United States – Page 20

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

NAO – New World Flavors in San Antonio

January 29, 2014September 28, 2015 Jane Sadek

Mr. Bill hangin' at The Pearl — Mr. Bill hangin’ at The Pearl

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S NAO WITH NEW WORLD FLAVORS

A Culinary Gem in The Pearl

In San Antonio, two of my interests converged – The Pearl and food. The Pearl is San Antonio’s premiere event venue and it was at the top of my list, but I wasn’t sure what to do there. On a weekend trip to San Antonio, the Saturday morning Farmers Market would have been a no-brainer, (In fact, if we’d stayed through the Saturday of the week we were there, we could have enjoyed their annual Tamale Festival) but we wanted to have a go at Dickens on the Strand. So I settled for having dinner at The Pearl and so we wouldn’t miss it, I put it on our first night’s agenda.

NAO and the CIA

The Pearl used to be The Pearl Brewery, but it gave up it’s brewing a long time ago. Now it’s a hip place for foodies and party people. Along with a stable, there’s some retail and residential, as well as several educational facilities, one of them being the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). As soon as I discovered one of the restaurants at The Pearl, NAO – New World Flavors, was run by the CIA, deciding which restaurant we’d visit got real easy.

As we left our hotel, La Mansion del Rio, on the way to The Pearl, Polar Express weather was making it’s approach to San Antonio, so the night was a bit chilly for strolling. After parking (something of a challenge), we made a rather crooked beeline for NAO, because it wasn’t the easiest thing to find. You might have thought our bee was a little drunk.

Entering the restaurant, I was plenty cool and so was the atmosphere. Hard surfaces dominated. Brightly striped upholstery on the banquettes was the only relief from minimalist decor. Seated in the center of the restaurant, we had a good vantage point for observation. Things were quiet, but it was Wednesday night.

What’s for Dinner?

NAO, The Pearl, San Antonio TX — Yum yum yum

New World Flavors, in the case of NAO, means novelle cuisine with a South American twist – and can you say DELICIOUS? I chose the flower-covered fish with mushrooms and heart of palm slices. Since I was trying to diet on this vacation, it seemed a safe choice. The purple stuff under the fish was potatoes, but it was just a smidge of potatoes. Bill ordered “the filet” and thought he was getting a steak. Wrong filet. But he only regretted his mistake up until the moment he took his first bite.

The entrees were so marvelous we couldn’t resist dessert. Bill even had an after-dinner cordial, something he never does. The theme of the post-entree choices was chocolate, but I don’t remember their names and I forgot to take pictures. That’s OK, there’s no way the pictures could have looked as good as everything tasted.

Of course you should go to NAO. Bill said if we lived in San Antonio we might just give up cooking and eat there every night. I wish I could tell you more about The Pearl, but it was just too brisk outside to do anything more than rush back to the car. Come by next week for breakfast.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Omni’s La Mansion de Rio in San Antonio

January 22, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: OMNI LA MANSION DE RIO

San Antonio Hotel with Historic Significance offers Modern Indulgence on the Riverwalk

I love swanky hotels, but usually I opt for bargains, in order to travel more frequently. Still, there are opulent hotels on my wish list and every once and a while, I get the chance to check them off. That’s what happened on this trip to San Antonio.

Thank you, Expedia

As I planned a trip to see the Riverwalk’s Christmastime luminaries, just for grins, I checked La Mansion‘s pricing on expedia. As if Santa were filling my order a little early, there was a deal I couldn’t resist. I rocketed up the stairs to beg Bill’s indulgence, but he was in a good mood, so he told me to book the deal before I even had the chance to kneel.

I’d wished for La Mansion long before it was part of the Omni chain. Unless I’m completely off, I think it used to be part of the Rosewood chain that has THE Mansion, here in Dallas. Whatever the case, I’d wander around the Riverwalk wishing that hotel was my vacation address. This time it would be.

Parking There Was Not Half the Fun

After a visit to the Witte Museum we drove to La Mansion with little to no trouble (thank you GPS), but upon arrival found a $35 hickey for valet parking. That strained our spartan ways. The staff told us we could park across the street cheaper, but that begged the whole luggage thing and the lot across the street charged for in-and-out. So we bit the bullet, ponied up for the parking and even tipped a bellhop. I think the tip may have actually caused Bill physical pain.

Luxuriating in the Splendor

Once our pocketbook quit bleeding, a look around our room excited us. La Mansion occupies a building which was a university, a long long time ago. Wood beams hold up the ceiling and rod iron balconies are just outside the French doors. Since the hotel is an Omni, the furniture, upholstery and drapes are lush. As we inspected our accommodations and tried on the luxurious robes provided, we decided we weren’t as upset about the price of parking as we thought we were going to be.

Bill whipped open his laptop to check the market and I started to unpack. Next to the TV was a lovely bottle of water and I thought, “What a nice gesture,” but thankfully I checked the hang-tag before opening it. Six bucks! So, I opened the dresser and yes, there it was the minibar and snacks. So many ways to capture extra income! At least there was free shampoo. (They didn’t have a safe in the room, though and I thought that was an oversight.)

I’m poking a little fun at the Omni, but we actually enjoyed our stay there completely. The historical building gave everything a very special touch and we did get top notch service. The bed was beyond comfortable and if the only thing we could see out of our window was the parking lot across the street, that was our fault for not choosing to pay extra for a room with a view.

The True Parking Solution

We also figured out the parking problem. See, overnight valet parking is $35, but they don’t charge you for each in and out. The overnight parking across the street is $10, and I assumed it was $10 every time – and that could get expensive quick. But across the street you aren’t charged the overnight price every time, only when you stay overnight. You can short term park much cheaper. Since short term valet parking at the Omni is only $15, that evening we recovered our car and went to dinner. When we came back, we parked across the street. The good news is the Omni never charged us the $15. Thank you Omni!

I’d Do It Again

The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel’s Las Canarias Restaurant, but I’ve already talked too much for today. The Omni La Mansion De Rio is a lovely hotel and I’m so glad we stayed there. Since the Polar Express hit while we were there, it was a little cold to traipse across the river for the privilege of working out at the Omni spa property, but we did peek in and decided it would be great if the weather was friendlier.

Do I think you should stay at Omni’s La Mansion de Rio? I have to say yes. It was a remarkable experience. The proximity to everything on the Riverwalk and the downtown area was perfect for sightseeing. We were blown away by the service. Just keep your eyes open. Who knows when expedia will have another deal! (And keep coming back, because I’ll eventually tell you about breakfast!)

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Witte Museum – San Antonio

January 15, 2014September 28, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: THE WITTE MUSEUM IN SAN ANTONIO

The South Texas Heritage Center sets the Witte apart from any run-of-the-mill science and natural history museum.

Our first stop in San Antonio was The Witte Museum. I’d never visited it before, even though I’ve been to San Antonio many times. Most of my other trips have been overnight, two days as the most, and I prefer art museums over all others, especially one like The Witte, which used to be billed as a science and natural history museum. I’m not into stuffed animals and models of the solar system.

A New Description Captures My Attention

The Witte no longer calls itself a science and natural history museum. Now they are “San Antonio’s premiere museum of South Texas history, culture, and natural science.” That sounds a whole lot more like something I want to see. They’ve also just finished a “South Texas Heritage Center”with a special exhibitions called “Porfirio Salinas: Capturing South Texas on Canvas.” That certainly peaked my interest.

Bill, bless his heart, goes to these places because I want to, but I thought he might enjoy a special exhibition called CSI. However, it was 3PM when we arrived, only two hours before closing, so the CSI exhibit was immediately deleted – especially since it required a separate entrance fee. Just ahead of us a bus tour was arranging itself in the first gallery, so we detoured into another one. OOOPS, stuffed animals! So I checked the map and exited out a side door.

The South Texas Cultural Center

Once we stepped outside the main building, the South Texas Cultural Center was right in front of us. Inside, it being December and all, we found an unusual holiday tree just outside the Salinas exhibit. Come to find out, Salinas was a painter of bluebonnets a la William A. Slaughter. Every bit as good and with his own style, but his primary subject was bluebonnets, just like the more famous Slaughter. The exhibition was housed in a small gallery, but Bill had a hard time getting me out of there.

The rest of the first floor was devoted to the Old Time Trail Drivers Association. There were wonderful old photos, gorgeous saddles, interesting equipment and lots of logbooks and journals, but time was a-wasting and we still had a lot to see.

The Witte Museum, San Antonio TX — Patriotism and Pageantry: Fiesta Honors the Military

Upstairs was a mock-up of a South Texas town with a lot of artifacts strewn among the scenery. We strolled along and picked up quite a bit of history, but didn’t linger overlong. Next on my list was the Betty Coates Textile Gallery, because that’s where the Fiesta dresses are.

Back Inside the Main Building

As far as I’m concerned, the textile gallery alone is well worth a visit to The Witte. One of my favorite things about the Tyler Rose Garden is the Rose Queen gowns museum. Well, the Betty Coates Textile Gallery is the Tyler museum in miniature, but instead of Rose Queen gowns, gowns from San Antonio’s Fiesta are displayed. Just like a Rose Queen, Fiesta Royalty chooses themes for their coronation finery and the gowns on display were devoted to patriotism. We got an eyeful of red-white-and-blue glitz and glamour there.

Magic Lanterns, a Special Exhibition

Around the corner we found a special exhibition, focusing on a form of photography most folks don’t even know about, Magic Lanterns. I happened to take both a photography course and a history of cinema course while I was completing my BA in performance arts, so Magic Lanterns were something I’d been versed in from several points of view. Magic Lanterns were fancy slide shows at the time photography was still in its infancy. It was the x-box of it’s day. I’m just guessing, but I’m betting this was Bill’s favorite part of the museum.

We whirled through the rest of the museum so quickly that I can’t give you a coherent report. Here’s the bottom line: The Witte is no longer a building full of dead animals. A lot more is happening. Put it on your itinerary next time you go to San Antonio. You’ll be glad you did.

So where are we headed next? La Mansion del Rio! Don’t miss it.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Texas’ Natural Bridge Caverns

January 8, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio TX — The Cavern’s Natural Bridge

TRAVEL THERE: JUMPING OFF INTO NOTHING AT NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS

Natural Bridge Caverns is an attraction in Central Texas with much more than a hole in the ground to explore.

Rambling around the southern half of the Lone Star State we found ourselves just around the corner from Natural Bridges Cavern. Having seen Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, we sort of thought we’d done the cavern thing, but I had a coupon, so we decided to check it out.

Cavern Tour vs. Zip-line

Truth be told, I checked it out online ahead of time and when I discovered they had zip-lining, then Mr. Bill developed an uncanny interest in the attraction. However, it appeared he wasn’t as interested in going down into the cavern as he was gliding above it. As we pulled into the parking lot, I handed him our coupon to the cavern. He stuck it in his pocket and asked where the zip-line was.

Gearing-up for Zip-lining

Now I’d seen zip-lining before and I thought it looked pretty fun. When Bill asked me if I would do it, I told him, “Sure.”We got directions to the zip-line area, forked over our credit card and geared up. At this point, I was actually excited. I still thought this was going to be fun. Then it was time to hook my gear up to their gear. “Who’s going first?” they asked. Bill and I looked at one another and shrugged. Then they asked who was the most afraid. Suddenly, that was me, so they hooked me in.

We started up the huge stairwell. I’d become somewhat apprehensive, but I was still all in. Then we got to the first landing, which required that I walk around an unobstructed edge with nothing to hold onto except the zipling gear which was hooked up to a cable. I’m a little acrophobic and that little phobia grew with every inch I sidled around that edge. Still, I wanted to go, so I started climbing the next flight of stairs. The problem was, my lungs didn’t go with me. By the time I got to the top I had no interest in zip-lining, but I could have done with some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The Walk-of-Shame

Apparently, I’m not the first victim of this malady. The lady at the top gently encouraged me to get into position, but I knew that wasn’t happening. When she also figured out that it wasn’t happening, she maneuvered my gear out of the way and started getting Bill lined up to take off.

I watched Bill step onto the platform and with a gentle push, he was gone. In seconds it was over and I had to take the walk-of-shame back down the stairwell. The problem was, I still had to make it around the edge of the first platform. Don’t tell anyone, but I thought I’d die before it was over. I didn’t, but tell that to my pounding heart.

At the bottom they removed my gear and sent me back to the ticket booth. I had been a chicken. Stepping off into nothing was just not something I could do. Bill loved it and he loves me, so he didn’t give me too much of a tough time.

We wandered back to the cavern desk and the next tour was forty minutes away. We decided to save the cavern for another day – you know, the one where we come back and eat at The Gristmill in Gruene? On to San Antonio! Come back next week and see what we visited first!

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Austin’s Amazing Amaya’s

December 25, 2013August 13, 2015 Jane Sadek

Ranchero Deluxe, Amaya's Taco Village, Austin TX — Ranchero Deluxe

TRAVEL THERE: AMAYA’S TACO VILLAGE – AUSTIN TX

On our way out of Austin a few weeks ago, we breakfasted with my cousin and her husband at one of their favorite spots, Amaya’s Taco Village. It’s right on I-35, making it easy off/easy on.

What Decor? What Atmosphere?

Amaya’s is all about the food, because there isn’t anything else. Oh, there’s a spacious parking lot and a very clean building, but you have to bring your atmosphere with you. The walls are beige with basic orange peel texturing and the floor in linoleum. The tables are Formica. Most of the dishes are of either white or beige melamine. The flatware was really flat (you know what I’m talking about). In other words, we wouldn’t have been there if my cousin hadn’t taken us.

But my oh my oh my, are we ever glad my cousin took us. I ordered the Ranchero Deluxe. I knew I could eat the eggs and some carne guisada. I even planned to take a few bites of the chorizo con huevo. Yum, yum, yum. My cousin and her husband got huevos this and that, but Mr. Bill was not feeling very brave. He ordered the Pancake Plate.

The Pancake Plate, Amaya's Taco Village, Austin TX — The Pancake Plate

When they delivered the food to us, they seemed to put about a million dishes on the table. There was queso with carne, salsas of every description, tortillas and on and on and on.

I tucked into the eggs first and they’d gotten them perfect. I order my eggs hard, because I don’t like the runny stuff, but I really don’t want hard yellow disks in the center of my whites. The guy in the kitchen knew that somehow. Nothing ran, but the yolk had just gelled the very second he took them off the gill. Then there was the carne guisada. Tender beef in a perfectly spiced sauce. Nothing to take the top of your head off, just delicious. I even had a few bites of the chorizo. If I’d had any room, I might have eaten more, because they were good, but I was full. The refried beans and potatoes looked tasty, but they didn’t seem to mesh with my South Beach Diet.

Bill seemed to forget that he’s on the South Beach Diet with me. Yes, that’s a piece of sausage peeking out from under that huge pancake and that’s real syrup he poured on there. Way to support me, Pancake Man.

With a hearty breakfast under our belts it was time to head further south. We discovered the wonderful little town of Gruene, so come back next week so I can tell you all about it.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Austin’s Cover 3

December 18, 2013August 13, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: DINNER AND A FUNDRAISER AT COVER 3

Next on my South Texas Ramble was Austin. Now there are lots of reasons to go to Austin, but this time my primary objective was spending time with one of my favorite cousins. However, while I was there, she was busy. She’s an Altrusan and they had a fund raiser that evening. Being a long time fan of Altrusa International, I was thrilled to participate. The event was sort of a happy hour at Cover 3, an Austin hotspot.

We were able to visit with my cousin for a little while before she scurried away to set things up. We arrived later with her husband. Let me tell you, Cover 3 is very popular. It was early on a Tuesday night, but you’d have thought we arrived at 7:30 on a Saturday evening.

It’s a Busy Place

Cover 3 is a sports bar and restaurant. The buzz was roaring when we arrived and the big screens were beaming action into the crowd. We asked after the Altrusans and were directed upstairs. WOW – how do you spell success? Every available couch and chair was full and making out way through the crowd was a challenge. In one corner folks were chatting up The Daytripper and in the other they were checking out the raffle baskets. We dutifully bought a handful of raffle tickets and looked for a place to have some dinner. My cousin had worried the proceeds of the event wouldn’t cover the minimum for booking the space. I think her worries were groundless. We gave up and found a table downstairs.

I’ve recently become a South Beach Dieter and this vacation was a trial run of what life is like on the diet. I quickly noticed the things I can eat are usually on the more expensive parts of the menu, but they’re also among the most delicious. Hubby had shrimp tacos and my cousin’s husband a burger. I ordered Sauteed Gulf Snapper with Fresh Blue Crab. Everyone else was very happy with their choices, but I’ve got to tell you, I was BEYOND happy. If this is dieting, then I can live with it. Since the menu didn’t say anything about the huge mound of mashed potatoes which would accompany my entree, I didn’t know I needed to select another side, but Bill was thrilled to clean those non-SBD potatoes off my dish and the huge entree completely satisfied any vestige of hunger I might have developed. I confess, I was jealous of the beers they were drinking, but I was a good girl and stuck with my water.

After the meal, we made our way back upstairs for the big finale, the raffling of the baskets. Everyone who won was happy with their haul, but I was not among the winners. We made our way to my cousin’s home and visited a little more before hitting the sack. It was a lot colder when we woke up the next morning. The Polar Express was on its way.

Come by next week and I’ll tell you about an amazing place to have breakfast in Austin.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

South Texas Christmas Ramble

December 11, 2013August 13, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SOUTH TEXAS CHRISTMAS RAMBLE – WACO, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO & GALVESTON

Did you miss me last week? I missed being here, but not too much, because I was out having fun. For years I’ve wanted to visit San Antonio while the luminaries glowed on the Riverwalk. I finally headed that way and tacked Galveston’s Dickens on the Strand at the end of the trip. I didn’t know the North Pole would be traveling with us.

Rambling South

Having declared this a ramble, we did take it slow. Last Tuesday morning went like almost any morning at our house, except that my bags were packed and sitting next to the door. After my morning ride on the stationary bike, I made some breakfast and then headed for a bath. Meanwhile, my husband, the investor, checked on the market and made sure his trades were all properly lined up. About 10:30 we hit the road.

Waxahachie Drive Tour

First stop, Waxahachie. We were a few days early for the Gingerbread Tour of Homes, but thought we might take a sneak peek at some of the old Victorians all dressed up for Christmas. I’d found a copy of the tour map online and started putting Bill through his paces. He was very obedient, but by the fifth house we realized the effort wasn’t worth it. It’s the second time I’ve tried to do this and after this second fail we hightailed it back to I-35.

A Detour for the Love of Dr. Pepper

I had a wish list for Waco which included the Lee Lockwood Library, but they’re closed on Tuesdays, so we went to the Dr. Pepper Museum. This pilgrimage had been lurking for a while on my “to do” list, but the other times I’d tried to drop by failed for one reason or another.

I'm a Pepper. Are you a Pepper, too? — I’m a Pepper. Are you a Pepper, too?

Now, if there ever was a Pepper, it’s me, so I was looking forward to the museum big time, but erase all thoughts of the CocaCola Museum in Atlanta out of your mind. Dr. Pepper doesn’t even come in a close second. Even a Pepper like me has to admit it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. Just pare down your expectations a bit.

The building housing the museum is where the beverage was originally served and then bottled. Since we were there on a mid-week afternoon in early December, we didn’t exactly have to fight any crowds. We paid our $8 per person (choke choke) admission and started poking around the place.

Long before Dr. Pepper was a soda fountain drink, Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store was well known as the largest drug store in Texas. Cowpokes and railroad tracks converged in Waco creating a clientele for emporium’s soda fountain, but old Morrison, didn’t create Dr Pepper. One of his employees did. For a while, even though the drink was popular at the soda fountain, no one thought of bottling it. For one thing, soda fountains were all the rage and for another, bottling was an expensive process.

A la Madame Tussard’s, a wax replica of the man that did invent Dr Pepper greeted you in the original soda fountain area. He told you the history of Morrison’s Drug Store and that odd little beverage invented there. He also explained why the artisan wells in Waco made the bottling of Dr Pepper a possibility.

The reason I choked on the price of admission is because the majority of the museum is just a warehouse for Dr. Pepper ad media. Strolling through the first two floors is, for the most part, a review of the Dr Pepper marketing campaigns. Yes, there’s the original soda fountain and a room set up like the original bottling facility, but that’s pretty much all there is that has historical meaning for anyone except an ad executive. The third floor is devoted to Foots Clements. He’s a one time delivery truck driver who made his way through the ranks and then led the company for many years.

Remember this campaign? Have you ever actually drank it hot?

Several displays reminded me that 7Up is part of the Dr Pepper family, but what I found odd was that almost half of one floor was devoted to root beer. Root beer? I could never find the link between root beer and my favorite soda, but I did learn a few things about the whole frosty mug thing.

There’s a gift shop full of Dr Pepper t-shirts and commemorative bottles and then there’s a snack bar, where you can get a free sample of Dr Pepper products mixed the old soda fountain way. I’d have preferred a can. The sample didn’t taste quite right – but I bet when they started bottling Dr Pepper most people said they preferred what they were used to at the soda fountain.

Should you go to the Dr Pepper Museum? Well, that depends. Are you a Pepper? If you’re a devoted drinker of the brand, then you will enjoy it. Are you a Baby Boomer? Then you’d probably enjoy the walk down the advertising memory lane. Are you majoring in marketing at one of our American universities or colleges. Then maybe you’d learn a few things. Otherwise, like my husband, you’d probably prefer to spend your time elsewhere.

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