Papi, our son Petie, and I had lunch today at Blanco Cafe in San Antonio — and I can’t stop thinking about the man who started it.
His name was Alejandro F. San Miguel. In September of 1974, he opened a little restaurant at 1720 Blanco Road. And here’s the part that stopped me cold: at the time, he was working three jobs. He delivered newspapers before the sun came up, worked at the Labatt brewery during the day, and clerked at the Guadalupana Pharmacy at night.
Why? To give a little more to his wife Elida and their ten children. Ten. I raised my eyebrows so high they nearly left my forehead.
And he didn’t quit those jobs the day the restaurant opened, either. He kept that grueling schedule for a whole year — running the cafe on top of everything else — because that’s what it took.
Sitting there with my boys, eating enchiladas at a place that’s now a San Antonio institution — voted best enchiladas in town, fifty-plus years later — I kept thinking about Mr. San Miguel rolling out of bed at 3 a.m. to throw newspapers. Every plate that comes out of that kitchen is standing on his shoulders.
The enchiladas lived up to the reputation, by the way. Petie cleaned his plate, Papi ordered like a man with no regrets, and I sat there doing the thing I do — watching my family laugh across a table and feeling rich in the way that actually counts.
Bloom where you are planted. Mr. San Miguel planted himself on Blanco Road in 1974 and grew something that’s still feeding families today. — Dinky
Hello, my name is Dinky. This is a name given to me in my first marriage. It is my grandma name. A few other selected individuals address me as such. I am a onetime divorced, one-time widowed single woman trying to discover the real me. I will take you on my journey. Read if you are interested.
I feel that I am a hard knock educated person. I have been a working mother, a stay-at-home wife, a Christian, a caretaker, and a retired woman. I am always seeking wisdom on how to improve as a person and hopefully I can share as I learn more.
I have many interests. I enjoy cooking because I enjoy eating. I am not a great cook but am eager to try new recipes. I will share these with you. I have a degree in business management and a certification in food science. I have worked man years in the food manufacturing industry.
I also have a small farm. I have some cows, a donkey, some wild horses a bull and two dogs. I would like to explore more homesteading techniques and become self-sustained. Maybe we can learn together. I encourage your input and ideas.
I have spent many years learning how to make quilts. This is another hobby I would like to get back into. I am always up to learn new crafts and explore new projects.
I am really big on goal setting and finding ways to make my life simpler. I will take you through some of my ideas on that progress.
Lastly, but biggest on my list is that I am a Christian in continual growth mode. I will never be all that I should, and I will never judge people in regard to their own journey. I am always open for discussion on this topic.
If you find my talks interesting, feel free to follow me. If I say or write anything offensive feel free to call me out. I am up for improvement and self-growth.
Welcome to learning about me and helping me in my self-discovery.
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