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Famed San Antonio panadería spices up Alamo Heights with new restaurant

David and Jose Cáceres la panaderia el morita kitchen

David and Jose Cáceres are opening their newest concept in Alamo Heights.

Photo by Karissa Rangel

Alamo Heights just got a little hotter — and we're not talking about real estate. In 2021, the trendy neighborhood will welcome El Morita Kitchen, a new Mexican City-inspired restaurant from the brothers behind famed La Panadería.

David and Jose Cáceres will launch their newest restaurant in the Quarry Village mixed-use development next summer. Its menu will focus on flour and corn, notes a release, and is being developed in conjunction with celebrity chefs based in Mexico's capital city.

"The Mexico City food scene is truly rich, presenting a kaleidoscope of flavor,” said David Cáceres, co-founder and head baker of La Panadería, in a release. “Whether you’re enjoying street food or fine dining you will always be surprised, and we want to continue to share our culture and that element of surprise with San Antonio.”

With the La Panadería team at the helm, particular attention will be paid to the dessert offerings, a "menu influenced by the Cáceres brothers’ 30-year culinary journey." Over the past six years, the brothers Cáceres have developed a cult-like following at La Panadería, which now boasts two locations offering everything from almond-tequila croissants to classic tortas to trendy avocado toast.

Along with the specially developed food menu, the new restaurant will also offer a full bar. Patrons can choose from a drinks list of chile morita-, jamaica-, tamarindo-, and horchata-based cocktails to make it a true DF experience.

El Morita Kitchen will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it's brunch that captures the true spirit of the restaurant, the owners say. "El Morita Kitchen honors the memories of a typical Sunday brunch with the Cáceres brothers’ mother, Doña Josefina, accompanied by her signature dish 'Huevos Morita,'" notes a release.

Though exact details aren't yet available, the restaurant says it will release more information in early 2021. In the meantime, the brothers will continue to work on its newest endeavor, among its other, loftier goal of transforming culture.

“We believe that culture evolves through three elements," says Jose Cáceres, "food, language and art."

openings

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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