Sunday, April 24th, 10:30 am – 4:00 pm
at Las Ramblas

Join us for an elaborate Easter Brunch that will include a
decadent assortment of breakfast and lunch items,
sangria & mimosas and a visit by the Easter Bunny.
»View Easter Brunch Menu

Adults are $37.95
Children 7-16 $15.95
Children 6 & Under Eat FREE off the Kids Menu.
Plus tax and gratuity.

Reservations are filling up fast!
BOOK A TABLE ONLINE NOW
Or call Las Ramblas at 210.298.8040

Well, here at Hotel Contessa it’s been a crazy past couple of weeks…

Cork Bar Wins Top Awards at 2011 San Antonio River Foundation Rivertini Pour-off

Daniel Quiroz and Jose Solis represented the Cork Bar team as they squared off at Brasserie Pavil and competed against top city bartenders and mixologists.

The Cork Bar humbly accepted the 2011 Rivertini Pour-off Champion and 2011 Rivertini Décor Awards. Their winning martini was a peach and citrus purée with cinnamon serrano simple syrup and grey goose vodka.

Las Ramblas, Cork Bar, and Hotel Contessa Take-Two at the “Best of Downtown”

Hotel Contessa wins the Downtown Alliance’s “Best of Awards” for Best Hotel Restaurant – Las Ramblas and Cork Bar and for Best Place for a Downtown Wedding at Hotel Contessa and Marriage Island.

Congratulations to everyone!

New York, January 2010 …

Executive Chefs from Benchmark Hospitality International’s fine dining restaurants, luxury hotels and resorts were featured recently at the legendary James Beard House in New York City. The chefs prepared a seven-course dinner for the sold out event, featuring cuisine from around the country and the world.

Featured Benchmark Hospitality chefs were Brian West, executive chef, Hotel Contessa and its signature restaurant Las Ramblas on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas; Alan Gould, executive chef of Nine18, the restaurant located at the Villas of Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida; Peter Csikos, executive chef, The Heldrich and its signature restaurant, Christopher’s, in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Francisco (Paco) Aceves, executive chef of Stonewall Resort and Stillwaters Restaurant, located in Weston, West Virginia.

Mary Watson-DeLauder, Benchmark Hospitality’s chief sommelier, paired each of the seven courses with domestic and international fine wines. To do so she worked closely with several wineries, including Quintessa of Napa Valley (2006 Quintessa, Rutherford, Napa Valley) and Veramonte of Colchagua Valley, Chile (2007 Primus, Colchagua Valley, Chile).

Attached Photo L-R: Chefs Paco Aceves and Alan Gould, Benchmark Vice President Food & Beverage Giorgi DiLemis, Chefs Peter Csikos and Brian West in James Beard’s original kitchen at the James Beard House in New York. Missing from the photo is Mary Watson-DeLauder, Benchmark’s chief sommelier.

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Brian West prepared a Seared Muscovy Duck Breast w/ Cranberry Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Gratin & Blood Orange Molasses with Stacia Wilson (host) of KENS TV’s Morning Show on December 4^th. Bright and early, West showed off one of his signature menu items from Las Ramblas and everyone loved it! Video to come soon!

The Las Ramblas team from Hotel Contessa showed off their skills at the Culinary Institute of America opening at the Pearl Brewery right off the San Antonio Riverwalk REACH.

Pictured from the left is Director of Food  & Beverage, Shane Bruns; Executive Chef, Brian West; and Sous Chef, Jacob Campos.

The team made a delicious samplers for the hungry crowd: a Lobster Chorizo Stuffed Squid with Pickled Tenticles and Squid Ink Reduction and Micro Pea Shoot & Piquillo Pepper Salad. It truly is as amazing and as decadent as it sounds!

SEPTEMBER 9TH, 5:30 – 730 PM

$10 Cover includes Valet and Specialty Cocktail

View Facebook Event

• Receive a 25% Discount on Dining at Las Ramblas the Night of
Sips & Salsa (valid that night only)
• Enjoy Happy Hour Prices on Drinks and Tapas until 7pm
• Salsa and Latin Jazz Music
• Salsa Instructors and Dancers from Semenya Ballroom
• September Specialty Drink & Salsa
• “Melon Pear Mojitos”
• “Mango Salsa” (with chips) – Complimentary

Enter to Win a VIP Office Party

• Register with Business Card to Win a VIP Office Party for your
company at an Upcoming Sips and Salsa
• Office Party Includes: Free VIP Room for Your Office Party,
Private Bartender, and 50% Off Full Tapas Menu.

RSVP on Facebook

Grilled Seafood Salad with Roasted Wild Mushrooms and Cannellini Beans

August marks the height of Summer, which we all know can be devastatingly hot. No worries, Andrew Gutierrez, Executive Sous Chef for Las Ramblas, has taken to the drawing board and created a fun summer dish, a Grilled Seafood Salad with Roasted Wild Mushrooms and Cannellinni Beans. Drew’s Dish would be nicely paired with a Spanish/Mediterranean white wine such as an Albariño; we’d recommend a 2008 Martin Codax. Get the recipe now, impress the significant with your culinary skills – this is a relatively easy dish and is absolutely amazing!

We hope to see you unwind this summer at the Cork Bar, especially during “Sangria Alegre”, our happy hour inspired with Spanish cocktails and spirits. Or stop by for a quick sangria as your shopping the Riverwalk.

Have a great summer! If you make Drew’s Dish make sure to give him feedback on our Facebook page, we’re always curious on our foodies thoughts!

Here’s the recipe!

Prepares: 2 Salads
Ingredients:

1 ea, Tomato, Red beef steak, thinly sliced
1 ea, Tomato, Yellow beef steak, thinly sliced
2 oz, Spring Mix
1 oz, Croutons
2 oz, Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
2 oz, Button Mushrooms, Roasted
2 oz, Shitake Mushrooms, Roasted
2 oz, Oyster Mushrooms, Roasted
2 ea, Piquillio Peppers, Sliced
2 oz, Cannellini Beans, Cooked
1 oz, Corn Kenels
To Taste, Pimenton
4 oz, Calamari, Bodies and Tentacles
2 ea, Diver Scallops
2 ea, White Anchovies, Boqueron’s
1 ea, Hard Boiled Egg, Sliced
To Taste, Salt and Pepper
Garnish, Pilment Espelete

Method:

1. Prepare tomato rings using ring molds
2. Toss spring mix with croutons and hardboiled egg and vinaigrette.
3. Place salad into tomato mold
4. Toss mushrooms corn and white beans together season with salt and pepper and vinaigrette
5. Season calamari with salt and pepper and pimenton, sear in hot saute pan
6. Season scallop with salt and pepper and pimenton, sear in hot saute pan and cook to medium rare
7. Slice calamari and scallop and place into plate
8. Garnish plate with mushroom salad

That’s right, we’ve got an “App” for that!

Mmmmm..... Delicious - Patatas Bravas and Crispy Leeks and Spicy Garlic Harissa (Dinner Menu)

We’ve got tasty “app”etizers as part of our Tapas selection (view menus). We have Shrimp ala Plancha with Salsa Romesco and Smoked Sea Salt which is perfect to start off the night, or try our Patatas Bravas and Crispy Leeks and Spicy Garlic Harissa (pictured). Enjoy a nice small dish on the Riverwalk in our outdoor dining, it’s picture perfect trust us – also try our our Spanish wines and Sangria which highly complement your app. Whatever your craving, we’ve got an “app” for that!

All puns aside, we do have an app! Reserve a table online now at Las Ramblas! You can check for available seating on OpenTable, from your computer or on your mobile phone. For iPhones, just go to the App Store and download the “OpenTable” app and search for “Las Ramblas”. Save time and a table using OpenTable.

Seared Foie Gras with Almond French Toast and Berry Salsa

This month’s decadent dish comes from Andrew Gutierrez, Executive Sous Chef of Las Ramblas, a member our Award-Winning Culinary team. Andrew “Drew” Gutierrez has aided Brian West (Executive Chef) and Shane Bruns (Director of Food & Beverage) at numerous outings including New World Food and Wine Festival events and showcases, March of Dimes: Chef Auction, and Pearl Brewery tastings.

Andrew’s approach to cuisine is passionate, refined, and encompasses a variety of flavors that could excite anyone’s palate. His Seared Foie Gras with Almond French Toast and Berry Salsa is no exception. While the actual recipe may be daunting at first it’s easier than you think! A truly ideal dish to impress that special someone this Valentine’s Day or a dinner party. Here’s the Video Recipe walking through most all the parts, but please read the recipe in full before cooking as there is a decent amount of prep work that should be done before cooking the foie gras.

Please provide us with comments, questions, any feedback would be appreciative as this is our first video recipe we’ve done. Look for more to come soon!

Seared Foie Gras with Almond French Toast and Berry Salsa

Ingredients

Foie Gras

1. 2oz                  Foie Gras, cleaned and sliced
2. tt                      Fleur de Sel, large flake
3. tt                      Cracked Black Peppercorn

Berry Salsa

1. 1 oz                 Mango, small dice
2. 1 oz                 Strawberries, small dice
3. 1 oz                 Blackberries, sliced in half
4. 1 oz                 Blueberries, sliced in half
5. 1 tsp                Mint, chiffonade
6. 1 tbsp              Sugar, powered
7. 2 tbsp              Meyers dark rum

French Toast Batter

1. 2 oz                 Milk
2. 2 oz                 Heavy Cream
3. 1 oz                 Sugar
4. 1 ea                  Whole egg
5. 1 tbsp              Almond extracts

French Toast and Caramelized Banana

1. 1 ea                  Texas Toast, slice
2. 2 tbsp              Almond, slices
3. 1 tbsp              Sugar, granulated
4. 1 tbsp              Butter, whole cubed
5. ¼ ea                 Banana, sliced
6. 2 tbsp              Sugar, granulated
7. 1 tsp                Cinnamon, powdered

Saffron Honey

1. 2 oz                 Honey
2. 1 pinch          Saffron threads

Candied Almonds

1. 2 oz                 Sliced Almonds
2. 1 tbsp              Powdered Sugar
3. 1 tsp                Water

Preparation Order

Berry Salsa, Saffron Honey, French Toast Batter, Candied Almonds, Foie Gras, Caramelized French Toast and Banana

Preparation

Berry Salsa

1. Combine mango and berries in stainless steel bowl.
2. Add powdered sugar, mint, and rum
3. Toss all ingredients together and let sit for flavors to merry

Saffron Honey

1. Pour honey into small sauce pan over medium heat
2. Place saffron threads into honey
3. Warm together until saffron is steeped and color is rendered
4. Set aside at keep at room temp

French Toast Batter

1. Combine all ingredients together until well incorporated

Candied Almonds

1. Place almonds and powdered sugar in bowl and combine
2. Drizzle water over almond sugar mixture and stir to combine almonds should have tacky feel
3. Place almonds onto sheet tray and place into 350 degree oven and toast.
4. Toast for approximately 10-15 min until golden brown and crispy

Foie Gras

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat non stick sauté pan over med high heat
3. Season foie gras with sea salt and pepper
4. Lay foie gras into hot pan and sear approximately 30-45 secs until golden brown
5. Flip over foie gras slices and place in 350 degree oven 2 to 3 min until cooked medium rare. Keep in a warm place.

French Toast and Caramelized Banana

1. Heat non-stick sauté pan over medium heat

1. Cut Texas toast into round using 3 inch round cutter
2. Combine almonds and sugar onto plate
3. Combine sugar and cinnamon onto plate
4. Place butter into pan and let melt
5. Dip Texas toast into French toast batter and dredge into almond sugar mixture and place into pan.
6. Dredge banana slice into cinnamon sugar.
7. Place banana into same non stick sauté pan as toast
8. Cook toast and banana on one side until golden brown approximately 2 minutes and flip both over and cook until golden brown on the other side. Remove both from pan and reserve

Plate Presentation

1. Place Texas toast round on plate
2. Place banana on top of toast round
3. Stack foie gras slices over toast and banana
4. Spoon berries over foie gras and around plate
5. Drizzle foie gras fat over berries and around plate
6. Drizzle  saffron honey over berries and around plate
7. Garnish with candied almonds

Andrew Gutierrez - Executive Sous Chef for Las Ramblas

Braised Lamb Shank with Spanish Sherry Demi as prepared by Executive Chef of Las Ramblas, Brian West

This decadent recipe comes from one of San Antonio’s finest chefs, Brian West, Executive Chef of Las Ramblas at the Hotel Contessa.

Ingredients

6 Lamb Shanks
1 cup red wine
3 carrots, peeled, rough chopped
15 roma tomatoes, rough chopped
3 onions, rough chopped
5 guajillos
2 oranges, cut in half
4 cinammon sticks
1 1/2 Bay leaves
1/2 ounce Fresh thyme
1/2 ounce Fresh Oregano
veal stock (enough to cover meat)
2 cups sherry
butter

Directions

Season lamb shanks and sear off in saute pan. Read More