Dishin' With SA Gold Holiday Edition - Dec. 2022

Photo Courtesy Alamo Biscuit & Panaderia

PhotoCourtesyofJenniferSuta

Mi Tierra – 218 Produce Row

Thousands of colorful lights, pinatas designed to look like ornaments, and bright colors coming from every direction helps to bring the festive feel of the holidays the second you walk into Mi Tierra. And that is all year long! But at Christmas time, the historic restaurant kicks the celebration up a notch and adds additional lights, decorations, and trees. Mi Tierra is a very popular tourist destination, but locals should not leave it off their list to try! The food is good, the margaritas are strong, and the décor is beautiful. Additionally, at Christmas time the decorations extend outside the building into Market Square, making it nearly impossible not to start your holiday shopping!

Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery –136 E. Greyson

I was surprised to see Southerleigh on the list. I was able to verify that the good people at Southerleigh do put up a large tree and decorations at Christmas, but I think it made the list due to its location- the beautiful, historic Pearl Brewery. If for some reason you have never visited the Pearl, I highly suggest taking a few hours to explore. The complex is extremely well designed and at Christmas time, it becomes a truly magical place, with a giant Christmas tree, music and lights throughout the property and along the adjoining Riverwalk. Southerleigh first opened in 2015, and only recently reopened with an updated menu.

Casa Rio – 430 E. Commerce

Another place that at first I was surprised to see on the list, but considering it’s on San Antonio’s beautiful Riverwalk, it is highly recommended! A prospective San Antonio tourist recently asked if the Riverwalk is as beautiful at Christmas as it looks in pictures. The answer is yes! Meander along the Riverwalk and enjoy the lights, then grab a river side table at Casa Rio or any of the other Riverwalk restaurants, relax and enjoy the beauty of the season! (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Suta)

Guenther House –205 E. Guenther

The Guenther House is a charming home located on the property of the Pioneer Flour Mill. The home was built in the 1860 by Pioneer founder Carl Guenther. Today the home is a museum and restaurant serving fantastic breakfast and lunch items made with Pioneer products like pancakes and waffles, biscuits, breads, sandwiches and desserts. At Christmas the property is decorated with lots of poinsettias, holly, and Christmas trees. The River Mill Store located on the second floor of the restaurant sells Christmas versions of many of their products like pumpkin spice pancake mix and gingerbread. For many years the employees displayed a delightful gingerbread house with incredible details; however this ended during covid and hasn’t returned yet.

In Contrada Vineyard & Kitchen

When Ed Sullivan, owner of In Contrada Vineyard, first laid eyes on the land that was then known as Lara Vineyard, he saw it was a special place, loaded with potential! You might even say, “Magical!”

The vineyard is barely outside the City limits yet, as you make the turn onto the property you are suddenly on vacation. Cares and worries fade away as you eye the beautiful hills,

rolling lines of manicured grape vines, and majestic views! Ed knew right away he had to have it!

Ed and his wife Karen moved to San Antonio from California back in 2013. San Antonio quickly became home and in short order all four of their children have joined them here. Ed’s journey from a health care professional to running a successful vineyard is fascinating.

AWARD WINNING WINES

Ed moved to California from his native El Paso when he was only 10 years old, so California was home for most of his life. In his 30’s he opened a outpatient therapy business and in no time flat, business was booming.

“I remember at some point I bought the self-help book, Good To Great, by Jim Collins. I read the first sentence which goes like this, “Good is the enemy of great.” That was all I read, but that sentence helped change my way of thinking and thus my life!” remarked Sullivan. Over the next two decades Ed opened several other companies, mostly in the health care field, and each one thrived and soon he had more than 600 employees around the State. In 2004 he received an amazing offer from someone to take over his business so after much thought, he and Karen sold the

businesses and spent the next several years traveling around the world!

One of his favorite countries to visit is Italy and on one trip he noticed how many small farms had some part of the land carved out for growing wonderful fruits and vegetables, and grapes!

He thought about how the Southern California climate was not unlike Italy, so when he got back home, he began his hand at farming. Before long he had an incredible garden with apples, berries, grapefruit, and four varietals of grapes!

Ed reached out to his network of friends and family and began learning about making wine. His niece and her husband, Donna and Rob Mellison have been awarded wine maker of the year for their award-winning wines made at Mellsoni Vineyards in Washington State! Their aid helped Ed raise his winemaking skills to much higher levels.

“Fall is my favorite time of year” states Sullivan. “I love picking and crushing grapes and mixing juices to make something new! There is something Spiritual and a contentment of creating!”

By 2009, Ed was called back into the business world when a home health agency he was interested in became available in San Antonio. He continued to live in California but rented an apartment in Texas and traveled back and forth. He found himself in San Antonio a good part of each month so in 2013 he made the move to Texas. And he brought with him over 1,000 bottles of his home-made wine!

In early 2020, one of Ed’s daughters who was a realtor told him about a small vineyard for sale on Smithson Valley Rd. Ed said that as soon as he saw the property, he had a vision of what it could be. The Sullivan’s are thankful people, and they knew they had been blessed

Though he has only owned the property a little over one year (he can tell you exactly how long he has owned it), the improvements are impressive. He encouraged his friend, the amazing chef Claudio Marchesan to move to San Antonio to make delicious food (see adjoining story on Chef Claudio Marchesan). He has hired local winemaker Bruce Gibbons to keep improving his wines, and he has worked tirelessly to create a comfortable, yet dreamy place for visitors to chill. In Contrada is the only vineyard I know of where tables are perched right alongside the grapevines. He even invested over $40,000 in sun sails, misters, and fans to help keep the summer temperatures at bay. Ed calls this his “heat shield!” He built a live music stage and amphitheater and a covered pavilion for weddings and other events. This winter he is demolishing the tiny “submarine” kitchen

(as Claudio calls it) and is building a full-size chef's kitchen plus more than doubling the size of the wine room/dining room. “My desire is that no matter what the weather is doing, you can be comfortable at In Contrada.”

The words In Contrada mean, In the neighborhood in Italian. And for most San Antonians it is “in the neighborhood”. At 27490 Smithson Valley Road the vineyard is only 8.8 miles from the 1604 and 281 Interchange. Many locals can easily get to the vineyard in 30 minutes or less.

Award winning wines, beautiful views, delicious food, all on an enchanting piece of land. The vision that Ed Sullivan saw when he first crossed into the driveway at In Contrada just a little over a year ago is real and it’s waiting on your visit!

Chef Claudio Marchesan

In 2021, as Ed Sullivan began piecing together his dream of creating a world class venue at In Contrada Vineyard, serving incredible food was a high priority. For that he reached out to his old friend Chef Claudio Marchesan. Claudio owned several very respected and popular restaurants back in California and through the years he and Ed had become close friends. Since Covid had Claudio’s restaurants temporarily closed back home, there was really no reason not to join his friend in Texas.

Claudio Marchesan grew up in Grado, Italy where his father was a musician. He initially went into music himself but later turned his arts to the kitchen where he studied culinary skills under the famous Chef Giovanni Caruso. After cooking throughout Europe Claudio set sails for the United States where he was a founding chef at Prego in Beverly Hills, Pane e Vino in Los Angeles, and “Il Fornaio” in San Francisco, L.A., Del Mar, etc..., bringing to the US, artisanal bread! He has won multiple awards and is known as one of the best Chefs in California!

The tiny kitchen at In Contrada has made making great meals difficult and only a great Chef like Claudio Marchesan could still put out magic. Claudio describes it as a “Submarine”

kitchen! He has been specializing in fire roasted pizzas and other Italian dishes. However, this winter, that one problem is being erased as Chef Claudio oversees the building of a brand-new kitchen built to his standards!

If Chef Marchesan can put out great food from a “submarine” kitchen, we can’t wait to see what he can do when he can stretch his wings.

Come Do Some Kitchen Talk With Us!

Our sister FB group, the very popular San Antonio Restaurants, is about going out to eat to great local restaurants. Kitchen Talk is about those nights when you want or need to cook a great meal at home. We hope group members will have fun sharing recipes, photos of the delicious meals you cook, ask questions and be a resource to eachother on where to find ingredients or anything cooking and kitchen related! Be sure to join the fun. We cannot wait to get to know your inner chef!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/533385901620482

Memories of Old San Antonio: Karam’s Mexican Restaurant

Alan Williams

My wife Beverly and I are part of the rare group of citizens that were born in San Antonio and have never lived anywhere else. We met in middle school but didn’t date until my Senior year (her Junior year) at Jefferson High School. We both have a ton of great memories of growing up in San Antonio along with the many wonderful restaurants. Sadly, many of those restaurants are no longer around.

One of those restaurants is Karam’s Mexican Restaurant. It opened in 1946 by Ralph and Josephine Karam and was located at 121 N. Zarzamora at Commerce St. It was popular enough that the owners had to purchase the property across the street to build an added parking lot.

Karam’s was known for their tamales. Back in the 60s and 70s, it was the most popular place in town to buy Christmas tamales, which were wrapped in paper and tied with string.

Photo Courtesy of Ken Erfurth

I’ve never seen anyone else do that. My friend Steve Rivera’s grandfather bought a tamale machine from Karam’s in the early 70s and it has been passed down to Steve. It’s very unusual but Steve still uses it every Christmas, and it works beautifully!

Besides the great Mexican food and homemade tamales, the things that stand out in my memories about Karam’s were the offset floors, the glass box at the entrance holding Pancho Villa’s hat, and the creepy Mayan statues on the back patio. Those things were massive! A San Antonio ExpressNews article from January 5, 2022, states that the statues were created by sculptor Antonio Medina (https://www.expressnews.com/enterta inment/arts-culture/article/SanAntonio-sculptor-Antonio-Medina16751248.php).

Back in 1973, Mr. Medina was commissioned to create the statues for a restaurant and museum planned for the North Side called La Piramede. “He based the figures on those of the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl in Tula, Mexico,” the article said. The restaurant was never built, so Ralph Karam bought the statues and moved them to his restaurant to “guard the Mayan Garden” at the back of the restaurant.

In the early 80s, I worked for a burglar alarm company. I worked the night shift and had keys to a lot of our customers’ businesses to work on their alarm systems at night. It’s hard to fix an alarm when doors keep opening and people walk in front of the motion detector. One of our customers was Karam’s. I remember getting so freaked out being alone in the old building with the creaks, semi-warped floors, and of course those freaky statues peering at me through the windows!

Photo courtesy of Steve Rivera

Karam’s was a destination and was often visited by celebrities coming through town. My wife, Beverly remembers meeting Goldie Hawn there back in 1974 when she was in town filming “The Sugarland Express.” Karam’s was also used in the 1997 movie, “Selena” starring Jennifer Lopez. It doubled as the restaurant that Selena’s father opened in Lake Jackson. On a more local level, San Antonio’s own celebrity Chef Johnny Hernandez, admits that washing dishes at Karam’s was the first restaurant he ever worked at.

I could not find anything explaining why Karam’s closed in 2008. I’m guessing the owners wanted to retire and the kids weren’t interested in taking over, but I honestly don’t know. I did learn that one of the granddaughters briefly ran a food truck in Austin called Karam’s Tamales and now makes and delivers pralines using the family recipe. https://www.facebook.com/karamspralines/?ref=page internal

What I do know with certainty is that I, and lots of other San Antonian’s miss Karam’s Mexican Restaurant. It is one more piece of San Antonio’s history that is gone, but not forgotten.

Willi

AHaving been given the opportunity to sit down and get to know so many fantastic Chefs and Restaurateurs, we are always touched by the many stories that are shared with us from the heart.

We are able to see firsthand the joy, love, heart and hard work that goes into each dish and also learn the journey and struggle that goes into being a restaurant owner. Being given this insight changes our whole restaurant experience , in fact, every bite takes on a new meaning and everything is more flavorful!!

We wanted everyone to share in this amazing experience and because of this 'The More You Know, The Better It Tastes' was born!

We hope you all enjoy this podcast and it gives everyone so much new excitement when you visit the many fantastic local restaurants in San Antonio!

Alan Williams & Susie LaFredo

SAY WHAT?!?!

B Y A L A N W I L L I A M S

I recently watched the Hulu TV show, The Bear. It’s the story of a talented young chef who formerly worked at some of the finest restaurants in the country, but is called back to Chicago to take over the family sandwich shop.It’s funny, sad, dramatic, riveting, and it is a little confusing for us non-professional restaurant lovers.

My friends that are in the business tell me it is a fairly accurate portrayal of typical kitchen life -- colossal egos, temper tantrums, drugs, disappointment and depression, followed by feelings of pride, joy and happiness, plus language that would … well, make a chef blush! I really enjoyed the show, and would recommend it if you can handle the language and drama.

But what also caught my attention was the kitchen slang. So many terms I’ve heard but I have no idea what they mean: “in the weeds,” “all day,” “it’s dying on the pass,” and “kill it!” -- I’m sorry, I only know English. I’m not fluent in kitchen speak!

TGFG = Thank God for Google! A lot of my research here comes from www.chefsresources.com. Most kitchen phrases are short and meant to express intent with a sense of urgency in the fewest words possible. After all, it can get really busy in the kitchen at times, and there are usually sharp objects and hot liquids around, so it is important to communicate efficiently and quickly.

Here is what I learned: Open Door – Lets everyone know you are opening a hot oven door, so be careful!

How’s your mise? Or don’t touch my mise! - Mise is short for “mise en place,” which is French for “everything in place.”For Chefs it means you have everything prepped and ready for service. Not just food but also plates, utensils, towels, back-ups, sauté pans, food service gloves, etc.

Corner – This one is obvious. It means you are coming around a corner so that you don’t run into anyone.

Table Monkey – A server.

Fire! - In the kitchen world this means to start cooking something. For example, “fire 3 burgers.”

Dragging – Usually means that whatever is cooking will not be ready when expected.

Push – A busy period during service.

Turn – Similar to a push but referring to the end of a push, as things slow down.

All Day – I heard this a lot on The Bear. It means the total number of an item on all tickets in front of the chef.

FOH – Front of House such as servers, bussers, and bartender.

BOH – Back of House such as chef, cooks, and dishwashers.

86 – This number is used to convey they are either out of an item or the chef isn’t happy with the quality of something and will not serve it.

Dying in the Pass – The food is plated and ready to be served but no one is taking it to the table.

Run the Dish – When the kitchen is extremely busy, whoever is available might be asked to deliver an order to the table.

Kill It! - A well-done steak.

Flash – If a dish has grown cold and needs to be reheated quickly, a cook will flash it with high heat in a broiler or on the grill.

In the weeds – Kitchen is extremely busy and falling behind.

I’m sure kitchen professionals will be able to cite many more phrases, but I hope this helps us appreciate the unique language of our friends in the BOH.

Gold Club & Influencer Events!

HOSTED BY SAN ANTONIO RESTAURANTS

The Good News Burgers Continues to Grow!

~BEVERLY WILLIAMS

CURRY O BRA

Have you heard the good news? Owner Robert Walker has opened a third location of The Good News Burgers at 9822 Potranco Road. The Good News Burgers first opened in 2013 under the name Papa’s Burgers; however, the restaurant was forced to change its name last year after the Pappa’s Brothers in Houston sent a “cease and desist” order because the name was too similar to their own burger restaurant, Pappas Burgers.

W O R D S B Y M A R A

Prior to opening a restaurant, Walker ran a successful catering company in partnership with his mother, Olga Wagley. Sadly, after his mother passed away, his recently widowed father became so sad and despondent that Walker decided to create a place where he and his dad could spend time together, and that’s where the name Papa’s Burgers came from. Walker and his dad had several happy years together, greeting and visiting with their loyal customers before his dad passed away.

Papa’s Burgers was basically a neighborhood joint until 2018, when Money Magazine along with Yelp,

published a list called “These Are The Best 10 Burger Joints in America,” (www.https://money.com/best-burgerjoints-america-yelp-reviewers/). Yelp used an algorithm combining the number of positive reviews and the 5star ratings system, naming Papa’s Burgers #4! Suddenly everyone wanted to try these burgers!

Walker never went to culinary school but learned to cook watching his mother and grandmother use different spice combinations to create maximum flavor in their food.

The patties at The Good News Burgers are so well seasoned that patrons are politely asked to take a bite before adding mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup

or anything else to their orders.

Most people agree, the burgers really do not need anything else. Walker likes to say, “people pay for the burger, not condiments.”

The buns are soft and slightly (but not overly) sweet and are the perfect compliment to the perfectly seasoned patties. The chili cheeseburger is my favorite, but all the burgers I have had here are memorable.

The Good News Burgers locations are at: 972 NW 36th Street; 6900 San Pedro; and 9822 Potranco Road. Another location on

Pat Booker Road is planned for opening in the first quarter of 2023. There is no telling how many locations will be open by the time he is done because Robert Walker genuinely loves serving others and creating a place where relationships are built. And judging by the number of people coming to The Good News Burgers locations, that love is being received and returned!

All three of The Good News Burgers locations are San Antonio Restaurants “Gold Approved,” and members can receive a discount off the total price, or a free combo upgrade when using their perk!

Where Should We Go forDinner Tonight?

By: Alan Williams

Where should we go for dinner tonight? That is a question people have been asking for a hundred years, especially in a great city like San Antonio where there are so many choices!

We here at San Antonio Restaurants want to help you make that decision,

which is why we provide the Steps application. When you download the Steps app to your phone you have an incredible resource (with tons of information) at your fingertips.

The San Antonio Restaurants Steps app is a directory for restaurants found in and around San Antonio. We are adding more restaurants weekly and as a member, you can help by adding your favorite restaurants as well.

The search feature in Steps is especially helpful. Based on “tags” like type of food, type of environment, area of town, etc., you can find exactly the place to fit your desires. So, download the free Steps app to your phone today and enjoy! https://go.steps.me/Rmbi5Qdspvb

Chris Ruble - August 30, 2022

“Gold Club Membership already paid for itself!! Went to Las Guitarras Cocina Mexicana and we ordered 2 meals worth $18 ea and used my BOGO! Def worth it!!”

Ruthie Dy Wu - Sept. 2, 2022

“@brazabrava is part of the Gold Diner's Program and with the scratch and win, we got the free salad buying 2 entrées. A $12 freebie!......Everything was delightful!”

Matt Accardi - August 9, 2022

“Buy 2 rolls, get 2 rolls free at Godai Sushi Bar and Restaurant. We saved over $30 with the perk AND got to chat with one of the coolest singing sushi chefs in town, Goro.”

We Love Our Gold Club Members!

Frances Jones - August 28, 2022

“Another win for being a San Antonio Restaurant Gold Member! We ate at Panfila Cantina and Restaurant last night. Through the membership, we found a deal of, spend at least $50, get $20 off your bill!”

- August 11, 2022

I signed up to be a San Antonio Gold Member, and since Alamo Biscuit Co is a Gold Approved restaurant, I was able to use the program there. I ended up with a scratch off game and won a free concha!

Nancy Davidson - September 6, 2022

“Sunday we went to Max and Louie's New York Diner. I used my San Antonio Restaurants Gold pass to go to the front of the line. It saved us 1 hour and 45 minutes!!....This alone was worthy of my membership!!!”

Torri Ellingwood

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Naco Mexican Eatery

(Los Patios), 2015 NE Loop 410

Naco Mexican Eatery is offering several really cool and unusual gift packages for Christmas this year. The first is a Champurrado kit. Champurrado is a chocolatebased drink prepared with either masa de maiz, masa harina, or corn flour, piloncillo, water or milk, and occasionally containing cinnamon. Anise seed, or vanilla. Ground nuts, orange zest, and egg can also be added to thicken and enrich the drink. Basically, a thick and creamy hot chocolate drink. Naco has put together everything you need to make Champurrado in a cute, clear glass jar perfect for a holiday gift.Only $8.00 per jar! They also sell their salsa trio for $35 and gift baskets filled with goodies for only $25. One of the more interesting things Naco offers is a whole turkey, either fully cooked or uncooked with a deboned and stuffed breast! That’s right. It still looks like a traditional turkey platter but there is no bones in the cavity! Naco will prepare it for you fully cooked or unbaked but ready. Both come with gravy, bread and Cranberry sauce.$165 ready for the oven and $190 fully baked and ready to eat! https://www.nacomexican.com/

Guenther House

205 E. Guenther St

This beautiful restaurant/museum/store is on the property of Pioneer Flour Mill and is the former home of the founder of Pioneer Carl Guenther. The home was built starting in 1858 and has been added on to through the years. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch Wednesday – Sunday featuring items made from Pioneer mixes. They are well known for their sweet cream waffles for breakfast and Champagne chicken enchiladas for lunch! On the third floor of the building is a nice gift shop featuring San Antonio based gift ideas such as beautifully packaged Pioneer mixes, cooking aprons, Guenther and Sons Christmas ornaments and much more. Go for breakfast but be sure and stop by the store to pick up some great gifts. https://www.guentherhouse.com/

10003 NW Military Hwy. Ste. 2113

Star Chef has the tools the chef in your life really wants. From the very top specially made culinary knives to cutting boards to kitchen tools it is all here. The owner, Dominic Besson. Is a trained chef and he understands which knife is best for each job and can help find the perfect shape and weight to fit the chefs' hands.How about sharpening knives? Star Chef uses a proprietary system of knife sharpening to correct and sharpen any knife including serrated knives, scissors, and food processor blades.Gift certificates are available for all sales and services. https://starchefstore.com/

Apache Spirit Bison Company

www.apachespiritbison.com/SAGOLD

Don’t tell anyone but several of our friends are getting a beautiful Bison Tomahawk Steak for Christmas! What a fun and unusual gift! Apache Spirit Bison sells all parts of meat from their stock of bison raised at their own ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Receive 10% off of your order and Free delivery on orders over $75. Visit their website: www.apachespiritbison.com/SAGOLD - the discounts will be automatically applied!

http://www.sangriaontheburg.com/

Many

Aldaco’s , 20079 Stone Oak Pkwy

For only $22.95 Aldaco’s serves up a delicious Pork Tamal Casserole which includes 12 pork tamales covered in Tex-Mex enchilada sauce, then topped with drained Borracho beans. https://www.aldacosrestaurants.com/

Eddie’s Taco House – (two locations) 3755 Thousand Oaks and 402 W. Cevallos

Eddie’s sells tamales all year round but in December they get fancy with both chicken tamales and bean & jalapeno tamales! The Thousand Oaks location contains a full bar, and they are offering for the holidays, a Frosty Eddie. It’s a blue drink with a candy cane garnish. Fun! https://eddiestacohouses.com/

Las Chiladas, 2387 N.W. Military

Las Chiladas is well known for their great food and fun weekend comedy shows but they are also known to be a great place to pick up fresh Tamales. Las Chiladas makes pork, chicken, bean & cheese, and cream cheese & jalapeno tamales and will sell them by the dozen or ½ dozen. Call for more information. https://www.laschiladas.net/

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & HappyNew Year

From the family & team at San Antonio Restaurants to YOU and YOURS!!