Lots of new menu items going into effect this month:
Over at Arcade Midtown Kitchen (303 Pearl Pkwy), chef-owner Jesse Perez is cranking out a ridiculous brunch menu. Perez showcased several new menu items during a media event including: the pork belly ragu Benedict with fried eggs, tomato gravy and Mexican Parmesan cheese; The Benny (Canadian ham, sous-vide poached eggs and lemon butter over buttery English muffin halves); El Rancho, Perez’s elevated take on huevos rancheros; The Happy Daddy, a petite chile-rubbed filet paired with scrambled eggs, potato hash and Ranchero sauce; and “THE” Chicken meets the Waffle, Milanese-style chicken that guarantees an even chicken/waffle ratio. Don’t forget about the burger. Brunch is already served 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays, but look for a Saturday kick-off in the near future.
In Loopland news, Z’Tejas’ (15900 La Cantera Pkwy, Ste 25100) is ending the summer on an awesome note by offering daily happy hour specials through September 29. There’s new pricing for Signature margs ($5), $2 discounts off any varietal wine by the glass, domestic beers ($3.50) and and imported cervezas ($4.50). Appetizers including catfish beignets, tableside guac and cast-iron skillet dumplings range from $5-$7. Happy hour runs 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday and reverse happy hour runs 9 p.m. to close nightly.
Freetail2 was FINALLY unveiled on Sept. 7 with a small ceremony honoring State Senator Leticia Van de Putte and State Rep Mike Villarreal. The 3,000 square-foot former Mission Restaurant Supply location at 2000 S. Presa will contain a 20-barrel brewpub that owner Scott Metzger hopes will produce 10,000 barrels of Freetail’s finest a year.
For those that like to plan ahead: Tickets for Gruene’s Music and Wine Festival went on sale in early September. The event is a four-day ambush of your taste buds with tons of samplings of local and not-so-local wines, as well as snacks from food trucks including SA’s Institute of Chili and Jason Dady’s DUK Truck. The event kicks off October 10 and ends October 13.
Speaking of the Dadester (let’s make that happen), the chef shared his top burger picks with Serious Eats’ San Antonio Burger City Guide. The maker of the much-lauded Insignia burger (available on BIN 555’s brunch menu) gave a tip of the hat to burgers at Arcade, Longhorn Café, The Bracken Burger at Bracken Store, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Feast in Southtown. Did your favorite make the list?
Fans of John Fahle’s chicken and waffles can enjoy music by Jason Treviño, Nicolette Good and others while chowing down at Alamo Street Eat Bar (609 S. Alamo). The Outlaw Bar-B-Q trailer doles out this breakfast favorite 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Follow them on Facebook for updates.
On a slightly related note … remember how The Monterey doesn’t open for lunch? Well, that’s not that case with Barbaro (2720 McCullough). The Monte Vista pizza joint opens at 11 daily so you can get your fill of pie during the day (cue “The More You Know” Shooting Star here).
