SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- My base camp for San Antonio was Hotel Emma, which opened last November in the Pearl District, about a mile north of downtown.
The hotel building was originally Pearl's Brewhouse, built in 1894 and a San Antonio landmark ever since. It was designed by Chicago architect August Maritzen in the Second Empire style.
Hotel Emma.
Pearl was the only San Antonio brewery to survive Prohibition, thanks primarily to Emma Koehler's astute leadership during those lean years (she kept the brewery going by converting operations to dry cleaning to auto repair). The fortunes of the brewery rose and fell during the next six decades until it was closed down in 2001.
The library at Hotel Emma.
Today, Emma is a vibrant 146-room boutique hotel with a handsome bar and club rooms, an excellent restaurant and brewery, the city's best hotel gift shop, a gourmet grocery and public spaces reminiscent of fine old hotels in far-flung locales.
My favorite spot at Emma was the hotel library, which boasts an eclectic collection of books and texts and features an upper deck with a wraparound counter and stools.
It's here that I enjoyed coffee each morning along with an Emma tradition: a welcome La Babia Margarita -- a simple drink named after La Babia Hacienda in Coahuila, Mexico -- surrounded by books on brewing, travel, Turkish traditional art, Texas flora and fauna, Mexican folk art, Australian aboriginals, aviation, astronomy, philosophy, fishing, world history and more.
The welcome La Babia Margarita at Hotel Emma.
Although I didn't spend much time in my room, my "Classic Brewmasters" king on the third floor -- a few doors down from the outdoor pool -- was pretty sweet. For two nights, I enjoyed the king bed, my view of the front courtyard and fresh macarons delivered nightly from an on-site bakery.
Brewhouse king room at Emma.
The culinary scene at Emma is also a main draw. The in-house restaurant is called Supper, and it showcases Chef John Brand's take on South Texas farm to table.
I highly recommend getting a spot at the chef's counter, with a view into the open kitchen, and no matter what you order you won't be disappointed. The menu is approachable and offers several small plates that are perfect for sharing. It's no wonder this is one of the hottest tables in SA.
The newly opened Southerleigh Brewing Company is another solid option at Emma. Along with typical brewery fare, the friendly bartenders at Southerleigh serve up an impressive list of draught beers including Texas Uncommon IPA, Downtown Mrs. Brown and the sake-infused Godzilla Go Ale.
Emma sits on a bend of the San Antonio, technically part of the city's famed river walk but far from the touristy hordes downtown. I enjoyed getting to know this South Texas city for the first time, and Emma was a big part of my experience. I lost track of time lounging in the lobby, surrounded by 19th-century machinery, piping and levers.
As a neoyorquino constantly rushing from place to place, losing track of a little time in Texas wasn't such a bad thing.