San Antonio - A City full of History, a City full of Passion - A City Full of Flavor and Spice! News! RADIO - This Week - Home and Lifestyle - KTSA 550 Saturday 2-4 pm Food Network's - Dinner : Impossibe - Chef Robert Irvine! Special Thanks to Chef Sam Choy and Chef John Shields Coming Up : Chef Morimoto , Chef Mark Bliss , Chef Jason Dandy, Chef Tim Love We'll be talking about the Upcoming - San Antonio Restaurant Associations - Taste of San Antonio October: Chef Scott Cohen/His 1stcookbook1stcookbook - The Texas Hill Country Cookbook: A Taste of Provence We'll be talking about the Upcoming - New World Wine and Food Festival *Winner of the Taste of MetroCom* - Chef Holly Smith From Retama Park That's My Wife! Congrats to Diane and Los Barrios for her victory on Throwdown w/Bobby Flay - Puffy Tacos! Andrew Weissman is back from vacation - Le Reve and the Sandbar are open! Retama is open with LIVE RACING! Name Change - LUCE is now on the Strand! Ron Smith is with CITY PRODUCE! My Daughter's Smile! There are few joys in a father’s life that compare to the smile on his daughter’s face when he makes her happy. I must admit last weekend I was privileged in receiving both that smile and that joy. I must be honest and give credit to Chef Tomme Johnson and his wonderful staff at “The Grill at Leon Springs”. For both of my children’s birthday each year, my wife and I take them out for a special birthday dinner. Since both of us are in the Food Industry we like to take them somewhere culinary. Now, we also take them to a Birthday lunch, which usually involves pizza, burgers or hot dogs but the dinner is a special event and our way of exposing them to different cuisines and something a little more upscale. My daughter wasn’t sure where she wanted to go this year for her birthday, so daddy got to choose. Well, a very dear friend of mine, Tomme Johnson is the Chef at The Grill at Leon Springs. The Grill is fairly new, but if you have spent any time in San Antonio you will know the owners, Thierry Burkle and Armand Obadia from L’Etoile, which is a wonderful French culinary dining destination located in the heart of Alamo Heights. The Grill, while total different in cuisine and style, is very similar to L’etoile in the aspect of quality, taste and service. The food was flavorful and perfectly cooked from the spring roll appetizers to the Jumbo Texas Gulf Shrimp. The presentations were attractive with a little whimsical playfulness and the overall menu has a selection that while not overpowering, has something for everyone. By the time the entrees were finished, my family was smiling and enjoying the ambience of this beautiful restaurant – my daughter was very happy. Now Chef Johnson had come out early to wish my daughter a Happy Birthday and he had warned us not to eat too much because what was a Birthday dinner with out dessert and believe me, the Grill has a superb Dessert Menu. Since I was already having visions of Crème Brulee dancing in my head, I asked Chef Johnson to pick out our desserts and that was a great idea. From the Crème Brulee, yes, Tomme knows my Achille’s Heel, to the Thin Crispy Granny Smith Apple Crepia w/ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, the chorus line of Homemade Pastries and Desserts sang Happy Birthday louder than any Opera Diva on stage. This was the encore to a very special Birthday Dinner. When I tucked my daughter in that night she gave me a little kiss and thank me for a very wonderful Birthday dinner. As I stood there with my wife and watched our little girl drift off to sleep, I felt that warmth all parents get when their children are happy and I felt that feeling of gratitude that only come when a friend is there for you and your children at Birthday Time. To Chef Johnson and The Grill at Leon Springs – Thank you.

Where to Eat in San Antonio,

Where to Shop in San Antonio