San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Many San Antonians don’t realize it, but there’s a national historical park in our midst. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park features four colonial Spanish missions and related exhibits, such as an acequia (an irrigation system).

The park features four major missions, in varying stages of restoration. (Mission San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo, was also a Spanish colonial mission. Since it’s owned by the State of Texas and operated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, however, it’s not part of this park.) All were built in the early 1700s.

Mission San Jose is the largest and best-preserved. The only mission to still hold public worship services, it was built in 1720 and feature the famous “Rosa’s Window.” On my visit to Mission San Juan (pictured), I was surprised to find signs indicating the presence of a community of Franciscan monks. The church and convento are the only major structures still standing. Other stops include Mission Concepcion and Mission Espada.

3” tan obelisks mark the driving trail. They’re clear in some places; not so much in others. Make sure you have a good map (available at the visitor’s center at San Jose and at all of the mission stops).

Admission to the park is free.

A Weekend for Beer Lovers at Central Market

H-E-B's Central Market holds many weekend festivals (our favorite, of course, being the Hatch Chile Festival the last two weekends in August). They're having another fun one this weekend (June 26-29)....The Brewer's Tour.

All stores are hosting a rotating schedule of brew masters from around the country to share recipes, beer pairings, and "just plain ol' beer." They have an extensive selection of over 400 different beers.

This weekend in San Antonio, for example, the brewmasters from Alamo will visit Friday from 4:00-7:00pm; on Saturday, they welcome Alamo from 11:00am-2:00pm and Spaten from 2:00-5:00pm; and on Sunday, Alamo (noon-3:00pm) and Spaten (2:00-5:00pm) again. See the blog link for schedules for other stores.

Browse the Exhibits at the San Antonio Museum of Art

Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery (built 1884), the collections of the San Antonio Museum of Art represent a wide variety of cultures. From Greek/Roman to Latin American to Asian, the collections span the globe.

The building features two distinctive towers, now connected by a glass walkway. When the museum was renovated, the builders put the original steel walkway into storage, rather than just throwing it away. It now serves as a pedestrian bridge over the new Museum Reach section of the Riverwalk (see previous post).

My personal favorites: the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture “Persian Ceiling” (located in between the main lobby and special exhibits wing) and the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala (pictured). Monks usually ritually destroy these stunning creations shortly after completion, to represent impermanence. When a group of Buddhist monks prepared this piece in 2001, the museum obtained special permission from the 14th Dalai Lama to preserve it. It’s one of only four mandalas in the United States. (Funny personal story: this blogger’s son, when younger, looked puzzled when viewing the mandala. What’s the problem, I asked? How did they transport that thing, intact, from Tibet to here on an airplane?! he asks. LOL. Uh, no dear, created here.)

The museum is open Tuesday through Sundays, and admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $3 for children (4 to 11). Tuesday evenings from 4:00-9:00 pm, admission is free.

On a Quest: Update on SA Express-News "Reader's Choice" Restaurants

Sorry, fans, about the lack of posts this week. Crazy busy. Hoping to work a bit ahead so I can post several times next week. (Oh, and Happy Father's Day, and Happy Birthday to this blogger's sister!)

As previously posted, Bruce (who still owes me an entry on Freetail Brewing Company) and I are on a quest to hit as many of the SA Express-News "Reader's Choice" restaurants as we can. I have an update on two more:

• Pasha (Critic's Choice, Best Greek/Middle Eastern): Located in a former Taco Cabana at Wurzbach and Bluemel, the hot, steaming, fresh pita bread boded well for our meal. The menu features a wide variety of gyros, kabobs, and other traditional Greek/Mediterranean fare, such as moussaka. Besides just being downright pretty (pictured), Bruce's cabob combo was expertly flavored and very tender. I recommend foregoing the wraps and just enjoy the pita on its own, perhaps with some mast-o khiyar dip. Another good place to take our favorite vegetarian.


• Good Time Charlie's (Critic's Choice, Best Chicken-Fried Steak): I'm a fifth-generation Texas and therefore a connoisseur of good chicken-friend steak. Requirements: tender meat, crunchy (not greasy) crust, flavorful cream gravy. And although I like leftovers, a reasonable portion size also lands in the "plus" column. Good Time Charlie's meets the challenge. The cream gravy was some of the best I've tasted. We struggled to identify the flavor; we're pretty sure it was made with buttermilk. The diner-style menu features burgers, dogs, pork chops, and seafood, and the atmosphere is informal and family-friendly.

Watch for future posts on Mama Lee's Soul Food, Coco Chocolate Lounge and Bistro, and more.