San Antonio’s Culinary Revival

When you think of the food that best describes Texas, you’re likely most drawn to barbeque (based on German settlers) and, well, Tex-Mex, as the Texas is right there in the word. San Antonio is as much responsible for Tex-Mex, if not most responsible, for the genre as any city, so perhaps revival is not the best word.

San Antonio is emerging as a genuine culinary destination. Houston with a large Indian population has offerings that one might not expect. Austin, given its eclectic nature, hipster vibe, music scene and many whom have moved there, has been on the map for awhile now, but San Antonio is doing the same Texas big as the state’s second-largest city.

As its marginal birthplace, the city will always have Tex-Mex food and its refinement is a natural extension of its birth and a city waking up to new ideas. To truly understand this move from what you think of as Tex-Mex, you need to head down to the 16-Block Pearl District that represents the changing of the guard in San Antonio food and its scene. Built around the area that was the old Pearl Brewery, there is little that can’t be found.

Perhaps this is best typified by the fact the Culinary Institute of America just opened its third campus in this area and added a 15-week Latin Cuisines course to its curriculums in all three locations, which include New York and northern California.

Luling and Lockhart, the two-town spine of Texas barbeque, remain but an hour’s drive from San Antonio. However, San Antonio created its own identity in the shadow of Tex-Mex and barbecue.