END OF AN ERA

San Antonio's iconic Luce Ristorante to shutter after 20 years

Luce Ristorante e Enoteca is closing in March.

Another dining icon is exiting San Antonio’s dining scene. After 20 years, Luce Ristorante e Enoteca at 11255 Huebner Rd. near Medical Center. The Italian favorite says it expects to stay open through March 7.

"Over the last 20 years, we have had the pleasure of serving our community delicious food and warm hospitality,” wrote owner Joe Buonincontri on Instagram. “I have decided not to renew my lease, which ends April 31st, 2026.

Luce Ristorante e Enoteca first opened in 2006, offering an elegant alternative to San Antonio’s typical red sauce fare. Although the spot does offer Italian-American favorites like chicken piccata, Buonincontri focused on Neopolitan fare and other regional specialties like osso bucco.

The spot quickly became popular for its house-made pastas and a large antipasti list including meatballs, arancini, and calamari and zucchini fritti. It also had a lengthy dessert menu ranging from spumoni to apple pie topped with vanilla gelato.

The restaurant was also known for investing in vino before strong wine programs were common in San Antonio. The vintages, which lined the restaurant’s walls, contributed to a warm, tavern-like atmosphere that helped make it a popular date-night spot.

Luce Ristorante e Enoteca is not the only Italian icon to have recently closed. After 30 years in Southtown, La Focaccia briefly shuttered in January, only to re-emerge two weeks later.

A request for more information was not immediately returned by Luce. We will update this article should we receive a statement.

medical center italian food closings

WINE TIME

Finger Lakes winery plants new roots with Boerne tasting room

Missick Cellars/ Facebook

Missick Cellars will showcase wines made with New York and Texas grapes.

An upstate New York winery is trading the Finger Lakes for Cibolo Creek. Missick Cellars, known for its award-winning bubbles, is opening its first Texas tasting room at 941 N. School St. in Boerne in the spring.

For owner Chris Missick, winemaking seems to be an obsession. After serving in the military and pursuing a law career, he threw himself into the craft, buying a winery in Dundee, New York. While there, he introduced Chenin Blanc grapes to the Finger Lakes region, won acclaim from Wine & Spirits Magazine, and launched a podcast, VITI+CULTURE, dedicated to interviewing makers.

In 2023, Missick, his wife Laure, and his family moved to Boerne, where they established a homestead with chickens and bees. He soon got to work planting grapes on the property, eager to explore Texas terroir.

“We are dedicated to supporting our Texas farmers,” explains Missick in the promo materials. “Wine should always be about place, and have a connection to the land, communities, and culture where it is grown. We share wines from the Finger Lakes because it is an important part of our legacy, but because we are Texans, we endeavor to grow, make, and share Texas wine.”

Missick Cellars does not yet have an opening date for its tasting room. It says it is working to make sure its use of the property’s well complies with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Regulations. Oenophiles can follow along on Instagram for updates.

In the meantime, Missick has been bottling his first reds, whites, and rosés, using production space at Bending Branch Winery. Locals can sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on tastings and wine stockists.

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