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San Antonio fans of Peruvian cuisine will have a new reason to head to Southtown on February 24, when Leche de Tigre opens its doors to the public.

Offering authentic Peruvian ceviche, pisco, and eclectic music, the eatery takes its name (meaning “tiger’s milk”) from the milky liquid concentrate left over from the preparation of ceviche. The liquid concentrate is infused with colors and flavors of lime juice, hot peppers, salt, onion, to give it even more of a bite.

Brothers Emil, Axel, and Alec Oliva and their cousin Sebastian Montante are the brains behind Leche de Tigre. The concept comes from their shared desire to embrace and reflect their blended Peruvian heritage and Mexican roots.

Born in Laredo, Texas, to a Peruvian father and a Mexican mother, the Oliva siblings moved to Peru when Emil was 11 years old. They spent about eight years living and traveling there, and getting to know the local cuisine. The Olivas hope that Leche de Tigre will become a sort of hub for San Antonio’s Peruvian community.

"We want to be a little embassy for Peru here in San Antonio where they can gather, where they can get a little bit of back home,” Emil Oliva said, also noting the positive response they’ve already had from the Peruvian community since launching the restaurant’s Instagram a few months ahead of the opening.

Their food truck was originally destined for a new local food hall, but Montante’s real estate colleague found out about an available commercial property near the Southtown Flats off East Cevallos Street. From there, the group changed course and decided to develop a brick-and-mortar restaurant with Emil Oliva as chef, Axel Oliva as general manager, Alec Oliva managing the bar, and Montante handling administrative duties.

"San Antonio knows Mexican ceviche. I think what's going to stand out for us is that … Peruvian ceviche is a combination of the simplest ingredients,” Emil Oliva said. "But, if you take the freshest ingredients possible, you're able to make something really amazing."

Leche de Tigre’s small menu will feature 15 items, with eight on the ceviche bar. Aside from Peruvian sashimi plates and ceviche, they will serve traditional Peruvian dishes, such as lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir fry with a Chinese fusion along with Peruvian tapas.

The restaurant will also have a pisco bar featuring Peru's national brandy, a grape-distilled spirit whose origins date back to the 16th century. Many people enjoy pisco as an appetizer, and the beverage has long been believed to be both a hangover cure and an aphrodisiac.

"We'll specialize in Pisco, the first in the city. What we really want to do is highlight Pisco in a very exotic, mixology-forward way,” Emil Oliva said, noting how the restaurant will mix Peruvian and Mexican drink experiences.

"The restaurant is a representation of who we are as brothers and what we like," he adds. "From the music to the food to the bar, it's going to be something new for San Antonio."

Leche de Tigre

Courtesy photo

Peruvian tapas, ceviche and other traditional dishes are in the spotlight at Leche de Tigre.

Courtesy McIntyre's

Houston bar McIntyre’s adds to entertainment options in San Antonio’s Southtown

A new place to party

The Southtown area south of downtown San Antonio has a plethora of dining, bar, recreational, and other entertainment options for all ages. The newest dining and drinking destination for residents and visitors, however, hails from Houston.

McIntyre’s, an icehouse-style sports bar with three original locations in the Houston region, expanded into San Antonio in late 2022, opening at the former bar The Patio at 1035 S. Presa St. An extended grand opening was held December 29 through January 2.

Like its Houston-area counterparts, the San Antonio McIntyre’s blends indoor and outdoor spaces with textured walls, a range of seating options, and ideal views of large, high-definition televisions positioned across the sizable patio.

The patio at McIntyre’s is dog friendly, a key aspect that complements the relaxed vibe at the growing bar chain.

Michael Paolucci, who is partnering with Kyle Berg on McIntyre’s ownership and operations, said their first San Antonio location was well-received by locals and tourists opening up during the final days of the recent holiday season in the Alamo City.

“The first two days were great,” Paolucci said.

The drink menu features traditional and craft beers, cocktails on tap, signature, classic and frozen cocktails, a wide selection of whiskeys, as well as wines and champagne.

McIntyre’s hosts resident food trucks to feed hungry guests. Garcia Barbecue is scheduled Sundays through Tuesdays and every other Saturday, serving up smoked quest nachos, sandwiches and tacos.

Another venture, Jeepney Street Eats, is cooking up various goodies Wednesdays through Fridays, and every other Saturday.

Visitors may also take advantage of happy hour and an assortment of lawn games, such as cornhole.

Paolucci and Berg are not done in San Antonio: McIntyre’s has filed a project with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to develop a second San Antonio location near North Star Mall at 86 NE Loop 410.

McIntyre's

Courtesy McIntyre's

Houston-based sports bar McIntyre's opened its first San Antonio location in Southtown at 1035 S. Presa St., adding onto the neighborhood's growing number of entertainment offerings.

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CultureMap Emails are Awesome

San Antonio celebrates 27th annual César E. Chávez March for Justice this weekend

SÍ SE PUEDE

Every year, thousands of San Antonians come together to honor the legacy of civil rights leader Cesar E. Chavez with a two-mile walk through downtown on Saturday, March 25. Plans for the 27th annual César E. Chávez March for Justice have been released, including this year’s new theme.

The César E. Chávez Legacy and Educational Foundation (CECLEF) announced March 25 as the date for their next march, with the new theme titled “Finding True Life Through Service to Others.”

Interim District 7 Councilwoman Rosie Castro, U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro (her sons) will be the march’s Grand Marshals.

CECLEF Chair Ernest J. Martinez said in a press release that it’s inspiring for him to see how the longstanding San Antonio tradition has been well-received by the local community and continues to be embraced by the younger generation.

“This year, we are strongly encouraging our K [through] 12 and college students to march alongside our friends, family, community, civic leaders, and elected officials,” he shared. “The March has always been a time to engage in civic participation and advocate for social and economic justice for our communities.”

Another priority with this year’s march is to give recognition to the many farm workers in San Antonio, while also bringing awareness to the food disparities in the community. CECLEF encourages participants to bring canned goods to the march for their “Yes We CAN” food drive, which will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.

District 5 Councilwoman Terri Castillo, who is the daughter of migrant farm workers, said the march serves as a prominent commemoration of the farm workers who advocated for better working conditions.

“This march serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play to carry on the legacy of labor leaders like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta," she said. "When we march together, we say yes to organizing for safe working conditions, a living wage, and a better future for San Antonio. ¡Sí se puede!”

The 27th annual César E. Chávez March for Justice will begin at 10 am on March 25 at the corner of Brazos and Guadalupe Street.

More information about the March for Justice can be found on sanantonio.gov.

Here are the top 5 things to do in San Antonio this weekend

Weekend Event Guide

Ballet, comedy, and fighting competitions top our list of must-attend happenings in Alamo City. Witness the stories of Swan Lake and Cinderella come to life through dance, or laugh along with comedian Felipe Esparza. Check out the top five things to do in San Antonio this weekend. For a full list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, March 23

World Ballet Series: Cinderella
The beloved fairytale of Cinderella is brought to life on the Majestic Theatre stage for one magical evening. This production includes a cast of 40 ballet dancers, more than 150 hand-sewn costumes, and choreography by Marina Kessler. For tickets, click here. This event is suitable for audiences of all ages.

Friday, March 24

Briscoe Western Art Museum presents Night of Artists
Celebrate the artists that showcase Western art during this special philanthropic evening. This signature event will include the work of artists who helped establish the Briscoe Western Art Museum and serves as an evening to explore the museum and honor the works within. Splurge on your tickets to this fundraising event and get a full program schedule here.

Saturday, March 25

The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas presents Selections from Swan Lake
The classic tale of good versus evil unfolds at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Audiences can enjoy a Swan Lake production performed by the talented members of the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas Company. Tickets for both performances are still available.

UFC Fight Night San Antonio: Marlon Vera vs Cory Sandhagen
After four years, the UFC® is back in San Antonio with two matchups. Fans can experience No. 4-ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Vera against No. 5-ranked Cory Sandhagen and No. 3-ranked Holly Holm against No. 6 Yana Santos in the co-main event. For tickets, visit the event website.

Felipe Esparza: The BigFoo Tour
Comedian and actor Felipe Esparza comes to Majestic Theatre for two back-to-back live shows. He’s best known for his recurring appearances on Superstore and The Eric Andre Show and was the 2010 winner of Last Comic Standing. View seating options on the ticketing website.

The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas presents Selections from Swan Lake
Photo by Alexander Devora Photography

The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas presents Selections from Swan Lake.

Netflix series Waco: American Apocalypse debuts with newly unearthed footage

Documentary News

Netflix has a new series on the tragedy that took place in Waco three decades ago: Called Waco: American Apocalypse, it's a three-part series documenting the standoff between cult leader David Koresh and the federal government that ended in a fiery inferno, televised live, with 76 people dead.

The series debuted on March 22, coinciding with the 30-year anniversary of the event which took place from February 28 to April 19, 1993. There's a trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scZ2x7R_XXc.

It's an oft-told tale and not the only new release to try and exploit the 30-year anniversary: Jeff Guinn, former books editor at the Fort Worth Star Telegram, just came out with a book in January, also described as definitive, called Waco: David Korsh, the Branch Davidians, and a Legacy of Rage.

Waco: American Apocalypse is directed by another "local": Dallas native Tiller Russell (Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer), who obtained never-before-seen videotapes of FBI negotiations, as well as raw news footage and interviews with insiders.

Those insiders include one of David Koresh’s spiritual wives; the last child released from the compound alive; a sniper from the FBI Hostage Rescue Team; the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit Chief; journalists; and members of the ATF tactical team who watched colleagues die in the shootout against the heavily armed members of the religious sect.

The FBI videotaped inside the hostage negation room, thinking they'd be there maybe 24 hours, not 51 days.

"These are video cassettes that were sitting in somebody’s closet for 30 years, that show the mechanics of hostage negotiations in an intimate setting - not the hostage negotiation scenarios you see in films, but a team of people grinding, day in and day out, for 51 days," Russell says.

He also procured footage from Waco TV station KWTX, who had a reporter embedded in the initial gunfight.

While the standoff was broadcast live on TV at the time, much of it was out of camera range. The film uses 3D graphics to recreate the details of the compound.

Russell acknowledges that the tale of the cult leader who was also a pedophile, the debate over the right to bear arms, the constitutional limits of religious freedom, dredge up painful conversations that continue today.

"It cast a long shadow, pre-saging the Timothy McVeigh bombing in Oklahoma, the shooting at Colombine, and a growing distrust of government, but I think it's important to reckon with our past so we don't repeat mistakes," he says.

"So much of what’s roiling in culture today can be traced to Waco, a story about God and guns in America with all these children at the center whose lives were determined by the adults around them," he says. "There was no playbook for what happened, everyone was out on a limb, and people made mistakes. But almost everybody was trying to do their very best."

"I think this is a story that's often recalled in politicized terms, with finger-pointing on who screwed up and how did we get here, but there's a profound humanity to it all," he says.