Dining: Signature Restaurant

Date Night Delight Signature Restaurant

at La Cantera

By Janis Turk | Photography compliments of La Cantera Resort & Spa Left to right: Chef Jaime Torres, Executive Sous Chef | Chef John Carpenter, Executive Chef | Chef Stéphane Leopoldo, Executive Pastry Chef

An anniversary should be celebrated in a special way, and since San Antonio WOMAN magazine is commemorating its own 20th anniversary this month with this special issue, it seemed a celebratory feast was in order.

So, where to go for a memorable date-night dinner? In San Antonio, there’s perhaps no place nicer than Signature Restaurant, a large, lovely, stand-alone Texassized restaurant set on the grounds of La Cantera Resort & Spa. Overlooking the golf course, with vistas of rugged natural Hill Country beauty, yet acres away from the hotel, Signature is an outstanding choice. Voted as a USA Today’s Reader’s Choice best restaurant last year, it has become one of San Antonio’s new favorite spots.

Fine china is the traditional 20th-anniversary gift, of course, but you won’t find white table cloths and Limoges china at Signature. It’s lovely but laid-back. The ambiance is like that of one of those new high-end Hill Country wineries near Fredericksburg, only with a French accent; it’s a sparkling, casual kind of place. There is something extraordinary about its upstairs lounge, bar, dining room, open kitchen, patio, menu, and décor that makes it a stand-out spot. Signature doesn’t look or feel like anyplace else in San Antonio.

Enter a winding cedar and cypress-shaded drive atop a hill on the edge of the city to find a big, Jackson Holestyled lodge with big picture windows. Stately, strong, classically Texan (kind of like the old YO Ranch restaurant once was decades ago), Signature feels tucked away far from town. However, it’s really right near The Rim, just a quick drive from downtown.

From the chill atmosphere — French country meets Texas wine country — to the menu’s spirited take on Texas comfort food to the array of curated wine selections and craft cocktails, Signature is ideal for special occasions. Still, I plan to return often with friends.

The menu is simple yet inspired, featuring New World interpretations of classic Old World dishes. Executive Chef John Carpenter enjoys traditional foods “enlivened with unconventional Texas spirit,” as he says.

For instance, the menu offers fresh Texas Gulf seafood and fresh Atlantic Coast oysters. Carpenter relies on local ranchers for his menu’s proteins for the finest houseaged sirloin, but he also turns to the Pacific Northwest for tender lamb. His Hill Country-inspired menu, with vegetables and herbs grown in the kitchen’s garden, features Texas venison, dove, and quail. Local and organic ingredients are sourced seasonally, but the menu’s quality remains consistent year-round.

The rabbit is the best example of how Chef Carpenter can turn a dish on its head and make it outstanding when you’d least expect it. Yes, rabbit is not what most Texans tend to order, but at Signature they should. It’s called “Rabbit Vol au Vent,” and, yes, the name sounds fancy; however, there’s nothing pretentious about this dish. Even the pickiest man or child would love it. Picture a square of puffed pastry topped with a rich cream-sauce “chicken pot pie”-type topping, only it’s really tender rabbit. Divine! There are many things like this on the menu you might miss unless you ask the waiter before deciding.

Another outstanding surprise was the generous-sized plate of fried oysters and caviar labeled as an appetizer. Don’t let the caviar fool you — this is as casual and comforting as any Texas-fried dish you’ve ever tried. Set atop fresh house-made brioche with a lite dollop of crème fraiche, tomato jam, and a topping of caviar, this was the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time. Order this.

I was reluctant to try it but ended up loving the Octopus a la Plancha, a fresh sort of Veracruz-style dish served with romesco, confit potatoes, and salsa verde. Ordering octopus or squid in Texas can be iffy: so often, it’s overcooked and rubbery. So I was delighted when it was perfectly grilled, light, and fresh.

This date also marked our own wedding anniversary: 27 years! So we splurged and ordered two main courses (though we could have shared one). My husband ordered the Gulf Redfish with Prince Edward Island mussels, mashed potatoes, Spanish chorizo topped in a red pepper broth. I ordered the Axis Venison served with baby carrots, potato pave, and cherry jus. This is another dish I would never have ordered on my own, but the chef recommended it. I made embarrassingly gleeful sounds with every bite. The cherries were an exceptional complement to the perfectly grilled venison, which wasn’t gamey—it could easily have been mistaken for prime rib. Once again, Signature took the unexpected and made it exceptional.

Executive chef John Carpenter is young, but he’s cooked in the kitchens of Beat Street Bistro and the former Culinary Institute of America NAO at Pearl. He was also executive chef at Botika at Pearl, working with chef Geronimo Lopez. Carpenter is pure Texan (even though he was born on an American Air Force Base in Germany). He’s lived in San Antonio since he was three, and his menu seems more Texan than French.

However, to our delight, that’s not true of the pastry, thanks to Signature’s executive pastry chef, Stephane Leopoldo, who began his career as a pastry apprentice in Paris at age 15. With his degrees in both pastry and chocolate, save room for dessert. His dessert menus change with the season, so there is likely pumpkin cinnamon crème Brule on the menu today; however, Leopoldo’s go-to is chocolate, like his Royal Chocolate dish, comprising an almond, hazelnut sponge cake, a praline crunch, milk and dark chocolate mousse, served with a ball of raspberry basil sorbet.

Simply put, Signature offers an unforgettable everyday dining experience yet is a good choice for special dates, too. Happy anniversary, San Antonio Woman!

Signature Restaurant

Located northwest of the Shops at La Cantera along La Cantera Parkway 16401 La Cantera Pkwy | San Antonio, TX 78256 (210) 247-0176 | signaturerestaurant.com