two years and counting! celebrating at the monterey in southtown, san antonio

this past week was my husband’s and my second wedding anniversary. how it has already been two years, i do not know. since we moved back to texas from los angeles less than two weeks ago, we decided to celebrate our anniversary by exploring some of texas, and san antonio seemed to fit the bill.

the northern – and more quiet – end of the san antonio riverwalk

a short road trip away, san antonio far exceeded my expectations (and my expectations were not low). i knew it was a large city (7th in the US), had some nice parts of town, and counted the alamo and riverwalk among its attractions, but that was basically where my knowledge ended. i was surprised to find that san antonio has some really unique neighborhoods with restaurants that would excite even LA foodies, and with people that make texas proud. my three favorite neighborhoods included:

cuban-inspired design mixed with victorian surroundings at the hotel havana in san antonio

refreshing cocktails at ocho, just below our room at the hotel havana and overlooking the river

• downtown/riverwalk – this tends to be the neighborhood everyone already knows. the touristy restaurants that line part of the riverwalk, and the alamo across the street ensure you don’t forget about little ol’ san antone. this time, however, i stayed at the hotel havana on the northern, and more quiet, end of the riverwalk. no tourists on this end of the river, but instead tranquil and lush paths a short walk away from all of the action. the hotel havana (found through jetsetter) is a beautifully designed hotel that i could not stop photographing (see my triptease review for more info). inside was the ocho bar and restaurant, which overlooked the river and served cuban dishes with a twist. around the corner from our hotel was the san antonio public library, in which we found the book cellar, a used bookstore owned by the library that charges next to nothing for books. we made off with over thirty books (including tons of travel books!) for less than $25. total steal. just across hwy 35 in the up and coming five points neighborhood is the cove, a taco and burger joint attached to a car wash, laundromat, a playground, and beer garden. because why not? get a taco and one of the fifty texas beers on tap in the back. oh yeah, and they locally source all of their ingredients. it just works.

fifty texas beers on tap at the cove in five points, san antonio

locally-sourced foods at the cove in five points, san antonio

• king william/southtown – this is the place to be these days, and it is only a few short blocks south of downtown. king william is known for its stately victorian homes, some of which have been renovated into b&bs. around the corner on st. mary’s and alamo streets are rows of restaurants, shops, and bars (too much to see, too little time). we settled on the monterey for dinner and the blue star brewing company (in the same complex as art galleries and a coffee shop) for drinks after. the monterey had an atmosphere of a diner mixed with your favorite patio bar, but with food from a five star restaurant. we had several small plates of redfish crudo, charred squid with bonito and shirokara aioli, and a pork belly and egg yolk rice bowl. dessert of mochi rum cake with cherry ice cream finished the meal, which was just incredible.

the monterey in southtown, san antonio

• pearl brewery – the pearl brewery complex just south of the lovely alamo heights and southeast of the historic monte vista is a renovation masterpiece. the old pearl brewery and surrounding area has been transformed into a mixed-use space for a branch of the culinary institute of america, world-class restaurants, shops, living areas, an event space (housed in an old stable), and a soon-to-be-opened boutique hotel. based on a recommendation from 36 hours, we chose il sogno for lunch, the famed italian restaurant from world-renowned chef and san antonio native andrew weissman. since we were there at an odd time on a tuesday, we didn’t have to wait (lines often reach around the restaurant), and the food lived up to the hype. i had  spicy rigatoni with squid, white beans, and olives that was flavorful with a kick. the shops at pearl brewery are nothing terribly special, except for the twig bookstore, which focuses on books from and about texas.

welcome to pearl brewery!

excellent italian food at il sogno in pearl brewery, san antonio

more than the alamo and riverwalk, san antonio is now one of my favorite cities to visit.  i will definitely return to explore more of southtown and the pearl brewery restaurants.  do you have any san antonio favorites i should add to my list?