NEWS YOU CAN EAT
5 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Hot wings shop flies into Northwest Side
Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.
Openings and closings
Some of the “Best Wings in Texas” have finally roosted on the Northwest Side. Announced back in late 2020, the highly anticipated second location of Alamo City-based Wayne’s Wings finally opened for business on Tuesday, June 8 (despite early announcements projecting the new operation would open by February 2021). Since owner Dwayne Price’s originating operation first opened in 2016, Wayne’s Wings has received acclaim for its wide range of wet and dry wing seasonings, as well as soul-warming fare like Philly cheesesteaks and waffles. The new outpost, located at 11600 Bandera Rd., is currently open for lunch service from 11 am-2 pm Monday through Saturday.
One of the city’s top stops for vegan junk food is closed — for now. Known for its wide variety of satisfying vegan burgers, including the grilled-mushroom-topped “Bhilly” and a patty melt featuring Follow Your Heart-brand provolone cheese, San Antonio-based Blissful Burgers announced last week that starting Wednesday, June 9, its operation would close in preparation for a move to a new location. No word yet on when (or where) the operation will reopen, though Blissful’s Instagram page encourages burger fans to follow the brand’s social media pages for updates.
Other news and notes
Fresh off a well-deserved victory on the Food Network’s cooking competition show, Chopped, Hotel Havana chef Jesse Kuykendall (aka chef Kirk) is bringing one of their competition-clenching entrees back to the Alamo City. Last month, for their televised Chopped challenge, chef Kirk was presented with peanut-butter-and-jelly-themed mystery ingredients, which inspired the chef to create a three-course meal of hot dog quesadillas, 30-minute mole, and peanut-butter churros. Now fans can relive Kirk’s stunning victory at Ocho at Hotel Havana, where the eatery’s menu now features the chef’s “Chopped Weenie Quesadilla,” which includes sliced hot dog and beef-tip chunks, roasted poblano, and onion rajas on a corn tortilla with house-made salsa and Mexican crema. The entree is included on Ocho’s all-day menu and sells for $12.
Pride Month just keeps getting sweeter for Alamo City residents. Joining forces with San Antonio-based LGBTQ+ organization Thrive Youth Center, iconic San Antonio-based sweet shop Bakery Lorraine is now offering rainbow-colored cookies in celebration of Pride Month. Accordingly, a portion of all proceeds from sales of the new treat will be donated to Thrive Youth Center, whose mission is to help homeless LGBTQ+ youth in San Antonio. The cookies will be available until the promotion ends June 30, and come in packs of three cookies for $6.50. The cookies can be purchased at all Bakery Lorraine locations in San Antonio and Austin for dine-in service or to go.
To the friends who can turn an innocent round of beers into a sprawling, drunken night of adventure, this one’s for you. To help celebrate the launch of its new beer, High Desert Days (a smooth, wheat-style beer brewed using white wheat and Pilsen malt), Lone Star Brewing has announced an Instagram sweepstakes in which participants have a chance to win a getaway to Marfa, Texas. Dubbed the High Desert Hunt, the competition encourages participants to follow Lone Star Beer on Instagram and watch out for a special riddle to decode that will be released on the brand’s feed. The winner of the sweepstakes will score a weekend getaway for two to Marfa, including a two-night stay at El Cosmico, a $200 gift card for Convenience West Barbecue, and a $200 Visa gift card for other travel expenses. The riddle should be released by Thursday, June 10 at noon on Lone Star’s Instagram feed, where there’s also more info about official contest rules. The new High Desert Days beer will be available in June for purchase as a six-pack and in 12-ounce cans, and will be sold at select retailers, including H-E-B and Total Wine & More.
