Tag Archives: beer

Bars

Flying Saucer, San Antonio, Texas

Back in August 2007, Bill and I visited the San Antonio Flying Saucer, a brew/gastro pub that is part of a chain of similar pubs across the southeast.  In September 2003, we visited the Flying Saucer in Memphis, Tennessee, located near his father’s house.  I proceeded to get a bit drunk, mainly because it was stressful visiting his family in the shadow of Bill’s ex wife.

Anyway, what I remember about our first visit was that there wasn’t a lot of food, but there was a lot of beer.  And it was fun hanging out there, even though we got there in time for a shift change and I could tell our waitress wanted us to move on.  Her attitude changed once we settled the check and Bill tipped her.  So we went to the one in San Antonio in 2007, right after Bill got home from Iraq.  His mom was with us and we had a cute little waitress who was obviously very young.  We kept ordering beers that were on the menu but sold out.  Every time I would pick one, she’d come back and say that they were fresh out.

I turned to Bill and said, “It’s not much of a cheese shop, is it?”  Bill got the reference, but our poor hapless waitress didn’t.

Today, we went back to the Flying Saucer and proceeded to enjoy an afternoon of Texas beers…

Had to get a shot of this huge Texas flag on the way… storm clouds were brewing…

View from our pub table.

Some of the folks who are regular beerknurds…

 

I thought it was interesting this sign was posted in the bathroom…  I figure by the time you get there, it’s too late to warn pregnant women about booze.

Thoughtful that they don’t want you to dirty your hands after you wash them…

They have a dog friendly porch.  Might have to bring the dogs sometime.

A flight of Texas beers… They were mostly excellent.

Bill looks thrilled to be at the Flying Saucer…

No, this isn’t as exciting as going to an Irish pub in Ireland, but it’s not bad for an otherwise dull Saturday afternoon.  Our waitress this time was very nice and professional.  She knew her beers; thanked Bill for his service; and invited us to sit in her section next time.

I’m thinking I need a Beer Goddess t-shirt now.

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Freetail Brewing…

Bill and I decided to go on an outing yesterday and had lunch at Freetail Brewing Company just off the 1604 Loop.  The Loop has an official name, but most people refer to it as 1604.  Bill had pointed this place out to me a few times and I had heard from other beer lovers that it was a good place to go for fresh beer.

The entrance… 

Impressive looking patio that is dog friendly.  We saw lots of folks with their four legged friends dining out there…  One guy brought a gorgeous Irish Wolfhound.

Bill decides what beer he prefers.

The dining room from our vantage point.  We got there before the game time rush!

The bar area…

Bill had a Cuban sandwich and I had macaroni and cheese with bacon on top…

I managed about a third of this before I asked for a box.  It’s not the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had, but it was pretty good…

Interesting sign.  

The bar area…

 

The first round… I had a Chile Limon Wit Beer while Bill had an IPA of some sort…

Chile Fumando… spicy and smokey

Rye Wit

 

After a pleasant lunch, we left the Freetail Brewing Company.  The dining room had filled up with folks who wanted to watch Texas A&M play Alabama.  I don’t give a damn about sports, but it was entertaining to listen to them cheer every time the Aggies did something awesome.

 

I wasn’t quite ready to go home, but I did end up needing to pee.  We stopped at a gas station, where I spotted this sign.  My sister used to make Whoopie Pies when I was a little kid, so I got a kick out of this.  I ought to send her this picture…

We ended up driving about Boerne, Texas.  Bill and I had looked at a house there and were really tempted to move there, but it turns out it really is pretty far away from San Antonio.  It would have tripled his commuting time to work.  Maybe when he retires, we can look into moving up there.  I do like Boerne better than Converse.

All this Texas stuff makes me want to travel something fierce, though… I’m ready to plan a new trip.

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Texas discovery… Spec’s

One good thing about leaving North Carolina is that we don’t have to deal with ABC stores here.  Texas has private liquor stores and one of them is Spec’s.  Spec’s carries an impressive array of beverages ranging from sparkling waters to rare scotches.  We even spotted a couple of the whiskies we found while we were in Scotland last year, as well as some tasty Guyanese rums I’ve had to buy online until now.

When we first visited Spec’s, it reminded me of a Best Buy store…. only for beverages.  I am not all that impressed with Spec’s beer selection, though they do have some good stuff.  I just don’t think there’s much variety, nor do I think the prices are that impressive.  If you want wine or liquor, though, it’s a good place to be…

Our local Spec’s… very much at home near outdoor malls…

Nice inviting entrance.  Bill picked up a handbasket and I shook my head.  I knew I was wanting some beer.  He knew it probably meant a $200 tab.  He wasn’t too far off.

And tequila.  We need tequila for Labor Day festivities…

Not so bad.  We’ve definitely had bigger orders.  A few items were food.

Bill checks out the beer cooler… Wish it had more interesting beers, but it’s decently stocked.

 

A couple of months ago, we found Triangle Wine Company, a great beer and wine store in Southern Pines, NC, before we moved to Texas.  It’s probably a good thing we didn’t go there sooner because they had some really fabulous stuff.  I prefer beer and wine to liquor anyway.

Texas also has Total Wine and More, which is also a good place to find unique boozes.  We have enjoyed Total Wine in Virginia and North Carolina and it’s a great place to shop for libations.

The Spec’s pictured about is not too far from where we live, though… and it helps that it’s near World Market, another favorite cash drain.  Spec’s is a Texas institution with locations in major cities around the state.

Tomorrow, Bill plans to take me on an excursion to Central Market, which is supposed to be a really nice HEB.  Maybe afterwards, I can talk him into hitting Trader Joe’s so I can get some frozen “crack and cheese”…

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Ireland… it’s on the bucket list!

A few months ago, Bill and I took back to back five night cruises on Hebridean Princess in Scotland.  We had a great time, except for the fact that our old beagle/basset hound MacGregor had health problems that suddenly manifested while we were away.  We were very worried about him while we were in Scotland and when we got home, we had to put him down, which we truly hated to do.

However, despite MacGregor’s health problems, we will never forget Scotland, which is a land that figures prominently in my history, along with England and Germany.  I probably have some Irish in me too… now that I’m married, I definitely do, though not as often as I’d like!  My husband’s father’s family is very Irish.  His mom is of English, Scottish, and Dutch heritage.  Our last name is Irish… straight from County Donegal.

We had so much fun in Scotland, that I immediately started wanting to plan a trip to Ireland so we can visit my husband’s ancestral homeland too.  Hebridean Princess does go to Ireland, but fares on that ship are STEEP.  If we can ever afford it again, we’d do it in a heartbeat.  I have a feeling we might end up sticking to land, though.

For now, though, I’m content to enjoy a Black and Tan…

Excuse the Pilsner Urquell beer mug…  We picked those up in the Czech Republic after touring their excellent brewery museum!

This photo was taken off Sanda Island, which is very close to the Irish coast.

Alas, I didn’t get a chance to try this beer when we were in Scotland…  Maybe I’ll try it in Ireland instead!

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