'Tis the Season

These are the best San Antonio restaurants for Christmas 2016 dining

Hotel Contessa holiday turkey dinner Christmas Thanksgiving

'Tis the season for a lavish holiday meal.

Hotel Contessa/Facebook

It's the most wonderful time of year. Give yourself a break and dine out on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Here's a list of the city's top restaurants open December 24-25:

18 Oaks and Cibolo Moon at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
18 Oaks is offering a decadent brunch on Christmas Day from 9 am to 2 pm with raw seafood; a carving station; salads; and decadent offerings like fried milk quail, baked ham, blackened salmon, and cheese tortellini. The brunch costs $59 for adults and $12 for children. The resort's Cibolo Moon is also offering a special Christmas menu from 2-8 pm with a carving station, salads, soups, hot entrees, and a kids' buffet. The meal costs $49 for adults and $25 for children.

Las Ramblas at Hotel Contessa
Las Ramblas will be open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In addition to the regular menu items, the restaurant is offering a holiday brunch on Christmas Day from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Brunch offerings include a variety of salads, shrimp cocktail, lamb osso buco, roasted pork loin, grilled salmon, butternut squash risotto, a carving and omelet station, pancakes, eggs, pastries, and more. The cost is $55 per adult and $20 per child ages 6-13.

Lüke
John Besh's renowned restaurant with classic French and German fare is open both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with holiday specials that will certainly live up to expectations. Call ahead to reserve a table.

Shuck Shack
Chef Jason Dady's coastal eatery will be open from 11 am to 9 pm on Christmas Eve. There will be a special happy hour from 3-7 pm with $1 Gulf oysters and a $2 shucker stash, in addition to wine and beer specials.

Silo Elevated Cuisine
This fine eatery is open on Christmas Eve, showcasing holiday specials — you'll have to book a table to find out what's on the menu. The restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day.

Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery
On Christmas Eve, Southerleigh will be taking reservations until 9 pm. In addition to winter beer specials, the restaurant will have special food offerings on the menu. Southerleigh will be closed on Christmas Day.

Supper
Supper is open regular hours both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and it will have a special menu day-of. The tasty Christmas offerings include lamb special with roasted garlic, spinach and Parmesan potatoes, blistered carrots, and salsa verde for $35 a person.

Tacos and Tequila
TNT is hosting a cool Christmas Eve brunch with made-to-order omelets, eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, homemade tortillas, pulled brisket, and more. The cost is $22 person, which includes mimosas and champagne. TNT will be closed on Christmas Day.

Tre Trattoria and Tre Enoteca
Thanks again to chef Dady, Tre Trattoria and Tre Enoteca will showcase special holiday food and drink, in addition to their regular menus on Christmas Eve. Tre Trattoria will be open from 11 am to 10 pm and Tre Enoteca will be open from 4-11 pm. Both restaurants will be closed on Christmas Day.

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Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

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