Flavor (Winter 2014) by San Antonio Current

WINTER FLAVOR

SAN ANTONIO’S ULTIMATE FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE

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Winter

Publisher: Michael Wagner Associate Publisher: Lara Fischer Managing Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Flavor Editor: Jessica Elizarraras Art Director: Eli Miller

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EDITORIAL Contributing Writers: Ron Bechtol, Tommie Ethington Contributing Photographers: Xelina Flores, Amy Gawlik, Casey Howell, Josh Huskin, Dan Payton, Louie Preciado, David Rangel, Linda Romero Digital Content Editor: Albert Salazar Interns: Misty Blaze, Kevin Femmel, Hannah Shoup ADVERTISING Sales Manager: Chelsea Bourque Promotions Manager: Nina Duran Account Manager: Zach Yurcheshen Senior Account Executives: Carlos Aguirre, Johnny Deosdade Account Executives: Erik Butler, Sarah Estrada, Mallory Jochen, Blanca Morales, Alexa Perez PRODUCTION Production Manager: John Mata Graphic Designer: Tina Corbeil Production Interns: Kaitlin Carroll, Robert Castaneda, Staci Collins, Gretta Garret, Nelly Padrón CIRCULATION Distribution: Juanita Alpizar, Oscar Alpizar, Sergio Alpizar, Chris Bubel, Pam Clepper, Joe Dominguez, Gabriella Gutierez, Terry McClelland, John Miller, Jose Trevino, Charles Tiller BUSINESS Business Manager: Julie Tilton Office Assistant: Tara Caballero

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WELCOME TO FLAVOR The dining options keep expanding in San Antonio, and that’s most definitely a good thing. But let’s catch up on what’s happened around San Anto dining circles since this summer. In June, Cockasian Food Truck found a new owner in Luciano Valadez of Taps y Tapas; Locavore started serving a variety of cuisines out of a bright yellow food truck using Texan ingredients. July kicked off with more TV love for San Antonio, this time via Cooking Channel’s Man Fire Food, when host Roger Mooking visited with Johnny Hernandez and learned about the chef’s cabrito. The folks at H-E-B opened a new location in Stone Oak, which includes Oaks Crossing Restaurant & Bar, the grocer’s first bar. More than 20 of our fave eateries across town participated in the third Charcuterie Week, put on by Defining Delicious and Restaurant Gwendolyn. Kate’s Frosting closed its Alamo Heights store to concentrate on expanding the offerings at the original location. The August temperatures couldn’t keep eaters down as Alamo City Provisions, a new chefs group and roving dinner series, kicked off at the Josephine Theatre. In hospitality dining, Robbie Nowlin took the reins at Citrus inside Hotel Valencia as chef Jeff Balfour focused his efforts on opening Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery in the Pearl. Cocina Heritage Restaurant

TABLE OF CONTENTS On the Cover

opened off Commerce with a slew of pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexican dishes. Culinaria kept us happy with its biggest-ever Restaurant Week, which featured new price tiers. Luca Della Casa, executive chef at Silo Elevated Cuisine, came in a close second on Food Network Star. Austin’s Lick Ice Creams opened a location at the Pearl, while Say-She-Ate opened a small kitchen inside SoHo Wine & Martini Bar. The bummer of the summer came when Jason Dady shut down Tre Trattoria Downtown to focus on new concepts. Foodies cheered at the end of August as Cured and Hot Joy both earned nods in Bon Appetit magazine’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants list (Hot Joy came in at No. 7). September was a busy month as chef Luis Colon opened the popular Folc in Olmos Park. Augie Cortez opened a second, beefier location, Augie’s Alamo City BBQ Steakhouse, in the heart of downtown. The much-anticipated Cookhouse (brought to you by the same folks behind Where Y’at food truck) opened in mid-September and has never looked back, while Chris Cullum announced Attagirl Ice House next door. Not to be outdone, Alamo Ice House fired up more barbecued meats in a chill Hill Country-esque location nestled in downtown. Cured received more accolades, this time from the folks at Esquire, which named it a runner up in October for this year’s Best New Restaurant in America. Gaucho Gourmet announced the opening of a cheese-tastic new joint, The Texas Cheese Cellar off Broadway and Avenue B. Tickets for Alton Brown’s The Edible Inevitable Tour went on sale, and the celebrity chef/ author will visit the Tobin this April. Things heated up in November as Big Bob’s Burgers announced a third location off Loop 1604. Eaters couldn’t get enough of In-N-Out Burger, which opened its first San Antonio location on Culebra. In market news, the Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market lost its lease with the Alamo Quarry. No worries, they’ve found a new home at The Yard on McCullough. We kept warm during the chilly temperatures of December with the opening of Concrete Jungle, a new tiki bar in Southtown. For upcoming food festivals and events, check out our Food Lover’s Calendar on page 98. Stay hungry, San Antonio. –Jessica Elizarraras

you should visit this season—from the New Orleans-inspired Cookhouse to the meaty fiesta known as Smoke Shack, and then some

markets in the area with this handy guide that features great vendors, recipes and a list of markets to visit

89 Warm & Bright

The baking gods have blessed us with a multitude of options via Bakery Lorraine, including fruit tarts, butterscotch creampuffs, mini pecan pies, and cinnamon and raspberry macarons. Photo by Josh Huskin. Cover by Eli Miller.

50 Decadent Desserts

12 Dream Teams

63 Pantry Must-haves

We visit with culinary movers and shakers, including the chefs of Mixtli; the couple behind Alamo City Provisions; two mavens that turn vegetables into sexy entrées; and the Empty Stomach chefs

Cardamom, furikake and more—stock these ingredients or try them around town

We picked our six favorite Texas-made brews, all of which will keep you warm and toasty into the New Year and beyond

73 No Weak Links Here

98 Food Lover’s Calendar

We love local fare, but we won’t pass on these respectable chains

Serving up 13 ways to get your drink/ grub on this season with Culinaria events, chef-driven parties and Fiesta

We can’t get enough of these sweet, expertly made bites from Bakery Lorraine, Bliss, Folc, Darna Grill and A La Mode Gelato

31 Hot Eats

83 Market Know-how

Here’s your handy guide to the eateries

Navigate your way through farmers

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Cocktails are heating up in more ways than one. We find local trends that use new spirits, along with hot spices, to turn up the heat

95 Beers We Love

100 Advertising Index

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JOSH HUSKIN

DREAM TEAMS Culinary players helping SA shine

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Mark Martinez Executive chef, Barbaro

John Philpot

Executive chef, The Monterey

Quealy Watson

Executive chef, Hot Joy Chefs Mark Martinez, John Philpot and Quealy Watson have three things in common. They all collaborate with Chad Carey and the Empty Stomach restaurant group. They are all causing a stir in the San Antonio food scene as of late. And they all describe their taste as “weird.” Martinez, who currently serves at the helm of Barbaro, has been with Empty Stomach for three years. His culinary background is rooted in an education from St. Philip’s College, but his inspiration comes from what he describes as his child-like enthusiasm for food. “I’m a kid at heart,” Martinez said. “I love pasta. I love indulgence.” Martinez is also a veteran when it comes to the pop-up culinary scene, having been behind Wild Beast, a cafe venture inspired by last summer’s “Matisse: Life in Color” exhibition at the San Antonio Museum of Art, and now Little Fox, an Italian pop-up at The Monterey, open Sunday and Monday nights from 6-10 p.m. Watson also found success with his pop-up brainchild, Hot Joy, which got its start during the off-days at The Monterey. Now a permanent fixture on the San Antonio food scene, it’s been named one of the best new restaurants in America by Bon Appétit magazine. But Hot Joy wasn’t always a part of Watson’s plan. “I’ve worked a lot of different places in San Antonio,” Watson said. “The Monterey was my first chef job and I worked there for a year and a half, but I had a lot of wanderlust. I had worked really hard for a really long time to be where I was, to be a chef and have acclaim, but it didn’t feel right … so I decided I would move out to San Diego and live with my sister. The idea was to enjoy life, take any job and hang out for a bit, but [because of an ankle injury] I ended up being a burden and used all of the money I had saved up.” Lucky for San Antonio, Watson decided it wasn’t meant to be and returned to the Lone Star State. “When I got back, I realized there wasn’t anybody in town, except Chad, that I wanted to work for. So I contacted him and

let him know I was back,” Watson said. “From there, he just said ‘What do you want to do?’ and we devised a plan to open up a weird Asian restaurant.” Today, Watson, in addition to overseeing the kitchen at Hot Joy, works with others in the restaurant group. “A big part of my job is collaborating with other chefs,” said Watson, who gives feedback on menu concepts. “They’ll say ‘Here are my ideas,’ and then we go through them and I’ll ask ‘How is this going to work?’ or ‘How about we put that on there?’” Philpot, who’s worked in the same kitchens as both Watson and Martinez and was recently named head chef at The Monterey, says collaboration is key to having constructive conversations about their craft. “I’ve known these guys almost five years,” said Philpot, who attended The Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio. “These are the guys that I can ask about a dish … and they can ask me my opinion on their dishes, and we have the ability to be able to talk to each other and not get mad.” It does, however, irk them when their creativity is misinterpreted. “Sometimes people think we make ‘stoner food’ or ‘white trash food’ because we do things like add Hot Cheetos to a dish,” Philpot said. “We’re not adding them just to be funny. It’s because we’ve thought about the dish for weeks and we think the Cheetos add bite and a crunch element.” The same goes for another facet of Philpot’s cooking: offal, or as he describes it, “the parts of animals that people wouldn’t normally eat”—the tail, intestines, heart, etc. “It takes more talent and skill to make a dish out of those things,” Philpot said. A desire to surprise guests, and themselves, runs in the group. “I’m a really naturally curious person and I get bored easily,” said Watson, who finds inspiration in other cultures. “There’s only so many ways you can arrange a duck breast and wild mushrooms. Eventually, I had to ask ‘What else can I do?’ There’s this whole part of the world that does completely different things and it’s something I’ve just become very interested in.” In the coming year, all three chefs have projects they’re excited about. For Martinez, it’s trying out trends that have taken hold across the country, but haven’t yet made their way to San Antonio. For Philpot, it’s reimagining The Monterey menu, which he says will be more seasonal and include prix fixe dinner options. For Watson, it’s a long-awaited trip with his wife to Thailand and Japan. Watson’s response to whether his upcoming adventure will influence the menu at Hot Joy speaks to the staying power of all three chefs: “Watch out, San Antonio.” —Tommie Ethington

CASEY HOWELL

ANA JENKINSON

Barbaro’s pizza with taleggio, hash browns, kale and honey

Hot Joy’s tater tot chaat sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

JOSH HUSKIN

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Diego Galicia & Rico Torres Co-owners, Mixtli

Jesse Torres

Partner/bartender

CASEY HOWELL

Three beards faced me across the table, but a single vision emerged from my chat with the boys of Mixtli. Get ready for a big move beyond Mixtli, the little cloud that could and its railroad car confines. Diego Galicia and Rico Torres met via a pop-up restaurant group and began plotting to do something together from that point on. But it wasn’t until the railroad car in The Yard became available that the project began to take shape. “Everything else was beyond our means,” says Galicia, who has assumed the role of group spokesman. “It looked like nothing when we walked in; we just took some chalk and started marking…” And then, like a recently married couple, “we had to go shopping together,” adds Torres. It took them four months, but in October of 2013, the freshly outfitted car, with its table for all of 12 diners, allowed the two partners to launch what has become an extremely successful enterprise—cloud-based in Nahuatl name only. Their menu, changing every 45 days, has, from the start, reflected the varied regions of Mexico, and it has tantalized folks from as far away as Germany. Reflecting their culinary travels to date, the next theme will be a kind of “best-of” celebration of more than a year in business. In order to keep the concept fresh, the whole staff, now totaling six, recently took a trip to Mexico, a gira that included a stop at Enrique Olvera’s super-hot Pujol in the D.F. Among that expanded group is Jesse Torres, initially on board to do a stage, or apprenticeship, but now a partner in the latest venture, Mezcalería Mixtli. According to Jesse, he started using the diminutive space as a hub to experiment with drinks, such as the fermented pineapple tepache, that “celebrated Mexico.” “We had to play catch-up to him,” says Rico. “He was evolving faster.” Fortunately, evolution is essential to the trio’s personal and business plans—but it’s evolution still within the bounds of the original concept. “I don’t understand chefs that want to do it all—red, blue, purple, green; you need to do what you know,” says Galicia. Which brings us back to the “collective vision” that is the mezcalería, now in the beyond-chalk phase at a former photo studio, also in The Yard. “Initially, we had thought of doing only a bar with snacks,” says Rico, “but regulations in Olmos Park require that the operation be at least 51 percent food-oriented.” So a restaurant with a very integrated bar it is. Naturally, Mexican spirits will be at the core of the drinks menu—yes, we can expect tequilas and the namesake mezcales. But we should also be able to sample products that are rarely available in San Antonio. Raicilla and bacanora are agave-based spirits that just don’t fit within the delimited geographic bounds of tequila and mezcal. Sotol (“It’s really grassy,” says Jesse), from Chihuahua, is made from a different plant altogether. And charanda is a cane-based rum most often associated with Michoacán—by those who have even heard of it. “There’s so much subtlety to be tasted,” says Jesse. “Carnitas, chorizos, house-made tortillas and botanas, botanas, botanas” can be expected from the food menu, and much of the prep will be visible through a window to the kitchen.

“We want to do the simplest food, but only in the highest way,” says Galicia. As for the decor, “We don’t do piñatas anymore,” he says, in reference to the knee-jerk serape and luchador-mask kitsch that has prevailed in the past. In order to realize this vision, the trio will be hiring five to seven more staffers, and if past performance holds (they haven’t fired anybody yet), new hires should expect to become a part of the family. Everybody will have to hustle, however, if la familia is to realize a soft opening by January’s San Antonio Cocktail Conference. Once that dust settles, there are intimations of other projects in the works. “We expect to be tired,” says Rico, “but it will be tired on our own terms.” —Ron Bechtol

A tamal from Mixtli’s Oaxacan menu sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

JOSH HUSKIN

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Tim McDiarmid Tim the Girl

Rebel Mariposa Rebel Eats

Vegetables take on a sultry, irresistible look when in the hands of our next two subjects and it’s easy to see why. Whether they’re expounding the virtues of clean, vegan eating or rethinking the way veggies are presented in meat-loving South Texas, Tim “the Girl” McDiarmid and Rebecca Marie “Rebel Mariposa” Lopez are slowly, but surely elevating local produce by the caseload. While their backgrounds couldn’t be more different, the women are working together and separately to provide fibrous options for your next special event. We sat down with each to talk about their story, their food journey and how they’re highlighting South Texas produce. For McDiarmid, the food saga began at an early age. The Canadian transplant grew up in what she called a winter wonderland. “We ate tons of vegetables from our garden. We had such a limited growing time. When I moved here, it was crazy that all year round there would be farmers markets with fresh produce, and no one was using it,” McDiarmid said. Actually getting to San Antonio took her a while, much to our chagrin, as McDiarmid spent 18 years working the restaurant scene in New York, from catering to bartending (and even a stint as an interior decorator). When she finally relocated to San Antonio, McDiarmid, mother to an energetic pre-teen, was looking for a slightly slower pace than that of the Big Apple. She took a year to figure out her groove in SA and work on

her vision. “A lot if it was, as they say, necessity as the mother of invention,” McDiarmid said. “In doing that, I struggled, because I didn’t have the luxury to sit back … I had to make money.” This led to the creation of Tim the Girl, McDiarmid’s multifaceted company that envelops catering, event planning, weekly meal delivery, cooking classes and consulting. Her work became ubiquitous with bright, family-style affairs. “My whole philosophy is like, you don’t have to be vegetarian, but I believe meals should be vegetable-driven. Vegetables should be the highlight,” McDiarmid said. She’s not one to shy away from much, and this includes animal proteins, but her biggest hits have steered toward produce, which is featured prominently and deliciously on all her menus. “A lot of time is spent figuring out, without ruining, a vegetable. Covering a vegetable in cheese or pork is cheating, and it’s not responsible,” McDiarmid said of her process. As Tim the Girl has grown, so have her other ventures. She’s helped design menus for Uncommon Fare, a modern-day grocery store located on the ground level of the Cevallos Lofts, as well as the food menu for Rosella Coffee Co. (yes, this means she’s the one responsible for your avocado toast obsession). In 2011, she decided to further her brand by teaming up with furniture artist Peter Zubiate to launch the Special Projects Social, a series of pop-up restaurants and art events around town. During its first year, the SPS was held on a monthly basis. “I was doing more stuff to meet everybody and figure out what’s going on in this town,” McDiarmid said. “It took me a while after moving here to get the lay of the land…” Now held three times a year, the events are evening-long affairs that start with a cocktail hour by Jeret Peña and members of the Boulevardier Group; guests are seated along Zubiate-designed community tables and courses are presented family-style.

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(McDiarmid loathes plated dinners.) Plates, menus and any centerpieces are usually made, printed and/or screened by area artists. And although she’s created several hundred menus by now, McDiarmid’s biggest hits are usually her most simple creations. She and her growing team will make batches of her now famous citrus salad, which uses vibrant citrus, pickled fennel, pistachios, olives and chiles topped with a light drizzle of Salud de Paloma extra virgin olive oil, along with a Tuscan kale salad that combines high-quality olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and finely sliced kale. “It’s sliced so fine that it softens into a cloud,” McDiarmid, a knife wiz, said. “It’s just about being creative with presentation.” In order to keep the creative juices flowing, the 44-year-old also travels extensively throughout the States and abroad. She’s teamed up with a college friend, Bianca Gignac, to help host culinary trips to Italy, aptly named the Italian Fix. During these weeklong jaunts, McDiarmid and co. (the group is made up exclusively of women, usually between the ages of 19 and 77) bounce around the Italian countryside learning about pesto and cheese. “It’s a week of awesome,” she said. Although McDiarmid is cherry-picking projects more judiciously these days, she’s careful to make sure her vision stays intact. She’s hired a staff of culinary goddesses, including Monessa Maria Esquivel, D Martinez, Anna Margaret Fisch Hamlin and Rebel Mariposa, to help broaden SA palates within the scope of aesthetics and design. McDiarmid also serves as mentor and friend. “The all-female crew just happened, I had different men, but it was a struggle for me,” McDiarmid said of male sous chefs who’ve worked under her. “The ego was always an issue and it was shocking to me.” And as her staff eventually breaks away to kick off their own businesses, McDiarmid stresses the difficulties of jumping into the field. “I struggled with that when I moved here,” she said, while explaining Brooklyn’s burgeoning scene and ‘the more, the merrier’ mentality evoked there. “Everyone did a hands-on, process-based skill, whether it’s being an artist or a better chef, there was never a petty mentality.” She added, “It looks easy. I warn them: ‘Yes, I appear to have that ease, but it’s not an easy road. It’s all about balancing money, jobs, projects that aren’t necessarily lucrative and feeding them into each other.” Lopez’s turn at cooking took a bit longer than McDiarmid’s. The 35-year-old artist and performer is a San Anto native that fondly remembers Sunday morning trips to her local tortillería. “Every Sunday, I have a beautiful memory of me and my brother walking down West Avenue to the little tortillería to buy a dozen fresh tortillas, a half pound of barbacoa, two avocados and then a lime and salsa and then we would walk back,” Lopez said. It wasn’t until she was at the University of Texas that Lopez began exploring the concept of vegetarian eating. She relocated to San Diego in the mid-2000s and began dabbling in vegan and raw fare. “I always used to joke in California, that if a Mexican Texan can become a vegan, anyone can be one,” Lopez said. Although her reasons for taking on a vegan lifestyle were two-fold—as a performer, she wanted to maintain a healthy diet for her active lifestyle as a dancer, and she also cites animal welfare as reasons she gave up meat—Lopez often chooses family and culture over being militant about her diet. “I just kind of make the compromises where, if I am going to sit down and I have dinner at my grandmother’s with my sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

New Orleans Cuisine Local Ingredients

Executive Chef John Russ (210) 227-5853 WWW.LUKESANANTONIO.COM 125 EAST HOUSTON STREET SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78205

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tías, I have the corn and the rice and the beans and I don’t ask about it,” Lopez said. Once in San Diego, she began experimenting with foods and wanted to share newfound skills with area friends. “What propelled me was I was raw vegan for three months and that’s when cooking became magical,” Lopez said, while likening her time in the kitchen to being in a science laboratory. “I was creating food, soups and dishes in a way I never could have imagined you could and I was loving it.” She began inviting friends over for vegan feasts in order to share beautiful, nourishing eats as a way to give back and offer her friends something healthful. This led to her helping co-create True Kitchen Creatives, which served as an outlet for plant-based food events and experiences. Lopez eventually found herself back in San Antonio in August of 2013 and she connected with McDiarmid through a mutual friend. “She interviewed me and I think two days later I was in her kitchen working with her. Yeah, we connected right away, because she’s not from here, I had been gone for so long, so we could bond in that way of having good conversations about our ideas and what we felt San Antonio was like, and we really enjoyed and we still enjoy it,” Lopez said. She’s also spreading the vegan gospel locally while also helping her fellow man through Rebel Eats, an educational food catering collective with Nadia Casaperalta (a CIA grad who also cooks at Hot Joy) and other artists. Her two biggest events as of late took place in the summer and fall of 2014. The first was a pop-up benefit dinner for Central American women and children refugees in July inside a private residence. “We took donations, but also brought down a truck-load full of supplies to the Valley,” Lopez said. In November, the collective hosted a fundraiser for UTSA’s Mexican American Alumni Association. The menu for the second fundraiser was slated as a Mexican-style brunch inside Señor Veggie, complete with jackfruit barbacoa, a tortilla de papa similar to a tortilla española, a nopal and pumpkin scramble, crepes, pozole and chocolate donuts—all vegan, of course. Any hesitation by Lopez, as to whether her audience will embrace vegan eats, is quickly put to rest by her take on presentation. “Nadia and I work together so well, and I tell her, ‘We just have to make things sexy,” Lopez said. “You make it with all these great spices, and you make it look delicious so that when they eat it you make sure it’s really delicious, so it’s orgasmic in the mouth.” Such hits have included pumpkin and black bean chili for a Halloween party, along with barbecue jackfruit sliders, but much like McDiarmid, Lopez changes menus according to her clients needs, within reason and season. “I have an uncle who’s been in the produce business for 30 years and that’s the one that I call and say, ‘These are the things I need, what can your farmers get me?’” Lopez said. She’s trying to help re-envision plates across the board. “I understand wanting a breakfast taco, of course. I don’t think that breakfast tacos are evil. I just think that breakfast tacos can look different. They don’t always have to be potato and egg or bacon and egg or carne guisada. It can be a corn tortilla and some nopales,” Lopez said. For Lopez, eating vegetables shouldn’t be off-putting. “I don’t think people should be afraid. I just went to Mexico in October, where everyone drinks licuados and jugos,” Lopez said. “This whole juicing thing isn’t new … we shouldn’t forget that connection in most cultures.” —Jessica Elizarraras sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

JOSH HUSKIN

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

John Russ

Executive chef, Lüke San Antonio

Elise Broz

Pastry chef, Biga on the Banks Here’s a fair warning: This article could very easily dive into cheesy territory at any minute. Elise Broz, the statuesque brunette with the twinkly eyes that helms the pastry department at Biga on the Banks, and John Russ, the dark-haired, blueeyed N’awlins-bred executive chef at Lüke San Antonio, are a scratch-made match made in food heaven. If they were any more adorable, they’d be straight out of a Disney classic. Although they’re set to be married next October, the pair of chefs had an unlikely start. “She hated me. I was semi indifferent,” Russ said during an interview with the Current at Lüke. “It was oil and vinegar.” We managed to get the couple to sit down and talk about their relationship, a feat on its own as both keep quite busy, but we’ll get to that in a minute. They met at The Inn at Perry Cabin in Saint Michaels, Maryland, where Broz’s father served as general manager, Russ was executive sous chef and Broz was pastry chef. “I would say we didn’t get along,” she said. “I’m very focused at work and I don’t have room for distractions,” Broz continued. This eventually changed, as

is wont to happen, prodded along by the teensy town they occupied. St. Michaels’ population just barely tips the 1,000 mark and, as Russ put it, “There’s two bars—one for the old folk and one for younger people.” Several hang sessions later, over Dark and Stormies inside Broz’s apartment, the initial cold shoulder turned into something more. Four years later, Broz and Russ have made the Alamo City home after he was offered the executive chef position at Lüke San Antonio. But how exactly do they keep things mostly harmonious while in the chaos of busy kitchens? Even in the sleepy waterside town of St. Michaels, the pair was pulling 16hour overlapping work shifts. “We were learning each other’s personalities [in the first eight months prior to dating officially],” Russ said. “We were basically figuring out what we liked, what we didn’t like and we got past that because we understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” For Broz, a seemingly Type A consummate baking professional, these strengths are being a “tremendous organizer.” According to Russ, “She does a great job at keeping the logistics together.” Broz’s take on her betrothed are that he can take on any kitchen challenge, even if there is no discernable stove. “You could blow the kitchen up and John would be fine. His strength is being able to build a kitchen anywhere, out of anything, anytime.” Their relationship’s success, even while helping plan several specialty events, such as Russ’ turn inside Austin City Limits’ VIP food tent, an appearance at the Austin Food and Wine

Charcuterie at Lüke, where Russ serves as executive chef sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

a world class experience Culinaria offers â&#x20AC;&#x153;hands-onâ&#x20AC;? exploration into the culinary and wine-making arts for adults with adventuresome spirits, discerning tastes and especially those who appreciate the camaraderie of sharing and consuming new, and often exotic, flavors.

We proudly display chefs from this great city and bring in distinguished chefs from around the globe. To help ensure a great week long series of events, we highlight global as well as Texas winemakers and spirit producers. The mission of Culinaria is to promote San Antonio as a premiere destination for wine and food while fostering community growth and enrichment. Culinaria is a non-profit organization supporting local students in culinary arts and food related aid organizations.

JOIN US IN 2015: San Antonio Restaurant Week: January 19-24 5K Wine & Beer Run: March 21 Festival Week: May 13-17 San Antonio Restaurant Week: August 15-22 For a full list of events & participants visit CULINARIASA.ORG

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DAVID RANGEL

Chicago Bagel& Deli

Teamwork during an Alamo City Provisions event

Festival, and five Alamo City Provisions events, also relies on two strict rules. “Everything isn’t always great all the time, but when we do have issues and we’re working, we can leave those … we can turn that off when we go into our personal lives,” Broz said. Russ completed her thought (as they often did during our chat) by adding, “and vice versa, we can turn the personal life off when we go to work.” The second is a rule they implemented during their early days of dating—there’d be no talking about work while at home. “We set how much time we could talk about work each night and after that it was over,” Broz said. They connect on several levels. Both hail from the South (Broz’s family lives in Atlanta; Russ is from New Orleans); they’ve traveled extensively (albeit separately) through the U.S. (before working in St. Michaels, Broz and Russ held jobs in Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Florida, Georgia, New York, New Hampshire and Alabama); and their wanderlust took them abroad where he helped open hotel kitchens and she both interned and worked as a pastry cook in England and studied abroad in Switzerland. They listen to NPR’s This American Life, go on walks with Seth, their rather large Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix—a gift from Mark and Kelley Escobedo of South Texas Heritage Pork, whom Broz and Russ credit for introducing them to all their area friends. “A lot of the ‘normal’ activities where I think people find their ‘clicks’ … well, for us it’s really being in the kitchen together, talking about the food, seeing how the other reacts to the food, what they love about it … going back to our favorite restaurants are things we love,” Russ said. They spoil each other in the food department as well. According to Broz, Russ will make fresh pasta with sautéed garlic, olive oil and a mountain of cheese after coming home from a long day at Lüke. Jealous yet? In turn, the head baker in charge whips up a key lime pie using her grandmother’s recipe that Russ can’t seem to share. “I have to make sure we have company, cause he’ll eat the whole thing,” Broz said. When they’re not using their days off to visit their favorite local eateries (Kohinoor, Cascabel, Bliss, Niki’s Tokyo Inn and the Hardbodies taco truck among them),

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they’re collaborating with friends and local chefs. They teamed up with Pieter Sypesteyn, Diego Galicia, Rico Torres, Jesse Torres, Luis Morales and a slew of featured chefs to create Alamo City Provisions, the dining concept Russ dreamed up and Broz helped make a reality. The goal for this chef super-group was two-fold. They wanted to showcase venues people might not be familiar with, while cooking with friends in a different way. The dinners are also meant to stretch their legs and push participating chefs to think about food in new, exciting ways. For their inaugural event inside the Josephine Theatre, the group turned their attention to game-heavy dishes of the Prohibition era and guests dined on a smoked ox tongue chef salad, elk tartar, terrapin stew (in which Russ introduced this eater to the virtue of eating turtle), canned quail and a pineapple upside-down cake (presented as a deconstructed take by Broz). Subsequent events were held through the city’s core. Dinner at Landa Gardens was themed after the chefs’ favorite books; a Champagne reception opened the event at the Inn at Craig Place, which ended with a dessert buffet; a family-style fall harvest dinner at the Lambermont focused on the flavors of autumn in South Texas; and a recent installment at High Wire Arts featured dishes inspired by Edgar Degas, Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe and Piero di Cosimo. “It’s not just dinner, it’s the whole experience,” Broz said, of the evening that included cocktails and wine or beer pairings by Jesse Torres of Mixtli, along with music by Doc Watkins and The Marcsmen. “You get to hang out and meet the chefs; people like to interact with the people that cook their foods.” The dinners will kick back up again in the spring, as Broz and Galicia have successfully convinced the group to host a Game of Thrones-themed event in April in advance of the next season of HBO’s hit show. In the meantime, Broz and Russ are already hard at work planning for February’s Boucherie, a daylong celebration of fine swine and New Orleans cookery at South Texas Heritage Pork, but not before planning the food element for this January’s San Antonio Cocktail Conference. “The most exciting thing is the fact that it has grown at such a pace that they asked people like Elise and I to help,” Russ said. After the success of last year’s events, which increased the food items available, Russ is beefing up the offerings by tapping even more chefs from around the city to join the parties. The Stroll on Houston, which will serve as the Saturday party for the conference, will open up the IBC Plaza and double the number of eateries present. “We’ve had the opportunity to meet people and build relationships we never would have because we’re doing this,” Russ said, while adding, “we’re making sure there are the right chefs, of the right caliber, so people who have been enjoying themselves at the seminars can have something awesome to eat.” With Broz’s logistical prowess, and Russ’ leadership skills, the team has proven nearly unstoppable in helping propel the SA dining scene by ultimately pushing each other to be better. “We definitely hold each other accountable … he’s also a great person to ask for advice,” Broz said. “He pushes me when he’s coming up with these crazy ideas and trying to make them happen. He’s always there for support when I need it.” –Jessica Elizarraras

Beyond the Border Beyond Delicious Beyond Authentic

Happy Hour Mon.-Fri.•4-7pm

Private Rooms Available 3810 Broadway San Antonio, TX 78209 210.822.3797 picantegrill.com sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Sustenio, as its name implies, is founded on the principle of using local and sustainable resources. A farm-to-table concept is a passion of Pyles and will be expanded as the restaurant and surrounding community matures.

Celebrity chef Stephan Pyles is

bringing his signature style and culinary flair to Sustenio, the flagship restaurant in Eilan Hotel Resort & Spa. In collaboration with Mike Collins, the new Executive Chef of Sustenio, the two masters fuse their creative genius to develop a menu that is comprised of innovative, original new dishes with some reinventions of Texas classics.

SUSTENIO HOURS OF OPERATION

Breakfast: 6:30 am -11 am (daily) Sunday Brunch: 10:30 am - 2 pm (Sundays)

Sustenio Lounge: Noon - 1 am Saturday - Thursday Noon - 2 am Friday & Saturday

Lunch: 11 am - 2 pm (daily) Dinner: 5:30 pm - 10 pm (daily) 30

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EILAN HOTEL RESORT & SPA | 18603 La Cantera Terrace | San Antonio, TX 78256

DAN PAYTON

HOT EATS 10 spots to visit ASAP 1. Braza Brava Pizza Napoletana 7959 Broadway, Ste 300, (210) 320-2100, facebook.com/brazabrava About the first thing one notices upon entering Braza Brava in the Collection is the igloo-shaped, Neapolitan oven behind the bar: It’s tiled in brilliant red and exudes power and promise. Pause for effect. But the Diavola pizza that issued forth one recent lunch, though indeed promising, lacked real conviction. We now know about well-blistered crusts in San Antonio, and despite the claim that this oven can achieve temperatures approaching 1,000 degrees, the evidence just wasn’t there. (Second visit: I can’t vouch for taste, but the couple at the bar next to me was

Diavola pizza

delivered beautifully blistered pies.) For a pie with a devilish description, the taste was also somewhat subdued—red pepper flakes were required to perk up a base of decent mozzarella, fresh basil, simple tomato and modestly spicy soppressata. Once adulterated, this was a perfectly pleasant pizza; yes, I ate the whole thing in the company of a glass of rosso di Montepulciano, all the while wishing there were a smaller, more personal version to save me from excessive consumption. Questions of portion size also occur in the appetizer section— an issue not unique to BB. As enticing as the well-garnished Roman artichokes wrapped in prosciutto sound, at $10 they do beg to be shared. So does the handsome-looking $15 plate of burrata with roasted vine tomatoes. The daily special, tomato bisque, however, scored on all counts; a simple Neapolitan-style panino (it’s presented in a folded pizza crust envelope), is not too big, not too small…and the arugula version with goat cheese and parmacotto ham is bright, fresh and appealing—no blistering required or desired. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

33 DAN PAYTON

2. Citrus at Hotel Valencia 150 E Houston, (210) 230-8412, hotelvalencia-riverwalk.com

Foie gras genoise

Chef Robbie Nowlin has been around—both here in San Antonio at the (late, lamented) Lodge and Las Canarias and in California with (much-lauded) Thomas Keller. Currently in residence at the Hotel Valencia’s Citrus, he has a serenely cool space to enliven with his particular brand of cuisine. Despite a handsome buffet selection of mostly vegetable antipasti, the lunch crowd, alas, has not yet beaten a path to his door; I was the only diner on a recent weekday. Those antipasti can be sampled a la carte or added to an entrée. A visiting epicure couldn’t stop raving. The fried Gulf oysters (somewhat preciously, the appetizer category is labeled “embark,” sides and salads “pursue,” the entrées “savor”) are worthy of the attention of epicures and ordinary folk alike: The flaky crust is tender, the house horseradish cocktail packs a punch and though the accompanying aioli doesn’t taste overtly of either the advertised charred orange or cumin, it’s intriguing nonetheless. But a generously portioned mole coloradito with duck confit, cubed potato, queso fresco and toasted pepitas stumbled—though not for lack of trying. Initial impressions were admittedly good, but as the bottom of the bowl loomed, so did an impression of slightly strident oiliness. Given his experience, we suspect that an evening’s spring lamb shank with pickled eggplant or P.E.I. mussels with house-made veal pastrami is more up his alley. One might embark, on an evening, with a foie gras crepe with unlikely (but boldly imagined) accents of strawberry, celery, banana and candied hazelnut. And one can, er, disembark after dinner in the adjacent Vbar, still shimmery after all these years. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

us As A Great Restaurant With A Fine Hotel Attached.

taurants, but Citrus is no typical hotel restaurant. Our daily menu is equal parts inspiring, tantalizing and deliciously

ntonio’s local markets and provisioners for the freshest and finest ingredients. All so that you may enjoy a meal th coming back for. Who knows, you might even choose to stay the night so you can dine here again sooner.

SAN ANTONIO, TX

2 1 0 . 2 2 7. 9 7 0 0

W W W. H OT E LVA L E N CI A - R I V E R WA L K .CO M

sh t wist on dining inside Hotel Valencia on San Antonio’s famed River Walk .

E xecutive Chef, Jef fer y Balfour

CHEF DRIVEN CUISINE. GUEST FOCUSED SERVICE. A TRUE SAN ANTONIO EXPERIENCE. 150 E HOUSTON ST, SAN ANTONIO, TX | 210.227.9700 | HOTELVALENCIA-RIVERWALK.COM

©2010 Hotel Valencia Corporation. Valencia® is a registered trademark of Newhall Land & Farming Company and is licensed to Hotel Valencia Corporation. The Valencia logo is a registered service mark of Eland Investment Corporation.

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CASEY HOWELL

Roasted duck and gnocchi

3. The Cookhouse 720 E Mistletoe, (210) 320-8211, cookhouserestaurant.com We knew Pieter Sypesteyn could cook after he opened his food truck, Where Y’at, three years ago at the gates of Southtown known as Alamo Street Eat Bar. The truck gave us a taste of what was to come in the form of serious po’boys, loaded gumbos and saucy jambalayas. But with the opening of The Cookhouse, Sypesteyn has really let the good times roll….or laissez les bons temps rouler, as the restaurant’s concept would have it. Lunch is familiar enough, and you’ll find food truck favorites such as the fried oyster and crispy bacon combo once known as the Peacemaker, the classic muffaletta or a plenty tasty fried shrimp po’boy. Served up much like at the truck—wrapped in

white butcher paper, that is—lunch is an informal affair. And don’t forget the napkins. Once dinner starts, Sypesteyn delivers on all sides (and, yes, those are quite delicious, as well). During our dinner visit (a first of many since the restaurant opened in early September), we loaded up on the charbroiled oysters, a buttery and spice-laden affair that begged for more soft bread to sop up any extra sauce. The paneed shrimp was a meal unto itself, but don’t fill up on just that—there are entrees to be had. The roasted duck is a favorite, with its pillowy marjoram potato gnocchi and savory tomato confit, but don’t pass on the classic New Orleans barbecue shrimp (again, ask for more bread). Sypesteyn also has a way with fish—the blackened drum, topped with shrimp and served on a bed of potato and corn hash, is comforting and begs for a return visit. Get there early or call in reservations beforehand, this is quickly turning into everyone’s favorite restaurant. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

CASEY HOWELL

JOSH HUSKIN

4. Folc 226 E Olmos, (210) 822-0100, folc-restaurant.com Since opening its doors in early September, Folc and its staff have spent many a cozy dinner and festive brunch catering to crowds of hungry food lovers looking for the next great thing in a laid-back environment. Could it be chef and part-owner Luis Colon’s sweetbreads, flash-fried bites of tender veal bits that pair well with the coffee mayo dots on the plate? Probably, but the sweetbreads are up against some fierce competition from the rest of the solid menu. Start with the chicken liver mousse parfait, a feminine and dainty dish that’s rich and alluring in one bite, and follow it up with the housemade ricotta on house-made grilled bread with a healthy dose of pea shoots, herbs and fresh-shelled peas. Don’t forget your greens—the team at Folc most certainly did not—and try the colorful bunch of hay-marinated carrots with thick labneh or the simple and sinful asparagus with mushrooms and cream. When it comes to the main course, we’re still singing the praises of the briny caper-laden pork schnitzel and the roasted half chicken, moist and flavorful, you could do without the house-made chimichurri, but why should you? The feasts don’t stop at lunch and dinner. Folc’s brunch game is nothing to scoff at as the team packs in decadent crab leg scrambles with roasted fingerling potatoes, satisfying biscuit sandwiches, fluffy Dutch babies and wake-meup cocktails. You want to get the family (friends, and whoever else makes up your community) to Folc.

Caption 36

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Peas, herbs and ricotta on toast

HAPPY HOUR MON-THURS 5pm-6:30pm Sushi Bar Area Only • DINE-IN ONLY •

9030 Wurzbach Rd. 78240

210.615.7553

San Antonio’s Oldest Authentic Full Menu Japanese Restaurant Open Seven Days a Week Since 1970

LUNCH

Mon thru Fri 11AM - 2:30PM Sat thru Sun 12PM - 3PM

DINNER

Mon thru Thu 5PM - 10PM Fri 5PM - 11PM • SAT 3PM - 11PM Sun 3PM - 9:30PM

www.FujiyaJapaneseGarden.com spice up your winter

RESTAURANT

210.829.7345 | 1146 Austin Highway San Antonio, TX 78209 | TongsThai.com sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Daily Lunch & Dinner Sunday Brunch 10a-3p 300 W.Bitters Rd.@ West Ave | 210.396.7170 | BavarianBrauhaus.com

Located in the historic Sullivan Carriage House (circa 1896) at the entrance to one of our city’s most beautiful attractions, the San Antonio Botanical Garden, you will find a hidden gem of a restaurant. Anne Marie’s Carriage House Bistro boasts an eclectic menu that is sure to please the inner foodie in you! Available for private parties, rehearsal dinners, receptions, bridal showers, anniversaries, family reunions, corporate meetings and lunches, etc.

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Hours of Operation

Tuesday–Friday, Lunch » 11am to 2 pm • Saturday–Sunday, Brunch » 10 am to 2 pm

555 Funston Place San Antonio, Texas 78209 Reservations: (210) 826 5800

CASEY HOWELL

Chicken tawa

5. Kohinoor Restaurant 9425 Fredericksburg, (210) 314-8692, kohinoorsa.com Kohinoor’s original location may be closed…for now, but you’ll still find the same tasty tawa-cooked favorites inside K2. No, that’s not the second highest mountain in the world, but the newest Medical Center spot of this Pakistani favorite. The tight menu is comprised of Pakistani classics, including, but not limited to, a small appetizer section, grilled dishes, tawa (or griddle) dishes, chicken entrées, vegetarian entrées, rice dishes, breads, wraps and desserts. Lassi fans can still get their thrills with velvety smooth iterations.

You’re not there for the decor—Kohinoor’s new location is all about the food. Pack a few friends and take in an order of the paratha, a thinly rolled, fried and incredibly pliable unleavened offering served on a large pizza pan. Don’t overlook the largerthan-life samosas, or the board specials that cater to vegetarians and carnivores alike. Our visit included a beef gravy nihari, a hot bowl of aromatic and stewed cubes of tender beef, and the signature chicken tawa, heavy on the ginger, chiles, garlic and a secret garam masala mix. The spice party continued with the fluffy chicken biryani that held spicy bites of tender poultry and the kebab rolls, which are filled with ground beef kebab meat, onions and a tangy chutney. The rolls are handy and accessible for the set in need of a speedy lunch, just make sure you call it in ahead of time. You might have leftovers—portions are huge—but we won’t judge you if you don’t. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Starfish, Unbound Cuisine

Azuca Sabor Latino, Restaurant and Bar

709 South Alamo, San Antonio, TX 78205

375.4423 starfishsa.com SEAFOOD, STEAKS, AND MORE

Tuesday -Thursday

Friday & Saturday

4:00pm - 10:00pm

4:00pm - 11:00pm

1420 S Alamo St. Ste. 101(210) 445-2203 | barracatx.com 40

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DAN PAYTON

Fried noodles with vegetables

6. Kung Fu Noodle 6733 Bandera, (210) 451-5586 Disclaimer: Don’t go into Kung Fu Noodle expecting a whole lot other than good noodles, dumplings, buns and great service. You really won’t find much else, and that’s exactly how we like it. Located inside a sleepy shopping center that also holds an Arby’s, Kung Fu Noodle is open seven days a week, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll be lucky enough to try all of their handmade offerings. And the noodles truly are hand-pulled by the family of four that runs the joint. The slapping and pulling of said noodles from the kitchen in the back might be alarming at first, but that first comforting bite will seal the deal for a return visit. The menu is small and concise—this is, after all, a family-run

eatery with 10 handmade, bare-bones tables and stools crafted from varnished two-by-fours. The decor is equally sparse, save for a string of red lanterns and a Maneki-neko, or good luck kitty. Fans of a good bit of heat will want to try the noodles with lamb, and don’t let the cheery, soft-spoken server talk you out of it. The bowl is served piping hot and laced with small but fierce Szechuan peppercorns and Tien Tsin chile peppers that deliver a punch of heat straight to the back of your throat. She did try to warn us, after all. An order of dumplings, almost two dozen (we’re guessing, we never stopped to count while popping the bites into our mouths), are delivered warm and snuggled up together in either pork and mushroom, pork and celery, pork and chive, or beef. There’s no fanfare, and Kung Fu Noodle comes highly recommended by area chefs familiar with the cuisine. Moreover, it’s cheap and tasty—you’ll want to head to this noodle depot ASAP. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Family-style Kitchen Beer-Wine-Libations

Modern style cocktails, incorporating San Antonio Flavors 226 East Olmos Drive 78212 | 210.822.0100

The best of Texas in every scoop!

lick honest ice creams

at Historic Pearl 312 Pearl Parkway Suite 2101 San Antonio, Texas

ilikelick.com 42

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DAN PAYTON

7. Las Islas Maria 522 SW Military, (210) 922-7777, lasislasmarias.net

Camarones zarandeados

Now washed up on the unbeachy banks of Southwest Military, the color-splashed space that houses Las Islas Marias adds to a local and growing list of authentically Mexican seafood restaurants that also includes the likes of Costa Pacifica and the ever-evolving El Bucanero. The restaurant’s focus is unique in that it plays heavily to the Sinaloan strength that is shrimp—and it fries almost nothing, camarones “cucaracha” being an evocative exception. Camarones zarandeados, butterflied, grilled and served with a buttery sauce that suggests Worcestershire or Maggi, are another good example, but shrimp are not to be ignored as served in the housespecial empanadas, adorning a briny coctel de camarón y pulpo (octopus), or as the centerpiece of an excellent ceviche “ejecutivo.” “Hot!” is the warning accompanying a plate of camarones aguachiles that uniquely comes in either a green or red version. Flip a sand dollar. Beyond shrimp, the platter of mejillones in a “special” sauce akin to that on the zarandeado plates is generously endowed with green-lipped mussels and garnished with sliced cucumber; one of the few other fried dishes, chicharrón de pescado defies expectations by arriving in lightly breaded stick form. With any of these, we suggest a Mexican beer, such as Victoria or Pacifico— or whichever pale brew is available. Margaritas are distinguished more by size than by excellence. Size has nothing to do with the service; the waitresses are all fun and feisty, especially if you speak a little Spanish. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Mon-Fri: 7 am - 7 pm • Sat: 9 am - 5 pm • Sun: 9am - 5pm (210) 272-0467 • 5317 McCullough • urthjuicebar.com

Bourbon & burgers Visit our website for

Daily HappY Hour Specials BeatStreetbistro.com

2512 N Main Ave. | 210.320.2099 44

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

DAN PAYTON

Pan-seared mahi mahi

8. Silo Terrace Oyster Bar 22211 I-10 W, (210) 698-2002, silosa.com The Silo brand has expanded its reach into the far Northwest side of San Antonio and this time the homegrown chain of eateries is adding “oysterology” to the menu. Located north of Loop 1604 and I-10, Silo Terrace Oyster Bar offers the same posh environment as its sister locations but with the added draws of far-reaching views of the city and an icy open compartment packed with pink king crab legs, shrimp and a formidable collection of oysters ranging from Beausoleil, out of New Brunswick, to Pemaquid via Hog Island, Maine, and

Raspberry Point (yes, the same had by Kate and Wills while on their trip to Prince Edward Island). But the offerings don’t stop with fresh-shucked goodies. The newly established prix fixe menu includes high- and “low-brow” fare, such as Maine lobster rolls, Crystal Hot Sauce fried chicken, braised lamb shank, and fish and chips. Grilled oysters Rockefeller with fennel cream, garlic breadcrumbs, parmesan and applewood-smoked bacon share the small plates menu with a bright snapper ceviche that combines tomatillos, grape tomatoes, cilantro and spicy serrano peppers. Bigger appetites will find lobster ravioli, shrimp fra diavolo with house-made squid-ink tagliolini and miso-glazed salmon. Wash it all down with some bubbles or signature cocktails made with Texan spirits and call it a day. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

2503 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78215 â&#x20AC;˘ 210.444.0277

Come Celebrate our Tradition of Family, Friends & Good Food!

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

DAN PAYTON

Three-meat plate

9. Smoke Shack BBQ + Southern Kitchen 3714 Broadway, (210) 957-1430, smokeshacksa.com You’ll likely smell Midtown’s newest barbecue joint before you see it, and once you do, it will be nearly impossible to ignore those ’cue cravings. Broadway’s Smoke Shack, owned by Chris and Kate Conger, opened last April for lunch and added dinner hours in May. After serving food truck fans for four years at the corner of Loop 410 and Nacogdoches, the couple garnered some serious

street cred and a fierce following. Now, the brick-and-mortar location, housed in an A-frame building across from the Witte Museum, allows them to serve up double the brisket, BBQ ribs and Smoke Shack Mac. The long lines—especially around lunch—give you time to weigh the options. The sliders (one slider and two sides for $8, two sliders and two sides for $9) are delicious. Mix it up with brisket, turkey, pulled pork or sausage varieties. A barbecue plate, piled high with your choice of meat, two sides and a roll, will run you anywhere from $10 to $14. You can also try one of their sandwich options, a Frito pie or the Big Dog—a sausage link in a hoagie, topped with brisket, pulled pork, two sauces and vinegar slaw. Conger plans to revamp the menu periodically and we’re hoping for an appearance by the crazy-popular off-menu brisket grilled cheese (fingers crossed). sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

49 CASEY HOWELL

10. Starfish 709 S Alamo, (210) 375-4423, starfishsa.com

Scallops, beets and potatoes

Southtown’s reeled itself a big one. As the sister location of Azúca Nuevo Latino, Starfish made a fanciful splash in the downtown area this summer by adding elegantly plated fare with a seafood spin. With only 12 or so tables, the compact restaurant is quite the cave of wonders. Starfish features a gleaming open kitchen and exposed brick walls enclosing the space. The ocean theme is more subtle and abstract than that of its peers—long jellyfish-esque lamps dangle from the ceiling near the chef’s table, two glass chandeliers made of bubblelike chains anchor the entry and only three fish-inspired pieces of art hang from the wall, all touches brought in by artists Abraham Mojica, Charles Harrison, Emmett Martinez, Nik Soupé and Maureen “Momo” Brown. The menu, which changes frequently to keep up with seasonal produce availability, reflects Texan and coastal flavors. Our dinner visits found solid options, including delicately prepared scallops, blackened drum and artfully presented bouillabaisse. Try the dreamy ahi tuna poke with chilled cucumber and Brazilian nuts, or the duck pot pie. And don’t miss out on desserts like house-churned ice cream, sweet and savory banana bread with brûléed banana and plantain chip or the N’awlins-style baby beignets with cinnamon sugar, espresso cream and a zesty citrus spread. You won’t find tacky fish decor here, but you will find beautiful sea-inspired bites.

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DECADENT DESSERTS You won’t mind the calories The dessert game in San Anto is slowly and surely evolving to include a plethora of sweets. We’re taking you for a sweet ride through our favorite indulgences. —Jessica Elizarraras

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

JOSH HUSKIN

DECADENT DESSERTS You won’t mind the calories The dessert game in San Anto is evolving to include a plethora of sweets. We’re taking you for a sweet ride through our favorite indulgences. —Jessica Elizarraras

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JOSH HUSKIN

1. Canelés

at Bakery Lorraine 306 Pearl Pkwy, Ste 110, (210) 862-5582 There’s a lot to take in during any visit to the Pearl’s latest addition. We’re talking about Bakery Lorraine, which moved into a 2,400-square-foot space at the dining mecca this past October. Changes mean more goodies for all—from the transcendent macarons to the perfectly smooth glaze on their chocolate

tarts to the fan-favorite faux pop tarts that incorporate leftover “broken dream” mac shell topping—as their commissary kitchen is stretching its legs and producing more pastries. The goods might be getting more elaborate to include raspberry-filled cheese Danishes, matcha peach cake and dreamy tarts, but our heart lies with the French canelés, a favorite of co-owner Charlie Biedenharn. Made in individual copper molds called Bordelais, which are dipped with Gretchen Bee Ranch Honey, Bakery Lorraine’s canelés are great two-bite treats that are crunchy, custardy and slightly less guilt-inducing than their pastry case comrades. Buy one for a fanciful snack or pack away a dozen. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

18402 US HWY 281 N., suite 107, SA, TX 78259 | 210.277.0308

Cakeartsa.com

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CENTRAL: 4200 Broadway @ Hildebrand • (210) 826-0800 MOBILE RESERVATIONS: www.cheesyjanes.com 54

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CASEY HOWELL

2. Phyllo desserts at Darna Grill

8132 Fredericksburg, (210) 614-1800 The Northwest side of town holds several Mediterranean eateries, and each carries a handful of sweets. Sure there’s Pasha’s Greek yogurt cheesecake to be had, but we can’t stop sinking our teeth into Darna Grill’s huge assortment of flaky treats.

Save room during lunch (which will be a task considering the legit falafel available here), and load up on the selection of desserts available by the pound. Trays vary daily and Darna showcases the lineup of phyllo desserts along its bar, where, yes, you’ll find several varieties of baklava (available in rolls and poppable bite-sized minis), but also basbousa (or semolina cake) and sinful kunafa available in two varieties with crisp thin noodles, a soft white cheese similar to ricotta in the center, and loaded with syrupy rose water. Pick up a pound or two and impress family and friends year-round. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

SAN ANTONIO JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT FRESHER

When it comes to food there’s the Easy Way and then there’s the RIGHT Way. At Kneaders Bakery and Café, we only do things the Right Way, even if it’s also that Hard Way. Our bakers are in hours before dawn crafting authentic artisan hearth breads using only a handful of ingredients right in our restaurant. Only the freshest produce comes into our kitchens for use in our delicious sandwiches and gourmet salads. We even slow-roast and hand-pull our turkey every night to bring out that unbeatable flavor. And if that’s not enough we also scratch-prepare 42 different kinds of pastries every single morning. Come experience the Right Way, with Kneaders. Dine in, take out or drive through.

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210-495-1000 21639 Hardy Oak Blvd | San Antonio kneaders.com

CASEY HOWELL

3. Cajeta ice cream at Folc

226 E Olmos, (210) 822-0100 We can’t help singing the praises of Folc. The eatery opened up with solid fare that drives community togetherness from start to finish. While on the subject of those meal-ending bites, chef Luis Colon has a flare for dramatics and has been known to send

back desserts that don’t meet his expectations. The decadent offerings change and have included seasonal specials, such as a persimmon gallete with curried squash, brown sugar and buttermilk ice cream, and a persimmon cobbler with ice cream, peppercorns and cloves. But one staple has remained since the dessert menu’s inception and for good reason. The cajeta ice cream with pound cake, streusel and edible flowers showcases Colon’s even-handedness with flavors. The just-sweet-enough cajeta is rich and creamy, the house-made cake fresh and fluffy, and the colorful flowers make for a fun and shareable dish that will leave folks pleasantly content. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

210 .86 2 . 55 8 2 www.BAKERYLORRAINE.com

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306 Pearl Parkway, Suite 110

DAN PAYTON

4. Key lime pie at Bliss

926 S Presa, (210) 225-2547 We’re suckers for a good key lime pie. While the combination flavor bomb and subtlety of The Sandbar Fish House & Market’s

(200 E Grayson, (210) 222-2426) iteration is a perennial favorite, Southtown’s Bliss delivers a photo-ready version that we keep going back for. A buttery crust lays the foundation for the luscious, citrusy custard and a torched mountain of “big hair” meringue—you’ll want to share this dessert. What sets it apart from other versions of the quintessential American indulgence is its use of a sweet, lightly spicy, and hot pink prickly pear sauce that borders the pie like an appealing moat that won’t keep us out anytime soon. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Fall Hours: Wed.-Thu. 3-8 pm | Fri. & Sat. 2-8 pm | Sun. 2-6 pm

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3420 N. Saint Mary’s St., Ste. 101 San Antonio, TX 78212 • 210.882.8903 Located near the San Antonio Zoo And Brackenridge Park

COME JOIN US & EXPLORE THE RICHNESS OF TEXAS BREWED COFFEE, BEER, & WINE.

MON. - THU. : 6:30 AM-9 PM | FRI. : 6:30 AM-10 PM | SAT.: 7 AM-10 PM SUN.: 8 AM-6 PM

8055 West Ave, Suite 107 • SA, Tx Hours: 7am-6pm • 210.259.8359 60

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203 E Jones Ave, Ste. 101 | 210.277.8574

rosellacoffee.com

59 DAN PAYTON

5. Unique gelato at A la Mode Gelato

New Blue Star location is on the way this January If you’re serious about your gelato (and who isn’t?), you’ll want to pay a visit to A la Mode Gelato. A relatively new member of the farmers market formerly found at the Alamo Quarry, A la Mode is operated by Josh Biffle, an Austin native who decided to focus his life’s work on tasty gelato. He graduated

from culinary school in Brescia, Italy, and apprenticed at a gelateria in Siena. He’s previously worked under master gelato instructors, and focuses on creating new, unique flavors using real and often imported ingredients. Visit them at The Yard Farmers & Ranchers Market on Sundays and sample from an ever-evolving menu that’s included yogurt with balsamic black cherry, vanilla bean bourbon, chestnut, white chocolate macadamia and a badass salted caramel. Dairy-averse folks don’t have to miss out on the fun—Biffle and wife Diletta (yes, he even fell in love with and married a gorgeous Italian gal), carry non-dairy flavors such as Meyer lemon and prickly pear, and blood orange and ginger. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

A Barbecue 0 5 9 1 e c n i s n o i t i d Tra

r u o y r e d r o ! y e k r u T d e k o m Holiday S

1150 Austin Hwy. •San Antonio, Texas 78209 • (210) 828-2829 • bunnbarrel.com

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61 LOUIE PRECIADO

THE NEW MUST-HAVES 5 trending ingredients for your pantry

1. Cardamom I don’t know who makes these decisions, but cardamom is frequently called the “queen of spices.” OK, fine, its use in cuisines as disparate as Indian and Scandinavian at the very least gives it claims to some diplomatic creds. The question is, however, which cardamom? There are three colors: green, black and white. Let’s make things easier by ruling out white. It’s merely a bleached version of the green and no less an authority than Cook’s Illustrated has deemed it a “significant disappointment.” If we’re being sticklers for royal lineage, black has to be ruled out, too, as it’s a distant relative not in line for the throne. It does, nevertheless, have its partisans and its uses. One pundit calls it “the bacon of spices,” and everybody knows that everything’s better with bacon in it—especially long-cooked stews and curries utilizing a lot of dried chiles and lime juice. Ground black cardamom is a component in many garam masala spice blends. It

can add kick to lentil dishes and tossed into a pot of cooking rice in its whole-pod form, it adds a welcome depth. On a more local note, it’s said to be good as part of a dry rub for brisket. Green cardamom works with all the above as well—just more subtly. It’s an essential component of masala chai, the ubiquitous Indian drink of tea, milk and spices. With or without milk, it’s equally good brewed into coffee, especially if using a French press; just use one cracked pod per cup and add a tiny pinch of salt. With either tea or coffee, it couldn’t hurt to bring a cardamom-spiced pastry to the party. There are numerous, mostly Scandinavian, recipes online; one with figs and puff pastry caught our eye, but a simple sugar cookie with cardamom, cinnamon and a touch of lemon zest would be equally queenly. As for the king of spices, you guessed it: black pepper. Find these flavors at India Palace, 8474 Fredericksburg, Ste 100, (210) 692-5262; India Oven, 1031 Patricia, (210) 366-1030; India Taj Palace, 20323 Huebner, Ste 107, (210) 497-4800; Biryani Pot, 9386 Huebner, Ste 109, (210) 561-8874. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

62 TASTEFUL NORTH INDIAN CUISINE IN AN ELEGANT SETTING

Authentic Thai Cuisine

saebthainoodlesa.com 226 W Bitters Rd #124, San Antonio, TX 78216 • (210) 545-3354

Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm Friday: 11am-10pm

Saturday: 12pm-10pm Sunday: 12pm-8pm

$1 OFF BELLY DANCERS LUNCH BUFFET 1ST FRIDAY OF MONTH 11AM - 2:30PM 2 FOR 1 1 ENTREE & 2 BEVERAGES, CANDLELIGHT DINING BUY RECEIVE 2ND ENTREE FOR FREE! 5 - 10 PM CALL FOR RESERVATIONS

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OPEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S DAY FROM 11AM-3PM FOR GRAND CHAMPAGNE BUFFET $13.95

1031 Patricia Drive | 210.366.1030 | www.indiaoven.biz (off West Ave. One blk South of Blanco)

Gift Certificates Also Available

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Lunch Specials starting at $6.50 HAPPY HOUR 3-6 $2 off Appetizers, Spirits, and Cocktails $1 off Beer and Wine

OPEN DAILY|FULL BAR SERVICE

12651 Vance Jackson Rd #108 @ De Zavala | 210•558•2018 64

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63 LOUIE PRECIADO

2. Furikake The Asian flavors continue on this tasty tour—this time we’re talking about the dry seasoning making its way onto menus around town. Available in several iterations, including tuna, salmon, shrimp and other fishy remakes, furikake combines toasted sesame seeds and itty-bitty nori (dried seaweed) flakes, along with a hint of sugar and the controversial (but chef favorite) monosodium glutamate (we’re talking MSG, kids). Traditionally employed as a seasoning for steamed rice, the uses for flaky furikake abound. Scramble up some eggs and top them with your furikake seasoning of choice; toss it on veggies

or heck, even a steak. The possibilities are as endless as the sesame seeds that you’ll inevitably find in your teeth later that day. Locally, you can pick up a shaker or seven for around $2 at most Asian markets. Or order the egg salad tartine at Bakery Lorraine, which turns boring egg salad on its head by adding pickled carrots and furikake. Enjoy it at The Monterey, as chef John Philpot and co. whip it into butter to serve with radishes and bagel chips for a fun starter. Find these flavors at Bakery Lorraine, 306 Pearl Pkwy, Ste 110, (210) 862-5582; The Monterey, 1127 S St. Mary’s, (210) 745-2581; Seoul Oriental Food Market, 1027 Rittiman, (210) 822-1529; Minnano Japanese Grocery, 7460 Callaghan, Ste 310, (210) 340-7900. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

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65 LOUIE PRECIADO

3. Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce We head to Korea for your next favorite chile paste. Championed by chef Edward Lee, a former contestant on Top Chef, Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce is a vegan, gluten-free fermented batch made with red peppers, rice flour and sea salt. Available now at Central Market stores throughout Texas, the paste is savory and spicy and has just the teensiest bit of sweetness. It’s gaining traction around certain chef-y circles and hot eateries, including Austin’s East Side King (a certain little eatery

owned by Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year and Top Chef: Texas winner Paul Qui), Houston’s Underbelly and Brennan’s of Houston, and Dallas’ Chino Chinatown (where it’s served in ramen with barbacoa topped with Gochujang marrow butter). You can find chef Jason Dady using the sauce at two of his eateries around town. Gochujang adds extra smokiness to his brisket rub at B&D Ice House. The brisket made a cameo during Umai Mi’s ramen week where Dady also added heat to a classic dessert by drizzling sweet and spicy Gochujang syrup over a Nutella flourless torte. Find these flavors at Umai Mi, 555 W Bitters, (210) 496-0555; B&D Ice House, 1004 S Alamo, (210) 225-9801; H-E-B Central Market, 4821 Broadway, (210) 368-8600. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

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67 LOUIE PRECIADO

4. Kaffir lime leaves The shiny, two-lobed lime leaf formerly known as kaffir is a tough little bugger; in most dishes, notably ones from Thailand and Indonesia, it’s either removed before serving or left to the diner to extract. But its toughness didn’t save it from a name change. Turns out, and this is apparently not new news, that kaffir is a derogatory term in parts of Africa and the Muslim world: “The k-word is equivalent to the n-word” in some countries, noted one correspondent. Fortunately, there need be no hysteria over citrus hystrix; there’s another, albeit less well-known, name at the ready: Makrut lime. Though it will take some time for the non-PCC (politically and culinarily correct) term to complete its fall from grace, we might as well get used to using makrut. We should get used to it for practical reasons as well. Makrut leaves (the zest of the actual lime is occasionally used as well, but

the juice is deemed too acidic by most cooks) are marvelously fragrant, they are indispensable in Thai fish cakes, in soups such as tom yum and in curries such as the popular Panang…and they are unexpectedly good muddled at the bottom of a glass in which you plan to make a gin and tonic. Don’t wait until summer. You may have to wait for FedEx, however. The leaves by whatever name are difficult to find locally (try Mr. Tim’s on Bandera), so you will likely have to either find an actual tree (my twig of a plant is looking very poorly at the moment, alas) or order the fresh leaves online. Fortunately, they freeze well. Once in hand, here’s another trick to try: Put five or six in a quart jar and pour a bottle of decentish gin over them. Cap and put in a dark place for a week or until the gin turns a light green and smells of a bruised leaf. Add tonic. Find these flavors at Thai Dee, 5307 Blanco, (210) 342-3622; Bangkok 54 Thai Cuisine, 2515 Nacogdoches, (210) 822-5454; Thai Chili Cuisine, 19141 Stone Oak Pkwy, Ste 305, (210) 402-4042. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

The tradition continues since 1986

DINE-IN | CARRY-OUT | DELIVERY romespizza.com

5999 DeZavala Dr. Post Office Center 210.691.2070

10555 Culebra Rd. Just inside 1604 210.256.7663

12411 Bandera Rd. Just outside 1604 210.695.9933

Lunch Buffet

Monday- FridaY10:30am-1pm Dine-In • Carryout • Catering

3938 S Zarzamora St SA,Texas 210.932.2500 | Alamopizza.net 70

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LOUIE PRECIADO

5. Truffles Gone are the days of menus inundated with truffle oil. Make way for the truffle flake. Chefs like self-proclaimed “truffle master” Robbie Nowlin are budgeting cleverly throughout the year to splurge on the luxurious, and deceivingly tasty fungi known simply as truffles. Most commonly available in the white and black varieties, these rock-like nuggets have turned into a pièce de résistance at area eateries where the shavings or peelings top fresh-made pastas and creamy sauces such as those found at Citrus, Feast and even Barbaro, where the fanciful flakes have found their way onto a white truffle

carbonara pizza that clocks in at 47 buckaroos. If you’re in the market to play around with truffles at home, Gaucho Gourmet is likely your best bet at finding the fungi at accommodating price points. The warehouse serves as supplier for several eateries, including Biga on the Banks, Goro’s Sushi, Godai Sushi Bar & Japanese Restaurant and Vaudeville in Fredericksburg. And if you’d rather ease down the pungent road of truffles (instead of making it rain flakes over all your pasta dishes), Gaucho Gourmet carries a Cacio di Bosco al Tartufo, a hard pecorino cheese dotted with black truffle flakes. Find these flavors at Citrus, 150 E Houston, (210) 230-8412; Feast, 1024 S Alamo, (210) 354-1024; Gaucho Gourmet, 935 Isom, (210) 277-7930. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

S P O H C R U LICK Y—OAND — ! E L T S I H W R U O Y T E W

SERVING FULL MENU M A 2 IL T N U S K IN R D H IT W $6.99 LUNCH SPECIALS

CALL TO RESERVE YOUR PRIVATE PARTY NOW!

12651 Vance Jackson Rd #110 | 210.696.1356

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NO WEAK LINKS HERE 6 chains that break the mold CASEY HOWELL

From top: a mural by Robert Tatum; Mellow Mushroom’s Kosmic Karma pie

2. Mellow Mushroom Bolognese from Luciano offshoot Va Bene Pizzeria Napoletana

1. Luciano Restaurants Multiple locations, lucianorestaurants.com Headquartered in San Antonio, this family-focused chain has multiple locations throughout the Alamo City and four dining concepts that include a restaurant on the River Walk, neighborhood and family pizzerias, and express locations in area malls. Menu options range from a mozzarella bar to calzones and cannoli to Italian wedding soup, build-your-own pizzas and pasta options named for Nonna Lina, grandmother to the owners and inspiration behind many of the recipes that come from her native Naples.

115 N Loop 1604 E, (210) 370-9219, mellowmushroom.com From the name to its 1970s roots to the fact that it’s billed as a “friendchise,” this restaurant is both pizza heaven and a hippie haven. Already a well-established chain on the East Coast, Mellow Mushroom is growing in Texas with nine locations, one of which is in San Antonio. Specialty pies include the Thai Dye with grilled curry chicken, cucumbers and a sweet Thai chili sauce, as well as a red skin potato pie with roasted red potatoes, applewood-smoked bacon and a spicy ranch dressing. Restaurant-goers with a case of the munchies can also enjoy calzones, hoagies and appetizers like the Magic Mushroom soup. With more than 30 beers on tap, gluten-free options and a newly introduced skinny ’shroom menu, it’s sure to make everyone in the commune happy. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

LOCATIONS

award winning brisket & ribs

The Restaurant

3714 Broadway, SA, TX 78209

210.957.1430

The Food Truck

connect with us SmokeShack

2347 Nacogdoches @ 410 Mon-Sat 11a-3p

@SmokeShackSA

Catering Available

SmokeShackSA.com

210.829.8448

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A chicken and cheese melt on toasted sourdough

3. Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar 15900 La Cantera Pkwy, Ste 21200 (210) 236-8095, whiskeycakesa.com

2021 SAN PEDRO AVE. SA, TX 78212 210.849.9367

Plano-based Whiskey Cake recently set up shop in La Cantera, making San Antonio its third sister location. The restaurant features an outdoor produce garden, lounge seating (in addition to farm tables for dining) and a bar that resembles an old-school library with shelves of liquor and sliding ladders. Ingredients are locally sourced and menu offerings are best described as Southern, with a hint of an Asian influence. Snacks include fried green tomatoes, beef jerky and deviled eggs (varieties rotate every Monday). Try the “OMG Burger”—which stands for onions, mushrooms and goodness—or the BBQ banh mi. Brunch-goers can delight in lemon poppy seed pancakes, chicken and waffles, and freshly squeezed juices. Of course, they also live up to their namesake with whiskey-based cocktails, flights and the signature Whiskey Cake dessert, which includes toffee torte, bourbon anglaise, spiced pecans and whipped cream.

Whiskey Cake’s namesake dessert sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Bar Mosaico

Bar Mosaico serving Happy Hour Monday through Sunday Private Room available for any Celebration 76

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Baja shrimp tacos from Torchy’s

4. Torchy’s Tacos 999 E Basse, torchystacos.com San Antonio doesn’t mess around when it comes to tacos, and come December 18 there will be one more contender on the scene. This highly anticipated Austinbased chain will be serving up free breakfast tacos on opening day at their new 4,362-square-foot location in Lincoln Heights. Locals can look forward to their full menu that includes breakfast tacos, the famed green chile queso and homemade chips, and a “damn good” selection of tacos with names like The Republican, Dirty Sanchez and Trailer Park. We highly recommend you get it “trashy.”

LuncH, DinneR

& Happy HouR Home of tHe Limit 2 maRgaRita!

Leave Happy, RetuRn often. There’s always room for queso

255 E. BassE @ Quarry MarkEt 210.821.3738 • CanyonCafE.CoM sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

NOW OPEN SERVING THE BEST

STYLE EATS 441 W. Nakoma at West Ave | (210) 248-9609 | facebook.com/wiseguyssanantonio

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y d e m o C Live A Week 7 Nights

Laugh Yo u r Ass Off!

618 NW Loop 410, Near Airport 210.541.8805 LOLSanAntonio.com

Is it more than just a burger?

5. In-N-Out Burger 10918 Culebra, (800) 786-1000, in-n-out.com Normal hours for this California chain with a cult following are 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, but they opened early on November 20 because of the hundreds of anxious fans outside, anticipating San Antonio’s first In-N-Out. Texans—and a lot of California ex-pats—waited in line for the burgers and fries that have a reputation of being cooked made-to-order, without any prior freezing or pre-packaging. The chain’s website boasts that they “don’t even own a microwave, heat lamp or freezer.” For those not as familiar with the franchise, their not-so-secret menu can be found online, detailing what it means to have your fries or burger “animal style.” While Whataburger will always hold a special place in our hearts, it’s clear they have some competition.

National and Local Comedian s 849 E. Commerce @ Rivercenter Mall 210.229.1420 RiverCenterComedyClub.com

Try the fries “animal style” sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

Cominn ii Sprinn of 2015 80

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Thank you, San Antonio! 2008 2009 2011

tonio

san an

WINNER BEST BREAKFAST TACOS

Blackened fish tacos

6. Bar Louie

“The 64 Best Tacos in the Country” - Rachel Ray

Multiple locations, barlouieamerica.com With more than 70 franchise locations—two of which are in San Antonio—Bar Louie brands itself as “a local success story” that “combines the consistency of a national brand with local appeal.” While the messaging may be trying a little too hard, they make up for it with their grub. All of the salsas, sauces and dips are made from scratch daily and dishes like Bavarian pretzel sticks (Louie’s signature app), beer-braised mussels and baked mac ‘n’ cheese elevate bar food. In preparation for the annual Rock the Tot eating competition, order the loaded tots with queso, spicy giardiniera, bacon and scallions. Wash it down with an Effen Good martini or Ultimate Bloody Louie. With patio seating, $5 burger nights on Tuesdays and a generous happy hour, it’s almost enough to make you forget it’s a chain. —Tommie Ethington

210.822.9533 • 145 E. HILDEBRAND & McCULLOUGH

FOR FOR MORE MORE LISTINGS LISTINGS AND AND REVIEWS REVIEWS VISIT VISIT SACURRENT.COM SACURRENT.COM

Stop in on Tuesdays for $5 burger nights sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

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MARKET KNOW-HOW Get familiar with these market staples

Both the draw and the crux of farmers markets is that they are entirely dependent on Mother Nature for their farm-to-table offerings. While some may still have visions of watermelon and sweet corn dancing through their heads, there are plenty of fresh alternatives to be thankful for during the colder months. The Current reached out to the growers, coordinators and market mavens at two of San Antonio’s most popular spots, Pearl Farmers Market (open Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) and The Yard Farmers & Ranchers Market (Sundays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.), to find the heartiest picks, some with a kick or a twist, that are sure to warm your body and your local-lovin’ heart.

EAT Meat

The husband and wife team behind South Texas Heritage Pork (Pearl), who regularly sell to Lüke and Jason Dady restaurants, offer a tasty selection of sausages, hams, roasts and even whole pigs for order and pick-up. Run by fifth-generation butcher Ignacio Gallego and his wife Marisa Bushman, La Mancha Specialties (The Yard) boasts an impressive selection of chorizo sausage, some of which are made from 150-year-old family recipes. The popular Harvest Chorizo, offered throughout the holidays, is braised in local Busted Sandal Brewing Company’s El Gourdo Pumpkin Porter and accented with cranberries, pumpkin seeds and spices imported from Gallego’s native Spain. Parker Creek Ranch (both markets) offers humanely raised poultry and eggs. Hailing from D’Hanis, Parker Creek is owned by Mandy and Travis Krause, who have bachelor degrees in wildlife and fishery sciences from Texas A&M. They’ve amassed a following of cooks who want their chicken free of nasty-GMOs— this includes turkeys, as the pair processed close to 500 birds for Thanksgiving in 2014. Don’t expect ordinary fowl, either, as the couple raises sustainable chicks that take 12 to 14 weeks to mature (as opposed to their factory counterparts).

Fruits & Vegetables

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, beets and asparagus

dominate market stands December through April. As for fruits, it’s slim pickings until May. Persimmons are finishing out their run and will dwindle by January, just in time for strawberries to take hold in March. Meanwhile, vendors at both markets offer produce perfect for recipes like stuffed cabbage rolls or kale and white bean soup. Or if you want someone else to do the work, stop by HGD Foods (Pearl) for a pre-made “soup in a jar.” Options include nine bean, navy bean or lentil. They also offer a variety of jams that source ingredients from other growers in the market. A holiday favorite is the cranberry jalapeño jam. Add a half-cup of chopped Granny Smith apples, pecans and some mandarin oranges, pour it over cream cheese, flank it with crackers and wait for the cocktail party compliments to roll in.

Dessert

La Panadería (both markets) serves its usual pan dulce selections, as well as a holiday walnut cranberry bread. Ms. Chocolatier (Pearl) breaks out the fudge, Texas lavender chocolate bark and pecan pralines, while relative market newcomer “Pie”-fect Pies & More by Elizabeth George (Pearl) offers gluten-free flavors ranging from cherry to buttermilk to apple bacon, and Vintage Heart Farm Pies (The Yard) boasts holiday eggnog and a “Better than Pumpkin Pie” made with roasted butternut squash. But the real seasonal winner is Texas pecans. With such a short harvesting season, the nuts are best when shared among friends in a hearty granola via Cowgirl Granola (The Yard), owned and operated by market co-founder, Heather Hunter (see recipe).

DRINK When it dips below 50 degrees, a hot drink is an easy, albeit temporary, fix. What’s Brewing? (Pearl) is a go-to for freshly brewed coffee and a rich, homemade hot chocolate, while Johnny Hernandez’s True Flavors (Pearl) serves up an alternative with their Mexican hot chocolate. Austin-based Buddha’s Brew Kombucha (The Yard) offers cranberry and mulling spice kombuchas and Shrub Drinks (The Yard) serve a hot apple spice shrub, which, according to their website, makes a mean Texas Hottie. —Tommie Ethington sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

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Market-to-Plate Recipes Three recipes from our favorite vendors

Ginger, Apple and Pecan Granola Adapted by Heather Hunter

Ingredients Cooking spray or butter 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled 2/3 cup raw honey (Hunter uses Youngblood Honey) 1/2 cup oil (canola or grapeseed) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 cups rolled oats (Hunter prefers organic oats) 1 ½ cups pecans 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup crystallized ginger 1 cup coarsely chopped dried apple

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Directions Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray or butter. In a saucepan over low heat, slowly bring the fresh ginger, honey, salt and oil to a boil. Discard the fresh ginger. In a large bowl, add the oats, pecans, ground ginger and cinnamon and then pour the oil and honey mixture over the top. Stir well to coat the oats and nuts and spread out on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake the granola for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally so it all cooks evenly. When golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool. When the granola is completely cooled, add the crystallized ginger and dried apple and toss well to combine. Store in an airtight container or the freezer and gift to friends and family for the holidays.

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Persimmon Margarita Courtesy of The Yard Farmers & Ranchers Market

Ingredients 1 ¾ ounce tequila reposado 2-3 non-astringent permissions, such as fuyu 1/2 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice Ice cubes Cinnamon-salt mixture for rim Limes

Directions In a blender or juicer, puree persimmons (skin and all), adding simple syrup to taste. In a shaker, combine tequila, 1 ½ ounce persimmon puree and lime juice. Rim a cocktail glass with a mixture of cinnamon and salt by spreading the mixture on a salad plate, wetting the rim with a lime wedge and dipping it into the mixture. Shake with ice and strain into the rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

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Essential Markets Whether you’re stocking up for the week or picking up breakfast, these markets are there when you need them

Pearl Farmers Market This market is loaded with meat, nuts, bread, people and puppies, so get there early or fight the crowd. The market also features demos by local chefs and a chance to nosh at area eateries, including Cured, Bakery Lorraine, Arcade Midtown Kitchen and more. Year-round at the Pearl, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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If you’re familiar with the Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market, which recently lost its lease at the Alamo Quarry, you don’t have to miss the farmers (among them Parker Creek Ranch, known for their humanely raised, GMO-free chickens and turkeys), ready-to-eat foods (Crepelandia crepes and Asian fare via Ming’s Thing are favorites) and other local craft-makers. Year-round at The Yard on McCullough, Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Olmos Basin Farmers Market A part of the San Antonio Farmer’s Market Association, this market hosts several farmers out of San Antonio and surrounding areas, including Natalia, Devine and Poteet. Stop in for fresh produce, jams, jellies, herbs and plants. Year-round at Jackson Keller and McCullough, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Food Market at The RIM This market is part of the Hill Country Farmers Market Association. You’ll find gluten-free baked goods via Gaia’s Light, produce from Engel Farms and BOA-CON Farms, along with nuts and berries out of Brenham Kitchens. Yearround in the parking lot of T.G.I. Friday’s, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Legacy Food Market

Get Say-She-Ate-ed @ SA's PremierFood Truck

Since it’s fully equipped with meat, produce and a moon bounce, the kids might have more fun than the adults at Legacy Food Market, which is located in the Legacy shopping center. Year-round at the northeast corner of Loop 1604 and Highway 281, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Main Plaza Farmers Market If you’re working downtown, stop by Main Plaza and pick up a tasty lunch whipped up by Catalyst Catering. Or shop for dinner ingredients from Rodriguez Farms, The Gardener’s Feast (for organic tamales, tortillas and gorditas), LocalSprout (for hydroponic greens) and Joseph’s Storehouse Bakery (for artisan breads). March to December at Main Plaza, Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

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WARM & BRIGHT Hot, spicy, smoky cocktail trends

Keep Me Wild

Hot cocktails don’t just come in the toddy variety around these parts. This being South Texas and all, area bars are findings ways to combine the seasonality of local citrus and the availability of heat-adding ingredients to our favorite libations. We can’t talk about ‘tails without a mention of The Brooklynite (516 Brooklyn), which gained more national attention after being nominated as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Bars in 2014. Their latest menu, which tapped autumnal flavors en masse, used several “hot” ingredients to spice up the selection. Designed in part by Javier Gutierrez, the new menu includes, for instance, the Mad for Daphne, made with amontillado sherry, cherry brandy, carpano antica bitters and Saigon cinnamon for that added kick. The Smoking Buck, originally created for Meatopia, brings the heat with several key ingredients. The drink starts off using

100-proof bacon bourbon, created through a fat-washing method that combines 100-proof bourbon with cooked Benton’s bacon, in essence infusing the spirit with the tasty fat and smoky flavor. A pineapple gomme made using xanthan gum acts as a thickening agent for a better mouthfeel, and the spice comes through with house-made ginger beer, Hungarian smoked paprika (found at specialty grocery stores) and a few grinds of cracked pepper. The Brooklynite is also adding a few more mezcal-laced drinks, a move that will help ease San Antonian palates into the mezcal pool we’re all about to dive into. For The Brooklynite’s Keep Me Wild, the bar combines ¾ ounce Laird’s apple brandy, ½ ounce mezcal, ½ ounce Eau de Vie, ¾ ounce thyme syrup, ¾ ounce lime juice, a bar spoon of house allspice dram and two dashes of a house-made chipotle tincture for a bold and hot number. The sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

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tincture uses dry chipotles to complement the smokiness of the mezcal. Other tinctures and infusions are being used over at TBA (2801 N St. Mary’s), where new head bartender Joshua Brock is adding heat to Aperol, an Italian aperitif. Brock, who took over the reins from opening bartender Jonny Yumol, adds ancho chile, guajillo chile and Thai chiles for good measure and lets the spicy concoction simmer for a number of days before using it in his Rollin’ Dry, his take on The Boulevardier. The results are smooth and bright, with a hint of smoke that goes down easy. When it comes to hot trends in cocktails, two new bars are adding the smoke and Caribbean factor to the city. Concrete Jungle (1628 S Presa), which opened its doors inside the old El Sauzeno in Southtown in early December, is easing into its cocktail program by offering tiki classics such as The Zombie, Cobra Fang and Rum Julep to start. The bar is manned by Roy Guerrero (formerly with The Esquire Tavern), who gained an appreciation for mezcales while working under Houston Eaves. A house menu of cocktails will follow with mezcal-laced goodies that will marry the smoky Mexican spirit with island flavors. And while Concrete Jungle picks up steam, Jesse Torres is gearing up to help San Antonians get familiar with mezcal in the classic sense. As partner with Diego Galicia and Rico Torres at Mixtli, the trio will open Mezcalería Mixtli in January with a collection of 75 spirits featuring various expressions of mezcal via varying producers.

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For Torres, who spent the last eight years in the Air Force, on active duty for six and reserves for the remaining two, the point of the Mezcalería is to acquaint San Anto with the spirits of Mexico. The 32-year-old is already halfway there, having spent the last year mixing cocktails for the boxcar restaurant that infuse tequila and other similar spirits with Mexican flavors. And he’s not afraid to try something new, like his bright blue margarita served in globe glassware that used an ambergris resin for their Baja menu. Ambergris is basically whale vomit, by the way, which takes on an earthy fragrance. “There have been some cocktails that have stood out and I want to bring those to the Mezcalería,” Torres said. “They’re just simple and good and let the flavors stand out.” He mentioned a cocktail which combined mezcal, xoconostle and lime juice with a sal de gusano rim, which will definitely make the cut. The Mezcalería will open this January and Torres hopes to integrate Mexican ponches, rompope and perhaps a hot chocolate similar to one he made over this winter using house-made chocolate tablets and marshmallows into the offerings. “I want to be able to show people something new, because a lot of people aren’t familiar with mezcales or they have preconceived notions of what it is,” Torres said. “It’s a very new exciting thing.” He’s hoping to keep the bar accessible by still carrying local whiskeys, bourbons, gins and vodkas, and turning the Mezcalería into a neighborhood joint, where he’ll keep a simple paloma on tap. Flavors will change with the seasons, so you can expect an icy mezcal-filled popsicle come summer time. –Jessica Elizarraras

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Maverick Park www.SanAntonioBeerFestival.com 830.964.4464 1408 Sattler Rd. Canyon Lake, Tx 78133

Texas Whiskey Gift Box Ranger Creek’s Texas Whiskey Gift Box is the perfect gift for the whiskey lover in your life! It features two different bottles of Ranger Creek’s award-winning Texas whiskeys, plus a low ball whiskey glass, all packaged in an easy-to-wrap gift box. The whiskey is award winning and authentically distilled by Ranger Creek in San Antonio, TX. Available at fine spirits retailers for between $65 and $80 or directly from the distillery for $60.

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Flavor Magazine Ad_Winter2014.indd 1

12/10/14 3:46 PM

LOUIE PRECIADO

BEERS WE LOVE Brews for every palate

Soul Doubt IPA

Menger 32

Kentucky Streetwalker

6.4 percent ABV

7.5 percent ABV

10.2 percent ABV

The bittering units on this canned beaut (the second for Freetail after the inaugural Oktoberfiesta) aren’t for the faint of palate. Don’t be fooled by its signature pilsner-like hue, Freetail’s flagship IPA is for the hop-lovers as it delivers hop-forward notes and a fruity tail end with every sip. Stock up now—the canning program at Freetail Brewing’s 30,000-square-foot facility changes seasonally. Pair it with mini asada tacos at the house.

We’re always up for anything pumpkin. Pick up this gem if you happen upon it this winter. Branchline Brewing Co.’s head brewer Paul Ford called this his “new first wort pumpkin-ing technique” experiment. The end results have paid off—as the process added bitters and exalting pumpkin aroma. Taste the brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and try not to picture Grammy’s pumpkin pie while you’re at it. Pair it with a hearty stew or chili.

We’re all about a good double entendre and Naughty Brewing’s latest release nails that tongue-in-cheek feel. The beer is the brainchild of James Vaello, who decided to take an already heady Imperial Vanilla Porter and age it in bourbon barrels for just under a year. Don’t drink it straight out of the fridge— you’ve gotta let this lady warm up and let the layers of vanilla and roasted malts tickle your palate. Pair it with a nice vanilla scoop. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

BEER GARDEN, GROWLERS, CRAFTY FOOD

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WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

LOUIE PRECIADO

Aloha Piña

Freetail Original

6.4 percent ABV

6.8 percent ABV

Cibolo’s 5 Stones Artisan Brewery found itself a winner with its signature and mostly seasonal Aloha Piña, which brought home a silver medal in the Herb and Spice Beer category from this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. It’s easy to see why—the American golden ale has soft touches of fresh pineapple and the slightest hint of roasted jalapeño. Sessionable and a staff favorite, pair this with a spicy dip or blackened redfish.

Southtown’s newest brewery gets two nods on the list. We’re going to sit back and drink up Freetail’s throwback beer that hearkens to the original ale of yesteryear once served at the Loop 1604 location. Available in most markets in a 22-ounce bottle, this American amber ale’s copper hue points to a sweet maltiness and a plethora of hops. Pair it with just about anything, including burgers and barbecue for those upcoming playoff game days.

Ranger Creek Small Batch Series No. 9: Blackberry Sour 9.7 percent ABV

Although technically released as part of the September 2014 seasonal, we’re still finding bottles of this playful, experimental brew at local stores. Sours might not be for everyone at first taste, but we beg you to give this and other sours like it a chance. It’s crisp, a good replacement for bubbly in a mimosa and expertly brewed by the Ranger Creek staff using fresh blackberries from Oak Hill Farms in Poteet. sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

FOOD LOVER’S CALENDAR 13 ways to get your drink and grub on this season January San Antonio Cocktail Conference The new year means you get to pick up a new hobby, why not make it expert cocktail-making? In its fourth year, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, now under the scope of director Cathy Siegel, will host more than four days’ worth of dinners, seminars, parties and, of course, cocktail competitions. The festivities begin January 14 with a bourbon and barbecue kickoff at Two Bros. BBQ Market and prix fixe, spirit-focused dinners throughout the city; followed by a glammed-up opening party at the Majestic Theatre on Thursday; a throwback soiree that recalls the St. Anthony’s former days as the Waldorf on the Prairie; a Stroll on Houston Street with curated snacks along the way; and a fierce cocktail throwdown to end the weekend. Prices vary, January 1418, sanantoniococktailconference.com. Culinaria’s Spring Restaurant Week Why have one week devoted to the city’s burgeoning culinary scene when you can have two? Kick off the year with a tour of your favorite eateries or line up new joints you’ve yet to savor. The organization, which supports students going into culinary fields, will once again feature two price tiers ($15, $35 and $10, $25) at dozens of restaurants throughout San Antonio. Multiple locations, January 19-24, culinariasa.org.

Asian Festival The Institute of Texan Cultures celebrates the year of the ram with the 28th annual Asian Festival. Stop in for dance and martial arts demonstrations, performances, arts and crafts, and more than 15 food vendors doling out Japanese, Korean, Thai, Laotian and Indian fare. $5-$10, 10am-5pm February 21, texancultures.com.

March Flavor: The Event In 2013, we introduced a food-driven event that combined restaurants with foodies and chefs with their biggest fans. We’re doing it all over again at the San Antonio Museum of Art for a night of bites, booze and tasty debauchery. March 5, stay tuned to sacurrent.com for details.

February

San Antonio Beer Festival Spring Edition We did such a good job this fall we’re doing it all over again with chingos of beers, from big-name brands to craft brews from all over the country. We carve out a special place in our beer-loving hearts for local breweries and pile on the beer snacks with local food trucks making tacos, funnel cakes and more. Stop in, sample the day away and lounge around to get through that hoppy buzz. March 28 (to coincide with Beer Week), stay tuned to sacurrent.com for details.

The Boucherie To put it simply, you’re going to want to attend this event. Put on by chef John Russ and friends, the gathering centers around a boucherie, or group butchering of heritage hogs, in this case provided by the folks at South Texas Heritage Pork in Floresville. Russ and co. will showcase their Louisiana roots with a day’s

Culinaria 5K Wine & Beer Run Burn off all those food event calories with this easy 5K through the hills of La Cantera (15900 La Cantera Pkwy). The finish line features wine, beer and breakfast via your favorite eateries and chefs. $45, 8am March 21, culinariasa.org.

Fiesta Oyster Bake 98

worth of eats, demos and more. Enjoy the picturesque drive and celebrate locally raised pork while you’re at it. Tentatively set for February, southtexasheritagepork.com.

WINTER FLAVOR /// sacurrent.com

Culinaria 5K Wine & Beer Run

Culinaria’s Grand Tasting

San Antonio Cocktail Conference

April

or two. Tentatively set for May.

Alton Brown Live! The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts welcomes the bestknown food nerd while on The Edible Inevitable Tour. The two-hour show combines food science, goggles, a multi-media lecture and live music performed by Brown himself. $55 and up, 7:30pm April 3, tobincenter.org.

Culinaria Festival Week Roll up several badass foodie events into one four-day span and you’ve got Culinaria’s signature Festival Week. Dinners across the city’s fine dining joints, a gathering of mobile kitchens on wheels for the Food Truck Event, a luncheon at Becker Vineyards, more than just tacos at The Best of Mexico, a splurge of a Grand Tasting and a laid-back Burgers & Beer make for satiated bellies at every price point. Prices vary, May 13-17, culinariasa.org.

Fiesta San Antonio Our favorite time of the year means donning our most bedazzled chanclas and brightest guayaberas while taking in as many foods on a stick as possible. The chances are plenty as the party starts with gator on a stick at Taste of New Orleans at Sunken Garden, followed by oyster shucking at St. Mary’s University’s Oyster Bake, which makes way for gorditas, bratwurst and Maria’s Tortillas in La Villita for A Night in Old San Antonio. We can’t wait. Prices vary, April 16-26, fiesta-sa.org.

May Twisted Taco Truck Throwdown What’s a little friendly competition? The city’s best taco trucks, from classics to underground newbies, face off to find out which truck makes the best al pastor tacos around at VFW Post 76. Wash down all the taco research with a cool cerveza

Cocktail: The Event

July Cocktail: The Event The Current celebrated the roaring ’20s and glitter-happy ’70s for our previous two Cocktail parties. Regardless of theme, the night promises boozy drinks via your favorite bartenders, live local music, bites from the hottest restaurants and a chance to show off your costume collection. Tentatively set for July, stay tuned to sacurrent.com for details. The Food Truck Throwdown Boardwalk on Bulverde, the grandfather of SA food truck parks, hosts an annual bash that celebrates mobile fare in a familyfriendly setting that features a playground, arcade and activities for all. Tentatively set for July. –Jessica Elizarraras

Beer Week sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

ADVERTISING INDEX

Advertising Index

Far West Side

Far East

Far North Central

Far Northeast

Northeast

North Central

Northwest

South Side

South San Anontio

Inner West Side

Central

Alamo Heights / Terrell Hills

East Side

Downtown

Downtown Arcade Midtown Kitchen 303 Pearl Pkwy, (210) 369-9664 Modern

Azúca Nuevo Latino 713 S Alamo, (210) 225-5550 Global

Bakery Lorraine 306 Pearl Pkwy, #110, (210) 862-5582 Bakery

Barraca 1420 S Alamo, #101, (210) 445-2203 Global (Spanish)

Barriba Cantina 111 W Crockett, (210) 228-9876 Mexican

Biga on the Banks 203 S St. Mary’s, (210) 225-0722 Modern

Citrus at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk 150 E Houston, (210) 230-8412 Modern

The Friendly Spot 943 S Alamo, (210) 224-2337 American

The Fridge Very mobile, (210) 473-0916 Food truck

Institute of Texan Cultures 801 E Cesar E. Chavez, (210) 458-2300 Venue

Lick Honest Ice Creams 312 Pearl Pkwy, #2101, Building 2, (210) 314-8166 Desserts

Lüke San Antonio 125 E Houston, (210) 227-5853 American

Market Square 514 W Commerce, (210) 207-8600 Venue

Mission Restaurant Supply

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624 Venue

Alamo Heights/Terrell Hills 1111 Austin Highway 1111 Austin Hwy, (210) 804-1100 Rental

Anne Marie’s Carriage House Bistro 555 Funston, (210) 826-5800 American

Bird Bakery 5912 Broadway, (210) 804-2473 Bakery

Bun ‘N’ Barrel 1150 Austin Hwy, (210) 828-2829 American (barbecue)

Canyon Cafe 255 E Basse, #600, (210) 821-3738 Southwest

Cheesy Jane’s 4200 Broadway, (210) 826-0800 American

Fratello’s Italian Market & Deli 2503 Broadway, (210) 444-0277 Italian

McNay Art Museum 6000 N New Braunfels, (210) 824-5368 Museum

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt 999 E Basse, #177, (210) 824-1104 Desserts

Picante Grill 3810 Broadway, (210) 822-3797 Mexican

SA Pops 3420 N St. Mary’s, (210) 736-2526 Desserts

Tong’s Thai 1146 Austin Hwy, (210) 829-7345 Asian

1126 S St. Mary’s, (210) 354-0690 Supplies

Central

Say.She.Ate

Armadillos Texas Style Burgers

Very mobile, (210) 446-8257 Food Truck

SoHo Wine & Martini Bar 214 W Crockett, (210) 444-1000 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

Starfish 709 S Alamo, (210) 375-4423 Seafood

1423 McCullough, (210) 226-7556 American (burgers)

Beat Street Bistro 2512 N Main, (210) 320-2099 American

Bobahut Cafe 6539 San Pedro, (210) 758-3342 Juice

El Milagrito

Keva Smoothie

521 E Woodlawn, (210) 737-8646 Mexican

5238 DeZavala, #122, (210) 251-4848 Juice

Folc/Park Social

Kogi Korean

224 E Olmos, (210) 822-0100 Modern/Cocktails/Wine

12651 Vance Jackson, #108, (210) 558-2018 Korean

Ilsong Garden

Lost Bar & Grill

6905 Blanco, (210) 366-4508 Asian

12730 NW Military Hwy, (210) 437-4873 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

The Lion & Rose

Magnolia Pancake House

842 NW Loop 410, (210) 798-4154 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

606 Embassy Oaks, #100; 10333 Huebner, (210) 496-0828 American

Lulu’s Bakery & Cafe

Saeb Thai & Noodles

918 N Main, (210) 222-9422 American

226 Bitters, #124, (210) 545-3354 Asian

ReVamp

Thai Topaz

2021 San Pedro, (210) 749-1441 Retail

2177 NW Military Hwy, (210) 290-9833 Asian

Taco Taco

Tilo Tex Mex

145 E Hildebrand, (210) 822-9533 Mexican

12403 West Avenue, (210) 342-4040 Mexican

TBA

Wiseguys A Chicago Eatery

2801 N St. Mary’s, (210) 320-1753 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

441 W Nakoma, (210) 248-9609 American

Urth Juice

Wurzbach Ice House

5317 McCullough, (210) 272-0467 Juice

10141 Wurzbach, (210) 877-2100 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

Vegeria

Far North Central

8407 Broadway, #1, (210) 826-4223 Vegan

Claude Hopper’s

North Central

19178 Blanco, (210) 479-5445 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

Bavarian Brauhaus

Eilan/Sustenio

300 W Bitters, (210) 396-7170 Global (German)

17103 La Cantera Pkwy, (210) 598-2950 Global

C’est La Vie Bakery

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

8055 West Avenue, #107, Castle Hills, (210) 259-8359 Bakery

21639 Hardy Oak, (210) 495-1000 Bakery

Chicago Bagel

Vida Mia Mexican Cuisine

10918 Wurzbach, (210) 691-2245 Bakery

19141 Stone Oak Pkwy, #803, (210) 490-2011 Mexican

The County Line

Vortex

10101 I-10 W, (210) 641-1998; 111 W Crockett, #104, (210) 229-1941

26108 Overlook Pkwy, (210) 481-9232 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

Fox & Hound 12651 Vance Jackson, (210) 696- 1356 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

East Side

India Oven

San Antonio’s Gourmet Olive Oils

1031 Patricia, (210) 544-5968 Global (Indian) 102

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1913 S Hackberry, (210) 257-5946 Market

Northeast Margarita Man 10818 Gulfdale, (210) 979-7191 Services

Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling 4834 Whirlwind, (210) 775-2099 Brewstillery

Far Northeast Cake Art 18402 Hwy 281 N, (210) 277-0308 Bakery

Hidden Vine 1408 Sattler, Canyon Lake, (830) 964-4464 Wine

Youz Guyz 315 Pat Booker, Universal City, (210) 659-8930 American

Inner West Side Crossroads BBQ 110 N Crossroads, (210) 732-7300 American (barbecue)

Chula’s Sports Cantina 6420 NW Loop 410, #110, (210) 521-4400 Mexican

South Texas Spice 2106 Castroville, (210) 436-2280 Market

Northwest Fujiya 9030 Wurzbach, (210) 615-7553 Japanese (sushi)

Highlander Bar & Grill 5562 Fredericksburg, (210) 340-4577 Pub/Cocktail/Wine

Lorenzo’s 8032 Fredericksburg, (210) 692-9900 Italian

Rome’s Pizza 5999 De Zavala, (210) 490-0700 Italian

South San Antonio Alamo Pizza 3938 S Zarzamora, (210) 932-2500 Italian sacurrent.com /// WINTER FLAVOR

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SAN ANTONIO’S ULTIMATE FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE

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