Wednesday, October 7, 2009

La Comida de San Antonio


Last week I spent four days in San Antonio, TX for a conference.  Yes, the workshops were great, the hotel was nice, but this is a food blog, so let's get to the good stuff... the dining!

I live in Delaware and work in New Jersey.  Until I visited Texas, I thought I'd had some decent Mexican food at our local family restaurants and even Don Pablos.  Yes, I've spent many Friday happy hours at Don Pablo's sipping on margaritas and enjoying chicken fajitas.  It's good for a chain, but it's nothing like the delicousness I experienced in San Antonio!

On our first evening in the city, my coworkers and I enjoyed the best Mexican food I've ever tasted at Rosario's.  Rosario's is not on the famous Riverwalk, and it's not technically downtown.  It was worth the short trolley ride from our hotel.  I went there twice during my trip.  The first time I had cheese enchiladas with chili con carne.  The second time I had chicken fajitas.  Both entrees were excellent.  I don't think I'll be able to enjoy a typical meal at Don Pablo's ever again.  (The food in the photo above is from Casa Rio, which was good, but not as good as Rosario's.)  Even the buffet food at the hotel was good.  We enjoyed a great $15 lunch buffet at Achiote in the Grand Hyatt.  There was an assortment of fresh salsas and guacamole and queso (spicy cheese sauce) for our tortilla chips.  We also had chicken enchiladas, carne asada, and fish tacos.  The buffet also included fresh squeezed lemonade and an impressive array of desserts.  I personally loved the pecan tart.  My after lunch cup of coffee cost a whopping $4 for a few sips, but it was good and I can't complain because lunch was so reasonable.
Of course I also took a few minutes to check out the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and some of the beautiful cathedrals in the city.  I noted some interesting differences in typical food establishments.  McDonald's didn't sell Orange Hi-C (the best soft drink ever) or breakfast sandwiches on bagels, but they did offer jalapenos as a sandwich topping.  It's the little things.
The weather was nice (generally 70-80 degrees) so I had plenty of opportunities to dine outdoors.  The Riverwalk has strolling musicians (mariachi bands) who sing and perform for tips.  Overall, a great conference and a fantastic culinary experience!

1 comment:

  1. Those dishes look and sound great. I agree with you Kee about Don Pablos and other chain Mex restaurants. Once you've tasted the real deal you'll never go back to Don P or others. My real experience with Mexican food was in Bridgeton in this small family run business and then in Cali. Buen Provecho.

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