Restaurants & Bars – Page 17

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Mi Tierra Restaurant and Bakery

March 5, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S MI TIERRA RESTAURANT & BAKERY

Delicious Tex-Mex Meal Accents a Day of San Antonio Sightseeing

On our final day in San Antonio, the plan was a tour of murals on the west side of the city. Not exactly the poshest of neighborhoods, but there’s amazing street art. We decided to drive the walking tour, which was fine for a while – but only a short while. I recommend bikes.

What’s for Lunch?

I, of course, planned several dining options, but was hoping for Mi Tierra – THE Mexican food restaurant in San Antonio. (Well, at least one of THE Mexican restaurants. Casa Rio on the River is pretty high up there, too.)

Mi Tierra has been open forever and it’s always open. I’d sort of planned on having breakfast there, but fighting the cold weather gave us a slow start, so I moved it into the lunch slot. As many times as I’ve walked by the restaurant during visits to Market Square, I’d never managed to be there when it was time for a meal, but I kept promising myself that I’d dine there someday. The patrons just looked like they were having a lot more fun than everyone else in the world.

Mi Tierra Restaurant & Bakery, Market Square, San Antonio TX — On the Patio at Mi Tierra

As if it were ordained by the gods, this time we found a parking place on the street right across from the restaurant and thanks to the cold, there was no wait. And then, we found ourselves on a patio again, but this one was a lot warmer than the previous night’s experience. And guess what? Finally! Mariachis!

I was tickled beyond pink. Almost tickled enough to have a margarita, but I’d been so good on my South Beach Diet that I passed up the opportunity, while enjoying every sip taken by the patrons around me. It was almost as good as having one myself. Well, not that good, but nice.

The whole place is a perpetual fiesta. Brightly painted murals, brightly colored pennants, brightly dyed waitress uniforms – everywhere you look is color. And everywhere you looked people were having a good time. This was a Friday lunch hour, but the attitude was definitely late Saturday afternoon.

Being the good girl I had chosen to be, I selected rotisserie chicken as my entree, but the good news was that South Beach allows you to have three bites of anything you want and a cheese and onion enchilada came on that plate. That was the best three bites of the vacation.

Bill chose the special of the day and even though I can’t remember the name of it, I know it was some kind of chicken with vegetables. He even got to eat the rice and beans.

After Lunch, the McNay Art Museum

As we sat on the patio I just happened to mention the costume exhibit at the McNay. Bill had previously confessed he really wasn’t interested in it, but he was quite interested in pleasing me, so under the influence of the cerveza, he decided we’d go. I didn’t jump up from the table and fist pump, but I was tempted.

Sure, Id love to go see the costume exhibit at the McNay.

We paid our bill, stopped to take a few pictures of the bakery case and then headed to the McNay. I’d rave about the costume exhibit, but it was over January 19th and you’d just hate me for seeing it when you didn’t get to. Once he got there, Bill was glad he’d been so agreeable.

I’ll leave you with a shot of Mi Tierra’s bakery case, but don’t fail to come back next week, we’re going to the Majestic to see the Nutcracker.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

No Mariachis at Durty Nelly’s or Paesano’s

February 26, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

Menu, Durty Nelly's Irish Pub, Riverwalk, San Antonio TX — Certainly not any Mariachis here!

TRAVEL THERE: NOT A MARIACHI IN SIGHT!

Warm Reunion of Friends on a Cold San Antonio Night

One hallmark of my travel planning is finding a way to squeeze in a visit with friends and family if they are anywhere along my route. San Antonio is home to one of my best buddies that I barely knew until a few years ago, even if we did meet decades ago. We’d only casually crossed paths back at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, but rediscovered one another on Classmates. Maturity gave us a whole lot more in common than we’d had as youngsters and Facebook gave us access. Since Bill and I would be in my friend’s town, we took the opportunity to meet he and his wife for dinner.

Searching for Mariachis

Who else but me would have discovered a mariachi competition that just happened to be going during a visit? And who else but me would drag relative strangers around the Riverwalk on the coldest night in San Antonio anyone could remember (but not as cold as it was going to get while I was there)?

When we first started planning the trip, I suggested to my friend that we meet at Durty Nelly’s and he agreed that it was a good idea, but then I found out about the mariachi competition and learned they’d be having a concert at Rivercenter’s Lagoon, so I upended all of our plans to include the free concert. Being the spoiled rotten kid I am, everyone acquiesced to my wishes, except the weather.

Champion that Bill is, he only grumbled a little bit about leaving our nice warm hotel room to walk along the Riverwalk to the Starbucks at the Rivercenter Lagoon to meet Clark and Linda, people he knew virtually nothing about. As soon as we entered the shopping mall I saw an information desk. They didn’t know anything about a mariachi concert, but they did know where Starbucks was. Shortly after we walked into the coffee shop, Clark and Linda joined us. Introductions abounded and everyone tried to make nice.

As we chatted one thing became very clear, no mariachis were going to play. No one with gold braided costumes came in with instruments in black cases. Proud wives, mothers, aunts and cousins were not clustering around the lagoon. In fact, the whole area was becoming quite empty. Obviously, everybody had someplace else to be. The Polar Express had struck again.

Dashing to Durty Nelly’s

So I suggested we retreat to Durty Nelly’s. I love Durty Nelly’s. It’s a not quite clean pub on the Riverwalk that has a crazy guy playing the piano. I literally could have sat there all night singing along with his goofy songs – and perhaps Clark would have enjoyed it too, but the spouses both had this “what in the hell am I doing here” look in their eye. I’ve got to give them credit, they were making the most of it they could, but I may have been the only one having a good time.

Moving on to Paesano’s

So I suggested the next item on our agenda – Paesano’s. Someone in our Sunday School Class had suggested it to Bill and Clark said it was a big favorite with them, so we headed to dinner. The wait was thirty minutes for a table inside the building, so somehow we ended up on the enclosed patio. It was a lot colder than I wanted to put up with, but after dragging these people all over the place, I wasn’t going to complain about where we sat. I’m just not sure who thought it was a good idea.

I’d fill you in on what a great restaurant Paesano’s was, but my brain got numb in the cold. My baked eggplant (the only thing I thought might be safe on my diet) was quite good, but I have no idea what everyone else had. And it was so dark, I could barely see my own dish, much less my dining companions’ faces.

Darn that weather. I’d anticipated my reunion with Clark to be a great time, with much wandering about the River. I knew all the spouses were going to get along grandly and perhaps Bill and I would be singing our way back to our room in the wee hours of the morning. Instead, Clark and Linda beat a hasty retreat home and we power-walked our way back to the hotel. (Note to self: check the weather!)

There’s one more day in San Antonio, so be sure and come back next week.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Boogie Down to Budro’s Texas Bistro

February 19, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

Coaster, Budro's Texas Bistro, Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX — Worth the chillbains!

TRAVEL THERE: BUDRO’S TEXAS BISTRO IN SAN ANTONIO

Riverwalk Restaurant with Personality, Taste and Attitude

Desiring lunch on the Riverwalk after our chilly visit to San Antonio‘s Briscoe Western Art Museum, we made our way to Budro’s Texas Bistro. Of the options I’d researched, Hubby was most interested in one requiring very little time in the cold. Though I hadn’t previously considered that particular aspect, I knew enough to know Boudro’s was close.

Navigating the River

We’d endured a breezy street-side gauntlet from our hotel, La Mansion de Rio, to the museum, so we hoped the Riverwalk would provide quick access and keep us out of the wind. As we scurried along the banks of the River, I looked longingly at familiar sites, like the entrance to La Villita, but this was not the day for lingering.

We kept our eyes peeled for Boudro’s but realized we’d missed it when we reached the branch of the River heading to Rivercenter Mall. We ducked in to the next building and asked a nice gallery owner if he could point us in the right direction. Come to find out, we hadn’t missed Budro’s by much.

Our Delightful Destination

Not only was the gallery owner familiar with Budro’s, he called choosing it for lunch “brilliant” and mentioned the gallery provided some of the restaurant’s decor. In mere seconds, with the gallery owner’s clues, we were there. And guess what, if you wanted to sit on the patio, heaters and blankets were offered to accommodate your desire. Bill and I were already frozen, so there was no way we would sit outside, but a few folks decided to brave the arctic blast. I guess it takes all kinds.

Most of the time San Antonio has very mild winters, so the most valuable real estate is right on the patio. Like most restaurants, Boudro’s doesn’t have a lot of seating inside and we were lucky to nab the last table. It was toasty warm inside and the menu promised good things.

Blue Crab Salad, Budro's Texas Bistro, Riverwalk, San Antonio TX — Not South Beach Friendly at all.

A Diet-Challenging Menu

When I say good things were on the menu, that doesn’t necessarily mean things good for people on the South Beach Diet. Pretty much everything offered looked as if it could throw me right off the Beach. Finally I found a Blue Crab Salad. It would stretch the Beach to its absolute last grain of sand, but there was talk of crabmeat, mixed greens and salsa. I figured I could have that.

OMG! Dr. Agatston, the South Beach Diet creator, would probably have a coronary, but I loved it. It was the richest, gooiest excuse for a salad I’ve run into for years. I did manage to avoid eating the tortilla bowl, but the rest of that sucker I slurped right up.

Shrimp Cocktail, Boudro's Texas Bistro, Riverwalk, San Antonio TX — Shrimp cocktail, Boudro’s Style

Hubby tries to eat healthy too and was challenged by the richness of the menu. He ended up with a shrimp cocktail. Now usually when you order shrimp cocktail, you get a parfait glass full of ice with a few shrimp on top and a side of red sauce. Obviously, that’s not what you get at Boudro’s. Bill cleaned his plate too, right down to the cucumber shrimp boat!

Overall, a Great Experience

Everything about our meal at Boudro’s was great, including the conversation of the people next to us. They were quite the travelers and listening to them select a wine was like a whirlwind round-the-world tour.

We lingered for as long as we thought we could get away with it, but knew we’d eventually have to brave the cold. We wrapped up and hot-footed it to La Mansion. The hotel was only a block and a half away, yet we still nearly froze off anything not under five layers of clothing. It was mid-day and things were getting colder rather than warmer. This did not bode well for our next adventure. I’ll tell you about that next week. In the meantime, put Boudro’s on your list for a meal whenever you’re in San Antonio. We loved it, even if Dr. Agatston didn’t.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Las Canarias & the Breakfast BOOOOFAY

February 5, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

Las Canarias Fruit and Bran Muffin Breakfast

TRAVEL THERE: BREAKFAST BOOOOFAY AT LA MANSION’S LAS CANARIAS

A Great Start to a Day in San Antonio

One of the perks of staying at Omni’s La Mansion del Rio on San Antonio‘s Riverwalk is Las Canarias. A list of its accolades would take up entirely too much word count, but I knew I wanted to eat there. I also figured with so many awards, the price for dinner would be outside Bill’s comfort zone, so we had breakfast there instead.

The Pocketbook vs. the Breakfast Buffet

As soon as we walked in, the hackles rose on Bill’s neck. There was a $20 breakfast buffet and he doesn’t like any buffet – especially not a $20 buffet for breakfast. He doesn’t think anyone can eat $20 worth of breakfast, but he’s uncommonly opposed to us making the effort to do so. I quickly asked the hostess if we could order a la carte and Bill’s hackles immediately eased.

And it tasted even better than it looks!

When the poor waiter arrived, Bill made it clear we were not having the buffet, so menus appeared. Since I was on the South Beach Diet, about all I could have was the fruit and muffin plate, but as you can see above, that was no hardship. Mr. Bill discovered the Creme Brulee French Toast. After ordering we took stock of our surroundings.

The BOOOOOFAY

We noticed pretty much everyone else entering the restaurant seemed happy enough with the buffet and then we noticed the waiter’s accent. As each table was seated, the waiter would say, “Good morning. Today we have our excellent Breakfast BOOOOOFAY.” The first time we heard it, it was slightly funny. By the time breakfast was over we were having a hard time not laughing out loud. Wanna get a grin out of Bill? Invite him to a BOOOOFAY.

A Beautiful Venue for Any Meal, but Especially Creme Brulee French Toast

The restaurant itself is lovely. White tablecloths, flickering candles and right outside, the Riverwalk. And to give them their due, the breakfast buffet did look delicious. Nonetheless we were happy with our choices. I had plenty of fruit and the muffin was so dense with goodness I was only able to get down a few bites. In fact, I had plenty left over to provide Bill with an afternoon snack of fruit and the following two mornings he had bran muffin with his coffee.

Bill’s French Toast, on the other hand, was an extraordinary meal for which words are inadequate. The look on his face, from the arrival of the plate until he slurped up the last bite, was pure nirvana. Even in the best of restaurants he’ll say things like, “I think they were too timid with the spices,” or “This was overcooked just a tad,” but while he ate his Creme Brulee French Toast, all I heard was, “MMMMMM,” “OMG, this is good,” etc., etc., etc.

Do I think you should go to Las Canarias? I certainly do. Someday I even plan to come back for dinner. I think Bill’s pocketbook could handle it, but he might have a heart attack. Maybe I should try lunch first.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

NAO – New World Flavors in San Antonio

January 29, 2014September 28, 2015 Jane Sadek

Mr. Bill hangin' at The Pearl — Mr. Bill hangin’ at The Pearl

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S NAO WITH NEW WORLD FLAVORS

A Culinary Gem in The Pearl

In San Antonio, two of my interests converged – The Pearl and food. The Pearl is San Antonio’s premiere event venue and it was at the top of my list, but I wasn’t sure what to do there. On a weekend trip to San Antonio, the Saturday morning Farmers Market would have been a no-brainer, (In fact, if we’d stayed through the Saturday of the week we were there, we could have enjoyed their annual Tamale Festival) but we wanted to have a go at Dickens on the Strand. So I settled for having dinner at The Pearl and so we wouldn’t miss it, I put it on our first night’s agenda.

NAO and the CIA

The Pearl used to be The Pearl Brewery, but it gave up it’s brewing a long time ago. Now it’s a hip place for foodies and party people. Along with a stable, there’s some retail and residential, as well as several educational facilities, one of them being the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). As soon as I discovered one of the restaurants at The Pearl, NAO – New World Flavors, was run by the CIA, deciding which restaurant we’d visit got real easy.

As we left our hotel, La Mansion del Rio, on the way to The Pearl, Polar Express weather was making it’s approach to San Antonio, so the night was a bit chilly for strolling. After parking (something of a challenge), we made a rather crooked beeline for NAO, because it wasn’t the easiest thing to find. You might have thought our bee was a little drunk.

Entering the restaurant, I was plenty cool and so was the atmosphere. Hard surfaces dominated. Brightly striped upholstery on the banquettes was the only relief from minimalist decor. Seated in the center of the restaurant, we had a good vantage point for observation. Things were quiet, but it was Wednesday night.

What’s for Dinner?

NAO, The Pearl, San Antonio TX — Yum yum yum

New World Flavors, in the case of NAO, means novelle cuisine with a South American twist – and can you say DELICIOUS? I chose the flower-covered fish with mushrooms and heart of palm slices. Since I was trying to diet on this vacation, it seemed a safe choice. The purple stuff under the fish was potatoes, but it was just a smidge of potatoes. Bill ordered “the filet” and thought he was getting a steak. Wrong filet. But he only regretted his mistake up until the moment he took his first bite.

The entrees were so marvelous we couldn’t resist dessert. Bill even had an after-dinner cordial, something he never does. The theme of the post-entree choices was chocolate, but I don’t remember their names and I forgot to take pictures. That’s OK, there’s no way the pictures could have looked as good as everything tasted.

Of course you should go to NAO. Bill said if we lived in San Antonio we might just give up cooking and eat there every night. I wish I could tell you more about The Pearl, but it was just too brisk outside to do anything more than rush back to the car. Come by next week for breakfast.

Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL

Travel There: Groovin’ in Gruene

January 1, 2014January 1, 2014 Jane Sadek

Happy New Year!!

Most Austinites and pretty much the rest of Texas know about Gruene, but maybe you’re not from around here. First of all, forget how it’s spelled, it’s pronounced Green.

Now I’d always heard about Gruene, but I’d never been there. Most of what I heard made me think you either had to be into tubing or antiques to enjoy it, so I wasn’t too worried about the fact that I hadn’t been there. However, since I was officially “rambling” to San Antonio, I thought it deserved at least a fly by.

I was traveling with my copy of the Texas State Highway Guide from http://www.traveltex.com, so I whipped it open and read the blurb about Gruene to Bill. “I really just want to drive down the main street,” I told him.

Well, we found the quaint little town, drove through it and then ended up right by the Comal River where all the tubers jump in. Not that there were any tubers on this chilly day, but there was some pretty scenery. Bill parked right by the water’s edge, even though the signs all warned him that this was private property and hauled out the good camera. Once that was in play, I knew we’d be there awhile.

After our time at the riverside, we wandered back into town and found a place to park. The picturesque town begged to be photographed and Bill obliged. He started with a nearby B&B, checked out the dancehall and just kept clicking away.

Now the dance hall is of some significance. Gruene Hall has a lot of history tied to it. When Gruene was a small rural town, rather than part of New Braunfels, the dancehall was an integral part of the community. How else were farm girls going to meet farm boys and get together to make little farm children?

The tradition of the Saturday night dance is probably what kept the little town alive all these years, but nowadays, it’s more likely going to be frat boys and frat girls from nearby UTAustin getting together, rather than any one from a farm. Anybody who’s anybody in Texas music has played there and I’m sorry we weren’t there when the toe tappin’ was a-happenin’.

Then we found The Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar. Unfortunately, our hearty breakfast was still sticking to our ribs, but they let us come in and peek around. I decided I’d be coming back to Gruene someday and when I did, I planned to be hungry.

After The Gristmill, we returned to the Gruene Mansion Inn and explored their backlot. Lots of photo opportunities there, too. In fact, I’m just going to shut up and share some more of the great shots Bill got, but come back next week, because after our quiet visit to Gruene, things got a lot more exciting.

When I come back to The Gristmill, I think this would be a great place to sit.

Oma's Secret (Beer) Garden — Oma’s Secret (Beer) Garden

I thought about The Blogress when I saw this. What about you?

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Austin’s Amazing Amaya’s

December 25, 2013August 13, 2015 Jane Sadek

Ranchero Deluxe, Amaya's Taco Village, Austin TX — Ranchero Deluxe

TRAVEL THERE: AMAYA’S TACO VILLAGE – AUSTIN TX

On our way out of Austin a few weeks ago, we breakfasted with my cousin and her husband at one of their favorite spots, Amaya’s Taco Village. It’s right on I-35, making it easy off/easy on.

What Decor? What Atmosphere?

Amaya’s is all about the food, because there isn’t anything else. Oh, there’s a spacious parking lot and a very clean building, but you have to bring your atmosphere with you. The walls are beige with basic orange peel texturing and the floor in linoleum. The tables are Formica. Most of the dishes are of either white or beige melamine. The flatware was really flat (you know what I’m talking about). In other words, we wouldn’t have been there if my cousin hadn’t taken us.

But my oh my oh my, are we ever glad my cousin took us. I ordered the Ranchero Deluxe. I knew I could eat the eggs and some carne guisada. I even planned to take a few bites of the chorizo con huevo. Yum, yum, yum. My cousin and her husband got huevos this and that, but Mr. Bill was not feeling very brave. He ordered the Pancake Plate.

The Pancake Plate, Amaya's Taco Village, Austin TX — The Pancake Plate

When they delivered the food to us, they seemed to put about a million dishes on the table. There was queso with carne, salsas of every description, tortillas and on and on and on.

I tucked into the eggs first and they’d gotten them perfect. I order my eggs hard, because I don’t like the runny stuff, but I really don’t want hard yellow disks in the center of my whites. The guy in the kitchen knew that somehow. Nothing ran, but the yolk had just gelled the very second he took them off the gill. Then there was the carne guisada. Tender beef in a perfectly spiced sauce. Nothing to take the top of your head off, just delicious. I even had a few bites of the chorizo. If I’d had any room, I might have eaten more, because they were good, but I was full. The refried beans and potatoes looked tasty, but they didn’t seem to mesh with my South Beach Diet.

Bill seemed to forget that he’s on the South Beach Diet with me. Yes, that’s a piece of sausage peeking out from under that huge pancake and that’s real syrup he poured on there. Way to support me, Pancake Man.

With a hearty breakfast under our belts it was time to head further south. We discovered the wonderful little town of Gruene, so come back next week so I can tell you all about it.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Austin’s Cover 3

December 18, 2013August 13, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: DINNER AND A FUNDRAISER AT COVER 3

Next on my South Texas Ramble was Austin. Now there are lots of reasons to go to Austin, but this time my primary objective was spending time with one of my favorite cousins. However, while I was there, she was busy. She’s an Altrusan and they had a fund raiser that evening. Being a long time fan of Altrusa International, I was thrilled to participate. The event was sort of a happy hour at Cover 3, an Austin hotspot.

We were able to visit with my cousin for a little while before she scurried away to set things up. We arrived later with her husband. Let me tell you, Cover 3 is very popular. It was early on a Tuesday night, but you’d have thought we arrived at 7:30 on a Saturday evening.

It’s a Busy Place

Cover 3 is a sports bar and restaurant. The buzz was roaring when we arrived and the big screens were beaming action into the crowd. We asked after the Altrusans and were directed upstairs. WOW – how do you spell success? Every available couch and chair was full and making out way through the crowd was a challenge. In one corner folks were chatting up The Daytripper and in the other they were checking out the raffle baskets. We dutifully bought a handful of raffle tickets and looked for a place to have some dinner. My cousin had worried the proceeds of the event wouldn’t cover the minimum for booking the space. I think her worries were groundless. We gave up and found a table downstairs.

I’ve recently become a South Beach Dieter and this vacation was a trial run of what life is like on the diet. I quickly noticed the things I can eat are usually on the more expensive parts of the menu, but they’re also among the most delicious. Hubby had shrimp tacos and my cousin’s husband a burger. I ordered Sauteed Gulf Snapper with Fresh Blue Crab. Everyone else was very happy with their choices, but I’ve got to tell you, I was BEYOND happy. If this is dieting, then I can live with it. Since the menu didn’t say anything about the huge mound of mashed potatoes which would accompany my entree, I didn’t know I needed to select another side, but Bill was thrilled to clean those non-SBD potatoes off my dish and the huge entree completely satisfied any vestige of hunger I might have developed. I confess, I was jealous of the beers they were drinking, but I was a good girl and stuck with my water.

After the meal, we made our way back upstairs for the big finale, the raffling of the baskets. Everyone who won was happy with their haul, but I was not among the winners. We made our way to my cousin’s home and visited a little more before hitting the sack. It was a lot colder when we woke up the next morning. The Polar Express was on its way.

Come by next week and I’ll tell you about an amazing place to have breakfast in Austin.

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this: