I have been thinking a lot lately about our local businesses, specifically our local restaurants. I know certain chains deserve their great success, because of the quality and hard work which led them to their brand name status and their ubiquitous nature. They are everywhere. On all the street corners and off the highways and on your t.v.
And a chain location is a comfortable thing, even if the food quality is not always the best, it’s consistent, and you always know what you’re going to get. The big bright signs of a chain are like a nostalgic beacon to a hungry person craving the familiar.
But there is a quality so different and special when one walks into a locally-owned business and shakes the hand of the owner, the person who built everything around you, and invented all the recipes for the food you will eat, and monitors everything to make sure it will be just perfect for you. For a small restaurant owner, the quality of the food becomes so important when you know it has your name on it, your stamp. Everything you share with your guests should be wonderful, and all small business owners fight to make it so.
In this blog entry, I want to tell you about some of our fellow local restaurants; places with exquisite food and great service, eateries that you really should check out if you haven’t already. And at the end of this entry, I’ll announce our raffle winner. Our raffle winner will win $50.00 worth of food to the excellent…
RoMo's Cafe
Rob with sous chef Whitney Matthews
We met the RoMo's chef and co-owner Rob Yoas at OLLU's Best of the West fiesta event. RoMo’s booth sat right beside us, and they were selling the most delicious strawberry shortcake. They were friendly and helpful, and really hilarious, our kind of people. Mack and I decided we have to visit this man! So we ventured over to the restaurant and it was beautiful. High ceilings and local artwork on the walls. First, an incredible salad with the lightest most delicious blue cheese dressing. Then a Cuban Sandwich with plantains, which was so juicy and terrific. Mack had a penne and vodka pasta which was also to die for. The Borracho Bread pudding is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted and a brilliant combination of tastes. If flan and bread pudding had a baby that was like the Mozart of desserts, it would be the Borracho Bread Pudding. It was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.
Rob and Monica Yoas remind me so much of Mack and I, a husband and wife powerhouse with ambition, smarts and a great sense of humor... Of course, the main difference being that Rob and Monica are former Air Force bada***s who served our country. The name of the restaurant is derived from both of their names; which it took me THIS LONG to figure out. When I realized this today, it made my heart melt a bit. Good people and Good food – you cannot miss out on RoMo’s. You’ll be at the gates of heaven someday and it will be one of your regrets – “Why didn’t I go to RoMo’s while I still could???”
This weekend RoMo’s is offering a Surf and Turf special with handcut Ribeye and Monkfish. Starting tomorrow, they will offer a special appetizer with pineapple and a shrimp and scallop agua chile. They will also be offering Smoked Pork Loin with a coffee rub. Specials change weekly so make sure to check their facebook page for updates:
Romo’s offers live music on Saturdays ;)
7627 Culebra Road
San Antonio, TX 78251
210-521-7666
Bob Riddle, like Rob at RoMo’s is a graduate of CIA, our local culinary institute. This is my favorite favorite quote taken from BOB (from an SA Express News article): “One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that chefs are artists. Chefs do the same thing over and over, day after day and perfect it.” Mack is a musician who plays a number of instruments and he has often used this exact same phrase with the word “musicians” in place of the word “chefs.” I love artists who don’t know that they are artists, they just consider themselves workers, plugging away. Bob is an artist.
210-521-7666
The Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe
I had the most wonderful conversation this morning with John Apostolovic, who operates Aussie Bakery and Café with Rita Sturzbecher. What Aussie’s does is really a wonderful thing for San Antonio, and its residents who prefer or must have a gluten-free lifestyle for health reasons. Everything at Aussie’s is 100% gluten free, from their breads and cakes to their own delicious pizzas. It is no easy feat to create such a terrific menu, while maintaining such strict standards: All foods also are free of dairy, eggs, soy, corn and nuts.
We at Gallo look to Little Aussie with respect and admiration; we think they’re doing a great job. Very soon in the future we will be serving gluten-free pizzas thanks to them!! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this for a long time - In the next few weeks, we will be purchasing gluten-free pizza dough from Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe; we’re bringing gluten-free to the West Side! Thank you, Little Aussie J
You can’t beat their best special -
Every Friday and Saturday night, the restaurant offers a complimentary glass of Australian wine or gluten-free beer with the purchase of an entrée. How awesome is that?
3610 Avenue B
San Antonio, TX 78209
210-826-7877
Big Bob’s Burgers
Click on Veronica Luna's photo above to see how much SA Current writer
Ron Bechtol loves Bob's onion rings!
WOW. Mack and I have visited this place numerous times. The first time we went, as we were swallowing our burgers (they’re just plain heaven), the owner Bob brought over the most crisp, ginormous onion rings I have ever had. They were incredible.
Bob Riddle, like Rob at RoMo’s is a graduate of CIA, our local culinary institute. This is my favorite favorite quote taken from BOB (from an SA Express News article): “One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that chefs are artists. Chefs do the same thing over and over, day after day and perfect it.” Mack is a musician who plays a number of instruments and he has often used this exact same phrase with the word “musicians” in place of the word “chefs.” I love artists who don’t know that they are artists, they just consider themselves workers, plugging away. Bob is an artist.
Here’s what you need to try when you visit Bob on Hildebrand Ave: They take 20 lbs of bacon and 20 lbs of beef chuck and grind it all together, then they grill it on a flame and then the 8 ounce patty is Chargrilled and covered with real cheddar cheese. I think Bob told me about the 50/50 burger to torture me because he somehow knows I’m hungry and that all I’ve had to eat today was a toasted eggo.
Enough said, go to Big Bob’s. And eat that 50/50 burger so you can cry at how delicious it is.
447 West Hildebrand Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78212
210-734-2627
Let us feed you!!!
Far East Café
I am going to tell you right now, Far East presented me with the freshest Asian cuisine I ever had in the city. The owner met us at the end of the meal, the sweetest lady with the kindest eyes. It was not hard to see that the reason the food was so delicious is that this woman injects a lot of love into it. The place is immaculate and the staff terrific. It’s located close to SAC and close to Green (a delightful vegetarian restaurant I might discuss in a future blog entry).
I had the Kung Pao and Mack shared Pho with me. Pho is his favorite food and he was blown away by the pho that Far East had to offer. That hint of cinnamon just makes it – they put in just the right amount.
If you go to their website you can print out a $2.00 discounted coupon, and Far East, like Gallo, delivers to a really vast amount of areas. They are open every day but Saturday (so if you’re hungry for Asian on Saturday you can come to Gallo where we’ll soon be featuring an Asian inspired pizza!!!).
Keep up the great work, Far East Café!
1123 N Flores St
San Antonio, TX 78212
210-320-1355
One of my favorite scenes from a great film about a family business
Big Night
I should note that all of the above restaurants, like Gallo Pizzeria, made excellent grades on their health inspections. San Antonio knows how to keep it clean and give you the best quality and the freshest food!
There are so many other restaurants I want to talk about, Godai Sushi (the owner Goro, gave us terrific advice and loves cats just as much as we do!), Malibu Shack on Bandera, Chris Madrid’s, Tost Bistro on Blanco (who’s owner Jean-Francois also gave us terrific advice when we were opening Gallo), Deco Pizzeria, Taste up at La Cantera (their crepes are incredible). Maybe someday soon we will feature more of our local restaurants and also other local businesses, like On Main Off Main and Hogwild Records. These are the places that belong to San Antonio and to no one else; all of our small businesses belong to us and they give back to the community in so many ways. Also, a big yay to the SA Express, the SA Current, and critics like Rob Bechtol (yes, Ron, we love you and we're still working on that hotter Diablo for you), who bring attention to us local folks and keep San Antonio peeps posted on what we do.
I want to give to YOU, our customers and friends, for supporting Gallo Pizzeria and lending us so much love and support – so I’m sending some fine cuisine your way.
The winner of the raffle is:
Analy Bravo!!!!
You will enjoy $50 worth of food at RoMo’s Cafe, where Rob and Monica will take excellent care of you and feed you incredible food J
Have a terrific week, San Antonio – and don’t forget about us, your locally-owned restaurants who live and breathe what we do, and who care more about you – our guests and our customers - than anything else in the world.
Let us feed you!!!
Stephanie Alejandro McMillan
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