An Average Joe in San Antonio

So the tagline of this website states that I’m just an Average Joe in San Antonio, which is quite true.  For all these reviews, I have been paying to eat the food out of pocket which means that I am fairly cost conscious in everything that I order.  But sometimes you might be looking for a special meal; a meal that you are willing to spend above what you normally spend.  To close out 2009, I decided to snag a meal over at the recently opened Il Sogno located in the renovated Pearl Brewery.

This restaurant has been receiving rave reviews, but one thing to know before you go is that they DO NOT accept reservations.  You basically show up and it is first come first serve.  One of my compadres who went at an earlier time told me that they do have seating at the bar that is always open.  Another advantage to immediate seating is the fact that you can also see the folks preparing your food and you can interact with them.

I had the afternoon off so I decided to go get lunch.  I pulled in and it was already getting packed; I could tell that this restaurant was obviously a new darling on the San Antonio food scene.

Let me talk about the service for a moment.  You should be able to tell from the context clues that this restaurant was going to be expensive.  I would therefore expect the type of service to accompany this price tag.  I have to admit that I was less than thrilled with the service I got.  It could have been that I looked like an “average Joe” or the fact that I was by myself, but I got pretty lousy service.

First off, I asked a waitress if the bar was open seating and she told me “No, it is reserved.”  I thought, ok, I will just wait.  I ended up waiting a long time before the maitre d’ came by and I had the opportunity to ask him.  He informed me that obviously the bar is open and that I could sit there if I liked and promptly walked away before I could explain what the waitress told me.

The first waiter asked if I would like wine, and I said yes, and he brought me the wine list.  I waited probably ten minutes until he came back with a bottle of the cheap house wine.  I reminded him that I had not ordered wine yet, and actually asked for an expensive glass of wine.  One thing I hate more than anything is to be type cast as a cheap skate/punk single kid because I like to order nice things and am actually quite generous with my tips because I recognize the fact that I am by myself.  This really put me off.  It was further exasperated by the fact that it took forever for me to get any type of service and the fact that no one would bring me my check, nor take it away when I provided payment.

Let me stop being negative about the service, because other than that, I really enjoyed my meal.  First, sitting at the chef’s bar was really cool.  I got to see how all the food was prepared and got to talk with the salad/dessert chef.  He was extremely nice and even though he was kind of quiet, told me a lot about the food he was preparing.  He also offered some pretty good suggestions and was incredibly friendly.  Thankfully he was this helpful because he alone redeemed the entire lousy service of the wait staff.

Would the gnocchi make up for the lousy service?

I ended up ordering the gnocchi alla caprese as my mine course along with a glass of wine.  While waiting for the food, it was fun to see the head chef interacting with his kitchen.  He would go through the orders and prioritize them the best way he could deem fit.  Everything was created fresh and made to order, so he was in a sense the manager of a small factory.  Being an industrial engineer, I really appreciated his skill and how he was adept at getting the maximum efficiency out of his kitchen.  You could often hear him say, “I need a [fill in the entrée] any time now,” with the other guys saying, “Yes chef, coming right up.”  It was really cool seeing this dynamic.

My food came out and was really tasty.  The sauce had a very fresh taste and you could tell that it was made the same day.  The gnocchi was far superior to the prepackaged type that I have bought and tried to cook; it was very tender and didn’t taste rubbery at all.  It was really a nice warm meal and would work well for a cold day.

I talked with the chef who made the desserts to ask him what he would suggest between the Nutella tart and the tiramisu, and he advised to get the tiramisu.  He told me that it is really light and finishes clean because of a certain way that they prepare it.  I decided to take his advice and ordered that along with an espresso (oh yeah, another service fail that I forgot, they made my espresso and just left it sitting over by the coffee maker; after watching it sit there for like 10 minutes I finally flagged down a waiter to ask if that was mine).  Boy was this guy on the mark; the tiramisu was the best that I have ever had.  His description was spot on in that it was very light and left your pallet clean, but boy it was really rich.  I think it would be worth going here just for dessert (assuming they deliver your coffee promptly…).

It is worth going to Il Sogno just for the tiramisu.

Overall, if you are looking for a special night out, I think that this would be a pretty good restaurant.  The food was worth every penny; sometimes quality food comes at a higher price and these are one of those times.  I know that I have panned the service pretty bad, and it quite possibly could be that it was because the head guy thought that I was a punk kid that wasn’t going to pay a whole lot.  Personally, I hate people like this, but I imagine that if you go as a couple and a little more dressed up than I was (though I was in a buttoned down shirt and jeans) you will probably get better service.  However, if this is their standard of service, I do not think that they will be in business much longer because their prices warrant you being treated nice.

This is a view into the kitchen from the bar. Chef you should be thankful for the guy on the left - he was the lone bright spot in the sea of lousy service.

Value: 8.5/10 (I spent $45 on my lunch for a main course , dessert, espresso, glass of wine, and tip; the food was really worth it though with all the fresh ingredients, but the service was not)
Atmosphere: 9.5/10 (trendy new spot in town; the place to see and be seen)
Service: 3/10 (pathetic to put it mildly; I was treated terribly as if I wasn’t going to give a good tip; I think that the chef/owner should really evaluate his maitre d’ to see if he is the right person – the staff pretty much picks up all his tendencies.  It is pretty bad when the chef making the salads and desserts is the one person who was the big bright spot in service.)
Taste: 8/10 (Would have been a 10, but the service left a bad aftertaste in my mouth…)
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I love Christmastime; it is my favorite time of year because it just seems that people are in a happier mood, you get to spend time with your friends and family, college bowl games are on TV, and there is tons of food everywhere.  The best part about the food is that it all seems to be homemade and seasonal recipes that are familiar to friends and family seem to crop up.

There are several things that I look forward to around Christmas time that my mom will inevitably cook: her world renown green chili queso, chili and cornbread, the chocolate turtle brownies, a big pot of beans, enchilada casserole, cranberry jalapeño salsa and fudge.  These are the things that signal it is Christmas to me.

Seeing that I am out of the house and hundreds of miles away, I often try to make some of these dishes myself before travelling home for the holidays.  While the queso is my favorite of all, you can’t really make it unless you have authentic Hatch, New Mexico green chilis (I have a freezer full that I brought back while visiting New Mexico a year and a half ago).  The cranberry jalapeño salsa and fudge are some of my favorites to make and are typically a hit when I make them for a party, so I thought I would give you the recipes to try them out this holiday season.

Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa

This salsa is sweet with a kick! It really looks like Christmas with the red and green.  I think it is funny because when I set it out at a party, people initially shy away from it because they don’t know what it is.  After I tell them that it is cranberry jalapeño salsa, they usually become interested and try it on a Wheat Thin.  At this point in time, it is tough to keep it in stock!

1 package of cranberries
1 bunch of green onions minced
2 minced jalapeños (de-vein and de-seed if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 cup chopped cilantro
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1 lime

Place the cranberries in a food processor and turn on low; you kind of want them to be a little chunky.  Mix all the ingredients together and mix up good.  Serve chilled with Wheat Thins; I have found if you let it sit overnight you get a nicer spice as all the ingredients got to mix together.

Fudge

This is always a hit; I don’t like mine with pecans, but feel free to add it in if you do!

4 ½ cups of sugar
2 sticks of Parkay
12 oz Carnation evaporated milk

Put the above on medium heat and bring to a full boil; once there, let it boil for 7 ½ minutes.

Remove from heat and add:

18 oz of Nestle Tollhouse Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
7 oz jar of marshmellow cream
1 tsp of vanilla

Stir all these things in really well.  THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: After stirring for a while, take a spatula and scrape the top edge of the bowl where some of the fudge is caught but is not really being stirred into the mixture any more.  Be cautious as you remove it to make sure nothing drops in your mixture; wipe it on a paper towel and through away.  This is important because you are getting all the crystallized stuff out of your mixture which makes it smooth.

Do this about three times and make sure you have a consistent color.  Pour mixture into a pan that is rubbed with butter so that the fudge won’t stick.  Let set before you serve (but enjoy licking the bowl).

I hope you enjoy the recipes that are popular from my household.  If you have any that you enjoy and would like to share, send me a message with it and I will post on the site.  Include your name and/or Twitter username (if you want) and a story of why you like your particular recipe!

Hope this can make your Christmas that much more enjoyable!

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Sometimes you feel a little down.  Sometimes the weather is just bad.  Sometimes you are just flat out hungry.  If you are experiencing any of these things, it is always a good idea to go grab some soul food.

Mama Lee’s has two restaurants in San Antonio, and for lunch I decided to eat at the one off of Walzem Road.  As you walk in the door, you are greeted by a staff that is happy to have you at their restaurant.  My buddy and I pulled up a chair, and the waitress was incredibly friendly.  The menu had tons of down home favorites, and I couldn’t decide between the catfish or meatloaf.  I asked the waitress which she would go for and she said, “Oh you got to go with the meatloaf; it is really good here.”  I got the meat and two plate and for the sides she recommended the macaroni and cheese and string beans.

As we sat at the table, we noticed that the restaurant started filling in nicely; it looked as though this was the place to be!  I didn’t have to wait very long until I had a plate of heaping food in front of me!  There were two big slabs of meatloaf, a major portion of macaroni and cheese and of green beans, and a cornbread biscuit.

The smell coming from the plate was amazing and I dug in.  Now, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with meatloaf.  I think this is for several reasons, most namely the fact that the name has always been a turnoff to me.  I mean, “meatloaf” just kind of sounds gross.  Taking a bite out of this meatloaf was heaven; it was really juicy (I don’t like dried out meatloaf) and you could taste the influence of the bell peppers and ketchup.  The pieces of meatloaf were so big that I was only able to eat one and a half of them!

In the need for a little soul? Go no farther than Mama Lee's.

Even though the meatloaf was amazing, the macaroni and cheese stole the show!  This was the best mac n cheese that I have ever had (and I have even gone to the restaurant in New York that ONLY serves macaroni and cheese)!    It seems that there were several types of cheese and there was plenty of it that was gooey and just mixed right.  The temperature was perfect as it came out piping hot (I hate lukewarm macaroni and cheese).  I could have made a meal just on that alone!  The green beans were pretty good and the bacon seasoned them excellently; even though I was full, I had to try to pack them away because I haven’t been eating enough vegetables lately.

As we left we ran into the owner who was really nice; it seems like happy people always make the best food.  I tell you what, if I am ever feeling down and out, I sure know the place I am going to get some good comfort food!

Value: 8.5/10 ($8 for a lunch of meat and two sides might seem a little pricey, but you get so much food that you could easily have an extra meal from the leftovers!)
Atmosphere: 8/10 (a very open floor plan with lots of paintings on the wall)
Service: 9.5/10 (everyone was so friendly and the waitress was great at interacting with us and making suggestions)
Taste: 10/10 (EVERYTHING I had was exceptional; regardless of what you get for the main course, be sure to get the macaroni and cheese!!!!!)
Website: www.mamaleessoulfood.com
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San Antonio is rich with many different neighborhoods and pockets sprinkled throughout our million+ person city.  However, most of the time it seems that we stay in our little pockets and rarely venture out to explore other neighborhoods (with the exception of taking a visitor to the Riverwalk).  I think that this is human nature as we don’t like change and want to stay in our comfort zone.  I have tried going to different restaurants all over the city, but in my posts I think you can see one overarching trend – most of them are North of downtown.  For this review, I decided to go snag a bite to eat at Maria’s Café off of Nogalitos on the Southside.

I was alerted to this restaurant by Andy Benavides, a local artist who owns a frame shop/gallery on South Flores when I dropped by to pickup something (Andy’s frame shop deserves a post unto itself; I will have to do this in the near future).  Andy says that Maria makes some of the best Mexican food in town at some of the best prices; you have a good probability of running into him there during lunch.

There is an old adage of not judging a book by the cover; well the same should apply for restaurants.  Maria’s is a smaller building and there is really not a defined parking lot (I park just across the street to the south).  The inside is definitely small with plenty of ephermera on the walls and a television showing the news; the floors are uneven and the aisles are not very big.

As I took a seat, a lot of the locals were coming in and talking amongst themselves and the staff even though they were sitting at different tables.  You could hear some people discussing the news with the waitress and each other; it felt like the way café dining must have been in a different time when people interacted more instead of gulping down food before the next meeting (unfortunately I would have to gulp down the food to get back to work within the hour).

I ended up ordering the lunch special which was two chicken puffy tacos, borracho beans, fideo, and an iced tea for $5.50 (remember to bring cash as I don’t think Maria’s takes credit cards).  Before I got my meal, I got some chips and salsa that was really good.  The chips were homemade which I think was essentially a deep fried corn tortilla that was cut into pieces.  The salsa was thick and a darkish color that was a sneaky type of hot.  It was tasty, but man, it had a slow burn that would kick in after you swallowed it.  The heat continued to burn and felt like it lasted longer than that one guest who won’t leave your party after it is over!

Here are some of the homemade chips with a salsa that has a slow burn!

The meal came out pretty promptly and was nice and hot.  I don’t know how she did it, but it seems as though Maria’s Café is the first place I have been to in San Antonio that can make a puffy taco in which the tortilla will not disintegrate after you start eating it!  The tortilla was nice and crispy and the shredded chicken was to die for.  It was nice and juicy and full of spices and flavor; it tasted almost like the shredded chicken that is in caldo that has had time to simmer with all the vegetables and ingredients.

The borracho beans were a little weak in the sense that they really didn’t have much spice/flavor to them other than that of the beans themselves.  I ended up adding a little salt and salsa to wake them up.  The fideo on the other hand was magnificent!  Since coming to San Antonio, I have really enjoyed being introduced to fideo; for all you gringos out there who are like me and do not know, fideo is a pasta that is in a soup that has a garlic kind of taste to it – in a way the broth kind of has a similar flavor to the Spanish rice.  It is served hot and really warms you up on a cold wintery day.

That's fideo at the back right; it is amazing.

When I left to pay the bill at the register, Maria joked with me and said, “That’ll be $1,000.” I kind of looked at her and laughed and man who was eating at the table by me said, “Tell her that the food sure is as good as a thousand bucks, it’s just that you’re not gonna pay for it!”  This is the type of interaction that makes eating out more than just about the food itself.

Value: 10/10 ($5.50 for a full plate of food and a tea is all right by me!)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (small, uneven floors, quirky things all around; I like this type of stuff but others might not)
Service: 9/10 (nice staff who makes sure you are taken care of)
Salsa: 9.5/10 (do not eat this salsa if you don’t like spicy things; it is slow burning and I really enjoyed it!)
Taste: 9/10 (the chicken and fideo were packed with flavor; the homemade corn tortillas were nice and thick; the borracho beans didn’t have a ton of flavor, but add a little salt and salsa and you’re good)
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You know a lot of my friends give me grief for always writing what they call “cheerful” reviews.  They think that I am pretty easy going and not very critical.  In fact, they ask me if I have ever written a bad review.  The fact of the matter is I have written one scathing review, a few lukewarm reviews, but they are right, for the most part it has been pretty friendly.  Well this is definitely not a good review…

So Broadway 50/50 opened a new location at the Colonnade off of Wurzbach and I-10 and a group of us from work decided to go visit it.  As we were entering the restaurant, we encountered a pair of coworkers, one of whom was a guy named Will.  I asked Will, “So is the food any good?”  Will responded, “I would love to tell you but I really don’t know; we sat at our table for 15 minutes without getting any service so we got up and walked out.”

Now this is kind of funny, because if you have ever met Will, you will know that this is a man that is not easily overlooked.  He is a pretty tall individual who is built like a rugby player; in fact, his stagename in some of our Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament is El Gigante.  We should have just listened to the man and not gone in, but we were stubborn and decided to give it a try.  Let’s just say that Will was a harbinger of what was to come…

We ended up sitting down and waited like 15 minutes before anyone talked to us.  Doing a little math, this would have amounted to like 30 minutes that the staff ignored this table.  When someone finally did talk to us (I think it was the manager), he asked if we had been helped.  When we said “No,” he left and it took another 5 minutes to actually get our waitress.

We all realized that there are two types of people, the quick and the hungry, and we vowed to place our order as soon as the waitress asked us for our drink order.  We did so and had to wait another lengthy amount of time to finally get our drinks and later our food.

Now, I am all about giving food a fair shake; some of the best food that you can get comes with the slowest service.  But by and large, it is service that engages and talks with you (we haven’t even got this at the Broadway 50/50).

I ended up getting the Pulled Pork sandwich. Yes, I know, I know, I know.  I have vowed that I would not order pulled pork outside the state of Tennessee ever again (I ordered pulled pork in a previous post).  However, having lived a summer in Memphis, I have quite the inclination for pulled pork and just the thought of the possibility of getting a pulled pork sandwich that could be on the same level as Memphis is always enticing.  Quite frankly, can you blame me when the menu even states that, “We put a little homemade coleslaw on the sandwich just like they do in Memphis.”  This one line suckered me in…

The waitress dropped off the plates, said the obligatory, “Can I get you anything else?” but scurried off before hearing a reply.  Yes, as a matter of fact, I did want a side of ranch dressing.  I finally caught her and asked for it, but never ended up getting my side of ranch dressing.  This normally would not be a problem, however, while the waitress forgot to bring out the ranch she was able to remember to charge me for it — I paid $0.50 for my phantom ranch dressing.

Note to Self: When you aren't in Tennessee, do not order pulled pork.

As you can probably tell by using your context clues, I was disappointed in the meal.  Again, I probably shouldn’t have ordered it in the first place as it is probably impossible to meet my expectations.  It definitely wasn’t bad, but after all the bad service that we had received, it was not good.  The other thing that stunk was that the lunch with a tip (yes, I still gave a tip) ended up being $12.50.  I don’t know about you but that is pretty sorry considering it is mediocre food and terrible service.  For that price, I would rather go build an insane Order Up burger and have $5 left over…

Finally, I would like to say that while the service was terrible, I don’t particularly blame any of the waiters.  They are just in a situation where they are destined to fail so no matter what they do, they are not going to succeed.  There were not enough waiters for the amount of tables and they all seemed a little green.  Granted, I shouldn’t have been charged for something I wasn’t given, but most anyone starts to make mistakes when they get flustered.  If I were them, I would definitely look for a new job.

Hopefully you heed Will and my advice and don’t bother setting foot in this restaurant.

Value: 3/10 ($12.50 with tip for lousy service and a mediocre meal)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (pretty neat atmosphere with TVs and bar games)
Service: 1.5/10 (pathetic)
Taste: 5.5/10 (mediocre at best)
Website: www.five0five0.com
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