Archive for Texas

Hidden Treasures: Boardwalk on Bulverde

{ March 1, 2011 @ 11:46 am } · { North America, San Antonio, Southern US, Texas }
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When I asked my husband to go with me to eat a taco truck, I got a resounding ‘no’. Even when I told him there was also a Moroccan food truck. And a barbecue truck. And a cupcake truck.

I finally got my chance to try the Boardwalk on Bulverde when a friend visited from out of town. An adventurous friend, who loved the idea.

Tucked away on the Northeast side is what looks a bit like a gypsy camp- half a dozen food trucks of various shapes and sizes encircle a picnic area with playground and strings of party lights. Some nights a portable projector shows a Spurs game or American Idol.

The trucks are powered by generators, which sometimes go out, shutting down a truck for a few minutes or, at night time, blacking out the eating space. Nevertheless it seems like a place where neighbors can meet- a real sense of community pops up and people share tables with strangers, Freetail Brewery  brings a free keg out nearly every Friday and Saturday and the staff at the trucks joke with you while they take your order. A friendly server hunts down a glass of ice for my dad then chats with him about moving to the US from Belgium.

The food isn’t half bad either- but I will leave that commentary to some much more eloquent foodies at Yelp, on various food blogs and in the newspaper.

San Antonio Riverwalk- Eat and Drink

{ March 25, 2010 @ 1:54 pm } · { Hill Country, North America, San Antonio, Texas }
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The Riverwalk offers an abundance of dining and drinking options, but most of them fall into the category of ‘overdone Tex-Mex that only tourists think is good’. This past week I tried to such venues, and I’ll tell you what I thought.

The Iron Cactus, an Austin native, is a chain restaurant specializing in margaritas. Good appetizers and a very nice margarita can be had here easily- but skip the dessert menu. The chocolate cake was dry and the flan tasted day-old. Iron Cactus is a relatively new addition to the Riverwalk, so time will tell if the margaritas will grow weak and sugary. I especially recommend the Mexican Martini- anyone who has lived in Austin is familiar with this margarita-like drink. Iron Cactus makes theirs with real agave nectar and it is perfectly tart and dangerously strong. For a recipe that will not quite live up to Iron Cactus, but will give you an idea if you can’t make it to the Hill Country, try this: http://www.randomfate.net/MT/2004/10/14/jacks-special-mexican-martini/

Casa Rio and the Riverwalk are inseparable. The food is fair, the service is decent, but the seating along the river and the people watching is unmatched. Their Ensalada de Colores comes with a dressing that I wish I could duplicate. The iceberg lettuce and mandarin oranges are nothing special, but with their house special lime vinaigrette dressing it becomes something amazing. Just don’t expect the same from any of the other food- even the corn tortillas are easy to beat.

Hiking San Antonio: Friedrich Park

{ March 16, 2010 @ 4:11 pm } · { Hill Country, North America, San Antonio, Southern US, Texas }
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One of the most popular hiking spots near San Antonio, Friedrich Park has trails of several lengths and difficulty.
The heavily wooded park is off of I-10 on the Northwest side of San Antonio. The park has wheelchair accessible trails as well as challenging mountainous trails.

Most of the trails look a bit like this- wooded, closed in and shaded. There are some places with a decent view of the surrounding hills, but assume you will be in shaded most of the time.
Bring your picnic, but not your dog! Sorry, pets aren’t allowed.
Check out the park website for hours and exact location:   http://www.sanaturalareas.org/fp/fpindex.html

Hang with the locals in San Antonio

{ February 19, 2010 @ 12:57 pm } · { North America, San Antonio, Southern US, Texas }
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San Antonio may be known for the Riverwalk, but every local knows that locals don’t go to the Riverwalk (maybe if it’s Christmas or Fiesta- that’s about it).

So where DO the locals go to have fun? Here are a few suggestions that might help.

Beethoven Maennerchor Halle:
Beethoven is a cultural center that is open to the public the first Friday of each month and for special events such as Oktoberfest. There is a small cover charge, but there’s live music, beer and food is cheap, and you’ll have a great time. Most of the seating is outdoors, so dress appropriately. Everyone is welcome here, and you’ll find people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Bring your dad! He’ll love it.

The Drink:
This cocktail bar near the Riverwalk has a casual lounge setting that 20 and 30somethings adore. On slow nights you’ll get great service and free nachos as well as a quiet, upscale place to have an after work drink. On Fridays or Saturdays after 10 expect to see a well dressed, lively crowd but a still relaxed environment.

Pedicab Bar and Grill:
Pedicab can be described as a dive bar. A one room establishment that only serves beer and burgers, you can often find live music on its small stage. The bar also has a loveable cat that will demand petting from unsuspecting guests. The crowd is mixed, but mostly under 35 in jeans and t-shirts.

Rudi Lechner’s Oktoberfest

{ October 21, 2008 @ 6:01 pm } · { Houston, North America, Southern US, Texas }
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Houston isn’t my number one choice to celebrate Oktoberfest, but this year it will have to do. Just down the street from our humble abode is Houston’s most popular German restaurant, Rudi Lechner’s. And as far as authenticity, it’s pretty good.

We went on a Saturday night, meaning live music and a full restaurant but no wait. I don’t know if there’s no wait because it’s a little expensive, or because Houstonians don’t appreciate yodeling as much as they should. We had potato pancakes (a little too soggy) with applesauce, and they compared pretty closely to the wonderful potato pancakes we used to get a German festivals and outdoor markets in the fall in Frankfurt. I chose a quiche plate, because I wasn’t very hungry, but sampled my date’s weisswurst and bratwurst with spicy mustard. Delicious. I only wish it came with a brotchen as well! The pork steak (Rippchen) was perfectly cooked and thickly sliced, just like it came from our smalltown butcher in Martinshoehe. They have a reasonable selection of German beers, and you can indulge yourself and say ‘bitte ein Bit’ if you like.

The music was quite good, with typical favorites, German toasts and the whole restaurant was smiling and singing along. The crowd was very friendly, just as you would find in a beer hall somewhere in Bavaria. A tear almost came to my eye when the whole room rang out with “Ein prosit, ein prosit die gemüdlichkeit” 

If Germany isn’t quite in your budget this October, try it. www.rudilechners.com

Houston Cultural Bargains

{ June 4, 2008 @ 9:14 am } · { Houston, North America, Southern US, Texas }
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I am one of the few young people you will meet who loves living in Houston. I’m not sure what the problem is, there are plenty of young people in Houston, lots of jobs, great clubs and bars. But maybe they’re missing the part that I love most- culture. Houston has everything that a world class city should have, including cultural steals that smart locals really take advantage of.

Starting early summer the Miller Outdoor Theater plays host to Summer in the Park symphony concerts, played by the fantastic Houston sympony. The theater is a great place to enjoy a concert, come early to get tickets, or take your dog, kids and a picnic blanket to relax on the grassy hill. The symphony series ends with a Fourth of July celebration complete with fireworks and hot dogs. Later in the summer the public is treated to the Houston Shakespeare Festival, three weekends featuring two new plays each year. Last year I saw ‘Taming of the Shrew’ with a little bit of a Texas theme (no change in dialogue, just in accent!) and the year before they put together a fantastic ‘Hamlet’ that had the audience fascinated. This year’s ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Cymbeline’ should be well worth the drive to Hermann Park.

If you want year-round access to great culture, try www.artshound.com  This website can help you find events in any artistic genre, date or price.  It’s a great place to find gallery openings and special showings at places like the Houston Photography Center. Check out the Houston Civic Symphony for four free concerts a year, featuring interesting repertoire played by great amateur musicians of all ages and backgrounds.  I especially recommend the ‘cello section!

If your idea of culture is a little less refined, you might want to try local dance halls like Wild West. Cover is cheap earlier in the evening, often free, and free dance lessons are available Sunday nights.

Have a great time in Houston!

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