An Average Joe in San Antonio

One of the staples in San Antonio is the taco.  We eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Tacos can be found in mobile food trucks, hole-in-the-walls, lobbies of where we work, and high class restaurants.

But to paraphrase the Bard, would a taco by any other name taste as sweet?

Recently there was a discussion at my workplace about the difference between a taco and a burrito.  This launched a huge discussion between the nuances of each item.

I have experienced this conundrum firsthand.  Growing up on the South Plains, I always referred to the breakfast meal of eggs, bacon, and cheese in a tortilla as a “breakfast burrito.”  Coming to San Antonio, many of my coworkers kept asking me if I would like a bean and egg “breakfast taco.”  I kept declining because I could not understand why anyone would want a crispy taco shell with beans and eggs first thing in the morning.

It took several months before I realized that breakfast tacos in San Antonio did not come in a crispy shell but rather a soft tortilla.  After becoming enlightened to this fact, I have happily ordered breakfast tacos ever since.

Graph of I-20 Theory of Tacos courtesy of Garrett's Graphs

This led me to develop what I refer to as the I-20 Taco Theory.   Interstate 20 more or less cuts Texas right in the middle as the road travels East to West passing through DFW and Midland before swooping down South to El Paso.  People who live either side of this line have drastically different views on tacos.

San Antonians and people who live South of I-20 cannot imagine calling the tortilla wrapped treat anything other than a taco.  To them, a burrito is anything that comes in a larger tortilla, a la Freebirds.  By default, anything  purchased in the morning is in a normal sized tortilla so they logically refer to it as a taco.  If they want a hard shelled taco, they will always specifically ask for a “crispy taco.”

The contingent who lives North of I-20 referred to the morning item as a breakfast burrito.  This group feels that by default the word taco implies a crispy shell.  Folks North of the line refer to anything in a tortilla as a burrito although there are some factions who deviate and call the smaller tortilla item a soft taco.

Tacos or Burritos? Weigh in with you thoughts on the comments below!

You then have the people who live right on the line who are confused on whether to call an item a burrito or taco.  There are tons of places in the DFW Metroplex that serve tacos and an equal amount that serve burritos.  These Texans have adapted and just call it by the name that is at the restaurant.  The only exception might be in El Paso where it seems that it more often than not referred to as a taco.

While I am not advocating for either the use of the word “taco” or “burrito,” it is my hope that this article can at least provide some insight to those travelling to Texas or within Texas to understand what the heck they should ask for depending on what city they are visiting.

Being in San Antonio for the past six years, I have adopted “breakfast taco” into my vernacular.  However, when I use this term while visiting my parents I often get funny looks and quickly say, “I mean, I’d love a bacon and egg breakfast burrito.”

What are your thoughts on the differences between tacos and burritos? Do you agree with the I-20 Taco Theory?  Let me know in the comments!

Thank goodness for the rain!  In a summer with the temperatures soaring and river levels dropping, any amount of precipitation is a welcome site.  Remember to adhere to your Stage 2 watering restrictions to help conserve water during this time, and also so you don’t get ticketed by the water police.  On to the quick bites!

• I went to a going away party at Big’z Burger Joint the other night and got the special which consisted of the queso burger, fries, and a drink for $9.  The burger was really big and juicy and the queso was top notch; to top it off, it was served with a jalapeño cheddar bun!  The pickles were chunky and the fries were crispy without being greasy.  Overall, a really great experience (and they had Shiner Bock and Shiner 102 for $1.99 a pint!).

This queso burger was delicious. Check out that huge pickle!

• Looking for some fun this weekend? You might want to check out some of Austin’s best food trucks right up the road at a New Braunfels event at Vintage Oaks.  Pro – you will get to eat some really good food for free.  Con – there is no such thing as a free lunch; you will have to tour the properties they are selling.  If you are in the market for a new house, it might be worth checking out.

• Rackspace had an event at their I-35 location yesterday with music by the Spazmatics and tons of food vendors.  In addition to getting a Chicano Style Rockero from Rockerdogz, I ordered up a BBQ Brisket Frito Pie from Two Brothers BBQ and a chocolate peanut butter cupcake from Saweet Cupcakes.  The brisket on the Frito Pie was delicious and I will have to make it out to West Avenue to get more of the BBQ in the near future.

• Next week there is going to be an awesome event at the San Antonio Hyatt Regency to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank on Tuesday June 28 from 5:30-7:30PM.  Come out and enjoy complimentary self parking and $3 happy hour at the Q Bar as you raise awareness and money for the Food Bank.  Hope to see you there!

• The San Antonio Film Festival is happening this weekend comes to a conclusion this weekend.  Check out the schedule and if you have a chance stop by the Instituto Cultural de Mexico around 2PM on Sunday to see a zombie flick made by local filmmaker (and former roommate of San Antonio Joe) Aaron Evenson called A Hard Day’s Bite!

Have you ever tried to run a start-up bakery or catering business out of your home? Or have you tried brewing a beer out of your bathtub with no success in nailing down the recipe? Aspiring San Antonio entrepreneurs, restaurateurs and budding chefs, Bake, Broil & Brew is your answer.

Bake, Broil and Brew owners Michelle and David Solis have kick-started their idea of building a commercial kitchen space for the San Antonio community, the first ever in our city. With plans to open doors in the next few weeks, this West side location is sure to get locals fired up about the possibility of being their own boss.

Budding entrepreneurs have limited space and resources, which makes it difficult to jump from a self-startup to a full-time business. Bake, Broil & Brew is bridging that gap.

Not only can a small business owner rent out space for, let’s say, a cupcake business, but one can also grow their consumer base to eventually cocoon into a blooming (and booming) business.

Michelle Solis, owner and Chief Executive Officer explained the process where a local entrepreneur can rent out the facilities at Bake, Broil & Brew. This includes:

• One large, general purpose and fully-equipped kitchen
• Two general-purpose kitchens
• One fully-equipped baking station
• One state-of-the-art brew kitchen (Zapco system included)

Bake, Broil & Brew Kitchen Plans

The entrepreneur can rent this space by the hour, day or month where the rates vary depending on time of day and length of time.

Reserving space is also quite simple, as it will be an online calendar available to those already in the system. Checkout is just as easy. Once your time is booked, you can easily pay using the Google Checkout process.

Bake, Broil & Brew is also equipped with an on-site small business center and the front of the facility will double as a demonstration area for events or showcases.

The Bake, Broil & Brew offices will also be available to provide some guidance for those who are getting started as a business owner. Michelle and David Solis have been working with several San Antonio businesses to make sure entrepreneurs will be provided with the necessary resources to grow. These include contacts for insurance companies, account managers, business centers and the San Antonio Metro Health office.

Bake, Broil & Brew is the ideal one-stop-shop for local San Antonians who have a dream to start their own self-sustaining catering, baking or brewing business.

If you’re interested in learning more, Bake, Broil & Brew is hosting several events for local entrepreneurs to find out how Bake, Broil & Brew can help them get started. The next session is today, Thursday, June 23 and they have sessions at 11:30AM-1:00PM and 6:00-7:30PM.

To keep up with the latest Bake, Broil & Brew news and events and when they officially open their doors, check out their Bake, Broil & Brew Facebook page or on Twitter at @BakeBroilBrew, or reach out to Michelle Solis via email at msolis@bakebroilbrew.com.

With the temperature rising, I beat the heat and was out of town on vacation for 10 days driving up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to Portland.  The scenery was beautiful but I have to admit that there are only so many twisty-turny roads in forests and alongside beaches that a West Texas boy can handle.  I was able to fight through feeling queasy and was rewarded with some breath taking views and cool weather.  I’ve been getting back into the swing of things and I’ll follow up with a recap over the next week, but I would be remiss about not mentioning a couple of items from the trip.  On to the quick bites!

• Growing up, when we went on a major road trip we would often eat cereal and sandwiches in the car to help with the cost of the trip.  Harkening back to those days, my girlfriend and I ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches, but this was the best one ever made because it had fresh strawberries from the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

• Reaching my final destination of Portland, I ate dinner at The Farm Cafe which was suggested by my brother who lived there for a year.  The Farm uses all local ingredients (pretty much all indy restaurants in Portland do) and ensures that they are all organically grown.  The hummus and brocolini fritters were delicious appetizers and were on Happy Hour special from 5-6:00PM.  My main course of Coho Salmon was a winner along with the grit cakes.  The greens didn’t deliver but it was OK; I needed all the room I had for the chocolate souffle dessert.

It's a broccoli hushpuppy! So delicious!

• After returning to San Antonio, I had a great meal at Paloma Blanca when I ordered the Pollo Asado.  The meal was served on a fajita skillet and consisted of a tender chicken breast along with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and peppers.  There was a tangy citrus taste that made it really, really good.

• To celebrate the retirement of a former boss, a group of us went out to eat at one of the Mexican cafes that he enjoyed called El San Luis Restaurant.  The chips and salsa were really good and the lunch specials are reasonable; $5.49 got me a puffy taco plate and a tea.

• An Average Joe in San Antonio got a little pub for asking folks to create San Antonio Foodspotting Guides with a nice article on the MySA Blog written by Jessica Elizarraras.  Additionally, I was asked to write an article for the Foodspotting Blog about San Antonio and some of the guides that I created.

• I stumbled upon a newer San Antonio food blog called Wes’ Cravings and really have enjoyed reading it.  While I might like to think that I travel all over the city, Wes is able to find hole-in-the-wall restaurants I’ve never heard of including his latest article on Chatman’s Chicken.

Fans of the Emmy Award winning show Top Chef on Bravo know that the competition gets hot and heated. My visit to the live event Top Chef Tour at the HEB Alon Market in San Antonio was hot, primarily due to the typical South Texas June weather outside. Regardless, it was a lot of fun at this event.

The event pitted two contestants from previous seasons in a cook-off.  Chef Ryan Scott, an enthusiastic and fervent personality from Season 4, competed head to head with chef Dale Talde, a more subdued yet passionate and competitive young chef from season 8.

San Antonio Top Chef Tour contestants

The combination of these personalities was amusing and fun to watch as they bantered back and forth, told juicy show secrets and even divulged information about whom they think should not have won in past seasons.  Our host, Fred, was a great moderator and brought the conversation back to what we love most, the food!

The cook-off ground rules had each chef create a unique dish in the span of 15 minute using up to ten ingredients.  Additionally they were required to use one ingredient chosen by Top Chef Facebook Fans. In true Texas spirit, the San Antonio Facebook Fans wanted beef.

To make each dish unique, the chefs also got to use a secret ingredient of their choice. Chef Ryan chose watermelon while Chef Dale chose fish sauce. Upon hearing about the secret ingredients, I was thrilled and anxious to see what they came up with.

Chef Ryan Scott topping off his dish with his own version of salsa verde

The 15 minutes flew by as both chefs explained how they would be preparing their skirt steak dish. Seated in the audience, I immediately smelled the variety of aromas coming from each side. Ryan was whipping up something tantalizing using chiles (jalapeños perhaps), green onions and watermelon. Dale’s section had an Asian flare as he mixed his ingredients using coconut, corn, sweet onions and lemon zest.

After the time was up, the three judges had to decide who would win the round. The panel of judges included Charlotte Samuel, HEB Alon’s Cooking Connection chef and manager; Jennifer McInnis, food writer for the San Antonio Express News; and Johnny Hernandez, head chef and owner of La Gloria, the establishment recently voted as San Antonio’s best new restaurant.

Chef Dale Talde preparing his dish

After all the judges got a taste the dishes, each audience member also received samples of the two dishes.

Ryan’s use of beef was not like anything I’ve tasted before. His infusion of beef topped with a salsa medley of chiles, onions, capers and watermelon were spicy and fresh, perfect for a South Texas summer day.  Dale’s dish was equally refreshing. His recipe was served with a slice of tomato on the bottom, then the beef cut, and finally topped with corn, toasted coconut and a hint of mint.  I could see how this would be a tough decision for the judges, as both samples were enjoyable to the palette, but ultimately Dale’s dish was victorious.

Judges tasting the chef’s creations

I really enjoyed getting to go to San Antonio’s Top Chef Tour event and was able to not only get a variety of cooking ideas but also meet and visit with exemplary chefs from around the nation.

Special thanks to the folks out at Foodspotting for providing us with a couple of tickets to the event!  The Top Chef Tour will continue its travels to Los Angeles, California with other great chefs.  If you’re inspired  to do a little cooking yourself, give Carla’s Pastel Diplomatico recipe a try!