Turn up the heat

San Antonio chef announces new West Point Culinary School and foodie enthusiast classes

A chef's hat

Photo via Houston Culinary Awards

Spaces are extremely limited for chef Brian West's new West Point Culinary School.

The founding chef of Taste the Republic and a former senior instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, West is now turning his gaze towards San Antonio's culinary future. Only five students will be accepted into the highly competitive seven-week training program, which will be followed by eight months of hands-on training in the culinary field.

Chef West revealed his primary reason for the small class size via an official statement: "This program provides students with an opportunity to have a hands-on educational experience without going into serious debt. Because of the small class size, I’m also able to provide one-on-one guidance and attention, which can be hard to get in a larger classroom setting.”

Students that are accepted into the program will only have to put down a $500 deposit which will be refunded if they complete the course. Not only that, but students will be compensated for their work during the eight months of hands-on training.

Once accepted into the program, the five lucky students will also have supplies and materials provided for them.

Not eager to become a professional chef? West will also be teaching Foodie Enthusiast classes for $99 per person. The all-day class involves hands-on instruction from West himself, recipes that students can take home, a complimentary lunch with beer and wine service, actual opportunities to cook, kitchen demonstrations and more.

If you're interested in signing up for one of the Foodie Enthusiast classes, email info@chefbrianwest.com for class times and information on how to sign up.

No stranger to the stressors of a kitchen, West once served as the operational chef of the Food Network classic "Restaurant Impossible." The native Texan first solidified a name for himself with the Café Paladar a decade ago, and has since gone on to serve as an expert culinary instructor, the Texas chef for the Great American Seafood Cookoff for multiple years, and more.

His accolades are numerous, but chef West is ready to mentor the next generation of aspiring chefs to keep the city's culinary scene stronger than ever.

Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

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