DISH

Eat + Drink

INSIDE / CREATIVE MEXICAN CUISINE p.48 / THAI PARADISE p.50 / LITTLE EM’S NAMESAKE p.52

Southern Comfort

mimosa might seem like

Athe obvious brunch pairing for classic fried chicken, but chef Jeff Balfour suggests resisting that instinct and opting for Southerleigh Haute South’s Breakfast Old Fashioned. Made with bourbon, amaretto, orange and chocolate bitters, he insists that its subtle coffee undertones are the perfect complement to the Rim restaurant’s fried chicken and doughnuts, a twist on Southerleigh Fine Foods’ famous chicken and waffles. Freshly made doughnuts are topped with a chopped bacon glaze as a base for the pressure-fried bird. “We’re keeping those flavors simple and balancing the sweet and salty,” he says. When you’re not up for the full fried chicken combo, consider the chef’s doughnut of the week, which has ranged from Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch–topped Nutella doughnuts to graham cracker–crusted stuffed strawberry cheesecake treats. Creative doughnut combos aside, Balfour says the bulk of both the all-day and brunch menus at Haute South are “unapologetically things I love” and based on what he grew up eating in Galveston. His Gulf Coast upbringing inspired Southerleigh Fine Foods at Pearl as well, but that menu also reflects Balfour’s experiences living in other areas of Texas. Haute South at the Rim, however, he says is quintessentially a coastal restaurant.—KATHLEEN PETTY

SOUTHERLEIGH HAUTE SOUTH 5822 Worth Pkwy., Ste. 112 210-236-8556 southerleighhautesouth.com Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat-Sun

FRIDA 18740 Stone Oak Pkwy. 210-463-9173 fridarestaurantsa.com Dinner Tues-Sat; brunch Sun

Dinner of Champions

After years as an elite soccer player, Sofia Sada turned to cooking, where she’s earned a win with Frida’s clever takes on Mexican and American classics

BY EDMUND TIJERINA

ure, you can get carne asada all over town, but what

Sabout a coliflor asada? Yes, a roasted cauliflower, slathered with a piquant mayonnaise infused with chile morita and a dusting of Parmesan. It’s the best-selling item on the menu at Frida, says chef Sofía Sada, and her creation deftly evokes the feeling of street fair elote with a refined flavor and presentation.

Her dishes and the restaurant’s casual elegance place it as part of a wave of restaurants in this country and in Mexico that elevate seemingly humble ingredients with fine dining techniques and presentations.

“I make basic Mexican recipes and transform them into something modern,” Sada says. “A lot of it comes from where I grew up. A lot of it is influenced by where I’m from, and a lot of it comes from how I’m trained.”

ORDER THIS

Coliflor Asada

Oysters Oaxaca-feller

Churros

The native of Monterrey who was “born playing soccer” competed for her school, the state team of Nuevo León and ultimately the Mexican National Women’s Soccer Team from 2001–04. She went to study architecture at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey on a soccer scholarship, and that’s where she began to get into food and great cooking. “I realized I didn’t want to be an architect, so I started studying culinary,” she says.

After receiving her degree from Tec de Monterrey, she went to culinary school in her hometown and came to South Texas in 2015. After first working in Boerne, she joined the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio, where she worked at NAO and then Savor. She still teaches at the CIA, overseeing the Latin Cuisines program and teaching culinary fundamentals.

Meanwhile at Frida, she’s offering a sense of fun with dishes that are honed with her knowledge of classic European and Mexican flavors. One of the best examples of this begins with an upscale American favorite, Oysters Rockefeller. In her hands, she adds a butter infused with mezcal and chorizo, along with minced cilantro and Parmesan for a combination that’s familiar, yet surprising.

A year ago, there was a question of whether the restaurant, originally planned to open in March, would ever welcome in diners. “We started freaking out and asked, ‘Are we going to do this?’” she recalls. “We were very nervous about opening during a pandemic. We thought we could be successful, so we went for it.”

Even with pandemic restrictions, the ambience still feels welcoming, with servers happy to explain different dishes and offer well-considered suggestions. Perhaps the best way to approach this menu is to split several dishes for a multicourse experience. Already, some couples are sharing a taco tasting as an appetizer. “I love shareables. I don’t want people to just order one dish,” Sada says. “I want people to order six different dishes and get them family style.”

OFF MENU

News from the restaurant scene

Pharm Table opened in its new location in Southtown. / Chef Justin Ward, formerly of the Culinary Institute, and his wife, Cristina, debuted Glass and Plate in Olmos Park, serving American and European cuisine. / Two former online/pop-up bakeries, Republic Bakery and Alebrije, opened a shared storefront on South Flores Street. / Fruteria La Tropicana, a dessert shop specializing in homemade ice cream, paletas, mangonadas, churros and more opened on Culebra /

The Devil’s River Distill-

ery opened in downtown San Antonio / Two Step

Restaurant and Cantina

officially shuttered after being temporarily closed since March 2020. / Hop and Vine SA permanently closed its doors. / The River Walk got a few new restaurants with Domingo Restaurant and Otro Bar at the Canopy by Hilton and Landrace (by Cured Chef Steve McHugh) and

The Moon’s Daughters

at the Thompson Hotel. / Coffeeshops Shotgun House Roasters and CommonWealth (at the Alamo Heights location) both recently introduced beer and wine service and extended hours. / Little Rhein Steakhouse at La Villita reopened as

Little Rhein Prost House

following a renovation and revamped menu that focuses on German bites and beers. / La Panadería opened its third location, at La Cantera Heights.