The San Antonio food truck scene rolls into Culinaria Thursday.

Culinaria, the city’s premier food and spirits festival, gets under way this week with a new event that showcases one of the fastest growing trends in dining today: food trucks.

On Thursday, a number of food trucks will pull into the parking lot in front of the H-E-B Alon Market, 8503 N.W. Military Hwy., for a gathering that runs from 6 to 9 p.m. or until the food and drinks run out.

For $10, guests can get into the gather and enjoy their drinks. Food from the trucks is sold separately.

It’s a causal evening of wine and beer with food that is sure to surprise by its variety, its great flavors and its sophistication.

The lineup of trucks includes KHILL BBQ Co, Guilty Pleasures, Say*She*Ate, Crepe Nation, Saweet Cupcakes, Toastie Buns, MARS Mobile Kitchen, Sabor Colombiano, Flour Power Cafe, 4110 Mobile Kitchen, Rickshaw Stop, Spice Runner, Bistro Six and The DUK Truck.

If you haven’t sampled the great diversity that the San Antonio food truck scene has to offer, this is your chance to catch up.

For a full list of Culinaria events, click here.

May (all Saturdays)

Tour of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard

Saturdays, 11 a.m. Sandy Winokur, founder and owner of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard will give you a brief history of the olive industry from ancient times to the new Texas olive industry. Learn about the numerous varieties of olive trees grown and sold at Sandy Oaks. Visit the facility where many of the products we sell are produced, including our olive oil. Sample our culinary and skin care products. The tour lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and is free.  No reservations required.

Saturdays, 1-3 p.m. After a tour of the orchard, stay for lunch and enjoy our chef’s Special-of-the-Day.  Beverages are also available. Sandy Oaks is in Elmendorf, about a 25 minute drive from downtown San Antonio. The address is 25195 Mathis Road. 210-621-0044

May 16-20
Culinaria

One of the most popular food and wine festivals in the country, Culinaria started this year’s festivities with a 5K run in March. Now, the main event approaches, with five days of fun!

• May 16 — Sip, Savor and Shop at the Shops at La Cantera. Fashion shows, tastes of fine food and wines from around the world are served up among the shops, many of which are offering discounts to attendees. $35 in advance or $50 at the gate.
• May 17 — Winemaker dinners. The lineup hasn’t been completed yet, but you can expect some lively food and wine pairings.
• May 18 — Best of Mexico. The event returns to La Villita, where there’s plenty of room to mix and mingle while sampling wines, tequilas and an array of dishes from local restaurants and visitors showcasing the best Mexico has to offer. $50 in advance or $65 at the door.
• May 19 — The Grand Tasting at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Last year’s event was a sellout with plenty of lengthy lines for food. To avoid that this year, the number of tickets will be reduced, so the event won’t be too crowded. $100 in advance or $125 at the door.
• May 20 — Burgers, BBQ and Beer at the Pearl. Restaurants from throughout the city and the area will be on hand to serve up some tasty treats paired with craft beers, some cocktails and wine.$35 in advance or $50 at the gate.

For prices or more information, call (210) 822-9555 or click here.

May 19

Risotto Demo at Gaucho Gourmet with chef Luca Della Casa

Reserve a spot now as Gaucho Gourmet, 935 Isom Road,  presents another cooking demonstration to the public.

This demo is All about Risotto” featuring Chef Luca Della Casa. Chef Della Casa, a native of Torino, Italy has a long trajectory in the fine culinary scene of Italy and Spain working extensively in Torino and Lanzarote. When he came to San Antonio in 2005 as an adventure, he continued his culinary career as executive chef at Sage restaurant, and since has led culinary teams at some of the city’s top restaurants. These days, Della Casa is sharing his passion for contemporary and healthy Italian cuisine as a private and consultant chef.

For our “All About Risotto” cooking demo, Della Casa will present the three best rice varieties to cook risotto: Vialone Nano, Carnaroli and Arborio, talk about the differences in properties and uses, share cooking techniques and recipes. Customers will be able to watch

As you know, space is limited so this time please call at 210-277-7930 Mon.-Sat. between 8am and 6pm or email us with your name, phone and how many people in your party to sylvia@gauchogourmet.com.  There is now charge for the demonstration. Visit the Gaucho Gourmet website here.

May 20

Fine Swine and Artisanal Food Fest

From 2-8 p.m., at South Texas Heritage Pork Farm, students from the Culinary Institute America-San Antonio and the Art Institute of San Antonio, will be exhibiting their skills in a heritage hog cook-off.

There will be live music, a raffle with the top prize of a whole heritage roaster hog, pie-eating contest, tastings from local food trucks and vendors (additional items can be purchased from the vendors), cooking demos, showing of a food documentary, “Farmageddon”  plus tastings from the culinary students and the watching of the final judging.

Beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $35 for general admission and $75 for VIP tickets. The address is 4268 County Road 404, in Floresville.

VIP tickets include all general admission amenities plus additional food and drink pairings, a VIP parking pass and VIP seating in the judging area located on the farms expansive patio. VIP seating while be located in the heart of all the culinary cook-off action. VIP seating is pre-sale only, limited seating available.

Tickets available on line here.

May 19-May 27

The food truck parks in San Antonio area are getting ready for some fun in the next few weeks:

The Point Park & Eats, 24188  Scenic Loop Road, is having a crawfish boil on May 19.  From noon until 11 p.m., crawfish will be served up every two hours or until the little crustaceans run out.

Fat Bellies and Crepe Nation are  the presenters of the feast with Kitchen Fusionz, Takoryia and the Frigid Frog adding support. Abita beer is sponsoring the event. Live music and beer are on tap for the day. Call (210) 251-3380 for details.

Boardwalk on Bulverde, 14832 Bulverde Road, is hosting a three-day Kitchens 4 Cancer fundraiser May 25-27.

The  event benefits Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation that helps people with cancer.

Trucks include Rickshaw Stop, Toastie Buns, KC’s Cones, Guilty Pleasures, Spice Runner, Taco King, Lagniappe Today, Sabor Colombiano, Alex’s BBQ, R&R Chicken Wings, Skinny Cat, Peachwave, Society Bakery and Winner Winner Chicken Dinner are among the participating trucks.

The event begins at noon May 25 and runs through 8 p.m. May 27. For more information, call (210) 402-2829.

June 19

River-Tini Pour-off

Tuesday, June 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency San Antonio will host the San Antonio River Foundation’s fourth annual RiverTini Pour-Off.

An annual competition featuring some of the Alamo City’s top bars and restaurants mixing fresh and lively specialty martinis, RiverTini raises funds for the River Foundation.and celebrates the ongoing efforts to bring recreation, public art and education along the San Antonio River expansions.

All proceeds from the Pour-Off will directly benefit the River Foundation’s projects. The RF is the only non-profit involved in the San Antonio River Improvements Project.

Tickets are now on sale for $50 each and include martini samples from all participants and hors d’oeuvres. All guests must be 21 years or older. For more information about this year’s RiverTini Pour-Off or to purchase tickets, click here.

Runners begin the Culinaria 5K Run.

Long before dawn Saturday, hundreds of runners and walkers gathered around the Shops at La Cantera for the second annual Culinaria 5K Run.

Walkers and people pushing strollers join runners in the Culinaria 5K.

The mist of the morning provided a cool touch to those who’d be getting in some exercise long before the shops opened. But some couldn’t wait for the race to start. More than a few warmed up with short runs or stretching exercises. Others milled around waiting while dance music blared in the background.

But all were ready when the race began.

In less than 17 minutes, Greg Worley passed the finish line and took first place. The first woman to pass the finish line was Krista Patlovich with a time of 18:43. All of the runners who wanted their times wore chips on their feet that registered their times when they passed the finish line. For a full list of the winners, click here.

In two years, the run has become the biggest in the city, says Suzanne Taranto Etheredge, Culinaria’s president and CEO.

One reason could be the fact that when the entrants crossed the finish line, a glass of wine was waiting for them. That’s incentive enough for some folks.

The race was the beginning of Culinaria’s season. The festival will be May 16-20. For information on this year’s events and for tickets, click here.

The reward for finishing the run: a glass of wine.

Tickets for this year’s Culinaria go on sale today, and there are some early bird prices that you can take advantage of.

This year’s festival will be May 16-20 with events that include:

• May 16 — Sip, Savor and Shop at the Shops at La Cantera. Fashion shows, tastes of fine food and wines from around the world are served up among the shops, many of which are offering discounts to attendees. $35 in advance or $50 at the gate.
• May 17 — Winemaker dinners. The lineup hasn’t been completed yet, but you can expect some lively food and wine pairings.
• May 18 — Best of Mexico. The event returns to La Villita, where there’s plenty of room to mix and mingle while sampling wines, tequilas and an array of dishes from local restaurants and visitors showcasing the best Mexico has to offer. $50 in advance or $65 at the door.
• May 19 — The Grand Tasting at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Last year’s event was a sellout with plenty of lengthy lines for food. To avoid that this year, the number of tickets will be reduced, so the event won’t be too crowded. $100 in advance or $125 at the door.
• May 20 — Burgers, BBQ and Beer at the Pearl. Restaurants from throughout the city and the area will be on hand to serve up some tasty treats paired with craft beers, some cocktails and wine.$35 in advance or $50 at the gate.

For prices or more information, call (210) 822-9555 or click here.

Brio at Shops at La Cantera will be donating  30 percent of their dinner sales, between Nov. 6-12, to support Culinaria, San Antonio’s premier food and wine fest.

Brio is at 15900 La Cantera Parkway. You also can visit them online here. Call for reservations at 210-877-9300.

For Culinaria events, click here.

It was a perfect fall day for Culinaria’s Totally Tejas at Rio Cibolo Ranch Sunday. The cool, crisp air meant that sitting outdoors under towering trees, listening to music, or taking a short barge trip on the creek were comfortable and inviting.

Two Bros. BBQ at Totally Tejas: serving up smoke and brisket.

Indoors, there was walkabout salsa competition going on, so the buzz of the day was who had what, and what direction to go to find it in the large hall. Arts and crafts, from handmade chocolates to jewelry, a silent auction, a lariat artist and plenty of wine samples flowed.

Jesse Perez, chef at the Alamo Cafe, had a creamy, green salsa with specks of habanero in it that was getting raves; the Food Bank cooking crew was there, too, with a more traditional salsa that topped some tasty little pork empanadas. One salsa was made with green grapes; others were of the straight-ahead tomato and chile variety.

“It couldn’t have been a better day for Totally Tejas. We’re glad so many drove out to attend,” said Suzanne Taranto, Culinaria president. This is Culinaria’s final event of 2011. The next event is the 5K Run at The Shops of La Cantera, May 12. The festival’s major Festival Week is May 16-20.

Alamo Cafe chef Jesse Perez took top honors for salsa, while the Food Bank came in a very close second place.

Perez’ habanero salsa won the contest, with the Food Bank coming in a very close second — it was almost a draw, said Taranto.

The Texas Heritage Riders, in full regalia on handsome steeds, lined the drive up to the parking area. Two Bros. BBQ added a smoky seasoning to the air, serving pit-smoked brisket.

If there had been a food contest, we think Paloma Blanca would have edged out the other contenders. They were pouring a delicious, warm, Creamy Poblano Soup that had a true blast of genuine poblano flavor.

On the sweet side, Flour Power Bakery served an orange creamsicle cake that certainly won our own, personal “best dessert” award.

It was a great day to be in the country.

Rollin' on the river: Totally Tejas barge ride on Sunday

Paloma Blanca servers had one of the tastiest treats at the festival.

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.

Move fast, and you can get half-off ticket prices for adults for Culinaria’s popular Totally Tejas, happening at Rio Cibolo Ranch next month.

Adult tickets are $35 for the event, which is from 1-5 p.m Oct. 30.

But, if you go to Culinaria’s website Tuesday or Wednesday by 5 p.m. (Sept. 13 and 14) you can buy adult tickets for $17.50.  Children’s tickets will be regular price: $10 for under 21. The event is free to children five years and under.

This year’s event will incorporate a new Latin flair into the mix, with a salsa competition and other salsas incorporated as well. Experience all things Texas, from the food and wine, to the ranch activities, the entertainment throughout the day and educational seminars.  Totally Tejas will feature products from Texas vendors, giving attendees the the opportunity to shop for the holidays early, or taste what is new at this spicy event.

For more information, call Culinaria at 210-822-9555.

The weather almost stole the show during lunch at Oro.  Actual rain fell for 30-40 seconds downtown Thursday before 1 p.m., dousing the horses (which didn’t appear to mind) and wagons hitched up behind the Alamo and darkening the sky.

What this unusual weather event also did was draw a friend’s and my attention briefly away from the sizzling hot Chorizo Corndogs on our plates. The jicama slaw, the red pepper mojo, the crunchy batter… everything right with these morsels of lightly spicy, Spanish-style sausages.

There were definitely a lot of San Antonio diners who would have loved this Culinaria Restaurant Week appetizer, but few were in attendance to partake. Let’s just say —their loss. The service was good, the three prix fixe courses well designed to appeal.

The other distraction was the Oro Restaurant Week dinner menu.  Three courses for $35: the Oro Mac N Cheese with Truffle Oil and Blackened Breadcrumbs; Shiner Bock Braised Beef Short Ribs with Bacon-Scented Quinoa, peas, carrots and natural jus; and for dessert, House-Made Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit and Candied Jalapeños: all sounding outrageously good without trying too hard.

Mesquite Smoked Chicken Avocado Sandwich on Jalapeño Cheddar Bun.

The Mesquite-Smoked Chicken Avocado Sandwich was a high-stacked treat. The jalapeño-Cheddar bun was thick and rich, buttery and grilled to a crisp. It was scattered with some pickled onions which were anything but an afterthought. We were parceling them out so we could add their tangy crunch to each bite. The seasoned fries were just the way we like them, fried only until the lightly seasoned coating was light gold and just right.

Oro Cherry Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee.

Our Seasonal Cherry Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée came with a satisfyingly brittle caramelized sugar crust over a pale pink filling. It didn’t have much of a cherry taste, but just for a little enhancement was a maraschino cherry on top, two fresh blackberries, a dollop of whipped cream on the side, a sliced strawberry and, for good measure, a couple of shortbread cookies.

Lunch at Oro was really a treat for just $15, and for that we thank chef Chris Cook. Remember the Alamo; remember Oro at the Emily Morgan. Just repeat to yourself a few times: chorizo corndogs, chorizo corndogs…

Oro
The Emily Morgan Hotel
705 E. Houston Street
210-225-5100

We went to Las Canarias at the Omni La Mansion del Rio for lunch Tuesday, planning to take advantage of the Restaurant Week specials.

As it happened, our group strayed off the path and ordered chef John Brand’s tasting menu, which took us a little further afield.

Las Canarias Crispy Smoked Lockhart Quail, with homemade ravioli, wilted greens, roasted figs and pecans, was a highlight of lunch prepared by chef John Brand. Photo by Allana D'Antonio.

“Field” is an apropos term here, as the four-course tasting menu focused largely on locally produced items. The Lockhart Quail, fried in a smoky, crispy batter, stole the show, sending our table of five into that sudden, rapt silence that means: “We’re eating now, don’t talk.”

Las Canaria has always been a favorite of ours. It’s not just the excellent chefs that are traditionally at the helm, but the understated elegance of the dining room. It is Spanish Colonial tastefully done, with our favorite tables offering a glimpse of the River Walk. The chairs are comfortable, the linens crisp and white and the servers among the best in the city. The music ranges from classical Spanish guitar to jazz to the Gypsy Kings, adding a perfect flourish to a cohesive, inviting ambiance.

Our starter was a thick Sebastian Texas Watermelon Gazpacho, thickened with finely chopped pistachios, accented by a round of salty, earthy goat cheese and garnished with sliced avocado. This gazpacho is on the sweet side, though Brand cut some of that sweetness with the more acidic tomatoes and the goat cheese provided more balance. My companions and I ate every bite of the rich, chilled concoction.

This gazpacho, by the way, is part of the Restaurant Week lunch special at Las Canarias. It is paired with a Blackened Redfish Sandwich on challah, with mango salsa and heirloom tomatoes ($15). The dinner menu includes: a salad of Roasted Beets, Cherries, Spinach and Chevre; Prime Top Sirloin of Beef with Fork-smashed Gold Potatoes and Roasted Garlic Spinach; and Cream Cheese Cake with minted blueberries and almonds ($35).

A well-seared scallop perches on a shell atop a pretty, confetti bed of salt. The caviar on top was a nice, salty finishing touch. Photo by Allana D'Antonio.

The second course, beautifully presented, was a perfectly seared New Bedford Scallop, topped with American Sturgeon Caviar on a bed of greens and tiny toasted cauliflower florets. Lots of good flavors working there, from the mellow richness of the fresh scallop to the salty topping of caviar and the aromatic cauliflower. All worked well.

We mentioned the Crispy Smoked Lockhart Quail, with its tempting, bacon-y scent and thin, crunchy batter. While some of us at the table struggled to eat the quail quarters with knife and fork, others decided it was finger food. That worked. We did, however, pick up utensils for the homemade Sweet Potato Ravioli cooked in brown butter, with lots of roasted pecans and figs tossed with lightly wilted greens. There were many facets to this flavorful plate, including a grainy mustard sauce, but it was not too much: All of the contrasting textures, from top to bottom, were just right, too.

Cooper Farm provided the peaches, sliced carpaccio-thin and spread along a long dessert plate. A little bit of glistening “orangecicle cream” was part of the garnish, along with jewel-like slices of deep-red cherries, in season now. The creamy little cake of at the center of the plate was mounted on a neat rectangle of crust. No messy crumbs here, just the buttery taste of sweet graham crackers.

We had no serious criticism: The lemons and lime wedges on the table, for the iced tea, were dried out. This was hardly a problem since thick slices of fresh orange came with every glass of iced tea. The paper-thin peaches on the dessert also had suffered a little drying out (though one might observe the this actually concentrated the flavor).

Our hostess put the crowning touch on the lunch by ordering a bottle of Merryvale Pinot Noir, light-bodied, richly flavored and perfect for both the scallop and quail courses.

Think about Las Canarias as you work your way through Restaurant Week. It is well- prepared food, whether you go for broke and get a spectacular tasting menu or stick to the prix fixe. Executive chef John Brand, who is also in charge of the cuisine at Ostra, at the Mokara Hotel & Spa across the river, has a lot on his plate, to be sure, but his talent and that of his staff are quite up to the challenge.

A light-textured cheesecake atop Cooper Farm Peach Carpaccio at Las Canarias.

La Mansion del Rio’s Las Canarias is at 112 College St. downtown.  Call the hotel at 210-518-1063.

Restaurant Week, presented by Culinaria, goes through Saturday at restaurants all over the city. Check out the list, and many of the menus that are offered, at the Culinaria website.