There’s nothing we love more than delicious summer food and wine festivals. In Texas, these are plentiful thanks to Culinaria, a non-for-profit organization that supports San Antonio as a top food and wine destination. The organization enlivens the community through various culinary events like themed 5k’s, prixe fixe meals during Restaurant Week, and the traditional festivals that we all know and love. While filling your belly with good food and drinks is incentive enough, proceeds go towards local culinary and educational programs. This helps support up-and-coming chefs, further enriching San Antonio’s culinary future. This summer you’ll have three gastronomic events to choose from, or if you’re anything like us, you’ll go to all three!
Tasty Tuesdays
A precursor to San Antonio’s famed Summer Restaurant Week, Tasty Tuesdays serves up prixe fixe menus at participating restaurants every Tuesday from June to August. This is the perfect opportunity to try that restaurant that seemed a little out of reach, as all lunch menus are $15 and dinner menus are $30. Kirby’s offers a three-course meal where you can delight in caesar salad, grilled Tomohawk pork chop with sauteed greens and red cabbage, and vanilla bean panna cotta. At Grayze on Grayson you can order mixed green salad with parmesan vinaigrette, roasted chicken served over tomato broth paella, and a butterscotch cookie ice cream sandwich. With over thirty restaurants to choose from, you can find the perfect flavor combination to satisfy your hunger pangs.
Summer Restaurants Week
A local favorite during this culinary summer is Culinaria’s Restaurant Weeks. Taking place for two weeks from August 10th – 24th, this event not only spans San Antonio but also reaches Boerne and New Braunfels. Restaurant Week offers menus that range in price from $15 to $45 and serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, making each restaurant accessible to the masses. We recommend making reservations at your favorites, as tables will fill up during this highly anticipated event. Want a hearty lunch? Order the pork belly bacon sandwich and strawberry shortcake donut at Grille 254. Looking for something a bit more refined? Try Sustenio’s menu of tortilla soup, watermelon salad, amuse-bouche, blacked flatiron steak with chimichurri, and a dessert trio.
Wine + Food Festival
The Culinaria Wine + Food Festival is the premier event during San Antonio’s summer festivities. Taking place September 26th – 29th at La Cantera Resort & Spa, the festival is made up of a series of special events that cater to all types of foodies. Warm up your golf swing with a cocktail or two during the Hole in Wine Golf Tournament. Learn the art behind the perfect tequila, and create some art of your own during the Latin-inspired Arte Agave. Then feel the mystery of The Grand Tasting, a masquerade party featuring San Antonio’s top chefs. You can attend these events a la carte, or purchase from a selection of packages to experience your favorites.
La Cantera Resort & Spa
Culinaria’s go-to host for the Wine + Food Festival is La Cantera Resort & Spa, a hillside oasis providing simple and intimate luxuries to its guests. Right now the resort is offering special rates starting at $199 during the Culinaria Festival. Book a stay at one of The Villas, and you’ll get a personalized experience including private arrival and a secluded pool and hot tub. Relax and refresh at Loma de Vida Spa & Wellness, where you can book a private Sky Loft with massage tables, shower, soaking tub, and deck – the perfect spot to catch the sunset over the Texas hillside. The resort also has a handful of restaurants on the property that are participating in Tasty Tuesdays and Restaurant Week, which means you won’t have to go too far to find a high-quality dining experience.
