San Antonio

The two-handed taste of New Mexico

The two-handed taste of New Mexico

Posted on by Pat and David
We love a good food origin story. Just to prove it, we drove more than two hours each way from our base in Santa Fe to San Antonio. San Antonio, New Mexico, that is — not Texas. The little village of fewer than 100 people is the birthplace of the Green Chile Cheeseburger. Now it's true that the burger has practically become synonymous with the state of New Mexico. There are, after all, 51 stops on the state's Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail. (newmexico.org/things-to-do/cuisine/culinary-trails/green-chile-cheeseburger-trail/) It's hard to imagine that there was ever a time when New Mexicans weren't munching down on their signature burger. But New Mexicans seem to agree that the Green Chile Cheeseburger first appeared at the Owl Bar, opened by Frank Chavez and...Read More
What a burger! Like the name says…

What a burger! Like the name says…

Posted on by Pat
My friend Patti was incredulous when I told her that I had never eaten a Whataburger. For the uninitiated, that's the signature burger of the chain of the same name. It launched in Texas in 1950. As far as Patti is concerned, few, if any, burgers rival a Whataburger. She was born and raised in Texas, so I might have written off her enthusiasm as local pride. But we share a taste for really good hamburgers, so I was eager to give Whataburger a try when we visited San Antonio. From one burger stand in Corpus Christi, Whataburger now has outposts in 14 states, but none in New England. Transplanted Texans like Patti, who now lives in Whataburger-free Kentucky, often make the orange and white...Read More
The quintessential burger for Memorial Day

The quintessential burger for Memorial Day

Posted on by Pat and David
We still get a chuckle when we think back to an exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum that sought to summarize national cultures in a single object. The curators clearly had a sense of humor. (In a self-deprecatory moment, they chose the W.C. for the English.) We Americans were boiled down to … the hamburger. It is, after all, ‶mass-produced, cheap, efficient, but essentially juvenile.″ The curators forgot to mention that, properly done, the hamburger is also delicious. Americana in the heart of Texas In our part of the country, Memorial Day launches the grilling season. Mind you, we'll be in our back yard, at least six feet from anyone, and there will just be the two of us. Since the celebration is rather...Read More

Tuk Tuk Taproom weds Asian street food & craft beer

Posted on by Pat and David
San Antonio certainly has its native spice (thanks to Mexican chile peppers), but David Gilbert has given the city an injection of southeast Asian flavors that pair perfectly with hoppy, malty craft beers at Tuk Tuk Taproom. Raised in Dallas, chef Gilbert has traipsed all over the world to cook — and to dive. Recipient of a StarChefs Rising Chef award for work in Los Angeles and a multiple nominee for James Beard awards for work in San Antonio, he came to the Alamo City in 2011 at the behest of Texas cuisine master Stephen Pyles, who was opening a new restaurant in the Eilan Hotel and wanted Gilbert to run the show for him. Ever restless (see his book Kitchen Vagabond: A Journey Cooking...Read More