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San Antonio Cocktail Conference

*Geekette* — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:47:26 +0000

On Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, January 29, San Antonio’s beautiful Riverwalk will be the backdrop for the first ever San Antonio Cocktail Conference!

Over the course of four days, local residents and visitors will have the opportunity to:

Partake in 27 classes
Meet with 31 different presenters
Attend 5 fabulous soirees (visit different cocktail tasting stations, enjoy Riverwalk boat shuttles from one venue to the next)
Enter in one Original Cocktail Competition
And say salutations during one Yoga for bartenders class

Stemming from Chef Mark Bohanan, the mastermind behind the critically acclaimed downtown steakhouse Bohanan’s, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference will feature educational seminars, classes, tastings, and more with experts travelling in from across the US and Australia!

Website: http://www.sanantoniococktailconference.com

Become a Fan: https://www.facebook.com/SACocktailConference

Twitter: @SACocktailConf

BUY TICKETS! Schedule: http://www.sanantoniococktailconference.com/schedule

Tasting Schedule: http://www.sanantoniococktailconference.com/schedule/tastings (view the list, tastings are from 10:30am – 4:30pm on Friday and Saturday)

Don’t feel like heading downtown for a cocktail party? Would you do it for a good cause? The San Antonio Cocktail Conference is benefiting
HeartGift, a group of medical professionals and volunteers who give their resources (surgical skills, home, hours) so that children can have access to lifesaving surgery to repair their congenital heart defects:

93% of world’s population doesn’t have access to pediatric cardiac surgery
Surgeons and physicians donate their services, for treatments normally costing $165,000
Average total expense for each HeartGift patient (includes travel and medical care) is $24,000
$8.5 million worth of medical care donated to date
130 children from 22 countries have benefitted from HeartGift services

Website: http://www.heartgift.org

Become a Fan: https://www.facebook.com/HeartGift

Twitter: @HeartGiftNews

From an interview with Chef Mark Bohanan:

The Cocktail Conference is a four-day event that is modeled after the wildly successful Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail Event, both of which draw more than 20,000 people…

…Classes will include topics such as ice making, crafting perfect cocktails for home entertaining, an introduction to gin cocktails and many more…

…There will also be a contest with celebrity judges, tastings, seminars and other special events designed to combine cocktail culture education with good old-fashioned fun…

…I want people to come downtown and see why it is the pulse of San Antonio. I want to remind locals of what is available to them right in their own backyards, as well as show tourists why San Antonio is a major destination for both the leisure and business traveler.

Zinc Bistro & Wine Bar | San Antonio, TX

*Geekette* — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:26:03 +0000

Yesterday we celebrated a birthday at Zinc Bistro and Wine Bar! I was very excited to finally get a chance to eat here. I’ve been meaning to go during Restaurant Week (or any other time) because I am Boudro’s Bistro‘s biggest fan and also because of a Yelp event which was catered by Boudro’s in the private Firewheel area! If you’re looking for the perfect backdrop for any private event, you would be hard pressed to find one better than those offered at Zinc! Check out their beautifully romantic courtyard area, their wine cellar for parties of 50 and their reception area with both an upstairs overlooking the floor.

We enjoyed all of our appetizers and lighter entrees! The hummus disappeared especially quickly, and I LOVED that the bread was backed around the dish. A big fan of escargot, the dish was well-prepared, full of garlic buttery goodness. Everyone agreed that they left feeling wonderfully full and satisfied.

We also had some fun drinks from their extensive cocktail and wine menu, some opting for a Chilean Malbec while others enjoyed a “perfect” Bloody Mary (that was served with crisp pickled green beans that everyone enjoyed!)

Although we were celebrating a birthday, we didn’t get a chance to enjoy anything from their dessert menu. I was a little surprised when none was offered but we had such a fabulous meal that it was an ignorable, minor detail.

Don’t forget to become a Facebook fan and follow their tweets! They’re great about updating both sites individually in response to customer comments and to post yummy food pictures and daily specials.

Facebook here and @zincbistro on Twitter!

ESCARGOT

Restaurant Gwendolyn

*Geekette* — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 07:07:40 +0000

I really don’t need to say much in this blog post as the pictures explain the incredible meal we enjoyed at the still relatively new Restaurant Gwendolyn. We were a party of three sets of couples enjoying a celebratory birthday dinner next to a table of six celebrating something special as well. Very close to the Majestic Theater, we were able to valet at the Crown Plaza (111 Pecan Street East, 78205) across the street from the restaurant that sits above the river. (Although they were doing construction on Pecan St., you normally can give your server the valet ticket to have your car brought to the restaurant.)

Of course we opted for the 5 course meal which was a fantastic culinary time travel to 150 years ago when food was not pre-processed, everything was made from scratch, and everything was homegrown good (everything served is created from ingredients found within an 150 mile radius.)

At the end of the meal, Chef Michael Sohocki made rounds to each of the dinner party tables (other smaller groups came and went while we were there) humbly curious if everyone enjoyed their meal. His dishes focused on individual ingredients, marrying them to bring out the best in each other.

I definitely recommend this special treat for any warranted (or unwarranted) occasion. We went on a Thursday night and made reservations in advanced. I’m sure it gets much dressier on the weekends (jackets appreciated, which we met in various degrees coming from a casual work environment.)

Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurant-Gwendolyn/115635658516708

The menu changes daily highlighting the various local ingredients selected for that evening:

Homemade bread and butter covered with poppy seeds and topped with thyme and other various herbs growing in pots at the restaurant’s entrance:

Enjoyed homemade raspberry soda – soda water and raspberry syrup is brought to you with an accompanying miniature pitcher with additional syrup to add to your taste:

The ginger beer was also great!

Our amuse bouche included a fried potato (server still hot), topped with cod and red peppers:

Potage of zucchini was rich and creamy!

This fabulous course served an impressively tasty braised pork and savory crepe:

One of the people in our party was not able to enjoy the pork course for religious reasons and the kitchen instantly accommodated with a tasty salad:

Before our main entrees we enjoyed plum sorbet that was so ridiculously fresh, if you had closed your eyes you’d have thought you just bit into the ripest plum:

Entree choices were bangers and mash, the sausage made in-house of course:

and rabbit with polenta that the table agreed exuded the comforts of a Thanksgiving holiday meal:

For dessert we struggled between the choices of rum raisin and almonds with homemade ice cream:

and peach piece with honey ice cream:

We were also surprised with THREE more sweet treats! Cookies shared around:

Bite-sized candies:

and a wrapped cookie for each of the ladies to take home.

Reading other reviews about Restaurant Gwendolyn suggested the freshness of siphon coffee for two, although I am not a java drinker (just Java writer…) thankfully someone in the group ordered it. We all watched in wonder as the water was heated to eventual boil, the pressure eventually moving the water to the top container before filtering the brew down to the original jar.

Francesca’s at Sunset | Westin La Cantera

*Geekette* — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:23:23 +0000

One of my favorite recent experiences (complimentary, courtesy of the Westin La Cantera) received from our staycation at the Westin La Cantera (more posts to come!!!) was the two intimate hours spent in the kitchen of Francesca’s at Sunset with executive chef John Armstrong and chef de cuisine Ernie Estrada. This restaurant is opened daily from 6pm to 10pm and offers “South Texas cuisine with a Southwestern flair”. The chefs pride themselves on their menu items almost all containing “Farm to Table” ingredients provided by local Central and South Texas farmers and ranchers.

This fabulously romantic restaurant has so much heart behind it in the kitchen. You would not believe how welcomed and gracious Chef Armstrong and Chef Estrada were to our small group. We bombarded them with every question we could come up with and they answered them all in strides and smiles, welcoming us to ask more by emailing them anytime (like other frequent patrons already do!) Everything we ate that afternoon tasted as good as it looked and will definitely remain a top 10 memory in my mind. The chefs offer frequent opportunities to meet with them on a more personal level at the restaurant and we all felt truly welcomed into their world.

*Brunch menu found here (served Sundays from 10:30am-2pm)!

How Francesca’s got her name?

This restaurant has an equally passionate story behind its namesake. There’s a Wild West legend that involves a young man named Ferenor who was preparing to enter into priesthood by taking his final vows when he met and fell in love with a beautiful girl named Francesca’s, who returned his love. Dismissed by the leaders in the church, they ran away together, unfortunately straying from the path and becoming lost. Leaving Francesca to find help from a light in the short distance, Ferenor never found the light or help that eventually diminished. In his hast to return to Francesca, Ferenor lost consciousness when he struck his head on a rock after stumbling in the darkness. Regaining consciousness the next morning, he found the village searching for himself and Francesca. Setting out in search of Francesca again, neither Ferenor nor Francesca was ever found again.

Luckily our love affair with Francesca’s kitchen was more lucky and we started with Peach cider with grill roasted peaches, pecan oil, and a micro arugula salad:

Chef Armstrong patiently explained how to prepare everything:

Including the rub he quickly made:

With the paprika he brought from his home kitchen since they didn’t have any at the restaurant that day:

To how to sear the peaches:

He also explained that micro arugala was just arugula that was harvested when it was in it’s infant stages of growth:

Plating the beautiful salad with a sample of locally made peach cidar.

And happily marched to one of Francesca’s long-time favorite staple menu items: Francesca’s Guajillo Chile Rubbed Filet of Beef

We did a sniff taste in the kitchen to figure out the ingredients below (that included chipotle chiles, corriander, carmelized onions, cipotle, burgundy, and roasted tomato):

The locally grown and butchered filet mignons:

Rubbed down with a few different spices:

And enhanced after being grilled with a veal reduction (that was homemade and reduced for over 18 hours!!!)

Topped with a fabulous southwestern queso fresco and micro cilanotro.

Perfection on a platter.

Brioche French Toast stuffed with blueberries and bananas with pecan maple syrup:

Homemade brioche bread (which I enthusiastically believe makes for the BEST French toast ever!!)

The chef sliced bananas and combined with fresh blueberries in a bowl, mashing them together:

Which would be stuffed into the bread later:

We got to use tasting spoons to sample the batter that included a tasty standard recipe kicked up a notch with heavy cream, egg, sugar, Tahitian vanilla bean, and rum:

The maple syrup also included pecans and bananas:

The bread was sliced thickly so that the chef could slice in half and then stuff the seasonal fruit in:

Pressed down and sealed in once stuffed:

And then submerged in the batter for several minutes:

Cooked on a hot skillet:

And toasted to perfection:

Drizzle and server…voila!!

Max’s Wine Dive | San Antonio, TX

SmashBurger | San Antonio, TX

*Geekette* — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:23:48 +0000

In the mood for a juicy hamburger or crisp veggies?! Smashburger is definitely the place for you to enjoy with your family! After being invited to a preview when they opened their Bandera/1604 San Antonio, TX location, I was immediately impressed to find out that their founder comes to most if not all their grand openings, all over the country!

“A place where you can get a 1/3 or 1/2 pound burger with one of our great recipes or you can create your own. A place that is close to home and affordable. Where the energy is comfortable and relaxed. Where the food is served to you quickly and on a plate – not in a bag. — smashburger is the better way.”

Another thing to note, each Smashburger features regional menu based on what is locally popular! In San Antonio you’ll definitely want to check out their

Smash Club: http://www.smashburger.com/smashclub.php

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/smashburger

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Smashburger or http://twitter.com/SmashburgerSA

20Nine San Antonio, TX

20Nine San Antonio, TX

*Geekette* — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:30:14 +0000

Apparently there is a Highway 29 that converge somewhere in California’s wine country which inspired this Quarry restaurant’s name.

Website:
http://www.20ninewine.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/20ninewine

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/20nineWine

Happy Hour Deals:

When: Monday-Friday, 3:30-730pm

What: 25% off all wines, appetizers, & pizzas

We enjoyed an intimate dinner with two other wonderful couples who only helped enhanced a great atmosphere. We were able to walk in without reservations on a Saturday evening, slightly before 8pm but it quickly got packed.

Everything was fabulous and you definitely want to save room for dessert. The Panna Cotta was incredibly refreshing. I would go back simply for it. All of the appetizers and entrees were delicious. I had the duck served two ways and was left incredibly satisfied.

Hurry in! Definitely a wonderful place for a date night, celebration, or place to avoid rush hour traffic if you’re passing by the Quarry.

The Grill at Leon Springs | Boerne Stage Road

*Geekette* — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:17:18 +0000

As a big believer in comfort food, I highly recommend enjoying a wonderful meal and great atmosphere found at The Grill at Leon Springs, right off I-10 and Boerne Stage Road (if you walk into a Rudy’s BBQ you’ve gone too far…)

I have been coming to this restaurant for a long time so I was surprised that I had not blogged about it. The first time I ate there I had incredible oysters and grilled lamb chops. Another time I came for their Sunday brunch and enjoyed a wonderfully European-inspired menu of assorted breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices. The ambiance and decorations are intimate, modern, but comfortable. Little Christmas lights set a very romantic mood and private rooms are available for special celebrations. We brought in the new year one time with a group of 8 friends at the Grill so keep it in mind for special holidays as well!

I actually celebrated my high school graduation and several birthdays at the owners’ (Thierry Burkle with Armand Obadia) original restaurant, L’Etoile (now closed but was located off Broadway) and loved it as well.

Specials

Make sure you take advantage of their specials:

Half Price Tuesdays
Early Bird Specials (5:30-6:30pm) and Anniversary Dinner that offer special fixe prix menus at discounted rates for 4 course meals.

Le Midi | San Antonio, TX

Max’s Wine Dive | San Antonio, TX

*Geekette* — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 03:27:33 +0000

I have been wanting to try Max’s Wine Dive since I first saw the great reviews (and pictures of their fried chicken!!!) pouring in! Thankfully Max’s Wine Dive in the Quarry is opened for lunch on Fridays so my friend and I made our way over. Right on the corner of the new Quarry Village, it was easy to find and park (we went during lunchtime; I could see parking becoming a premium…)

The restaurant’s décor can be described as a marriage between a chic, modern urbanite and a happy go lucky cowboy. There’s a jukebox, 150 different bottles of wine available, and a family-owned business feeling. While I no longer near the Quarry, I would go back just for Max’s Wine Dive.

Although I was emotionally prepared to start with the Salmon Ceviche w/ tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, avocado, citrus vinaigrette, and MAX’s wonton chips, our waiter meekly announced the kitchen just prepared the last dish but recovered nicely w/ a recommendation to try the Pulled Pork Stuffed Peppers. The piquillo peppers were stuffed with the most juicy, tender pulled pork, and set on a healthy dollop of chipotle aioli and topped w/ a cilantro pesto.

I have been dreaming of the fried chicken since I saw a picture a couple months ago. Travel+Leisure named Max’s Wine Dive’s fried chicken on their 2010 America’s Best Fried Chicken and I don’t disagree. The chicken, three large pieces served w/ warm honey (yum!), fabulously seasoned and simmered collard greens, tasty and fluffy mashed potatoes, and two pieces of toast worth being called Texas was phenomenal. It was completely satisfying and will definitely be keeping Auden’s Kitchen (see their fried chicken here) on their toes. And though I was fearful anything soaked in jalapeño buttermilk for 24 to 36 hours would be too spicy for me, I didn’t struggle w/ the faint kick at all.

Below are pictures of our plates. We LOVED everything, and I cannot wait to go back w/ more people so I’m able to try an even larger selection.

My to-do list includes:

Nacho Mama’s Oysters (Crispy fried Gulf Coast oysters and garlic aioli on fried wontons with habanero salsa and cilantro)
The Fried Egg Sandwich (Pan-fried eggs drizzled with truffle oil, apple wood smoked bacon, Gruyere, green leaf lettuce, tomato, and garlic black truffle aioli sandwiched between two pieces of artisan levain bread and served with MAX?s chips)

Menus found here.

Follow their Tweets:
http://twitter.com/maxssanantonio

Become a Fan on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/MWDSanAntonio

Sign up for their newsletter:
http://www.maxswinedive.com/newsletter-signup/index.php

Le Midi | San Antonio, TX

Le Midi | San Antonio, TX

*Geekette* — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:55:13 +0000

Celebrating a friends birthday and seeing West Side Story at the Majestic Theater, I finally had the long awaited chance to eat at Le Midi! Since we were seeing a show that started at 8pm we made sure to allow for enough time to eat, downtown restaurants get crowded quickly! We made 6pm reservations and were out of there a little before 730, leaving us plenty of time to walk across the street to the Majestic Theater and get our seats!

While making reservations, I let them know that we were celebrating my friends birthday. They discreetly brought out a lit candle with dessert which I thought was very nice and festive.

I took pictures of our food below, I enjoyed everything a lot! From 5-7pm while shows are playing, they have a 3 course theater menu, that day’s included a choice of a soup or salad, cornish hens or pork scallopine, and a flour less chocolate cake over strawberries for dessert!

I had the escargot and pommes frites for dipping in the fabulous garlic sauce…and my main entrée was the braised lamb shank, Moroccan style. Everything was fabulous, plan a little extra time, our meal did take some time in between course. I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant and thought the food was traditional and satisfying.

They offered online reservations and several news worthy events!

Mailing List here.

Facebook Fan Page

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Valentine’s Day Menus and Specials | San Antonio, TX

*Geekette* — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:36:11 +0000

Visiting San Antonio for Valentine’s Day? Live here and looking for places to go? Where else can you enjoy course after course of great Mexican food or have the option to dine with the sea life at SeaWorld San Antonio in an elegant, intimate setting? February 14, 2011 is coming up quickly! Sign up for email alerts from your favorite restaurants to get coupons and hear about all the specials. I have collected some of my favorites below.

Where:
SeaWorld San Antonio Valentine’s Dinner

What: $150.00 per couple, intimate, romantic Valentine’s buffet dinner adorned with candlelight, music, flowers, sensational food. Watch the gracefulness of stingrays, sharks and other sea life in this unique dining experience around the largest coral reef exhibit in San Antonio.

When: Feb. 13, 6-8pm

Where:
Acenar

What: 3 Course Menu Prix Fixe Menu or A La Carte, menu here

When: Served Feb 11-14

Where:
Outback Steakhouse

What: Dinner for two includes Bloomin’ Onion, two 8oz Outback Special® Sirloins, Side & Signature Salad per person, Cheesecake to share

When: Served Feb 11-14

Where:
Morton’s Steakhouse

What: Steak and Seafood, a special three-course menu for two

When: Served Feb 11-14

Where:
Maggiano’s

What: 4 course meal including dessert and a drink, $79/couple