Columns

Amuse-Bouche: (tasty little dish)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 1/20/2010

Types: Food & Drink

For going on 25 years, the annual Zin-Din at Grey Moss Inn has been a January highlight — for those who weren’t skiing in Aspen or on a beach in the Caribbean, that is. The Order of Original Zin, composed of Grey Moss owner Lou Baeten, former Express-News wine critic Bill Stephens, and me, has habit...[MORE]

Amuse-Bouche: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 12/16/2009

Types: Food & Drink

That slight tremor you felt last month in the space-time continuum? SA’s taco-specific mobile-food universe has been hit by a sugar bomb: Saweet Cupcakes is now making the rounds of San Antonio high life — Pearl Brewery, the Legacy Outdoor Market, Taco Truck Fridays at Artpace. The three-week-old ve...[MORE]

Amuse-Bouche: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 11/11/2009

Types: Food & Drink

San Antonio’s Maverick Publishing Co., which brought us the Wine Roads of Texas in 2002 has met the surging popularity of ale and porter with Beer Across Texas, lovingly compiled by Paul Hightower and longtime San Antonio journalist Travis Poling. A sea of Bud Light may threaten to drown you at any ...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (foodie news)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 11/4/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Yes, it’s New World Wine & Food Festival time again, and the lineup is either punishing or exhilarating, depending whether you’ve been training for this, the other November marathon in town. Get the complete schedule at nwwff.org or call (210) 822-9555. Here are my picks, based on expertise as a...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 9/2/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Nobody goes to Jim’s expecting haute cuisine, so it was interesting to be invited to a test meal with nine other “regulars.” (I qualify by virtue of wolfing down pancakes most Sunday mornings with 15 to 20 other long-distance runners.)  Jim’s 16 local restaurants are distributed all ...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 8/26/2009

Types: Food & Drink

The vodka market is flooded, admits Justin Reitmeyer, one of two UTSA students behind the new Y Vodka, but he and partner Brett Cohen thought they saw a significant untapped niche: their generation. “Our demographic has a lot of spending power,” Reitmeyer told A-B last month. “but we also like simpl...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 8/19/2009

Types: Food & Drink

The American Cheese Society held its annual competition in Austin this year, and the results are out: Best of Show was a blue cheese from Oregon, Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue. Despite homecourt advantage, Texas barely registered. But things are looking up.   One of the top-ranked Tex...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 8/5/2009

Types: Cover Story, Second Story

Wine poured with a plastic shot measure? Hard to believe at a wine dinner at upscale Shiraz Restaurant in Olmos Park, but our wine server poured us single shots of vino to accompany the four-course dinner. When we looked around for a refill he avoided us —not so easy to do as only five of ...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 7/29/2009

Types: Food & Drink

In American restaurants — at least in those that don’t operate under the French brigade system — it’s perfectly kosher to move from kitchen to kitchen to gain experience. This chef shuffle is expected. But maybe not so fast as one recent turnover.  Before his most recent job at the helm of...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Haylley Johnson

Published: 7/8/2009

Types: Food & Drink

What, can’t make it to the farmers market at Pearl Brewery every Saturday before the lines form? Mason Arnold, a UT-Austin grad who dreamt up Greenling Organic Delivery in Austin four years ago, expanded service to San Anto in 2007 and has been collecting enviro-entrepreneur awards along the way [se...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 7/1/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Well-known SA gal Heather Hunterlaunched Cowgirl Granola out of her kitchen this April in response to that most primal capitalism call: friend-and-family demand. Dissatisfied with the overbearing sweetness and ingredient clutter of many store-bought brands, Hunter’s been making her own for about eig...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 6/17/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Amuse-Bouche was the guest Saturday of Chef Johnny Hernandez at his Pearl Farmers Market family-style feast — MesAlegre, “joyful table” — and we were as impressed as the two Austinites across the table, who headed back up I-35 with tales of ou...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 6/10/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Blanca Aldaco opened her restaurant at Sunset Station abutting the Alamodome a decade ago, only to have the rug pulled out from under her when the Spurs moved to their new location a few years later. She has staved off closing with special events, a c...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 6/3/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Whenever I’m out of San Antonio for a while, I get to missing the 410 Diner on Broadway, just inside Loop 410. So, coming back from a month in Greece and more moussaka and octopi than a man should eat, we headed for the 410. Around since the early 1980s, and a gas station in a previous inc...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 5/27/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Spirits were high at Ciel’s paella night last Thursday (David Shelton also unveiled his eponymous art gallery, where we highly recommend Scott Lifshutz’s devastatingly delicate watercolors; davidsheltongallery.com), but out front, a travestywas underway. The conflict between owner Damien Watel (of B...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 5/20/2009

Types: Food & Drink

20Nine Wine Bar is hosting a tasting and bottle-signing of the excellent Ridge Zinfandels this Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., and if you find them as addictive as A-B does, you can buy a retail case for a 10-percent discount. $19 includes appetizers; call (210) 798-WINE to reserve a seat. These are great...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Bonnie Walker

Published: 5/6/2009

Types: Food & Drink

It has been more than 25 years since the Paso Robles American Viticulture Area was formed. Since then, this California Central Coast region has grown apace. A scenic area, with gentle hills, long warm days, maritime breezes, and cool nights, this AVA is producing soft, approachable red wines and cri...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 4/29/2009

Types: Food & Drink

A few years ago, Chef Mike Behrend started eating vegetarian meals and exercising. In the process he dropped 100 pounds and now runs marathons and competes in triathlons. In 2006 he opened San Antonio’s only vegetarian restaurant (also certified kosher), repeat Best of San A...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 4/15/2009

Types: Food & Drink

From 2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, A-B will be scarfing tamales at Our Lady of the Lake’s first Tamalada Throwdown, likely in front of an audience of salivating spectators. We aren’t all that into overt displays of public gluttony, but it’s all for a good cause.  The competition is pa...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 4/8/2009

Types: Food & Drink

The much-anticipated Saturday-morning Pearl Farmers Marketis in development on the grounds of the old brewery, and this weekend it will be tinkering with the logistics, which means, yes, vendors will be on hand, but, no, don’t all show up and overwhelm them. The May 16 grand opening will be here bef...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Elaine Wolff

Published: 4/1/2009

Types: Food & Drink

“Ahhh,” read the subject line to a pithy email that arrived in A-B’s inbox late last month: “dude i want to overdose on this shit.” Nope, not that ’09-dealt smack that’s been making the headlines lately, but the Poteet Strawberry Festival, which kicks off just 30 minutes south of downtown thi...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 3/25/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Want to be a professor for lunch? Try the Skyline atop Trinity University’s Coates Building.  Although about half the 20 or so tables are reserved by faculty at the school, a little-known secret is anyone can eat there. The view is an unbroken vista looking south on downtown San Antonio. ...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 3/18/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Just after we went to press last week with a review of Thierry Burkle’s new Grill at Leon Springs, word came that his 23-year-old L’Etoile had abruptly closed shop. But if the news was a shock to us, for Burkle and partner Armand Obadia the end was forseen as early as last year. “We started to lose ...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 3/11/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Wine dinners can run up the tab over $100/person with tax and tip, and in this economy that can take a big bite out of the paycheck. Bianco PastaVino, on Blanco just outside Loop 410, offers a nice alternative. The third Monday of the month the restaurant has a five -course, five-wine, seated dinner...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Kelcie Prodger

Published: 3/4/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Priscilla Feral, president of local animal sanctuary Primarily Primates, will be signing copies of her recently released cookbook, the Best of Vegan Cooking, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at Green, SA’s award-winning vegetarian HQ. The event, hosted by the San Antonio Vegetarian Society, includes an all...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 2/25/2009

Types: Food & Drink

After a couple of meatless meals at home, my craving for carne got the better of me, so I hit the nearest Texas Land & Cattle. While some restaurants are encountering hard times, the three TXLCs in San Antonio appear to be doing well. Mine, at 410 and McCullough, was sufficiently full ...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Richard Teitz

Published: 2/18/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Taking advantage of spring-like mid-winter in South Texas, we decided to lunch at the Grill at Leon Springs, an easy 10-mile ride north from downtown. Thierry, who put L’Etoile on the culinary map a generation ago, has created a very comfortable country-style restaurant, with spare but inv...[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Mark Jones

Published: 2/11/2009

Types: Food & Drink

Food at art galleries can be as predictable as it is lamentable — carrot sticks and raw broccoli with a side of ranch dressing. Healthy, yes, but not really a crowd pleaser. Artpace is taking a more populist approach, sure to increase its street cred and midday foot traffic. From noon to 2 p.m....[MORE]

Amuse-BOUCHE: (tasty little dish)

By Ron Bechtol

Published: 2/4/2009

Types: Food & Drink

More resto RIPs have rolled in since our last A-B update. Merchants Bistro comes as no surprise. “Jane & I have decided to close Merchants as of today. It’s been a roller-coaster ride … Unfortunately we never were able to make the connection with enough guests to become financially successf...[MORE]