An Average Joe in San Antonio

Last week, I heard through the grapevine that Lüke San Antonio was to finally open on November 23^rd.  At the last minute, I was able to get a reservation, so I decided to take a date out to the restaurant on opening night to see how everything would be.

As you might recall, I was able to preview the restaurant a while back and was excited to finally get a chance to dine there in person.  The grand opening kept slipping (as a person who works on projects, I completely understand how that can happen), so I didn’t take the rumors too seriously when I heard they were opening.  After seeing some folks on Twitter say they had reservations, I had to call up to get a spot!

First off, I love the atmosphere of the restaurant: it is right off of Houston Street, adjacent to the Embassy Suites and on the river.  The inside was very nice and was bustling; I don’t think there was a seat to be had at the 40 foot long bar!

Starting off with drinks, I went with the Sazerac (a classic New Orleans cocktail) as I was really looking forward to it after talking with Stephen Jeffcoat (the manager in charge of the bar) at the preview.  The first sip took me a little by surprise (the liquorish taste of the absinthe starts off strong), but as you drink more of the cocktail it really smoothes out and the flavor from the lemon peel comes into play.

A peach/champagne drink on the left and the Sazerac on the right with the lemon peel.

I later got their signature drink, the French 75, which is made with cognac and champagne (among other things).  Glancing around the restaurant, you could see that most tables had this cocktail.  Stephen said that it just flies off the shelves and is a favorite at the Lüke in New Orleans.  While the drink was good, I’ll tell you what, I am going to stick with the Sazerac as it is more my speed.

The flammenküche served on a cutting board.

We ordered the flammenküche appetizer after it caught our eye, and I can best describe it as the size of a medium plate with a crust that is really thin and crispy.  It was topped with sweet onions, caraway and Emmenthaler cheese, and big chunks of bacon.  While I didn’t think this appetizer tasted bad, it wasn’t necessarily something I liked (although the bacon was really solid).  After talking with other folks who were at the opening (including Lauren, of ohmypudding blog, and Juan, the manager at Sip Coffee), I heard that the cup of fried shrimp was really out of this world and would advise anyone ordering that appetizer.  I would give this word of caution, if there are only two of you, the appetizer will fill you up to the point that you won’t have room to finish the main course.

The crab bisque is worth stopping by.

Lüke has a daily express menu that includes a soup, entrée of the day, and dessert.  Tuesday’s special was the roasted suckling pig, so I decided to get the daily special.  I chose the crab bisque for the soup and was blown away.  The soup had a very rich flavor with a little bit of spice that I really enjoyed.  This soup alone was worth coming in.

While I kind of thought they would serve the suckling pig as a whole pig (I had this before in Caceres, Spain which was one of my favorite meals while I was studying abroad), they actually had pulled the pork and arranged it in a meat cube with cherry mustard sauce on top.  The meat sat on top of some greens and there was like this cornbread stuffing (I don’t know what it is called exactly) on the bottom that had pieces of ham in it.

The suckling pig is featured as an express menu selection for Tuesdays; I really enjoyed this meal.

I know that a “meat cube” sound kind of bizarre, but this dish was amazing.  The pork was really tender and the tangy cherry mustard complimented it well.  Ever since living in Memphis, TN, I have become a big believer in pork dishes.  The amount of pork that they give you is deceiving and I could have easily taken some home had I not been leaving for the holidays.  The greens were nice and salty which complimented the pork and I really liked the cornbread stuffing mixture at the bottom.

My date ordered the croquet madame which is a variation of my favorite Parisian street food, the croque monsieur, which has an egg on top of it.  I had a bite and really enjoyed it; I think that if I was to stop by for a quick lunch I would either opt for this dish or something from the cold bar.

As full as I was, I of course had room for dessert.  One thing that I wish that Lüke did was list their desserts on their menu so I could sit and imagine which one I was going to get.  Our waitress did a good though of telling us about the desserts.  We ended up ordering a crème brûlée along with this Black Forest mousse; miraculously, I found enough room to make sure that I could eat my entire dessert.

Regardless how full I get, there is always room for dessert!

Upon receiving the check, our waitress informed us that for the soft opening the management would be comping everyone’s meal so I got to eat for free.  This was a pleasant surprise and I was very thankful for the gesture and made sure to really take care of my waitress.

I would like to end by saying how smooth this soft opening was.  All of our food was brought out in a prompt manner and there were only a few hiccups in that the first round of drinks took a bit of time and I had to wait to get a spoon for my soup.  I only mention these things to give you a picture of how good everything was.  Keep in mind this was OPENING NIGHT and I only encountered those minor issues; this restaurant is already a well oiled machine.

The service was superb from the moment I was greeted by the hostess until I left.  In between, I got to visit with several managers, the general manager, the co-owner, and the chef himself.  My waitress was extremely cheerful and personable and always on the spot checking up on us without being intrusive.

The location, the service, the value, and most importantly the food will ensure that Lüke San Antonio will become a favorite destination of locals and tourists alike.

Value: 9.5/10 (the daily express menu special runs $23 an includes soup, entrée, and dessert; you can’t beat that value for this nice of a restaurant on the river)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (awesome atmosphere with a 40ft bar and full of conversation; being right on the quiet part of the river where you can take an after dinner stroll is also a plus)
Service: 10/10 (excellent service from the hostess on up; I toppled over some pomme frites and the manager was nearby and the first to pick up the mess – I really admire this servant leadership where he was not above getting dirty to deliver awesome service)
Taste: 10/10 (fantastic all the way around!)
Website: http://lukesanantonio.com (however, they do not have a menu online right now; for this, go to http://www.lukeneworleans.com/menus/menus.html to get an idea until they update the website)

This has been a great year, and I thought I would spend a little time writing some of the things that I have been thankful for.  I have been working on the list for the past week and got a chance to pull together all my thoughts this morning.

I think that it is important to reflect on the year and what you are thankful for because you will be amazed at how many things there are.  Some things are serious, others are silly, but all have been important to me this past year.  Please note that the list is in no particular order.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you get to eat all your favorite dishes (and then some!)!

1.     The World Cup – what other sporting event allows you to meet up with friends at 10:00AM and drink beer as you cheer on your country in a sport you barely know?

2.     The US of A – I am so proud to be an American (and a Texan at that); what other country allows you to pursue you dreams with no more than an idea and a little money?

3.     Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – yes it is hokey, but where else can you see a giant Kermit balloon as you are typing a blog article!

4.     My Health – fortunate to go, do, and see anything without fear

5.     The Health of My Family – everyone is healthy and a lot of fun (and quite loud)

6.      Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirkey – this book really changed how I look at the world and the web this year

7.     Texas Rangers Making the World Series – this was a treat for a person who has gone to a game with Pop for the past 18 years, seen Nolan get in the fight, the first game at the Ballpark of Arlington, and a countless number of losses

8.     NIOSA/Cascarones – I can taste the antichucos with confetti now

9.     Shiner Oktoberfest – by far the best beer of the Fall season; I’m glad Shiner threw their hat in the fray

10.   Friends Near and Far – whether they are in San Antonio or in far off places, I am thankful for all the friendships that I have

11.    My Teachers – after having to teach a little myself this year, I realize how hard it is and am thankful for their patience

12.   Garage Door Openers – you only realize how awesome something is once it is gone…

13.    Honey Crisp Apples – one of the sweetest and crispiest apples on the planet; the Sweet Tango Apple almost supplanted them, but I went back to my first love

14.    Vanilla Coke Zero – had this for the first time this year; so sweet, so good, how do they do it?

15.    Failing at a Business – maybe you think this is an ironic thing to be thankful for, but getting to go after my dreams and learning more about myself has been an experience I would never trade

16.    Tequila – a good friend P Tom is always introducing me to new types; this year Tequila 1921 was a favorite

17.    Volleyball Team – these guys and girls have turned into a tight group of friends here in San Antonio and I am so thankful that we all were randomly placed on the “scrub team”

18.    Lula’s Chilaquiles After a Long Week – every Friday is the chilaquile breakfast special which also comes with coffee, beans, potatoes, and tortillas; so cheap, so tasty, and wonderful to see Lula greet you with a smile

19.    City Scape Urban Challenge – an awesome Amazing Race type scavenger hunt that sent my team, Chupacabras de la Calle, all over the Alamo City!

20.    Men and Women of the Military – so thankful for these folks who have served in the past and also on active duty for all they do both at home and abroad

21.    Twitter – this has been a great year to connect with friends and meet new people like ohmypuddin and EatSATX in the food world and SnappyTouch in the dev world (in addition to plenty of others!)

22.    That’s What She Said Jokes – I don’t care if 2007 called and wants the joke back, it is still fun; goes particularly well with #17

23.    Roommates – Two Scoops and Joe Joe Beans always make coming home entertaining and are the first one there to celebrate a success or commiserate a low point

24.    Post It Notes – since we don’t have a lock on the dishwasher, this is the only way to communicate with the roommates when the dishes are clean

25.    Sesame Street You Tube Videos – in particular this one with Grover

26.    Green Chiles – rivals my mom for the greatest export of New Mexico; used to make great queso, enchiladas, or anything under the sun

27.    Chile Ristra – the string of red chiles that symbolize friendship and a hospitable home

28.    Southwest Airlines – my gateway to traveling the country; love how easy it is to accumulate free flights

29.    Graphic Artists – I am amazed and thankful at their skills, in particular that of Carla who designed the graphics for BarCards and SecondTake iPhone apps (among other ad hoc requests!)

30.    Pilot G-2 10pt Pens – the best pen to jot all your thoughts down

31.     Kickstarter – crowdsourcing funds to back some awesome products

32.    Technical People – I don’t know how you do the magic you do, but thanks for keeping the internets up and running

33.    Good Neighbors – so thankful for all my neighbors, Mike is always there to help with my lawn if he sees me struggling, Hippie Tom provides amazing advice on an array of subjects (trees, lawn, lights, garage door, garbage disposal, etc.), and Neighbor John .is there to help with technical advice on servers along with talking through some of the crazy ideas I have.

34.    Waitstaff Who Are Friends – I love nothing more than to go to a restaurant where I know the servers, thanks to all the folks at Tito’s, Lula’s, El Jarro de Arturo, and Sip Coffee who are just awesome!

35.    Words With Friends – this iPhone app has provided countless hours of entertainment while in boring meetings or lines

After a little time off traveling aimlessly around the Southwest, I’m finally back to blogging.  And you know if I’m coming back after a long absence that I am going to have to visit either a Mexican food or burger joint.  For this return post, I went with a friend who recently discovered a good spot to get a hamburger and fries, Big Bob’s Burgers.

Big Bob's Burgers is right by Ft. Sam off of Rittiman and Harry Wurzbach.

Now, make no bones about it, this is a burger joint through and through.  If you are a person that expects a Red Robin type of atmosphere, then don’t bother showing up.  This joint is a dive (as all good burger places should be) and as you know, I love this type of atmosphere: low ceilings, shirts and ephemera on the walls, cold beer, and, of course, Big Bob himself.

You can get a lunch special for about $7.50 (with tax) that includes a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink.  Not too shabby for a lunch plate and you won’t be disappointed with the quantity of food you get.  I found the fries to be some of the best in the city.  They were crispy, hot, and well seasoned.  Also, Big Bob’s Burgers will give you a side of Ranch to dip those fries in without nickle and diming you for it.  The fries are alone worth the price of admission.

I ordered my burger with everything on it along with mustard and mayo; you can choose between three types of cheese and I opted for American.  Now, I don’t know if it was a mistake or if it is included as part of “everything” but somehow I got bacon on that burger.  I would double check with your server to see if bacon comes as a default, and if not, go ahead and throw it on the burger!  It’s crispy (like bacon should be instead of that limp stuff at fast food restaurants) and adds a nice bit of grease/gristle to the burger.

I think that the bacon is important because Big Bob’s hamburger is not all that greasy.  I know people have their preferences, and while I tend to favor greasy burgers, I was happy with the flavor of the Big Bob hamburger patty.  You could tell there was some seasoning on it that I am sure is a house secret.

Looking at those delicious fries makes me hungry right now!

Finally, I would be remiss not to talk about the service.  Initially, Big Bob was not behind the register (my friend told me that he typically is there to talk with everyone), but the girl working there was very nice and friendly.  I later saw Big Bob show up and sit down at a table with an older gentlemen.  The older man brought out a bag with fries and a burger which they proceeded to half and share.  I thought that this was strange until I realized what was going on — they were doing competitive research to help fine tune their own product.  To me, that is awesome that Big Bob is staying abreast of his competitors and constantly trying to improve his product.

As my buddy and I were leaving, Big Bob asked if we liked the food and if everything was all right.  Now, I know that a lot of GMs/owners do this at restaurants, but it felt different coming from him; you could tell that he was keenly interested in what we thought, and I guarantee you that if we had a problem he would have immediately found a way to remedy it.  That level of service and interest in his customers is enough to keep me coming back.  The fries are just the icing on the cake.

Value: 8.5/10 (You are looking at $7.50 for a complete lunch; you will notice that my perspective on value is beginning to change as the expectation of a “five dollar lunch” is fast changing – I need to write an article about this soon…)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (complete dive and I love it; you know it is a good spot where you see a lot of our men and women in uniform stopping by for lunch as well)
Service: 10/10 (super nice service and I really value how the owner takes not only a keen interest in his customers, but also a huge interest in his product to the point that he is conducting competitor analysis/research)
Taste: 8.5/10 (the burger is nice, but what really steals the show are the fries!)
Website: http://bigbobsburgers.com/

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