Dining Favorites | Texas in 2013

Texas in 2013Texas in 2013

August 6, 2009


Dining Favorites

Reprinted with Permission from MissionsUnknown.com

Here’s a list of ten favorite Riverwalk and downtown core restaurants. There’s a ton of great ones in San Antonio, but these represent the world-class quality of SA’s cuisine, ranging from menus for the budget-minded traveler all the way to the most extravagant tastes. (Mileage indications are based on distance from downtown’s new Grand Hyatt.)

Le Reve: Three years ago, GOURMET MAGAZINE named this French restaurant the 6th best restaurant in the USA. Not the 6th best French restaurant in the USA, but the 6th best restaurant period. Tiny, romantic, and world-class, this one’s definitely reservations and jackets required. (.5 miles)

Acenar: Fun, modern, and delicious. Founded by Lisa Wong, owner of SA’s super-popular Rosario’s, Acenar offers dynamite margaritas and nuevo Tex-Mex entrees. Try their Gulf Fish Tacos with jalapeno honey mayo along with a Tuna Margarita (not made with fish, but prickly pear cactus juice). :) (.4 miles)

Paesano’s: They’ve been serving contemporary Italian cuisine for 40 years and this restaurant’s been a San Antonio favorite for a very long time. If you’ve never had Shrimp Paesano (lightly crunchy jumbo baked shrimp in a bed of decadent lemon butter garlic sauce), you haven’t lived. (.3 miles)

Zocca Cuisine d’Italia: Named after a village in northern Italy known for its balsamic vinegars and cheeses, these folks are the new kids on the block for San Antonio’s Italian cuisine lovers. They’ve rapidly gained a devoted following. Located in the Westin Riverwalk, Zocca serves rustic Italian cuisine and offers reasonably-priced hand-tossed pizzas, along with fresh pastas and gourmet entrees. (.4 miles)

Biga on the Banks: Owner/chef Bruce Auden has been one of San Antonio’s brightest culinary stars for the last two decades and Biga serves some of the best contemporary Southern cuisine anywhere. GOURMET MAGAZINE calls Biga one of the top five restaurants in Texas because of its imaginative menu ranging from Shiner Bock onion rings to crab stuffed and baked Mahi mahi. World-class all the way. (.4 miles)

Boudro’s: This is a favorite of even the most jaded locals. Gulf seafood dishes are their calling card, but their prickly pear margaritas are a favorite and their blackened Prime Rib is one of their specialties. Try their House Smoked Shrimp and Gulf Crab Enchiladas. (.2 miles)

Little Rhein Steak House & The Fig Tree: If you love your steak and wine, this is the place to be. They serve some of SA’s best steaks and are perennially on WINE SPECTATOR’s Award of Excellence List. The building dates back to 1847 and is the oldest existing two-story structure in SA. Next door is their sister restaurant, The Fig Tree, which offers herb-seared wild Tasmanian salmon all the way to a mustard-mint crusted lamb rack (.15 miles)

Schilo’s Delicatessen: Want big taste on a small budget? Schilo’s has been serving SA since 1917 and offers some of the heartiest German food you’ll ever find. Try their signature Reuben sandwiches, sausage plates, Spaten bockbier, and legendary homemade root beer. (.2 miles)

Blanco Cafe (@ N. St. Mary’s): For downtown breakfast taco and lunch seekers, it’s hard to top Blanco Cafe. Many San Antonians consider this one of the best values in downtown eating. Their Cheese Enchilada Plate is perennially recognized as one of the city’s best. (.5 miles)

Mi Tierra Cafe Y Panaderia: Jonesing for big Tex-Mex food at 2am? Need a fix of fresh baked goods any time of the day? Mi Tierra is located in the El Mercado section of downtown and it’s one of San Antonio’s grande-dame eateries. Serving big food since 1941, all of your Tex-Mex favorites are here in abundance, from queso flameado to huge plates of fajitas. There’s a reason so many locals wear those Mi Tierra Zapata t-shirts. If you’re in downtown SA for the first time, it’s almost a rite of passage to eat at Mi Tierra at least once. (.85 miles)


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