18 Oaks is a fine-dining restaurant in San Antonio.
18 Oaks is the steakhouse inside the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort north of the city, serving prime cuts and Gulf seafood with views over the golf course.
Tip: It is a long drive north, so make a night of the resort. Prime cuts and the wine list are the reasons to go.
Address: 23808 Resort Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78261
Supper inside Hotel Emma is the Pearl's farm-to-table flagship, an American kitchen leaning on the adjacent farmers market and on-site garden for seasonal.
Tip: The bar and brunch at the Emma are as worth it as dinner. Specials change with what the market has that week.
Ladino is chef Berty Richter's Eastern Mediterranean room at the Pearl, built for family-style sharing across mezze, hummus and a wood-fired grill section.
Tip: Go family-style across the mezze with the grill section as the anchor. The hummus and the lamb are reliable openers.
Best Quality Daughter is chef Jennifer Dobbertin's New Asian American restaurant in a funky converted Mueller House at the Pearl, with cheeky cocktails.
Tip: The funky Mueller House interior and the patio are both worth requesting. Ask for the seasonal cocktail special.
Battalion is chef Stefan Bowers's Italian restaurant in a restored Southtown firehouse on South Alamo, leading with house pastas and a solid Italian list.
Tip: The converted firehouse is part of the appeal. Lead with the pastas and a bottle from the Italian list.
Chef Jeff Balfour's Southerleigh brews 15 beers in-house at the Pearl Brewery and pairs them with Texas coastal cooking, a Michelin Bib Gourmand room.
Tip: Sit near the brew tanks and pair the fried chicken with the house pilsner. The Gulf snapper is the seafood pick.
Cappy's is a long-running Alamo Heights restaurant on Broadway, an oak-shaded patio room whose pecan-crusted chicken is the enduring signature dish.
Tip: Ask for a patio table under the oaks. The pecan-crusted chicken is the long-running signature.
