Crumpet's

Crumpet's set some new standards for San Antonio. I remember being thrilled by the exotic touch of tarragon in the whipped vinaigrette, seduced by the salade niçoise, and beguiled by the green peppercorn Cognac sauce that napped a filet of beef tenderloin. Croissants in the breadbasket were a novelty, too - at least then. Now, of course, the dressing has been copied by many a lesser light, the green peppercorns that were new to our palates have faded from favor, and fast food joints have co-opted the croissant. Or at least a version of it. Maybe it's revisionist history on my part, but your own niçoise seems to have faded a tad, too. Could be I'm misremembering real niçoise olives and crisp, brilliantly green haricots verts, but I was disappointed to find black, California olives (and no green beans) in the salad at lunch recently; as much as California would like to be Provence, these olives won't help their cause, and they especially don't belong here.;- Ron Bechtol