I never understood the difference between good Thai food and bad Thai food until I ate here. This place has got to have the best Thai food I've ever eaten. Until I ate here, I hated Thai food... but I'm willing to try anything twice. Mon Thai has a beautiful venue and a very relaxed, casual atmosphere. A perfect spot for a business lunch, especially if you have a client to impress. I've found that a Thai iced coffee (condensed milk and espresso? wild!) with some mildly spicy chicken pad thai is the best way to take your mind off work for an hour. This place is great.

For those who participate in the goth/industrial scene, club Atomix has grown into a respectable venue. The same building has played host over the years to a number of different nightclubs, but Atomix has managed to stick around for quite some time now. The current incarnation of the venue began with several friends who were fed up with the politics and drama typically found at San Antonio's other goth club, several blocks over. The crowd here is much more well behaved, probably due to the fact that Atomix doesn't cater as much to the live band scene. In addition, Atomix is also the preferred venue for several of some of my favorite local DJs.

Martha's makes the best mexican chicken and rice soup EVAR, and some of the best bean and cheese taco, as well. Every other mexican restaurant makes their soup with half a chicken and half a cabbage tossed whole into some broth. This is food you can taste instead of just another plate of beans/rice/meat with the flavor of salted cardboard. For those in the medical center area, there IS no better mexican cafe in San Antonio. Even the simple fare that I tend to order is superior. I still stop by here whenever I pass through town, if only to pick up something for the road.

If you have never smoked a shisha, you should. The first time that I ever smoked out of a hookah was at Shisha Cafe. Of course, they fill it with a selection of flavored tobacco instead of exotic herbs, but the experience is unique. The cafe opens out onto the lawn beside it, populated with tables each hosting a large hookah smoking away beside it. They offer both single and double stemmed hookahs, in case you bring a few friends. They also serve some indian food and various coffees as refreshments. Even if you are already familiar with the hookah experience, do yourself a favor and go try a cappucino flavored hookah with a milk fill (instead of the usual water): the resulting flavor can only be described as smoking a bowl of cocoa puffs.

No matter where you end up living in south Texas, you eventually find a favorite local tex-mex restaurant; that's just the way it is. There is a Jalisco's on every third corner of San Antonio, but Molina Rojo was always my eastside favorite. Every strand of hispanic culture seems to have it's own way of making chilaquiles, but Molina Rojo has some of the best, using a spicy red sauce to cover the dish. I also discovered that the secret to their great coffee is that they use columbian supremo instead of some cheap blended roast.

This is a fine bar with a casual atmosphere and INCREDIBLY robust beer menu (over 200 different ones to choose from), if that's your taste and times being what they are. However, do not be deceived: everyone goes here because the waitresses have to wear catholic school girl outfits as their uniform. The outside patio is where everyone ends up congregating since there are always a few smokers in the group. The Saucer even features a UFO Club who's BeerKnurd members get magnetic cards to swipe at the bar to receive printouts of their two selected beers for the day. After consuming 200 through this process (takes about 4 months, if you go EVERY DAY) you get your name added to a wall plaque and enough of a free tab at the bar to treat all of your friends to a round or two in celebration.

This club is another venue that has remained the same over the years, despite several name changes. Home to much of the local area goth/industrial population, this is the club that most of the scene checks to see who else is around on any given night. This is the see-and-be-scene (such as it is) of San Antonio nightlife, with all of the attendant drama. Sanctuary is a great place to meet people, and the size of the venue allows for frequent live performances by less mainstream bands.

I was quite surprised to find out that this little restaurant also carries hookahs, so that you can enjoy a little after dinner smoke. They have bellydancers from time to time, and the venue has a very authentic mediteranian feel about it, with all of the pictures, posters and memorabilia from Greece. The owner must have come from there too, with his charming accent and fussy demeanor.

This is another spot to get hooked up with a hookah. Periodically, you can catch a troupe of bellydancers that performs here. We found ourselves visiting here more and more frequently as a place to recover from the workday without having to be subjected to the bar scene. The menu features a range of turkish/indian dishes as well as a full bar. The free WiFi makes it possible to work, providing a great place to relocate your desk for the afternoon.

Most grocery stores carry what you need, but Central Market carries what you WANT. This is where you go to get your more exotic groceries. The place is huge and full of gourmet. Some people disdain the way that the establishment caters more towards the upper-class, with associated pricing to discourage anyone too cheap to pay for both the quality and the atmosphere. This is a professional grocery store that makes the rest all look ghetto in comparison. If you are tired of having to rub elbows with welfare moms who can't speak any english just to restock your soy milk and granola, Central Market is the place to go.

After clubbing until 2am, everyone is ready for something to eat, and Mr. Taco is where we go. This was where I was first introduced to chilaquiles taquitos. It isn't very often that you can find chilaquiles that get served in tortillas like a taco, but it's how I learned to love them! Due to it's location close to downtown, Mr. Taco is a popular spot for everyone else that just left the club too, so there is usually an interesting mix of people. Just avoid the karaoke in the back; it causes seizures.

This was the first theater that I ever went to where you can order a beer. And I don't mean just like in no paper cup, I'm talking about a glass of beer. They have a full menu, not just popcorn and soda. I find myself frequently ordering an asian chicken salad with a latte and a bottle of mineral water. You just jot down your order on one of the provided scraps of paper and waitstaff dash through during the flick to grab it and return several minutes later with your drink. And, of course, there is always that famous Drafthouse policy of not allowing infants unless it's Tuesday and requiring kids under the age of 18 to be accompanied by an adult, REGARDLESS of the movie's rating. You don't have to suffer through the squalling cacophony of children from shitty parents who don't believe in duct-tape. And you don't have to feel like a child yourself just because you still think it's cool to watch cartoons; let crotchspawn go catch their toons somewhere else.

This venue is the de facto location for much of San Antonio's subculture. From fetish shows to poetry slam to live rockabilly bands, this spot has seen it all. Whether you want to get your own freak on or go watch everyone else get theirs, Sam's is a great spot for it. Definitely not for the pedestrian crowd ("this is... weird.")