Our Pick: High Street Wine Company, 302 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 104, (210) 908-9144, highstreetwine.com
Wine bars have not had an easy time of it in San Antonio — especially pure-play operations not depending in large part on extensive food offerings. And then, along comes High Street at Pearl.
The handsome, smartly run bar is the brain child of business partners Mark Stoltz and Scott Ota. Stoltz seems to stay mostly in the background, but deceptively boyish Ota, with “best sommelier” awards ticked off on his resumé, is ever-present; managers and “beverage leaders” Laura Atkinson and Eric Ferrell add additional wine-savvy creds; and other staffers (Clayton, Ed, Eric, John, Vincent) can be counted on for unfussy advice-with-a-smile. I’d be smiling, too, with a wine list as fun to work with. By-the-glass selections change frequently, and you can rest assured that there will be some unknowns — “I like to have at least one geeky wine in every category,” says Ota. Bottles from the glassy cellar are available to take home or consume there. And the limited but well-curated bar snacks are just interesting enough to keep you in your seat drinking. See you there. Seriously.
2. Bobby Sanchez at Smoke, 1170 E Commerce St., (210) 253-9919, smoketherestaurant.com
3. Esteban Medina at Chisme, 2403 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 530-4236, eatchisme.com
WINNER: Paramour, 102 9th St., (210) 340-9880, paramourbar.com
2. Blue Box, 312 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 2107, (210) 227-2583, blueboxbar.com
3. Bar 1919, 1420 S. Alamo St., (210) 227-1420, bar1919.com
2. Pegasus, 1402 N. Main Ave., (210) 299-4222, pegasussanantonio.com
3. Babio’s, 527 W. Hildebrand Ave., (210) 409-7245, facebook.com/babiosedd
2. Casa Azul de Andrea, 1036 S. Alamo St., (210) 451-9393,
facebook.com/casaazuldeandrea
3. Bang Bang Bar, 119 El Mio Drive, (210) 320-1187, facebook.com/thebangbangbar210
WINNER: Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (800) 513-7540, papertigersa.com
2. Jazz TX, 312 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 6001, (210) 332-9386, jazztx.com
3. The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com
2. Texas Ice House, Blanco Road, (210) 771-2765, facebook.com/texas-icehouse
3. Sanchez Ice House, multiple locations, facebook.com/sanchezicehouse
2. The Palace Men’s Club, 2482 NE Loop 410, (210) 599-6011,
thepalacemensclubsa.com
2. Babio’s, 527 W. Hildebrand Ave., (210) 409-7245, facebook.com/babiosedd
3. The Squeezebox, 2806 N. St. Mary’s St., facebook.com/thesqueezebox
2. Brass Monkey, 2702 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 480-4722, facebook.com/brassmonkeytx
3. Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham St., (210) 224-9219, bonhamexchange.com
2. Sancho’s, 628 Jackson St., (210) 320-1840, sanchosmx.com
3. Artisan on Alamo, 315 8th St., (210) 896-5070, artisanonalamo.com
