SERVING UP FAMILIAR FLAVORS AND UNEXPECTED TASTES
WORDS BY EMILY TREADWAY | PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY SUTA
Chicken Fried Sliders with Bacon Apple Jam
If any two people understand what it takes to run a restaurant, it’s husband-and-wife team Mark and Anna Dortman. They’ve spent the last 19 years operating the renowned La Tuna Grill in Southtown before opening their newest venture, The Ridge at the Hill, this past summer. “Working in restaurants is all we’ve ever done,” Anna says. “It’s what we know.”
Anna didn’t begin her restaurant career until after she’d graduated high school, but Mark missed his senior prom because, at the age of 17, he’d already been promoted to kitchen manager at the restaurant where he worked. Between the two of them, Mark and Anna have worked at some of San Antonio’s most iconic restaurants, such as Casa Rio on the Riverwalk, La Fonda on Main and Cappy’s Restaurant. In fact, they met while working at Cappy’s.
Mark and Anna Dortman photo by The Ridge at the Hill
Anna admits that she didn’t think she’d ever run or own her own restaurant. That was more Mark’s dream, she says. “He always said he wasn’t leaving Cappy’s until he could run his own restaurant.”
Although they were happy running La Tuna Grill, Anna has had her eye on a certain building in the Government Hill neighborhood for some time. Located off I-35 and the corner of North New Braunfels Avenue, it wasn’t only the convenience of the location that drew the Dortmans to the area —although as Anna exclaims, “It’s right off the expressway so everyone can find us!”
The building was a historic home built in 1910 that offers a large dining room inside and a patio and yard outside — more space than they previously had at La Tuna Grill. Anna and Mark believe The Ridge at the Hill is the culmination of their skills and knowledge from their previous restaurant experiences.
At Cappy’s Restaurant, they learned what fine dining was all about, from how to present, serve and pick up plates to how to prepare dishes differently. From La Fonda on Main, Anna learned about the diversity and complexity of foods of interior Mexico, as opposed to the Tex-Mex she was more familiar with.
Fried Shrimp Plate
“I never knew there were so many different kinds of cheese and fish until I worked at La Fonda,” she says.
She learned new uses for and varieties of cheese as well as new ways to prepare various types of fish. At La Tuna, during COVID-19, the Dortmans were challenged to learn how to prepare to-go dishes and how to package them. Most importantly, Anna says, the couple learned how to adapt.
Similar to the lessons they’ve learned over the years, the menu at The Ridge at the Hill is also reminiscent of places Mark and Anna have previously worked. “We use the inspiration. You take the memory and make it your own,” Anna says.
The Ridge’s menu is eclectic. It’s not Tex-Mex, although chips and salsa and quesadillas are most certainly on the menu. It’s not American either, although burgers and fries can be found, too. Mark, who is the chef and created the menu, describes the food at The Ridge as “elevated comfort food.”
Anna’s favorite dish is their blackened fish tacos with an Asian-style slaw made with red onions and cilantro, topped with a scrumptious poblano cream sauce and served on corn tortillas with a nopalito side salad. She also likes the roasted lamb sandwich. Topped with a peach and mango chutney and creamy goat cheese, Anna admits she didn’t think a lamb sandwich would sell, but it has turned out to be a customer favorite. She also raves about the desserts.
Blackened Fish Tacos
“We have a wonderful white chocolate cherry bread pudding that Mark has been making for years,” she shares. “Mark’s brother, Phil, also makes the fabulous, flavorful cheesecakes on the menu. He has actually come up with an apple caramel and pumpkin cheesecake for our fall dessert specials.”
The Ridge at the Hill is definitely a family affair. Not only does Mark’s brother bake for them, but Anna’s aunt also works for them. Mark and Anna’s oldest daughter is their general manager and their other two children can often be found helping out around the restaurant. Staff from La Tuna have followed them to The Ridge and Mark and Anna consider them family, too.
“There’s something about us, we’re all different. You have to be a little crazy to run a restaurant,” Anna laughs. The days are long and hard, but each one is different. Mark and Anna wouldn’t change a thing. “We’re so happy with what we do. We love it.”
About the Contributor
As soon as she learned to read and write, that’s all Emily Treadway wanted to do. She loves Texas history and, while she hates cooking, she loves eating, especially the diverse tastes and flavors of Texas cuisine.
