Today I went to the post office in Elmendorf, not far from the RV park where we are staying, so I could mail Alexis’ iPhone 3G. The two-year-old phone sold in under two minutes on eBay for $150. What? Are people out of their minds? They can get the newer model, the 3GS for only $99! Oh well, we’re not ones to turn our noses up at money when it’s given freely.
As I was leaving Elmendorf, I saw this little ceramics shop at the crossroads in the middle of what passes for “town.” It seemed very lonely, the only business around for miles. I couldn’t help but stop; I felt almost obliged. The sign said open, but there wasn’t a soul around except for the owner, Cindy. She was so sweet and explained how ceramics are made, told me about her classes, and sold me a tiny little glazed vase for the whopping sum of $1.60! At prices like that, I’m not sure how she keeps the lights on. If you are anywhere near Elmendorf, Texas, go down FM327 and check out her shop. Classes are only $8!
Upon leaving the ceramics store with my fragile prize, I drove a little farther south to Heart of Texas Greyhound Adoption. As luck would have it, Scott, one of the founders of the adoption group, was pulling out of the gate taking a couple of hounds on a home visit. I stopped him and learned that his wife, Cheryl, just had heart surgery so wasn’t up to company. Scott, however, was kind enough to take the ashes of my last hound, Baxter, to be buried in the doggie cemetery they have at their home. Baxter will get to rest not far from my first greyhound, Harvey. Losing the two of them to cancer was very hard on me, so as much as I love greyhounds, I think I’m done with them for a while.
I came home for lunch, thinking I would eat and then decide what to do with the rest of my day. As I was heating up some leftovers, the skies opened and it poured down rain for a while. I nixed my idea to go back into town and have the oil changed in the truck, and instead decided to tackle the impossible: trimming Ivy’s nails. I had to dig in the basement storage to even find the trimmers and the styptic powder. Once I had those items, I grabbed a towel, a jar of peanut butter, and a spoon. I figured I’d distract her while I clipped her nails. Well, she wasn’t fooled. I ended up having to get Alexis to hold her while I clipped, and then, when a foot was done, we’d reward her with the peanut butter. Lex ended up getting scratched in the process, but I got all the nails and didn’t make the puppy bleed even once. Victory!
Having accomplished that, it was time for a nap, or, as I like to call it, “lying down to read a book.” Like that lasts very long! I woke up just in time for Lex’s work day to end and asked her to take me to dinner and a movie. She’s been promising me we’d go see Despicable Me for some time now, so she could no longer get out of it! Trapped! Before the movie, we stopped at a tiny little shack of a building on the Southside. Inside was Bernard’s Creole Kitchen, one of few Louisiana-style restaurants in the city. It had gotten TREMENDOUS ratings on Urbanspoon, so I wanted to give it a try. It looked so down-in-the-heels from the outside that Lex had her doubts. I, on the other hand, learned long ago that the most humble of places tend to serve the best food. That proved correct again today.
Chef Bernard McGraw is a native of New Orleans who came to San Antonio as a refugee after Katrina. He started the restaurant on little more than a prayer just months after the storm. In a few short years, Bernard’s restaurant has won a great deal of acclaim. There are awards and rave reviews from local print media hanging on the walls, and there are photos of Bernard with various local dignitaries, all of whom have visited his restaurant at one time or another. He even helped cater Mayor Castro’s election party!
Alexis with Chef Bernard McGraw
Bernard’s food is seriously good, homestyle Creole cuisine. I had red beans and rice with cornbread stuffing, green beans, and a bowl of gumbo, and Lex had pasta with andouille sausage, chicken, and seafood, along with a side of dirty rice and a salad. Lex drank “swamp water,” a mixture of lemonade and sweet tea, and we were served slabs of cornbread with our meals. For dessert, I took home a piece of sock-it-to-me cake soaked in brandy. The total for our meal was a whopping $23!
We not only got good food, but we got to hear the chef tell the story of how he escaped New Orleans only to be separated from his wife and children and how his restaurant came into being. He’s an amazing guy with a great little restaurant, so if you find yourself in San Antonio and tired of Mexican food and barbecue, do yourself a favor and stop by Chef McGraw’s location at the corner of Palo Alto Road and Navajo Street, just a couple of blocks from IH35 South. You won’t be sorry!
Tags: food, San Antonio, Texas, Travel
