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9 festive San Antonio restaurants open for Christmas Day cheer

O' CHRISTMAS TREATS

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One of the best revelations of adulthood is figuring out that you steer the ship. That’s especially true during the holidays, when an onslaught of decorating, cooking, hosting, and gift-buying can turn the jolliest ho-ho-ho into a grumpy bah humbug. It’s easier to take on tradition when it’s á la carte instead of prix fixe.

This year, take the fuss out of the festive by entrusting the city’s culinary whizzes with the annual feast. Plenty of San Antonio restaurants are open on Christmas Day to make celebrating as delightful as ever. Skip the grocery shopping, clean-up, and prep work and eke out time for some new traditions. In the long run, being together is what counts.

Boudro’s Texas Bistro
Toast the upcoming year with a sparkling French 75 at one of Alamo City’s favorite yuletide destinations. Then, splurge on beef tenderloin with grilled jumbo shrimp or blackened prime rib. The entire Texas-tinged menu will be available for the big day — along with a few seasonal specials. 11 am-10:30 pm.

Dashi Sichuan Kitchen + Bar
Born out of the American immigrant experience, eating Chinese food on Christmas Day is now a tradition shared by millions. Instead of ordering takeout, get dressed up and sup at this chic local favorite. The Mala Spicy “Dry” Pot, spiced with xiao mi chilis and serranos, is sure to warm cockles on a nippy day. Noon-8 pm.

Kona Grill
This upscale chain is flexing its creativity on Christmas Day with dishes like macadamia-crusted turkey with miso mashed potatoes and a filet slathered in lobster cream. The regular menu is available too, so kick off dinner with calamari and the aptly named Helluvah Martini. 11 am-11 pm.

The Palm
Watch Bing Crosby croon in White Christmas, then keep the old Hollywood vibe going at this downtown staple. The $99 prix fixe is anchored by a luscious pastrami-crusted prime rib with side choices like grilled asparagus and creamed spinach. For dessert, opt for the zeppoles, but be careful not to drop powdered sugar on the tuxedo. 11:30 am-8 pm.

Pinstack
Stop by this family fun zone if the brood needs to work off some energy after opening Santa’s haul. Let them romp through bumper cars, a ropes course, and hundreds of video games, then refuel with kid-friendly fare like chicken tenders and pizza. Adults won’t mind the beeps and boops while sipping on 24 draft beers or an espresso martini. 2 pm-midnight.

Range
This modern steakhouse hasn’t yet posted the menu for its Christmas prix fixe, but whatever chef Jason Dady whips up will surely be a safe bet. Besides, the restaurant’s enviable downtown location is just steps from the River Walk. Work off the massive feast by strolling through the dazzling light display. Noon-8 pm.

Scuzzi’s Italian Restaurant
From the Feast of the Seven Fishes to limoncello, Italian-Americans know how to celebrate the season right. This Shavano Park spot shares the amore with dishes like veal Marsala, seabass piccata, and a mile-long list of carbs. 11 am-9 pm.

Sylver Spoon Dinner Theateron Dinner Theater
‘Tis the season for nostalgia, and this New Braunfels dinner theater has it by the spoonful. Still, its Christmas menu is decidedly modern-minded, with globally inspired dishes like king crab Rangoon and braised short rib risotto with wild mushrooms. The $60 prix fixe comes with a show, the suitably frothy confection Love Birds. Seatings between 5-8:30 pm.

Texas de Brazil
Say Feliz Natal by taking the family to this crowd-pleaser. This Brazilian steakhouse’s menu is always festive, with a butcher’s shop full of meat, plentiful sides, and a massive salad bar. Perfect for the sweetest season, the desserts are no afterthought with heavy hitters like crème brûlée, chocolate mousse cake, and Bananas Foster pie. 11 am-9 pm.

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Office sexual politics rear their ugly head in Netflix's Fair Play

Movie Review

The career of Alden Ehrenreich has – so far – been one without much progress. He was the star of Beautiful Creatures 10 years ago, a film that made little impact. Since then, he’s been in a Woody Allen movie, a Coen Brothers movie, and played a young Han Solo, none of which made him a star. After a few years away from movies, he’s back with a bang in 2023, with roles in Cocaine Bear, Oppenheimer, and now Netflix’s Fair Play.

Ehrenreich plays Luke, who’s in a relationship with Emily (Phoebe Dynevor), which they must keep secret because of a no-fraternization policy at the hedge fund where they both work. Working in finance, both are naturally ambitious, although Luke is a bit more naked in his desires. When Emily gets promoted ahead of Luke, he is at first is supportive, but is soon unable to hide his jealousy.

Written and directed by Chloe Domont in her feature film debut, the film tracks the devolution of Luke and Emily’s relationship, going from hot and heavy to heavily antagonistic. The sexual politics at play in the story are front and center, with Emily being the lone visible woman working in an otherwise all-male office. Luke initially bristles at whispers that Emily was promoted for reasons other than her financial skills, but working as her underling starts to bring out the worst in him.

Because Luke and Emily start the film as equals, the power dynamics take on an unusual form. Emily arguably does much more for Luke after her promotion than he would for her if the roles were reversed, sometimes to her own detriment. His blindness to her helpfulness, which eventually turns to suspicion, speaks volumes about the fragile ego of many men.

Another type of reversal is the sexuality depicted in the film. Most films of this type build up to the big sex sequences, using them as a culmination of a particular relationship. But Domont starts the film with them, and uses the absence of them later on as a way to denote how much Luke and Emily have drifted from each other.

It’s understandable why Domont set the film in a hedge fund, given the disparity between men and women in the field. But the scenes in which the employees, led by boss Campbell (Eddie Marsan), talk about the intricacies of their work just don’t pop, mostly because the dense terminology feels like the characters are speaking a foreign language.

Ehrenreich and Dynevor (best known for Bridgerton) each start off great, but as the film goes along and they’re required to get increasingly histrionic, they both become less believable. Domont saves most of the drama for the film’s final act; if the film was more balanced in its ups and downs, the two leads might have been able to even out their performances as well.

Still, the film has a propulsion to it that keeps it interesting, and the intensity of the final sequence is sufficient to forgive any earlier missteps. And, unfortunately yet again for Ehrenreich, it’s Dynevor who leaves the bigger impression, making a case that she should get many more lead roles in the future.

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Fair Play is now playing in select theaters; it debuts on Netflix on October 6.

Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor in Fair Play

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor in Fair Play.

Kendra Scott teams up with Texan style influencer for milestone breast cancer awareness collection

Wear for a cure

Kendra Scott is already a Texas charity champion, but for a new collection the lifestyle brand is kicking its philanthropy up a notch. This will be the first time an entire collection will give back, and the focus is turned to an indisputably important cause: breast cancer research.

Kendra Scott — who loves a Texas connection — is joining native Houston fashion influencer Nasreen Shahi (@heynasreen), for a limited-edition jewelry collection. It will include two necklaces, two pairs of earrings, and a bracelet, all named after Shahi's mother.

Although Shahi's mother is the muse, it is her own experience with breast cancer that ties the collection to the cause. The fashion maven was diagnosed in 2021, and it's the outpouring of community support that the collection celebrates.

"This is a difficult month for most survivors because you reflect on so much of your own journey," wrote Shahi on Instagram on October 1, commemorating the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The pieces are gold (with some silver options) and very simple, setting stones in abstract patterns meant to be layered. The centerpiece is an emerald eye of protection, a classic Middle Eastern motif. A release states that avoiding pink was intentional, but does not share why. From a wearer's perspective, it may feel refreshing to wear a breast cancer collection that isn't so literal, and doesn't invite questions about the wearer's intent or connection.


Kendra Scott x Nasreen Shahi from @heynasreen collection necklacePhoto courtesy of Kendra Scott

Kendra Scott and Shahi have been "close partners" in previous years (the influencer has been featured on the Kendra Scott blog), but this is the first collaborative collection. All pieces will result in a 20 percent donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

The Kendra Scott x Nasreen Shahi from @heynasreen collection ($55-85) is available at kendrascott.com and in Kendra Scott retail stores.

Beyoncé brings dazzling Renaissance Tour to big screens with new concert film

big-screen bey

“The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free ...and no one is judged.”

So declares Queen Bey in a just-released trailer for RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ, a new documentary and concert film coming to major movie theaters on Friday, December 1 across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The new film chronicles Houston-born Beyoncé's journey from concept to performance as she treks across the globe in her worldwide, 56-performance, 39-city Renaissance tour.

Houstonians (and fans who made the drive) are still buzzing from the two-day H-Town homecoming (read our review here) that near-capacity crowds pack NRG Stadium for the often breathtaking, three-hour shows that featured a cameo by fellow Houston-born superstar Megan Thee Stallion.

Tickets for the concert film — a joint production between Parkwood Entertainment and AMC Entertainment — are on sale now at amctheatres.com and Fandango.com. Fans can also find tickets at Cinemark, Regal, Cinepolis and Cineplex, all of which will screen the movie. Tickets will also be available at numerous movie theatre circuits in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico later this week, according to an announcement. Admission for all standard showtimes will start at $22, plus tax.

RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is a must for any Beyhive member — as well as those who want to reminisce attending the epic shows, or those who missed her tour stops. The big-screen treatment is fitting: short of seeing the shows live, there is no better way to take in the Renaissance tour's dazzling effects, lasers, and pyrotechnics, mind-bending visuals on huge screens, unforgettable costumes (A.I.!), Megan's surprise, and of course, Queen Bey riding through the air atop a glittering Reneigh, her trusty, mirrorball, shimmering steed.

Fans can look forward to multiple showtimes daily on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, for a minimum of four weeks, according to press materials.RENAISSANCE will also be available in IMAX (the ideal viewing) at AMC and Dolby Cinema at AMC, and other branded premium large format screens.

Kicking off atthe opening show in Stockholm, Sweden and documenting each stop to the grand finale in Kansas City, Missouri, the film captures rarely seen, behind-the-scenes moments of a Beyoncé tirelessly working and preparing and sharing tender moments with her children and family.

Meant to further articulate her “everyone is free/no one is judged” mantra, scenes will depict the more than 2.7 million fans from around the world who dressed in silver and shiny outfits, took part in her Joy Parade, and nailed the Mute Challenge at each show.

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Find RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ tickets at at amctheatres.com and Fandango.com.

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