Wife has a conference @ the convention center tomorrow; bringing the 2 kids & Momster to do stuff while she's busy. Dinner post conference. Where to go eats wise on the "whatta" (as they say in Beantown)? I'm sure it's all touristy, so what the heck... Also, going to recertify my Texan card & do the Alamo plus lunch with the Mom 'n kidz. Little one is manageable @ 9 months, older is 2-1/2 & as par the course, bored fast. PS: Any suggestions on the best place to park? Thanks, y'all.
rox avoid anything near the convention center and the dome area, the construction there makes parking difficult., i'd park off Bowie and Houston street or near the courtyard marriott...don't mind the hobos they are harmless......you got your pick of restaurants on the riverwalk.....if it gets to the point where you little ones are bored out of their mind you could take them to the childrens museum off houston st not too far from the alamo
Is dinner with kids, or without? If it is just the wife and you, and you want something "top end", I suggest the Fig Tree. If you are with the kids, and are definitely going to be eating "on the River", I'd go with Rio Rio. But if you don't mind going off the River, then La Margarita is better. Plus it is next to the Market, which is kind of fun for the kids.
If it's without the kids and you want to eat at arguably the best restaurant in the state then La Reve.
If you are going to google it, it's Le Reve. I will vouch that it is very good. I haven't been in a while, but I would have heard if it has gone downhill. Paesanos, Biga on the Banks, Boudro's probably round out the really good ones. El Mirador just south of downtown is very good for dinner and Lisa Wong's mexican place (can't remember the name). And then there are the other 100 touristy restaurants. There aren't many that are truly awful other than something like Mi Tierra. Lisa Wong's is Rosario's.
Yes, we'll have the kids with us. While my wife is doing her conference, my Mom is going to hang with me 'n the kids. Afterwards, we'll get my wife & then do dinner & head back to Austin. I also have a customer in the Alamo Heights area who has invited us to take a look @ his ongoing remodeling (house built in 1907) & we'll probably do about 1 hour @ his house. My biggest concern is to make sure that the 2 year old is appropriately quet once we're inside the Alamo. I've copied all of your suggestions & printed them; we'll see how it goes tomorrow (well, today now - doing estimates late @ night). PS: Mom's in Western Drippin', so I'm taking 165 S to Blanco & then 281 South & into town.
acenar is lisa wongs place. its your best choice, imo. there are better (biga, and numerous steakhouses) but with kids and good food, this is the joint. boudros is nice too. casa rio is closer to alamo, and a san antone classic. most people know it as the place with the umbrellas.
Acenar is her second restaurant. It's not really "San Antonio", but neither are Le Reve, Biga, Paesano's, etc. I've heard people speak highly of it, but I've never been. Rosario's I can vouch for. It's not spectacular, but what mexican food IS spectacular? Rio Rio would be a good place for kids on the river that won't groos out the parents. LOTS of food on your plate.
I'd recommend eating on the river. That way you won't have to move the car and can enjoy the river. Yes, it is touristy but if the weather holds it will be very nice to sit outside. Lisa Wong's restaurant is Rosarios. But it's in Southtown.
1907 predates almost all of AH. If you are going to be in that area, Silo and Paesanos on Basse are the best choices, but they really aren't all that kid friendly. Not unfriendly, but we are talking about well north of $100 for your 5 diners. There are numerous tex mex places in that area: La Posada, La Fonda, La Calesa. On Olmos Drive there are 2 places by the same guy: Bistro Vitale and Ciao Lavanderia (sp?), the latter being a send off to the laundromat the guy had to buy to get the space. Soluna is on Broadway near Austin Highway and doesn't suck at all. Barn Door for steaks on N. New Braunfels. Le Etoille is very reasonably priced french and Fredericks (pronounced Fredureeks) is just north of AH on Broadway. No ambience, but really good food. The Quarry has some restaurants like PF Changs and the like as well as some lower end like EZ's and Freddies. Your Alamo Heights remodelers will be able to give you their faves. Just don't listen to any poster who has Alamo Heights in his username. He'll recommend some club that neither you nor he can go to anyway without being a member
My wife and I like to eat at the Tower of the America's restaurant. It is now run by Landry's. The food is pretty good and the atmosphere is unique to say the least.
I think you and your kids will all enjoy a fun place like Casa Rio on the river...they also do the barge dinners but that might be a little too much for a 9 month old. I think there is still a neat restaraunt in the Fairmount Hotel Lobby that used to be kid friendly as well. as far as parking, valet at one fo the hotels on the riverwalk, Westin or Hyatt etc. I'm not sure what this Nick guy is refering too, but I think AH was incorporated in the 1920's, but there are homes that do in fact predate that. The one I grew up in off Patterson was built in 1910.
Parked @ $ 5.00 self pay 1/2 block from the Alamo. As warned, no more than 10 seconds after stopping the car, we were hit up for a 'donation' by a vagrant woman who then shuffled off to the next passer-by. Managed to take in about 10 minutes of a tour session (by the flag display @ the N wall) & kept the 2-1/2 year old from tearing anything up. Lunched @ GM Steakhouse (prices OK, food passable & portions small). It was close & fast (my Mom was getting difficult). More wandering around, spent some time in King & Country - they specialize in military miniatures - that was a great shop (Alamo Plaza, to the L of Dillard's). I could do some cereal damage in that place. Then headed to Alamo Heights; visited the current state of his remodel on the house (2nd floor is 'mostly' done & downstairs is coming along nicely). He told me he'd found out that the AH area didn't get any running water 'til around the '15s or so & when that house was built (1907), they DID have indoor plumbing, probably in anticipation. Spent about 2-1/2 hours there, daughter got in about a 1 hour nap so that worked out well. Picked up wife, parked back in the same slot (was already paid for & $$ hadn't been collected from the box) & ate @ Rio Rio for dinner. Headache was that we were on the wrong side of the river & got directly across from there; 2 strollers, so had to go all the way back to the Hyatt, take the elevator to the L of there, across the river & then down the elevator next to the Hard Rock... walk back to Rio Rio. A funny thing - Boudro's is right next door to Rio Rio; menu was a tad pricey for this trip, though. When we were asked by one of the restaurant barkers if I wanted to come in & get their early bird specials, I said "We're heading to Boudro's" (it was the first name that popped in my head)... she said "Oh... yeah, I'd eat there instead, too." Got some tasty chocolate 3 doors down from Rio Rio, then back to the car & home. A nice day with great weather. Thanks, HF.
I ALWAYS ride the glass elevators in the Hyatt after visiting the Alamo. The Landing there has great Dixie jazz music at night. Jim Cullum and the Happy Jazz Band. That sounds like a fun day you had.
