Andrew Weissman is taking over this iconic site.

One of San Antonio’s premier chefs, Andrew Weissman, is buying one of the city’s most iconic buildings, the tilted, weather-beaten beauty on Josephine Street that once housed the Liberty Bar.

Weissman is planning on opening Minnie’s Tavern in the historic building at 328 E. Josephine St. It will open by late January.

The name refers to a member of the Fritz Boehler family, who lived in the building while he worked as brewmaster of the Pearl Brewery. Weissman has discovered a great deal of history about the building and plans on using it within the restaurant.

Minnie’s Tavern will feature brasserie-style food, such as steak frites and mussels, as well as a number of beers and wines on tap. “It will have a limited menu,” says the chef, who owns Il Sogno and the Sandbar, both in the nearby Pearl Brewery complex.

Those who want a cocktail will be able to get one at the Rye House, which Weissman is planning for the small house at the back of the property. The Rye House won’t open at the beginning, but plans are for it to be ready several months down the road.

The current resident of the building, Boehler’s, will stay open until the title is transferred.

Meanwhile, work is progressing on Weissman’s other upcoming project, the Luxury, a food truck park.

He realizes the irony of starting up a new place in a short amount of time while work on a previous project that has taken much longer, but that’s the restaurant business.

The SA Chef Coalition included Il Sogno sommelier Gabe Howe (front left) and David Gilbert of Sustenio, while the back row features, from right, John Brand, Michael Sohocki, Steven McHugh, Jason Dady, Chad Carey, Andrew Weissman and Jesse Perez.

The founding members of the SA Chef Coalition want what every chef wants: They want people to have a good meal and come back for more.

Braised beef cheeks with garlic, tomatoes and kale.

But they want something more.

They want that meal to showcase the best produce and meats of the immediate region, and they want the food prepared in way that reflects the finest San Antonio has to offer.

To that end, the group of chefs got together for a family-style dinner under the loquat and oak trees that line the patio of Tre Trattoria on Broadway. Guests had to bring their own plates, silverware and wine glasses, while God provided perfect weather. The food, meanwhile, came from farms such as Oak Hills and My Father’s Farm.

The chefs lineup included John Brand of Las Canarias and Ostra, Chad Carey of the Monterrey, Jason Dady of Tre Trattoria and Bin 555 among other ventures, David Gilbert of Sustenio, Steven McHugh of Lüke, San Antonio native Jesse Perez, Michael Sohocki of Restaurant Gwendolyn and Andrew Weissman of Il Sogno and the Sandbar.

The evening began with Rebecca Creek whiskey sours and a series of appetizers that ranged from an array of charcuterie, a little bit of everything from oxtail terrine to calf’s liver sausage, to a carrot purée and grilled spring onions.

Salt and pepper breadsticks.

Two salads, one featuring fresh greens while the other boasted several types of beets, preceded a main course of chicken, braised beef cheeks and numerous side dishes, such as creamy polenta, grits and a farro dish. Dessert features strawberries and whipped cream with a colorful Pop Rocks-influenced topping.

The chefs are planning future events that will include more San Antonio chefs, Dady said.

Each of the dinners will benefit a local charity, with the proceeds from the first dinner going to help the culinary programs at three area high schools, Perez said.

For details on more Chef Coalition events, follow SAChefCoalition on Twitter.

Until then, “get off your asses and get out and eat,” Dady said.

(Photographs by John Griffin and Bonnie Walker.)

Patrons enjoy the perfect weather and a family-style feast of local food.

Pop-up Farmer’s Market & Feast with chefs Jason Dady & Andrew Weissman is Wednesday, (March 28) at BIN 555, at  555 W. Bitters Road.

The farmers market is open 5-9 p.m. The family-style dinner is 6:30 p.m. with “market inspirations.”  Cost is $50 per guest, includes wine.

Make reservations at info@bin555.com.

Attend this event to support your local farmers, including Oak Hill Farms, Cora Lamar; Hilltop Place Ranch, Mary Walker & Valerian Chyle; Rancho Ojo de Agua, Susana Canseco; Braune Farms, Julie Braune; South Texas Heritage Pork, Kelley and Mark Escobedo; Hartman Farms, Lori Hartman.

A coalition of San Antonio chefs say they are determined to raise San Antonio’s profile on the national culinary scene, says chef Andrew Weissman.

Andrew Weissman, chef and restaurateur.

Weissman, chef and owner of the restaurant group that includes The Sandbar and Il Sogno, has met with other chefs, including chef/restaurateur Jason Dady and Steven McHugh, chef at Lüke, for the past several Fridays to begin putting the organization together.

“If we go about this the right way, we (SA chefs) can create a situation here that the national media can tap into,” said Weissman.

Austin, on the other hand, has had its share of the spotlight recently. Chef Paul Qui has been competing on Bravo’s Top Chef, while Barley Swine was named one of the top 10 best new restaurants in the country by GQ magazine.

“I am happy that Austin has burst on the scene nationally, but we can achieve the same thing for San Antonio. We all have (national) recognition and we all have a voice,” said Weissman.

“The story about Austin has been written. The story that hasn’t been written is San Antonio.  That can happen if we go about this the right way,” says Weissman.

The “right way” will start with the organizing – those culinary professionals who wish to be part of the coalition will have their chance to join.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for the group as they put together a newsletter and Facebook pages.

That coalition which you can follow on Twitter @SAChefcoalition said in a tweet this afternoon, “Spread the word: We are mobile.” Included in the tweet were Weissman, Dady and McHugh, in addition to @beyondthekit (David Gilbert, Sustenio chef), @chefjohnbrand, chef at Las Canarias and Ostra, and @TheMontereySA (chef Quealy Watson).

Andrew Weissman

Andrew Weissman of Il Sogno and the Sandbar, both at the Pearl Brewery, 200 E. Grayson St., won the Mentor Award this week from StarChefs.com during the website’s first Austin-San Antonio Rising Stars awards party.

Weissman, who originally owned Le Rêve, was cited for shaping a new generation of local talent. Some of the people who have worked for Weissman include Doug Horn of Dough, Chris Carlson of the Sandbar, Byron Bergeron of Fig Tree Restaurant, and Michael Sohocki, whose Restaurant Gwendolyn is in the former Le Rêve location at 152 E. Pecan St.

Sohocki was honored by StarChefs for Sustainability Chef. Jason Dady was one of two Restaurateurs of the Year, with Austin’s Tyson Cole. Jeret Pea of the Esquire Tavern and Quealy Watson of the Monterey were also among the San Antonians honored.

It’s been a busy week for Weissman, who also cooked Wednesday for 65 guest chefs and members of the Culinary Institute of America’s board. The list included Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Per Se, Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s, and Charlie Palmer, all of whom were filled with praise for the dinner at Il Sogno.

Weissman hadn’t met Yamaguchi before and really enjoyed talking with the chef, known for showcasing the seafood of the Hawaiian islands in spectacular ways.

For more information on Il Sogno, call (210) 223-3900.

Il Sogno will host a CIA meeting Wednesday.

Il Sogno Osteria will be closed to the public because of a private dinner Wednesday.

Chef/owner Andrew Weissman says that the CIA Board of Trustees will be dining there that evening.

Expected to be among the 70 or so people at the contemporary Italian restaurant in the Pearl Brewery will be three nationally high-profile chef/restaurateurs: Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Per Se, Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s and Charlie Palmer, who has a collection of eponymous restaurants.

“I’ve eaten at the French Laundry (Keller’s famous Napa, Calif. restaurant) five times,” Weissman said. “This is the first time I will get to cook for him.”

Weissman sent the news out on Twitter Friday afternoon:  “Just confirmed, will be cooking for Thomas Keller, Charlie Palmer and Roy Yamaguchi next week. #excitedashell”

Il Sogno is at the Pearl, at 200 E. Grayson St.

Bon Mangé is the name of a new series of underground dinners featuring New Orleans-influenced fare. And good eats are on the menu.

Chef Pieter Sypesteyn, who worked under Andrew Weissman at Il Sogno among other restaurants, is launching the series with a four-course dinner at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The menu will include family-style beginning with the following treats: Creole Cream Cheese with Pickapeppa, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Andouile Aïoli and Duck Liver Pâté with Pickles.

The rest of the menu includes Crispy Gulf Oysters with Arugula and Radish, New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp, Venison Grillades and Grits with glazed carrots, and stuffed beignets with Cafe Brulot.

The cost of the meal is $70 a person with tax and tip included. Wine will be provided, but people can bring their own without a corkage fee.

For a reservation, call 210-420-0090 or email Pieter@WhereYatSA.com, The location of the meal will be disclosed with a confirmed reservation.

Meusli with yogurt and fresh fruit at Il Sogno.

I love spending the day exploring San Antonio. You can head out in almost any direction and find plenty of places to pique your interest and satisfy your cravings.

The sunny weather Saturday made it a natural to leave the house early and just go. Friends were visiting from out of town and a large group of us wanted to get together for breakfast, so we started the day at Il Sogno in the Pearl Brewery, where Andrew Weissman and his crew were dealing with a full house.

The daily frittata, loaded with pork, roasted red peppers and spinach; muesli with yogurt and fruit; French toast with plenty of syrup; organic oatmeal; and omelets with goat cheese or cured salmon made everyone at the table happy and ready to hit the farmers market afterward.

On the way out the door, I ran into Jason Dady, sitting at the end of the counter and looking completely relaxed. He had finished cleaning his last items out of the Lodge and look refreshed and ready to get on with the next phase of his culinary career while managing Bin 555, two Tres, Two Bros. and three kids.

The market was filled with plenty of winter favorites, including a fine array of radishes for me, as well as mushrooms, robust green and purple kohlrabi and greens of all sizes and styles. Linda Perez of L&M was selling grass-fed beef, perfect for a wintery stew, though the sun was anything but January-like.

Kyle Yuchinski operates the Smokin' Joe's food truck.

After loading my treasures into the car, I met up with my cohort in culinary adventures, Bonnie Walker, at Gaucho Gourmet on Isom Road. You have to make an appointment to visit the food warehouse, which has a little bit of everything from incredible olives and olive oils from Europe to prosciutto made from duck or lamb. Another load of goodies made it into the car, before we made it to the site of the future food truck park on U.S. 281 near Summerglen.

There was a lone trailer there today from Smokin’ Joe’s with plenty of barbecue options to whet your appetite.

Bonnie wanted a sausage taco, which she got with a touch of coleslaw and some sauce as well as a pulled pork taco that was so good, she kept most of it to herself. I did likewise with the tender, moist brisket that had a hard, almost crackly crust around the outside.

Smoked sausage taco with coleslaw from Smokin' Joes.

The real surprise was the deep-fried Moon Pie, a treat that should not have been anywhere near as good as it was. Take your pick of chocolate, vanilla (my choice) or banana pie, batter it and then deep-fry it. Top with whipped cream and chocolate or caramel (again, my choice). Insert face and inhale. Something that artificial has no business being that good.

The owner, Kyle Yuchinski, told us that more trucks would be moving in soon, so expect more treats in the near future. He’s also changing his own truck around, to feature ‘cue on one end and cupcakes on the other. Look for his truck in front of the fireworks stand along 281 North.

Children enjoy the playset at Boardwalk on Bulverde.

We went from there to Boardwalk on Bulverde for the first anniversary party of that trailer park. Free beer, plenty of sun and enough shade made it just right for the families that brought their kids out to play in the sandbox or on the slide. An Oh So Gouda Burger, with bacon and avocado, from Toastie Buns  arrived with a spicy hot and temperature hot corn salad, while Sabor Colombiano’s plantain tostada topped with shredded pork proved to be a great combination.

Heavy turnout caused several sold-out signs to appear on certain items early in the day at Rickshaw Stop. In fact, they sold the last piece of baklava to the customer ahead of us, which meant we had to settle for a cup of kheer, a divine rice pudding with a touch of rose water and pistachios. The cup was empty within moments of receiving it.

UNO, an Oatmeal Pale Ale, one of beers offered at Ranger Creek on Saturday.

A few minutes after leaving the food truck park, we encountered the Smoke Shack BBQ truck in front of the Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling. Instead of yet another snack, we joined the dozens of people in line and the hundreds of people inside and out in back who were there for the first open house of the year.

For $5, you could buy a glass with a Ranger Creek logo on it and you received three tickets to try some of their various beers. Or you could take part in the bourbon tasting, in which you’d learn how to sample bourbons, such as the one Ranger Creek makes.

'Back yard" at Ranger Creek Brewery First Saturday.

We opted for the beer and more of the sunshine, before downing a pint of UNO, the oatmeal pale ale that Ranger Creek created to mark its first anniversary. It was a fun first visit, and we plan on returning, perhaps for one of the tours. For more events at Ranger Creek, click here.

As you can imagine, I was fairly tired after that. So, I plan on a nap. But only a short one. I’m planning on heading off to the Ballroom Dance Annex for my first night of dancing in months.

Who knows what next Saturday will bring? Any suggestions?

Kim pop rolls coming

The sign at 3830 N. Loop 1604 E. near the intersection of Bulverde Road says Tiger Pop Korean Roll n Go is coming  soon.

But what is it?

What was your favorite treat from 2011? A burger like this from Cullum's Attaboy?

According to a posting, “We are a completely new concept on Korean-inspired food. Our core items are Kim Pop, which are Korean-style rice rolls. Kim Pop rolls have never contained any type of raw proteins like Japanese style sushi, and we have blended them to include many iconic western ingredients. Our menu also includes Korean marinated steak tacos, sandwiches, rice bowls, salads and more! Only the highest quality non-processed ingredients are used, all prepared fresh daily for the fast-paced customer.”

The plan apparently was to have the eatery open over the holiday season, but work is still progressing.

The Luxury progresses

Work is also progressing on the Luxury, Andrew Weissman’s trailer park of mobile eateries. He hadn’t expected it to, because he told his contractors he’d be otherwise engaged with new baby Moishe Andres, but that seems to have spurred more work.

The Luxury, Mark Bliss’ Bliss and Stephan Pyles are among the eagerly awaited new dining venues for 2012.

Palenque Grill opens

Palenque Grill has opened at 389 N. Loop 1604 W. with an array of Mexican favorites. This is not related to Taco Palenque on Loop 410.

Foodie openings

• Boerne Epicure Gourmet Market, 210 S. Main St., Boerne, has opened. It promises “delicious surprises from around the world.” Call: 830-331-9355. www.boerneepicure.com.
• Spec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods has opened at 1305 Sidney Baker St., Kerrville. Call: 830-895-8757. www.specsonline.com.

The best of 2011

What were your favorite dining experiences of 2011? Was it a burger from Cullum’s Attaboy with bacon, egg and cheddar piled high on top? A trip to one of the Brazilian steakhouse? Maybe it was a meal on a barge floating down the San Antonio River. Or a favorite meal at the Lodge before its doors close. Or was it a meal you prepared at home? Share with us a few of your favorite food moments of 2011.

If you have restaurant news to share, email griffin@savorsa.com or walker@savorsa.com.

Johnny Hernandez's deconstructed chile en nogada featured aspic versions of the pomegranate seeds, the walnut sauce and the poblano, the three colors of the Mexican flag.

Chef Jason Dady talks with his diners at Chefs and Cellars.

Pigeon stuffed with foie gras and bacon. New York strip and shrimp with a roasted pepper stuffed with fresh vegetables. Chocolate mousse with brandied cherries and red velvet crumbles. 1981 Chateau Margaux.

These were some of the many treats that diners were exposed to during Culinaria’s annual Chefs and Cellars dinners at the Culinary Institute of America’s San Antonio kitchens.

Five of the city’s best chefs — John Brand from Las Canarias and Ostra, Jason Dady from the Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills and others, Johnny Hernandez from La Gloria and True Flavors catering, Jesse Perez from Alamo Cafe, and Andrew Weissman from Il Sogno and the Sandbar — teamed up with wine collectors from the area to present a feast of flavors.

Jesse Perez prepares a course for his diners.

Guests were seated with an individual chef, who presented the multi-course meal as if it were a chef’s table at a private restaurant. Bonnie Walker and I were lucky enough to be seated with Johnny Hernandez, who created a spectacular array of dishes to match wines chosen by local wine authority and educator Woody De Luna.

The end result offered course after course of spectacular Mexican food, from a salmon salpicon to a fig-topped Cajeta Pound Cake soaked in cream, each of which was paired with German Rieslings; perhaps California’s most sought-after Chardonnay, Stony Hill; a Sauvigny-les-Beaunes Burgundy that found a grateful home with both surf and turf; and a pair of lively Champagnes.

The lesson here was simple and clear: Great wines can work with great food, no matter where in the world each is from. Hernandez may have offered street food in the form of black bean-filled corn tortilla topped with fresh guacamole or cochinita pibil, but the dish was elevated to gastronomic heights when partnered with a 2003 Gunderloch Riesling Rothenberg Grosses Gewachs from Germany. I know first-hand from my family that the Germans wouldn’t know what to make of Mexican food, from low to high, but their wines proved a perfect  partner.

Everyone we spoke with during and after the dinner sang the praises of his or her individual chef, who not only prepared the food with his staff but also explained the dishes and the approach each took.

Jason Dady served pigeons stuffed with foie gras and served with miso-corn and candied bacon.

There were some excellent wines from local cellars to match the dishes, including aged Sauternes, fine Bordeaux and Burgundies, and spectacular Chardonnays, both from California and France.

The interior of the stretch limousine from Lonestar Limousines, which helped us drink and (not) drive safely.

Because of the great amount of great wine poured, Bonnie and I engaged the services of Lonestar Limousine, a luxury service that made sure we enjoyed every last drop of wine poured without driving home irresponsibly in the blessed rain.