News you can eat

6 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Fusion sushi spot rolls out new location

Yellowfish Sushi now has a second location.

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

Japanese fusion spot Yellowfish Sushirolled out a new location at 7222 Blanco Rd on November 1. The locally owned concept previously branched out with a second location at The Rim before shuttering that outpost in August. The new addition to the family serves a similar menu to the Wurzbach Road original, melding Tex-Mex flair with traditional Japanese preparations.

Chicken chain The Cookhouse is nesting in its first San Antonio-area location. The Fort Worth-based enterprise is known for Nashville-style hot chicken and mammoth ribs served with various Southern sides. According to an Instagram post, the Selma shop took over the former site of The Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub on October 24.

Alamo Heights favorite Laika Cheesecakes and Espresso is heading for New Braunfels, according to a new filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The new shop is projected to wrap up construction at 1430 Unicorn Ave. #106 by early 2023, but the opening date has yet to be announced. Meanwhile, a second San Antonio location at The Rim is still listed as "coming soon," although construction was slated to be completed in January.

Other news and notes

Local food writer Julia Rosenfeld gifted locals a new cookbook just in time for the holidays. Arriving in bookstores on November 22, San Antonio Cooks features more than 80 recipes from local culinary luminaries like Kristina Zhao at Sichuan House, David and José Cáceres at La Panadería, John Russ of Clementine, and Bruce Auden of Biga on the Banks. The beautifully illustrated book retails for $32.95.

Four times was the charm for Alamo City's Susana Mijares. After competing in three previous Food Network shows, the chocolatier's Ghostly Gals team won this year's edition of Halloween Wars. The show pits three-people squads of cake decorators, pumpkin carvers, and candy makers in battles to make the best spooky sculptures. The Gals won the $50,000 grand prize with a skeletal couture gown.

In other food TV news, an episode of Netflix's Taco Chronicles will spotlight San Antonio. This will be the series' second time exploring local taco culture. Season two focused on the classics, diving into the puffy taco through mainstays Teka Molino and Ray's Drive Inn. This season will focus on relative newcomers El Pastor Es Mi Señor, Naco Mexican Eatery, Con Huevos, and 2M Smokehouse. The episode drops on November 23.

Green Light

Healthy-casual Dallas restaurant makes San Antonio debut on Broadway

Bellagreen/Instagram

Bellagreen is now in San Antonio for the first time.

A fast-casual restaurant from Dallas called Bellagreen has sprouted in San Antonio, as of Tuesday, November 12.

The mini-chain's first San Antonio location is at 1900 Broadway St., Ste. 112, and it's giving out a couple of freebies to get things going on opening day. Customers on Tuesday will all get a free craft soda or tea with their meal. Active military and veterans will also receive 15 percent off, but that's a daily policy throughout the year.

Bellagreen is known for its healthy image, which comes from scratch-made dishes and a generally light menu featuring lots of salads, a strong veggie presence, and a protein lean toward poultry and fish. Rotating seasonal menus keep things fresh.

“The decision to open Bella here was easy," said San Antonio location co-investors Sameer Mumtaz and Mark Huffstutler in a press release. Mumtaz continued, "San Antonio shares our values of family and good, wholesome, quality food.”

With nine locations across Texas, much of its popularity also comes from an ease of catering to different diets and preferences, from brunch (with $10 mimosa carafes) through dinner. Many meals are customizable and can accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, high-protein, and other needs.

“We’ve wanted to bring Bellagreen to Central Texas for years and finally found the perfect spot," said Huffstutler. "Downtown residents, employees and tourists have a wonderful new dining option, and we can immerse ourselves in San Antonio’s vibrant culture.”

The roughly 150-seat restaurant with a patio is located in a popular area for dining, a few blocks from the Pearl neighborhood and next to Nineteen Hyaku (for a very different kind of meal).

"We believe in living a balanced life, and our menu reflects that with delicious and abundant options,” said general Cristian Garcia in the release. “With made-for-you dishes, quick and friendly service and charitable ties, our guests can feel good about their dining choice.”

While the fall menu is in service, those charitable ties lead to Bexar Branches Alliance, an urban forestry nonprofit that will receive a portion of profits from those seasonal items. So far, according to the release, Bellagreen has donated more than 45,000 seedlings to the Texas Trees Foundation and Trees for Houston, the city where most of its locations are, even though it's based in Dallas.

Bellagreen is open weekdays from 11 am to 10 pm, and weekends from 10 am to 10 pm.