Home to over 1.5 million residents and bringing in approximately 40 million tourists in a given year, San Antonio has long attracted visitors as a major hub in south-central Texas and the site of major historical sites like The Alamo, The Riverwalk and Colonial-era Spanish Missions that form what together are both a UNESCO World Heritage and National Park site.
While UNESCO also recognizes San Antonio as the “Culinary Capital of Texas,” the city has long remained defined and in some ways also limited by traveler stereotypes of it being known exclusively for Tex-Mex cuisine.
San Antonio and the region around the Rio Grande Valley are the undeniable birthplace of the unique regional blend of Mexican and Texan cooking traditions that emerged from interactions between the different groups of people who passed through the region in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries — longstanding local staples like Rosario’s, Ácenar and La Hacienda de los Barrios serve genre-defining dishes such as sizzling fajitas, chili con carne and saucy enchiladas.
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But with the last official count putting the number of restaurants and other dining establishments in the city at just over 4,700, there are many other dining styles worth exploring for those who come down to San Antonio for either tourism or business (the city is frequently chosen as a conference site given the 1.6 million-square-foot Henry B. González Convention Center and high concentration of cultural activities for attendees to explore during their spare moments).
The Pearl, a 16-block retail and dining district 1.4 miles north of the main stretch of the River Walk that was revitalized after the closure of the historic Pearl Brewing Company, is home to Ladino — the modern Mediterranean restaurant earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition for the last two yers for both grill classics like souvlaki and saffron chicken and a $35 Turkish brunch in which one will see the table covered with vibrant mezze such as seared halloumi, various types of olives and fresh cucumber and tomato salad as well fresh pita bread, cultured butter and a selection of homemade seasonal jams.
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Just north of downtown on St. Mary’s Strip, a bright pink “shack” home to the Curry Boys BBQ is another gem and local fusion favorite serving traditional Texas barbecue cuts like brisket and pulled pork with Thai curries in a casual setting.
Those visiting the 750-foot Tower of the Americas built in 1968 for the World’s Fair would be remiss not to stop by the Re:Rooted 210 (San Antonio’s area code) urban winery founded by Jen Beekman as a wine club to promote sustainable Texas-grown wines poured on tap directly from kegs to reduce waste.
Ladino
Here is where you can get a great glass of wine in San Antonio
Those already at The Alamo can, meanwhile, also have a unique wine experience at FlorVino in Hotel Gibbs. Born out of a recent collaboration with local winemaker Manny Ortiz and the Bonjean family who immigrated to Texas after decades of experience growing wine in France and the Canadian province of Alberta, the winery serves a selection of wines made entirely from flowers and wildflower nectar from Texas Hill Country.
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And with its dining scene as diverse as all the different groups that make up San Antonio and its neighboring regions, there are countless other options for just about any cuisine one can think of: Brasserie Mon Chou Chou in The Peal for French, Schilo’s and Künstler Brewing for German (Germans were another major immigrant group that made up approximately 30% of San Antonio’s population in the late 1800s), Dae Jee and Il Song Garden for Korean barbecue and African Village Ethiopian & Eritrean Restaurant for those with time to venture further than the River Walk and most touristic spots (a culinary adventure worth its own trip).
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