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First look

What to know about Southtown’s glittering new upscale seafood spot

Brandon Watson
Nov 8, 2021 | 9:44 am

A splashy newcomer is now filling the fine dining gap in San Antonio’s artsy Southtown neighborhood. Up Scale — a high-end concept from Little Em’s Oyster Bar duo Emily and Houston Carpenter — officially opened to the public on October 20.

Housed in the former home of Feast, at 1024 S. Alamo St., Up Scale is a departure from Little Em’s sunny coastal vibe. Although the dining room is washed in a soft, flattering blush, guests are greeted by an alcove swathed in a bold de Gournay-esque wallpaper and the tentacles of an Entler chandelier unfurl at the host stand. Brass accents — lit by some well-placed lighting — sparkle at the bar.

“Our interior designer, Crystal Sinclair, went for ‘vintage glam’ and she obviously hit that target,” Houston Carpenter tells CultureMap.

That glam extends to the cuisine. True to the wordplay in the restaurant’s name, executive chef Austin Bush, chef Jake Gonzales, and sous chef Rob Arambula focus on freshly caught seafood. Guests can start with nigiri or rolls (the Up Scale appropriately dazzles with both caviar and gold flakes) before diving into olive oil poached halibut, lobster tagliolini, or diver scallops in a pumpkin curry.

But where the restaurant truly stands out is in its luxury dishes. Houston recommends the dover sole, presented tableside with foie gras, buttered farro, and a luscious beurre blanc. If diners are feeling particularly decadent, they can order a 32-ounce, 60-day dry-aged tomahawk steak for $140.

“We’re all about the casual scene and it’s something we enjoy providing across the street at Little Em’s Oyster Bar,” says Houston, “but we felt the neighborhood needed something elevated.”

The service follows suit with a tight hospitality program led by general manager Sam Castillo and director of hospitality and beverage Jacklyn Giddens. Though the eatery is far from stuffy, it does pay attention to details like cutlery and perfectly crisp tablecloths — the latter of which is likely to see a few boozy spills.

Though Up Scale does offer a full cocktail menu, it features a gobsmacking multi-page wine menu — and more than a few splurges.

“We decided to push the upscale envelope a bit more with the wine list,” explains Houston. “The goal was to create a hybrid wine list that showcased the highest expression of both classic grape varieties and famous wine regions while continuing to align with Up Scale’s minimalist elegance and sophistication.”

If all of the considered touches seem too formal, guests need not worry. The attention to detail certainly makes the restaurant an attractive choice for anniversaries and other special occasions, but the convivial atmosphere is far from staid. Like Little Em’s, Up Scale has the feel of a neighborhood restaurant. Indeed, for Houston and Emily Carpenter, who live just blocks away, it is.

Blush banquettes and sparkling chandeliers set the elegant tone of Up Scale.

Up Scale San Antonio interior
Photo courtesy of Up Scale
Blush banquettes and sparkling chandeliers set the elegant tone of Up Scale.
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Way out West

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

Hannah J. Frías
Oct 28, 2022 | 4:26 pm
Big Bend National Park
Photo by Adan Guerrero on Unsplash

Big Bend made National Geographic's Best of the World 2023 list.

The pandemic took a toll on pretty much ever industry, especially food and travel. But some destinations suffered less than others: Big Bend National Park out in far west Texas became a hot spot for road trippers from Texas and beyond. To that end, National Geographic Travel included the vast natural wonder in its recent Best of the World 2023 list.

The annual list rounds up 25 global destinations "under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring," according to the article. National Geographic editors frame the list within five categories: Community, Nature, Culture, Family, and Adventure.

Big Bend landed in the Nature category, "5 wildly underrated natural escapes for 2023," and it's in good company: The list also includes the Azores, Botswana, Slovenia, and the Scottish Highlands.

According to a release, the list is themed around "travel destinations and experiences that leverage the benefits of tourism to strengthen their local communities, natural and built environments, and sense of place." Big Bend fits right into that criteria, attracting tourism to small-town communities near the park such as Marfa, Alpine, Presidio, Marathon, and Fort Davis, which all benefit from the influx of people passing through to Big Bend.

The park itself welcomed over 394,000 visitors in 2020, about 15 percent less than 2019. 2021 more than made up for that deficit, though: Big Bend welcomed a record 581,000 visitors as travelers continued to seek open spaces and natural wonders.

Apart from contributing to the local economy, the National Geographic article touts the park's locale in a "remote and arid part of west Texas," which "nurtures more cactus species than any other national park, as well as birds such as roadrunners and bright yellow Scott’s orioles, and mammals such as javelina."

So pack the car and plan your next trip out west, and don't forget some of our top tips for off-the-grid adventures in the area.

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Movie Review

Real-world events make the message of Call Jane all the more relevant

Alex Bentley
Oct 28, 2022 | 1:12 pm
Real-world events make the message of Call Jane all the more relevant
Photo by Wilson Webb / courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Elizabeth Banks in Call Jane

The overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court has sent shockwaves through much of American society, including Hollywood. For years since the initial 1973 decision legalizing abortion, the issue has remained a part of many stories in movies and on TV, especially as conservative states started to enact more and more restrictions on when and where a woman could get the procedure.

When the cast and crew of Call Jane started making their film in 2021, they likely thought they were just showing an interesting chapter in history and underscoring the importance of a woman’s right to choose. Instead, they find themselves inadvertently smack dab in the renewed debate over abortion, and perhaps demonstrating that history is repeating itself.

Elizabeth Banks in Call Jane

Photo by Wilson Webb / courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Elizabeth Banks in Call Jane

The film is a fictional story about Joy (Elizabeth Banks), a middle-class woman in 1968 Chicago who has a husband, Will (Chris Messina), and a teenage daughter, Charlotte (Grace Edwards). She’s also pregnant, but she has a heart condition that necessitates terminating the pregnancy to save her life. When the (all-male) board at her local hospital denies her request for an emergency abortion, she starts searching out other options.

After being advised of a number of poor-to-terrible choices, she finds a flier with a message to “Call Jane” if you’re pregnant and anxious. That leads her to a relatively safe place to get the procedure done illegally, one organized by a group of activist women headed by Virginia (Sigourney Weaver). Soon, Joy finds herself drawn into being part of the group, a role that becomes increasingly larger the more she learns about the women who need its services.

Directed by Phyllis Nagy and written by Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi, the film is a surface-level examination of the abortion issue, but still an effective one. The shocking initial choices Joy faces – convincing psychiatrists that she is suicidal or “accidentally” falling down a staircase to induce a miscarriage – are now ones that may be a reality again for many women, giving the film even more heft than it already had.

The film is at its best when Joy is with the organizing group, as it depicts a diverse group of women – including a nun! – who are all there for one purpose: To help other women. The group has its disagreements, like what type of women should get priority treatment, but the dedication as a whole to the larger cause has a hopeful vibe despite the obstacles they collectively face.

The story falters a bit when it focuses on Joy’s home life. She explains her time away from home as her taking art classes, an excuse that’s laughable given the hours she spends with the group. The filmmakers try to create drama with Will complaining about the lack of home-cooked meals, Charlotte always on the verge of discovering her mom’s secret, and their neighbor Lana (Kate Mara) paying a bit too much attention to Will, but none of it lands compared with the main story.

Banks has tended to be a comedic actor in her 20+ year career, so it takes a bit of time to accept her as the buttoned-down character she’s supposed to be. But once Joy joins the group, Banks’ performance blossoms, especially in scenes with Weaver. Weaver is a grounding force for the film as a whole, feeling exactly like the type of woman who could lead a rebel group like this.

Call Jane is not a firebrand of a film, likely because the filmmakers didn’t know it needed to be. But its release at this particular moment in time can still be interpreted as a call for those who believe in its message to not give up the fight, even if right now the world seems to be against them.

---

Call Jane opens in theaters on October 28.

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San Antonio museum displays Broadway's 'Wicked' best costumes in new exhibition

Katherine Stinson
Oct 28, 2022 | 9:29 am
Susan Hilferty McNay Musuem
Courtesy of Susan Hilferty
Something Wicked/Susan Hilferty Costumes is on display at the McNay Art Museum until March 23, 2023.

As Glinda the Good Witch says in the iconic Wicked opening, let us "rejoiceify" with the McNay Art Museum's newest exhibit — Something Wicked/Susan Hilferty Costumes.

Hilferty is the costume design mastermind behind the Tony Award-winning costumes in the hit Broadway musical, from Glinda's resplendent blue ballgown to Elphaba's magical finale dress. They're just two of the incredible array of Hilferty costumes currently on display at the McNay. Other costumes spotted were vibrant Ozian outfits, Glinda's pink 'Popular' dress, the Wizard's green suit, and more.

McNay guests can also immerse themselves in the worlds of other musicals Hilferty has designed costumes for, including Annie, Wonderland, and Lestat. There are thirty of Hilferty's brilliant costumes to view in total.

Hilferty has also been confirmed as a guest at the McNay Art Museum's annual Tobin Distinguished Lecture, which will take place on Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Guests can purchase tickets for the lecture on the McNay website closer to the event date).

The Tony Award-winning costume and set designer collaborated with R. Scott Blackshire, Ph.D., curator of the Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts to create a truly enchanting experience that will officially be housed at the McNay until Sunday, March 26th, 2023.

Dr. Blackshire had nothing but praise for the exciting collaboration, noting in an official statement that, "Helping [Hilferty] honor the makers, artisans, knitters, fabric painters, and others who bring her designs to the stage was a privilege. Susan relies on creative collaboration for every production she designs."

The importance of the exhibition for San Antonio's local prosperous theatre community was not lost on Dr. Blackshire, who also stated, "The community of San Antonio theatre makers who visit the exhibition will find many of their art forms represented and reflected in the costumes."

Something Wicked/Susan Hilferty Costumes is now open to the public in the Tobin Theatre Arts and Brown Galleries at the McNay Art Museum until March 23, 2023.

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