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

The reverberations of a 2021 legal battle are still affecting local mini-chain The Good News Burgers. Via a June 11 Facebook post, the fast-casual joint announced it was shuttering half of its locations. The tussle began when Houston’s Pappas Restaurants dished out a cease-and-desist letter to the then-Papa’s Burgers, accusing the locally owned spot of infringing on a 2008 trademark. Though owner Robert Walker eventually complied, costs associated with the rebranding — as well as “transient increases” and “non-negotiable lease agreements” — led the entrepreneur to close the San Pedro and Portranco outposts. The 36th Street location and the Good News Burger Express at North Star Mall will remain open.

Poppy downtown bar Paramour is adding fine dining to its already eclectic mix. On June 15, Colette at the Phipps (a restaurant within a bar) officially debuted with a prix-fixe menu inspired by Mexican, Japanese, and French cuisine. Social media posts give a sneak peek at the preliminary menu, which includes tuna tiradito, ribeye topped with shiitake and basil cream sauce, and wonton tacos.

Acclaimed taqueria Milpa is taking a hiatus. Hardworking chef Jesse “Kirk” Kuykendall — also at the helm of downtown’s Ocho — took to social media to explain that the business is taking a break in preparation for a move. Though she did not share details on the location or estimated opening date, a hashtag did promise that a new menu was coming soon.

Alabama-based Chicken Salad Chick is taking a road trip. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings indicate that the chain is opening its first location in New Braunfels at 1050 FM 306 #110. New Braunfelsers (yes, we Googled that) can expect loads of chicken salad variations from the Fuji apple-specked Fancy Nancy to the Buffalo Sauce and ranch-flavored Kickin’ Kay Lynne. Assumably both have their hair set at Truvy’s Beauty Spot.

Other news and notes

Three popular downtown-area spots are ignoring the summer torpor by introducing brand-new menus. First up, chef Stefan Bowers has revamped the menu at Rebelle with dishes like a Maine lobster roll, served warm with a drizzle of caramelized garlic-Parmesan butter. The St. Anthony Hotel restaurant has also added the astounding Power Tower with poached shrimp, East Coast oysters, Alaskan king crab legs, and an “aggressive” cocktail sauce.

A short stroll away, Tributary at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter is getting seasonal with its own new menu offerings. Southern-inspired highlights include a fried green tomato sandwich and pork belly BLT sliders.

Lastly, Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery is hitting the bottle. For the first time in its history, the Pearl anchor has added liquor to its service mix. Highlights include the Mistress, the eatery’s take on the Margarita; Brewer’s Night Cap, an espresso martini riff; and the Cellerman, an Old Fashioned variation with pecan syrup.