Mark Bohanan (right) presents proceeds from the first San Antonio Cocktail Conference to members of HeartGift. (Shane Kyle/CE Group)

Mark Bohanan, owner of Bohanan’s Restaurant and Bar and creator of the first San Antonio Cocktail Conference, recently presented a check for $57,000 to HeartGift San Antonio to support two lifesaving surgeries for children from disadvantaged countries seeking heart surgeries at Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital.

Other businesses who helped sponsor the conference included SoHo Wine & Martini Bar, Ocho Lounge at Hotel Havana, The Esquire Tavern and Rio San Antonio Cruises.

HeartGift is a San Antonio-based charity that provides life-saving heart surgery to children from countries with unavailable or inaccessible health care. Every child chosen receives state of the art pediatric surgery from doctors Dr. John Calhoon and Dr. Adil Husain and their medical staff free of charge.

During the celebration, attendees celebrated HeartGift surgery recipient’s Wang Nan’s fourth birthday, a birthday she may not have seen had it not been for the funds raised through the first-annual cocktail conference, a four-day educational event about spirits that was held in downtown San Antonio in January.

Wang Nan lives in a remote Chinese village in the Gansu Province. Her family lives in a five-room mud house on two acres of land. Although they farm their land, Wang Nan’s father must go to the Xinjiang Province to do construction work for eight months each year to send home money for the family. Wang Nan suffers from Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect. She was operated on Feb. 3 and she returned home with her mother and their San Antonio host family on Feb. 7.

“The inaugural San Antonio Cocktail Conference was a bigger success than any of us could have imagined,” said Bohanan, whose restaurant is at 219 E Houston St. “This donation simply would not have been possible without the countless number of supporters, partners, presenters and attendees that made this a reality. We are thrilled to provide such a significant contribution to HeartGift on behalf of the conference, knowing that it will save the lives of two children in need.”

Boschetto pizza coming to Gallo

Starting Thursday, Gallo Pizzeria, 164 Castroville Road, will be making pizzas with boschetto, white truffles and portobello mushrooms blended with cheese. According to the pizzeria’s Facebook page, “It’s great for Lent.”

The cost is $19.99 for a large and $15.99 for a medium. Supplies are limited. Pre-orders are accepted.

Call (210) 264-0077 or click here.

Sip a sample of the Veneto at Luce

Luce Ristorante e Enoteca, 11255 Huebner Road, is showcasing the wines of the Veneto at a special dinner set for 5 p.m. March 10.

Executive chef Joe Buonincontri and Italian wine expert Jeremy Parzen are teaming up for the multi-course meal.

The cost is $50 a person. For reservations, call  (210) 561-9700.

Hoist a beer on Texas Independence Day

High Velocity, one of the dining areas at the JW Marriott resort, 23808 Resort Parkway, is having a  Saint Arnold beer dinner on Texas Independence Day, March 2.

The four-course meal will feature matching beers.

For price, time and reservations, call (210) 276-2500, ext. 5835.

Maggiano’s is giving away dinner for 20

Want to win dinner for 20 of your nearest and dearest?

Registration is now open for the Maggiano’s Little Italy “Who’s In Your 20?” sweepstakes. This is a chance for someone to land a private, Italian-style dinner party with 19 of his or her closest family, friends and co-workers. A dinner will be given out at each of the chain’s 44 restaurants.

Anyone who registers will also receive a coupon for a free flatbread at the restaurant. Registration is open through April 1.

To enter, click here. The San Antonio Maggiano’s is at the Rim, 17603 I-10 W. Call 210-451-6000.

Rob Gourley of San Antonio makes a Philly Smash with rye, lime, Averna, simple syrup, berries and mezcal at the Esquire Tavern.

By the time the last drop of vodka had been poured, the last cube of ice chipped and the last mint garnish bruised, the inaugural San Antonio Cocktail Conference could be classified a success.

Adrian Sarabia of San Antonio uses Ranger Creek White in his White and Red.

The four-day event, which included everything from what could affectionately be dubbed “booze cruises” along the river to Sunday brunch, attracted hundreds. Several of the seminars, on topic ranging from ice to making cocktails at home, sold out, all offering the promise of a great future for the event.

The best news of all was the event, planned as a fundraiser for the San Antonio charity HeartGift, raised enough money to pay for the costs associated with the heart surgeries of two children from countries where the proper treatment is either unavailable or inaccessible. The surgical fees are donated by the doctors, but there are costs associated with flying the children in and taking care for them during their recuperation.

Houston Eaves of Austin makes a 3-Piece Suit with Fernet, Campari and Punt e Mes.

Saturday brought a cocktail competition in which more than 30 contestants had to prepare an original cocktail that was judged on taste, presentation and execution. The grand prize winner was John Lermayer from the Florida Room in Miami, followed by Jake Corney of Bohanan’s, which is where the contest was held, and Charles Shelton of Austin.

Lermayer named his winning cocktail Have a Heart and promised HeartGift executive director Cathy Siegel that he would be donating some of his winnings to the charity.

Saturday evening brought a crowd of cocktail lovers to the Esquire Tavern. Along the longest bar in Texas, mixologists whipped up specialty drinks that featured drinks such as Texas spirits, including Ranger Creek White and Tito’s Vodka as well as absinthe, mezcal, the Italian vermouth Punt e Mes, and digestifs such as Averna and Campari. Spray cans of bitters were also used by several to finish off their cocktails.

Wonderful flavors, all, and a great reason to raise a toast to a successful launch of the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Corey Morris mixes cocktails at the launch of the first San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Can you make a perfectly dry martini? Do you know how to make a margarita that achieves the right balance of natural sweetness and tartness? Do you know how to modify a classic cocktail when using the cucumber-flavored Hendrick’s Gin instead of a regular gin?

The Business 2 ounces Hendrick's Gin 3/4 ounce honey syrup 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice Place all of the ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake until cold and pour into a cocktail class. Garnish with a slice of lime or cucumber, if desired.

Anyone who loves a finely crafted cocktail knows that it takes plenty of studying to get the right mix.

But it also begs another question: Can you think of any studies that are more flavorful and more conducive to partying?

That’s the format of the first San Antonio Cocktail Conference, which kicked off Thursday night with, appropriately enough, a cocktail party.

Chef Mark Bohanan, a driving force behind the conference, opened the bar at his Houston Street place to more than 350 cocktail lovers. The crowd  went from the luxurious interior, where a jazz combo kept things lively, to the neighboring patio.

The balmy January evening was perfect for traveling among the various tables where patrons could drink cocktails made with the likes of tequila, vodka, gin, Cognac and Champagne as well as such flavorings as coconut, ginger, lime and honey.

The whole conference is a fund-raiser for HeartGift, a local charity that provides medical assistance to children from around the world in need of heart surgery.

The overflowing crowd put a big smile on Mark Bohanan’s face. It must also be gratifying to know that some of the seminars today and Saturday have sold out. (For a schedule of events, including river cruises, parties at SoHo, Ocho and the Esquire Tavern, and Sunday brunch at the Sheraton Gunter, click here.)

More than 350 fill Bohanan's for the inaugural event of the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Corey Morris, a bartender at Bohanan’s, offered a few tips for making a good cocktail at home:

• Make sure your ingredients are good. You can taste it when they’re not.
• Make sure you use good ice. Ice with an off flavor can affect your drink.
• Don’t shake your drink too much. Ice that melts too soon can water down your drink.

That’s just a taste of what’s to come over the next few days, including sessions in  Forgotten Cocktails, the Wonderful World of Gin and the homegrown Lone Star Cocktails.

While working at Bohanan’s, Morris has studied under several master mixologists, including the internationally regarded Sasha Petraske of Milk & Honey. Petraske is just one of the people who will be leading seminars, which means that anyone with passion for making perfect cocktails can learn what bartenders know. Or you can just sit back and absorb the intoxicating atmosphere that’s marking the inaugural cocktail conference.

A world of cocktails exists beyond martinis, margaritas and Manhattans. And during the next four days, San Antonio will  be welcoming a host of mixologists, expert bartenders and other libations luminaries to the city. The San Antonio Cocktail Conference is the first of its kind in Texas and will kick off tonight with a splash at the Opening Night Soiree at Bohanan’s, from 7 to midnight.

The San Antonio Cocktail Conference is based on the popular Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail. The evenings are devoted to parties, of course, but a full, varied schedule of classes from experts in the business are available throughout the conference.  To see the complete list of events and classes, availability and to register, visit the conference’s website.

Friday will bring the first day of classes to the conference—with 14 seminars dedicated to a variety of lessons in cocktail creation offered at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel throughout the day.

“We are hosting some of the best bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts from across the United States and as far away as Australia and Italy ,” explains Scott Becker , general manager of Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar. “With this kind of world-class talent, the cocktail education experience is sure to be unmatched.”

It all goes toward a good time, but there’s also has a higher purpose. It is a benefit for HeartGift, an organization that comprises surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, medical personnel and volunteers, and host families, all dedicated to providing  life-saving heart surgery to disadvantaged children. These are youngsters who live in developing countries where specialized treatment is scarce or nonexistent.

Since its establishment in 2000, HeartGift has helped more than 120 children in 22 countries on five continents. For more information about HeartGift, visit the website by clicking here.

At tonight’s opening event, representatives from a number of brands of spirits will be hosting nine bars, making 18 specialty cocktails. And, look forward to some lively bidding on a Fender Stratocaster autographed by all of the band members of Journey. These proceeds, too, will go to HeartGift.

On Friday, start the party with Rio San Antonio Cruises, which will launch from a tiki party at the El Tropicano Hotel. The boats will serve as taxis, providing cocktails and a ride along the San Antonio River, to and from Soho Wine & Martini Bar and Ocho Lounge at the Havana.

On Saturday, it’s the Original Cocktail Competition, hosted by Fee Brothers Bitters and Red Bull at Bohanan’s; the Esquire Tavern hosts the Saturday Night Soiree. On Sunday, it’s brunch at the Gunther Hotel, sponsored by Cinco Vodka.

Click here for three interesting cocktail recipes to make on your own.

Bohanan’s Restaurant and Bar will be pouring its heart out for a top-shelf cause during the inaugural San Antonio Cocktail Conference to benefit HeartGift.

The fun kicks off at Bohanan’s Restaurant and Bar Thursday, January 26, and concludes with a Bloody Mary Brunch Sunday, January 29, 2012. In between there will be plenty of tastings, seminars and events, all designed to combine cocktail culture education with fun.

“This is not a cocktail festival, it is a cocktail conference,” says Bohanan’s bar manager Carlos Faz. “Fun though it may be, the necessary ingredient of a cocktail conference is that it takes the form of education on the art of classic cocktails, and provides information and instruction for those interested in learning more about the craft.”

Proceeds from the four-day event will benefit HeartGift, a group of surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, medical personnel, volunteers and host families who are dedicated to providing life saving heart surgery to disadvantaged children in developing countries where specialized treatment is scarce or nonexistent. Since its establishment in 2000, HeartGift has helped more than 120 children in 22 countries on five continents.

Presented by Bohanan’s, Soho Wine & Martini Bar, Ocho Lounge at Hotel Havana, The Esquire Tavern and Rio San Antonio Cruises, the event is modeled on the successful Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail Event.

The first of its kind in Texas, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference will bring together an impressive list of experts in the fields of classic cocktails, liquors and more. It is sponsored by Republic National Distributing Company and Sheraton Gunter Hotel.

The schedule for the classes and gala can be found at www.sacocktailconference.com.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online. Prices are $30 for a class and $50 for an evening soiree.

Artful pizzas at Fralo's that taste as good as they look.

Fralo’s Art of Pizza, 23651 I-10 W., is expanding at its Leon Springs location.

Owner Frank Hakspiel says he has purchased microbrewery equipment from Sea World and plans to open his own brewery on the property in the spring. The microbrewer from Sea World has agreed to help him get started once the equipment has been moved to the site.

He has already named one of the beers, Grant’s Pale Ale, for his infant son. Grant’s name is also on the caramelized pear and prosciutto pizza the restaurant offers.

Hakspiel is also talking about adding a second restaurant next door. It would offer high-end Italian food prepared by former Il Sogno chef Luca Della Casa, who has been working at the restaurant, making all of the revamped pasta dishes and providing specials each weekend. “He makes all of the pasta,” Hakspiel says.

Della Casa has also added a Torino pizza — Italian sausage, chicken, arugula, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella and provolone cheese with a spicy tomato sauce — that was named after his home region in Italy. Torino is also a possibility for the name of the new restaurant, Hakspiel says.

Isn't she a beauty? Fralo's is going to transform her into a catering truck.

As if all that weren’t enough, Hakspiel has plans for the 1940s-era fire truck he has on the property. He plans on adding an oven to the back of the truck and use it for catering. Kids of any age who have played with a miniature fire truck should love having the real thing at a party.

We learned this over a wonderful lunch at Fralo’s with vegan travel blogger Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, who produces and writes HealthyVoyager.com. She was able to get a vegan pizza that she declared one of the five  best she has ever had. In keeping with Fralo’s ongoing desire to please a multitude of tastes and diets, the restaurant also offers gluten-free and whole wheat crusts as well as an off-the-menu feature of a miniature pizza made on a portobello mushroom for those who are avoiding flour.

For more information about Fralo’s, call 210-698-6616 or click here.

Exploring more vegan options

Carolyn Scott-Hamilton and her husband, Dan Hamilton: Healthy Voyagers at Fralo's.

Other restaurants Scott-Hamilton and her husband, Dan Hamilton, also her cameraman, visited during their stay were Mi Tierra, the Cove and Adelante. She described the latter, with its riot of color and collection of whimsical Mexican folk art as looking “like Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.”

The couple are from Los Angeles and were here on a Convention and Visitors Bureau trip for travel writers. A Boston blogger who writes about women traveling alone and an Orange County mom who writes about traveling with her kids were also invited. All three were part of teams that competed against each other in a series of events that ranged from feeding the lorikeets at the zoo to lassoing a statue of a cow. On Sunday, in the heat, the couple found themselves running from the Tower of the Americas to the Alamo, where they had to start a conga line and encourage as many participants as they could to join in.

If you’re wondering why Scott-Hamilton and her husband didn’t go to Green, Pavani Express or the city’s new vegan restaurant, Vegeria, which opened last week at 8407 Broadway, it’s because she likes to focus her trips on restaurants where vegans are welcome, even if the place is not entirely vegan.

At the Cove, she was able to get the Vegan Bacon Cheeseburger and a Vegan BLT along with a gluten-free beer before heading off to First Friday.

If you are looking for vegan food and are unsure if a restaurant can accommodate your tastes, give it a call first and ask. It’s as simple as that.

Wine Spectator honors area restaurants

Wine Spectator magazine has released its annual roundup of restaurants with excellent wine lists. New this year is Antlers Lodge at the Hyatt Hill Country, 9800 Hyatt Resort Drive.

Others to make the list are Bohanan’s Prime Steaks & Seafood, Biga on the Banks, Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse, Coco Chocolate Lounge, Fleming’s, Fogo de Chão, Francesca’s at Sunset, Kirby’s, Las Ramblas, Morton’s the Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Silo, the Melting Pot, the Palm and Wildfish Seafood Grille.

The importance of the list has been debated, but despite any faults, it does bring in customers, which is why you’ll find a restaurant like Morton’s unveiling a new program, the Sommelier Selections of its wine list. This area includes boutique wines and rare gems that include Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain 2005) and Freemark Abbey Cabernet (Napa 2002), which are available only at Morton’s domestic locations.

Wine on tap

We always thought wine sales would go up if you could get a great glass without having to buy the full bottle. This is the secret behind the Boerne Wine Company, 302 S. Main St., Boerne, where you can try such top-shelf wines as PlumpJack and Palmaz by the glass from their dispenser systems that keep an open bottle fresher for longer period of time.

Now, Boston.com is reporting that a few wineries are selling their best by tap. “That’s right, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir from kegs, not bottles, dispensed from a tap like beer and ale,” the article says. “The approach promises to remake restaurant by-the-glass programs by lowering costs, dramatically reducing waste (wine in open bottles deteriorates rapidly), and making the whole process considerably greener. … But a switch won’t happen overnight.”

Costs, of course, are a factor. But if this catches on, it will be a revolution in wine and dining.

End your Father's Day dinner at Morton's with the Legendary Chocolate Cake.

Father’s Day is June 19 this year, which is just around the corner. Don’t make Dad grill in this sweltering heat. Take him out for brunch or dinner. Several of the restaurants featured below are offering gifts in addition to the meals.

Reservations are appreciated unless otherwise stated. Prices do not include tax or tip.

Auden’s Kitchen, 700 E. Sonterra Blvd., 210-494-0070 — Father’s Day brunch will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with dinner from 3 to 9 p.m. The regular menus will be offered along with the following specials: Venison Sausage Pizza with roasted red peppers, grilled fennel and more; and a Beer-marinated 16-ounce Bone-in New York Strip with Horseradish Mashers and Grilled Asparagus. The cocktail of the day will be Lynchburg Lemonade while the beer special is the Black & Tan.

Bohanan’s Prime Steaks and Seafood, 219 E. Houston St.,  (210) 472-2600 — On Father’s Day, Bohanan’s will feature its full menu, starting at 5 p.m. In addition, all dads will receive a package of golf balls. www.bohanans.com

Crumpets, 3920 Harry Wurzbach Road, 210-821-5600 — Chef Francois Maeder is giving Dad a brunch with live music and a host of options during brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Start with an appetizer, such as puff pastry with wine mushroom sauce, Scottish smoked salmon or mousse truffle pâté. Main course options include shrimp salad on avocado, eggs Benedict, chicken breast with Champagne sauce, veal scaloppini with mushroom cognac sauce, fresh rainbow trout amandine, or tenderloin of beef with green peppercorn sauce. The Trilogy, a combination featuring tenderloin of beef Rossini, lobster tail and rack of lamb Provençal, will also be available. All entrées are served with an appetizer, house salad, vegetables, breads, dessert, coffee or iced tea and wine or Champagne. A children’s menu is available for those under 10 years of age. Crumpets will also be open 5-9 p.m. that day for dinner.  www.crumpetsa.com

Earl Abel’s, 1201 Austin Hwy., 210-822-3358 — Two breakfast specials are offered on Father’s Day: Blueberry Pancakes (three thins or two buttermilk), one egg, hash browns, and two slices of bacon or two house-made sausage patties ($10) and an Orange or Cranberry Mimosa ($7). Lunch and dinner specials  include Fried Buffalo Wings, usually reserved for special events or private dining, will be an appetizer; Baby Back Ribs with Earl Abel’s own homemade barbecue sauce; and a Fisherman’s Platter with fried shrimp, fried catfish and homemade hush puppies.  Boston Crème and the Coconut Cream pie are among the special desserts of the day. The lunch and dinner specials will be available after the end of breakfast service, which is 11 a.m. The breakfast specials are available all day, 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, 255 E. Basse Road, 210-824-9463 — A three-course brunch special will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Father’s Day in addition to the regular menu. Dad will receive a $25 dining card for a future return visit to the restaurant.

Las Canarias, La Mansion del Rio, 112 College St., 210-518-1063 — On Father’s Day, Las Canarias will serve its Champagne Brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Among the items on the buffet: Applewood-smoked Bacon, country breakfast sausage, chilaquiles, eggs Benedict, Canadian bacon, Vanilla Malt Pancakes and Waffles, chef-prepared omelets, European charcutiere, Ricotta Cheese Tortellini, Bluebonnet Heirloom Tomatoes, Grass-fed Beef Tartare, Green Melon Gazpacho, and Blackened Chicken Penne Pasta. Cost: $49.95 for adults and $24.95 for children ages 6-12. Regular dining will begin at 5:30 p.m.

The Lion and Rose, various locations — Father’s Day brunch is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Some of the favorites from the menu include eggs Benedict, Irish Hash and Eggs, the Breakfast Burger and Wimbledon French Toast. Drink specials include:  Mimosa, $3.49; Bloody Mary, $3; Irish Bulldog $5; Pimm’s Royal, $4.99; and Pimm’s Punch $4.99. thelionandrose.com

Lüke, 175 E. Houston St., 210-227-5853 — The restaurant is offering a three-course tasting menu for Father’s Day. It will be available during brunch and dinner. Each course is paired with a 5-ounce beer.  Appetizer choices are either Spicy Crawfish Pies and the Alamo Golden Ale or Potato Gnocchi with ham hock, local beans and mustard with Ranger Creek South Texas Lager. Entrée options are Potato-crusted Stuffed Soft Shell Crab over Pearl Market vegetables with Breckenridge Agave Wheat or South Texas Heritage Pork Shoulder Steak and frites with Ranger Creek La Bestia Amiable Strong Ale. Dessert is Rhew Orchards Peach Upside-down Cake with sour cream ice cream and Tripel Karmeliet Abbey Ale. Cost: $40.

Mariposa Restaurant, Nieman-Marcus in the Shops at La Cantera, 15900 La Cantera Pkwy., 210-694-3550 — Brunch will be served on Father’s Day from noon to 4 p.m. In addition to the regular menu, specials will include Ranchero Steak and Eggs ($20), Braised Short Ribs with grits and roasted chipotle sauce ($20) and Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with avocado ($20).

Texas de Brazil is ready to serve a host of meats for Father's Day.

Max’s Wine Dive, 340 East Basse Road, Suite 101, 210-444-9547 — Celebrate Father’s Day with the Ultimate Baconator (braised pork belly, applewood smoked bacon, white cheddar cheese, and garlic aioli with heirloom tomatoes and more sandwiched between grilled New World bakery sourdough bread for $15), Roasted Garlic-Studded Prime Rib with bone marrow au jus for $25 and Max’s Giant Smore for $9. Plenty of wine specials for Dad are also offered. maxswinedive.com

Morton’s the Steakhouse, 300 E. Crockett St., 210-228-0700 — The Father’s Day special begins with choice of a soup or salad: Baked Five Onion Soup Crusted with Swiss Cheese, Caesar Salad or Center-cut Iceberg. Main course choices include  Double Cut Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce, New York Strip Steak, Cajun Ribeye Steak, Broiled Salmon Fillet with Beurre Blanc Sauce and Chicken Christopher with Garlic Beurre Blanc Sauce. Choose a vegetable or potato side dish and end with either Carrot Cake or Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake. Cost: $69 a person. Full menu also available.

Ostra, Mokara Hotel and Spa, 212 W. Crockett St., 210-396-5817 — Ostra’s regular à la carte menu will be available during breakfast and lunch on Father’s Day. Featured specials will be offered during dinner service beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Texas de Brazil, 313 East Houston St., 210-299-1600 — In celebration of Father’s Day, Texas de Brazil will open at 11 a.m. with its full dinner menu and will showcase a display of unique motorcycles and exotic cars for Dad to view along with his meal. The traditional cuts beef, pork, chicken and Brazilian sausage will be offered alongside the salad bar with more than 50 items.

Tre Trattoria Downtown 401 S. Alamo St. 210-223-0401. Dad will love the $5 Bloody Marys and hearty brunch items like Tuscan Steak and Eggs or Breakfast Pizza with roasted potato, red pepper, cilantro, red onion and scrambled eggs at Tre Trattoria Downtown.  Located in the historic Fairmount hotel across from Hemisfair Park, Chef Jason Dady’s Tuscan Italian restaurant will be open this Father’s Day at 10 a.m. for brunch and will begin dinner service at 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended by calling the phone number above; walk-ins are also welcome.

Two Bros BBQ Market 12650 West Ave. 210-496-0222 — Celebrate Father’s Day with beef ribs and specials for buckets of beer, in addition to the full menu of classic Texas barbecue featuring slow smoked brisket and homemade sides.  Open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Wildfish Seafood Grille, 1834 N. Loop 1604 W.,  (210) 493-1600 — Wildfish has several specials for Father’s Day beginning at 5 p.m. The steak and lobster specials start at $44 for an 8-ounce filet and a half broiled and stuffed Maine lobster.  Wines on the cellar list will be offered at 25 percent off.  Plus, all fathers will receive a $25 gift card for a future visit. www.wildfishseafoodgrille.com

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill, 15900 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 25100. 210-690-3334 — Z’Tejas will offer $5 bonus cards for every $25 gift card purchase through June 19. Bonus cards, up to two per visit, may be redeemed June 20 -July 31. Father’s Day brunch will be served from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The weekend fun bar, featuring make-your-own Bloody Marys and mimosas for $3.50, will be available. Reservations not required. sanantonio.ztejas.com.

Watermelon with strawberries, cilantro pearls and black sesame sponge bread from the RK Group.

What’s not to love about watermelon, especially when it is in season and bursting with refreshing flavor? It’s perfect for a picnic or great alongside a plate of just-grilled meats.

This year, more and more local chefs are using watermelon in salads and entrêes in ways that go far beyond the norm. Chef John Brand of La Mansión del Rio and Ostra on the River Walk served slabs of watermelon alongside hamachi sashimi during a recent Culinaria luncheon at Becker Vineyards, while The Monterey served it in a salad with feta cheese, dried olive and heirloom tomatoes.

The great thing about most of these recipes is that you can make them at home, layering the ingredients mentioned to your taste. Think about a watermelon margarita with a touch of lime, tequila and just a hint of orange liqueur mixed with watermelon juice and ice to your taste.

At a recent fundraiser for HeartGift, five chefs from around the city made various dishes pairing watermelon with everything from jumbo shrimp cocktail with watermelon from Cabo Seafood to a watermelon pavé with cilantro pearls and black sesame sponge cake from the RK Group. Heather Nañez of Bohanan’s seared hamachi and topped with a watermelon salsa, while Patricia Wenckus of Auden’s Kitchen crisped up prosciutto, adding a little salty flavor that the fruit seems to love.

Damien Watel of Bistro Vatel offered up an elegant, easy salad, the recipe for which appears below.

Watermelon margaritas

HeartGift is a San Antonio charity that flies children with congenital heart defects from around the world here so that they can be operated on for free. The event raised $23,000. According to HeartGift executive director Cathy Siegel, “Our spring season of events offered guests an opportunity to participate in a series of fine dining adventures while providing the gift of life-saving heart surgery to a child from a country where treatment is unavailable or inaccessible. With the success of this series of events, we are now able to bring another child to San Antonio for heart surgery.”

For more on HeartGift, click here.

What do you like to do with watermelon? Add a cube or two to a vodka martini? Serve it with fried shrimp? Smoke it in your barbecue pit? (It has been done.) Post your favorite ideas below.

Damien Watel’s Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad

Watermelon cubes, to taste
Ripe tomatoes, cut into pieces similar in size to the watermelon, to taste

Damien Watel's Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad

Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
Olive oil, to taste
Rice wine vinegar, to taste
Basil or flat-leaf parsley, to taste
Salt, to taste (optional)

Mix watermelon and tomatoes. Sprinkle feta on top. Drizzle olive oil and a touch of rice wine vinegar. Garnish with some microgreen herbs, such as basil, or finely chopped basil or parsley, to taste. Salt, if desired.

Adapted from Damien Watel

Jordan Asiimwe, a child helped by HeartGift San Antonio (center), is joined by Joseph Baker (from left), Deborah Miller, Rodrigo Ugartechea and Heather Nanez.

Five San Antonio chefs are getting together Thursday to prepare a multi-course dinner to benefit HeartGift San Antonio, a charity that helps children with heart defects.

Each of the chefs will be preparing a course with watermelon as an ingredient.

The chefs and their dishes include:

• Heather Nañez of Bohanan’s with Yucatan-style Seared Hamachi and an assorted melon salsa and sour orange vinaigrette
• Damien Watel of Bistro Vatel with Watermelon, Grape Tomato and Feta Salad.
• Rodrigo Ugartechea of Cabo Seafood + Bar with Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail plus watermelon tartare, passion fruit with cilantro sauce and crispy rice noodles
• Patricia Wenckus of Auden’s Kitchen with Watermelon and Prosciutto Salad with goat cheese and basil
• Joseph Baker of the RK Group with Watermelon Pavé, strawberry dice, cilantro caviar, black sesame micro-sponge cake.

Jordan Asiimwe, a 1-year-old heart surgery patient from Uganda, will be the special guest of the evening. He underwent heart surgery last week, thanks to HeartGift and will be on hand to receive a special cake from Baker.

HeartGift San Antonio brings children from around the world to San Antonio for free surgery to correct life-threatening heart defects.

Tickets for the event are $125 a person. The event is at the home of Deborah and Morris Miller, 777 East Olmos Drive.  For reservations, call Cathy at HeartGift, 210-299-7666.

Want to keep that Fiesta spirit going? Try one of these cocktails from several restaurants around town. Two come from Bohanan’s Bar, 219 E. Houston St.; a third comes from Wildfish Seafood Grille, 1834 N. Loop 1604 W.; and the last from Roaring Fork, 1806 N. Loop 1604 W.

Have fun playing around with the ingredients so you get the drink you’d like. That could mean a little more ginger beer in one, a little less Tabasco sauce in another. And enjoy.

Fiesta Medal-icious

Fiesta Medal-icious

½ ounce fresh lime juice
1 ¼ ounces aged rum
Ginger beer
Lime wedge

Pour lime juice and rum in a Collins glass filled with ice.  Fill with ginger beer.  Garnish with lime wedge.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From Bohanan’s Bar

FiestaTail

FiestaTail

7/8 ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce sugar
2 ounces gin
Mint leaves

In an ice-filled shaker, add lime juice, sugar and gin. Pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with mint leaves, to taste.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From Bohanan’s Bar

WildFiestaFishTini

WildFiestaFishTini

Cucumber slices, peeled
Lime juice
Olive juice
Rain Cucumber Vodka
Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce
Bud Light
Cucumber slices, cocktail onion and blue cheese-stuffed olive for garnish

Take a shaker with a little ice, cucumbers, lime juice and olive juice, and muddle together. Fill shaker with ice, add Rain Cucumber Vodka, Zing Zang, a splash of Worcestershire and Tabasco, to taste. Shake well. Serve in a salted rim martini glass with a Bud Light on the side.

Garnish with cucumber, cocktail onion, and a blue cheese-stuffed olive flag.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From Wildfish Seafood Grille

Roaring Fork Sangrita

Roaring Fork Sangrita

10 ounces frozen margarita
Roaring Fork Red Sangria (recipe below)
Lime wedge, orange wedge and cherry for garnish

Red Sangria:
4 ounces red wine
2 ounces raspberry purée
2 ounces huckleberry purée or blueberry purée

Take a glass with 10 ounces of frozen margarita in it. Swirl in red sangria. Garnish with lime, orange and cherry.

To make Red Sangria, mix wine and purées.

Makes 1 cocktail.

From Roaring Fork