Tamale's, Tamale's, Tamale's!

It come’s but once a year, scent’s of cinnamon, and pine fill the air, christmas carol’s play in the background, and without fail come’s a craving for tamale’s.  I have to say that is one of the FEW thing’s I miss about corporate america....the holiday potluck’s with dozen’s of tamale’s!  In my absence my fix goes, well unfixed.  Today I find myself on a mission, to find the best tamale’s in San Antonio.  

I received over ten suggestion’s.  While I couldn’t try all ten (although I intend to) I did try three.  

My first stop was Molino Luz Verde on Potranco and 1604 (I think it’s renamed Lina’s).  I checked the review’s first, and saw it had four and a half star’s!  Although none of the review’s were on tamale’s, my tip said they were great there.  I have to wonder if they were having an off day because I have eaten dinner at her place twice, both great dinner’s, and the food she has recommended has always been good.  Well this place had the blandest one’s.  The tamale’s were so light, I almost thought they were just corn tamale’s.  The masa was also super moist, and sticky, too wet.  They were the biggest one’s though, they had that going for them.  They weighed in at 2.8 oz each!  It came out to $3.50 for half a dozen.

Second stop was Delicious Tamale’s.  I liked here because of the variety of tamale’s, and you can order tamale’s ala carte for $.90 each.  This one flavor wise I felt was the best.  I really liked the masa, it was a very dark orange color, and it had a little spice to it  so that you got a kick in flavor.  The only thing is that they were very small!  It weighed in at 1.8 oz each.  Lame.

My last stop was Adelita’s on Fresno.  This one is probably the best for your buck.  The masa was the good dark orange.  They only had pork, but I felt like I got more for my money because this one had pretty good flavor, and weighed in at 2.3 oz each.  

I am still in search of a great tamale because I could have gone down the street to 

H-E-B, saved myself the time, and still have gotten a similar product.  I did get some great suggestion’s that are on my list to try next, so stay tuned!

Restaurant Week-RoMo's Cafe

Restaurant week is upon us, and there is no better opportunity to try premiere restaurants at an almost fast food price.  My first stop for restaurant week is RoMo’s.  I can’t say enough good things about this particular visit, from the attentive service to the remarkable food.  The pre-set lunch is three courses for $15.  For dinner you also get three courses, however you also get a glass of wine for $35.  

I started with the signature kale soup.  It’s a great fall soup that has turnips, carrots, rutabaga and of course kale. If you are a greens lover, then you will swear by this soup.  I loved the little surprise of pieces of pork in the soup. 

My friend had the Caesar salad, it comes as a large wedge and the dressing is made in-house.  It’s not a normal, run of the mill dressing...it has a dijon mustard after taste.  Nothing too harsh, just enough tingle on your taste buds.  

Our main courses were heaven on a plate.  My course was like comfort food meets fashion for a rendezvous.  The presentation was done well, but when you took a bite, you were at a great Thanksgiving meal.  I ordered the pan seared pork belly with rutabaga mashed potatoes and asparagus topped on a rich pan gravy.  The pork belly is obviously the star of the show.  It’s seared once to get the nice crisp top, then roasted, then seared again before serving.  The gravy made from the drippings makes me loose my mind its so good!  My friend ordered the braised short ribs with rosemary creamers and sauteed swiss chard. After trying both dishes I have to say, this restaurant certainly knows their meat and potatoes! I could not stop stealing her rosemary creamers! They were slightly crispy on the outside with wonderful flavor and soft and creamy on the inside. The ribs were cooked in a merlot wine reduction, and they were so tender you could pull the meat off with just your fork.

Lastly we finished with our desserts.  My partner ordered the pastel impossible after I insisted.  It did not disappoint.  I had this dessert the first time I came, and I was hooked.  The flan is rich and velvety and it is baked on top of the most moist date cake.  I had the chocolate cake.  Rich layers of chocolate on chocolate.  The cake was pretty dense, and I found that towards the end of the day and warmed up it tasted better then the first bite at my table.  

The all begging question, “Would you go back?”.  Each time I return is better then the first, the service was impeccable, and the food was so good that at some bite’s I needed a moment to savor.  This is a must go for restaurant week.   

RoMo's Cafe

7627 Culebra Rd
San Antonio, TX 78251

Chicken Slider Soup

This place almost didn’t make my list, on the count that the owner is a Yankee....but after I saw that they were converted Texan’s AND the menu, I knew I had to try this place.  The place is small, but vibrant.  Hung around the restaurant is San Antonio memorabilia photo’s, and there are touches of red throughout the restaurant.  One of the most unique things I found about the environment was the large screen in the back corner of the restaurant.  On a constant stream is video of the food being prepared in the kitchen.  We were greeted immediately, however the service was a little slow.  It took at least five minutes for us to get our drinks, and an additional five minutes for her to get our appetizer order from when dropping off the drinks.  The service was slow during the entire meal, but friendly.  Perhaps they just need to learn how to time the meal a bit better, or perhaps that’s what they were trying to accomplish. The food was so good that I want to give the service the benefit of the doubt.  Another thing that stood out from the get go was that they have the cucumber infused “spa water”.  I usually don’t see this outside of hotel’s and spa’s.  I liked it because cucumber’s are so fresh that I think this water is an excellent palate cleanser.  For an appetizer we choose the Duckodent Fries.  The menu describes it as “Hand cut fried in luscious rendering of duck.”  This is where my lack of knowledge hinders me.  I honestly thought that the fries would have like a gravy on the bottom from perhaps pan drippings of duck confit...but my oh so gracious dining partner explained to me that it’s just fries that are fried in duck fat.  He had to explain to me after because the fries looked, and tasted like normal fries.  An excellent fry with a crisp outside and soft potatoe inside, but a normal fry, no less.  Joseph explained that the fat was probably a very clean fat, I made a mental note to save the $2 and get the regular fries next time.  I ordered the half a sandwich and soup.  I am a HUGE soup lover, and when I saw that the soup was made fresh, daily I had to give it a try.  I choose a Philly as my sandwich.  This plate was slap your momma good.  The Philly meat is hand-cut ribeye steak w/ provolone and sweet onions on a hoagie roll.  The meat was so tender and juicy, and I loved that the caramelized onions still had a bit of a bite to them!  The soup was called Chicken Slider Soup.  It was one of the best chicken soups I have ever had.  Right off the back, you can tell it is a homemade stock packed with extremely fresh vegetables cooked to perfection.  The chicken was so soft and flavorful, and the “slider” is a flattened rectangle pasta, made from scratch!  When it came time for Joseph and me to switch...I didn’t want to share.  He ordered the Roast Beef Au Jus.  The meat is great and seasoned well, however I didn’t really care for the bun it came on because half way through the sandwich it wants to fall apart to mush on you due to the meat being soaked on the au jus.  I know that’s the price you pay for that type of sandwich, but I like my bread to hold up well.  For dessert we had Pastel Imposible.  My first reaction....Mmmmmmm.  It was one of those, “hold everything” moments.  This has got to be one of the best non chocolate desserts I have ever had (other then my peach dessert).  It’s a date cake topped with vanilla flan, with salted toffee and creme on glaze on the bottom.  It’s sinful, the nutty flavor from the date’s marries the creamy vanilla custard so well, you don’t want this harmony to end.  So, the question....”Would you go back?”.  YES!  All of the sandwiches sound so good, it was hard to pick the Philly, and I can’t wait to try another one of their soup creations!  

Duckodent Fries

    

Roast Beef Au Jus

Foodies Diary-Chayitos

6565 Babcock Rd.
San Antonio, TX

In a city filled with Mexican restaurants around every corner, it’s hard for one to stand out.  This place is one of my favorite’s to go for a quick, cheap bite.  The price’s are what they should be.  I have to be honest, paying over $10 for enchilada’s, rice and beans is outrageous, I mean I know how much it cost’s to make rice and beans! They have good lunch specials, usually under six bucks, AND THAT’S WITH A DRINK.  The service is always fast, and friendly too!  On this particular night I walked in about thirty minuets before closing, Joseph felt under the weather and was in need of some good caldo.  On a side note, everything I have had here is good, and it all taste’s like it’s made from my grandma’s kitchen.  To start we ordered Queso Flameado.  What was unique about this one is that they not only have the chorizo and onion’s on top, but also add green bell pepper.  Unlike Joseph, I have a love of green bell pepper because it reminds me of my father’s cooking.  They didn’t flame it, but I thought it was very tasty with the homemade tortillas.  Our server was very nice and timed our meal very well.  We both ordered the tortilla soup that came out as we were more then halfway through the appetizer.  This tortilla soup is something special, and especially when we are under the weather, this soup is the “go-to” meal.  To start with, the broth is made in house, and it’s very clean.  When making tortilla soup, homemade broth take’s extra effort to constantly skim the fat to produce such a clean, aesthetically pleasing finish.  It’s a very large bowl, for just $4.99 you get your money’s worth.  The chicken is very tender, and all the vegetables are fresh and soft.  Our server, Miguel was very attentive to our needs, even though it was near closing time.  I have said before, service is a very large part of the over-all dining experience.  It’s very important for a server to be polite, but also to know how to time your meal and to be attentive to your needs.  It’s easy for service to slip as the closing hour near’s, however the service was so good, you would have thought that we were his first table of the day.  Now...the question.  Would I go back?  This place is near my home and I have frequented this place many times, not only will I be back...but I would recommend it highly to others.  

Boehler's

“The crooked place!” as my son calls it.  Boehler’s pronounced Baylor’s is where the Liberty Bar was located on Josephine street.  Walking in you are taken by surprise because you feel like you are walking crooked.  I asked the hostess if it was common to feel dizziness while walking to the table, she laughed and replied I was not the only one to feel that way.  I really liked the atmosphere.  Hard wood flooring and cool color’s are always inviting to me.  And who doesn’t love Reggae music in the background?!  We went on a Sunday at got there a little before three.  I was really excited because of all the buzz about this place to try some of the things I heard of, but this excitement came to a hault when the waiter told us that the small brunch menu was the only thing offered until four.  I am not too much of a breakfast person, especially around lunch time!  The only non breakfast items offered was a chicken salad sandwich over eight dollars and Chicken Ala King that was way over priced.  Of course I didn’t learn this piece of information until at least twenty minuets into me sitting down.  That is because it took ten minuets for me just to get water, and then another ten minuets for the server to come take my order, in which that was when I asked him about the other menu.  From the time we walked in, it took twenty four minutes for us to get our order, and not because of the server’s sense of urgency....but because we had to flag down the bartender to get our order.  I was pretty cranky, and starving by this point.  Luckily, this non loving egg woman did not have to order just breakfast potatoes, because they did let us order off the regular menu...but only what they were ready to make.  Unfortunately, that did not include the crab cakes, or mac n cheese.  Our meal was not kicking off to a good start.  My dining partner, also a sous chef, reminded me to be mindful that we did order of the regular menu.  Because of this it was not prepped, so from a cooks perspective, it may take longer then usual to get our order.  Forty four minutes into our visit, no food, but a visit from the Chef.  Chef Jonathan came to our table for a meet and greet.   A really nice man, he may have given his last name, I am not sure if I missed it because my tummy was rumbling so loudly.  He talked about the new menu, and explained how the Chicken Ala King was not your average, but described his gourmet version, which actually sounded good because the only run in I had with Chicken Ala King was at company potlucks and I was not about to pay over ten dollars for that hot mess.  I was beginning to understand the price, but did not understand why it wasn’t described that way on the menu.  I started to second guess my order.  Luckily, it did not disappoint and lived up to all the reviews that I had read.  I ordered the Pecan Crusted Schnitzel with Raspberry sauce.  The meat was not over breaded, it was so tender and I loved the pork with the sweet and not to tart raspberry sauce.  The vegetables were cooked perfectly to my liking.  I love vegetables that are slightly al dente.  They have a light bite to them, and are not mushy.  Seasoned very well.  The only disappoint to my plate was the mashed potatoes served under the pork.  They were very plain, no flavor really stood out.  I would have liked maybe a gouda, garlic, or butter flavor.  Something prominent.  

My dining partner ordered The Hanger and Dip sandwich. Lots of mushrooms, which I loved! It’s on a toasted sourdough bread that holds up really well with melted cheese oozing on top of the marinated Hanger steak and caramelized onions. The dip was wonderful, tasted like a homemade vegetable stock. The accompaniment were home fries were so good! I couldn’t keep from stealing them. From the moment that we got the food the end, I was a happy girl...ahhhh the power of good food. I finished with the Guinness Chocolate Car Bomb. I didn’t see what the big deal about it was. To me, it just tasted like a chocolate molten cake from HEB. It was just ok.  

So, the question....would I go back?  This place is on a “one more strike and your out”.  That is, that there were things wrong (in this case the service) but I would go back once more to give them another chance.  If it was a great dining experience, then I would go back...but if not, then more then likely, that second time would be my last.  

Burger Boy

Doing it old school is what Burger Boy is about.  Serving quality, familiar hamburger’s.  Foie gras huh?  Absolutely NOT!  The place itself is very small, there are probably no more then 10 chairs total lining up the small bars to the side, so it you decide to go, it’s better to plan to take out, or go thru the drive thru.  The menu is no nonsense.  Prices are pretty good. I ordered the Bates Special, for $5.39 you get a burger, french fries, and a drink.  The most expensive thing on their menu is The Working Man for $6.99 you get a Double Boy with Large Fries.  Ohhhhhh the fries.  I guess this is where I should throw out a “Moo".  I LOVE crinkle cut fries from Culvers, Churches, and here as well.  I have always had them fresh when I go, so either the Fry Gods smile upon me as I make my order, or they are dedicated to making every order fresh.  You can choose to add jalapeno’s, bacon etc to your burger as well.  The burgers are a few steps above Whataburger.  Just very old fashioned, cooked to order, good burger.  I want to take a minute to reminisce.  My very first job was down the street at Baldwins Prolab, I vividly remember walking my tweenself over here for lunch and loyally ordering some type of specialty drink every single time I went.  I wasted no time with the soda’s!  It never fails, their shakes (my favorite is the strawberry) are delicious!  I’d imagine this is what the 1950’s soda shops would dish out, no wonder everyone was taking their dates there, and then got to score at a ‘parking’ spot.  They are also known for their Orange Freeze.  This drink is particular to this place, I have not had any other drink like it anywhere.  I wouldn’t call it a dreamcicle.  It taste more like the slush that you get from the icee pops sticks when you let it melt a little, or drink the last of it.  To me, the flavor takes me back to summer’s as a kid.  The question, “Would you go back?”.  I think it’s pretty obvious, I have been going since before I could drive, it’s that good that I would walk...and those who know me, know I would not walk just anywhere.

Choicolate-Artisan Chocolates

Choicolate-Artisan Chocolates

Move over Willy Wonka for this chocolatier.  Located in a chic Stone Oak location are these delicious hand-crafted chocolates that look almost too pretty to eat.  After a stroll from Auden’s Kitchen we wondered in this white on white spot, so clean it was hard to believe that any cooking went on inside.  We were enthusiastically greeted by part owner Young Yang, husband to Jaime Choi (notice a similarity to the name of the shop?).  He spoke with us about his wife’s education, the Belgian chocolate and fresh ingredients.  He encouraged us to try the sample’s in the window, and no one had to ask us twice.  The two available for sample were the Pecan Caramel Ganache and the Strawberry Balsamic.  The Balsamic in the chocolate was sutle.  It had that “what is this factor?”.  The sample’s is what drew us in, you could taste the quality in the chocolate.  We purchased a five piece box for $11.  The boxing is equally aesthetically pleasing and in each box comes a chocolate guide to let you or the gift receiver know what chocolate they are eating.  We choose 5 of the 14 flavors.  The honey hazelnut, cut into a dark jewelry style cut.  Honey is a subtle flavor and the dark chocolate didn’t pack as much as a punch as you typically get from a dark chocolate at the supermarket.  The next one we got was a Dulce de Leche Coffee.  In each of the chocolates the filling has a very velvety texture.  The coffee is the predominant flavor, for me it masked the Dulce de leche flavor, but for Joseph he said he got the flavor immediately after the coffee.  It could be because I don’t care for coffee.  The third and my second favorite was the Grapevine.  It has a golden raisin on top and is made with port wine.  I LOVE red wine with chocolate so the creamy, mousse middle with the co-star wine flavor was excellent.  I loved the small tartness of the raisin in the end.  The fourth one, and surprising favorite of mine was the Pumpkin Caramel!  Again, middle filling was excellent texture, after the visit here I can definitely tell the different between quality ingredients and the ones you get from chocolates made for the masses.  You definitely get the pumpkin spice, this one would be a holiday favorite.  Perfect for a small gift, or a small, sweet after dinner treat.  The last was the Mango Habanero.  Mango was very tropical, mixed with white chocolate and what taste’s like lime.  As only a habanero can, the heat comes up on you gradually.  It was a great balance.  This was was the most complex, creative one of the fab five we got.  Thank you Young we will be returning soon!

Urban Taco

Urban Taco is a newer hip restaurant located in the Alamo Quarry.  It’s a modern take on Mexican taqueria’s introducing fun twists to old favorites.  I went during a beautiful day on lunch and it was pretty busy.  I still got attended to right away and opted to sit inside, although they do have a very nice shaded patio area.  I loved the buzz I got from inside, it had a hip, downtown feel to it. 

Our service was very quick and friendly.  They have a great lunch time special where you can get any two tacos on the menu with poblano green rice and black refried beans for $7.75.  Unless it is a seafood taco, you need to pay one dollar more.  Even with the lunch special comes the free yucca chips.  They are so thin they look like fried corn husk’s and have a lime chile seasoning on them that is very fresh.  I also opted for the chips and salsa trio.  The chips are made in house, this is a secret fetish of mine.  I love homemade, warm tortilla chips, especially with a little butter and hot salsa on them, but that is another tangent blog.  The three salsa’s I got were the peanut habanero, the jalapeno zucchini, and the rooster pico (a crowd favorite that our waitress recommended).  The peanut habanero is a must try for spicy food lovers.  It has a wonderful sweet peanut flavor in the beginning, but since it is habanero, about a second later your mouth feels like it’s on fire.  I could handle it in small doses with lots of glasses of water.  On a side note, as a consumer I love it when server’s never let your glass get empty, and even with the seven glasses of water I had to have, my server kept up with me, on a very busy lunch hour.  The rooster pico was a very run of the mill red sauce.  It was very mild, and reminiscent of a black bean salsa.  I could see why it was a favorite though, it’s a crowd pleaser, one of those salsa’s you couldn’t go wrong with.  The jalapeno zucchini was hands down my favorite.  So cool tasting and creamy, they went really well with both the yucca chips and the tortilla chips. 

On my entree I loved the cilantro flavor but the way the rice was bland, it kind of tasted like rice o roni.  I like a more fluffy rice.  The black beans were really good. I am not sure if it was all natural.  They top it with queso fresco, but they taste sinfully good, in only a way refried beans with lard can taste.  I am lucky that my dining partner let me taste her taco’s too!  I tried the Al Pastor it’s cooked rotisserie style and topped with roasted pineapple, salsa, onions, and cilantro.  I loved the pineapple it in, went well with the chile rubbed pork in the taco.  The meat could be a little more tender and juicy though. I also tried the Dos Equis Amber Barbacoa taco.  The meat is braised in the beer along with other chile’s and topped with roasted corn and pickled red onions.  Again, pairing something sweet with the taco.  I loved this adventurous take on a classic taco, the meat was flavorful.  Moving on the the Chicken Al Carbon, it’s a garlic mojo grilled chicken with a green salsa and topped with manchego cheese and pico de gallo.  I loved the salsa on it.  The chicken was dry to me though, but the salsa and the fresh tomato helped to mask it a little.  The last taco I tried was a big step for me.  It was the Pollo con Mole.  I have not had any kind of mole since my Aunt Sandra and Uncle George’s wedding when I was in the fifth grade and I vividly remember getting sick in a bad way at the wedding.  I had since sworn of mole.  However, in the name of journalism I retracted that fear and jumped in the water.  The clouds parted and the mole gods took pity and mercy on me with this taco.  It was sweet, and creamy.  I didn’t know that the presence of chocolate would be so palpable.  It’s like a sweet old friend that creeps up next to you.  If I knew that I would be greeted like that, I would have tried mole a long time ago. 

 One of the endearing things at the end of my meal was the tiny chicle's that they have at the front of the restaurant for the end of your meal.  I love the mini familiar mexican gum, it was a sweet touch.  So the question...will I go back.  Yes, not only will I be back, but I am recommending this restaurant to my fellow Dallasonians.  See you soon Urban Taco.

Boardwalk on Bulverde: New Food Trailer Park, Tin Can Tacos

Food Trucks!  No longer are the day’s of the “Roach Coaches”, food trucks are a new trend now, bringing elevated and fresh cuisine idea’s to you street food style.  In this trailer park there are seven food trucks, but I could only fit two in my stomach, regretfully.  I went there specifically for Tin Can Tacos.  The owner/chef was really friendly and informative.  He is very health conscious.  His corn tortillas are all natural.  They contain no trans-fat, oil or butter.  His get’s his cilantro and other greens from a local “farmer Bob”.  I personally love when restaurant’s support their local farmers, everything is just fresher.  The owner is a definite farm to table advocate.  He explained that even in his lamb they would soon be using only grass-fed locally raised lamb.  He extends his healthy cooking to all the other menu items, again not using any oils, trans fats or butter.  The chipotle chicken is so tender and juicy, so when I called him out on that he says he uses a vegetable puree to cook it with.  Interesting.  The chicken reminds me of a dish your Hispanic grandma would cook up in the kitchen.  Very reminiscent of the tomato bouillon and cumin flavors.  The fish tacos had great texture to them.  It comes with red cabbage, cilantro, grilled fish, queso fresco and a mango peach jalapeno ranch salsa on top, wrapped in an all natural corn tortilla.  The fish was a tiny bit fishy to me, but very fresh.  I loved the pairing of the sweet mango with the slight spicy fish.  The cost was five dollars for two tacos.  In addition to the fish tacos I had the five tacos for seven dollars.  I know; five tacos?!  But these tacos are super small, maybe the size of your palm.  I didn’t like how you could only get one meat per order.  Not because I tired of the lamb, but just because as a first timer I would have liked to try other meats.  I got the lamb with a pinneable habanero salsa.  The lamb is ground and very lean.  The tacos have very earthy flavors.  The small tacos include cilantro, grilled onions and queso fresco.  “This is the healthiest taco you will every eat”- say’s owner Manny.  But here, not only do you get a healthy, guilt free meal, but no sacrifice in flavor!  Will I go back?  Yes, most definitely.

La Tuna

La Tuna is a super laid back eatery located in South Town off of Probant.  From the outside you wouldn’t guess they would be serving up such big flavor items!  The inside is very small, but I was greeted very warmly from the cashier.  I had been there once before and had their fish and chips, and I remember them being pretty good, but for some reason, I hadn’t returned until today, years later.  The place is designed so that you place your order at the counter, and then take a seat of your choice.  The inside is rustic and very homey. The outside has some spots of shade on lawn chairs or picnic benches. 

On this breezy San Antonio afternoon, I opted to sit outside.  I started with the White Bean Chili.  This soup was the shiiiiittttt!  It was packed with southwestern flavors.  The soup has cilantro, chicken, white beans, and roasted poblano’s.  It is topped with Monterrey Jack cheese and comes with tortilla chips on the side.  I loved the flavor!  The only thing I didn’t care for was the large piece of mushy chicken skin in my soup.  I loved the palpable taste of the cilantro and poblano’s.  I shared fried mushrooms, and I couldn’t believe how big they were!  It comes with a side of gravy.  The gravy is homemade, I am not sure from what drippings, but it has a nice light brown color. 

My main entrée was the Lamb Sandwich.  Oh my goodness, if you have not tried lamb sandwiches, you better flock to this place to get involved!  I would totally recommend this as a first time try.  It tasted like it was lamb shank.  It was very tender, and lean.  I only wish that the meat was a tad bit more juicy.  It is served on a hoagie bun with peach-mango chutney with cranberries and white raisins.  I LOVED, the pairing of the spread, the tart cranberries really was an awesome supporting back drop to the lamb.  The sandwich also has creamy goat cheese.  Initially I was apprehensive about the goat cheese because it can be very overpowering, but this goat cheese was mild.  I asked the waiter, and he say’s their goat cheese is made in house.  Our waiter was a joking man, making sure to tell me that it cost’s extra to take pictures of my food!  He was a lot of fun, very attentive to our table.  The dish can come with slaw or fries.  The fries are wedge fries, but they were browned well on the outside and very soft on the inside.  I loved this sandwich, it is very craveable. 

My dining partner got the blackened fish tacos.  I think it was mahi mahi.  The fish was not fishy at all, very white with a meaty flavor and a good amount of kick.  It is topped with cilantro, shredded cabbage and a green chile sauce.  The sauce has almost a sweet after flavor to it, but other then that, didn’t taste like too much.  I expected more of a cilantro or chile flavor, but it didn’t matter too much because the heat from the fish paired well with the sauce, it cooled the heat, I should say. 

Would I go back?  Hell yes!  I didn’t have room to try the white chocolate cherry bread pudding w/ brandy sauce, it sounds so good!  I shall return tomorrow ;). 

Goomba's Pizzeria

This is a classic New York style pizza joint.  Goomba’s is really casual with old gangster movie memorabilia décor, and Frank Sinatra playing in the background.  There are no server’s, you just walk up and order your food.  They are fast in getting the order to you.  The lunch specials are priced great.  For $4.95 you can choose between either two slices of pizza and a drink, or you can get one slice of pizza, a salad, and a drink.  For just .75 more you can get an additional topping on your pizza.  The slices are thin and HUGE!!!  You really have to fold it in half to eat it comfortably.  Their menu also includes submarine sandwiches made from Sicilian bread, and pasta’s.  I haven’t tried either yet, but I saw some other’s getting the alfredo pasta, and it smelled delicious. 

            On this particular day I got a salad with balsamic dressing with focaccia.  Joseph and I are kind of mixed up on this because on the dressing menu it says “Balsamic with focaccia”.  So I thought that the dressing had the same spices that are put on top of focaccia bread mixed within.  However, Joseph said it was supposed to come with a piece of focaccia bread, which I didn’t get if that is the case.  The salad was fresh, crisp.  Firm tomatoes and the dressing tasted like it was made in house.  On the pizza, I felt like the dough was a little underdone.  It was very light and thin, it wasn’t bad, but it would have been easier to eat, and had that lightly toasted look and taste if it had been left in the oven maybe just five to ten minutes longer.  I had an Italian sausage and mushroom pizza.  I wasn't crazy about the sausage, it was the slices that looked like pepperoni slices, but are brown.  I prefer the sausage chunks, but in the end, it’s just a matter of preference.  The mushrooms were really good, tasted like they were sautéed beforehand.  I have had just the pepperoni here, and I still think that one is the best.  It’s that greasy, pepperoni that drips off your pizza, and they don’t sauce the pizza heavily either, again, another preference of mine.  So, here is the question….would I go back?  For classic New York style pizza I would definitely return to this place! 

Brasserie Pavil

Brasserie Pavil is a casual French restaurant with a very extensive wine list.  Prior to visiting the restaurant, I would get mixed responses to it.  Civilians would say how good it is, while people in the food industry would say that this restaurant is just the very fundamentals of French cooking, and anyone who went to culinary school would be able to work there, or make anything on the menu.  I consider myself a civilian as well.  Someone who likes food, but has never been to culinary school, never worked in a kitchen and does not know the in’s and out’s of the business either.  As a civilian I say the menu looks pretty damn good, but the turn of the nose from cooks had me worried.  Well I walked away that night walking on food cloud 9.  I think Joseph put it perfectly when he said “Yes, we learned this type of cusine in culinary school, but learning and executing correctly are two different things.” 

            The place is supposed to be casual French, but I feel like the décor is not suggestive to that.  But then again, I think casual I think Tip Top.  I think the only thing casual about the environment was the butcher paper on the table top and the kitchen towels to be used as linen napkins.  The lighting is very dim and I loved the large light fixtures.  We got to sit in a private rounded leather booth that set the mood very well for our belated Valentine’s dinner.  We were greeted promptly by our server Lyle.  Lyle is the mold that servers should aspire to be.  Servers play such a huge role in our dining experience and I don’t think they get the credit they deserve for everything from their suggestions, to timing our meal perfectly, to catering to our every whim of dining desires.  These are the traits of an excellent server.  He had great suggestions from the extensive wine and drink menu.  I started out with what I believe is called a Cosmopolitan Framboise.  It was very good, served in a martini glass with a thin layer of ice across the top.  Any martini drinker will tell you that the best chilled martinis are the one’s that have that thin layer of ice across the top.  Joseph started off with a red wine called Faumey Malbec.  I like Malbec’s and there were no surprises with this one.  For our appetizers I had the Fine Tart, it’s mozzarella with roasted tomatoes on top of a crisp puff pastry and topped with pine nuts and a balsamic glaze.  The tomatoes were the star of the dish, very juicy and a hint of smokiness.  We also had the Charcuterie Board.  This board is never the same; the pates, mousses, etc are constantly changing and it comes with their in-house made mustard.  I don’t even like mustard, but I could totally get down with red wine mustard with their Country Pate.  This pate was my personal favorite; it reminded me of the meats you get on deli plates.  The other mustard included on the board was a Dijon Mustard and the other one was a Green Peppercorn Mustard.  On our board was also Venison with pistachio terrine that had the same flavor profile as a really good meatloaf.  We also had Pork Rillettes, the texture was like tuna, very mushy.  But its pork, and most things that come from this animal are really good, this one was Joseph’s favorite.  It was fatty (in a good way) and almost buttery.  It was seasoned perfectly spread over the country bread that they gave us.  The lamb terrine was probably our least favorite.  It was good, but it had Indian spices so you had to have that developed taste for that type of spice. 

            You have heard me speak in past blogs about “Yes” restaurants.  This is a “Yes” restaurant.  The waiter suggested the prix fixe menu.  It is $34.95 for Three Courses.  There was a slight mix up with the menu.  The fish of the day on the menu said that it was to come with a carbonara sauce with glass noodles and braised Napa cabbage.  The server said it didn’t come like that anymore, and explained to me what it did come with.  What he had to say was less appealing, so I asked if I could have it the way it says on the menu and he obliged.  For our first course I started out with the lobster bisque.  For me, it was too fishy smelling, very aromatic to say the least.  I think I have gotten used to the Americanized version because Joseph said that it was exactly what lobster bisque should taste like.  I loved the presentation.  They bring you a bowl with ingredients and pour the hot soup over it, allowing the aroma to fill you.  Joseph ordered the French onion soup.  Hands down, the BEST one I have ever had. The first thing that Joseph noticed when he dived into the soup was that the onions were caramalized perfectly as if they used the technique right out of Thomas Kellers cookbook, which takes about five hours to do, so this was much appreciated by Joseph .  The French bread lovingly soaked up the soup so well and the top was broiled perfectly to get that cooked cheese flavor, browned I should say.  For dinner we weren’t sure what wine to order because we wanted to get a bottle, but since I got fish and Joseph got steak it was hard to figure.  The waiter suggested Baby Blue.  It is a blend that is from Blue Rock Vineyard.  The Baby Blue is from the same vineyard as another bottle of wine they have that is twice the price.  It is an easy drinkable, everyday wine, very delicious.  The wine went perfectly with our second courses.  My fish was very well pan seared and paired with the Napa cabbage exceptionally.  The cabbage did have almost an Asian taste to it, which I thought almost odd with the carbonara, but it married very well.  I thought the fish was a little to fishy for my sensitive palate, but there was nothing wrong with the dish.  It was my taste preference.  Joseph ordered the steak frite’s.  It’s a 10 oz sirloin steak with fries.  The steak was very good, cooked perfectly, but I don’t really have to elaborate on that one, if you have had a good steak then you know.  The fries on the other hand, were craveable.  They are cooked in duck fat, very crispy on the outside and soft buttery potato on the inside.  We sopped the fries over what seemed to be a sweet red wine sauce drizzled over the steak, and we fell in love again with fries.  If this is how the French do fries, then I see why they are called FRENCH fries. 

The last course is always my favorite, the dessert.  I chose the lemon tart with lavender sorbet.  I was excited because the last time I had lavender ice cream with honey and it was the best thing EVER.  This was reminiscent on that ice cream, but I was definitely missing its P.I.C honey.  I felt that apart these elements worked nicely.  The lavender plays a lot on your aromatics; a small bite really fills your mouth and travels to tickle your nose.  The lemon tart was cooked perfectly, very aesthetically pleasing and I love the touch of poppy seeds cooked into the dough.  I just felt that together it was tart on tart.  Too much of a good thing, luckily I had a bottle of wine to cut into it.  Joseph ordered the profiteroles. I loved the presentation of this dish as well.  The server brought a small chocolate fondue set up so that you could drizzle as much or as little chocolate as you like onto the rolls.  It was three tower’s profiteroles with were stuffed with vanilla bean ice cream and accented with a chocolate Eiffel tower.  They were flavorful, and a bit chewy. 

Everything we ate tasted fresh, and made in house that day.  I got sent home with two chocolate croissants that were made earlier that morning.  I had one the next day for breakfast and it was heaven…but that is another blog to come.  Have to do it justice and have them fresh, but I will say, if they were that good the next day, then I can only imagine how good they are fresh.  Now, here is the question.  Would you go back?  YES!  YES!  A thousand times yes, and when I do go back I will make it a point to ask for Lyle to be our server.

Valentines Day Part II - Las Ramblas

So, same disclaimer as the last blog.  Yes, I am a tough critic so when you try these places you may feel that I was a little harsh, tell me! Also, if you do try any of these places and you get conflicting service or food, tell me about that too on the comments, I would love for people to have more then two points of view’s of the restaurant because we all have bad days, and it would be inhuman for us to expect that restaurants don’t have them too.  Moving on to my late dinner date for Valentines Day, Las Ramblas.  Now I promise, no matter who I know here I am remaining objective and I will most certainly write if I feel that perhaps I am being biased.  First of all, let me say, that I love it when downtown restaurants have complimentary parking for guest’s in their restaurant’s and I can honestly say that this will make or break a decision on going.  This restaurant is in The Hotel Contessa, and they do have complimentary parking.  The mood this place sets is romantic and much laid back any day of the week.  The bar located in the waiting area is plumped in the middle and if you don’t choose to sit at the bar there are very comfy couches to have drinks and intimate conversations or even quality time with a group of friends or family.  The noise level compliments that type of interaction.  The only thing I didn’t like about the environment about Las Ramblas is that the bathroom for both the bar and the restaurant is located in this outside seating, so when I had to go use the restroom I had to walk all the way across the restaurant, in four inch heels, across the waiting area, pass the bar to the restroom.  I think its bad placement.  I also didn’t like sharing the bar restroom because it get’s frequented more, so towards the end of the night, was dirty and unpleasant smelling.  Back to me being biased, I have to say I was greeted very warmly and almost in a taken by the hand way to make sure that I was taken care of at every stage of my meal.  This was done by my server and by the restaurant manager.  I will admit that everyone may not get this treatment and it could be consequence of who I befriend in that particular kitchen.  However, I would like to point out that the server had let us in on a secret; that there were only two servers’s working that late shift on Valentines Day, and I would have had no clue; that is how good he was doing.  Now, why they scheduled two server’s on that night and three cocktail server’s in an empty bar is beyond me, but hopefully their staffing issue’s or scheduling doesn’t consistently propose that stress or mismanagement on a regular basis.  My table was heaven; it was right at the corner of the restaurant neighboring the large window that overlooks the river walk, very romantic.  My server was offering me refills on champagne, which I knew only one glass came with the meal so I loved it.  (Come people, we all love getting free stuff.)  Now on to the meal, I had the pre-set Valentines Day meal.  I will start with the first course that was a pan-seared scallop.  The scallop was very well cooked, not chewy at all, easily cut with my fork and very flavorful.  It had that nice light brown sear on the top, not too dark.  It was laid on white truffle risotto with almond butter.  The risotto was cooked to perfection; the way the sauce danced on your tongue was delightful.  The second course was bacon wrapped quail with          roasted red pepper and yellow beet flan.  I thought the quail was cooked very well, in the past when I have had quail it was very gamey.  I am so glad that this one was not, the bacon was crisp and juicy and the flan was surprisingly a good combination.  You had a choice on the second course, the main course.  I choose Lamb Osso Buco, it was braised with root vegetables and a rioja reduction.  I was so disappointed in this dish.  The meat got cold really fast on me.  When it was hot it was very flavorful and tender and I would definitely order the meat part, but the distain came with the vegetables.  The vegetables were brussel sprouts, baby carrots, and turnips (I think).  They were awful.  I do like my vegetables al dente, but these were too al dente.  It was hard to cut them with my knife!  Brussel sprouts are supposed to be smoky and earthy.  These had no flavor, in fact the only vegetables that had flavor were the ones tucked under the lamb shank, and the others were completely flavorless and hard.  The fourth course was Brie stuffed French toast with candied bananas.  This was my favorite course of all.  I thought that the French bread would be too much, but it was the perfect amount to balance out the Chantilly cream and whatever sauce was on top.  The banana was bruleed to perfection, lightly brown with just a light crisp on top so that when you bit into it revealed the familiar softness within. 

The meal was finished with truffles that were made in house.  The truffles were SUPER rich, but this is not a problem for me!  However, for those without a sweet tooth, it may be too hard to eat more then one.  Now, the everlasting question.  “Will you go back?”  The answer is yes.  I would go back to try what is on their everyday menu because I hear that their paella is very good as is their steaks. 

Valentines Day Part I -Olive Garden

Before I plow into these restaurants, let the record show that I am admitting that I am a harsh critic.  In previous years I was a server and I believe that servers and chef’s are probably the hardest people to serve for because they the job’s.  A good server knows what excellent service is, and if you are a good server you expect nothing less.  A good chef knows how food should taste when it’s executed correctly, and I am sure they expect nothing less as well.  Moving on, I always expect for restaurants to be on their “A” game on Valentines Day, sadly I couldn’t say that either one was. 

My first stop was Olive Garden.  You may be thinking “who would do a review on Olive Garden?”  I know, everyone has been their right?  You are probably right, but they do have new soups, and always have new features that are available for a limited time.  From what I saw they did revamp the menu a bit.  Sadly they took away the pizza that you can choose your own toppings, and replaced it with three specialty pizzas.  I am upset about this because this is what I and my son would get.  We get the regular size pizza and he eat’s the pizza and I get the never ending soup that comes with it.  It’s time to be economical here people.  Anyway, I decided to treat my son to an early Valentine’s Day dinner so he chooses Olive Garden.  Luckily when we got there we were sat right away.  I didn’t really like the seating, we were a party of three and we were sat at a round top for six.  I bet the six top that was waiting for us to finish was upset.  Our waitress was kind, however I am assuming she was either new, or Olive Garden is also revamping their customer service.  I say this because going back to the pizza; I asked if it could still be done, a regular sized pepperoni pizza.  Knowing that the child’s size was on the kid’s menu and that I was sitting in an Italian restaurant I wouldn’t think that this is an outlandish request.  Her reply was that she didn’t know if they could that, so she had to go to the back to check.  She came back and reported that they could, so I proceed to order, just as I have for years.  I say I would like the regular size pepperoni pizza and instead of it coming with the ramekin of marinara sauce on the side, I would like the alfredo sauce.  To which she reply’s AGAIN that she didn’t know if they could do this.  Now here is where I got annoyed because not only is this the second time I am hearing it, in what should be a “yes” restaurant, but I know for a fact they have alfredo sauce back there, so it shouldn’t be a question.  She again has to leave the table, lucky for her, she obliges.  To answer any question you may have about the “yes” restaurant, let me explain.  A “yes” restaurant is a restaurant that always tell you “yes” to anything you ask for you dining experience, provided that IT IS POSSIBLE.  “Can I substitute this for that?”  “Yes” the server replies.  “Can I have soup instead of salad?”  “Yes” the server replies.  “Do you still have the ingredients to make the dish the old way?” “Yes we can do that for you.” OR “Let me check…yes we do.”  OR good server’s, if not possible, know the menu well enough to suggest something similar.  A good server is very knowledgeable about the menu, wine list etc.  Our server, other then those hitches, was very attentive; our drinks were never in need of refilling (something that is a big deal to me).  Now, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Olive Garden soups.  They have a new one that came out within the last year called Chicken and Gnocchi soup.  This one quickly beat out the minestrone as my number two soup there.  The chicken in that soup is so tender and full of flavor.  It is a really hearty soup and it reminds me of something you would make on a very cold afternoon, and I am usually a sucker for the cream soups.  The pizza came and was the same it always has been.  I personally really like Olive Garden pizza, the dough is the same dough that they use for their breadsticks so when you get to the bones of the pizza you get the same taste, which is why I like to get the alfredo sauce with it.  The gentleman dining with us ordered one of the limited features, I wish I could say that it was done correctly, but it was not.  He ordered the Parmesan Crusted Bistecca.  The picture looked fabulous.  However, he ordered it medium, and when it came, there was no lining of pink at all.  I did try the steak and it still was flavorful and not too chewy, but not really juicy or mouth watering as a medium to medium well steak should be.  The mashed potatoes looked like the diet version of the picture.  I know that we all need portion control, but give me what is on the picture and let me worry about the portion control myself please.  Now the question "Will you go back".  With chain restaurant's a hiccup in service won't keep people away, they have made their mark on the restaurant industry and have created craveable dishes.  Honestly, this one bad visit wouldn't keep me from returning.

Jamba Juice

So for the people that have known me for longer then ten years, know that I have always been a Jamba Juice advocate since the beginning.  From the early days in high school when it was “Zuka Juice” and I would yell proudly from the back of a beat up amigo “Zuka Power!” (maybe that was too much of a look into my hidden dorkiness).  Nevertheless, I adored it then, and would drive from the John Marshall High School area all the way down 1604 and 281, when there was nothing in between just for a $5.95 drink; that alone has to tell you it’s good.  When they opened the location in Huebner Oaks, the heaven’s opened, and my gas bill thanked me.  A short time later, the name changed to what is now Jamba Juice.  Most of you are probably thinking “Jamba Juice didn’t come until recently” and you would be wrong.  It was a sad day for me and all lovers of this place when it went out of business and I would not have another Jamba Juice until years later when I realized that there was one off Staples road in Corpus Christi, one off Congress road in Austin, and when I got married and moved to Dallas, countless locations.  People think I am joking when I tell them that the first two things I mapped when I moved to Dallas was the closest Jamba Juice and the closest IKEA, my ex-husband will tell you, I am not joking.  Could I tell you where the nearest grocery store was?  Not unless it was a Whole Foods with a Jamba Juice in it.  I am rambling now, when my point is I know this place and endorse it with every ounce of enthusiasm I possess at the given moment.  As soon as you walk in you are met with a breeze of fresh citrus that simultaneously boosts your mood.  The space is bright and friendly and every location that I have been to the staff is the same, even at 6AM.  I have recommended several drinks to various people, let me know what you like, and I can do the same, but this blog is not about the drinks…this blog is about the oatmeal.  WHAT?!  Yes, I said it, the oatmeal.  I have NEVER been a fan of oatmeal, ever since I saw the movie “The Golden Child” and you see the detective push in the oatmeal and blood rises.  I am gagging right now just writing about it.  In an effort to try to eat better I did try oatmeal later on in life, and again, reconfirmed for myself I don’t like oatmeal.  However, in an unexpected turn of events, I was to meet a chef who took this as a challenge.  He made me the best oatmeal I have ever had….of course its goodness came at a hefty caloric price.  With this new found love of oatmeal, I decided to take a leap of faith in the Jamba Juice oatmeal. I was wowed!  This time, minus the large calorie price.  I think Jamba Juice is the cities greatest untapped oatmeal resource!  How they fit all that goodness into less then 400 calories a pop is a mystery to me, but I will take it!  When I went in this morning of course I was greeted with all the usual pleasures, but an added bonus was that Tuesday morning’s it is a $1.00 OFF the $2.95 oatmeal!  BONUS!!!!   I had the Berry Cherry Pecan.   My favorite part was the brown sugar crumbles you get and it goes so well with the candied pecans.  Joseph had the Blueberry and Blackberry, which honestly wasn’t my favorite, but it was still good.  The blueberry was pretty overwhelming, but I am sure it packed a serious antioxidant punch.  The oatmeal was an awesome start to one of the coldest days of the year in San Antonio!  Now the question "Will you go back".  Duh!  Of course I will be back, I have been going steady with this place for years!   

Thai Bistro and Sushi

Location and Phone number: 
5999 De Zavala Road
San Antonio, TX 78249
(210) 558-6707

We have been to this place several times, and each time we are satisfied.  The place is independently owned by a delightful married couple.  The atmosphere is quiet and the service is fast and friendly.  The prices are very good, there is not a plate over $15 that is on the menu, and thats for lunch and dinner.  One of my favorite menu items is the drunken noodles, they have a very light basil flavor and any meat that you choose to pair it with is tender and flavorful, I have had it with both beef and chicken, however I like the beef more.  Another favorite item of mine is the jasmine rice.  As a child I would eat with my best friends family frequently, mom was phillipino and always made a white rice.  This rice took me back to Chiqui's kitchen.  It was very fragrant, something that I look for in jasmine rice.  The rice was not too sticky, so good that I wanted a portion to eat plain and a portion with my curry.   The question is though, "Will you go back?".  This place is definitely worth going if you want authentic thai cusine. Yes, I will be back....again, and again, and again.