WORDS BY EILEEN PACE
OMG IT’S SO OMAKASE!
It’s happening at your minka, or casa — or wherever you want The Nomad Chef to show up to create a mouth-watering, exclusive menu that your family and guests will love.
You may have seen or heard of Chef Robert Cantu, or The Nomad Chef, from his time preparing omakase experiences at The Moon’s Daughters atop The Thompson Hotel Riverwalk, before he broke out on his own. Now, whether you’re planning a unique housewarming party or just need a break from the kitchen, Cantu is ready to introduce you to his unique private chef experience.
Chef Robert Cantu by Nomad Chef
“The idea is to bring to San Antonio an omakase-style experience in the privacy of their own homes, that is, until I get a brick and mortar,” Cantu says.
According to Michelin, omakase “is a form of Japanese dining in which guests leave themselves in the hands of a chef and receive a meal which is seasonal, elegant, artistic and uses the finest ingredients available … The truth of omakase lies in the word itself — directly translated, it means, ‘I leave it up to you.”
Cantu studied at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin before working at Barton Creek Hill Country Resort. Cantu then moved to working at Mansion on Turtle Creek, under the “father of Southwestern cuisine,” Dean Fearing, and at the only AAA and Exxon Mobil five-star, five-diamond- rated restaurant in Texas. Cantu credits Fearing’s tutelage for helping him become the chef he is today.
Photo by Nomad Chef
Through the years and his travels, Cantu has had the opportunity to develop his skills in a vast number of global cuisines, including Thai, French, Southwestern, Cajun, Italian and modern American. Eventually, he was drawn back to his beloved hometown of San Antonio.
As The Nomad Chef, Cantu is ready to prepare an elevated, customized tasting dinner for your group that will be truly unforgettable.
Published offerings include menus such as the Turkish Tasting, Roberto’s Tasting — which features seafood with quail and caviar —San Antonio Favorites — yes, puffy tacos are included — and even a Moderno Tasting — with, and I won’t say this twice, s’mores.
If you’re looking to book an event or a dinner, reach out to Cantu at nomadcheftx.com.
LOCAL HOME COOK SHARES RECIPES
Photo by Ramona Werst
San Antonio resident and seasoned home chef, Ramona Werst, who has worked with favorite local chefs to develop her own unique recipes, has announced the launch of her new website, Digital Recipe Genie.
“My passion is teaching home cooks, step- by-step, how to prepare a gourmet recipe from your own kitchen,” explains Werst.
Werst promises a variety of cultural experiences through her recipes, including recipes from her home country of Vietnam. Not only is she turning out impressive recipes on the site but also cooking tips, gadget reviews and more, all geared to the success of the home cook.
Photo by Ramona Werst
“San Antonio is a fantastic multi-cultural city with a large Latino population. One former home economics teacher made our huevos rancheros and said ‘My husband said it’s the best thing I have ever cooked,’” Werst shares. “Our chicken fried steak with jalapeño cream gravy is to die for.”
We look forward to becoming great at- home cooks, too, through Werst’s step-by-step videos that will soon span the gamut, from bouillabaisse and patty pan squash-stuffed with couscous and beef to mango orange and green jasmine tea cheesecake.
To learn more, visit digitalrecipegenie.com
WINGS SO TASTY THEY COULD START A REVOLUTION
Photo by Revolutionary Wings
What happens when a fine dining chef starts a wing restaurant? You end up with some seriously revolutionary wings, which is why the once-gourmet food truck, Revolutionary Wings, has recently transitioned into a brick and mortar by the same name.
The new restaurant, located near the San Antonio Airport, has quickly become a neighborhood go-to for not only their finger- lickin’-good chicken wings that come in a myriad flavors like garlic honey sriracha and sticky Thai coconut, and so much more.
They make flatbreads with scratch-made dough topped with both classic and Texas- true ingredients, like smoked brisket and chipotle BBQ sauce. They’ve got burgers made with a sirloin-brisket blend, sandwiches, salads, hand-cut steak fries, curly fries and house-made aged Parmesan chips. The desserts are also made in-house, which can sometimes be a rare find even in upscale restaurants. But back to the wings. Did we mention they have signature RevWings? They’ve got “Flaming Hot Cheetos” with a Buffalo lime sauce, “PB&J,” made with a chipotle raspberry sauce, then there’s the “Chicken and Belgian Waffle,” made with sous vide wings dipped in Belgian waffle batter, fried to a golden brown and topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar, and also smoked wings, with new flavors on the way.
Photo by Revolutionary Wings
It’s also nice to know that RevWings are prepared fresh using no-additive local chicken. Female Foodie blogger, Katie Harper, declared, “Goodness gracious y’all … it’s good.” And we couldn’t agree more!
Visit this new dining spot at 427 E Ramsey San Antonio, TX 78216 or online at revolutionarywings.com
THE BOARD COUPLE OPENS SECOND LOCATION IN COMFORT
Photo by The Board Couple
Summer of 2023 finds The Board Couple celebrating five years of designing custom luxe charcuterie boards with the exciting announcement that they are opening up a second location in Comfort, Texas — just up the road from Fredericksburg.
Owners Monica Nino and Bryan Gonzales have developed a charc-loving cult following by already enticing designs of exquisite artisan cheeses and meats, they add their signature nut mix of the highest quality, low salt tree nuts and pumpkin seeds along with other decadent accompaniments like house-made raisins, dark chocolate walnuts and honey bal- samic figs, to create boards that are nothing short of edible art.
Their menu at both locations now features sandwiches, too — going beyond the usual with a “Fig and Pig,” a pear melt and a Spanish-Italian fusion, each served on a French baguette and delivered melty and hot, the way a great sandwich should be.
Their dessert presentations are equally delightful, with cheesecake tarts, Sicilian cookies and cannolis made from a recipe given to them by their Sicilian nonna (grandmother).
Photo by The Board Couple
Both Monica and Bryan are advanced- level WSET (Wine Spirit and Education Trust) certified, having trained with Master Court of Sommeliers. A 1,000-bottle wine library is offered for diners, who can also choose from a variety of craft beers and wine cocktails. And thanks to the heat we had this summer, their Italian sodas have been a big hit.
When you’re bored with the same ole’, it’s time to visit The Board Couple for scrumptious inspiration for everything from a date night to a birthday party.
Visit the new location at 804 High St.,Suite B, Comfort, TX 78013. TheBoardCouple.com
SA FREDERICKSBURGERS GETS NEW HOME
I knew I would like this guy when I saw the specialty burgers he was serving from his customized food trailer, Fredericksburgers.
The burgers caught my eye on social media, not only because of the beautiful, classic burgers but also because of the hyper-local hometown marketing — all of the burgers turned out by Stephen “They Call Me Chavo” Chavez are named for the streets that cross Fredericksburg Road.
Photo by SA Fredericks Burgers
“People asked if we were from Fredericksburg, Texas. But no, we’re from here, and the Fredericksburg Road area is our home,” Chavez says.
“The ‘410 Bacon Cheeseburger’ is made with onion rings in the burger and also comes with fries. The ‘1604,’ well, we have two ‘loops,’ so the ‘1604’ is like the ‘410 BCB’ but with two patties,” he explains.
There’s also the “Zarzamora,” a cheeseburger with ham, avocado and all the trimmings, the “Huebner,” a mushroom and Swiss burger, and the “Hildebrand,” a classic cheeseburger, among others.
Chavo and his wife, Christine Chavez, bought their food trailer after successful pop-ups at markets up and down Fredericksburg Road and sell-outs at Fiesta parades last year. This year, they made the move to a professional kitchen, complete with a drive-thru window.
Photo by Fredericks Burgers
Chavo shares that they are making plans for a full-blown restaurant once they find the right location in the “Fred” neighborhood.
“It’s where we live and raise our children, and where people know us. Because of that, we haven’t had any trouble getting customers.”
And, know this: “‘All the way’ for us means mayo, lettuce, pickles and onions, but we’ll add whatever you want,” Chavez says, and now you know what we know.
Visit at 2730 Hillcrest Drive or Instagram @safredericksburgers
About the Contributor
Eileen Pace is a lifelong broadcast journalist with multiple awards for her stories that aired on radio stations around the state and NPR affiliates across the country. She lives in San Antonio with her Schnoodle, Argentina, and volunteers as a canine foster mom, and is working toward certification as a tour guide to show off San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country to out-of-town visitors.
