This weekend, at Alzafar Shrine, is the 16th Annual Festival of Flowers. Next weekend, June 1, comes the popular annual Basil Fest at the Pearl. Put away the gardening gloves for a little while and come see all the new plants, information and more out there for beautiful gardens this summer.

Basil Fest at Pearl Farmers Market is June 1!

Get Ready to Make Pesto (and so much more)

The 4th annual Basil Fest, courtesy of the San Antonio Herb Market Association, will be happening at the Pearl on Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is in conjunction with the Pearl Farmers Market, 312 Pearl Parkway. Admission is free and so is the parking.

This annual event’s mission is to foster the use of basil in everyday living and to provide nutritional information on this popular herb.

The program for this year’s Basil Fest will include a seminar on how to grow basil in this area, and the different types available. A cooking demo will showcase basil, and delve into the nutritional aspect of including herbs in your diet.

Children are encouraged to begin their gardening habit by potting up and adopting their own basil plant to take home – for free. Basil plants, recipes and books on the growing and uses of basil and other herbs will be available.

This year’s special feature is  The Chef’s Challenge – “Just Desserts.” It will highlight local chefs vying for the the first place title as they are challenged to develop the best-tasting basil-based dessert. They’ll be competing for monetary votes of audience members, and the money raised will benefit the Good Samaritan Community Shelters in San Antonio.

See recipe here for Thai Basil Lime Sorbet!

For more information on upcoming events and scheduling, visit the website .

16th Annual Festival of Flowers: It’s a big, bloomin’ deal!

The annual Festival of Flowers will happen Saturday (May 25) at the Alzafar Shrine, 901 NW Loop 1604 W., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Want some new yard, garden and flower techniques? This is one of the best events to attend for answers. As their website says, “There’s an expert in every booth.” The Native Plant Society of Texas will be there with information, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard will be selling healthy and beautiful olive trees and the Bexar County Master Gardeners will be there with plants to buy as well as information.

Nature’s Herb Farm will also be there to help cooks and foodies with their kitchen herb gardens — as well as many other types of herbs.

There is also a city-wide herb and plant exchange, an organic roundtable, horticulture show and more. Admission is $6 for adults, and free parking is available.

Visit their website here.

UPDATE! Sandy Oaks has moved its Dining Under the Stars to July 12. The date also has been changed in the copy below, as the May 24th event has been canceled.

Dining Under the Stars at Sandy Oaks

On Friday, July 12, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard will present a mixture of fine dining and an international wine list. Chef Scott Grimmett will have a prix fixe dinner with options so you can decide your dishes and then pick wine to match.  Just in time to herald National Wine Day.

The dining will take place outside, under the stars, in the beautiful country setting of Sandy Oaks. In case of inclement weather, seating will be moved indoors. Dinner: 6 p.m. Cost:  $55 per person, plus tax.  Call (210) 621-0044 for more information and to make reservations. Visit Sandy Oaks online here.

Shiner Beer Dinner at Hotel Havana

Hotel Havana, Shiner Beer and the San Antonio Library Foundation will host a Shiner Supper Club Tuesday, June 4, at 7 p.m. The four-course meal will highlight the culinary bounty of Central Texas.

Hotel Havana chef Toby Soto will prepare recipes from Whole Larder Love using natural meat raised by sixth-generation Texas rancher Loncity Cartwright of Twin Oaks Rand and local produce. Each course will be paired with a selection of beers presented by Shiner.

Tickets are $75 per person, which includes tax and gratuity. Space is limited and reservations can be made by calling Hotel Havana at 210-222-2008. Or, visit the events page at www.havanasanantonio.com

‘BBQ Snob’ Daniel Vaughn to be at Two Bros BBQ

Two Bros. BBQ Market will host Daniel “BBQ Snob” Vaughn at a book signing and celebration Friday, May 24, 6-9 p.m.

The Texas barbecue aficionado and author of the newly released “The Prophets of Smoked Meat,” an Anthony Bourdain book, Vaughn will be selling and signing just just-released books.

There will be  a live band and an offer of Two Bros. BBQ pack along with a full rack of “cherry babies” and a signed copy of “The Prophets of Smoked Meat” for $60. Buckets of beer are also on special.

Two Bros. is at 12656 West. Ave. 210-496-0222.

Portrait of Viola Barrios at Viola’s Ventanas.

The Barrios family’s new restaurant on Westover Hills Boulevard, Viola’s Ventanas, came to life with a series of soft openings this week.

While the grand opening is today, May 18, servers and cooks raced through their practice paces as finishing touches were laid on the building, the patio under the shade of old live oaks and a play area for children, called “the Park.”

Viola’s Ventanas is the Barrios family’s third restaurant and it’s named in memory of their mother, Viola Barrios, who died five years ago.

As the restaurant was presented to gathered guests at a preview Friday evening, it was also blessed with prayer. Not only were Viola Barrios’ children and grandchildren present, many said they felt Viola’s spirit there with them as well. This restaurant, the family says, is Viola’s, but also a restaurant for all moms, kids and families.

Her portrait holds a place of honor on a wall, where her kind face can look over and approve of those who are enjoying their food. Outside, stones in the fountain express what her son Louis Barrios called her “mantra”: They are inscribed with the Spanish words amor, fe and alegria, or love, faith and joy.

Her daughters, Diana Barrios-Treviño and Dr. Teresa Barrios-Ogden, along with their children, listened as Louis Barrios talked about not only her great love for them, but also her courage in the face of what seemed like overwhelming adversity when their father died.

In 1975, Jose Barrios was 46 and the sole support of the family when he was killed in an automobile accident caused by a drunken driver.

“We went from upper middle class to lower middle class in a day,” Louis Barrios recalled. As the family mourned their loss, Viola dealt with the realities that come with the death of a spouse; and she formulated a plan, as she alone would have to support her family now.

View into bar area from dining room at Viola’s Ventanas.

She decided to open a restaurant. This she did with an investment of $3,000, with cast-off dishes and silverware, in an old boat garage in near Avenue B and Jones Street. It didn’t even have parking, as Barrios recalled.

What Viola Barrios did have, in addition to compelling necessity and prodigious cooking skills, were faith, joy and love.

On a quick kitchen tour at Viola’s Ventanas, Diana Barrios-Treviño and her husband, Roland Treviño, pointed out the long counters and equipment, gleaming stainless steel, ice bins, pan racks and much more.

Roland Treviño purchased this equipment, which looked nearly new, for a fraction of what it would have cost from the the former Brasserie Pavil. If some of the lighting fixtures in the dining room look familiar, those came from the now-defunct restaurant as well. Viola, one knows, would have looked quite approvingly this prudent purchase.

An even closer connection to Viola is a modest work table that sits toward the back part of the restaurant. Treviño dug this table out of storage where his mother-in-law had put it years ago, saying at the time, “I’ll want to use it someday.” After removing a metal rack attached to the table, replacing the deteriorated wood work surface, painting the metal pipe legs and replacing old casters with snappy new red ones, he put it in place in the kitchen.

When he brought his wife to see it, the two of them ended up in tears. And they were pretty sure Viola’s spirit was with them then, too.

Before dinner, restaurant guests were invited to go outside for the dedication. City councilmen Diego Bernal, Ray Lopez and W. Reed Williams as well as Texas Secretary of State John Steen offered their words of congratulation as did friends who helped with securing the property, Charles “Marty” and Rene Wender. Father Saturnino Lago from the Oblate School of Theology said a blessing.

Barrios family and city councilman Ray Lopez at dedication of Viola’s Ventanas.

Diana Barrios-Treviño also presented the third recipient of a scholarship from Viola’s Huge Heart Foundation, which will pay for four years of school at the Antonian High School. The young woman to receive this scholarship, Daniella Cisneros, was so grateful she also teared up as the presentation drew to a close.

Viola, as charitable with others as she was with her family, would have been proud of Daniella as well, said Barrios-Treviño. “She is a beautiful example of another little Viola.”

And then, dinner was served.

Viola’s Ventanas opens Saturday, May 18, at 11 a.m. It is at 9660 Westover Hills Blvd. between Highway 151 and Culebra Road.

Louis Barrios (left), Diana Barrios-Trevino (second from right) and Dr. Teresa Barrios-Ogden (right), presented Daniella Cisneros (second from left) with a scholarship from Viola’s Huge Heart Foundation.

Roland Trevino and Diana Barrios-Trevino at Viola’s Ventanas.

Fresh eggs from the farm.

The Pearl, San Antonio’s growing culinary town center, has hosted a successful producers-only farmers market since 2009. On Saturday, it’s time to recognize the achievement from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. There will be live music, treats, the usual array of produce and specialty items and complimentary tastings from San Antonio chefs.

“The Pearl Farmers Market has connected the community through working with farms in a 150 mile radius of San Antonio, raising awareness of seasonal eating and bringing people together through the celebration of local food,” the Pearl said in an announcement.

“Over the past four years Pearl Farmers Market has connected thousands of people to their local farmers and food producers from around San Antonio,” said Tatum Evans, market manager at Pearl.

“Our anniversary is a special time to thank all participants for their support of and commitment to our local food system.  Take time during our anniversary to thank a farmer and thank a shopper!”

Taste offerings by some of the city’s best talent including Jesse Perez (Arcade), Johnny Hernandez (La Gloria), Steve McHugh (Cured), Tim Rattray (The Granary), Geronimo Lopez (Nao), Jeff White (Boiler House) and Noah Melnagailis (One Lucky Duck).

Pearl is located at 200 E. Grayson St. in San Antonio, Texas. For more information about events at Pearl please click here.

Q. While eating at an Asian restaurant recently, I watched a dad helping his son choose from the menu of “boba” or bubble teas. Are these dangerous? I read that the tapioca bubbles have PCBs and that you can choke on the large “bubbles.” Also, why are the bubbles dark-colored? –KM

A. We’ve been drinking bubble tea occasionally for the past 15 years or so with no unfortunate events.  However, the last time I had a (delicious, strawberry-banana) bubble tea, with the black tapioca pearls at the bottom, I thought about the second part of your question.

Just as one could drown in a soup bowl full of water, I imagine one also could choke on the springy tapioca pearls that form the bubbles in the tea. Very simply, don’t inhale them!  Pull the bubbles only so far as your teeth, so you can chew them, which is simply the best part of bubble tea! If you are giving the tea — which is more often a creamy, smoothy type drink –  to a child, instruct them carefully on the procedure, then keep an eye on them.

A little research into the PCB factor: While one European lab found PCPs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, in pearls served by an unnamed bubble tea house in Northern Germany, the German consumer protection agency, Nordrhein-Westfalen, sampled 84 different bubble teas and found no PCBs. PCBs have been linked not only to cancer, but other undesirable health conditions.

Bubble tea also can be very sugary, and one might raise various other health alarms about sugar. If you’re watching your sugar intake,  just order a bubble tea now and then. Remember not to inhale the bubbles; forget about PCBs.

As for the dark color — on ingredient lists for black, uncooked tapioca pearls for bubble tea, I have seen the word “caramel coloring.”

Cruzan’s chef/owner Keith Cruzan.

Cruzan’s opens Monday at 1508 Guadalupe Street. This grand opening marks a long-awaited moment for chef/owner Keith Cruzan, giving him and his staff the opportunity to present a variety of healthy dining options.

These will include gourmet sandwiches to classics such as a New York strip, and a variety of freshly made meals will also be available for pick up.  Cruzan’s will also feature live cooking demonstrations hosted by Cruzan himself during restaurant hours on select days.

For Cruzan, healthy eating is a lifestyle commitment.

“Eating should be just as much about what you are putting into your body as it is what you are not.  It’s easy to get preoccupied with a calorie count, but there is a real danger to limiting your calories without regard to the nutritional content of your diet.  Making sure to include the vitamins and minerals your body craves can actually help you meet weight goals and also improves your energy levels, cognitive abilities and overall mood,” says Cruzan when asked his viewpoint on dieting.

Canapes from Cruzan Catering.

Shortly after opening his catering and personal chef business, Cruzan relocated to the heart of the cultural arts district with a mission to bring a new hope to West Side San Antonians looking for local healthy options.  He began offering cooking classes to the public, as well as local nonprofits, in order to educate local residents on nutritional content.

“Hopefully, this restaurant will be a way for me to give back to a community that has supported me and my business from the very beginning,” Cruzan says.

Cruzan’s will serve lunch only, for now. They’ll be open Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. After 2 p.m., the store front for meal delivery pickup will be open until 6 p.m.

This is the 50-50 burger at Big Bob’s Burgers, 447 Hildebrand Ave. Half beef, half bacon. All good.

I don’t remember my first taste of a hamburger. Considering its lofty post on the national foodie consciousness these days, this moment would seem to have seared some imprint on my brain that this, this was what food was all about.

The fact is, burgers weren’t even close to claiming the defining moment of my nascent foodiehood. What I do remember is eating ice cream at the kitchen table in my parents’ first apartment, finishing off the one scoop, then asking my mom for another, specifying that it should be served in a clean bowl.

Burgers did enter the scene a few years after this. It was during the long, fierce blast of an icy winter in Missoula, Mont., while my parents were finishing master’s degrees.  We were, undeniably, poor. The only burgers we ate for months were venison burgers. And venison meatloaf, roasts and casseroles. For Christmas, it was a big, greasy goose. My mother also received a beautiful buckskin jacket that Christmas from the hunter — my grandfather. I recognize now that this food was his gift of love and great care for us, and one of the only ways he could help with our support. Nevertheless, offer me a venison burger now and I’ll probably say no, thanks.

Smashburger’s Mushroom and Cheese

Somewhere between those days and now, the burger rose from staple to superstar, from a bagful of sliders to monstrous concoctions garnished with gold foil and selling for more than $1,000. We’ve endured seemingly endless television, print and digital discussions of the perfect mix of fat to beef, the perfect grind, the perfect cut to grind, the best cheese. We’ve debated the ultimate toppings, from guacamole and fried eggs to wild mushrooms and bacon jam; we’ve argued about the must-haves when it comes to buns — and possibly even ate (God help us) a burger on a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Considering all of that, it’s not surprising that I breathe a little sigh of relief just to be served a freshly made burger, half-wrapped in white paper, on a decent buttered and grilled bun with a slab of cheddar cheese, good dills, sliced (unsweet) onion. A great mustard is called for, but in a pinch, plain old yellow American ballpark will do. Ketchup? It’s for the fries.

We don’t go into which we consider the “best” burgers in San Antonio here. We all have our favorites. Here are a few questions, though, to tantalize your burger quotient — and may you enjoy burger month any way you like it.

1. Who said, “When people pile seven things onto one burger, it drives me nuts!”

a) Giada De Laurentiis
b) Alton Brown
c) Bobby Flay
d) Martha Stewart

2. Who said, and where did he say it, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!”

3. For best results when cooking burgers on a grill, you should only flip them once, and not press down on the meat with the spatula because that squeezes out the juice.

a.  true
b. false
c. false and true

4. In what year and what city did Richard and Maurice McDonald open up the first McDonald’s?

a) 1921 in San Francisco
b) 1953 in Kansas City, Mo.
c) 1940 in San Bernardino, Calif.
d) 1948 in Philadelphia

5. A Tex-Mex-style burger was born in San Antonio in the 1960s, called the bean burger — a burger embellished with Cheez Whiz, refried beans and Fritos out of the bag. What was the name of the restaurant where it was introduced?

a) Chris Madrid’s
b) Tink-a-Tako
c) The Malt House
d) Sills Snack Shack

6. Which burger below most qualifies as trendy?

a) Pub burgers
b) Bacon- and cheese-stuffed burgers
c) Kale burgers
d) Burgers sous-vide

7. The English love their fish and chips as Americans love their burgers. But, according to research in Britain, the average English pub sells 160 burgers a week, compared with 90 servings of fish & chips.

a) true
b) false

Answers:
1. c
2. Wimpy, a character in the Popeye cartoon, a glutton for burgers who rarely had the money to pay for them.
3. c. Flip the burgers over a couple-three times if you want, but don’t press them with the spatula.
4. c
5. d
6. a
7. a, true (according to burgerbusiness.com)

(Burger on the cover of SavorSA today is from Feast, on South Alamo Street.)

The popular Passport Adventure Series of dinners continues June 7 with a trip to the Andalusia southern coastal area of Spain — and it all happens a short drive south of San Antonio.

This is a celebration of dishes, olives, olive oils and wine from the region.  The last Passport Adventure dinner sold out a month ahead, so make your reservations now!

The five-course dinner includes wine to complement chef Scott Grimmett’s dishes from this wine- and olive-rich area.

There is also a brief tour of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard and a discussion of how olive oil is made preceding the dinner.

Tour: 6:30 p.m.; Dinner: 7 p.m.; Tickets: $55 per person.  Call (210) 621-0044 for reservations.

Dining Under the Stars at Sandy Oaks

On Friday, May 24, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard will present a mixture of fine dining and an international wine list. Chef Scott Grimmett will have a prix fixe dinner with options so you can decide your dishes and then pick wine to match!  Just in time to herald ‘National Wine Day.’

The dining will take place ‘Under the Stars’ — but in case of inclement weather, seating will be moved indoors. Dinner: 6 p.m. Cost:  $55 per person, plus tax.  Call (210) 621-0044 for more information and to make reservations. Visit Sandy Oaks online here.

Luciano Ciorciari says this past weekend’s Burrata Bash was such a success that Gaucho Gourmet will be making it a regular Saturday event.

It’s no surprise that customers of this specialty food warehouse at 935 Isom Road would fall in love with the creamy cheese that is typical of the Puglia region of Southern Italy.

One way to serve burrata is with sliced heirloom tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Burrata, which means “buttered,” is a handmade mozzarella pouch filled with fresh Italian panna and stracciatelle, making it a mix of fresh sweet cream and mozzarella curd pieces. Once the cheese has been cut open, the pure, sweet, soft and luscious cream filling will slowly run onto the plate making it a must-have for all who like mozzarella and everything creamy, says Ciociari, an owner of GauchoGourmet.

GauchoGourmet will be serving the fresh burrata for eating in or taking out on Saturdays during regular opening hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 4-ounce personal burrata ball will be presented with weekly changing recipes or accompaniments at $6 per serving.

In addition, customers can purchase a sampler from GauchoGourmet’s authentic Mediterranean salad bar for $4, which currently features marinated sliced eggplant, a mushroom mix in truffle oil, cipollini onions in balsamic vinegar, Italian semi-dried cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, an olive medley with herbs de Provence, spicy Calabrian peppers and more.

The warehouse’s hours open to the public are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and  Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information click here, or call (210) 277-7930.

Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, avocado and more between grilled whole wheat tortillas.

Layer a mix of fresh vegetables between two whole wheat tortillas, along with a good cheese, such as cheddar,  and you’ve got a lunch that puts junk food to shame.

We brushed one side of each tortilla with a little olive oil, and cooked them until the cheese was melted and the tortilla was crusty. It’s a healthy lunch, or snack, that tastes good.

Avocado and Tomato Quesadillas

1 medium avocado
1 medium tomato
4 whole wheat flour tortillas
3 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
2 green onions, sliced, with some of the green
1/2 jalapeño, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Salsa

Slice the avocado and tomato. Brush 1 side of each tortilla with oil. Use remaining oil to brush a griddle or large, nonstick or cast iron frying or sauté pan. Turn heat on to medium until the pan is hot, then lower it slightly. On a cutting board, lay down two of the tortillas, oiled side down. Put cheese, onion, sliced jalapeno, avocado and sliced tomato and some of the cilantro on two of the tortillas. Slide these off the cutting board into the hot skillet, top with the other tortilla, un-oiled side down. Let cook until the tortilla is crisped and the cheese has begun to melt.  Carefully turn each quesadill over in the skillet and let cook until the other side until the tortilla is crisp. Lift from the pan back onto the cutting board and cut into four wedges. Serve with immediately, with salsa.

Makes lunch for 2 or snack for 4.

From Bonnie Walker