Turns out tasty things come to those who wait. After several months of building and what nots, the Say.She.Ate kitchen inside SoHo Wine & Martini Bar (214 W Crockett, (210) 444-1000), launched this past weekend. Brandon McKelvey’s menu is an exercise in knowing what the imbiber wants to eat, be it one or several ’tinis in. The duck fat potato chips are savory and evenly crisp, while the compressed watermelon and dehydrated Spanish chorizo on endive leaves with feta and walnuts works as a light snack. But the menu isn’t just dainty bites–garlicky escargot spinach dip, Akaushi dog and bacon-wrapped dates are also plenty available. Prices range from $5-$13, and the kitchen (seemingly not any bigger than McKelvey’s mobile space) will open 6 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Thursday and 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
There are other chances to eat great looming on the horizon (aside from the last remaining days of Culinaria’s Restaurant Week). This Sunday, August 24, the Alamo City Provisions group will kick off its dinner series at the Josephine Theatre at 6 p.m. I won’t bore you with the details (you can find them in our Culinary Calendar), but I’ll leave you with this: How do five courses with boozy pairings prepared by some of the area’s top chefs sound? Get those reservations in ASAP.
The dinner’s date coincides with the closing of Tre Trattoria Downtown (401 S Alamo, (210) 223-0401), Jason Dady’s second venture inside the Fairmount Hotel. The eatery will serve its last brunch on August 24. “The city is ripe with opportunity and we are excited to find the next Two Bros BBQ Market, Tre Trattoria, Umai Mi or heck, whatever concept we dream up next,” Dady said in a statement.
Over on the North Side, Big Hops Gastropub (22250 Bulverde, Ste 106, (210) 267-8762) is hosting Bacon Week–a week of bacon and beer, paired together for your enjoyment. Stop by August 25-31 and sample four types of house-cured and seasoned bacon, paired with four craft beers. Pairings include coffee bacon with Prairie Ales BOMB! and Chinese five-spice bacon with Karbach Rodeo Clown.
Fans of Ming’s Thing, a Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market and now Pearl Farmers Market staple will soon be able to buy Ming’s sauces on weekdays. Owner Ming Qian will open a kitchen space for catering production and retail inside the former Boxcar Creamery in Olmos Park at 5249 McCullough in the coming months. Follow Ming’s Thing on Facebook for more details.
Finally, Bon Appetit included two area favorites in its Top 50 best new restaurants list. Cured, owned by chef Steven McHugh and wife Sylvia, and Southtown’s favorite former pop-up, Hot Joy, made this year’s round-up. The magazine’s Top 10 Best New Eateries for 2014 were announced Tuesday, August 19, before our press time.
