COMING ATTRACTIONS

Lauded Latin eatery to open secretive new San Antonio restaurant

Will Vecino serve Bilia eatery's lauded Cubanos? Only time will tell.

A lauded San Antonio restaurant will soon welcome a sibling, but locals will have to wait for the reveal. The owner of Castle Hill’s Bilia Eatery is opening Vecino in the former home of Candlelight PourHouse at 107 Kings Court.

In early July, the restaurant filed a public notice for a mixed beverage permit for the address, which named Bilia and its owner Bryan Rojas. Since then, Vecino has only posted a video walkthrough of the space showing renovations well underway.

On August 11, the restaurant filed Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project details outlining $120,000 in renovations to the space set to be completed by the end of September. Vecino, for its part, only says it's “coming soon.”

So far, the owners are being tight-lipped on the concept. Attempts to contact the restaurant through email, a text to Rojas, and direct messages to both Bilia’s and Vecino’s social media accounts were unanswered.

Rojas, a vet of Piatti, and wife Mariana Wong first opened Bilia at 2211 NW Military Hwy in 2020. The cramped space lacked seating and a full kitchen, but that didn’t stop the crowds from coming. In 2022, the couple ditched cooking on electrical appliances and moved to a much larger space nearby at 1900 NW Military Hwy.

The full restaurant set-up allowed the Colombian-born chef to expand the menu, adding Miami-style offerings like chicharrones, arroz con pollo, and Peruvian cebiche. But Bilia’s Cuban sandwiches remained one of its most popular draws, earning the eatery a CultureMap Tastemaker Award nomination in March.

It’s not yet clear if Vecino will also serve Latin American cuisine. The restaurant has not teased any menu details or created a website. It does seem like the concept is aiming for a casual experience. The name translates to “neighbor,” and its tagline is “Where neighbors become friends.” Presumably, Tobin Hill will get more acquainted with it as it nears opening.

tobin hill st marys strip latin cuisine openings

SOLO VENTURES

Mixtli chef unveils new neighborhood restaurant near Pearl

Rendering courtesy of Filleman House.

Filleman House will open in the fall.

One half of San Antonio’s most acclaimed chef team is stepping out with a new solo venture. Mixtli’s Diego Galicia will open Filleman House in the former home of Restaurant Claudine (517 E. Grayson St.) this fall.

The new restaurant, named after the historic bungalow’s original owner, August Filleman, is a departure from the Mexican fare Galicia is most known for. According to a release, the menu will feature brasserie classics like prime rib, steak au poivre, a dry-aged burger paired with a martini at the bar, and oysters in the garden. Galicia says the fare was inspired by years of travel and his own cookbook collection.

"Filleman House is the restaurant I've always craved to create," Galicia said in a release. "After years of telling the stories of Mexico through Mixtli, I wanted to build something that reflects another part of who I am, not just as a chef, but as a diner. It's the kind of place I want to eat in every day."

Filleman House bar Lauren Beckman will lead the beverage program.Rendering courtesy of Filleman House

Lauren Beckman, who received the 2024 Michelin Guide Texas Service Award, will join Filleman House as the beverage director, offering both a high-octane and zero-proof cocktail program. Linda Romero, a creative vet of Pullman Market and Hotel Emma, Jazz, TX, and Hanzo, is designing the space.

Galicia joins his Mixtli cofounder Rico Torres in striking out on new culinary ventures. In July, Torres announced his own anticipated opening as part of the new La Unión Hospitality group — red-sauce Italian steakhouse, Rosso. Together with Filleman House and Houston chef Aaron Bludorn’s upcoming project in the old Carriqui space, the openings will make 2026 one of the buzziest restaurant seasons in years.

Filleman House does not yet have an opening date, but the release says OpenTable reservations will open soon. Fans can follow along on Instagram for updates.

chefs steaks pearl government hill openings