No stranger to the lineup for Culinaria’s Wine and Culinary Festival, the Westin La Cantera’s fabulously romantic Francesca’s will be participating in the wine maker’s dinner on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

The toast of the evening is their featured wine, the Sommelier’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon from Raymond Vineyards of Napa Valley. La Cantera’s very own Steven Krueger was one of only nine sommeliers across the COUNTRY selected to help blend this 2009 vintage. To learn more about Steven’s experience blending, check out his blog post here.

Chef Ernie Estrada has created an incredible pairing menu (view here). Call 210-558-2253 to make your reservations, this event WILL sell out! More details here or on the Westin La Cantera’s website, Facebook page, or tweets (@westinlacantera)

Enjoy attention from guest hosts Stephanie Putnam, Director of Winemaking, Raymond Vineyards and Dr. Richard and Bunny Becker, proprietors of Becker Vineyards.

(picture from Steven Krueger’s blog, “Lessons in Wine”)

I have personally attended a couple of the wine tastings hosted at the Westin La Cantera and highly recommend this intimidate experience! Served daily in the Steinheimer’s Lounge, Steven hosts a tasting that will take you across Texas vineyards for only $10. You do not have to be a guest of the hotel to take park. I learned more than I expected to about not only the wines but the wine making process, helping to deepen my appreciation for what Texas vineyards have set out to do.

If you’re like me, every couple of years you’ll do a google search on “margarita machine rental san antonio” in search of a great deal on a crowd favorite. Allow me to shorten your search and recommend:

Get Wild Margarita Machine Rentals

Website:
http://www.getwildmargarita.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/GETWILDMargarita

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/GETWILDMargarit

Become a fan of their FB page like I did and be automatically entered to win (like I did) a discounted rental! I actually won $20 off my rental just for becoming a fan!!

• Most competitive price in San Antonio, best rental AND delivery price ($90)…I looked at several different companies and a lot get you on the delivery charge
• Personalize machine for FREE! Since my sister’s shower was Baylor themed they went above and beyond by ordering special Baylor themed magnets and decorations
• FREE Personalized sign – not only do they personalize the machine, they also personalize the front with the congratulations message
• Includes quality cups (a lot of places will give you flimsy plastic cups), straws, napkins that fit in your theme
• They clean everything up; all you have to do is drink the margaritas!
• Drop off and pick up were very smooth, they let me know when they were on their way and let me pick when would be a good time for me (even though it was Easter they still were very flexible!)

Dan and Lori will help make your special event even better!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Culinaria 2012 will commence May 16, 2012 and end May 20!

Culinaria San Antonio

• Become a Facebook Fan
• Follow @culinariaSA on twitter
• Website: http://www.culinariasa.org

It’s almost time for the 13^th annual Culinaria Wine & Food Arts Festival! From May 16-May 20 there will be upscale affairs featuring sumptuous gourmet creations, elegant wine dinners, extravagant tastings with expensive bottles from many of best global and local wineries and roadside taco trucks, too.

New & Different:

• Tickets to the Grand Tasting will be limited this year to about 1,200 (down from 2,000 normally available – BUY NOW!)
• Food Truck Competition - featuring Latin, Asian and New American cuisine – and yes, tacos, too – served from rolling roadside kitchens.
• Sabado at Casa Hernan - an intimate dinner with Chef Johnny Hernandez

Sip, Savor & Shop
    6 p.m. , Wednesday, May 16

The Shops at La Cantera

$35 in advance, $50 at the door

The festival week once again begins with Sip, Savor & Shop at The Shops at La Cantera on Wednesday, May 16 and the chance to seek your festival fashion for the week through models on display for specific events and shopping incentives at participating retailers.

Food Truck Competition at Alon

    6 p.m., Thursday, May 17

    Alon Market

    $10 in advance, $25 at the door. Ticket entitles bearer to beer, wine and water, guests then purchase items direct from the Food Truck vendor of choice.

San Antonio’s top chefs and mobile chefs serve their fine cuisine right from their mobile trucks! Here, some of the more popular food trucks will gather in one place providing an opportunity to attendees for a stroll around that includes wine, shopping and live entertainment. It’s a casual evening of gourmet foods and, of course, wine and beer. Seize the opportunity to gather and dine with these esteemed guests.

Winemaker Dinners
    7 p.m., Thursday, May 17

    Various Locations, visit culinariasa.com

• Luke San Antonio’s Winemakers Dinner featuring Pedernales Cellars (details here)
• Westin La Cantera‘s Winemakers Dinner featuring Raymonds Vineyard and Becker Vineyards (details here)
• Max’s Wine Dive Winemakes Dinner featuring Hogue (menu here)

    Price varies by restaurant, visit culinariasa.com

Best of Mexico

7 p.m., Friday, May 18

Villita Assembly Building

$50 in advance, $65 at the door

A little bit of action, plenty of spicy flavors and so much fun all in one event – the Best of Mexico. Our local chefs create an event that reflects the tastes from south of the border. Of course, this event also highlights the winners from our Tequila competition but also delivers wine as part of the package along with live entertainment and a silent auction.

Becker Luncheon

    Noon, Friday, May 18

    Becker Vineyards

    $65 (Advance Sales Only)

Friday may be the end of the work week, but, for Culinaria, it signals the start of a weekend full of activities, starting with the popular Luncheon at Becker Vineyards. The Beckers play host to three local chefs each taking one course of the meal and pairing it with the festival’s guest winemakers for the week. The result is an afternoon that is tasty, informative and the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Sabado at Casa Hernan

11am-1p.m., Saturday, May 19

411 E Cevallos St | San Antonio, TX 78204

$50

Ethnic flavors come together to celebrate this Mexican tradition. Start your Saturday of festival festivities experiencing variations of barbacoa as Chef Johnny Hernandez takes you through the journey through sight, smell and plenty of taste accompanied by fantastic cocktails and entertainment.

 

Sommelier Tasting Seminar

11am-1p.m., Saturday, May 19

411 E Cevallos St | San Antonio, TX 78204

$50

Sommeliers know a thing or two about wine – it’s their business. Guests at this seminar will experience a blind tasting with the experts and our special guests Virginia Philip, Master Sommelier and Guy Stout, CWE, Master Sommelier along with our local wine experts, Dr. Richard Becker, Becker Vineyards and Steven Krueger, Resort Sommelier for the Westin La Cantera. These experienced palates will give you the chance to taste wine like a pro with a combination of white and red wines and certainly a surprise or two along the way.

The Grand Tasting (bubble Room)

7 p.m., Saturday, May 19

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
$100 advance sales, $125 at the door

BUBBLE ROOM: Early access to the Grand Tasting, a designated area for our Bubble Room patrons and bubbles along with a few small bites make this a truly grand night. The first-ever Grand Tasting Bubble Room will be limited to a small number of guests. Purchase of this ticket includes access to the Bubble Room and to the Grand Tasting.

The Grand Tasting Presented by Ambhar Tequila: The name says it all. This Saturday night spectacular features the absolute best of restaurants in town and the culmination of the wines featured throughout the festival. Live entertainment – and room for dancing this year – with a silent auction all set against the backdrop of the San Antonio Riverwalk make this the event to attend.

Burgers, BBQ & Beer, (The Pearl)
Noon, Sunday, May 20

    The Pearl

    $35 advance sales, $50 at the door

The only way to follow an evening of grandeur is to kick back and relax Texas-style. And, the best way to do this is to enjoy Culinaria’s backyard barbecue, also known as Burgers, BBQ and Beer. San Antonio chefs enjoy creating their own spin on burgers and barbecue and attendees have the chance to sample all of the goodness. Live entertainment at the Pearl Amphitheater and eclectic shopping are the best ways to complete this relaxing afternoon.

TICKETS: Call Culinaria at 210.822.9555 or click on the hyperlink name to Eventbrite.

In one meal, @SAChefCoalition has set an incredible tone for the SA culinary community as this alliance of chefs strives to live up to their ambitious mission statement (from their inaugural dinner worddoc):

• Community involvement and dedication to charitable work
• Helping Local Farmers and Artisanal Producers
• Education of our Craft, Passion and Drive behind Chef Driven Restaurants
• Food & Fitness, Leading the way for making positive changes for our youth

The money raised during the 1^st supper will go towards 3 SAISD high schools’ culinary programs. Only stipulation to the schools (Burbank, Lanier, and Sam Houston) was that it could not be spent on food…could be used for equipment, training, resources, etc. Learn more about the high school culinary program at Sam Houston here. Especially dear to Burbank 1994 alum Chef Jesse Perez’s heart!

The chefs (and sommelier) behind the Coalition:

The pictures will speak for themselves but it was an amazing dinner. Easily worth the $95, from the second you wandered onto the porch of Tre Trattoria, you knew you were in for a treat. Beautifully set up, each guest received a different potted herb (basil, lavender, and more). Not only were you surrounded by engaging chefs who passionately presented meals made with TLC, the people who signed up for this grassroots meal were self-proclaimed foodies trying to feed their addiction to food porn which ended up being the perfect recipe for a high energy evening full of fun and surprises.

Menu

• For Starters:  Rebecca Creek whiskey sours and charcuterie (which was FABULOUS, accompanied by the perfect mustard), carrot purée, grilled spring onions, and butter nut squash.
• Salads:  Beet salad with crisp green beans, simple leafy salad.
• Leading Ladies and Supporting Acts:  Farm-raised roasted chicken, AMAZING beef cheek with huge cloves of garlic, mushrooms, pomegranates (easily the show stealer of the evening),  polenta, grits, kale, rutabaga, and a farro dish.
• Sweet Ending:  Fresh strawberries in whipped cream and pop rocks.

Fresh ingredients were provided for by the following local farms or vendors:

Beautiful pictures from the event captured by @DavdRangel
here on Flickr.  Even more pictures from Chris Saucedo!

Make sure to follow @SAChefcoalition as they announce the next event, this Thursday!

Amazing charcuterie

Chef Andrew Weissman with John Griffin of SavorSA.com

show stealer for sure - beef cheeks = phenomenal!

#foodiemamas from left to right: @ohmypuddin @definedelicious @safoodnazi @TaraBurkholder & me (@geekettebits)!

During a girls weekend in Fredericksburg, TX, I stopped by Sunset Grill American Bistro to enjoy take out and use my breakfast coupons from the B&B I was staying at.

The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.  There was a great menu selection of farm fresh options and I was in and out within 20 minutes, after figuring out what I wanted and ordering.  I was also pleasantly surprised when instead of just sending me on my way he walked my to my car and placed my to go bags comfortably inside! Fredericksburg hospitality at it’s finest.

Although we just enjoyed crisp bacon, their homemade, fresh yogurt and fruit, and their delicious baked goods (once they’re gone they’re gone! …and they were gone quickly and I was there at 8am!) I can imagine their lunch and dinner menu is equally tempting.

DIRECTIONS:

Don’t let you GPS fool you, mine actually took me to the parking lot of Denny’s.  From Main Street in Fredericksburg - Go South on Adams Street approximately .8 mile and it’s located on your right.  If you pass Denny’s you’ve gone TOO far.

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.

Although we didn’t have time to eat a long meal, after visiting the National Postal Museum, we took the brisk and short walk from the Union Metro station to Bistro Bis for a fabulous light meal that offered good food and great ambiance.

Website: http://www.bistrobis.com

Twitter: @bistroBisDC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BistroBis

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

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.

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!!