San Antonio Restaurants - The Buzz About Where to Dine
If you think the best part of a meal or the entire day is dessert, then San Antonio has much to offer. From sweet empanadas and buttery French pastries to fresh-churned ice creams and divine gourmet creations drizzled in rich chocolate and raspberry coulis, if you are cursed (or blessed, depending on how you look at it) with a sweet tooth, you will never be at a loss for scrumptious treats.For Francophile flaky goodness that will make you swear you've died and gone to Paris, head straight to La Madeleine French Bakery. Featuring sweets to savories, this is true culinary artistry. Featuring melt-in-your-mouth croissants, herb-roasted chicken, a completely unique Caesar salad (with a secret dressing that is not even revealed in La Madeleine cookbook), you will find it hard to leave. The setting, with its rustic charm and spacious seating will entice you to expand to the occasion. And why resist? Let Oscar Wilde be your guide: The best way to overcome temptation is to yield to it. Bon appetit!
If ice cream is your passion, then run, do not walk, to the Marble Slab Creamery. Housed in a humble setting, your knees will quiver at the threshold as you are assaulted by the indescribable aromatic bliss of fresh-baked waffle cones encrusted with rich chocolate, caramel and nuts with a frozen banquet of ice cream flavors and toppings guaranteed to please even the most discriminating connoisseur. Favorites scoops include Mexican vanilla, infused with cinnamon, Dutch chocolate with cocoa nirvana. Do NOT get the cup. The waffle cone cannot be praised enough (and might even inspire you to wax poetic in a postcard or novel).
The Canyon Cafe is an exceptional Southwest eatery by any measures. Situated in the Alamo Quarry Market overlooking the historic downtown, the cuisine is so distinctive and flavorful that is has earned a spot on Zagat's esteemed Top American Restaurants Honor Roll, offering unique dishes like South Texas Tortilla Soup, Pecan-Crusted Crab Cake and Southwest Chicken Piccata, to name a mere few. But it is the desserts that we are here for, and let's just say, you'll swear you see angels flying overhead as you dig in. The all-time, MUST-have favorite is the signature Banana Burrito, which consists of a fresh banana wrapped in a fried flour tortilla with chocolate chips, sliced in half and drowned in a sea of caramel sauce, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with hot chocolate syrup. Other delectable selections include the Cinnamon Bunuelo, a fried tortilla bowl dusted with cinnamon sugar and filled with two scoops of caramel-covered vanilla bean ice cream and the Blueberry Cheesecake, baked with fresh blueberries and topped with berry puree.
Lastly, no trip to San Antonio is complete with at least one stop at Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery. Open 24 hours a day, everyday of the year, this place is legend among natives and visitors for its band of costumed troubadours and spectacular baked treats. Since 1941, the sweet empanadas and torts have kept people packing into this festive, late-night bar and all-night restaurant until the wee hours of morn. Don't miss out on the opportunity to do same.