Recently, San Antonio’s dining scene was hit with an abrupt closure of a classic Chinese restaurant, but other bars and restaurants had a reason to pop their cork. A new all-abilities café is open for business, Pearl’s Pullman Market is introducing its first rosé, and Chiflada’s is getting a makeover. Meanwhile, a group of chefs is throwing their support behind one of Alamo City’s most respected hospitality leaders.

Here are the juiciest bites of San Antonio restaurant news this week.

Openings and closings

A long-running North Side Chinese restaurant appears to have shut down. Users of the popular San Antonio Restaurants Facebook group first reported that Phoenix Chinese Café seems to have shuttered sometime this month. Although the eatery’s Instagram account is still active at press time, the Facebook page is no longer online, and the phone number is disconnected. A site visit during published business hours also showed no signs of life. For over two decades, original owners Ren and Lisa Wu operated the spot, serving Southern Cantonese fare. According to an Instagram post, Selim Sherif took over the business in August 2024.

A new bakery and coffee shop at 14415 Blanco Rd. #110 is centering people with disabilities. The Mermaid Café, the brainchild of chef Leah Meyer, is dedicated to employing people with disabilities at all levels of its operations, using special equipment and instructions to make the workplace genuinely accessible. The menu should go swimmingly for people with Celiac disease or other sensitivities, offering entirely gluten-free baked goods. Originally, state paperwork estimated a June 2025 opening, but the concept debuted ahead of schedule on May 5.

Other news and notes

The Cherrity Bar is hosting a special edition of the St. Paul Square Dinner Club on June 5 to help defer medical costs for Amor Eterno/ Gimme Gimme barman Aaron Peña. The seven-course “Culinary Cartel” dinner includes dishes from top chefs like Matt Garcia of GiGi’s Deli, Jonathan Foad Helmy of Honest Abe Foods, Yoshi Moto of Catering by JC, Paul Morales of Ancient Heirloom Grains, and Kristina Zhao of Dashi Sichuan Kitchen + Bar and Sichuan House. A handful of tickets are still available at $135.

West Side bar Chiflada’s is taking a break between May 12 and 23, but it’s not just Fiesta exhaustion. A social media post teased that the popular cocktail bar will get a few upgrades while its staff takes a well-deserved rest.

Pullman Market is uncorking its own rosé made with grapes sourced from the Texas High Plains region. Pullman Rosé is made with a blend of 90 percent Mourvèdre and 10 percent Cinsault and has notes of watermelon candy and salted lime, according to Wine and Beer Department Manager Mia Taylor-Altman. Bottles are available in the market, and by-the-glass pours can be found at Fife & Farro and Mezquite.

Comfort’s Bending Branch Winery is taking Texas terroir back to its roots. The award-winning winery recently announced the release of a trio of wines aged in native Texas white oak barrels. The wood — used in a Tannat, Petit Verdot, and a red blend — imparts notes of spice, caramel, and vanilla to the finished vintages, according to a release. Oenophiles can have a first sip during a Tale of Texas Oak Tasting from 4-5:30 pm on June 7. Tickets are $35-$45 and include bites from High’s Café.

San Antonio-based company 3pm has launched a new snack to stave off hangry afternoons. Afternoon Bites are billed as the first-of-their-kind treats to contain postbiotics, touted to offer various health benefits like fighting fatigue and reducing brain fog. The plant protein-based energy balls come in two flavors, cranberry-flaxseed and dark chocolate-almond, and are now available at select H-E-B locations.