SAN ANTONIO – Today at 10:30 a.m., spooky sips, gray hair done right and a bakery in its 62nd year.
EL RODEO AT ALAMO RANCH SPOOKY SIPS
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Halloween week got started with a trip to El Rodeo at Alamo Ranch, at 11282 Culebra Rd. in San Antonio, where the bar team walked through its seasonal cocktail lineup. The Haunted Tower is the big one: four flavors in a single tower, including blue citrus, wild berry, passion fruit and green apple, with a black salt rim and heavy decoration. The Butterfly drink uses much the same flavor idea in a different presentation. The bartender’s own pick was the zombie soft serve, a green apple and grape build topped with a shot of house vodka and citrus fruits, finished with edible fake eyes. The drink menu changes every month, so the Halloween set is temporary.
GRAY BLENDING AT THE REAL HER SALON
A stylist from The Real Her Salon made the case that embracing gray does not have to mean going silver all at once, or giving up being a brunette. Gray blending is a customized technique that enhances natural grays with strategically placed highlights and lowlights instead of covering them. Three models showed what that looks like in practice: natural curls with soft highlights placed to work with the gray and no harsh line of demarcation, a brunette kept dimensional with mostly lowlights that mimic her natural pepper, and a transformation client who had been doing all-over root color for years and is now running on highlights and lowlights alone, no root color at all. The on-screen pro tip summed up the whole segment: you don’t need to go lighter to blend your gray hair. Appointment intervals ranged from six to eight weeks to about every two and a half to three months, depending on the client. The salon offers in-person consultations, and the stylist pointed viewers to therealhersalon.com.
NADLER’S BAKERY AND DELICATESSEN FALL SWEETS
The studio table was buried in fall baking from Nadler’s Bakery & Delicatessen, 1621 Babcock Rd. in San Antonio, a shop now in its 62nd year of operation after opening in 1963. Pumpkin pies are already in the cases and selling fast. Also on display: pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, pumpkin muffins, eclairs filled with pumpkin, and a gingerbread house trimmed with working lights. The cupcake lineup drew the most reaction, particularly maple bacon, hazelnut and chocolate, and a carrot cake with pumpkin filling, cream cheese and caramel. With Halloween landing on a Saturday, the bakery has pre-decorated fall and Halloween cookies plus decorating kits to keep kids busy at a party. The owner also revived an old tradition: small breads shaped as bagels, figure eights and croissants, dried and shellacked into ornaments, sold in sets of four, nine and twelve. Re-shellac them when they lose their gloss and they last.
CRATE AND BARREL FALL HOME TIPS
Crate and Barrel has opened its first San Antonio store at The Shops at La Cantera, and the segment turned that into three low-effort fall tips. Swap bright blooms for faux and dried botanicals in warm tones. Layer in one chunky throw and an earthy pillow. Set a simple fall table with neutral dinnerware, a low dried centerpiece and candlelight. The store also has an on-site botanical shop with floral styling, a free design desk, and help with floor plans, vanities and entertaining gear.
MERLIN DIRECT PRIMARY CARE
This segment was sponsored by Merlin Direct Primary Care, where a physician explained how a membership model differs from traditional fee-for-service care. Patients pay the clinic directly and get a direct line to the doctor by text, voicemail and phone between visits. With only four people on staff, there is no phone tree: a human answers, and the patient panel is kept small enough that same-day or next-day appointments are the norm. Membership runs $150 a month or $1,650 a year, which works out to a free month, and covers all of the physician’s services with no additional co-pays. It also includes access to discounted labs, imaging and specialty services such as surgery centers. The clinic is currently offering one month free with an annual membership and is booking free meet-and-greets at (210) 201-6777. Merlin Direct Primary Care is located at 7978 Broadway, and more information is at merlindpc.com.
