Dear Andrew:
Congratulations on your newest baby! We are all very happy for you and Maureen. The purpose of this letter, however, is to talk to you about another of your children, who we’re concerned is not getting due attention. I’m speaking, of course, of Sandbar, your downtown fresh-fish joint that was briefly the darling of the lunching establishment. The oyster selection was encyclopedic, the lobster bisque richer than Bill Gates, the sashimi melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
The food is still quite good, especially by San Antonio standards, but something hasn’t been quite the same since you turned Sandbar into a dinner spot. The sleek white tile and stainless-steel décor that was so big-city in daylight by evening puts me in mind of a CSI morgue set. The downtown professionals who packed the room with buzz and bonhomie at noon are scarce after 5, only enhancing the feeling that I’ve stumbled into a mob front. (Fish, it’ll cover up anything!)
It really seems a shame to waste the talents of two of SA’s finer restaurant pros (James on the tables, Chris in the kitchen) on the smaller crowds and off-kilter ambience. Please, bring back our daytime delight.
