My wife and I are not into the club scene at all. We do enjoy an occasional drink, but don’t enjoy the places that normally serve them as they cater to decadent youth focused on competitive imbibing. Not so with Zinc, located in the heart of downtown San Antonio within a short walk of the Riverwalk or the Alamo. This place has a more elegant and upscale feel than many other places do. The clientele seems different, too. At least when I’ve visited, the patrons are more subdued, enjoying the company of a small group of friends. Although the tv’s are usually showing a game, the volume is normally muted so as not to compete with the music or conversation. This is not the type of place you will need to raise your voice at to be heard.

The menu is lengthy with a good selection of wines, spirits, and specialty mixed drinks. Although I’ve never had their food, they also offer panini’s, pizza’s, and a couple of desserts as well. There is ample seating in the main bar area, as well as the adjoining lounge. On nice evenings, the outdoor courtyard is an excellent place to relax.

If you want to get away from the ordinary and step into a relaxing, adult environment, make sure to visit Zinc.

I wish I had gotten the jump on San Antonio’s Express News review of Boudro’s, but sometimes life gets too busy and things go by the wayside. However, I have pictures! Here’s my two cents on a recent visit.

Whereas the writer of that article did not mind being shoehorned into her table, that is the first thing I noticed when my wife and I met my parents and my aunt and uncle at Boudro’s this past weekend. I expected this upscale restaurant to be crowded (this is on San Antonio’s Riverwalk, after all), but I’ve never seen a more worthy attempt at cramming tables and chairs into such tight spots. The small table couldn’t hold all of our dishes at once, the guacamole cart just would not fit between my uncle’s chair and our neighbor, and I think I actually rubbed hair with the person sitting behind me several times. Yes, it was also loud, but you sit so close to your tablemates that it doesn’t really matter.

My first impression was not good, and neither was my second. The bar is tiny. I have self-declared myself to be a liquor snob, but what kind of place only offers three brands of tequila (two if you exclude the Cuervo). I settled for Tanq 10 and tasted my wife’s Mojito to see if they got it right. Personally, not enough lime or mint, and too much of the fake sweet stuff. Hmm, what’s next?

We decided to order the tableside Guacamole, which was actually pretty good. Our waiter prepared the guac next to our table in a molcajete (a mexican mortar). The flavor of the purple onions and orange were evident and added a unique flavor to the guac that you normally don’t get elsewhere. You can check out my recipe here.

My aunt and uncle ordered Shrimp Cocktails which were beautifully presented in a cored out cucumber served on top of a slaw made with carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and jicama in a vinaigrette. The slaw came warm and tasted great.

The specialty here is the Blackened Prime Rib, which I ordered on the recommendation of a good friend of mine who used to be the General Manager here several years ago. Had I not been able to meet and speak with his friend, the head line cook, I probably would not have been able to sub my sides. It normally comes with potatoes and veggies, which I was not in the mood for. However, another side dish caught my attention: the fire fries with fried jalapenos and plantains served with chimichurri sauce. My 10-12 oz. steak arrived heavily blackened and medium-rare on top of my subbed sides and a hearty dose of chimichurri sauce on top. There are many different recipes for chimichurri, but I believe mine was a mix of parsley, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil (lots of garlic, by the way). I am not a fat eater and was fairly pleased to only have to cut off about 3oz. of pure fat. The fries were thin and crispy and everyone at the table liked them.

Three others at the table had the Filet which was fantastic. However, you may want to stay away from butterflying it since it will tend to dry it out somewhat.

My dad ordered the Big Tails Little Tails, which comes with pan-seared baby lobster tail and giant gulf shrimp served with a spicy crawfish etouffe on top of an avocado and roasted tomato risotto. The lobster and shrimp were cooked well and the sauce was spectacular. Unfortunately, the risotto fell way short. The flavor was okay, but the grain was still firm and crispy (as Chef Ramsay would scream: “The risotto is %&$#ing raw!!!”).

My wife ordered the Coconut Shrimp glazed with orange chili (though not hot at all) and served with a creamy horseradish sauce and a jicama slaw. This slaw was different than the one that came with the shrimp cocktail and my wife did not like it at all. She said it was way too lemony and inedible. It also came with a corn cob that was too hard to eat. Overall, the veggies really appeared to be more of plate decoration than side dishes. The shrimp, however, were big and crispy and tangy and tasted great.

We all skipped dessert, but had coffee and espresso. I am also a coffee snob, did I tell you that? For a place with an average plate price of $30, you better have fantastic coffee. Boudro’s did not.

All in all, I found Boudro’s to be overpriced. However, it is understandable considering the lack of space in this restaurant and the outrageous cost of doing business on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Nevertheless, for the price, I expect all the food to be up to par. The entrees were very good, but the sides were merely an afterthought and did not seem to complement the dish. The restaurant attracts a fairly equal mix of locals and tourists, so if you live here in San Antonio, you won’t feel uncomfortable at all. If you are a tourist staying downtown this is a nice place to visit. If you are a local and are ready to shell out some bucks on a nice date, check out Boudro’s at least once and make your own decision. The menu is extensive and I wouldn’t mind trying some of the other things on the menu the next time someone pays for me.

Cappy’s restaurant was opened in 1977 by Cappy and Suzy Lawton as one of the first establishments intended to revitalize the Alamo Heights area of San Antonio. Alamo Heights is an older, more affluent neighborhood that is a beautiful place to live and work. In 1996, the Lawton’s opened Cappyccino’s (”Little Cappy’s”) as an adjunct and complement to the popular and successful first restaurant. Its just across the patio from Cappy’s and offers quick and light fare. It is probably one of just a handful of full bars in San Antonio that is completely smoke-free and is a great informal place to meet for lunch, as is evidenced by the mix of casually attired as well as business-suited clientele.

The restaurant bills itself as a bistro, and its menu of burgers, salads, pizzas, and sandwiches fits the bill. I met my wife and kids here the other day for lunch, as well as my aunt and uncle and my parents. Altogether there were nine of us sitting inside, although it was a beautiful day to sit outside on the patio. Its nice to check out a restaurant with several people in order to get a better picture of the menu. Its even better when the other people are your family and they don’t mind if you sample from their plates, which is what I did.

My mom ordered the Combo with Chicken Tortilla Soup and the Mediterranean Grilled Cheese. I’ve had many tortilla soups and everyone has their own take on it. Cappyccino’s uses a chicken stock base with a definite tomato flavor. It had a hearty addition of chunky tomatoes and onions and a big handful of tortilla strips to add texture. Noticeably missing was the avocado, sour cream, and jack cheese that are normally a part of this traditional soup. Nevertheless, it has a great taste and would make a good lunch by itself. The grilled cheese was fantastic. The white bread was about 3/4″ thick with a buttery crisp crunch and was filled with Fontina cheese, tomato, basil, and olive oil. I mention the thickness of the bread because it was the perfect amount for the fillings.

Every now and then I get a hankering for the tangy flavor of a Rueben sandwich, so I decided to give it a shot. Its probably one of the best Rueben’s I’ve ever had. Many restaurants slightly alter the recipe by using rye bread, or sub the Russian for Thousand Island. This sandwich had a moist Pumpernickel bread with a great aroma, a slightly vinegary corned beef and sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and Gruyere cheese (instead of the swiss most places use). I liked my sandwich a lot, but could have cared less for the hand-cut potato chips that were fried a little too long.

My dad and uncle ordered burgers made with Kobe beef. What I really liked best about them, however, was the bun. As I’ve commented before, burger tasting is quite subjective, so everyone has their own opinion. The bun is cut somewhat squarish and has a slightly sweet flavor to it, like a Hawaiian sweet bread. Its an unusual take on a burger but it works very well.

My wife and kids had pizza. The dough is hand made and the pizza is wood fired. The kids had the Classic Pepperoni and my wife had the Margherita which is made with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Both pizzas were really good.

Overall, our experience here was very positive. My only complaint, as I mentioned above, is with the chips, which is a pretty minor thing to complain about. Our server (W.J.) was attentive and courteous, making our visit all the better.

There’s a new feature on this site: San Antonio Restaurant Menus. Use this guide to San Antonio’s best (or worst) restaurants and their menus by clicking on the link here, or choosing the San Antonio Menu page/tab above. I’ve organized it by Cuisine Category to make things as easy as possible to find. If you don’t find what you are looking for, leave a comment and I will add the menu if it is available.

Like any major city, San Antonio’s restaurants serve a diverse range of cuisines:

• Alamo City Classics (the mainstays and staples everyone knows about)
• American & Regional
• Barbeque (BBQ)
• Breakfast
• Burgers
• Continental & European
• Cajun & Creole
• Chinese
• Coffee & Tea Houses
• French
• German
• Home Cooking
• Ice Cream
• Indian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Latin
• Mexican
• Middle Eastern
• Pizza
• Pub Grub
• Steak
• Seafood
• Tapas
• TexMex
• Thai
• Vietnamese
• Many Value Restaurants

You name it, its here. Thanks for looking.

Its interesting how viewership trails off without constant upkeep.  I’ve taken a very short hiatus to catch up on a few things, so expect some postings soon. thanks

Many restauranteurs would probably argue that pictures on a menu are just an outright abomination to the profession (Gordon Ramsey, for one). You don’t see any upscale restaurants with pictures on their menu, just a detailed description of the dish. To be sure, pictures on menus are reminiscent of fast food joints.

“I’ll take the combo #2, super-sized.” No description needed, the picture says it all.

“mmphogclakm zpechtorflam” is the reply from the speaker (that means “pull up” in drive-thru speak).

Is it a sin to have pictures on a menu? Any one of us can probably recall off the top of our head at least five restaurants we’ve been to with pictures on the menu (let’s see: Chili’s, Denny’s, Red Robin…hmm, all franchises - interesting). Do these restaurants know something that other restauranteurs don’t? I would venture to say that restaurants actually sell more of the pictured items, but I haven’t seen any data on this. Let me tell you what I think.

We’ve all heard the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Its one thing for me to tell you about the fantastic lunch I experienced the other day at Frida’s. But its quite another for me to actually show you what I ate. Since you cannot smell nor taste what I am describing, you have to rely on your brain’s previous connections and my excellent verbal skills to “virtually” taste the food. This is pretty difficult to do. However, when I throw a picture into the mix, allowing you to see presentation, color, and shape, its much easier for your brain to comprehend. Now we’re combining two of the senses: “Wow, that sounds delicious,” and “Oooh, that looks really good!”

I watched a show recently on Ferran Adria, who runs El Bulli in Spain, who photographically documents every single thing created in his kitchen (more like a lab, really). There are excellent pictures of his work at Chez Pim’s blog.

Adam Robert at The Amateur Gourmet has an excellent post on writing a food blog. One of his recommendations is to get a camera, reasoning that you can see food before you taste it and is, therefore, an integral part of blogging (or writing) about food. Isn’t a menu considered writing about food?

I’m certainly no expert in this, but I’m sure there are right and wrong ways to do this:

1. The picture needs to be professional. Plate it well, light it properly, and take the best picture possible. There’s nothing worse than pictures that show sloppy plating or a messy tablecloth. If you can’t take professional photos yourself, don’t do it.
2. Don’t put a picture of everything on your menu as it will dilute the effectiveness of what you are trying to convey. A picture of just one of the burgers should be enough.
3. It better look like the picture when I get it. Everyone knows that the Big Mac on the menu board won’t actually look like the smashed sandwich you get in the wrapper. However, don’t make this a practice at your establishment.
4. Your menu is your salesperson. Don’t skimp on doing this right and hire someone if you have to.
5. Do put a picture of your specialty. This is what you are known for and you want to sell more of it, right?
6. Don’t use the car ad disclaimer: “Artwork for representational purposes only.”

I’m sure there are a few others and I’d like to hear them.
So, again I ask: is it a sin to put pictures on a menu? As long as its done right, I think not. In fact, it could revolutionize your business through increased sales.

A couple of days ago an article came through on the AP wire regarding a memo issued by Starbucks Chariman Howard Schultz. This memo, delivered to Starbucks top executives about a year ago bemoaned the “watering down of the Starbucks experience. He complained that the company’s unbridled growth had sapped the soul out of the company. In this memo he pointed to the fact that many people find the stores “sterile” and “cookie cutter.”

How often do you see or hear about someone in a position such as Schulz’s being so candid about the company they run? Admitting there is a problem is the first step towards recovery, and Schultz hit the problem right on the head. As Starbucks saturates the market, the funky and cozy coffee houses (remember when they were called that?) have gone by the wayside. People are driven by convenience and efficiency, and its so much easier to pull up to the Starbucks drive-thru to pick up the morning java than to stop at a favorite coffee house and drink inside out of a ceramic cup. The original intent and philosophy behind the coffee house has waned, and in some areas, disappeared. In fact, after Starbucks switched to the fully automated machines, the pungent coffee aroma that used to permeate the air almost completely disappeared as well. Likewise, the craft of “pulling” a great cup of coffee or espresso is non-existent.

Here in San Antonio, I can only think of one coffee house that has retained this eclectic charm and that also serves good coffee. I only know about it because I stumbled upon it. On the other hand, Starbucks has become so ubiquitous through their marketing that even cartoons mimic and parody their logo.

However, hope may be in sight. Schultz is taking steps to bring the soul back to the stores. Different ideas have been tossed around to accomplish this, (like firing the CEO) but their success remains to be seen. I will be waiting in anticipation as I sip an espresso made from my Jura Capresso at home.

I decided to check out the Shisha Cafe this weekend because I was in the mood for something different and inexpensive. After looking through the local paper’s top dining picks for Middle Eastern fare, Shisha Cafe fit the bill and was close to where I work. The cafe occupies a small spot at the end of a strip center and has indoor and outdoor seating. Despite its name, however, I am inclined to report that this place is more of a lounge or parlor rather than a cafe, and I will have to respectfully disagree with the Express News’ assessment that the fare is worth investigating.

“Shisha” is the Arabic term for what many know and refer to as a “hooka” pipe. And as the name implies, the focus of the cafe is indeed smoking (”oh, and by the way, we serve food”). Evidence of this fact became more apparent as my family took a seat inside on plastic patio furniture and torn rattan tables. Thank goodness the music is kept at an acceptable level because I can only take so much of watching overly-produced Persian music videos featuring Western looking people singing in Guiness record-breaking tone and voice modulations. Popular American board games await on a shelf at the front counter for patrons to pass their time until the place closes at 4am. Rather than visiting a restaurant, the large bong (oops, I mean water pipe) assortment made it seem like I had entered a reincarnation of a “Magic Habits” head shop sans rock music, glow in the dark posters, and age limit warning signs.

My first disappointment is with the pricing. As usual, I checked out the menu on their website (which is done pretty well, by the way) and was excited to see $2.99 appetizers. I figured we could order several to get a good sample of the fare and still stay within a budget. The actual prices for the appetizers at the cafe were $3.69. I know that sounds petty, but it is almost a 20% difference (substantial). My second disappointment (and more appalling, actually) came just as swiftly when I ordered water. If I wanted water I would have to buy bottled Ozarka (at $0.99 no less). Ridiculous! We’re not in Iraq, for goodness sake. I’m pretty sure they do not have an ice maker, thus necessitating the bottled water. In addition, a can of soda would cost me $1.29. Man, the food better be good.

We ordered two appetizers: the hummus and the fool mudammas. For the uninitiated, hummus is a dip made from mashed chick peas, sesame paste, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice and is served with pita bread. Made well, hummus is a fantastic dip featuring a smooth texture and garlicky taste. Done poorly and you get Shisha Cafe hummus. It was just plain bland, lacking both garlic and salt. Plus, its difficult to spruce up something you serve on a disposable plastic plate. The fool mudammas was better, but not great. Similar to the hummus, it is made with mashed fava beans and served warm. This version still had a chunky texture that seemed to highlight the beans more and was seasoned well. The only weird thing about it is that it was so oily that it would not stick to the pita. You had to spoon it on and carefully aim for the pie hole. Additionally, it would be nice to be served homemade pita in a Persian restaurant (oh, right, this is a cafe).

We also ordered the Beef and Chicken Shish Kebab sandwiches, both of which come with lettuce, tomato, and pickles (in plastic baskets, thus bolstering my claim that the “cafe” is really no more than a glorified pub with no alcohol). The chicken comes with a creamy garlic sauce (hmm, I seem to have missed that) that added the moisture necessary to prevent the sandwich from being dry. The beef is supposed to be skewered and grilled ground beef with hummus. If this was ground beef then they pressed the heck out of it. The beef was like a dry and chewy piece of cheap steak and the hummus did nothing to soften the blow. Both sandwiches were wrapped in flat bread that was grilled a little too long, resulting in a chewy wrap.

After tax and tip, I spent around $26. Certainly not worth it in my book. I know nothing about what their hookas are like so I can’t comment on them. If you go to Shisha, go there to hang out with friends, not to find good Persian food. But if you are looking for a place to hang out and eat, there are other places that offer much better “pub grub.”

If you are familiar at all with Mexican art, then you might guess that Frida’s is inspired by the art and love story of Frida Kahlo. A quote attributed to Frida says “I paint self portraits because I am the person the I know best.” If the restaurant is based on Frida’s inspiration for her art, then the menu says everything about the chef. It has been a long time since I have visited a new restaurant and really enjoyed the food, mainly because most restaurants lack innovation and render out the same standard fare that everyone else in town produces. I applaud Frida’s for taking traditional Mexican and Latin dishes and making them unique and original.

The restaurant is located in the midst of a highly populated residential area in North San Antonio. One of the owners, Cathy, told us during our visit that they decided to stay away from the commercial explosion happening along the Loop 1604 corridor on the North because they wanted to promote themselves as a “neighborhood” restaurant. I will make an effort here to get the word out that Frida’s is a place that locals and visitors alike should make the trip for.

The interior of the restaurant is attractive, with table linens, comfortable seating, earth-toned hues, hand blown light pendants, and a rotating display of local artists’ works. My wife and I went during a slow period and the waitstaff was attentive and friendly. We were there for lunch and were really just looking for a light meal, so we didn’t eat much. But the quality of the food and the interesting menu will bring me back again for sure.

We decided to order the Empanadas Latinas. The menu says there are four fillings you could choose from, but they are really only making two: the ground beef picadillo, or the chorizo. The first thing that caught my attention was that these were not the empanadas I was used to. Most Latin empanadas have a flaky crust shaped into a half-moon about 4″-6″ wide. These were smaller and the dough reminded me of a South American “arepa” made from corn meal. It was a delightfully delicious change from what I was used to. The six empanadas had a light drizzling of a mango poppy seed sauce that added a sweet flavor to the meat. The chorizo used is the soft Mexican kind that my wife normally doesn’t care for, yet she ate these wholeheartedly.

We also decided to split the Lomo de Puerco en Salsa de Mango (in other words, pork loin with mango sauce). The pork was sliced into medallions and grilled, then topped with a pico de gallo and mango sauce. What a great combination. All of this was served on a heap of cilantro white rice. One of my pet peeves are restaurants that neglect the side dishes. This rice, however, was fluffy and moist and had an excellent cilantro flavor without the green leaves speckled throughout. Lastly, the dish came with fried plantains. Interestingly enough, these were not tostones, the twice-fried plantains. These ripe plantains were thinly sliced and fried once, allowing the slight sweetness of the plantain to shine through. As with the empanadas, we were pleased at how this dish presented slight variations on typical Latin fare.

I look forward to returning to try the Cascabel Sauce, the Poblano Mole made with bananas and nuts, and if I’m lucky, they will still carry a few items made with fresh huitlacoche (yes, the veritable corn fungus) or squash flower. If they ever experiment with chapulines, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I hope they continue to push their “neighbors” to explore new tastes, and not succumb to the same pressures that have led other used-to-be-good restaurants in town to dumb down their food. My only gripe about this place? The Kids Menu.

Last night I had to prepare a quickie since we had to be at our Pilates class by 7:15 (yes, I take Pilates) and we were short on time. I boiled some spaghetti, poured a jar of tomato sauce on it and called it dinner.

It wasn’t until my son was almost done eating that he noticed something in his pasta sauce.  In a surprised and delighted tone he exclaimed “Yay! Capers!”

Many people find the pickled, briny taste quite nasty, although I don’t think you are supposed to eat these by themselves like an olive. However, they enhance flavors in dishes when combined and used properly. Nevertheless, I think most people will tend to categorize these in the “Nasty” file.

I encourage you to develop and promote an environment for yourself and your kids that food (all kinds) is a wonderful thing to experience. It absolutely pleased me to hear my 9 year old last night.