San Antonio Wine and Food Festival

Festival Location: San Antonio, TX, USA

Festival State: Texan Festivals

Festival Type(s): Food and Wine Festivals, Wine Festivals

Rollicking San Antonio's Wine and Food Festival

by © Maxine Sommers 2008

The sparkling new, first-time-ever, "New World Wine and Food Festival" roared into San Antonio like a comet. If I had to use one word to describe the whole extravaganza I would choose: spectacular.

As a travel writer I had the opportunity to attend, view and experience all aspects of the festival . . . several days of encountering the finest wine and cuisine that the city's premiere executive chefs have to offer. This small, select group of culinary experts tickled our palates with delectable food from early in the morning to late in the evening.

Each event was held in a different location within the city. Some of the most notable were as follows:

Blue Star Art Space's Arts and Eats Gala: This event is held every year and showcases local artistic and culinary talent. Artists and chefs are paired in booths that display art and culinary specialties. A wide assortment of meat appetizers were served, including duck, boar and pork, plus a skillful selection of seafood dishes. An extensive array of choice wines were poured freely.

Texas in Tuxes: Guests arrived at the celebrated La Mansion del Rio Hotel attired in their elegant best-a glamorous showcase for a truly gala affair. The hotel-constructed in 1852-is situated on the banks of the famed San Antonio Riverwalk, and maintains its distinction as one of the finest and historically engaging inns in the country. The black tie affair honored wine authority, Augustin Huneeus, and featured world-renowned chefs with spectacular wines from Chile, Argentina and Texas.

The evening began with active chef stations serving hors d'oeuvres by Chef Bruce Auden (of Biga on the Banks Restaurant), Chef Mark Bliss (of Silo Restaurant) and Executive Chef Scott Cohen (Canarias Restaurant-La Mansion del Rio Hotel).

Following the hor d'oeuvres a five-course dinner in the hotel's Iberian Ballroom featured entrees by Celebrity Chefs Grady Spears (Reata Restaurant in Alpine, Fort Worth and Hollywood), Stephan Pyles (Star Canyon, Dallas), David Garrido (Jeffrey's, Austin); Tim Keating (Four Seasons Hotel, Houston) and Bruno Feldeisen (Senses Restaurant & Bakery in Washington, D.C.).

The wines featured included: a Veramonte Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, an Estancia Chardonnay, a Franciscan Merlot, a Mt. Veeder Zinfandel and a variety from Quintessa.

My meal critique? An incredible feast. At the conclusion of the evening all of the chefs were invited to come-out-of-the-kitchen and were introduced to a standing ovation. Bravo!

At Silo Elevated Cuisine (1133 Austin Highway), Executive Chef Mark Bliss, reigns supreme. Chef Bliss served an innovative luncheon consisting of Chicken Fried Oysters on sautéed Spinach with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Tart Apples and Mustard Hollandaise, Panko crusted Chilean Seabass on English Pea Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Jus, Duck Confit Springrolls with Tamarind, Duck Breast and Foie Gras on 5-Spice Brioche Toast and Grilled Lamb on Israeli cous-cous with Grain Mustard Sauce. Assorted cheeses with Vanilla Scented Fried Fruits served as a grand finale to this sensational repast.

Chef Bruce Auden's Biga on the Banks Restaurant (203 South St. Mary's Street) has claimed many honors, not the least of which is Gourmet Magazine's "Best Restaurants 2000" where it is listed as one of the ten best restaurants in Texas. Believe . . . the food is sensational.

Our menu included: Szechuan pepper cured salmon with hot orange noodles and sugar mustard, Phyllo wrapped sea bass on mustard-braised leeks with serrano ham and pinot sauce, Foie gras with a quince and frisee wrapped in a green pancake, Shiitake master squab with egg noodles and baby bok choy, all followed by Besame de caramel, leche quemada Napoleon, churros in banana cajeta and sticky toffee pudding with English custard. A meal extraordinaire.

Last but not least, we enjoyed a gastronomic adventure with wine and food of the Americas at the San Antonio Central Library-this fascinating building provided a unique setting for the memorable evening event. Celebrity chefs Monica Patino (La Taberna del Leon, Mexico), Richard Sandoval (Maya, New York/San Francisco, California/West Palm Beach, Florida), Roberto Santibanez (Fonda San Miguel, Austin), Sergio Remolina (Rosa Mexicano, New York), and Luis Albo (San Antonio) presented a fabulous array of scrumptious edibles.

To cap-off the evening the thunderous fanfare of the "San Antonio Street Dance and Drum Company" announced their arrival as they exploded into the library building like a megaton bomb and proceeded to stomp and whirl from room to room wearing a wild, boisterous wardrobe.

We were mesmerized by the tumultuous display of vibrant colors and soul-shaking sounds. This musical tornado reverberated through the walls and windows and up through the spectators' feet-and while the drums pounded BOOM, BOOM, BOOM -the dancers jumped, kicked, skipped, hopped, shimmied and shook every single part of their bodies as they twirled around and around in their dazzling, sequined costumes.

Could anyone top that? I don't think so. W.O.W! Awesome.

Maxine Sommers can be contacted by email at msommsers@interconnect.net

by Maxine Sommers