Restaurants, San Antonio

This is my last post about San Antonio, honest. Mostly I wanted to note the better restaurants I went to for future reference; I am planning a return trip.

Most of the food on the Riverwalk is mediocre at best, but happily there is one exception - Acenar. The guacamole made tableside by Ricardo was fabulous. For my entrée I had the Gulf Fish Tacos and my sister had Conchita Pibil and I thought they were both wonderful.

The Blanco Cafe at 419 N. St. Mary's Street was voted the best breakfast tacos in town by the locals. I think the most expensive taco on the menu was $1.89 and one taco was enough to keep me going until lunch. I had the potato and chorizo one morning and egg and beans the next. They were both great; I've been craving them ever since.

I had dinner on my own at Azuca, where I tried a Caipirinha (the national drink of Brazil) for the first time. The sugar and lime didn't disguise the fact the the cachaça, a sugarcane liquor, has some serious claws. I opted for a "light" dinner of a cup of black bean soup and the appetizer of Amazonian Tamal; both were delicious and I couldn't finish everything. I was served a mini-loaf of hot cornbread along side my meal which ended up being my breakfast the next day.

I already mentioned Harmon's Barbecue in my previous post, but I neglected to say that it was the only place I've ever been that has self-serve beer. Seriously. You pay for your beer at the counter and there is an ice bin in the middle of the floor filled with bottles of beer and you help yourself. Amazing.

For lunch one day I ordered a salad at a nameless Riverwalk restaurant just because it came with nopalitas, or cactus paddles. I'd never tried them before and I was curious. I remain curious, because they came pickled and really only tasted like a mushy pickled vegetable. They do show up fresh in the markets around here from time to time; I'll bring some home next time I see them and figure out how to cook them.