which has a menu featuring Mexican street food. / New Thai food truck Aroy Ver debuted in February, parked near Babcock and De Zavala roads.
DAVID G. LOYOLA
Where in San Antonio do you go to fill comfort food cravings? I have a lot of different comfort foods that take me back to happy times in my life. For this one, I’ll go back to some childhood favorites and start with a good, flaky South Texas– style flour tortilla. My favorite flour tortillas are at M&I Meat Market on West Commerce Street and Mendez Cafe on the South Side. Another fond food memory is smoking beef ribs in the backyard with my dad, and the Saturday beef ribs at 2M Smokehouse are even better than the ones we made. Have a question for our resident foodie? Email asked@sanantoniomag.com. APRIL 2021
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URBAN SOUL MARKET
G U I LT- F R E E S O U L F O O D Urban Soul Market can turn even skeptical non-vegans into plant-based food fans BY KATHERINE STINSON TIA RODRIGUEZ WAS WORKING AS AN HR
recruiter back in 2017 when she had the idea to start her own plant-based business. She’d been following a vegan diet for a full year at that point and was grateful for the health benefits that she and her family had already seen. “I have experienced deep losses in my family due to poor diet and lifestyle. My grandma passed from diabetes, my aunt from cancer, my mother, as well,” she says. “In addition, my son has sickle cell disease, so this journey is definitely personal. I changed my entire life and I wanted to create comfort food options that would help people transition into a healthier lifestyle.” She began testing plant-based recipes inspired by the classic American and African American comfort food dishes that her family has long loved with the goal of creating items that would satisfy everyone. Her test: She’d offer an entrée to a skeptical non-vegan without saying a word about the ingredients. She’d wait until they dug in and told her how good the food was. “Then I’d say, ‘You know you just ate vegan, right?’” she says. Urban Soul Market officially opened in 2019, offering a 100 percent vegan menu. Dishes include the Urban Soulfood Platter that can feature crab cake, fried “chkn” or fried mushrooms plus
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two traditional sides, from collard greens or yams to creamy mac ’n cheese or cream spinach, all made without dairy or meat products. Other popular items include barbecue jackfruit nachos, chopped “cheese” empanadas, fried “chikn” and peach cobbler. Rodriguez says the baked mac ’n cheese is a crowd favorite since it fills that craving for cheese, which is often what people miss most as they transition to a vegan lifestyle. She recently partnered with Alamo City Cakes to expand the dessert menu to include options like red velvet minicakes and banana pudding cake. There’s no physical dining room to sit in and enjoy the menu just yet, but Rodriguez hopes to expand to that in the future. For now, her comfort food is available for curbside pickup, delivery or through catering services. And while the pandemic has certainly posed challenges for the business, Rodriguez says Urban Soul also saw a surge of new support in 2020 when more locals began consciously frequenting Black-owned businesses. “Challenges are something that I am used to being a woman of color. We adapt and overcome. It’s definitely not easy but I have a great support system. I do feel supported by our community and I appreciate the love,” she says. “I love that I come from a family of cooking women. Cooking for me is therapeutic and it connects me to the memories of my family members who have passed on and those who live far away. It’s my happy place.”
COURTESY URBAN SOUL MARKET
1316 Pat Booker Road, Ste. B, Universal City urbansoulmarket.com Open Wednesdays-Fridays and Sundays
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LI S T I N G S / E AT + D R I N K
10 Places to Fill that Puffy Taco Craving ALAMO CAFE (NORTH CENTRAL, WEST) Both locations are known for serving up Tex-Mex favorites. The puffy taco plate includes rice, beans and fresh guacamole with two corn masa tacos, hand-pressed and lightly fried before being filled with seasoned or fajita-style chicken or beef, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. 14250 San Pedro Ave., 210-495-2233; 10060 I-10 W., 210691-8827, alamocafe.com CHELA’S TACOS (ALAMO HEIGHTS, ST. MARY’S) Chela’s prides itself on using the best quality ingredients it can find, whether in enchiladas, soups, breakfast tacos or fried puffy tacos filled with your choice of meat and pico de gallo. 14250 San Pedro Ave., 210-495-2233; 10060 I-10 W., 210691-8827, alamocafe.com HENRY’S PUFFY TACOS (WOODLAWN, MEDICAL CENTER) Henry Lopez perfected his puffy taco recipe alongside his oldest brother Ray, of Ray’s Drive Inn, before opening his own restaurant in 1978. They’ve since sold over 15 million puffy tacos, stuffed with guacamole, bean and cheese, shredded chicken and fajita meat. 3202 W. Woodlawn Ave., 210-4337833; 6030 Bandera Road, 210647-8339, henryspuffytacos.com
LOS BARRIOS (CENTRAL) The
No. 4 Presidential Puffy Tacos arrive filled with beef, chicken, beans or guacamole. Or add a single puffy taco on the side of any order for just $3.89. The tacos are also available at sister restaurants La Hacienda de los Barrios and Viola’s Ventanas. 4223 Blanco Road, 210-732-6017, losbarriosrestaurant.com EL MILAGRITO CAFE (WOODLAWN) Stop in for a lunch plate served with two classic puffy tacos of your choice topped with lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese. Add a Fresca Mexicana and a side of borracho beans to make it a meal. 521 E. Woodlawn Ave., 210-737-8646, elmilagritocafe.com PETE’S TAKO HOUSE (DOWNTOWN) Tacos can be enjoyed
crispy, soft or fried and puffy at Pete’s. Two puffy tacos filled with ground beef or shredded chicken are served topped with the usual lettuce, tomato and cheese plus a side of Spanish rice and your choice of beans. 502 Brooklyn Ave., 210-224-2911, petestakohouse.com RAY’S DRIVE INN (SOUTH WEST)
Ray’s touts itself as home to the original puffy taco, which it serves in numerous options, from traditional beef or chicken to bean, carne guisada and shrimp. Each taco comes filled with lettuce and tomato and are available in packs of one to four tacos. 822 S.W. 19th St., 210-432-7171, raysdriveinn.net
JACALA (LOS ANGELES
TEKA MOLINO (NORTH CEN-
HEIGHTS) This San Antonio
TRAL, FORT SAM HOUSTON)
staple since 1949 is a go-to for its tamales and enchiladas, but don’t sleep on the puffy tacos, which can be ordered alongside enchiladas as part of lunch and dinner plates or on their own. 606 West Ave., 210732-5222, jacala.com
Order a puffy taco on its own so you can try Teka Molina’s other specialties, too, including its fried cheese taco and picadillo roll, or enjoy them as part of a plate with enchiladas, soup or caldo de teka. Puffy tacos are stuffed with ground beef, bean, shredded chicken or guacamole. 7231 San Pedro Ave., 210-344-7281; 1007 Rittiman Road, Ste. 101, 210-257-5514, tekamolino.com
LULA’S MEXICAN CAFE (DOWNTOWN) Classic beef and chicken
puffy tacos can be ordered here, just a few blocks from the River Walk, a la carte or as part of a plate with rice and beans for the full Tex-Mex experience. 115 E. Travis St., 210-472-3300
Restaurants' service and menus may be affected by COVID-19. Please call ahead to confirm.
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It Matters (Your Vote) Stephen Delgado of Instagram's @bexaressentials reflects on a decade of not voting and why he’s passionate about casting his ballot now
ur failure as citizens starts the moment we decide our vote doesn’t matter—that moment we question the voting process by saying, “What has he/she ever done for me?” I was once that citizen. I didn’t vote in my first election (federal, state or local) until I was 29 years old. What changed? Why did I finally decide to make that short trek across the street to my polling place to cast my vote? It was simple—my wife and I were expecting our first child, and I felt it was time to become an active participant in our democracy. It’s easy to get lost in the complexity of voting. Am I registered? How do I get registered? Where do I go to vote? When do I vote? Who do I vote for? On and on and on. As a nation, state and, most importantly, city, we need to be better about educating our citizens on all these issues. We must also acknowledge, though, that it is on us to research to get the answer to some of these questions. We are electing people to run our cities, states and country—we should
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be willing to do some homework to inform those decisions. When I reflect on the 11 eligible years that I didn’t vote, I ask myself why? It always came down to the thought that it didn’t matter to me. I would support whoever was in office, and that was that. But with a child on the way, I soon realized that maybe that person in office would not impact my life directly, but the decisions they make could absolutely impact people that I love and care about. How would their policies affect my gay brother? My mother-in-law, an immigrant from Mexico? My uninsured relatives? How would they affect my daughter and her future rights as a female? It was no longer just about me. I had to vote for my family, for the people I cared about. So, next election—May 1, with early voting this month—ask yourself: “How will my vote affect someone I care about?” When you consider the bigger picture, none of us can afford to sit it out. We all have to do our part, because in the end, it really does matter.
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID G. LOYOLA; DELGADO: COURTESY STEPHEN DELGADO; VOTE STICKERS:JASON KOLENDA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
FINAL THOUGHT
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HOM E & DESIG N AWAR DS / CASA M IA
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