WORDS BY OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN (AKA. OLIVIER THE WINE GUY)
Do you have DinnerPlans tonight?
Photo by Matthew Batista
If you’re ever in search of a gift for your favorite foodie, these attractively designed food-centric DinnerPlans placemats might just fit the bill.
Durably-printed on washable and recyclable polypropylene, these are not your typical placemats. The blueprint-style designs feature dimensional drawings on the front along with sections and details on the reverse side, all of which is cleverly highlighted by contractual legalese along the sidebars.
A Texas-themed special edition six-pack showcases some of our state’s perennial culinary favorites, including BBQ, burgers, pancakes, ramen, sushi and, you guessed it, tacos.
“My husband Shawn and I own a design firm and that’s our bread and butter,” co-founder, Susanne Harrington, explains. “The placemats idea was born from our creative process and they reflect the vocabulary of architects and engineers.”
In San Antonio, you can currently find these unique gifts (even if it’s to treat yourself) on the shelves at Whole Earth Provisions Co., located at The Quarry, or pick them up in Austin at the Blanton Museum of Art gift shop at the University of Texas at Austin, the Austin Thompson Hotel’s “Grey Market” on San Jacinto Boulevard, the Parker and Scott General Store on W. Anderson Lane or the Atown Store on Burnet Road.
Spread the Love & Loaves
Photo by Spread the Loaves
A micro-bakery specializes in sourdough-leavened breads.
What began as a pop-up and market stand venture has finally “flour”-ished into a brick-and mortar, and we know long-time followers of Spread the Loaves are already prepping their butter and jam for these sensational breads.
Sophie Jeffery started baking as a teenager. With time on her hands during the pandemic, mastering the art of breadmaking became a personal aspiration. Then in 2021, when “snowmageddon” descended on San Antonio and grocery store shelves were wiped clean of many staples, including flour, Jeffery happened to have plenty at home. Inspired, she decided to put both her surplus of flour and her baking skills to good use and began to make bread for the benefit and delight of her neighbors in need. That’s when the idea to open a bakery started to “rise up.”
“Being an Air Force wife, I was used to moving every few years but getting our family settled during the pandemic was challenging for myself and for my children. Baking provided me with a calming and focused outlet,” Jeffery says.
New Sriracha Hits the Shelves
Photo by Tio Pelon
Oscar J. Perez says Tio Pelon all started with an abundance of homegrown veggies. That, and his grandma Emma’s recipe. He was experimenting with different produce, learning to pickle and can them and then began to sell them to friends and on Facebook marketplace.
An architect by trade and originally from McAllen, Perez now devotes most of his time to his fast growing salsa business, including a recently added sriracha (in partnership with Singh’s Vietnamese restaurant). Remember the Huy Fong sriracha shortage? That plus the sambal shortage kick-started this creation. Tio Pelon and Singh’s sriracha possesses a flavor that’s more pepper-forward than what you may be used to but, according to Perez, has that perfect sweetness and garlic flavor that appeals to the palates of those who adore Mexican and Vietnamese flavors.
“We’ve grown quite a bit since I first started producing in earnest in 2015,” Perez explains. They now operate out of a rented commercial/ industrial complex and their products are available on the shelves at over 230 H-E-B stores across Texas, as well as in other retail outlets in New Mexico and Louisiana.
And what about the name, you ask? “Tio Pelon” roughly translates to “Uncle Baldy” because Perez is not only an uncle, but his “melon” is as smooth as a baby’s … well, you know the saying.
