FIESTA! San Antonio
We are going to FIESTA! The Amtrak itinerary includes a round trip ride (#21 & 22) on the Texas Eagle but I had a wet and wild beginning on the Michigan end of the trip. Because of flooding along the Grand River, the Pere Marquette was stopped in Holland and the Grand Rapids folks were bussed 35 miles to start our trip there. As a side note, CSX parked a train load of calcium chloride on its bridge by the Grand Rapids station to hold it in place as the river rose to meet the tracks.
JoeG hops on the Eagle on Monday evening in St Louis and the gastronomic activities “officially” begin with an excellent steak dinner in the diner. We cross Missouri and Arkansas during the night and wake up to a cold and blustery Texas. When we get off to stretch on the platform at Dallas Union Station the temperature is in the low 50's with a strong wind out of the northwest. It warms up a bit as we travel south to San Antonio but is still unseasonably cool. I don't understand what the concern is all about, it feels like a Michigan heat wave to me. One bit of “hot air” blows in at Taylor, TX as Jim Hudson comes aboard. As usual, we enjoy our ride with Jim down to Austin. Jim tells us everything he knows, specifically, the beautiful pink wildflowers that fill the fields in this part of Texas are called primrose. It is still a little early in the season for the bluebonnets to bloom and that is a color festival all its own. After a few laughs and since we have exhausted Jim's knowledge bank, we boot him off of the train in Austin and return to peace and quiet!!
Dinner on this train occurs unusually early because of the termination in San Antonio. Last night's steak and a big cheeseburger for lunch, a short while ago, prompts us both to ask for the mac and cheese kid's meal. The LSA looks at the size of the “kids” he is serving but says OK. The mac and cheese is a nice portion served with some nicely cooked green beans. When the LSA picks up the plates, he gives us a dim look and says, “You are just like the rest of the squirts, you eat every bite of the mac and cheese but don't finish your vegetables!” We have a great laugh and leave an extra tip!
We arrive at the San Antonio station on time, still a bit chilly and a mist in the air but a forecast of better weather in the coming days. It is Tuesday night and we look forward to waking up to a few days of fun and celebration in San Antonio. We are staying in different hotels so getting going in the morning takes a little communication and we head out to forage about mid-morning. We walk west down a segment of the Riverwalk and surface near the Main Plaza area. (The San Antonio River is about 30 feet below street level in downtown San Antonio, which made it the central gem in the marketing plan to revive tourism in the downtown area). JoeG wanders into the original El Mercado area and we are suddenly in front of the Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery. This place is known for its excellent baked goods and really gaudy decorations. We decide to grab something from the bakery for breakfast. Once inside, after our eyes readjust to the tons of Christmas decorations adorning the ceiling; it is time to check out the bakery where everything looks tasty. What the sign outside neglects to tell us is that “Bar” needs to be added to “Cafe and Bakery”. There are about 25 people in line for the bakery but seats are available in the bar, we are, obviously, drawn to the point of least resistance! As we sit down and look around, we are the only patrons not having a Bloody Mary; the bar tender quickly remedies that! With breakfast out of the way, it is time to think about lunch.
On the other side of the Main Plaza is a little lunchroom JoeG remembers from his working days. The plaza is full of bandstands and food vendors associated with Fiesta. We enjoy the authentic Mexican music as we traverse the plaza but we are on a mission to find a good taco! We arrive at the Mexican Manhattan Cafe. JoeG remembers this as a lunch counter and a few booths in a “shotgun” style cafe. Today, it has acquired at least one adjoining building, can seat at least 75 people inside, and has a very large patio overlooking the river that has seating for another 40 or so patrons. What hasn't changed is the quality of the food. I order two tacos. The seasoned beef is the best I have ever tasted on a taco, the salsa is super fresh, lettuce and tomatoes finely shredded, the guacamole dip is superb and they are huge, it has to be over half pound of meat between the two tacos. And the best part - chips and salsa, ice tea, and the tacos for around $6 bucks. Knowing where to go and being two blocks from the tourist area is a beautiful thing. JoeG had four delicious homemade tamales smothered in a wonderful chili with a side of perfectly cooked spanish rice and beans. It was another $6 meal and more food than he could eat. We waddled away from this joint extremely happy!
We descended back to river level and took a very pleasant walk back to the heart of the Riverwalk. For those unfamiliar with Fiesta here is a brief overview. It is the largest festival in a city that is overflowing with festivals, drawing 3 million celebrants to over 100 different events, parades and street fairs. It is a charity driven event culminating with the selection of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo and Rey Feo, in recognition of one of San Antonio's most philanthropic citizens. This year they recognized Rey Feo LXV for his generous contributions to education and scholarship support. All of these events are accompanied by great pomp and pageantry. On the other side of the coin, there are the street festivals centering on good food, cold beer, and cascarones (egg shells that are filled with confetti and cracked open against your “friends” head). The most popular of these food fests is in La Villita, the area of San Antonio that was serviced by the priests of the Alamo. This four night event is called NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio). The most popular foods range from charcoal grilled turkey legs to tripe tacos. If you don't know what tripe is, I suggest you do some research before you make a purchase. The party and the fun go well into the night as we can attest. Not because we were there but because the Alamo was outside the hotel window and it must be a tradition to walk by and howl at the moon about 3 a.m.! Fun was had by one and all.
Now it's time to think about dinner! Our choice for the evening is Rosario's Mexican Cafe Y Cantina. This restaurant is operated by Lisa Wong, which doesn't sound very Hispanic, but she has figured out how to make great Mexican food and the place is considered one of the very top eateries in town by most critics. We start our walk of 9 blocks down to Rosario's about 3 in the afternoon. Not so much because of the big dinner crowds but because they have a margarita happy hour between 3:30 and 5:30, there is always a method in our madness!! Our first choices are one regular frozen margarita and the Fiesta especial, a cucumber and jalapeno concoction. The frozen choice was perfect but powerful!! The other was a little heavy on the cucumber and light on the jalapeno so a short discussion with the bartender and the second one was terrific, everything was fresh and homemade right down to the simple syrups. So the time for happy hour has expired quite some time ago, we have our fill of margaritas and interspersed adult pops, and we decide it is time to tie on the old feedbag.
Our hostess finds us a table and we begin to check out the menu. Maybe this is where the Oriental influence comes in; there are pages of delicious sounding choices and it is impossible to decide. We have a brainstorm. Let's clear off the table, order several appetizers and share in the sampling. Our choices are: Angelica's Ceviche Fino. Delicate white fish with thinly sliced red onions and jalapeno peppers marinated in fresh lime juice and tossed in organic vinaigrette then served with avocado, cilantro and homemade tostadas. This is simple food at its absolute fundamental best! Next is an order of Nachos Estilo Rosario's. Delicious beef fajita strips, bean, cheese, guacamole, jalapenos, and dollops of crema fresca all resting on individual, perfectly prepared, extra large, homemade tostadas. For our final appetizer, we want to sample the chorizo. At first glance we go for the chorizo quesadillas but further down the menu I spot a real treasure... Queso Flamado. This version features Queso Asadero (perfect this time, not broken like JoeG's experience in Dallas), pico de gallo (with a kick!!), and chorizo. Served with homemade tortillas; although we scooped it up on the great corn chips. We have had a most delightful evening, lots of laughs, and absolutely wonderful food. We head back toward the Riverwalk and pass the entrance to NIOSA enroute. After checking what notch my belt has expanded to, we decide to pass and loiter on the river until we call it a day, and a great day it has been!
We get moving on Thursday morning and, impossible to imagine, feel like it is time to get some breakfast. Right across the street from JoeG's hotel is one of the old San Antonio standards - Schilo's German Deli. One of their specialties is potato pancakes. We both jump on that idea, potato pancakes served with fresh applesauce, eggs over easy, and oven baked bacon cooked to perfect crispness. The potato pancakes are great with just a little salt and a spoonful of applesauce but JoeG thinks outside the box and finds they are equally delicious sopping up the egg yolk. Belly is full and all is well with the world. It is time to do a little more exploring.
We take a walk all the way around the loop made by the Riverwalk. JoeG did not have his camera with him when we were out and about yesterday and he has several shots in mind along this route. It is a kaleidoscope of color with dozens of flowerbeds and decorative baskets, colorful umbrellas at all of the restaurants patio dining areas, and reflections bouncing off of the river and the glass towers that line the route. Our morning walk comes to an end at the Coyote Ugly Bar. Our “baby sitter” for the next few hours is the delightful Ginger. This qualifies as a no-doubt-about-it dive bar but the prices are by far the best we have found in town. Ginger has a way of “talking” you into doing crazy stuff you probably wouldn't just get up and do on your own. Not to divulge too much information, but I will say I managed to blow out a reindeer hat during one photo session and congress could possibly reconsider the “officer and a gentleman, by act of congress” they once bestowed on JoeG! Hard to deny a good time was had by all! Seriously, being AU members in good standing, we would not participate in anything that would reflect negatively on the dignity of this august group. Penny, do I need a lawyer?
So we moved on to a more sedate and certainly more historic site; The Menger Bar. This is a re-creation of the bar Teddy Roosevelt came to in San Antonio to recruit the Roughriders prior to his San Juan campaign. This is a beautiful, smallish room done in rich, dark woods including the ceiling. I think the tile floor is probably an update, I expect the original was dirt. The room is completely filled with pictures and memorabilia from that era. You get a good sense of just how this area of Texas was still a part of the “wild” west even long after the fall of the Alamo (which is right across the street).
Time has slipped away and it is time to grab a mid-afternoon lunch. So we decide to sit out on the patio of the Mexican Manhattan, have a taco, and watch the river roll by for a while. We also have their version of con queso which consists of a plate full of homemade toastada chips covered by a pile of delicious, spicy melted cheese. Eating is finished for this day! Just one quick stop at the Riverwalk Wine and Spirits store to pick up “supplies” for the trip north. JoeG got a big laugh when the cashier recognized me and knew the brand of my refreshment! Penny, do I need a lawyer?
We board the northbound Texas Eagle on Friday morning for a quiet train ride home in the transdorm. No glitches or delays, Jim Hudson doesn't even show up at the Austin platform (I looked!). JoeG says goodbye at St Louis on Saturday morning and I continue on for my connection to the Pere Marquette in Chicago. The river in Grand Rapids has receded so I am home Saturday evening with fun memories of a great trip. We are now sitting very close, if not slightly over, the halfway point to our goal of 20,000 TQP and Select Executive.
Great Trip Joe! Wish I coulda gone on to San Antonio! Another Episode of "As The Stomach Turns!" (from the old Carol Burnett Show) Looking forward to the Next 2 Joes Great Food and Beverage Adventure!
