On the Road Again: Hot Joy in San Antonio

Sometimes you order food at a restaurant that you didn't even want in the first place, and it ends up being one of the top three best decisions of your life.

Maybe I'm being a *tad* dramatic. And also a little bit accurate.

At the end of March, Jon and I visited our friends Mark and Kelly in San Antonio. As always, we had a great time, and they took us to some of the best restaurants in town. One such restaurant was Hot Joy, located on San Antonio's beyond-cool South Alamo Street.

The Texan-Asian restaurant (how's that for the most ideal fusion of foods ever??) houses an interior that's a bright, eclectic mix of edgy, Asian-inspired decor. We opted to sit on some comfy couches near open windows in the restaurant's lounge, which overlooked the lively San Antonio scene around us.

To start the meal off right, I ordered a glass of rosé (I've really been on a #RoséAllDay kick lately). Mark let me have a sip of his wasabi pineapple mule, which was light, refreshing, not too sweet, and had a little kick to it!

For our first round of food, we ordered roasted edamame and tater to chaat to share.

The roasted edamame came with a miso garlic butter (which we asked to have on the side since I was eating a vegan diet at the time), and tograshi salt. I just ate the the pods plain, and they were your standard edamame for the most part, but with a fun charring on the shells from the roasting process.

The tater tot chaat was my absolute jam. Fluffy tots were tossed in tamarind ketchup, paneer (which we asked for on the side to make vegan), chutney crema (also requested as a side), Indian snack mix, and cilantro. Y'all, these were SO GOOD. The tamarind ketchup created a barbecue sauce effect, and the Indan snack mix added a wonderful crunch to every bite. The dish was super savory and super indulgent, and I honestly didn't miss the paneer or chutney crema! I was a big fan of these mighty tots.

I consulted our incredibly friendly and attentive server about my final round of food. The menu has several naturally vegetarian items, but opting for vegan is a little trickier. What I really wanted was some stir fried Thai noodles, but they contained a fish sauce that was necessary for the dish. Essentially my only option was to order the double miso ramen without egg. I was pretty disappointed.

Until I ate it.

What happened next was me experiencing the best ramen I have ever had. Not in the past year. Not in San Antonio. Ever. As in, During the course of my life here on Planet Earth. I know, I know, give me a break, Kim. But seriously! This food-glorious-food bowl of hot joy <~~~ (see what I did there?) was absolutely outstanding. All of the ingredients were phenomenal: silky, buttery noodles; chewy, hearty shiitakes; tart, charred baby corn; fragrant burnt garlic oil; and a sensuous miso broth base. These out-of-this-world components created a serious flavor explosion, and I clung dearly to every bite. It was a wonderful, blissful accident that this was the entree I stumbled into.

If you're traveling to San Antonio, Hot Joy is one restaurant that can't be missed. The food is interesting, vibrant, and delicious, the atmosphere is fun, and the service is fantastic. I am incredibly happy we went there during our most recent visit to San Antonio!

best. decision. ever.

Leave a Comment asian, dinner, drinks, food, fusion, indian, japanese, on the road again, ramen, restaurants, san antonio, southern, thai, vegan, vegetarian

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On the Road Again: Pho District in Fort Worth

Hi hi hiiiiiiiiii!

I feel like it's been years since I wrote a blog post! ...when in actuality it's only been a week. But Christmas came (yay!) and Christmas went (boo.), and I ate an obscene amount of food (um, hey New Year Diet), and it felt like we were living in the tropics, and now I'm freezing my buns off, and so much has happened that, yes. It feels like it's been years.

But enough about me, how are you? How were/are your holidays going? Are you excited for 2016?!?!

So when we last chatted, I had recapped my recent [awesome, delicious] trip to Fort Worth. I mentioned that one restaurant we visited, Pho District, so totally took my breath away that it deserved it's very own post-which brings us to now!

Jon and I arrived in Fort Worth and immediately met up with my sister Emily for a late lunch of Vietnamese food at Pho District. Located in Fort Worth's super trendy and hopping West 7th Street area, the restaurant is in a fun part of town. Even though the open, large, contemporary restaurant wasn't too busy (it was 3:00 on a Friday afternoon), we decided to have a seat at the bar.

^ And, well, obviously.

Our bartender Gavin was super friendly and helpful with the menu. We started off with an order of the edamame.

Not your regular old edamame, these pods were steamed and tossed in a spicy sea salt, which no doubt included some cayenne pepper. Definitely packing some serious heat, I thoroughly enjoyed this playful, well-presented version of edamame.

An entire section of the restaurant's menu is dedicated to vegan choices, which definitely earns them a gold star from me! For my next round of food, I ordered the mixed vegetable spring roll.

A bursting kaleidoscope of lettuce, asparagus, cucumber, tomatoes, and avocado was neatly stuffed inside soft pieces of rice paper. Served over a generous pool of thick, rich, velvety peanut sauce, the combination was lovely. The spring roll was light with a nice subtle crunch, and everything worked fantastically together.

But my favorite food of the day?

KIMCHEE. FRIED. RICE. (with a fried egg thrown on top for good measure, DEAR LORD).

Look at it! JUST LOOK AT IT. Actually, here's a video so you can get the full, beautiful #yolkporn effect (taken from my snapchat, username: newishcityHOU <~~(shameless plug)).



I seriously have not been able to stop thinking about this dish for the past couple of weeks. Tart, aromatic, lovely kimchee dazedly swirled in with beautifully fried jasmine rice and was topped off with long cuts of green onions. The yolk from the egg oozed sensuously throughout the dish, and the end result was insanely powerful. To say I loved this bowl of rice would be an understatement, and I absolutely will go back for the sole purpose of indulging in it again.

Jon was also equally impressed with Pho District and agreed that it was his favorite restaurant we visited in Fort Worth that weekend. The clean-lined, sharp-edged restaurant appeared to be simple, but the food was anything but. If you are visiting Fort Worth, and you are looking for standout Vietnamese food, I cannot recommend this spot enough. Pho District, I envision several more rendezvous(es?) with you in my future... See you next year!

("See You Next Year" dad jokes never ever ever get old.)

Leave a Comment asian, drinks, food, fort worth, lunch, on the road again, restaurants, travel, vegan, vegetarian, vietnamese

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On the Road Again: Taco Tuesday: Velvet Taco in Fort Worth

Velvet Taco opened in Houston yesterday, so it's totally appropriate that today I post about my experience there!

...at the Fort Worth location.

When I went to Fort Worth earlier this month for my sister Emily's birthday, she took all of us out to Velvet Taco for lunch. And I loved it so much, imagine my delight when I was informed that we'd be getting one here in H-Town a mere few weeks down the road!

Full disclosure for what I'm about to say: I absolutely adore Austin. But when I think of the Austin food scene, all that really stands out in my mind is "funky taco restaurants." So when my funky taco-lovin', former Austinite, UT grad sister suggested a funky taco restaurant in Fort Worth it came as no surprise to me. What DID come as a surprise to me was how much more I liked this funky taco restaurant than any of the ones I'd been to in Austin. Don't get me wrong, I still visit Torchy's pretty regularly, but this place?

Lord save my weak taco soul.

It's a burden I must bear.

For my meal I ordered the Israeli couscous taco. A lettuce wrap is filled with couscous, roasted portobello, pickled fresnos, micro greens, and grilled halumi cheese, and it's topped off with a mint pesto and cucumber dill yogurt.

Y'ALL DON'T EVEN KNOW.

And look I'm with you - At first I was like, lettuce wrap? Really? I could have changed it to a flour tortilla, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and go with the lettuce, as the menu suggests, and I was not disappointed. The multitude of flavors and textures in this taco were outstanding. The mint pesto was light and refreshing, and it playfully balanced with the cool, tangy cucumber dill yogurt and spicy pickled fresnos. What really put me over the edge was the grilled halumi cheese though. The chewy, earthy, smokey grilled cheese was robust and almost meaty. I adored it.

True to Jon form, he ordered the Texas burger taco, pictured right. He liked it.

I also ordered a side of their rotisserie "elote-style" Mexican corn. And just look at it!

This might be the greatest corn dish I've ever had. Creamy, cheesy, and tangy with a little kick, it felt like an absolute indulgence.

And know what else was an absolute indulgence?

THESE ROASTED POTATOES.

My sister kept going on and on about their potatoes, so Jon ordered a side, and I maybe ate 90% of them? (sorry Jon)

Yowzers, these were phenomenal. The herby, crispy potatoes are topped with a smooth, lemon garlic cream. They are completely insane. When I told Jon Velvet Taco was opening in Houston this week, his response was "We need to go back and get those potatoes immediately."

So if you're in Fort Worth, and you're needing a funky taco fix that will reset the bar for what you envision as the creme de la creme of funky taco joints, look no further than Velvet Taco. But if you're not in Fort Worth, and you're needing a funky taco fix that will reset the bar for what you envision as the creme de la creme of funky taco joints, just give the one here in Houston a whirl! And please report back to me and tell me what you think!

:: funky taco dance ::

2 comments food, fort worth, lunch, on the road again, taco tuesdays

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On the Road Again: Hill Top Cafe in Fredericksburg, TX

Note: After posting this writeup, the folks at Hill Top Cafe informed me that it is technically located in Cherry Spring, just north of Fredericksburg.

We're going to hop in our little time machine here and back up a bit...

...to last month.

If any of you have been following along, you might recall that we had a big ole' 30th birthday celebraysh in April in Fredericksburg for my main squeeze Jon. I work for a nonprofit, and one of our awesome volunteers had suggested I try Hill Top Cafe. So on our last day there, Jon and I hopped in our little time machine and took a trip to an old historic Texas gas station, located just 10 miles outside the center of town, which has been converted into a quirky, comforting, down home restaurant!

Being the early birds that we are, we got there before the place even opened, so we were the first ones there. The inside of the restaurant is wall-to-wall adorned with eclectic knick knacks from various decades.

To start, Jon and I ordered an appetizer of eggplant, stuffed with different cheeses, and topped off with freshly shaved parmesan, marinara, creamy sauce, and balsamic vinegar.

(no I didn't write down the name of the dish, why do you ask?)

This was absolute h e a v e n .

Not gonna lie, my first bite from one of the edges wasn't completely warmed through. But after that bite, the whole thing was amazing. The rich, fluffy filling of the eggplant was beautifully contrasted with the tart marinara, savory parmesan, and tangy sauces drizzled atop. It was exceptionally delicious, and quite an intricate dish for such a laid back spot!

For my main brunch entree, I ordered an omelette, which they happily catered to my vegetarian needs by adding fresh asparagus. The omlette was pillowy, cooked perfectly (not runny, not overcooked), and was not lacking in asparagus. The accompanying toast and hashbrowns were your standard, yummy, homestyle brunch sides.

By time us early birds were ready to hit the road and time travel back to 2015, the place was packed. While it's definitely not a touristy spot, Hill Top Cafe certainly is not a secret. Go for a delicious, satisfying, relaxed brunch, or make your way there for dinner one night when there is live music playing. This personable, quirky, historic restaurant was one of the highlights of our weekend away, and I definitely recommend it if you're in Fredericksburg!

And yes you read that right, the rifle in the top right corner of the picture below says "For Formal Weddings only." 

Naturally.

Leave a Comment breakfast, brunch, cherry spring, food, fredericksburg, on the road again

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On the Road Again: Gennaro's Trattoria in Canyon Lake

Can I just eat Italian food every meal of the day?

Last month Jon and I visited our friends Mark and Kelly who live outside of San Antonio. After spending a few hours tasting wine one day at La Cruz de Comal, we ventured just up the road to Gennaro's Trattoria in Canyon Lake for dinner.

Its Hill Country setting is absolutely gorgeous.

Lush with flowers and beautiful vine-y plants, the outside of the restaurant was the perfect setting on that beautiful day to split a bottle of wine as we waited for our table.

And um, hello delicious bread.

Once seated, we debated between ordering the caprese or bruschetta for an appetizer. We settled on the caprese, and the others in the group also ordered the lamb meatballs.

The caprese was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. At first glace I thought it might be extraordinary since it was drizzled with a little bit of pesto, but the ratio of pesto to mozzarella/tomatoes wasn't high enough to make it stand out. Regardless, the tomatoes were plump and ripe, and the healthy amount of mozzarella made it an enjoyable starter.

After discussing vegetarian options with our server, I ordered the melenzane ana maria (without prosciutto) for my entree.

To be honest, I only had a few bites because at that point I was so bread- and wine-full, I was about to pop. BUT, what I did have I loved, and I devoured my leftovers the next morning for breakfast.

Did I say breakfast?

It was absolutely delicious. The dish was made up of layers of breaded eggplant with mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, and spinach, and it was all topped off with a creamy roasted bell pepper sauce. I'm not sure if it usually comes with a side of pasta or if this one did because they turned what is normally an appetizer into an entree for me, but either way I was happy about it. The breaded eggplant was seasoned beautifully with Italian herbs, and the roasted bell pepper sauce tasted like a zippy, unique vodka sauce. And the melty, stringy mozzarella was wonderful and not at all overpowering. It was an incredibly delightful plate!

So to recap:

1) The Texas Hill Country is gorgeous, and makes for a quick, lovely weekend away. Also, WINE.
2) If you're out there enjoying an afternoon of sipping on vino, a trip to the laid back, cozy Italian restaurant Gennaro's is bound to be a fun one!

#PastaBreakfast

Leave a Comment canyon lake, dinner, food, italian, on the road again, pasta, san antonio, vegetarian, wine

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On the Road Again: Cured in San Antonio

The Pearl District in San Antonio is my new favorite thing in the world.

They (whoever "they" may be) came in, saw all these old, run-down Pearl breweries and factories, had a vision, and turned this abandoned area into a gorgeous, trendy, fun section of San Antonio. A culinary institute (which I may or may not have thought was the Alamo...okay, I did), beautiful lofts, and chic restaurants with industrial interiors make up this hip area. So when Jon and I visited our friends Mark and Kelly out in Cibolo a few weekends ago, they took us to the Pearl District for dinner.

We walked around for a bit, me in my ultimate exposed brick glory, and settled on Cured for dinner.

Located in what used to be Pearl's administrative offices, this stunning restaurant is teeming with history. From a huge wine-filled vault in the back, to original free-standing basins dating back to the early 1900s, the host or hostess (or in our case, our super friendly server) will gladly give you an informative tour of everything.

It was an exceptionally beautiful night, so we opted to sit outside on the back patio.

To start, we split a wonderfully presented charcuterie plate. I did not eat any of the meat, but I thoroughly enjoyed their crackers, pickled vegetables, and spicy, sinus-clearing mustard. Jon, Kelly, and Mark all seemed to have a different favorite of the three cured meats they chose.

Beyond the charcuterie, the rest of the menu is split up into different categories (vegetable, seafood, fowl, etc.), with 3-4 options underneath each one. The "twist" on this is that the food options get larger in size in ascending order of being listed under each category.

For my entree, I ordered the last/largest of the vegetable options, the Pearl Farmers' Market vegetarian selection. On that particular night, the offering was an herbed gnocchi with roasted carrots. And y'all?

it. was. so. good.

I seriously LOVED this dish. The masterfully herbed gnocchi was fragrant, silky, and mouthwatering. I generally prefer carrots in their raw form, but these roasted ones were buttery and sweet, and they paired wonderfully with the gnocchi. The *only* gripe I have is that for it being the largest of the vegetarian offerings, it still wasn't that big. For the amount of carrots included, I would have liked to see more gnocchi. I can't imagine what the first vegetable option (the beet, avocado, & citrus salad) would have looked like, portion-wise.

Kelly ordered the spicy lamb meatballs (pictured above, top left), and while she enjoyed them, being second on the list under "goat and lamb" it was a pretty small portion size. Conversely, Jon ordered the seared redfish with squid ink risotto, brussels sprouts, and shrimp (top right), which was the second item out of four under "seafood," and his was a much more generous sized, filling portion (he also really enjoyed it). Mark ordered the pork cheeks poutine, the last item under "pork," and it was a ginormous serving. He couldn't finish it.

Even after he and Jon went splitsies on it.

(I mean, how adorable are they).

The food was incredible, but the portion sizes were a bit confusing. That said, I still had room for dessert, which was exciting!

For dessert I ordered the golden beet cake, served with homemade pistachio marshmallows and hibiscus red beet ice cream. The cake was hearty and earthy, and it paired exceptionally well with the marshmallows. The marshmallows were out of this world. Subtly sweet and fluffy with a slightly crispy exterior, they may have been the best 'mallows I've ever had. The ice cream though was not my favorite. I love beets, so I wanted to love it, but it really left a "green" aftertaste in my mouth. I appreciate the creativity, but I think the dish as a whole was better off without the ice cream.

Overall, we had a great time at Cured. I do like the unique idea of increasing portion sizes for each menu section, but the plates did not seem consistent in size across the board. More consistency and clearer descriptors would have probably prepared us a little better. Regardless, the food was absolutely incredible and inventive, and the restaurant itself was gorgeous and rich with fascinating history, located smack dab in the beautiful, non-touristy (yet!) historic Pearl District. I definitely recommend it!

Riverwalk, who?

Leave a Comment dinner, food, on the road again, san antonio, vegetarian

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Vacation Days: San Antonio

The subject line really should read, "Vacation Days: San Antonio, Cibolo, Marion, Canyon Lake, and Beyond-Oh My!" but I'm trying to up my cool factor here.

(no I'm not.)

But before I get into the vacay, I know everyone's been anxiously awaiting the news of my March Madness results (no?). I am happy to report that yours truly - who knows absolutely nothing about basketball - had drawn Duke from the beginning in one of my spreads and went on to win the whole thing! It boded well for me that the spread required absolutely zero skill or knowledge of the sport.

So, vacation! Jon and I recently went away for the weekend to visit Mark - one of his besties from high school (Jon really loves that I just referred to his buddy as his "bestie", sidenote) - and Mark's awesome fiance Kelly, who live in Cibolo. Cibolo is a cute, small 'burb of San Antonio, with plenty to do nearby. Notable restaurants we ate at that weekend were Cured in San Antonio and Gennaro's in Canyon Lake, but I'll do separate posts on those soon. Otherwise, I'd love to share the rest of my photos from the weekend with you all!

This is Wilson. He was really excited about us coming.

One afternoon, we had lunch at a cute little country restaurant called GG's Corner Cafe, located in the itsy bitsy cutesy little town of Marion. They didn't have much in the way of vegetarian offerings, but I did a number on some majorly tasty fried okra, a ginormous "side" salad, and a heaping baked potato. The yin to my yang had some sort of meat lover's extreme deli sandwich.

There's this thing called the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch where you can drive your car through what's basically a Texan African safari and feed some crazy animals like zebras and llamas. So we went!

(At 2:00 in the afternoon.)

(In the dead heat of the day.)

(After all of the animals had already eaten.)

Here's what we saw:

A nice sign.

(Also we saw a truck completely roll backwards and slam into another truck as we waited on the steep hill to get in. Neither driver seemed phased or concerned. Neither got out of their car. Everyone moved on... as one does while on a safari?)

A longhorn.

Three giraffes and a pickup truck.

And there you have it! If you go, take my advice: Go in the morning right when the park opens. Mark and Kelly had done that before, and you should have heard the amazing stories about all of the incredible wildlife they saw!

We enjoyed those stories and carried them near and dear to our hearts.

And of course we had to pay a visit to our favorite winery, La Cruz de Comal!

(Photo Credit: Kelly)

Um, and in my next life I'd like to be a winery dog, please.

It was a brief, but fun weekend! Like I said, I'll be reporting soon on a couple of the restaurants we visited, so stay tuned. San Antonio and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer for a weekend away, and you don't even have to go to the River Walk! (But if you do, I won't blame you because - guilty as charged - I love the River Walk).

And you might even have a super enthusiastic host!

Leave a Comment food, fun, on the road again, san antonio, vacation days

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