By Cynthia Guido
Please, park your palate prejudices, predetermined opinions, and culinary bias at San Antonio’s city limit.
Now, prepare your taste buds for a TEXAS SIZE treat. If the quickest way to the heart is through the stomach; San Antonio will charm its way into yours, the minute you discover that it has a sensational flavor all its own.
What makes San Antonio’s food scene sizzle? Let’s start with the unique place this city has earned at the global table. You’ll find our culinary claim to fame, Tex-Mex cuisine, in cocinas (kitchens) from Paris to Morocco with a zillion stops between.
Know what? It’s seldom done better than where it began; and that’s right here, “deep in the heart of Texas”.
Expect to meet enchiladas, tacos, tamales, flautas, gorditas, frijoles refritos, nachos, sopas, tortillas de maiz (corn) and tortillas de harina (wheat flour). Don’t worry, Tex-Mex menu language won’t stay foreign to you for long. One classic combo plate at most Tex-Mex emporiums is the “Number-Two Dinner”: enchilada, taco, tamale, rice and beans (most always the creamy and delicious, refried kind). It’s a great place to start, and so prevalent that one of the oldest and best local rock bands has stolen its name.
The young chefs who rattle San Antonio’s fanciest pots-n’-pans often serve their elaborate sauces “salsa’d up” with the addition of any one of the myriad chilies that sizzled their way up from Mexico’s kitchen. The end result may be labeled anything from French to fusion. Stunning presentations and spectacular tastes prevail; but dig deep enough and you’ll find roots that are entwined in the history of this beguiling city.
Mexico’s richly varied gastronomy has been a big influence on us; no doubt about it, but one might just as confidently call this San Antonio cuisine that enchants the globe, “Tex-Mix”.
It is, after all, the delicious product of a quintessential American blend. Tex-Mix is a tossed salad of Spanish, French, Mexican, Native American, and German cultures that met on a plate during the settlement of Texas. Dressed with the evolving culinary awareness that invades every cranny of our country’s media, the results are as enticing as the city they represent.
The first commandment of hungry travelers has always been; if you want to eat well, eat where the locals eat. How many times have you heard it? Here in San Antonio, the old adage proves particularly true.
Relax, you’ll find every kind of national chain restaurant you’d expect in a big city. Any one of them will be on a par with its distant relatives. Dine in those for a familiar and reliable nosh. Those locals mentioned earlier certainly avail themselves of those nationwide delights occasionally; but usually, you’ll find that they gravitate to one-of-a-kind spots.
Seek and you shall find. Seek these eateries in all quarters of the city and its suburbs. Some of San Antonio’s best bites wait in tilting house and fancy hotels. Look for places with ethnic names in unremarkable strip centers. Stroll along the famous River Walk. Along those banks you’ll be tempted by the city’s best guacamole made tableside at a Texas style bistro, Italian cuisine– either quaint or sophisticated, and a dreamy prizewinner that has been called the best French restaurant in Texas. Although you’re sure to be captivated by the variety, look for dishes and ingredients that have a reason to be here and you’ll be rewarded with the best we have to offer.
Unless you’re a confirmed vegetarian, beef is sure to find it’s way onto your plate. This is prime cattle country– home of the biggest and best beef. Have a thick steak grilled to your liking; you’ll be happy you did.
Fajitas were born here in Market Square; they are a must try. Though the name implies beef– chicken, shrimp, and even lobster can become a fajita these days. Sample as many types as it takes to find your favorite. It won’t take long.
Burgers are likely to have mustard instead of ketchup between the buns in Texas. Remember though, it’s refried beans, jalapenos, guacamole and even chips that give the S.A. style variations served all over town cult followings.
Explore barbecue joints; and see what hours of off-heat smoking over hardwood can do to beef, pork, lamb, ribs and chicken. Look for a pink smoke ring and a savory succulence; sauce is optional. Not to boast; but we do barbecue best.
Find a taqueria that whips up traditional breakfast tacos. Ask anyone you meet who’s been here a while, they surely have a favorite. Better yet, accompany them straight there; and let them order. If you’re guide is a good one; there will be a dizzying array of choices to wrap in that yummy warm tortilla. Two local classics are chorizo con huevo (eggs, scrambled with fresh sausage, redolent of cumin and chile), and carne guisada (small chunks of beef stewed to tender in a sauce of tomato, onion, garlic and fresh chilies). Yep, this is hearty, big flavored food. What else would one expect in Texas? We bet you’ll acclimate quickly.
Should you become curious about real Mexican cuisine, as you surely must, there are exemplary ceviches, moles, and adobos to explore here too. Look for the word “authentic” near the restaurant name.
Chicken-fried “anything” is a menu standard here. Try chicken-fried steak. Just be sure to have it in a place that’s been around a decade or four. The best will be hand breaded, and offered with peppery cream gravy atop the crackling golden crust. If that pleases, move along to the chicken fried oysters served with a chile-spiked hollandaise at some of the city’s toniest tables.
Feel like Sushi? Pad-Thai, Stir-fry, Chop-chae, Schnitzel, Piccata, or Paella? San Antonio’s is cosmopolitan mix. You’ll find a world of tastes here waiting to be discovered.
Almost every place you’ll dine in San Antonio, simple or chi-chi, is influenced in some way by the city’s rich cultural mix. The very best serve food with a sense of place, food that grows and flourishes here, food that represents the history and bounty that make San Antonio. These are the flavors that will remind you of this enchanting place wherever you meet them again, and you certainly will.
Cynthia Guido, the writer, grew up in San Antonio’s kitchens. For over two decades she has cooked professionally, taught and written about food. She is the Executive Director of San Antonio’s New World Wine & Food Festival.
