La Hacienda de Los Barrios

Saturday John and Erica treated us to an early Mother's Day dinner because we'll be leaving here on Thursday. We went to La Hacienda de Los Barrios. It was founded and operated by Viola Barrios who was forced to open a restaurant when her husband was killed in a car accident in 1979 and left her with 3 young children to raise. Cooking is what she knew how to do. Knowing we were coming to San Antonio I have wanted to go to this restaurant ever since I saw the Food Network's Throwdown With Bobby Flay. It's a competition where Bobby Flay challenges local cooks with their specialties. Viola's daughter Diana competed with her puffy tacos. Viola was very particular about how tortillas are made and she didn't like the way Bobby and his staff were making them so she took over even though they were competing against Diana. Too funny. What isn't funny is that Viola was murdered last week by an eighteen year old next door neighbor with a bow and arrow. He then took her credit card and car and went on a mini shopping spree. He bought hair gel and a computer. He then went back to her house because he wasn't sure if she was dead so he set the house on fire. If this story isn't bizarre enough now the children of Viola are paying for this kid's defense so that he won't get the death penalty. They said, "That's what our mother would want." As Rod said, "They are much better people than I am." I agree, I couldn't forgive something like that.



John and Erica at Los Barrios



Yesterday John came over on his way home from work. I'm made macaroni and cheese and kielbasa. I have really gotten into putting bbq sauce on sausage since we've been here in Texas so I put it on the kielbasa too. It was pretty darn good.