SAN ANTONIO
River Whey Creamery Celebrates 10 Years of Cheesemaking
If you love cheese as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to treat your tastebuds to some of the delectable products from River Whey Creamery, a company which has clearly stood the test of time. During a recent tour of the creamery, the accomplished owner and founder, Susan Rigg, shared her knowledge and expertise about the five aged cheeses she and her team produce. Caldera España is a Spanish-style manchego cheese, smoked with pecan wood and crafted from sheep’s milk. Indigo Ridge is a gouda-style cheese with a “gruyère flair” that is aged for 12 months. It has earned the highly desirable certification as an “American Original” from the American Cheese Society. Keystone is made from raw cow’s milk and aged for four months, which Rigg says is “the cornerstone of what we do.” The Welshman is a scrumptious tribute to Rigg’s family heritage, which is inspired by Caerphilly, a cave-aged Welsh cheese. And, finally, Whey Blue is a raw milk blue cheese, aged 60 to 90 days, and made in the style of creamy French blue cheeses. Most of the cheeses from River Whey Creamery are made from premium quality cow’s milk procured from third generation 4E Dairy Farms in Moulton, Texas. “We make the eighty-seven miles round trip from here twice a week, and we buy about four hundred gallons of milk per week,” says Rigg. River Whey cheeses are sold online as well as to hotels, restaurants and wineries, and are available at Whole Foods Markets and about 10 Central Market stores across Texas. Keep an eye out for upcoming specials in honor of the company’s 10th anniversary this October. Tours of the creamery and cheesemaking classes are also available. For more info, visit riverwheycreamery.com, and use the coupon code 10YEARS to receive discounts on their website.
JD's Chili Parlor Introduces Its First-Ever Texas Pasta Sauces
Chili heads unite! If you enjoy a great bowl of chili, you probably already know that locally-produced JD’s Chili Parlor’s Chili Fixin’s are a must. Since their humble beginnings in 2016 selling their first few batches at the New Braunfels Farmers Market, Diana and John Anderson have been tantalizing Texan’s palates with an array of mouthwatering, high-quality products. After introducing a full line of enticing items such as their unique Chili Mary mixers, which come in a variety of flavors such as Honey Hot Habanero and Sea Salt Lime, well deserved accolades came pouring in. First, they were a finalist in H-E-B’s 2019 Quest for Texas Best competition. Most recently, they won in three categories at the international Fiery Foods competition, including for best chili, with their Fixin’s called Date the Reaper.
Now, JD’s Chili Parlor aims to keep mouths salivating with the introduction of chilified pasta sauces. These Texas pasta sauces happen to be the first of their kind, not only in Texas, but in the world and come in three unforgettable flavors: Traditional Tomato Basil, Mushroom Merlot and Arrabbiata (made with yellow bell, habanero and hatch peppers).
"We call them Texas pasta sauces because they're made with a 'whisper of chili,' which is really what we're known for," says Diana, who has been crowned a modern day chili queen of Texas. "I've been working on these pasta sauces for years and am so excited for people to finally try them.”
Chili is such a seasonal dish, but who doesn't love pasta any day of the year?
You can find the new pasta sauces on shelves at Central Market or online at jdschiliparlor.com.
Ultra Fresh Alaskan Fish Right Here in Texas
“If you want fresher fish, you’ll have to go to Alaska and catch it yourself!” That’s what you’ll hear when speaking with Sarah and Nathanael Ferguson, owners of Savory Alaska, which they started together in August 2018. “I grew up on a commercial fishing boat in southeastern Alaska,” shares Nathanael. “It was a family business. We caught cod, halibut and salmon.”
The couple, which is now based in Texas, sell all five species of Alaskan salmon: coho, keta, king, pink and sockeye. "We also offer black cod (sablefish), black and yellow eye rockfish and lingcod as well as spot prawns, weathervane scallops and bairdi and Dungeness crab when in season,” says Sarah.
All products from Savory Alaska are sourced from small businesses and fisheries in Alaska and are premium quality, hook-and-line wild caught (never farm-raised), then hand processed and flash frozen on the spot in small batches, one at a time by independent fishermen.
You can “catch” some of their seafood at The Pearl Farmers Market every other week. Orders can also be placed and more informative tidbits can be gleaned online at savoryalaska.com.
WORDS BY OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN (AKA OLIVIER THE WINE GUY)
Olivier J. Bourgoin has been a wine broker and consultant, as well as a freelance writer, who has been involved in these industries in and around the greater San Antonio area for more than 25 years. A native of France with family roots deep in the wine producting region of Burgundy, he is known as "Olivier the Wine Guy" and featured as such on a local weekly radio segment for 20 years.
Top Left: Photo by JD's Chili Parlor Bottom Left: Photo by River Whey
Photo by Savory Alaska
BAGEL BONANZA
Brandon McKelvey, who ran the Say.She.Ate food truck, and Travis Snell, a former sous chef at Battalion, are the brains behind Harvey's Bagel. Self-billed as the lone artisanal bagel company in San Antonio, Harvey's Bagel offers a variety of hand-rolled, hand-boiled, made-to-order bagels. Harvey’s Bagel was founded in the spring of 2023, the result of a highly popular pizza bagel pop-up — which led to another bagel pop-up and another. Soon, local businesses wanted to sell McKelvey and Snell’s bagels, so the duo committed to building the Harvey’s Bagel brand. The name Harvey is Snell and McKelvey’s tribute to McKelvey’s late grandfather, a renowned bagel enthusiast. At this time, there is no brick-and-mortar location. Instead, customers must order online before noon Friday for Saturday or Sunday pickup at one of Harvey’s designated pickup locations, which will be confirmed via direct message on the Harvey’s Bagel Instagram. Each custom order kicks off a 24-hour bagel production process, from fermentation to bagging. A customer may order one dozen or half a dozen and choose plain or toppings, which range from poppy or sesame seeds to the ever-popular everything. Harvey’s Bagel also produces their own dill caper cream cheese schmear. Diners can also snag Harvey’s Bagels while supplies last daily at Rose Hip Market and on Sundays at Beacon Hill Market & Deli. Learn more at harveysbagel.com.
CHEF KIRK WINS FOOD NETWORK’S SUPERMARKET STAKEOUT
Jesse Kuykendall, aka Chef Kirk, scored national exposure for San Antonio’s culinary community by winning on Food Network’s “Supermarket Stakeout.” Kuykendall, co-owner of Milpa and executive chef at Ocho, is the only San Antonio chef to bring home two Food Network wins. He first won on the popular competitive cooking show, “Chopped,” in 2021. Kuykendall continued those winning ways on an episode of “Supermarket Stakeout,” which aired shortly before the Fourth of July. In this episode, Kuykendall and three other chefs were asked to assemble a gourmet dish using groceries that they buy from shoppers at a local grocery store. Each contestant must budget wisely as they have only $500 to last them through the show, and ideally several dishes. By competition’s end, Kuykendall gave his last $100 to one man for a pack of tortillas in order to successfully craft a victorious dish of unctuous beef enchiladas. As a result, Kuykendall won a year’s worth of free groceries. Thanks for making San Antonio proud, chef!
BIG APPLE PIZZA TO DOWNTOWN
FatHead Pizza is one of the newest pizzerias in downtown San Antonio, having opened in April. FatHead is led by Joseph Gonzales and Dan Ward, who spent nearly 25 years guiding the growth of the Piatti Italian restaurants. The name of the game at FatHead Pizza is the New York City-style slices and whole pies crafted by chef Luis Ramirez. The 14-inch pizzas include traditional Big Apple flavors, but there are other varieties, such as a farmer’s market pie and wild mushroom pie. Diners can also build their own, or choose subs, salads, classic desserts, as well as a bevy of wines, beers and non-alcoholic drinks. Learn more at fatheadpizzasa.com
WHO’S READY FOR BUFFALO MILK ICE CREAM?
The Texas Hill Country town of Blanco is known for its breweries, distilleries, wineries, mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. But locals and tourists have spent the past three years warming up to something incredibly cool, creamy and absolutely delicious. OroBianco Italian Creamery is the first and only company in Texas to serve up grass-fed buffalo-milk gelato, which is handcrafted in small batches and includes other locally sourced ingredients, such as fresh fruit picked weekly from area
farms. And it’s not just Blanco. OroBianco can be found across the Hill Country, in creameries in Stonewall, Dripping Springs and Fredericksburg. The food menu, too, is evolving. This past spring, OroBianco in Stonewall launched a mini pizzeria with pies baked using a mix of Italian and locally-milled wheat. You can also now enjoy the gelato at the new Pullman Market at the Pearl (see story on page ). It’s a good thing ice cream is the perfect treat all year round! Learn more at orobiancomilk.com.
CHIPILOS ADDS TO MEXICAN OFFERINGS IN CENTRAL SA
In the spring, Chipilos Mexican Cuisine joined an array of fellow family-owned Mexican restaurants, food trucks and other culinary offerings on a near Northside stretch of West Avenue. According to its owners, Chipilos allows diners to experience a "true taste of Mexico.” The scrumptious menu features classic Mexican dishes such as tacos, enchiladas and burritos, all based on traditional recipes that reflect interior Mexican cuisine. There’s a plethora of tacos, including nopales, al pastor, barbacoa and egg a la Mexicana. Breakfast plates feature steak and egg, huevos rancheros and migas rancheras. Entrée plates include chicken flauta, chicken mole and beef fajita. There are also pancake plates, because who doesn’t love pancakes?! Leaern more at chipilosmexicancuisine.com.
GET EXTRA FINE IN SOUTHTOWN
Extra Fine, a popular Midtown creation of John and Jessica "Jess” Philpot, has lured fans of their fresh-baked goodies and coffee since their doors opened at the corner of East Mistletoe and McCullough Avenue in the Monte Vista area in 2020. But now, downtown residents can rejoice — Extra Fine just opened a second location in Southtown in the former My Juice Life spot on South Presa Street. Like the original, the new spot offers plenty of coffee and tea drinks, and the always enticing pastries, ranging from almond cake to lavender lemon cookies. You can also pop in for breakfast or lunch, for tasty treats such as quiche, ricotta and jam toast, kale and Swiss chard salad and chicken salad sandwiches. Extra Fine Southtown will also appeal to families with a kids’ menu that features a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich, not to mention a few grab-and-go choices.
Learn more at extrafinesa.com.
MING’S
REIGNS AT LA CANTERA
Ming’s, which started at the original farmers market at the Quarry over 10 years ago, has since grown ever more popular and, as such, expanded. In April, owner Ming Qian von Bargen launched a second Ming’s at La Cantera, satisfying fans craving her freshly steamed bao buns, an addiction many of us can relate to. Ming’s at La Cantera, like the original location, focuses on affordable, fresh and thoughtfully prepared Chinese and Asian street food favorites such as coconut curry, bulgogi rice bowl, chilled and hot noodle bowls, noodle soups and shareable plates, such as cauliflower wing bites and shiitake mushroom dumplings. The big difference at La Cantera is the full bar that offers a variety of signature cocktails, beers, sakes, kombucha and nonalcoholic beverages. Learn more mingsthing.com.
ROOSTER CROW FOCUSES ON JEWISH FARE
In 2022, Jenn Riesman, a well-known pastry chef lauded for her incredibly rich and unique flavors, over-the-top pastries and stunning cakes, opened Rooster Crow Bakery, a brick-and-mortar offering a variety of her fresh-made pastries and pies. But recently, Riesman has expanded her offerings to include deli-inspired delights and special weekly events. These additions include a hot turkey and ham sandwich on house-made focaccia, pimento cheese pasta salad, braided challah and matzo ball soup. Riesman says she’s excited to add traditional Jewish culinary offerings to the Rooster Crow menu. “Our new deli items and Challah Fridays are just the beginning of what we have planned,” she says. Learn more at roostercrowbakery.com.
A native San Antonian, Francisco Ortiz has been a local journalist for more than 25 years, having worked full time or freelanced for several area news publications. When he's not writing or editing, he enjoys hiking, reading, and watching or playing basketball.
FATHEAD PIZZA BRINGS
WORDS
FRANCISCO ORTIZ
Top Left: Photo by Chipilos
Top Middle: Extra Fine photo by Kimberly Suta Bottom Middle: Rooster Crow Bakery
Top Left: Photo by Kimberly Suta Middle: Chef Kirk photo by Grant Pifer
Top Right: Photo by Fathead Pizza Bottom Right: Photo by OroBianco
Ready to shake up your drink game and discover a new class level? Look no further than Sake, Japan’s iconic pour that’s perfect for today’s party scene. Whether you’re chilling at a sushi spot, hosting. or mixing up cocktails, sake’s complexity and smoothness make for the perfect addition to your lineup.
SAKE: THE ULTIMATE WINGMAN
Pair Sake with non-Japanese foods for a match made in Heaven.
SAKE AND CHEESE Match fruity Daiginjo with goat cheese, Junmai with Manchego, Kimoto with Emmental.
SAKE AND SEAFOOD Pour a glass of creamy Junmai to serve with oysters, Ginjo with lobster, and Daiginjo with caviar.
SAKE AND CHARCUTERIE Sakes perfectly complement the rich flavors of cured meats and Texas barbeque.
SAKE AND SPICY Sake smoothness tempers spicy Tex-Mex and Southern heat.
SAKE AND DESSERTS Sake’s sweetness complements fruit tarts and chocolate truffles.
EXPERIENCE THE SAKE REVOLUTION AT THE FOLLOWING HOUSTON RESTAURANTS
Sage 400 Sophisticated sushi house & lounge sage400.com
Oishii Japanese Innovative Japanese fusion eats with a cocktail program oishiihouston.com
Toukei Izakaya A vibrant and authentic Japanese restaurant, featuring izakaya dishes with a modern twist toukeiizakaya.com
Koi Contemporary sushi restaurant with wine, sake & craft cocktails koihouston.com
Kuu Artfully plated dishes complement the highdesign interior in this top Houston restaurant kuurestaurant.com
Uchiko Robust flavors with hints of smoke and char alongside the fresh and clean Japanese flavors uchiko.uchirestaurants.com
japan-food.jetro.go.jp/sake/us-s/
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
KIMBERLY SUTA
Suck It” isn’t just an insult anymore, it’s become something of a culinary empire, at least in San Antonio. What started out as a boba tea and hookah hotspot has evolved into a popular Asian eatery with four locations and counting.
If you’re on the Northside near University of Texas San Antonio, you might remember Suck It’s first location, which opened in 2010 and was sold in 2018.
“That’s why we called it Suck It, because of the boba tea,” said executive chef and owner, Vinh Hoang, who is a first generation Vietnamese American, born and raised in East Texas. He moved to San Antonio in 2002 to attend St. Mary’s University and fell in love with the Alamo City.
He learned to cook from his mother and through his travels, drawing inspiration from his annual trips to Vietnam.
“Anyone can be a chef if you have a passion for food. At one point, I would offer to work for free at any place [in Vietnam] that wowed us so I could help out and learn. One lady took advantage of it and made me do all the heavy stuff,” recalls Hoang.
In 2017, Hoang opened the second Suck It themed restaurant in the Medical Center with a menu that focuses more on fusion dishes, highlighting food that Hoang grew up eating in Texas, from ramen to Tex-Mex.
And then came Suck It Modern Asian Bistro on Commerce Street in St. Paul Square, which offers a modern twist on Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine. Here you’ll find sushi, from traditional rolls to my favorite shareable item on the menu, the Sushi Stack: bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, salmon, avocado, white truffle oil, sesame oil, sesame seeds and micro greens, served with melt-in-your-mouth crab chips that are woefully addictive.
They also offer a variety of ramens, including the divinely rich and satisfying Suck It O.G., which is made with a 36-hour pork and chicken bone broth that includes
chicken feet, so it’s packed with collagen.
To that they add seared pork belly, scallions, sweet corn, mushrooms, narutomaki and a ramen egg just for kicks.
Next door, you’ll find the newly opened Suck It Izakaya & Sushi, which is offering unique items like dry-aged fish to accompany their impressive collection of Japanese whiskeys.
“It takes seven to thirty days to dry most of the fish we serve and up to six months on some of the tunas. As for the Japanese whiskey, right now we have approximately 200 different kinds, the largest collection being served in Texas,” says Hoang.
Reservations are required on the weekends, when you can enjoy an omakase-style dinner, where the chef creates a unique one-on-one culinary experience for guests. It’s not something you can find at many restaurants in town, but when you do, you won’t soon forget it. Oh, and did I mention, they also offer a finger-lickin’-good Asianfried chicken, seasoned with phở spices?
“We marinate the chicken for two days in a brine made with all the herbs and spices used to make a phở, then dry it out and dust it with rice flour before we fry it, until it’s crispy and absolutely delicious. Eight pieces — a whole chicken — come in an order,” explains Hoang.
As if that isn’t enough, this past summer,
Hoang decided to partner up with Adrian and Camille De Los Reyes of Sari-Sari to open up Suck It Asian Fusion and Boba at the former Sari Sari location near Seaworld.
The menu here is a fusion of Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese, Tex-Mex and Texas cuisine, so it should be fair to say, there’s something for everyone.
“The goal here was to create more of a balance. Filipino food can be very heavy and so we wanted to give it some freshness,” says Hoang. “I really want each location to have its own unique menu and concept. They are not the same.”
When asked which dish his mom liked best, he says her favorite is the phở, which you won’t find at all locations on all days, but it’s worth the trouble to track it down. They offer a barbacoa phở at the Medical Center and Seaworld locations and a ribeye ph ở downtown (but on the weekends).
“She’s proud of me, but she gets on me sometimes and tells me, ‘This isn’t how you should make it,’ so I have to remind her it’s a fusion restaurant, a modern take on traditional dishes,” he shares.
So, what’s next? It looks like the Schertz area may be getting a Suck It of their own, but that may or may not be the end of the Suck It story. After Schertz, Hoang has his sights set on a new, heretofore unknown venture.
“I’m not trying to grow to the point where people have to wait three hours just to get a table. I just want to make food that I like personally and that people want to come eat on a regular basis. That’s all we’re really doing,” says Hoang.
Kimberly A. Suta is editor of Edible San Antonio, a filmmaker, food writer, event planner, culinary tour guide and has a media company called Homegrown Chef. She loves nothing more than sharing the phenomenal food, chefs and restaurants that San Antonio and Texas have to offer.
Award-Winning Wines. Awe-inspiring Views.
Founded in 1998, Driftwood Estate Winery a bluff overlooking our Estate Vineyard gorgeous Texas Hill Country from which enjoy our 100% Texas grown, award-winning
In 2023, we were honored with ten medals San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, medal for each wine entered. The medals Double Gold and 3 Best of Class! We also offer Craft Brewed new Driftwood Brewery.
As a veteran and family-owned-and-run business for the past we were the first commercial vineyard in Hays County. Whether marking a special occasion or taking a moment to enjoy life’s while taking in the view, our wines or beer are perfect for whatever got planned.
4001 Elder Hill Road Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 692-622 / DriftwoodWine.com info@driftwoodwine.com
What's In Season
SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS
This Fall
Fall is all about colors, all the reds, purples, and greens you can think of!
Orange hues in winter squashes such as butternut, spaghetti and cushaw but also in sweet fruits like persimmon
Beautiful shades of green in chards, mustards, kales, spinach and sweet potato greens
Year round mushrooms! Oysters, shitake, lion's mane pippino and many more
From the Gulf Brown Shrimp (from mid-July)
For more information on farmers markets, seasonal recipes and what’s in season, visit ediblesanantonio.com
French Onion Soup
Recipe and photos by Pauline Stevens
½ c. unsalted butter
2 T. olive oil
4 c. sliced onions
5 c. beef broth
1 t. dried thyme
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
4 slices French bread
4 slices provolone cheese
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Worcestershire sauce
Sprigs of fresh thyme
PREPARATION
Melt butter with olive oil in an 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add onions, cook until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions. Add beef broth, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Serve soup into bowls and place 1-3 slices of French bread on top of each. Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Broil bowls until cheese bubbles and browns slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully remove and add thyme and Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Beside her passion for photography, Pauline Stevens enjoys traveling and baking. She also visits every possible farmers market, even between frequent visits to NYC where her quadruplet sons live. Follow her store on IG @redbirdshouse.
Pumpkin Empanadas
Serves 4
1 12 oz. can of pumpkin puree
2 c. dark brown sugar
1 T. orange zest
1 T. butter
1 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. salt
1 T. sugar Puff pastry
1 egg mixture with 2 t. of water
Crystal sugar for decoration
PREPARATION
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, butter, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Cook, stirring well, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer pumpkin mixture to bowl; chill in refrigerator until cold. Heat oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry until thin and even. Cut 6” circles. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cooked pumpkin mixture into the middle of dough. Wet edges with beaten eggs; fold in half to form half-moon shape. Seal edges by pressing with fork; transfer to baking sheet. Brush tops of empanadas with beaten eggs; sprinkle with sugar crystal. Bake until empanadas are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
Farm to Fantastic
RESTAURANTS WHICH SOURCE FROM LOCAL FARMS
WORDS BY KIMBERLY SUTA
The chefs and restaurants that go above and beyond to source from local farms and ranches do so for a myriad of reasons, but generally, it’s because they care about the food they put on their plates and want it to be the best it can be.
E ating and buying local is about far more than the economic impact it has on the community, although that’s certainly a key factor. Without our independent restaurants, farms and ranches, we’d be living in a sea of homogenized franchises. But beyond that, it’s about flavor and freshness. It’s about our health. The moment produce is picked, it starts losing its freshness (measured in brix), which greatly impacts its nutritive value.
S ome local farms, like Green Bexar Farm, practice regenerative farming, which supports soil health, something that also affects the quality of the food we eat. Sadly, our soil has been so depleted by over farming and poor growing practices that experts forecast we may have only 30 more years left before it’s completely spent. This is perhaps the most important reason to support local farms and ranches who do care about their soil, their animals and the food they grow.
“ We started farming because we saw there was a lack of good organic produce. We’re a non-traditional farm,” says Cody Scott of Green Bexar Farm. “We have a ten-acre pecan orchard where we practice agroforestry. We have a microclimate where we get shade, which helps with the heat. We also have greenhouses and rotate our crops. The way we treat the soil and our environment is directly correlated with how we treat our bodies. What you put in the soil ends up in you.”
Green Bexar Farm, which also offers a CSA, sells directly to Pharm Table and Pullman Market as well as The Farm Connection, which is a local wholesaler that supplies numerous local restaurants. They are growing everything from lettuces and other greens (including their own in-house salad mix) to cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers like habanadas (a milder habanero pepper), which are a rare find.
Pharm Table, an apothecary kitchen and restaurant, which incorporates Ayurvedic practices, tops our list of restaurants dedicated to sourcing ingredients locally and providing guests with the freshest, healthiest meals possible. Its globally-inspired menu includes dishes such as salmon escabechado, masala corn chaat, braided wagyu short rib with roasted root vegetables and rutabaga puree. It even offers healthy desserts like a pecan almond shortcake.
“We are a mission-driven restaurant and our focus is on being
part of the solution to try and help heal people on the planet,” says Pharm Table chef and owner, Elizabeth Johnson. “People who are not cooking and sourcing this way aren’t thinking about the future. For me, it’s a non-negotiable. The only people that work harder than chefs are farmers, so we respect that and try to translate that to my team. We have a social responsibility to treat this product with the utmost care.”
Johnson procures the highest quality meat, produce and other products from numerous local and Texas farms including Pure Pastures (pork, beef and lamb), Garcia Street Urban Farm, Enchanted Garden, Cedar Ridge Egg Farm, and even the San Antonio Food Bank Farm at Mission San Juan. With the help of Stephen Lucke of Gardopia Gardens, Johnson even maintains a private garden that she grows for the restaurant.
Another restaurant known for their impeccable, locally-sourced ingredients is Supper, located inside Hotel Emma at The Historic Pearl. Chef Ned Elliott is now at the helm of Supper and its new focus on serving premium steaks sourced from Texas farm, Beeman Ranch. They source everything from sweet corn to peppers and melons from over a dozen Texas farms in total, such as J&B, Gundermann Arches and Engel Farms.
“We just like to cook with the seasons,” says Elliott. “The fall menu launches mid-October and will feature fresh produce like cabbages, hard squashes and beets. It’s one of the fun things for me … to try and bring in new items for our cooks to work with, even if we’ll only have it on the menu for two weeks. It just energizes everybody.”
Peaceful Pork is one of my favorite local ranches that sells both directly to the public (through Farm Connection and Pulp Coffee) as well as to restaurants like Sanchos, Southerleigh and Cured.
Peaceful Pork is a sixth generation ranch run by beloved owner, Loncito Cartwright. He produces a succulent variety of products, including ground pork, shoulder roasts, country-style ribs, breakfast sausage, chorizo, bacon, smoked ham and more.
“Everyone really loves him and Peaceful Pork. Loncito encourages chefs to use the best and teaches us how to use it. He also takes very good care of the animals. They’re raised very naturally and grass-fed in the open fields,” says chef and associate, Jessica Rivera, a self-titled meat lover.
While the list is thankfully too long to include everyone in detail (and hopefully there are many more out there), please also support Rebelle, which sources from Grandma’s Garden; Mon Ami, Whiskey Cake, WC and Southwest Elixirs (which source from Gardopia Gardens); The Vineyard near Natural Bridge Caverns (which sources from 529 Meats); and Cappy’s, which sources local produce.
Our passion at Edible SA is to support and promote local and it doesn’t get any better than this!
Left Page: Photo by Pharm Table
Right Page:
Top Left: Photo by Pharm Table
Middle Left: Photo by Peaceful Pork
Bottom Left: Photo by Pharm Table
Bottom Right: Photo by Pharm Table
Frederick's
THE ONLY THING THAT STAYS THE SAME HERE IS CHANGE
Calling Frederick Costa a lifer feels like an understatement. For the 70-year-old namesake of Frederick’s Bistro and Frederick’s Restaurant, some of his earliest memories involve his parents’ kitchens in the 1950s. After running a French restaurant in Vietnam (then Indochina), they ran a Vietnamese restaurant in France for decades. The family’s Paris kitchen, La Petite Tonkinoise, earned a Michelin star.
Costa has worked as everything from valet parker to busboy to chef, and everywhere from Basque Country to Washington, D.C. He’s helped serve bigwigs like Henry Kissinger and Clint Eastwood and more recently hosted Spurs legends — Tim Parker, Tony Duncan and Ginóbili.
Neither Frederick’s Bistro nor Frederick’s Restaurant is stuck in the past, though. Costa takes incredible pride in the dishes he’s serving now, and the food reveals why his restaurants remain San Antonio staples.
The Vietnamese dumplings — steamed, filled with pork and mushroom and served with the house sauce — showcase Costa’s roots. They're from his family’s cookbook, same as the spring rolls and the baby back ribs at Frederick’s Restaurant. Though black and white photos of the family restaurants adorn the walls of the dining room, Costa and his crew still find ways to modernize the process.
“The dumplings are gluten-free because they’re made with rice flour, and we used to buy rice flour and mix it ourselves. It’d take two minutes to make a single dumpling,” he says. “But the place I found for supplies now, they sell pre-made rice sheets. That means we can do them fast and keep up, because we sell a lot of them.”
The Parmesan-crusted Alaskan halibut with avocado relish at Frederick’s Restaurant reflects the relationship between Costa and his longtime staff. “I’ve had some people working for me for forty years at this point,” he notes.
Costa no longer lists himself as a chef and stays out of the cooking outside of catering, but he and his chefs collaborate on menus. At times, he’s had such trust in them he’s followed their lead even when it doesn’t fit the restaurant’s blueprint.
“Francis Perrin worked with us at L'Etoile [Costa’s first San Antonio restaurant], and one night he made a guacamole. We’d been doing Parmesan-crusted fish, and he put this guacamole on top,” Costa recalls. “So I went into the kitchen and said, ‘We’re not a freaking Mexican restaurant, why are we serving guacamole?’ But as I was visiting tables, they all said, ‘This is the best fish we ever had.’ I had to go back and say, ‘You’re right, you made a great call.’ Now I can’t get it off the menu. I’ve tried, but people keep ordering it.”
The pizza at Frederick’s Bistro is obviously neither French nor Vietnamese, but it speaks to Costa’s flexibility and pursuit of evolution. When preparing to open in 2000, the pizza oven was already in the kitchen but Costa’s chef didn’t think they should use it. “So I said, ‘OK, let’s take it out,’” Costa says. “But we ultimately found out we’d have to redo the whole kitchen to do it — so, no, no way, let’s keep it. Now? That pizza has paid for a lot of bills.”
The toppings largely come from Costa and his travels. He loves duck and calls it his number one food, so why not try it on a pizza? The bolognese is something he tried while visiting Mexico and never forgot. “You have to constantly learn and, sometimes, copy and add a little bit,” Costa says. “I watch Beat Bobby Flay, and I don’t know how he does this all the time. But I love that show and as a chef, you must learn from each other.” He has ambitions of soon toying with a variation of a fig, brie and prosciutto toast he had recently in Mexico.
Costa has no immediate plans to retire. As the bistro turns 15 and the restaurant nears 25 years, he’s extremely proud of them and their impact on San Antonio at large. He insists the work keeps him young as he bounces from a popular bistro happy hour (including Monday) to a restaurant dinner service in the same night. If there’s a single mission that still drives him, it might be the simplest one: Costa wants to convince more San Antonians to make local restaurants part of their life.
“I say this all the time to my staff, ‘Why do people want to go to Frederick’s? They have plenty of choices, so why come to our restaurants?’” Costa says. “‘Oh, because I kissed their hands!’ Bullshit. We give good service, we finish the job. My waiters use their bread crumber, they pick up the empty glasses, and we call patrons by name. After 25 years, we have a lot of repeat business.”
“So when I see mom-and-pop restaurant folks put all of themselves and their savings into it, and they’re closing after six months or a year, I feel the pain. I know they put their sweat and money into it. So every day, I say, ‘Support your local restaurants — Italian, French, whatever it is.’”
Left: Chef Ceasar Zepeda
Bottom: Crispy Chicken Benedicts
WORDS BY NATHAN MATTISE I PHOTOS BY FREDERICK'S
Nathan Mattise (@nathanmattise) is always working to perfect his sourdough bagels. He also enjoys bocce, amaro, road trips, and a good playlist.
EDIBLE VARIETALS
BIG, BOLD AND BOOMING
It’s big and bold like Texas,” says Dr. Robert Young as he describes his signature tannat wine. Young is CEO and executive winemaker at Bending Branch Winery in Comfort, Texas. He’s also a retired medical doctor, affectionately known as Dr. Bob. “It’s like Cab on steroids,” he says of the varietal, pronounced “tuh-not.”
As soon as you take a sip of this deep purple wine, you’ll understand what he means. Robust, dry and packed with flavors such as blackberry, tobacco and vanilla, tannat is a slow-sipping wine with delicious complexity. Wine lovers appreciate it for its bold, striking qualities and its ability to take any steak dinner to the next level or just be enjoyed on its own. Collectors appreciate the wine’s capacity to age well. And winemakers and growers across the state love tannat’s versatility and hardiness as well as the way it resonates with Texans. A grape with origins in Madiran, a small village in southwest France with a climate similar to that of the Texas Hill Country, tannat is making a big impression in the Lone Star state. While Uruguay, the secondest largest tannat grower after France, may call it the country’s national grape, Texas tannat is gaining notoriety in the United States.
After years of traveling to wineries with his wife and then meeting Dr. Richard Becker and his former partner and wife Bunny of Becker Vineyards and learning their story, he began thinking that working with wine might offer everything he was looking for. He purchased acreage in Comfort that was close to his daughter and conducive to grape-growing. It’s situated on a hill at an elevation of 1,730 feet with good soil, good drainage and solid protection from frost.
After attending University of California, Davis’s online winemaking program, Young put his love of research and in-depth knowledge of chemistry into action by planting a vineyard and studying the performance of various grapes and winemaking processes. On 16 acres, he planted 16 varietals such as tempranillo, petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon, aglianico and malbec. Then he observed which grew well, held strong through the Texas heat and made great-tasting local wine.
After thorough testing, tannat was the clear winner. “There was nothing even close to it,” says Young, “Tannat is hands down a better grower, more effective in fighting off disease and more droughttolerant than any of the other vines.”
In addition to these beneficial qualities, likely aided by the grape’s thick skin, he also found tannat to be more versatile. It could produce rosé, bold reds and port. Not only that, he found tannat to be rich in procyanidins — what we might notice as smooth tannins. It’s a compound in red wine that research by Roger Corder, Ph.D., published in Nature in 2006, had shown to enhance blood flow in the body. What more could a doctor ask for?
“When you look at the science of wine, there’s a category of compounds that really have the most profound impact on the wine — they’re called polyphenols,” says Young. Polyphenols include the color molecules, the flavor molecules and the tannins. “Outside of acid, those are the most important three things in the grapes,” he says. Polyphenols are also a type of antioxidant, which some research suggests can help neutralize harmful free radicals. Young’s mission soon became, “How do we take a Texas red grape and get more of those wonderful compounds extracted from the grape and into the wine?”
So, Young invested in growing more tannat on Bending Branch. He even sent some of his tannat vines to nearby Newsom Vineyards and other growers to ensure he’d always have access if his vineyard faced weather extremes.
Next, Young began testing to determine how best to harness the natural goodness found in tannat, or what Bending Branch general manager Jennifer Cernosek calls “amplifying all of the grape’s natural qualities.” Young observed that common winemaking practices only extract one-third to 40 percent of the polyphenols in the fruit. So, he invested in top-tier equipment to propel innovation.
“The first thing we did is experiment with cryomaceration — a fancy word that means we freeze the fruit, keep it frozen for several weeks to a few months, then we thaw it out and ferment it,” says Young.
This resulted in preserving about 25 to 50 percent more polyphenols than a control batch using whole-berry fermentation, a way of making wine in open top bins by hand. It also passed the test, with flying colors, when it came to taste.
Another process that results in extracting even more of these key compounds is flash détente, which Young is the first to use in Texas. “For this process, we do the opposite of freezing,” he explains, “We put the fruit into a tank and then it gets heated up to 178 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes, then it immediately gets transferred to a tank, which is a vacuum chamber.” There, the components of the grape skin that contain the polyphenols “burst open,” resulting in
extraction increasing to about 80 percent, which “translates to more color, more flavor and more tannins,” according to Young.
An additional benefit of these boundary-breaking approaches is they are certified organic and sustainable. “I think it’s important to use the fewest chemicals possible, not only for the sake of the land but for the sake of health, the long-term health of everybody,” Young says. In 2010, Bending Branch opened its tasting room with tannat on the menu, a 2008 vintage. The winery is now known as pioneers of tannat in Texas, along with Westcave Cellars and Reddy Vineyards. You can find their signature tannat in many H-E-B’s, and it is a staple for many Texan’s wine cellars. Last year, they harvested more than 90 tons of tannat, and vineyards in California are purchasing their vines.
Bending Branch currently offers more than nine different tannats, many of them award-winning. Whether you are looking for an elegant dry rosé, a vibrant frizzante rosé or a trademark bold red, you can find an expression of tannat to surprise and delight you. If you’re concerned about the off-the-beaten-path trek to Comfort, don’t. The drive to Bending Branch is an attraction in itself, filled with beautiful twists and turns through unobstructed country. Their tasting room is casual and welcoming, embracing the warm hospitality that Young and his team exude, plus it has a panoramic view of rolling hills.
Young’s thoughtful, scientific approach, which has yielded awardwinning wines, has inspired others to get into the business and to make their own tannats.
One of those is Mike Nelson, co-founder and winemaker at Ab Astris Winery between Stonewall and Hye. He grew up visiting the Central Coast of California with his parents, fostering a deep appreciation for wine and the wine community there. He fell in love with Texas wine at Bending Branch as he enjoyed a glass of their tannat during a visit to the Texas Hill Country in 2009–2010. “One of my biggest Aha! moments with Texas wine was Texas tannat. I had never heard of the varietal when I tasted it. It just blew my socks off! I fell in love. It was life-changing,” says Nelson.
Photo courtesy of Bending Branch Winery
WORDS BY STACEY INGRAM KALEH
Mike Nelson photo by Ab Astris Winery
“
The experience inspired Nelson, who studied law, along with his wife and co-founder Kristen, to take the leap into wine making and move to the Hill Country. They both thought the area was on the verge of becoming a wine community like some of the regions they were familiar with in California.“I felt like Texas was on the verge of something special,” he shares.
Since his first visit to Bending Branch, Nelson kept in touch with John Rivenburgh, a co-founder and former winemaker with Young. As he and Kristen forged plans for their own winery in 2015, they hired Rivenburgh as a consultant. Nelson considers him an invaluable mentor. “He helped with our first vintage and subsequently taught me how to make wine, how to manage a vineyard, and how to drive a tractor and a forklift. He taught me, a city boy and former attorney, everything I needed to know over the course of about four years,” says Nelson. When Nelson and his partners started planning Ab Astris, they found land tucked away off “Wine Road 290,” a stone’s throw from the historic Junction School, where President Lyndon B. Johnson attended as a young boy and returned in 1965 to sign the Elementary and Secondary Education Act into Law. There, they immediately planted tannat.
Ab Astris opened in 2018 and started serving, in a gorgeous tasting room, its first estate-grown tannat in 2022. Nelson now makes at least three tannats each year. Beyond the estate wine, he sources grapes from Newsom Vineyards and the Texas High Plains.
“Tannat is excellent because it produces very high-quality fruit. It can ripen to the right point, it grows well in Texas. It’s low maintenance, low intervention,” says Nelson. According to Nelson, the Ab Astris’ 2020 Estate Tannat, which is aged in neutral oak and American oak, evokes the flavors of blackberry cobbler. “It is one of the only wines we’ve ever gotten the acidity, the PH, the sugar, everything at the perfect level, so we did very little to it once we started processing it,” he says. “When you’re in the situation where you have to do very little to very good fruit, you’re in the territory of exceptional wine,”
He enjoys pairing it with ribeye and gamey meats like venison and bison or, for a lighter bite, Chaumes cheese on a crostini with a dash of blackberry jam. If you are looking for other tips, Nelson reminds us, “what grows together, goes together,” and encourages
customers to seek local, in-season products and to pair them with Texas wines made from varietals that grow well in their area.
Kelsey Kramer, director of education at William Chris Wine Company and the Hill Country Wine Academy, also highlights that power of place. She says William Chris’ approach to making tannat (and other varietals) is “about letting the grape variety showcase the place where it grows.”
William Chris currently grows about seven acres of tannat on its estate in Hye, and also sources grapes from vineyards in the Texas Hill Country and High Plains, like Vintage Press and Timmons Estate Vineyard. According to Kramer, the goal is to “showcase a raw expression of tannat, with mostly neutral barrel aging, primarily unblended tannat, with the intention of it developing over time in bottle, revealing its core.”
What’s at the core of this wine? “Tannat is structure, leather, tobacco and wild berries,” Kramer says. “It is far more tannic than cabernet sauvignon, less fruity, and more brooding." Kramer says she personally enjoys the challenge of coaxing the available fruit from tannat, which is not predominantly fruity, to bring it into balance with the other aromas natural to the grape. “This grape naturally smells like Texas, rough around the edges with aromas reminiscent of horseback riding and woodland areas,” Kramer says.
Beyond its enticing flavor and aroma profiles, tannat has a big personality. It’s audacious and memorable. “Tannat embodies the idea that everything is truly bigger in Texas,” Kramer says. “Not only that, but very practically, wines made from this grape can age in a cellar for 15 years, while also being quite pleasant to drink when young, which is when the wine is at its boldest and driest. Not all wines have this dual capability.” For wine lovers at any stage of their wine journey, this makes tannat a must-have for your collection as well as a great addition to any dinner party, especially if you want to show off how great Texas wines with Texas characteristics can be.
As we linger in the drawn-out Texas summer and embrace the fun and familiar chaos of fall — heading back to school, enjoying festival season and prepping for holidays — there’s no better time to create special moments to unwind with a glass of tannat from a local winery.
Sip on a glass or pick up a bottle of Tannat at these Texas wineries and others:
Ab Astris Wintery
320 Klein Rd. Stonewall, TX 78671 abastriswinery.com @abastriswinery
Augusta Vin
140 Augusta Vin Ln. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 augustavin.com @augustavinwinery
Bell Springs Winery
3700 Bell Springs Rd. Dripping Springs, TX 78620 bellspringswinery.com @bellspringswinery
Bending Branch Winery
142 Lindner Branch Rd. Comfort, TX 78013 bendingbranchwinery.com @bendingbranchwinery
Busted Oak Cellars
6195 Round Top Rd. Carmine, TX 78932
bustedoakcellars.com @bustedoakcellars
Hye Meadow Winery
10257 W. US Hwy 290 Hye, TX 78635 hyemeadow.com @hyemeadow_winery
Lewis Wines
3209 US Hwy 290 Johnson City, TX 78636 lewiswines.com @lewiswines
Llano Estacado Winery
3426 E. FM 1585 Lubbock, TX 79404 Llanowine.com @llanowine
Majek Vineyard
12508 FM 957 Schulenberg, TX 78956 majekvineyard.com @majekvineyard
Portree Cellars
668 RM 1320
Johnson City, TX 78638 portreecellars.com @portree_cellars
Signor Vineyards
362 Livesay Ln. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 signorvineyards.com @signorvineyards
Silver Spur Winery
107 Pecan St. Hico, TX 76457 silverspurwinery.com @silver_spur_winery
Slate Theory
10915 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 slatetheory.com @slatetheorywinery
Texas Heritage Vineyard
3245 E. US Hwy. 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 texasheritagevineyard.com @texasheritagevineyard
Westcave Cellars
683 Ranch Road 1320
Johnson City, TX 78636 westcavecellars.com @westcavecellars
Wedding Oak Winery
316 E. Wallace St. San Saba, TX 76877
6009B E. US Hwy 290 Fredericksburg, TX 78624
229 S. Pierce Burnet, TX 78611 weddingoakwinery.com @weddingoakwine
Wildseed Farms
100 Legacy Dr. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 wildseedfarms.com @wildseedfarms
. 100% Locally Raised and Fed in the Texas Hill Country
. 100% Black Angus
. 100% Locally Processed
. NO Antibiotics and NO Added Hormones
Stacey Ingram Kaleh is a native of the Texas Hill Country. Born and raised in Austin, she lives in Spicewood with her husband, two young daughters and fluffy dog Zeus. She’s been exploring Texas wineries for more than a decade, enjoying great wine, stellar company and scenic views as she learns from local winemakers. Follow her wine adventures on Instagram @TXWineGirl.
Pedernales Cellars
2916 Upper Albert Rd. Stonewall, TX 78671
pedernalescellars.com @pedernalescellars
William Chris Vineyards
10352 US Hwy 290 Hye, TX 78635 williamchriswines.com @williamchrisvineyards
. Quarters, Halves and Griller Packages
Embrace the Season
As autumn approaches and temperatures cool (hopefully), the spirit of celebration comes alive in the heart of the Lone Star State. From the vibrant city streets of Austin to the rich cultural tapestry of San Antonio, and the bustling urban landscape of Houston, fall festivals are the perfect way to embrace the season. These events offer a chance to indulge in local flavors, enjoy live music and experience the unique traditions that define each region. Whether you're a family looking for a fun outing, a foodie looking to sample some new fare or you are simply looking to make the most of the season, there's a festival waiting for you this fall in Central Texas.
Texas Pumpkin Fest (Leander/Austin area)
October 4–31, weekends + Halloween
Admission: $15
texaspumpkinfest.com
“Where joy is as abundant as the pumpkins!” If you love all things Halloween, don’t miss this festival that’s sure to get you in the spooky spirit. This is the largest pumpkin patch in the state, making it the perfect place to spend an afternoon wandering along the “Yellow Hay Road,” choosing your own pumpkins from a massive colorful array. With the festive fall decor, there are great photo ops all over the property. To facilitate your pumpkin-picking experience, wheelbarrows and wagons are available. They also sell carving kits. If a good scare is what you’re after, check out the Hall of Monsters, a terrifying indoor attraction, featuring state-of-the-art animatronics and props that will get your spine tingling. Other activities include zombie hayrides, pony rides, laser tag, pumpkin smashing, axe throwing, costume contests, a petting zoo and amusement park-style rides if all the monsters and horrors aren’t enough to get your adrenaline pumping. They also offer tasty food as well as kid-friendly and adult beverages to make sure the whole family stays fueled up.
Sweet Berry Farm’s Harvest of Fall Fun (Marble Falls)
September 21–November 16
Admission: Free! Just pay for activities you choose sweetberryfarm.com
Enjoy old-fashioned family fun at Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls. Activities include corn mazes, pumpkin painting, scarecrow stuffing, flower picking and pony rides. The farm is home to many animals that visitors can interact with. On weekends in October, hot dogs,
sandwiches and refreshments are available. And, of course, there’s a pumpkin patch full of pumpkins and gourds to buy and enjoy for the rest of autumn. This is a quintessential fall farm experience!
Gruene Music & Wine Fest
October 10–13
Admission: See below, prices vary gruenemusicandwinefest.org
The Gruene Music & Wine Fest, benefiting the United Way of Comal County, is all about promoting Texas and Americana music and celebrating Texas wine and beer. Festivities start on Thursday with the free Kickoff Party at The Grapevine where visitors can enjoy live music and optional tastings for $45 per person. Friday features Stars and Guitars — a private concert plus meet-n-greet with the headliner, a full-service dinner catered by Gristmill River Restaurant, wine tastings and auction, Saturday is Tastings and Tunes. Admission to enjoy the live music is free and it’s $45 for 10 tasting tickets and a wine glass. Sunday features the Showdown that boasts a lineup of favorite Americana and country artists, pop-up market and food extravaganza.
Dewberry Farm Fall Festival (Brookshire/Houston area)
September 14 – November 3
+ Boorific Nights every weekend September 28 through November 3
Admission: $35
dewberryfarm.com
Dewberry Farm’s original owners had a vision of transforming their property in Waller County into a top destination for familyfriendly, farm-based fun. Today, Bryan and Jill Lank — along with their children and grandchildren — are continuing that legacy by providing unforgettable agriculture-focused experiences for visitors. During their Fall Festival, they offer an eight-acre Peanuts (the cartoon)-themed corn maze, a sizeable pumpkin patch, barnyard animals to interact with, a flower garden where you can pick wildflowers, rides galore, tasty treats and endless child-friendly activities.
And when the sun sets, it’s time to get your scare on with BOOrific Nights. Depending on how much frightening fun you want to experience, you can opt for the Haunted Hollow’s Trail of Terror, Spooky Acres Creepy Corn Maze, The Freaky Fun Pit or The Haunted Barn. Wander among replica sets of favorite movies and shows like Beetlejuice and Stranger Things and life-sized lanterns of favorite “heroes of horror.” You can even do some axe-throwing with Jason from “Halloween.”
(Spring/Houston area): Weekends in October
$10
+ Christmas Family Fun oldtimechristmastree.com
Celebrate the entire holiday season, starting October 1, at this old-timey farm near Houston. In addition to a pumpkin patch, kids can enjoy hayrides and a petting zoo. This family farm is all about getting away for an afternoon and spending quality time with one another, browsing pumpkins, enjoying a variety of food and beverage vendors or engaging in one of their eight attractions.
After Halloween celebrations are over, you can visit again for a picturesque country Christmas experience that includes cutting down your own tree. The farm grows and cares for their pine and Cypress trees year-round so your family can find a full, healthy, beautiful
tree to enhance the warm fuzzy holiday feel in your home. Saws and measuring sticks are provided, so all you have to do is wander the farm until you find the tree that makes you hear angels sing (think “Christmas Vacation”)! If you’d rather not cut down your own tree, the farm offers a variety of pre-cut firs and spruces grown up north that are kept fresh in water. Throughout the season, there are also Christmas attractions and photos with Santa.
Old Time Christmas Tree Farm Fall Family Fun
WORDS BY ASHLEY BROWN
Left Page: Images by Ralph Yznaga Right Page:
Top: Photo by Dewberry Farm
Bottom Left: Photo by Old Time Christmas Tree farm
Bottom Right: Photo by Culinaria.org
Texas Renaissance Festival (Todd Mission/Houston area)
Weekends from October 12 to December 1, including Thanksgiving Friday
Admission: Daily tickets, weekend and season passes, prices vary texrenfest.com
Come celebrate the 50th year of the country’s largest Renaissance-themed festival! The festival offers a fantasy land of fairies, pirates and mythical creatures and 19 stages where you can take in a show of your choosing, losing yourself in another time and place.
Activities and entertainment abound, including wine tastings, escape room adventures, scavenger hunts, a “Dragon Forging Experience” in which you wield the hammer to forge your own piece, tea and strumpets, jousting, magic, rides and over 400 shops! And with countless food and drink vendors, you will not go hungry! From refreshments like mead or hot cocoa to fun snacks like funnel cakes and beef jerky to Mexican, German, Italian cuisine and more … there is something for everyone. The 77 acres of festival grounds can be overwhelming to the Texas Renaissance Festival newcomer, so you can check out the website for a “Survival Guide for Newbies” as well as maps and details on all of the attractions and activities.
Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival (San Antonio)
November 8-10
Admission: Ticket prices vary for each day, see website for details culinariasa.org/tasting-texas
This weekend of epicurean indulgence is a must for food and wine lovers. Enjoy live music; discussion panels; workshops on food and drink pairings; cooking classes; and samplings of wines, craft beers, cocktails and delectable bites from Texas chefs and restaurants. Proceeds benefit the James Beard Foundation and its grant program that supports culinary students in Texas.
Tickets are available for the following events throughout the weekend:
• The Grand Tasting is “the ultimate exploration of all things wine, food and cocktails!” This is a casual experience in which visitors can stroll and sample food and drinks at their own pace, getting to know the makers and learning more about their products. You can also take advantage of educational seminars to enhance your cooking skills and learn more about pairing dishes with wine.
• The Becker Luncheon is a luxurious multi-course meal in which each course is thoughtfully paired with a Texas wine. Becker Vineyards, where the luncheon occurs, is a gorgeous and serene oasis surrounded by fields of flowers, lavender and grapevines.
• The Dinners each night are a great way to connect with fellow foodies while enjoying creative dishes invented by local and guest chefs.
San Antonio Beer Festival (San Antonio) Saturday, October 19
Admission: $45–100 sanantoniobeerfestival.com
San Antonio’s original beer fest, founded in 2005, is a must for beer lovers. Going beyond local beers, offerings include over 400 premium and craft beers — porters, stouts, pilsners, ales, ciders, lagers and more — from over 150 breweries from around the world. A great way to soak up a beautiful autumn day, you can also enjoy music, games, local vendors, food trucks and wine. Visitors (21 and up only) are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs and relax for the afternoon. A portion of the proceeds benefit San Antonio Food Bank.
Dia de los Muertos at Hemisfair/Muertos Fest (San Antonio) October 26-27
Admissions: Free! muertosfest.com
This beloved celebration of the traditional Mexican holiday — named one of the 7 Best Fall Festivals in the country by National Geographic and one of the ten Great Day of the Dead Celebrations in the world by USA Today — offers a diverse array of food vendors, processions, music, dance and community-built altars. This year’s festival will be featured on the Cooking Channel’s nationally broadcast show “Carnival Eats!”
Writer and editor Ashley
Brown lives in Wimberley with her family of rescues: a dog, two cats, and two donkeys. In addition to animal welfare, her passion is exploring the Hill Country's natural beauty, small farms, eateries and drinkeries.
Left: Photo by San Antonio Beer Festival Right: Photo by Muertos Fest
Market Value
PULLMAN MARKET IS A FEAST FOR THE SENSES
Each foodie’s idea of heaven will most certainly vary based on individual tastes and preferences. However, we can all probably agree that it will include a gourmet market stocked full of unique products, and meat, seafood, and produce locally sourced from nearby farms, ranches, and purveyors. There might also be several outstanding restaurants, a great bar specializing in craft cocktails, a wonderful bakery, and ideally a comfortable gathering place to enjoy it all. Luckily, San Antonio food enthusiasts can now enjoy all of this and more just by passing through The Pearl(y) gates.
P ullman Market at The Pearl is now open. This stylish new emporium is serving amazing food, drinks and desserts, and offering an impressive selection of locally-sourced groceries and specialty foods.
Walking through the doors at Pullman Market can be overwhelming at first. Each of your senses will be kicked into high gear as you absorb everything it has to offer. This specialty grocer and eatery spans a whopping 40,000 square feet in the space that previously housed the Samuel’s Glass Company adjacent to The Pearl. The project was conceived and is managed by Austin’s Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group. Kevin Fink, chef, owner and CEO of Pullman Market, gets very excited when talking about their vision for the market and the many local products they stock.
“We wanted to create a special place that would allow people to discover locally-sourced products, and we wanted to honor local farmers, ranchers and food purveyors,” says Fink. “There is something for everyone. Food is our life and our passion, and we wanted to share this with San Antonio while supporting the local economy at every level.” Fink and his team have successfully manifested that passion. As you walk through the vibrant displays, you’ll want to savor every sight and smell, and sample every flavor. And knowing the mission behind the concept, you feel like you are a part of something special.
The team’s goal is to provide an array of local options, while adhering to specific sustainability factors. The bakery only uses regional flours, seeds and grains in its naturally-leavened breads and baked goods. The seafood market only sells wild-caught and environmentallyconscious fish purchased fresh off the boat, and the oysters are sourced from Texas oyster farms. The seafood graces the fishmonger display case for one day and then it is diced, spiced and brined to create the delicious dishes featured at the ceviche bar.
At the butcher counter, you’ll find high-quality, fresh cuts of meat sourced directly from local ranchers who have dedicated their lives to raising animals humanely. The butchers have developed a close
relationship with these ranchers. They know where the animals come from, what they have grazed on, and even the sex and breed of the animals. The butchery program also ensures that the entire animal is used. Once the choice cuts are extracted for sale, the other parts are used onsite in the restaurants and the grocery products.
The market currently features four full-service restaurants and five quick-bite counters, including the cevicheria, a burger grill, a sandwich counter, a coffee shop and a creamery.
Fife & Farro features exceptional Italian cuisine using fresh ingredients in their wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas. Mezquite celebrates the bold and unique Mexican flavors of the Sonoran region with their grilled meats served with Sonoran wheat tortillas. Isidore is Pullman’s fine-dining restaurant. It features the best cuts of meat, the freshest seafood and the finest local ingredients. It's where all of the locally-sourced products that can be found throughout Pullman Market come together in one exquisite dining experience.
Fink says, “Dining at Isidore is like having dinner at the home of a close friend who also happens to be an outstanding cook. It’s an intimate experience with intense flavors that showcases all the best that Texas has to offer.”
Finally, when your bellies are full but your sweet tooth isn’t, you can grab a spot at Nicosi, a 20-seat dessert bar where pastry artists design sweet works of edible art and you can enjoy personal conversations with the chefs themselves as they create.
There is truly something for everyone at Pullman Market, so come hungry, and be prepared to be delightfully overwhelmed by choices and impressed by the quality of the food. It will make you proud to be a Texas foodie.
Spotlighting
Pullman Products
Pullman Market not only sells grocery products sourced from Texas companies, it also houses its own commercial kitchen and freeze-drying program run by in-house chefs who are turning out delicious specialty foods made with ingredients found at the emporium. Pullman Market features over 250 branded products, and they do not co-label, or white label, anything. All of their branded products are made onsite, furthering the sustainable cycle envisioned by its founders. Here is a sampling of their most popular products:
• Pullman soups are prepared with stocks made from their in-house butcher and fishmonger.
• Pullman salsas and guacamole fly off the shelves and use only the freshest produce, chiles, herbs and spices. Try the house-fermented pico de gallo with fresh lime.
• Fresh bratwurst and sausages are made from butcher off-cuts and spices.
• Pullman peanut butter is made from house-roasted peanuts and mélanged onsite without preservatives.
• Pullman mayonnaise spreads use only local eggs, oils, and vinegars, and their signature marinades and dressings utilize only the freshest ingredients. These are found in the refrigerated section since they do not add preservatives.
• Handmade pastas are delicately rolled, pulled and shaped in the Fife & Farro kitchen creating a freshness you don’t always find in other grocery stores.
Meredith Kay has called San Antonio home for over 30 years and is an incurable foodie with an insatiable case of wanderlust. She is constantly looking for her next adventure, and easily makes friends with everyone she meets.
