Revisiting 2016 (and 2018): Texas (and California)

Even before we began 2016's epic road trip, we'd heard of the Alamo Draft House chain of theaters and wanted to visit one -- and San Antonio seemed like the right place to go. We didn't actually order drinks while we were there (spoilers!) but the experience was still noteworthy. A couple of years later, in Fresno, we did manage to buy a drink at a movie theater bar, but it just wasn't the same. We thought you might like to revisit these two bars today (and tonight, we'll be going to another theater here in Seattle to watch Captain Marvel -- we'll probably eat some chocolate popcorn, but I doubt we'll be drinking)
Alamo Drafthouse, San Antonio, Texas
When we lived in Healdsburg there was a big to-do when the local movie theater, The Raven, began to sell alcohol, even though it was in wine country so selling wine made sense.

This week we visited one of the Alamo Drafthouse theaters in San Antonio, Texas. They offer dozens of local and imported draft and canned beers, mixed cocktails, and wine.

In the past, they've offered signature wines with movie themes such as "The Battle of the Wits" line to honor The Princess Bride in 2012 and The Silence of the Lambs Chianti and Pinot Grigio in 2013.

You can order from the bar and drink in the lobby or order from your theater seat. Quite the moviegoing experience.

 (We wrote more about the theater in our movie blog.)

Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 and IMAX
“It’s not the worst thing spilled on our bar,” one of the servers said about the drink that didn’t stay in the cup. “I’ve had a lot of popcorn there, and we don’t even sell it [at the bar].”

I wasn’t sure if she was slamming popcorn, but I’ll admit damp popcorn is not a pleasant thing, and it’s certainly messy to clean up. You expect to find popcorn at a movie theater, of course, but why can’t there be cocktails, too? We went to the bar in a Regal Cinema (Fresno’s a Regal Cinemas town, so we can’t maintain our former prejudices against the chain).

We’re all aware we live in a deeply divided nation. Everyone seems to need to choose one side or the other, and people often treat those on the opposing side with spite and derision. I try to stay away from polarizing topics in this blog, but I guess I need to be open about where I’m coming from.

In the contest between DC and Marvel, my family has been on the side of Spidey and Wolverine. I’m proud to say, “Make mine Marvel!” We take every opportunity to see a Stan Lee cameo, so we went to see Black Panther on the eve of the official opening. Our son Bret, who came with us, graciously agreed to guard our theater seats (they’re not assigned at the Edwards 22) while we went to the bar.

Sarah, our bartender, asked to see our IDs (always flattering) and strapped on our wristbands. “We’re new, so we need to stick by the rules,” she said. Law enforcement and ABC regulators apparently keep a watchful eye.

I overheard another bartender tell a patron, “The camera is always watching.” With the wristband, you have a three drink limit, one drink at a time. You can’t order a drink for anyone else, but you can take a drink to the theater, so…remember, the camera is always watching.

The lighted menu above the bar was helpful for an overview of the drinks available, but it changed pretty fast, so we asked for one we could hold. I ordered Vanilla Whiskey and Coke; I knew I’d made the right choice when the bartender asked, “Do you want the whipped cream and caramel on top?”

Mindy ordered a Sweet and Smoky Old Fashioned. The bartender said she liked it, and also mentioned that it was one of the few drinks that couldn't be made by the Smartender, an automated cocktail dispenser. Instead, the bartenders put the drink together from scratch. "Handcrafted with love," Mindy said.

Sarah, one of the three bartenders working during the pre-movie rush, said people were “so happy to have a bar here.” (I can imagine the relief of parents dragged to, say, The Emoji Movie, to know they could order a drink. Or two. Or three. No more. Those are the rules.)

Two other couples came to the bar to order before their movie. The guys were ordering, I believe, rum and cokes. Both men said, “I prefer less coke.” One of the women asked about our cocktails. After we told her, I asked what movie she was seeing. I wasn’t surprised to find that her group was going to see Black Panther as well. (The film will probably take in over $200 million over the three day opening weekend, so the six of us at the bar were definitely not alone. Turns out their kids were saving their theater seats, too, so there’s something else we had in common).

When we asked if she would be willing to answer our bar questions (“What makes for a good bar?” and “What makes for a good church?”), Brandy (quite the appropriate bar name) agreed. She said it was “definitely the bartenders” that made a good bar, and we all agreed that the women tending bar at the Edwards 22 were doing a fine job. “And the options,” Brandy added.

She said a good church relied on “the leading pastor. And a diverse community. A nonjudging church.” She answered our questions thoughtfully, but also quite quickly and succinctly, because she -- like us -- had a movie to get to.

We also had an opportunity to ask Tori, one of the bartenders, our questions. She said a good bar relied on the atmosphere, as well as good drinks. I asked what made a movie theater bar different.

She said a regular bar was more laid back. If it took ten or fifteen minutes to get a drink, that was fine. In this bar, drinks had to be served very quickly because people needed to get to their show. As for a church, she said, “Atmosphere, that’s my thing. Friendly and open, not judgmental.”

During the movie, T’Challa drank a beverage that gave him superpowers. Another drink took those powers away. Neither of those drinks was on the menu of the bar at the Regal, but the cocktails we ordered were tasty and served with alacrity -- which was super enough.

2016 Revisited: A bar in Texas that's not what it seems

When our Texas friends told us The Barber Shop should be our bar for the week, we were confused. Turns out, a lot of other people were too, but it didn't seem to stop anybody from going to this local hangout. This was a night of bar firsts: the first time we saw a dog in a bar, the first time we saw a kid in a bar, first time we hung out with the smokers, and best of all, first time we went to a bar with friends during our 2016 trip through the country. This bar even made it into Cheers and Amen, the book about our adventure. 

We thought you'd like to read about it. This was originally posted January 23, 2016

The Barber Shop, Dripping Springs, Texas

Before the trip began, when we told friends we'd be going to a church and a bar in every state, someone told us, "In Texas you'll see the same people in church Sunday morning as you saw in the bar Saturday night." Turns out that was quite the accurate prediction, since Dan and Julie Poirier, the folks we're staying with, recommended both this week's bar and this week's church and are joining us for both.

The Barber Shop got its name because that's what it was for 25 years. Before that it was a garage and gas station, but now it is a brewpub -- and quite a popular one at that. When we arrived on Thursday evening the spaces nearby were filled up ("Some of the hardest parking ever," said a local. I have seen harder, but San Francisco and Chicago are very different places.)

Mindy and I heard a great many opinions being expressed by a group of guys outside the bar, having a good time amongst themselves. When one of them walked out toward the street and a car whizzed by, they loudly let their displeasure be heard.

"Speed limit's 25 miles per hour, dude!"

"It should be ten."

"They should patrol more here on Mercer. They don't need to in other places."

The Barber Shop is a popular local hangout. The Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce named it best business a couple of years ago; it has wonderful kitschy decorations, from the barber pole in the front to the glowing Budweiser Texas light in the back, with deer heads in between. I enjoyed watching people's struggles with the front door, which has a knob that demanded just the right amount of pressure before pushing to open. A favorite running gag for the bar is a chalkboard noting the number of people who come actually hoping to have their hair cut.

Many bars claim to be welcoming to all, but here that "all" seemed to really mean all. We saw a couple of children in the bar (which is apparently okay as far as local law was concerned) and dogs were made welcome as well.

Mixed drinks and wine weren't to be seen on the menu, but Mindy and I tried the ciders. (Mindy enjoyed my choice of Strongbow Gold Apple over her Austin Eastsider Original. Don't tell anyone, but mine came from New York.)

We did have our two questions to ask, and we figured a good place to start would be with the group of far from shy guys outside in the porch area in front of the bar. They quite amiably let us interrupt their conversation.

So we asked, "What makes for a good bar?"

One guy's answer was simple, "Cold beer."

Jackson answered, "Depends. Are you looking for a party bar or an after work bar? This is a good after work bar."

Another guy in the group, Kyle, said, "Good company. I came here because I knew I'd see people I'd want to hang out with. I didn't know the exact people that would be here, but I knew there would be people I'd like to be with."

Our second question, "What makes for a good church?" was met with a quick response as well. In fact, some of the guys started their own conversations about religious and spiritual issues.

Brian said, "I'd look for some small, out of the way church in the middle of nowhere, because they'll be a tight-knit group and that'll make you feel at home."

Jackson agreed with that and said, "I like the cowboy churches where you sing and pray and then you might get something to eat. They don't judge you like the Baptist or Catholic churches."

I talked for a little while with Kyle, who told me a bit about his religious background and upbringing, "When I was a kid I went to a lot of different places, Mormon and Catholic, because I moved and was with Child Protective Services. So one time when I was 15 I was in a group and they were going around the circle and asking who wanted to go on a mission trip, and everyone said 'Yes' but I said 'No' because I was finally with my father and mother again, and they were working things out. So I felt really alienated out. I think a church should be good people coming together who don't want to be negative."

He talked about how church shouldn't be about rules, and I agreed with him, suggesting church should be about relationships: with God through Jesus Christ and with each other.

About that time, Mindy went inside to find that our friends Julie and Dan were already there. We joined them and had a good time talking. Then Julie and Mindy proved again their generous and gracious nature by letting Dan and I stay to talk while they went home to work on dinner. As Dan and I talked, I noticed the bartender doing a great job of cleaning up glasses and cans while also taking care of what was at times a long line of customers.

When she seemed to have a moment free, I introduced myself to Alisha the bartender. She seemed amused by our quest of a bar and a church in every state and cheerfully answered my questions between drink orders. In response to what makes for a good bar, she said, "A good bar should make you feel at home. I know the name of most everyone who comes in here, and I know what they drink, so I'll have it waiting for them. Oh, and beer. We have a lot of choices in good beers."

As for what makes for a good church, she said, "What would make me want to go to church? That's a hard one. Maybe if it was open minded and let you share your thoughts and feelings without being judged. I lived in Utah with the Mormons and New Mexico with the Catholics, and I've been with Baptists. If you'd convert to be like them they'd be all over that. But I wanted them just to accept me for me." I could be wrong, but I think Alisha was saying she would be interested in a church that welcomed people with the same grace and friendliness she showed people who came into the Barber Shop.