FRENCH TWIST

Top chef revives shuttered Boerne restaurant as chic French steakhouse

Le Steak has a very different feel from The Creek.

Chef Jean Tardif isn’t done with Boerne just yet. After shuttering The Creek in March, he is reinventing the historic space as a new upscale restaurant, Le Steak.

By the time Tardif took over The Creek in 2024, it had already become a Hill Country institution thanks in part to its charming 200-year-old Victorian wood-framed building along the banks of Cibolo Creek. It was a go-to for special occasions, offering classic dishes like trout almondine, shrimp Tampico, and crispy crab cakes.

Although the restaurant never gave a formal reason for the closure, it hinted that the restaurant had simply run its course.

“Today we close a very meaningful chapter in our story,” wrote the restaurant on Instagram. “After so many years of unforgettable moments, celebrations, laughter, and shared memories, The Creek has fulfilled its cycle.”

Comfortable barstools line up at the handsome bar.Le Steak/ Instagram

At the time, it looked like the historic property would sit vacant. But it’s clear Tardif soon got to work renovating the dining space. The Instagram account has been slowly teasing interior details since May.

The photos show a complete transformation. The farmhouse decor has cleared out, replaced with moody charcoal walls, glittering chandeliers, and contemporary furniture. Photos of the Eiffel Tower give a brasserie feel.

For now, the menu remains a mystery. The Instagram page promises steak frites, “handcrafted sauces,” and “curated wines,” all items found at the chef’s signature Tardif’s restaurant near the Dominion. Whether Le Steak will carry some of the fancier flourishes of its sibling — like a raclette Wellington or seared foie gras — is unknown, but it does seem to be decidedly French.

Le Steak did not immediately return a request for an opening timeline. We will update this article as more details emerge.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

Bubble tea chain Gong Cha plots major San Antonio expansion

Gong Cha/ Facebook

Gong Cha is expanding in Texas' four major metros.

With nearly 2,200 shops worldwide, Gong Cha bills itself as “the most recognized bubble tea brand in the world,” but it is still a relatively unknown concept in San Antonio. That’s about to change. The Taiwan-based chain had inked a franchise deal to open 50 new Texas units in Texas’ four major metros over the next seven years.

The new stores will be owned by Bakers Acres & Cattle Company, a Houston firm that manages a diverse portfolio of ranchland, commercial real estate, and Nothing Bundt Cake franchises. A release did not specify which neighborhoods Gong Cha was targeting or how many units would open in each city.

Gong Cha, which translates to “tribute tea from the emperor,” was founded in Taiwan in 2006 and has since grown rapidly throughout Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The brand made its Texas debut in July 2016 in Houston and currently operates three San Antonio shops.

The chain has earned a cult following for its green, oolong, Earl Grey, and black teas. Brewed every four hours, the varieties can be customized by temperature and sweetness level and topped with boba pearls, milk foam, pudding, and jellies.

Gong Cha also brews up fruity teas with mango, passionfruit, and strawberry and serves smoothies and slushes with star-shaped jellies. The menu is a little more Americanized than its main competitor, Kung Fu Tea, largely skipping popular Asian flavors like jujube, winter melon, and red bean.

Although not the rarity it once was, bubble tea has grown exponentially in the U.S. in the past decade due to its social media-friendly appearance and Gen Z’s increasing preference for non-alcoholic drinks. According to industry news site Food on Demand, the teas are increasingly being consumed as an afternoon snack rather than an add-on to a meal.

Whether that will spell success for Bakers Acres & Cattle is still yet to be seen, but the company might want to consider scouting closer to downtown. San Antonio’s bubble tea scene is clustered heavily in the newer northern retail corridors rather than the historic core.

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