San Antonio Cocktail Conference
Feb 16, 2012
Thank You, San Antonio
By Colleen Graham
It was a wonderful weekend in San Antonio and the cocktail conference was a hit. Again, I'll be writing more about the experience and the conference in the very near future. There is a lot of information to digest from the seminars and people we met while in Texas. The great news that I have to share today is that the San Antonio Cocktail Conference is not a fly-by-night event and the dates for next year have already been determined, so mark your calendars for January 24-27, 2013 to be in San Antonio to enjoy great drinks, informative seminars, and a fun city.
5 Things I take away from the San Antonio Cocktail Conference:
1. Location is everything. If you're thinking that the conference is all you are going to get, you would be wrong. The Sheraton Gunter venue is located in the heart of downtown, just a block from the River Walk and a myriad of attractions that give you a great excuse to turn tourist.
2. Relaxed atmosphere. This conference is designed for everyone. Consumers, enthusiasts, professionals, industry, and those who simply want to know what could possibly happen at a 'cocktail conference,' anyone can enjoy this event to whatever extent they desire.
3. Texas' spirits industry is growing. I'll have more on the individual spirits later, but we will say for now that the liquor being produced in the state of Texas is impressive and many of the distillers are innovative in the craft.
4. Burgeoning San Antonio cocktail scene. In speaking with many locals, I get the feeling that San Antonio is seeing a growth in appreciation for fine drinks and the area bartenders are going to great lengths to continue moving the city's cocktail scene forward.
5. Great food. Though I was in San Antonio for cocktails, I have to say that this city has impressed me beyond many others in my travels when it came to food. Whether it was the quick breakfast or lunch at one of the small delis or dinner on the River Walk or the phenomenal steaks at Bohanan's, this is a city that knows it's food. Seriously, go there with an appetite and a thirst and you will not be disappointed.
I think that in the coming years the San Antonio Cocktail Conference will become a bigger hit in the cocktail world for many reasons, the main being that it is good people having a good time sharing their enthusiasm for great drinks. It was a joy to attend and I thank the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau for the invitation. Also, it was a joy meeting many of my readers and I am happy that you had a great time as well.
View the article online here.
Live Jazz at Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar
Nov 27, 2011
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band
plays every Wednesday and Thursday
from 7pm-11 p.m.
The South Texas Jazz Quartet
plays every Friday and Saturday
from 9:30pm-1:30am.
Happy Hour at Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar
Nov 26, 2011
Happy Pricing:
$5 well drinks, select hand-crafted cocktails, select premium draft beers
$4 Dos Equis and house wines
$3 Bud Lite
Afternoon Delights: French Onion Soup on a Sandwich & more!
Jul 08, 2011
In a small kitchen downtown, no bigger than many of today’s walk-in closets, Chef Heather Nañez is standing over a stainless steel counter, white coat on, pencil in hand, jotting down the latest in a stream of ideas that are continually popping into her head. The paper is littered with her notes, sketches and musings until one day—voila! She has composed a dish with outstanding flavor, matched only by its unique presentation.
Lunch is Served
That is the case with one of Nañez’ newest creations, the Crab and Avocado Salad. Featured on the lunch menu at the Bar and Bohanan’s, this unique dish is the result of more than a decade of thought.
“I had one many years ago in Mexico, but I didn’t like the presentation,” says Nañez.
After playing with various combinations and putting her own spin on the recipe, the chef finally figured out what the dish needed.
“I flipped it upside down,” she laughs.
The result is a presentation of tender, colossal lump crab with juicy tomatoes, fresh roasted corn, and cilantro mayonnaise stuffed inside an avocado and then inverted on the plate.
Avocados aren’t the only things that Nañez is flipping. In fact, her creative approach to the menu is causing diners to flip over the impressive offerings not usually found during the typical lunch hour. Not that the dishes themselves are out of the ordinary, it is the chef’s approach to them that makes them special.
Take the Asian Nicoise Salad, for example. This classic French dish gets a twist with Asian influences. The combination of a hard-boiled quail egg, pepper-encrusted tuna, olives and cucumbers, dressed in a creamy sesame vinaigrette, Nañez created a dish that is both spicy and cooling.
She ups the ante on the classic cheeseburger with the Half-Pound Burger, ground chuck topped with smoky aged sharp cheddar, chipotle mayo, and crisp, hydroponic lettuce.
One of her favorite creations is a dish Nañez describes as “French Onion Soup in a sandwich.”
“I always wanted to serve French Onion Soup downstairs but I couldn’t, she explains. “So I turned it into a sandwich.”
The super rich Grilled Cheese & Caramelized Onion Sandwich, consists of aged Gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. The only thing missing is a bowl!
Finally, Bohanan’s just wouldn’t be Bohanan’s without its famous steaks, and Nañez has added two of the upstairs favorites to the downstairs menu. A Mesquite Grilled 7 oz Filet and 13 oz Rib Eye are both Prime Grade Center Cut and cooked to order.
Mixing It Up
Nañez takes an unconventional approach to menu creation, driven by a love of experimentation, rather than a desired outcome.
“I never go into this with an end result in mind,” says Nañez, who in her down time can be found poring over the latest trade magazines and cookbooks, or glued to the Food Network channel. “I am so totally immersed in this culture that ideas just pop into my head and I play with them until I see what happens.”
The unlikely combination of the Peanut Butter and Fois Gras sandwich, and the decadently rich Lobster Creamed Corn are just a couple of the things that have “happened.” The modest chef describes these huge Bohanan’s hits as “happy accidents” that were the result of her simply “playing around in the kitchen,” or, as she refers to it, “the lab.”
“I just play with things and tweak them until they are just right, and then I write the recipe down—never before,” she says.
New Lunch Items
Lunch Served Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Asian Nicoise Salad $15.95
Seared Sashimi Grade Tuna on Field Greens
Tossed with Julienned Cucumber and Carrots
with Longbeans, Asian Cabbage, Quail Egg and
a Sesame Soy Dressing with Fried Wontons
Crab and Avocado Salad $14.95
Colossal Lump Crab with Tomatoes, Roasted
Corn and Cilantro Mayonnaise in a Stuffed Avocado
Mesquite Grilled 7 oz Filet $33.95
Mesquite Grilled 13 oz Rib Eye $37.95
Allow time for preparation. USDA Prime Steak comes
with thin cut fries and sautéed peppers
Half-Pound Burger $12.95
With Sharp Cheddar, Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato
and Chipotle Mayo
Grilled Cheese & Caramelized Onion Sandwich $8.95
With Aged Gruyere on Brioche
Bohanan’s Gives the Gelatin Shot a Twist
Jul 08, 2011
Give a new cocktail experience a shot at Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar, with a grown-up approach to a frat party favorite. Craft Cocktail Gelatin Shots are a gourmet approach to the good old-fashioned Jell-O Shots—and they’re just as much fun as you remember! Your inner youth will delight in the familiar wiggly, jiggly texture, while the adult in you will appreciate the dignified taste. Gone are the boxes of flavored gelatin, cheap booze and Dixie cups, and in their place are sophisticated craft cocktail gelatin shots, including a Southside, Blackberry Gimlet and Brooklynite for $9. By using unflavored gelatin, Head Chef Heather Nañez lets the fresh ingredients and premium liquor shine through, for the ultimate in perfect party fare.
Believe it or not, this congealed cocktail didn’t originate in the frat house. According to Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: Jell-ing Classic Cocktails – One Drink at a Time, the origin of the gelatin shot can be traced back to the early 1800’s, when Napoleon Bonaparte’s wedding cake baker recorded a contemporary recipe for “Orange-Flower and Pink Champagne Jelly.”
“It’s the only cocktail you eat with a spoon,” says Nañez. Bohanan’s invites you to come on in and give ‘em a shot!
Bee’s Knees
Recommended Pan:
1-pound loaf pan (approx. 8”x4”)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Lemon Syrup (see recipe below)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
2 envelopes Knox gelatin
2/3 cup gin
Method:
Combine the lemon syrup, honey and water in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin
Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two
Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved (approx. 5 minutes)
Remove from heat and stir in gin
Pour mixture into loaf pan and chill until fully set (several hours or overnight)
Cut into desired shapes; makes 18-24 shots
Lemon Syrup:
1 ½ cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 medium lemons, each cut into 8 wedges
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan
- Muddle lemon wedges
- Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and strain immediately
- Allow syrup to cool to room temperature
Source: “Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: Jell-ing Classic Cocktails – One Drink at a Time” by Michelle Palm
