San Antonio

(From November 2009) Thank goodness we got in one last visit before chef-owner Andrew Weissman announced the closing of Le Rêve. (He’s now focusing on new venture Il Sogno and is brainstorming other ideas as well.) Our last meal included a slider, but one with élan, i.e., foie gras, a bit of mango gelée, and oven-roasted tomato on a tiny brioche bun. Yes, we ate it with our fingers, even in the midst of the elegant surroundings. More-substantive items were just as enticing, like a melt-in-your-mouth pepper-crusted filet of beef and a rack of lamb deboned into a photo-worthy presentation with a fruit-studded pyramid of coconut curry couscous. Surprises like this have kept us coming back to this little jewel box perched above the river for eleven years—Le Rêve, we’ll miss you! Beer & wine.

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(From December 2009) Bruce Auden, in his comfortably classy dining room overlooking the river, orchestrates dinners that sustain high notes from A to Z. We started with smoked salmon nachos (such fusion typifies the menu), only to have them bested by exquisitely flavorful habanero jerk scallops. Rack of lamb, substantial yet delicate, with fennel, “Expensive Mushrooms,” asparagus, and goat cheese, proved exemplary, while complex eleven-spice axis venison brought the meal to its high point. Bar.

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(From December 2009) Good though the regular menu is (also quirky, original, and inspired), some of the best finds appear among the daily specials, such as cold lamb with goat cheese or broiled swordfish with Swiss chard. Tender and juicy, the fish tasted as fresh as it would have in a seaside restaurant. Similarly flavorful were crisply crusted crab cakes, calamari with veracruzana sauce, and an assertive chile relleno swimming in white nogada (walnut) sauce. Next spring, Liberty plans to move closer to downtown; those wanting one last visit to its precariously tilting building had better step lively. And do remember the desserts; whether you go for lime chess pie or the indulgent chocolate cake, you’ll not find better in town. Bar.

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(From December 2009) Lest you suspect the name comes from its cozy Alamo Heights location (zip 78209), check the mural: 29 is Napa Valley’s main road, and this wine bar/bistro makes the most of the theme. Our salad was studded with fresh cherries, pepitas, cubes of Swiss, and tender chicken dressed in a tasty sherry vinaigrette. Even better was the duck breast confit, with a fall-off-the-bone leg and thigh, perfectly paired with smoky bacon-flavored green lentils. Lots of gourmet pizzas too (black fig and goat cheese, for one). Beer & wine.

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(From May 2009) For almost a quarter of a century, Aldo’s has been quietly serving up meals in a setting that feels like an upscale home, with comfortable chairs, wood-paneled walls, and picture windows. Italy inspires the menu, but the execution is American. Among the appetizers, the lean carpaccio with shaved Parmesan on arugula impressed us, as did the rich scampi Valentino, huge shrimp with a basil-laced cream sauce. Our main courses included a similarly rich capellini with crabmeat and Alfredo sauce and a marinated broiled trout (a bit dry when we had it) imaginatively served with asparagus, grilled red pepper, and sautéed eggplant. Don’t look here for Italian authenticity, but do expect to be pampered in style. Bar.

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(From December 2009) The venue is somewhat sombrero viejo—faux hacienda, brick walls and arches—but the food is anything but. Amorcito’s is a Houston immigrant to 1604, with a big, bold menu and a kitchen whose Mexican and Tex-Mex beat the clichés. Start with the fresh and bright ceviche, with incendiary, vinegary Valentina sauce (like a thickish Tabasco) on the side. Follow with any number of big plates; the adobo fish tacos were exceptionally good, with a butter-lemon sauce and shredded cabbage. Plump mole enchiladas had tender chicken and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

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(From August 2009) Exuberant—that’s the right word for this lively spot. Latin America generally, and the Caribbean especially, have inspired the kitchen, so expect the likes of feisty seafood curry, peppery gazpacho, and paella with jalapeño sausage. Less in-your-face but equally interesting is the Salmon Jibaro, with plantain strips and a garlicky olive sauce. Bar.

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(From August 2009) Mexican and South American street-fare dishes take center stage here, though of late, a few more Tex-Mex standards (like really tasty cheese enchiladas) have sneaked onto the menu. Empanadas were the original draw at Beto’s and remain its signature dish. The plump, overflowing, eat-with-a-fork bean-and-cheese version will make you rethink the genre and wonder if vegetarians don’t have it best after all. Sit in the booths or out back on the patio and make an afternoon of it. Beer & wine.

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(From August 2009) Customizing your burger is the shtick at Big’z, so go ahead and pay a buck to “make it dirty” with a fried egg on top—the warm, golden yolk trickles into the crevices of the steaming Certified Angus beef patty. Other extras—fresh avocado or a sweet jalapeño-cheddar bun—are worth the modest tariff too. Even if you didn’t know that this barny place is owned by Andrew “Le Rêve” Weissman, you could guess by looking at the squeeze bottles of fancy-schmancy sauces and ketchups.

February 13th, 2009 at 3:54pm
Robert says:
Great burgers! Fantastic onion rings. Family friendly deck is a great place to hang out, drink one of their MANY beers and let the kids run wild.

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(From October 2009) Make a meal of pick-and-pass selections from all over the menu: soups, salads, starters, tapas. Order, oh, four per person and share. Pure bliss were the tomato soup with a toasted slice of baguette topped with pesto; a crab dip with rich creamy cheese; and linguiça with peppers and onions. But there is much more—pizzas, meats, charcuterie, pommes frites . . . Comfortably informal, Bin 555 goes its own welcoming way. Bar.

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