San Antonio's Culinaria Festival: Foodie Paradise

This week is San Antonio’s Culinaria Festival: a celebration of foods and flavors that you won’t want to miss for the world! Bringing some of San Antonio’s best chefs together to craft flavorful cuisine, Culinaria will thrill your taste buds and leave you asking for seconds.

Kicking off on Wednesday, San Antonio’s finest chefs will be preparing their finest dishes for their guests. However, a dinner isn’t complete without its perfect partner: wine. Wednesday’s restaurant and winery pairings include Bliss featuring Elden Burgundy Selections, Boiler House featuring Bending Branch Winery & Freetail Brewing, and Southerleigh featuring Cupcake Vineyards. Continuing Thursday, enjoy dishes at Arcade Midtown Kitchen featuring Becker Vineyards, J Prime Steakhouse featuring Atalon Vineyards, and Stella Public House featuring Bastianich Wines.

From 6 to 9 on Thursday, make your way to H-E-B Alon Market for some food on the go. Food trucks from the area will be gathered to cook you up some delicious dishes. H-E-B Wine Garden will be providing a selection of wine and beer to make the dinner complete. Expect to see B Daddy’s BBQ, Cheesy Janes, Church’s Chicken, Crepe Nation, Duk Truck, Lick, Sabor, Colombiano, Say She Ate, Sir-Wacha, Slider Provider, Tailgate Bistro and Where Y’at.

You won’t have to head very far for Friday’s event because it’s located on our rooftops! The Residences at La Cantera will be hosting the Best of Mexico with the best that Mexico has to offer: tequila! Join us for happy hour and sip some tasty tequilas while learning more about Mexico’s most famous beverage.

On Saturday, make your way to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and prepare to travel through the tasting districts on a tastebud vacation. Start in the cocktail district for some interactive cocktail demonstrations and carnival games or maybe the culinary district where Chef Andon Whitehorn will be fusing the tastes of Japan and Native America together for one tantalizing combination. Once you’ve made it through the rest of the districts, you’ll want to head to the cinema district to recline with a glass of wine and take in a drink-themed movie. (Or nap. Whichever.)

Culinaria will knock your socks off every day with a different event and tasting. San Antonio’s best chefs are gathered to overwhelm your senses and take you around the world with all of their flavors. This is the can’t-miss event of the month. From May 13-17. For information on more events head to Culinaria’s website.

Pamper Mom This Mother's Day

Think of all the amazing things your mom has done for you over the years. Mother’s Day is the day to pay her back! These restaurants are offering special Mother’s Day brunch menus to really appreciate the special lady in your life.


Crumpets

From 11-3, treat your mom to some delicious brunch options at Crumpets. Brunch includes Appetizer, House Salad, Entrée selection, Assorted Breads, Dessert, Coffee or Iced Tea and Wine or Champagne. With options like veal scaloppini and Mediterranean salads, you can’t go wrong!


Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar

From 10-3 pamper your mom with a choice of lobster bisque, modern caesar salad or fresh seasonal fruits. Follow that with an amazing dish like baked brioche French toast or a blue crab omelette. You can’t leave a wine bar without sampling one of their 100 wines. So sip on a glass of wine while you enjoy your dinner.


Blue Ridge at Omni Grove Park Inn

From 12-4 savor the tastes of the brunch buffet at the Blue Ridge in the Omni Grove Park Inn. There are so many choices it’s impossible to decide where to begin! From composed salads to smoked fish to savory biscuits and an immense dessert selection, you won’t know when to quit! Children under 5 eat for free.


The Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe

The 100% gluten free menu is made entirely from scratch. With Australian and European influences you’ll send your tastebuds on a trip! Try some the traditional eggs and bacon done “Down Under Style”, or quiche and salad. Follow that up with a chocolate extreme brownie.

From Fiesta to TejasFest!

Although another Fiesta may have come and gone, this certainly doesn't mean we have nothing to look forward to, so do not despair! Fiesta has been around for years, but in just a couple of days a new festival will be making its debut - TejasFest!

What is TejasFest?

Sponsored by the San Antonio Clubhouse, TejasFest is a cultural festival comprised of all things that make Texas unique - including food, music, art and dance! The festival takes place on Saturday, May 2 from 10:00 AM through 6:00 PM and is free to attend! The day's events will take place at Maverick Plaza at La Villita. From your home at The Residences at La Cantera, it is approximately a 25-minute drive. All proceeds from the festival will benefit the San Antonio Clubhouse, which provides assistance for adults with mental illness.

Who will be there?

The day will feature performances from the U.S. Army Color Guard, Guadalupe Dance Academy, Clifton Castle and Larry Campos Band, Mariachi Nuevo Estilo, Conjunto Las Padrinos and Conjunto Puro Corazon. After the free festival activities wrap up at 6 PM, for $12, visitors may purchase a ticket to see Bravo Combo from 7 to 10 PM.

Food vendors at the festival include: Teka Molino, Joe's Kettle Korn, Cheesy Jane's, Aracely Graza's BBQ Plates, The Cajun Taco, Camila's Taco al Carbon, Clubhouse Concessions and Mike Guevara's Funnel Cakes. After you're done feasting from all the delicious food options, visitors can take in art from Scarlette Dove and The List Ink. 

Visitors can also enter a few Tejas-themed contests throughout the day, including Best Tejas Dressed Pet, Best Tejas Boots and Best Tejas Outfit! There will also be some activities for the kids throughout the day, as well.

Gather your friends, pets and Tejas-themed garmets for a day of food, culture and fun! Will you be attending the first ever TejasFest? Share your thoughts with us on The Residences at La Cantera's Facebook and Twitter pages! We look forward to hearing your opinions!

Sources consulted:

TejasFest Official Website

San Antonio Magazine

Go Green at La Cantera

Happy Earth Day! It's so easy to go about our daily lives without thinking about how much water or energy we use, but it's actually pretty simple to incorporate more aspects of "green living" into our routines. Just by living at The Residences at La Cantera, you are living a green lifestyle!

The Residences at La Cantera's Green Initiative
While building The Residences at La Cantera, great care and precautions were taken to ensure that construction was done in a way that reduced construction waste and kept our natural surroundings intact. These includes the creation and implementation of an erosion control plan and protecting existing significant trees on the property. Master carpenters even tailored the building's dimensions to match standard lumber dimensions. Duct work was closed off during construction and exterior walls were built with air and weather barriers.

Water conservation is an area that was strongly taken into consideration during construction and beyond. Your apartment home is equipped with an Energy Star dishwasher and refrigerator, and high-performance shower heads and faucets. Even the condensation from your air conditioner is recycled! A condensate system collects the water, cleans it and uses it irrigate the adjoining park and property grounds.

This is just the beginning of how our "green" homes were constructed! For more details, visit our website.

What Can You Do?
What measures can you take as a resident to conserve water and reduce your energy output?

• Waste not - Use energy-efficient light bulbs and unplug "energy sucking" appliances when they're not in use.
• Take advantage of our outdoor spaces! Exercise outdoors in our 3 acre park or read a book on your balcony under natural sunlight.
• Use public trash cans - We maintain the grounds as best as we can, but if you see trash on the ground, pick it up if you can!

Just by living at The Residences at La Cantera, you have taken some steps to live a more environmentally-friendly life! By making a few additional small changes in your daily routine, you can maintain your green lifestyle!

What are your favorite ways to "go green?" Reusable bags and cups? Recycling? Share your tips with us on our Facebook or Twitter pages!

¡Bienvenidos a la Fiesta!

San Antonio's biggest party of the year begins tomorrow! Fiesta San Antonio is also known as the "party with a purpose," as it has evolved from a small parade into a large-scale fundraising event. Fiesta starts tomorrow, April 16 and runs through April 26.

Fiesta can be a huge event to tackle, so make a plan of what your must-see events are! Event types range from parades to music, royalty to cultural, and of course, don't forget about the food! To help construct your Fiesta agenda, check out a rundown of all the festival's events on the official Fiesta website.

Here is just a tiny sample of the types of events that will take place throughout the 11-day festival:

• Crown the King! Public Crowning of Rey Feo - the 67th crowning of the "People's King" takes place Friday, April 17 at 5:30 PM in the Main Plaza in front of San Fernando Cathedral. Free.
• Texas Cavaliers River Parade - View the lights, floats and live music acts as they travel down the river. Monday, April 20 from 7-10 PM along the River Walk. Admission is $12-$24.
• Fiesta Cornyation  - This satirical live theater show is one of Fiesta's most popular events! Tuesday, April 21 through Thursday, April 23 at Empire Theater. $15-$35.

San Antonio Magazine recommends using VIA Park & Ride to get to most Fiesta events, or it's about a 20-minute drive from The Residences at La Cantera apartment homes. Make sure you keep cash on you too, as many vendors only accept cash as payment! For more Fiesta tips from San Antonio Magazine (especially helpful if this if your first Fiesta) click here.

How many years have you been attending Fiesta events? What are your annual favorites? Share your pictures with us on our Facebook or Twitter pages!

Where to Spend Spring in San Antonio

While we may enjoy mild weather during the typical "winter months," we are certainly glad to see spring descend upon San Antonio, and we're not alone. Thrillist recently named San Antonio to its list of most beautiful spring cities in the country! What makes springtime here so beautiful? Here are just a few of our favorite things about the season:

Fiesta
Fiesta 2015 runs from April 16 - April 26. Fiesta honors the Alamo and The Battle of San Jacinto, in addition to the heritage and culture of the city of San Antonio. The festival also involves more than 100 local nonprofit-sponsored events.

River Walk
The River Walk could easily be deemed the heart of San Antonio. Located downtown, the River Walk is lined with shops, restaurants, and beautiful landscaping. While it's a must-see destination any time of the year, it's especially gorgeous in the spring. Just a 20-minute drive from The Residences at La Cantera will get you to Downtown San Antonio's River Walk.

San Juan and Espada Missions
The missions are located along an 8-mile stretch known as Mission Reach, which includes pedestrian bridges, trails, picnic areas and pavilions. Tours and admission to the park are free to the public. Mission Reach is about a half an hour drive away.

McAllister Park
How does 976 acres of land sound for a day outside? That's what you'll find at McAllister Park! The park is made up of pavilions, a dog park, baseball and soccer fields and 15 miles of trails! The park is home to the San Antonio Road Runners, Harmony Hills Optimist Club and The Friends of McAllister Park. McAllister Park is approximately a 20-minute drive from The Residences at La Cantera apartment homes.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy the spring season in San Antonio? Share your favorite spots and events with us in the comments or on our social media sites!

Porsche of San Antonio 2015 Spring Jazz at the Falls

It's a beautiful day in the La Cantera neighborhood! This evening, take a walk over to The Shops at La Cantera and enjoy a free jazz concert as part of their Spring Jazz at the Falls series! Tonight's artist is local R&B and jazz vocalist, Melina. The concert series continues through next week. For a complete schedule and more information, please see the details below, courtesy of The Shops at La Cantera:

3/28/2015 - 4/11/2015
Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Location: The Falls at The Shops at La Cantera - Located by Bar Louie, Yard House and The Cheesecake Factory
Contact: 210.582.6255
Sponsored by: Porsche of San Antonio and Q101.9

Join us for the Porsche of San Antonio 2015 Spring Jazz at the Falls concert series. All concerts are free and located at the Falls at The Shops at La Cantera. These outdoor events showcase and foster an appreciation for all forms of jazz through free, quality live musical performances.

Saturday, March 28 - Tom Braxton – National Recording Artist, Saxophonist and Composer
Thursday, April 2 - Melina - Local R&B/Jazz Vocalist
Thursday, April 9 - Ken Slavin - Local Jazz Crooner
Saturday, April 11 - Cindy Bradley - National Recording Artist


All concerts are free and held from 7:30 – 9:30. Saturday concerts are held on-stage by The Cheesecake Factory. Thursday concerts are held along the steps of The Falls, running between Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille and Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar.

NEW FOR 2015 – THE VIP SHOPPING PASS!
Pick-Up your VIP SHOPPING PASS at The Shops at La Cantera tent by The Limited each concert night in order to get special Spring Jazz at the Falls retailer discounts and enter to win mall gift cards and retailer prizes! There is a limited number of VIP Shopping Passes available each night, so make sure to check-in at the tent early on event night!

VIP Shopping Pass Participating retailers include: Kendra Scott, Brooks Brothers, The Limited, Z Gallerie, Ann Taylor, BRIO, Burger Fi, Grimaldi’s, Kona Grill, Va Bene, Picture People and Manrique Custom Vision. 

FREE Admission 
Schedule is subject to change. 
No outside coolers allowed. 
Chair placement allowed starting 1 hour prior to show.

Please visit our sponsors! 

Porsche of San Antonio
Q101.9