5 THINGS TO EAT AND DRINK AT SAN ANTONIO RESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW
Tomato pie at Fontaine’s Southern Diner & Bar tops August’s list
Comfort food takes many forms, and the Taste Team found five ways to feel warm and fuzzy in and around San Antonio in August, led by a great tomato pie from the Pearl-area newcomer Fontaine’s Southern Diner & Bar. The rest of the August bounty came from Southtown’s Burger Culture with a perfect Sloppy Joe, SoHill Cafe’s massive chicken Parmesan sandwich, a cool tequila board from the New Braunfels upstart La Cosecha Mexican Table and green beans with staying power from Li’s Restaurant in Stone Oak.
Dry wok green beans
Li’s Restaurant opened late last year in the former Stone Oak home of a place also called Li’s, this time with a focus on Sichuan food. This $9 plate isn’t just a nice splash of green to go with all the fiery red Sichuan chile oil painting the rest of the menu. It’s a tall pile of green beans with a wrinkled char and lots of garlic, onions and oil. Don’t dismiss it as just a vegetable side. It could stand as lunch all by itself. 20330 Huebner Road, 210-499-0070, lissichuansa.com
Chicken Parmesan sandwich
The chicken Parm from SoHill Cafe is a monster full-size cutlet all moist and crunchy and generously spilling out past the tender brioche bun valiantly trying to maintain order on the plate. It is an absolute steal at $8.50 with a salad or fries and tea for lunch at this Beacon Hill spot, and it is our new obsession. 1719 Blanco Road, 210-455-2177, sohillcafe.com
Sloppy Joe
Born in Key West, Fla., the Sloppy Joe was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, and the version at Burger Culture in Southtown ($5.95) is a close replica to what you find there still. The pile of loose ground beef is drenched in a sweet and tangy ketchup sauce, and it lasts about two bites before the bun breaks down and a fork swings into action. True to its name: sloppy … and delicious. 801 S. Presa St., 830-8766442, Facebook: @burgerculturesatx
Copitas
The New Braunfels newcomer La Cosecha Mexican Table brings fresh life to interior Mexican food, and it respects the tequila culture that goes along with it. That respect comes through with copitas, the name given to two little cups and a small carafe of tequila for two served on a wooden board with chile salts, fresh fruit and dried fruit for $18 to $37, depending on the brand of tequila. An elegant exploration of the agave arts or just a do-it-yourself shot kit? Does it matter? 505 Business Interstate 35 N., New Braunfels, 830-3587511, Facebook: @lacosechatx