Mark L. Van Name's Blog, page 8

Of San Antonio barbecue and World Fantasy Con

San Antonio's barbecue scene has redeemed itself, thanks to a very good lunch at 2M Smokehouse.

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I had to go late to lunch due to work, so they were already out of almost everything, but we were able to snag some brisket and some pulled pork.


The brisket was moist and rich and flavorful--everything it should be, and way better than anything I've encountered back home.  It restored my faith in local brisket.  The pulled pork was also quite good, though the better barbecue joints back home can best it.

Overall, I left lunch full and happy to have had good brisket again.

I arrived here in San Antonio on Wednesday for the World Fantasy Convention, but you may have noticed that I've barely mentioned the con.  That's because aside from a quick tour of the art show, a fifteen-minute pass through the dealers' room, and a dinner with folks from my publisher, Baen Books, I haven't really been able to attend the con.  Work has kept me pinned to my room except for meals.

The same was largely true today, but I did manage to get out and participate in a longstanding WFC tradition, the Friday night giant autograph session.  In these gatherings, every author or artist present grabs a name tag, picks a spot at a table, plops onto a chair, and hopes people bring them books and other items to autograph.


This shot shows only one angle on the room, which for the fifty minutes I stayed was crowded and full of folks chatting, visiting, and getting books signed.  A few folks even brought me books to autograph, for which I was grateful.  I've been the person at the table whom no one visits, so having anyone bring by books is a treat.

Tomorrow, I have my only panel.

Searching for good barbecue in San Antonio

I used to tell folks back home that the worst bite of barbecue brisket I've tasted in Texas was better than the best bite I've eaten back home.

After a day and a half in San Antonio, I've learned I was wrong. 

It's still true that the worst bite of barbecue brisket I've tasted in Austin was better than the best bite I've eaten back home, but the magic might be available only in Austin. 

I've now eaten at two San Antonio barbecue joints--the highly rated The Granary and one of the local chain Bill Miller BBQ joints--and the brisket at both was thin and not well seasoned and basically on par with the best of what I can get back home.  Which is to say, not very good. 

I'm going to keep trying to find good brisket here, but this is not a very promising start. 

Wandering with the dead in San Antonio

After dinner tonight, we wandered the lovely Pearl area of San Antonio.  Day of the Dead festivities were in full swing, and multiple brightly colored altars glowed in the night. 

This sight stood near the entrance to the area. 

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This altar by artist Regina Moya was one of my favorites.


It celebrated the life of Emma Tenayuca, a labor organizer. 

I found all of the altars moving, as each reminded me of people I've known and cared about who have died.

Though it may sound morose, the walk was more touching and humbling than upsetting, a lovely stroll on a warm night through warmer memories. 

San Antonio, Austin, Norfolk, and Cincinnati

What do all these cities have in common?  I'll be visiting them before November is half over.

I'm tired just thinking about all the travel.  Worse, I have to get up before seven to start this trek, and I haven't even started packing.

Better get to it.

You can now pre-order an anthology with a story of mine in it

I mentioned the story, "Another Solution," in
Amazon has it, but I bet you can also pre-order it from your local independent bookstore. 

I've read David Drake's story and mine, and those two alone are worth your investment.  (Of course, I would say that.) 

Check it out.

A little over five years ago

my sister, Liza, sent me this paperweight, which Mom had kept by her computer in home after home. 

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I wrote
Over the intervening time, this half dome slid a bit behind the keyboard, so I rarely notice it. 

Today, as I was working at home, Greg Holden's "Lost Boy" began playing just as I grabbed a notebook and bumped the paperweight into view.

I found myself once again lost in staring at this little boy I cannot remember.  I hate having no memories before age ten, that I cannot recall this boy or the life he led, that in less than five years he would have been in a dozen fights and was being beaten daily and was puking on the ground while a Marine ground his boot into that kid's face.

If you wonder why I write so much about child abuse and victims of abuse of all kinds, stare at that kid and think about what abuse took from him. 

Took from me. 

My Saturday night movie double feature

The new 4K remastered version of one of my favorite SF films, The Fifth Element. 

Then, the relatively new American Blu-Ray anniversary release of another fave of mine, Streets of Fire. 

I can tell you the many flaws of each, but I love them both.

Home again

And mighty happy to be here. 

Both flights unrolled in fine fashion, and I even got to enjoy an upgrade for the five-hour trip from PDX to CLT, but I am way past ready to sleep in my own bed for a few nights. 

Many times during this trip, a song would play in the background, and I would flash back to where I was and who I was when I first heard that song.  I love that music can do that to me, though I'm not usually in the mood to let it.  For whatever reason, this past week, I was, and the background music of my days was all the more enjoyable for these time traveling moments. 

Another reason I love Le Pigeon

Chef Gabriel Rucker and the Le Pigeon team hold a special Halloween dinner each year.  I've read about them in the past, but earlier tonight I was able to attend this year's special meal.  Its theme was to spoof a certain spike-haired food TV personality. 

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The menu looked both appropriate to the theme and intriguing. 


Every single dish was delicious.  I'd be hard-pressed to pick a single favorite, but I did absolutely love the small cup of brisket chili,


the foie gras eggroll dish,


and the General Tsao-Kung Pao shortrib.


Heck, I truly enjoyed every course. 

As I've said many times, if you live in Portland or just visit here, you need to make Le Pigeon a regular stop on your food journey.  Rucker's inventiveness and gift for combining ingredients in unusual and unexpected ways is second to none. 

When you're in Portland, eat at Willow

If you live here and haven't eaten at Willow, what are you waiting for?  Make a reservation now, and enjoy one of Portland's smallest and finest restaurants.  If you're visiting or planning to visit the area, be sure to set aside a few hours one evening for a meal there.

Chefs and owners Doug Weiler, who mostly stays in the kitchen cooking, and John Pickett, who emcees your meal, do everything at Willow.  They hustle every second you're there--and most certainly for hours beforehand.  They create and cook the food, clean the dishes, serve the food and drinks, and literally do everything else. 

The experience is intimate and interesting, but most importantly, the food is delicious.  Earlier tonight, a group of five us from PT enjoyed dinner at Willow, and every dish wowed us.  Every single bite I had was a treat--and one of the dishes featured squash, an ingredient I generally dislike.

I hope to eat many more dinners at Willow, so I encourage everyone here or visiting here to support Doug and John.  Eat at Willow, and when John greets you as you come up the stairs, tell him I sent you.