San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
3 TAKEOUT ALL-STARS
Burgers, Italian and healthy food to enjoy at home
Note:
The first week of March had been the best week of sales for the beloved burger joint Chris Madrid’s since its grand reopening last year, an event two years in the making after a fire ripped through the place in 2017.
The next week, sales dropped 76 percent.
That’s the brutal reality of the coronavirus crisis. Restaurants took the earliest hits and suffered some of the hardest losses. They’ve also executed some of the most resourceful turnarounds, turning takeout into a skillful blend of art and business.
At Chris Madrid’s, ordering moved online, and the normally packed parking lots became numbered slots for takeout customers. Carryout business increased fivefold, said owner Richard Peacock. Business is nowhere near pre-pandemic levels, but he’s been able to keep his entire staff employed, running orders in face masks and tie-dye shirts.
At the upscale Italian stronghold Battalion, chefs Stefan Bowers and Zeke Cavazos relit the dormant fires and revived takeout service last week, somehow capturing a measure of that restored firehouse’s flash in octagonal black boxes to-go.
Pharm Table chef and owner Elizabeth Johnson — in a colorful headscarf and contrasting black face mask — said she’s taken only one day off since the crisis hit. She’s keeping her health-conscious cafe going with meal-plan deliveries, curbside takeout and sheer force of will, because “especially now, people need to take care of themselves.”
All three are sticking with takeout for now, waiting for the right time, the right occupancy percentages and the right comfort level to reopen their dining rooms. The mantra: Open soon, but open right.
Battalion
“Just because it’s takeout doesn’t mean we’re entitled to any excuses.” That’s how Bowers characterized Battalion’s takeout mission. No excuses necessary.
I’ve missed the crazy firepoles, the Medusa chandeliers and the Dr. Who elevator at
Battalion. But more than that, I’ve missed square meatballs in tomato sauce ($12) and tiny ears of pasta swirled in basil and pine-nut pesto ($16). They translated well to takeout, holding their form and color like all the Battalion food I brought home, especially a cool watermelon salad with fresh mint, feta, tomatoes and hot rings of Fresno chile ($8) and a wedge salad pumped up with fried pepperoni and showers of crispy shallots ($8).
Battalion does some of the best vegetable sides in the city. And even in a box, there’s no denying the beauty of blanched and grilled broccolini glowing bright green against a background of roasted red pepper sauce ($7), and a salted cashew butter added a level of lushness to grilled cauliflower ($7).
But the showoff box from Battalion? A quartet of lamb chops, grilled and coated with herbs and Parmesan, served with fingerling potatoes and white wine cream sauce ($26). Out of the bag, in a box, on a plate, whatever. It’s food worth building a feast around.
Location and hours:
Alamo St, 210-816-0088, battalionsa.com. Open for takeout 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. Delivery available through Toast. The dining room has not reopened.
Pharm Table
Maybe we haven’t been the most active versions of ourselves lately. Maybe our eating reflects that. Comfort food is comforting, but my blood’s moving at the speed of gravy. Pharm Table aims to fix that.
The treatment starts with a four-pack of anti-inflammatory juice shots ($11), going from electric red beet juice to golden almond milk to sharp ginger to an infusion of turmeric with black pepper that will clear your sinuses and shake your brain awake. The next step is a sampler of probiotic boosters in bright little cups, fresh bites of beet kimchi, curried carrots, lemon-pickled cabbage and sweet potato escabeche ($5).
Pharm Table gives healthy food the same satisfaction as diner food, with a Mexican quinoa tamal stuffed with black beans and dressed out with colorful slaws ($8), a curried lentil and rice kitchari bowl with beet-almond mash and cilantrococonut chutney ($10) and a Persian salad that lights up saffron-infused cabbage with creamy sumac-cashew dressing and a trio of meatballs with Middle Eastern flavors ($13).
And if you still need comfort food, there’s a rainbow trio of tacos with roasted and pickled vegetables fortified with chicken ($14) and a weekend brunch plate of vegan sweet potato waffles with Asian pear chutney ($12).
Location and hours: 106 Auditorium Circle, 210-802-1860, pharmtable.com. Open for takeout 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Delivery is free within Loop 410 for meal plans. Otherwise, delivery’s available through DoorDash, Uber Eats and other services. The dining room has not reopened.
Chris Madrid’s
The simple joy of a Cheddar Cheezy burger ($8.25) transfers from the chaos of the rebuilt Beacon Hill burger joint to a Styrofoam takeout box like this: Beef, bun and cheese on one side; lettuce, tomatoes onions and pickles on the other. Hot stuff hot, cool stuff cool. Monday through Thursday, that burger — the one with cheddar cheese flowing around it like a Fiesta gown — costs just $5.
Sure, there are variations on the cheeseburger formula. The Tostada Burger ($8.25 or $5 Monday through Thursday) is a taste of San Antonio, with refried beans, cheese and crumbled tortilla chips, and the Macho version — an upgrade to halfpound patty — of Porky’s Delight ($10.75) brings bacon to the party.
Hand-cut fries are a delicate thing. There’s no substitute for eating them right out of the fryer. But even at home, even just lukewarm with their crispy days behind them, these Chris Madrid’s fries ($3.25 for a heaping medium size) are better than most places on their best days.
Location and hours: 900 Blanco Road, 210-735-3552, chrismadrids.com. Open for takeout 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Delivery available through ChowNow, Savor and other services. The dining room has not reopened. The patio likely will open early next week. Check Facebook: @chrismadrids for updates.