It turns out the name Yosemite was a red herring. There is a new restaurant moving into Cured’s former Pearl space, but its focus is far away from the Sierra Nevada. Rosso will be an Italian steakhouse from three of Texas’ most acclaimed chefs — coming to San Antonio in late 2026.
The restaurant is the work of El Paso natives and longtime friends Rico Torres, Gabe Erales, and André Natera, now teaming up as a collective, La Unión Hospitality. The trio will act as operators of the landmark 306 Pearl Parkway space, announcing an executive chef at a later date.
Torres, of course, is one of the city’s most decorated chefs, having helmed the Michelin-starred Mixtli since late 2013. Erales has had his share of international recognition, too, by winning Top Chef season 18 and cooking at top Austin restaurants: Comedor and the now-defunct Bacalar.
Natera is a two-time Dallas Morning News Best Chef winner who has been spending recent years advocating for the Texas hospitality industry. His podcast, Chef’s PSA, is essential listening for both culinary pros and food obsessives.
“We’ve known each other for over a decade, and this partnership was born out of an authentic friendship and deep respect for the hospitality industry,” said the partners in a joint statement.
One thing that won't change from the Cured days? The large open kitchen.Rendering courtesy of Gensler
Rendering courtesy of Gensler
Rosso will open into an airier space, once blocked by Cured's charcuterie space.
Although La Unión is keeping many of the Rosso details under wraps, it did tease that it is an ode to classic “red sauce” Italian-American restaurants. The menu will feature “showpiece steaks,” pasta, and shareable sides.
The restaurant first came on San Antonio’s radar with a mysterious Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing using a temporary name, the aforementioned Yosemite. Although the listing did note the involvement of global architectural firm Gensler, it left most of the details up for speculation.
Still, Rosso proves that Pearl still has the power to reel in big fish, even after chef Steve McHugh retired Cured in January. In addition to La Unión’s project, James Beard Award-nominated chef Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in the old Carriqui space, which may or may not be an extension of his eponymous Houston flagship.
For now, Pearl officials are raving about the next culinary chapter for the posh San Antonio development.
“It’s not often that three chefs this decorated choose to build something together instead of separately,” said Ryan Howard, managing director of Potluck, in a release. “That fact alone speaks as much about who they are as people as it does about the food.”
The Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone is one of the finalists for the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards in 2026.
The State Fair of Texas has unveiled the finalists for the 22nd Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, featuring all sorts of bold concoctions that can only be found at the iconic yearly event.
The finalists include five each in the categories of Best Taste - Savory, Best Taste - Sweet, Best Taste - Sipper. Winners from each of those categories, as well as one for Most Creative, will be announced on Tuesday, August 18.
According to a release, the competition kicked off with a record-breaking 77 entries from 46 different concessionaires, each of which has at least two years of experience at the Fair.
Each concessionaire submitted an original recipe that went through a blind judging process, ensuring each entry was judged solely on its own merits.
The 15 finalists competing for the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards titles (and their creators) include:
SAVORY
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Burger Chop Tater Tacos, Tom Grace: A fresh chopped burger patty combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños, then topped with mozzarella and American cheese and laid on top a bed of cheddar cheese tater tots that have been formed into a taco shell. That is then finished with buffalo buttermilk ranch coleslaw, garlic parmesan buffalo sauce, and more tots.
Dickel's Texas Two Step Tacos, Dickel’s Smokehouse: The Dickel’s Texas Two Step Tacos features two tacos, the first with a warm blue corn tortilla filled with a fire-roasted jalapeño stuffed with pineapple pork sausage and melted mozzarella. The second taco contains tender-sliced brisket wrapped around a roasted jalapeño, layered with melted mozzarella, and served on a yellow corn tortilla finished with purple pickled onion and a drizzle of sweet, smoky barbecue sauce or house made Lone Star Habanero Fuego.
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza, Tom Grace: The Flamin’ Crunch Pizza consists of hand-tossed, fresh-made pizza dough topped with a jalapeño cheddar queso base and covered with a freshly grated blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The pizza is topped with handfuls of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a drizzle of jalapeño queso blanco and house-made buffalo buttermilk ranch dressing, and a hefty sprinkle of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust.
Golden Crunch Melt, Tony & Terry Bednar: This entry features a tortilla brushed in a signature seasoned butter oil and packed with marinated chicken pastor, fire-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoky chipotle mayonnaise, melted three-cheese blend, and crispy potato strings, accompanied by a smoky chipotle crema.
Nacho Wings, Cody & Lauren Hays: Nacho Wings are crispy chicken wings tossed in zesty taco seasoning, smothered in creamy nacho cheese, and piled high with cilantro, green onions, cotija cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. They are served on a bed of hot, golden fries and the whole thing is drizzled with ranch.
SWEET
Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Berry Me in Matcha, Stephen El Gidi: Berry Me in Matcha features a New York-style cheesecake that is hand-dipped in Belgian white chocolate, rolled in crushed matcha cookies and drizzled with white chocolate and sweet strawberry jam. The dessert is finished with a fresh strawberry slice on top.
Fernie’s Frozen Espresso-tini Bar, Christi Erpillo & Johnna McKee: This espresso martini popsicle features cold-brew espresso blended with a kick of Fernie's Funnel Cake Cream Cocktail. The bar is drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite.
Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog, Beck Fletcher: The Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog consists of smooth milk chocolate fudge hand dipped in Fletcher’s famous Original Corny Dog batter and deep fried until golden perfection. It is topped with a drizzle of yellow vanilla icing and served with raspberry compote for a sweet twist on the iconic Corny Dog.
Holy Flan! Buñueloco, The Garza Family: The Holy Flan! Buñueloco starts with a warm, crispy buñuelo bowl filled with creamy, homemade arroz con leche and a scoop of cinnamon Blue Bell Ice Cream. The highlight is a deep-fried flan encased in a delicate puff pastry shell, topped with fluffy whipped cream topping and a rich caramel sauce drizzle.
Texas Pecan Praline Cheesecake Cone, Brad Weiss: This second take on cheesecake features a warm waffle cone dipped in white chocolate, rolled in buttery Texas pecan praline, crushed Biscoff cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries, and filled with homemade cookie butter cheesecake. It is then topped with a pinch of sea salt, whipped cream, Biscoff crumble, warm cookie butter drizzle, white chocolate sauce, and finished with a signature Biscoff cookie.
SIPPER
Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Corn Flake Shappé, Milton & Gracie Whitley: The creamy Corn Flake Shappé blends toasted corn flakes into a rich creation with dulce de leche, Texas pecan notes, and a signature blend of warm spices. It is finished with whipped cream, golden corn flake crunch, sweet strawberry crumble, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float, Tami & Josey Nevins Mayes: The Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float features creamy peach bellini soft serve infused with sparkling wine, topped with sparkling sugar and grated frozen peach. It is finished with a sugary-sweet golden topping.
Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider, Rousso’s Concessions: The Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider is crafted with hints of apples, caramel, churros, cinnamon sugar, and a smoky bacon jam twist.
Sunset Soft Serve Rita, Dwania Morris: The Sunset Soft Serve Rita combines a strawberry and mango margarita with vanilla soft-serve ice cream, a rim coated in Tajín rim, and topped with a chamoy drizzle and crunchy hot honey Tajín topping.
Tropical Coco Fresca, Fruteria Cano: The Tropical Coco Fresca is a layered pineapple-watermelon agua fresca with chamoy lava Tajin rim, paired with a scoop of icy coconut snow that melts into a creamy tropical explosion of flavors.
While these 15 creations earned a spot in the finalist round, the State Fair of Texas is also recognizing semi-finalists whose innovative entries will still make their debut at the 2026 State Fair as new foods.
Semi-finalists include:
All Shook Up
Butter-Dipped Toffee Crunch Nutty Bar
Deep Fried Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake
Dirty Dr Pepper Do-Si-Do Float
Fried Gobbler Roll
Layered Mango Strawberry Shortcake
Limonata Fresca Float
Loaded Lone Star Rings
Love Me Jam Sandwich
Matcha Parfait
Midnight Ruby Rush
Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash
The Niece
Triple Chocolate Flautas
Twinkle Twinkle Brisket Star
During the final judging event, a panel of 35 judges, including hometown celebrities, television personalities, food experts, and well-known creators, will evaluate each dish based on four key Fair-food elements: taste, value, creativity, and fairgoer appeal.
While the Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, the public can follow along online by tuning into one of the State Fair's social media channels - @StateFairofTX on Instagram and Facebook.
The winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18 at 2 pm.
The 2026 State Fair of Texas, themed “Stars, Stripes, & Howdies,” will open on Friday, September 25, and will run through Sunday, October 18.
One thing that won't change from the Cured days? The large open kitchen.Rendering courtesy of Gensler
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas