San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
French fusion restaurant planned
Chef Jean Tardif is close to opening his first San Antonio
venture, a brasserie “with a Texas twist.”
The French-Mexican chef and owner of Tardif ’s says he’s eyeing an opening during the first week of October.
Tardif, who trained at Le Cordon in Bleu in Paris, said he sold his Mexico City restaurants, La Taberna del Chanclas and El Chanclas, to focus on the new business.
Tardif says he hasn’t lived in San Antonio before, but he spent childhood summers at camp here. He also has family in town.
The city’s proximity to Mexico, where some of his family still lives, was a bonus. Tardif says the number of flights from San Antonio to Mexico City made the location an even stronger pull.
He’s looking forward to sharing the French flavors learned from his father’s family, who hail from Normandy, with San Antonio.
Tardif said that while the service will not be too “white glove,” the atmosphere will be elevated enough for guests to not show up in a T-shirt and flip-flops.
There will be lunch and dinner, and dinner will have a chef ’s table option, with a dinner prepared by Tardif himself.
Lunch fare will consist of items such as croque monsieur, croque madame, warm salads with foie gras, onion soup and gourmet Kurobuta pork chops.
Dinner will have a heavy seafood focus with langoustines and mussels.
“I hate to call it fine dining, but it’s an elegant-casual restaurant,” he said.
The 4,000-square-foot space will seat 140 guests and feature a bar, which will serve happy hour deals.
Tardif’s American Brasserie, 23110 W. Interstate 10, Suite 201, 210-324-0601, tardifs.com.
Compiled from staff reports