SAN ANTONIO
San Antonio may be America’s most vibrant city. It’s a city where cultures collide and the best of each is absorbed into its fabric. It’s a city of mariachis and margaritas, fiestas and fajitas, beer and brisket. A city with a history that few other American cities can equal.
If there’s any doubt about the latter, catch “The Saga,” a 25-minute journey through San Antonio’s epic 304-year history projected in multimedia images on the facade of San Fernando Cathedral. From the early Spanish settlers to the defenders of the Alamo to the cattle barons, they are all there.
If some cityscapes resemble a blackand-white movie, San Antonio’s is in full blown Technicolor.
For all these reasons, Conde Nast Traveler magazine named San Antonio one of the 23 places Americans should visit in 2023.
It didn’t have to convince me. I visit often, my most recent trip being in October over the weekend of both Halloween – which San Antonians celebrate riotously – and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which they celebrate reverently.
And, as if things weren’t lively enough, it was also the weekend of the inaugural Tasting Texas Wine & Food Festival.
Is there such a thing as too much celebration? In San Antonio, the answer is no. Throughout the year, locals and visitors alike eat, drink and dance at events such as the Bud Light St. Patrick’s
Day River Parade (March), Fiesta San Antonio (April), Texas Folklife Festival (resuming in the fall of 2024), Cactus Pear Music Festival (TBA), and now the Tasting Texas Festival (October).
The rest of the year, you’ll just have to make merry on your own at the iconic multi-level Riverwalk, or in the burgeoning Pearl District.
The Riverwalk needs no introduction. It’s a destination in its own right – along the same vein as the Las Vegas Strip, New Orleans French Quarter or Miami South Beach. Plus, it has the added advantage of being just a short walk from the city’s most revered attraction, the Alamo.
Unless you’ve been to San Antonio in the past few years, you might not be as familiar with the Pearl District. And even if you have, you’ll be surprised at the constant evolution of this area at the “quiet” end of the San Antonio River.
At one time, this was the site of the historic Pearl Brewery, one of the largest breweries in the state. The brewery made one of Texas’ favorite libations, Pearl Beer, from 1883 until it closed in 2001.
Today, The Pearl is a vibrant entertainment district, with an award-winning hotel (Hotel Emma); specialty shops, a soon-to-open concert venue, bars, restaurants and the third campus of the Culinary Institute of America, all set amongst landscaped grounds.
The Pearl has quickly become one of San Antonio’s culinary hotspots with not only the CIA and an expansive Farmer’s Market, but with two nationally recognized restaurants – Supper in Hotel Emma and Cured, occupying what was once the brewery’s administrative office (you can still see the vault where the money was kept).
They have been joined by an impressive trio of newcomers, each promising a dining experience not to be forgotten.
Brasserie Mon Chou Chou looks as if it had been magically transported straight from Montmartre. Try to snag an outdoor table and sip an aperitif while deciding which of the bistro’s comfort food dishes to order.
Will it be Gratinee Lyonnaise (Lyonstyle onion soup with Emmental cheese and cognac), Croque Monsieur, or Confit de Canard au Poivre Vert, Puree de Pomme de Terre (crisp duck confit in a green peppercorn sauce and country potatoes).
Next, it’s off to the Mediterranean at Ladino. Frequently referred to as a Judeo-Spanish restaurant, the inventive menu is a mix of Castellano, French, Italian, Greek, Turkish and Hebrew.
Chef Berty Richter’s intent is to showcase the Jewish-Balkan cuisine he grew up with, having a Turkish mother and roots in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria.
It’s safe to say San Antonio has never seen a restaurant like this. If you’re adventurous, select the curated dining experience, Mezas De Alegria (Tables of Joy), and expect to be joyful.
There’s a reason the city formed an organization known as Culinaria, “committed to food, wine, spirits and fine tastes,” with a variety of events held throughout the year.
San Antonio is one of only two U.S. cities, joining Tucson, Arizona, as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, lakes. Agile hares can be more challenging to see in winter since their fur coat changes color from brown or gray to white allowing them to camouflage against the snow.
Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier National Park, formed in 1910, was the 10th park to be added to the National Park System. Although the park is stunning in winter with mountains completely bathed in snow, it’s a challenging time for the 71 species of mammals who live there. Whitetailed deer are the most easily noticed in winter. Adapted to traversing in the snow with their long legs, elk and moose are commonly seen foraging for food in the plains. Because snow and ice can be dangerous to many animals – injuring themselves, being exposed to predators as well having a limited food supply – many ani- mals trade the rough mountain which means it’s less about the number of restaurants than the city’s culinary heritage and how it will sustain it for future generations.
Still, the restaurants can’t be underestimated. In 2022, this culinary powerhouse boasted seven James Beard Award semifinalists.
There is culinary life beyond the Riverwalk and The Pearl. Chef Elizabeth Johnson is all about sustainability at her restaurant, Pharm Table, on South Presa Street. Her mission is to share plantforward dishes from her Apothecary Kitchen with its unique spice library.
For a twist on a Texas favorite, try her guacamole with cilantro chutney, pomegranate seed salsa and heirloom corn tortillas, or her grass-fed Beef Short Rib with Tomato Ragout, Oyster Mushrooms, Spices and Turmeric Sauerkraut.
If there’s one chef who is synonymous with San Antonio food, it’s Johnny Hernandez. A CIA graduate, his mission to further advance the eclectic cuisine of Mexico has resulted in nine restaurants in the city, from La Gloria in The Pearl District, a paean to the rich street foods of Mexico’s interior, to his newest endeavor, Casa Hernan in Southtown.
Evoking the grandeur of a Mexican hacienda, it will open in early 2023 as an upscale cantina specializing in shareable small plates and cocktails.
Finally, if you want to experience the wines and food of the Lone Star State at the 2023 Tasting Texas Festival in Travis Park, make your headquarters at the historic St. Anthony Hotel, directly across the street from the park. terrain for the meadows. Rocky but a few remain open if you Mountain Bighorn sheep, marmots, want to sightsee from the comfort snowshoe hares, coyotes of your car. Up for a challenge? and even the bald eagle can occasionally Strap on a pair of snowshoes be spotted but require or cross-country skis and patience and a pair of binoculars. traverse the snowy meadows to
Grand Teton National Park, take in the scenery.
Wyoming Yellowstone National Park,
Snow blankets the jagged Montana, Wyoming, Idaho mountain peaks of the 40-mile Yellowstone National Park may Teton range and the northern be well known for its striking valley floor of Jackson Hole, hydrothermal pools and geysers, creating a quiet, winter wonderland but the landscape changes significantly in Grand Teton National when covered in a blanket Park. Established in 1929, the of snow. Over 67 mammals call park is home to 61 types of mammals the park home, including grizzly and 60 species of birds. and black bears who hibernate in During the harsh season, elk, winter, along with the elusive pronghorns, moose and bison wolverine and Canada lynx. leave the mountains for the valley Bison can often be seen roaming floor for better success at around the Old Faithful pools surviving. If you’re lucky, you while bald eagles fly overhead. may catch a glimpse of a pack of Wolves travel in packs in search wolves or a moose with her offspring of food and their brownish fur walking single file through gives you the adthe deep snow. Most roads are closed due to inclement weather
from the comfort of a warm vehicle.
Everglades National Park, Florida
Everglades National Park was established in 1947 and has 40 mammal species and 50 reptiles, as well as birds and amphibians. Winter is the dry season, from December to April, offering comfortable temperatures, low humidity and no swarming mosquitoes or biting bugs. This is the time when the majority of wildlife is visible, in part because water levels are low and animals congregate in waterholes and swamps. Manatees, dolphins, turtles, alligators, crocodiles and birds are easily seen this time of year. Panthers and bobcats call the park home, though they are very elusive and sightings are rare. The diversity of animals who inhabit this park is due in part to the distinct ecosystems of cypress swamps, sawgrass marshes, mangrove forests, and the Atlantic water of Florida Bay.