Clear Springs Cafe

The Quest for Onion Rings

This week's adventure was all thanks to my dad. Apparently he was having a strong craving for onion rings and really wanted to go to Clear Springs Cafe. I hadn't been to this place in a long while so of course we were happy to go. He was ridiculously excited. 

Me:"Sure, when did you want to go?"

Dad:"Now?"

Me:"Oh!...O-Okay, let's go."

Dad:"Alright, I'll come pick you guys up!"

Over-excitement for food runs in our family. Can't you tell?
 

Dad and me!

To refresh my memory, I decided to Google it and I learned that the San Antonio location had closed down. When my parents arrived, we got in the car and let him know the sad news. He's was in shock and disappointed because he thought his onion ring quest had come to an end before it even started. I told him the closest location is in New Braunfels. He started to drive aimlessly for a few minutes and then said,"New Braunfels isn't that far..." And we were on our way!

Worth the Drive

After about an hour of driving, we had made it! I hadn't been to this location before and was pretty cool. It was huge compared to the one that they used to have here in San Antonio.

They were packed but we got a table fairly quickly. My dad didn't waste anytime ordering his onion rings. Everything is bigger in Texas! Move aside Tolkien, you've got nothing on these rings!

We couldn't have driven all that way and just eat onion rings! The food was better than I remembered. The batter they use is so good!! We all ate beyond that capacity that evening.

Left: Catfish & Shrimp Combo; Center: Chicken Fried Steak; Right: Fried Shrimp

MMMmmm! That's good shrimp!

This trip was a little nostalgic for me. The last time I had been here, my long time best friend, Crystal, had gone with us.  Her response after tasting the fried shrimp was, "MMMmmm! That's good schkrimp!!" (Yes, she said schkrimp.) Her reaction makes me laugh to this day and I couldn't help but repeat her statement when tasting the shrimp this time. 

Crystal and Me

It was a great night, with wonderful food and awesome memories. Make the trip out to New Braunfels if you can for the original Clear Springs Cafe and order the onion rings and shrimp!

For more information about Clear Springs Cafe, visit their website at http://clearspringsrestaurant.com/

For Directions to their New Braunfels Location.

Simi's India Cuisine

Good day and salutations!

This week's visit was to Simi's India Cuisine. This is the first buffet that I have covered in this blog and it is definitely different cuisine than I'm used to. I'm still new to Indian cuisine and am still learning about this style of cooking. I've gone to three different Indian restaurants so far and this one is my current favorite.

What I have discovered is that Indian cuisine is very generous with their spices. I love that because it means you rarely encounter food that is boring or bland.  I've also found that I'm not a huge fan of most curries. I think this is because many of them contain the spices turmeric and cumin.  A little goes a long way for those spices and like I said before, they are very generous with them.

Simi's is located off of Loop 410 and Fredericksburg Rd and serves their dishes buffet style for lunch and a la carte during their dinner hours. I like to go during lunch because I can sample a little bit of everything. 

Simi's buffet has about 25-30 different items to try. The items are labeled, but for an Indian food newbie like myself,  some the descriptions seem vague. I just dived in and tried a little bit of everything! 

These are the dishes that I recommend for first timers:

• Tandoori Chicken: Charbroiled chicken marinated in yogurt and other spices. It usually has a bright pink color on the outside. Don't let the yogurt or color scare you away. It just tastes like really well-seasoned grilled chicken.
• Chicken Tikka Masala: Pieces of chicken cooked tandoori style served in a creamy sauce. 
• Nan: Do you remember the tortilla like bread from my Pasha's article? It's very similar here although it's served in smaller portions at Simi's and is a little thinner and crispier. I recommend dipping it in their lentil soup and sopping up any remaining sauces.
• Vegetable Biriyani: Veggies cooked with spices and basmati rice. 
• Vegetable Samosa: Turnovers stuffed with seasoned potatoes and peas. This is hands down my favorite Indian dish!! I could easily eat a dozen in one sitting!
• Iced Tea: a cinnamon twist on the standard Iced Tea.  I've only had cinnamon tea hot before, but it was equally good served cold. 

Inside of vegetable samosa

That's it for Simi's India Cuisine! I'll keep an eye out for other great Indian restaurants but I'll keep returning to Simi's in the meantime.

For more information about Simi's India Cuisine and their menu, visit their website at http://www.simisindiacuisine.com/

Get Directions

Picnikins Patio Cafe

Hello again! Looking for a place that has something for all your friends including those who are scared to try something new or are just plain picky? Then you will love this week's choice.

This is Picnikins Patio Cafe located of off 410 & Blanco Rd. My husband, our friend's Melissa and Phil, and I treated ourselves to a fantastic lunch at this beautifully designed upscale cafe. At lunch they offer a variety of sandwiches, salads, burgers, and other grilled items. Don't let the decor fool you; the prices are comparable to any other restaurant.

Melissa and Phil

One of the reasons I really enjoy this cafe is their gourmet sandwiches. Many of them do not have the typical ingredients that you normally find at most delis. Not into gourmet sandwiches? No problem! They offer classic choices such as Ham & Cheese as well. Either route you go, you won't be disappointed. I haven't had a bad one yet and my goal is to try them all.

The Ultimate

 

 

The Ultimate: Turkey Breast, Bacon, Avocado, Tomato, Sprouts, Cream Cheese, and Mayo

Phil made a great choice. Nothing is worse than ordering a sandwich and it's all bread. As you can see, they don't have that problem here. You definitely get the bang for your buck. Phil ordered this with their homemade kettle style chips which I love. Some restaurants that make homemade chips have a tendency to over cook them and they end up with a burnt taste. I've never had that issue at Picnikins.

The Cheeseburger

 

Cheeseburger: Beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, mayo, and mustard on a grilled bun.

Despite the description above, Melissa in true carnivore fashion opted out of the veggies and added bacon. Who doesn't love bacon? She also for an additional cost upgraded her side from chips to fries. I haven't had their burgers yet because I've been so eager to try all their sandwiches, but it must have been good. She cleaned her plate.

The Autumn

 

The Autumn: Smoked turkey breast, stuffing, cranberries, lettuce, and mayo.

I think Chris is definitely ready for holidays. This sandwich was Thanksgiving in a bun.  Chris ordered in true thanksgiving style and had sweet potato fries with his sandwich. The only thing missing was a slice of pie.

The Orchard

 

The Orchard: Smoked turkey breast, bacon, brie, green apple, field greens, and Vermont dressing.

This was awesome. I've never had a sandwich with apples in it before but this added a little crunch to it. When paired with the brie cheese, it made it have an elegant tart and savory flavor. I reminded me of a fancy cheese and fruit platter that you snack on while you sip on wine and attempt to talk intelligently about bad art. Their tomato soup is equally amazing. It's creamy and is one of the best flavored tomato soups I've had. The cute heart was a nice touch too.

Eventually I will meet my goal of trying every sandwich that they offer and will move on to other items on the menu. I've seen other customers order their salads and they look awesome! They also have a different menu during dinner time that I have yet to try.

Picnikins is a great little cafe. It's one of those places that you can't go wrong with anything that you order. If you go for lunch, try to get there before noon. It can fill up pretty quickly and they may only have patio seating available which is not always ideal in Texas heat. 

For more information about Picnikins Patio Cafe, visit their website at www.picnikinspatiocafe.com.

Get directions:

Blanco & 410 Location

I-10 & UTSA Blvd Exit Location

L&L Hawaiian Grill

The Average Meal 

 

Before I get started on this week's pick, I want to talk about "the non-spectacular". I'm sure that everyone has encountered a restaurant that, while good, may not be the best you've ever had. Nothing at this restaurant will necessarily "wow" you, but you will return anyway.  Quite a few franchised restaurants and fast food joints come to my mind when I think about this. 

When encountered at a mom and pop style venue you may be inclined not to return. Unless there are some horrifying factors involved (such as the cleanliness of the restaurant), I strongly discourage to completely write it off. Make an attempt to go back a second time.  Here's why:

• Potential! I have been to restaurants where everything on the menu is average but they have one item that is out of this world. This is important for several reasons:
• It shows the restaurant's ability to create something spectacular.
• Those average dishes could eventually evolve.
• You can order that amazing item and take it home to incorporate with your own cooking. I don't mean just bringing it home and serving it as a dish. Try cooking with it!
• Small business restaurant owners are always looking on ways to improve and increase their traffic. Your opinion will carry more weight.  If you have an opportunity to give feedback to the owner, do so. You are the driving force behind their business and they will care more about what you think than a franchised establishment.
  
• Most of us eat average meals on a regular basis anyway! We all go to a McDonald's or a Chili's every once in a while. Let's face it. You've never been blown away by anything at these places. Their menus will never change so why not go to a family owned business where the growth potential is present. 

Now back to your regularly scheduled program... 

 

My husband and I went to L&L Hawaiian Grill off of Austin Highway.  I had never been here before but my husband occasionally goes here on his lunch breaks. The first thing that I noticed about this place was how clean it was. It's obvious that the owners care about their establishment.

Say "hello" to Chris!

I ordered the Grill Mix (chicken, short ribs, and beef) served with brown rice and a salad. The meats were marinated in a teriyaki-style sauce and it was delicious. The best and worst part was everything was marinated in the same thing. My first bite of chicken was amazing. I followed this up with the ribs. These were also very good but definitely had the same marinade. By the time I got to the beef, I was getting bored with the same flavor.  The next time I go, I'll be picking just one meat instead of the mix.

Grill Mix

My husband ordered the Seafood and Grill Combo, which was fried fish, fried shrimp, and grilled chicken. He also had white rice and a veggie medley for the sides. This was the same chicken that was on my plate and he loved it. However, the fish and shrimp were nothing special. They were clearly the generic frozen breaded fish and shrimp that you can find in just about any cafeteria. The sides for the both of us were also very generic.

Seafood and Grill Combo

I want to stress that I wasn’t disappointed or displeased with my order. It was still better than most fast food joints. Whatever they marinated the meats in was delicious. It was just the only thing on our plates that was unique. Had they placed the same attention into the sides and the other items as they did with their marinated items, this place would go from “not bad” to “amazing.”

They do have a few other items that I really want to try on our next visit. Hawaiian style sushi and a variety of ramen soups round out the menu. They also have a ramen burger where the buns are replaced with ramen noodles and I've been told that it's pretty tasty.

My final thought on L&L Hawaiian Grill is that they have a unique idea for San Antonio. The venue has an amazing potential to grow and become something truly special. As it stands I probably wouldn’t go out of my way for this one. But if you happen to be in the area and are looking for a quick place to eat lunch that isn't a McDonald's, give it a try.

Visit their website for their history and menu at http://www.llhawaiiangrill.com/
Directions