TCU football fans’ guide to San Antonio dining, nightlife and more

My prediction on who’s going to win the Valero Alamo Bowl on Saturday: TCU fans who head down Interstate 35 prepared to explore why the nation’s seventh-largest city is making big headlines and is so much more than the Alamo, a world-famous River Walk lined with restaurants and bars, and a great place to chow down on Tex-Mex with a margarita.

The losers: TCU fans who rush down on the morning of the game with a “been there, saw that” attitude and miss seeing Texas’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site, two new museums (one for kids), an expanded River Walk that now extends 15 miles, a culinary scene that is on fire and a bigger-than-life video installation on the facade of the historic San Fernando Cathedral in the heart of downtown.

Some cities may be ready to turn out the lights and put up the decorations soon after presents are opened on Christmas morning. Not San Antonio, which has earned its reputation as a city that loves to celebrate and put out the welcome mat.

The city will even leave on the River Walk holiday lights for that last dose of holiday spirit before you have to seriously tackle those New Year’s resolutions.

One of this year’s biggest reasons to celebrate was the San Antonio’s Spanish Colonial Missions, including the Alamo, being named America’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site this summer.

That designation puts the city’s missions in the company of the Great Wall of China, the Palace and Park of Versailles in France, the Acropolis in Athens, Vatican City, Grand Canyon National Park, the Statue of Liberty, among other well-known places.

So if you’re within easy walking, biking or driving distance to one or more of the missions (Conception, San Jose, San Juan and Espada, as well as the Alamo), you might as well bone up on some Texas history and culture before visitors from around the world beat you to it.

If you don’t want to haul your bike but would enjoy time outdoors, you can take advantage of the B-Cycle bike sharing program (www.sanantoniobcycle.com) by using a credit card to check out a gray bike at any one of dozens of B Stations around downtown.

A 24-hour pass will cost $10, and you’ll find lots of B stations around town to park it or leave it — just about anywhere you’d want to go (the missions, the Pearl, Market Square, Southtown, and La Villita included).

“There’s something for everyone, and this time of year is magical in San Antonio,” said Dee Dee Poteete, director of regional communications for the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau. “For sure — go see America’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, the new attractions, shows and holiday fun at SeaWorld and Six Flags. Also check out the Pearl and all its new restaurants, shops and more.”

Also on her list, appealing to families and art lovers: the DoSeum (www.thedoseum.org), the new children’s museum that opened this summer to great reviews from families, and the new Briscoe Western Art Museum on the River Walk (www.briscoemuseum.org), the Saga at San Fernando (www.mainplaza.org/san-antoniothe-saga) and the Witte Museum (www.wittemuseum.org), which is open while it undergoes a massive expansion.

An updated River Walk

If you haven’t visited the city’s famous River Walk lately, you may not know that it has been expanded to a whopping 15 miles, with new renovated stretches to the north and south that give locals and visitors more ways to enjoy the outdoors, eat, drink and shop.

The Museum Reach of the River Walk goes north to the Pearl, the city’s hottest new development, which includes popular new restaurants, bars, shops, a parking garage, river access and a Saturday farmers market. On the way, your river barge will go through a lock and dam to accommodate the different levels of the river.

Tours still focus on the traditional part of the River Walk, which is packed with hotels and entertainment options. To get to the Museum Reach, hail a water taxi with a black-and-white checkered flag on the back and pay on the boat.

If you want to explore the Mission Reach, you can rent a kayak for some short paddling trails, but most people bike it, hike it or take their car to their favorite mission for a picnic. The Mission Reach was intended to return the San Antonio River to its natural setting, with added amenities like wide sidewalks and pocket parks, so you won’t find any barge tours going that way.

The River Walk is at the center of the action for some of the city’s biggest events (the annual Fiesta; celebrations of NBA championships — five so far; and pep rallies for both Alamo Bowl teams — the TCU Horned Frogs, of course, and the Oregon Ducks — at 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve).

Pearl is a gem

But the hottest new place in town is the Pearl, a top destination for foodies, hipsters, working folks and visitors north of downtown. It has 15 chef-led eateries, bars, the only Culinary Institute of America location between New York and California, an amphitheater, green spaces where the kids can burn some energy and unique shops you won’t see at the mall, including an independent bookstore.

This former brewery has undergone a massive redevelopment that also added housing and new LEED-certified buildings with architecture that preserves the character and charm of the city’s rich history. Get the details at www.atpearl.com and catch the Blue Route VIA bus that makes loops from downtown to the Pearl through Jan. 2.

In what sounds like one of the coolest new jobs in town, Hugh Daschbach, who brought some Louisiana sensibilities to San Antonio, is about to celebrate his six-week anniversary as the “culinary concierge” at Hotel Emma, a luxury hotel that mixes “historical elements and modern references” and recently opened at the Pearl.

Daschbach is not new to San Antonio or its white-hot dining scene. His job, according to the Hotel Emma website (www.thehotelemma.com) is to “enrich visits with all things culinary and cultural.”

Unfortunately, all 65,000-plus fans expected for the Alamo Bowl (if frequent sellouts in the past can be a predictor) can’t call up Daschbach and pick his brain for restaurant, bar or museum ideas. He’d point you all in different directions anyway, which might be great for Alamo Bowl traffic.

Daschbach said he’d have questions for you before he had answers. “We’d try to find out what their passion is,” he said.

And only then would he recommend a dining or cultural destination. Take the couple that recently approached the Hotel Emma concierge to get a car to go to a performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on the Museum Reach of the River Walk.

After talking to the couple, Daschbach suggested that the duo take a walk along the River Walk to get there instead of taking a car. They later reported back: That walk was the best part of their evening, he said. Unlike the livelier River Walk downtown that has restaurants, bars and shops side-by-side, the Museum Reach is a peaceful, quieter stretch of river where you’d see an occasional river taxi going to the Pearl or folks out jogging or walking their dog.

Hottest reservations in town

To get down to specifics, Julie Cohen, food & drink editor of the San Antonio Express-News and dining writer Ed Tijerina were consulted about restaurants and bars to recommend to January visitors. They’ll soon be compiling the second edition of the Top 100 Dining & Drinks book for San Antonio. Here’s some advice from two people who get paid to eat, drink and write about it:

“For a taste of Tex-Mex downtown, we recommend Rosario’s (www.rosariossa.com), Viva Villa (www.vivavillatacos.com) and Acenar (http://acenar.com/downtown). For a bit more upscale and interior Mexican eats, check out La Fonda on Main (www.lafondaonmain.com), just a quick cab or Uber ride from downtown.

“For barbecue, head to Smoke Shack (www.smokeshacksa.com) or the Granary Cue & Brew (http://thegranarysa.com). At the Granary (next to the Pearl), don’t forget to try the barbecue butter and a pint of one of the beers, brewed in-house.

“For a look at some of the newest and more upscale dining options in town, there’s no better place to stop than the Pearl — Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery (http://southerleigh.com), Supper at the gorgeous new Hotel Emma (http://supperatemma.com), Cured (https://curedatpearl.com) and Osteria Il Sogno (http://atpearl.com/food/restaurants).

“Downtown, the St. Anthony hotel has just opened after a long renovation. Inside, find hot spots Rebelle for dinner and Haunt for drinks (www.thestanthonyhotel.com). For more upscale dining downtown, try Biga on the Banks (http://biga.com), Boudro’s (www.boudros.com) and Bohanan’s (www.bohanans.com).

“For some fun cocktail bars, check out the Esquire Tavern (www.esquiretavern-sa.com), rooftop bar Paramour (www.paramourbar.com) and the Last Word (http://thelastwordsa.com), just a few steps from Bohanan’s.”

Find more great suggestions in the Express-News’ “Top 100 Dining & Drinks” list at www.mysanantonio.com.. It includes top bars, Hill Country wineries, bakeries, coffee shops, breweries and distilleries.

As someone who eats and drinks for entertainment, not paychecks, I’d only add a couple of family favorites. New Orleans celebrity chef John Besh’s Luke (www.lukesanantonio.com), downtown at 125 E. Houston St., inside the Embassy Suites hotel, has some great dishes that show his Louisiana roots (and a great happy hour with oysters on the half shell), and Piatti at the Alamo Quarry Market (http://piatti.com/sanantonio) is one of our favorite places for comfort food at lunch and close to cool shops.

And if you leave town without trying a breakfast taco of some kind, you’ll only have yourself to blame. You’ll find good ones at almost any little mom-and-pop joint and great ones at many.

But if you find yourself out really late at night and hungry, stop by Mi Tierra (www.mitierracafe.com), a 24-hour Tex-Mex institution that has Christmas decorations covering the ceiling 365 days of the year.

I’d only order the breakfast tacos there, but I’d probably also get some pan dulce from the massive bakery counter up front — perhaps some pumpkin empanadas to take home for breakfast.

Looking for live entertainment?

The Express-News’ longtime music writer, Hector Saldana, also shared some wisdom for folks looking for some entertainment: These are his picks:

“Wayne Harper’s Martini Club, 8507 McCullough Ave. (www.wayneharpersmartiniclub.com): San Antonio’s greatest lounge singer and nightclub owner will perform Jan. 1 and Jan. 2. Located near North Star Mall, Martini Club is a throwback to the days of the Rat Pack in Las Vegas.

“Like Wayne Newton, Harper is a talented multiinstrumentalist and variety show mimic who can conjure the spirit of Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley — sometimes in the same song. No cover charge. Music from 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

“The Cookhouse, 720 E. Mistletoe Ave. (www.cookhouserestaurant.com): This acclaimed New Orleans-style restaurant near the St. Mary’s Strip just north of downtown will present the Jim Cullum Jazz Band on New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.

“Cullum is a legendary musician who specializes in Dixieland jazz and old-school swing.

“Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St. (http://samsburgerjoint.com): Tex-Mex star Joe King Carrasco will pack a party weekend into one Saturday night at Sam’s. Carrasco enjoyed MTV fame in the early 1980s for his fun hit Party Weekend. For those in search for the funky mystique of legends like Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers, Carrasco comes on like a long lost son.

“Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, in New Braunfels, north of San Antonio: For adventurous types looking for a genuine Texas dance hall, Gruene Hall on a Saturday night is hard to beat.

“On Jan. 2, Texas music star and king of the red dirt movement Cory Morrow will get the walls shaking and the dance floor moving with his rocked-up country music. Bo Phillips opens the show at 9 p.m.

“Barriba Cantina, 111 W. Crockett St. (www.barribacantina.com): Hotshot Texas blues guitarist Will Owen Gage performs New Year’s Eve at this casual River Walk restaurant and live music venue. Gage, who compares to such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Gary Clark Jr., kicks things off with his trio at 9 p.m.

“Celebrate San Antonio (http://saparksfoundation.org/events/celebrate-san-antonio), corner of South Alamo and Nueva streets and La Villita: San Antonio Parks Foundation’s annual New Year’s Eve concert bash will draw tens of thousands to ring in 2016 on Thursday. This year’s free event offers its best musical lineup in years with R&B and funk rock from X-Factor, Top 40, classic rock, country and Tejano from the Klocks and conjunto music from the legendary Eva Ybarra, who is considered the grand dame of the conjunto accordion.”

The SA Parks Foundation calls this the biggest free New Year’s Eve celebration and fireworks extravaganza in Texas. In addition to music on three stages and fireworks at midnight, you’ll find carnival games and rides, with food booths.

A Travel & Leisure magazine poll called this the seventh best city to spend New Year’s Eve, ranking higher than places like New York City, Los Angeles, Miami or Austin. The party begins at 5 p.m. and ends at 12:30 a.m.

For more ideas on where to stay, eat, drink and play, go to http://visitsanantonio.com or download the PlaySA app.

For a list of events happening while bowl fans are in town, go to www.MySanAntonio.com/entertainment .

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 2:24 PM with the headline "TCU football fans’ guide to San Antonio dining, nightlife and more."