Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tex-Mex
249
Mi Tierra
Tex-Mex on the Square
San Antonio, Texas
Forget the Alamo—San Antonio has always
been one of Texas's most cosmopolitan
cities, one of the first settlements to wel-
come Spanish missionaries and host a 19th-
century influx of Germans (at one time
more German was spoken here than Span-
ish or English). But the south-of-the-border
connection is still strong, as you can see
any day on colorful Market Square. In the
19th century, Market Square's first restau-
rants were makeshift stalls where a bunch
of Mexican-American women dubbed the
Chili Queens sold chili con carne and tama-
les to a raffish crowd of cafe crawlers.
Nowadays the square's indoor El Mercado
bustles with craft stalls, and the Farmer's
Market Plaza is peppered on weekends
with stands selling
gorditas
(chubby corn
cakes topped with a variety of goodies) or
funnel cakes (fried dough sprinkled with
powdered sugar).
Right on this historic square, the Cortez
family has been serving Tex-Mex food in its
lively, casual Mi Tierra cafe since 1941. This
isn't fusion Tex-Mex or Mexican regional
cooking; it's the enchiladas and flautas that
first translated Mexican cuisine for Ameri-
can palates years ago, but with fresh ingre-
dients and hearty portions that remind you
of what Tex-Mex once was before Taco Bell
took over. Many a lesser joint has copied
the look of this place, with its brown tile
floors and adobe walls hung with year-
round Christmas lights (though few can
also afford to provide the strolling
trova-
dores
singing Mexican
canciones
). Don't
get sidetracked by the
mole
or the fine cuts
of steak—that's not why you're here. Start
with the
botanas
platter, which offers a
good smattering of dishes, such as flautas
and mini tostadas, then move on to the
classic Tex-Mex enchiladas bathed in chili
gravy, with refried beans on the side. Mi
Tierra is also known for its traditional
panadería
bakery (the same baker has
been in charge since 1957), which pro-
duces wonderful Mexican
pan dulce
. Try
one of their sugary
polvorones
cookies
along with a cup of coffee or Mexican-style
hot chocolate.
Sure, you do see plenty of out-of-town-
ers dining at Mi Tierra—the location
couldn't be more tourist-friendly—but you
see a lot more locals, especially late at
night (it's open 24/7). You may pay a cou-
ple of dollars more here than you would at
a Tex-Mex joint on San Pedro, but it's well
worth it. Come here for breakfast and get
your cheese enchilada and chili gravy with
a fried egg on top—that'll get your day off
to the right start.
218 Produce Row (
&
210/225-1262;
www.mitierracafe.com).
(
San Antonio (9
2
⁄
3
miles/15km).
L
$$$
Emily Morgan,
705 E. Houston
St. (
&
800/824-6674
or 210/225-5100;
www.emilymorganhotel.com). $$
Havana
Riverwalk Inn,
1015 Navarro (
&
888/224-
2008
or 210/222-2008; www.havanariver
walkinn.com).
