Acenar

Ácenar is not Mi Tierra with a snazzier paint job. With the exception of some slick color photos of nibbled galletas, paletas, and dulces - and maybe the noise level - there's not much at all in the highly charged interior that suggests Tex-Mex, classic or contemporary. In fact, the clever use of a molcajete grid on the patio takes us back to a much earlier era.;;The same might be said for the menu: It's divided into San Antonio Tex-Mex Favorites and Ácenar Specialties, and it's not clear at first glance whether the SA favorites are alleged to be updated, or if all the tweaking took place in the specialties section. An appetizer such as the house-smoked salmon nachos with discrete black beans and dill crema looks much like the classic cosa, but the taste is altogether otra. And it works, despite the rarity of both dill and smoked salmon in any Mexican kitchen, traditional or Tex. - Ron Bechtol