Food news
6 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Anticipated Lone Star restaurant opens
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
Following prolonged delays as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, elevated comfort fare concept Tutti’s finally opened in Lone Star on June 15. The eatery’s breakfast menu includes offerings such as challah French toast bites and shakshuka, while its dinner menu features similarly worldly items like ratatouille, crawfish ravioli, and crispy Cajun soft shell crab with moque choux. Tutti’s is currently open Monday through Saturday, 7 am-8 pm, for takeout and delivery only.
Other news and notes
To celebrate Pride month, Bakery Lorraine is launching a rainbow-colored cookie with a cause, available for purchase at any of its four of San Antonio locations. The cookies will be available throughout the month of June and sold in packs of three for $6, for dine-in or to go. According to a press release, a portion of all proceeds from the new item will be donated to LGBTQ+ organization Thrive Youth Center, a San Antonio nonprofit providing support for homeless LGBTQ youth in the Alamo City.
As Texas reaches a new high in COVID-19 hospitalizations this week, a new petition has popped up urging San Antonio-based H-E-B to reinstate its mask-only policy. “[H-E-B], as a private company, is free to require customers to wear masks in their stores, regardless of whether state or local laws require it,” reads a Change.org petition started by David Spener, which sits at 39,000-plus signatures as of press time. Parties interested in learning more information or signing the online petition can do so here.
Not all local institutions, however, are waiting for a petition to take action against the alarming spike in COVID-19 cases. “With the recent surge of positive COVID-19 cases we have decided to shut down all 3 of our bars for the safety of our staff and patrons,” reads a Facebook statement from Justin Vitek, owner of On the Rocks Pub, Babcock Social Pub, and Hill and Dale’s Icehouse. “We hope to return soon and in a much safer environment for all our patrons and staff members.” San Antonio Currenthas put together a list of shuttered bars across San Antonio, which, while not comprehensive, has been crossed referenced with statements from the operations’ social media pages.
In an effort to maintain sanitary working conditions at its 15 fulfillment and five delivery stations throughout Texas, online retail juggernaut Amazon has ordered 2,475 gallons of hand sanitizer from San Antonio’s Seersucker Distillery, producer of Cinco Vodka and Seersucker South Style Gin. To make this possible, Seersucker looped in their sister company, Streamline Polymers, a Houston chemical manufacturer. Together, the two organizations have the capability to produce and package large volumes and are currently producing hand sanitizers in 55-gallon drums, 1-gallon jugs, and smaller sizes including 8- and 16-ounce bottles as the demand for disinfectants continues.
If you find yourself lacking a Father’s Day gift (it’s this upcoming Sunday, by the way), Cured's Steve McHugh has you covered. The Alamo City chef, named one of five best chefs in Texas by the James Beard Foundation last month, will be taking part in a virtual cook along benefiting Southern Smoke, a nonprofit providing direct relief to those in the culinary comm On Saturday, June 20, at 7 pm, McHugh will be joined on Zoom by Philip Speer and Gabe Earles of Austin restaurant Comedor to cook the chefs' famous bone marrow tacos. San Antonians interested in following along with McHugh can order a ready-to-cook kit for delivery from the Assembly Kitchen website. Starting at $33 each, the kits will include all necessary ingredients and a link to the virtual demonstration.