The Final Four and San Antonio: Food recommendations from Spurs past and present
SAN ANTONIO — After De'Aaron Fox sparked the San Antonio Spurs to a recent win over the Dallas Mavericks, the discussion in the locker room turned from basketball to food. Backup point guard Blake Wesley began describing his affinity for a dish at one of his favorite restaurants.
'I like the seasoned chicken with mac and cheese at Down on Grayson,' Wesley said.
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From his nearby locker, Fox, still somewhat new to San Antonio after the Spurs acquired him from the Sacramento Kings via trade in early February, overheard Wesley's conversation.
'Down on Grayson?' Fox asked. 'Is that a place here?'
'Yeah, it's at The Pearl,' Wesley responded.
This was all foreign to Fox, whose time in the Alamo City since the trade had been minimal. He joined the team in the early stages of its annual rodeo road trip, a 10-game sojourn sandwiched this season around the All-Star break. There hadn't been much time to explore the culinary scene in his new NBA city.
The Pearl — officially The Historic Pearl — describes itself as 'a vibrant destination for food, shopping and entertainment in San Antonio.' Located on the site of the former Pearl Brewery, The Pearl spans over 22 acres and includes restaurants, shops, music clubs, a boutique hotel and a campus of the Culinary Institute of America that specializes in Latin-American cuisine.
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When it comes to dining in San Antonio, Spurs players and support personnel have strong preferences. Wesley was one of several who shared a few for the benefit of thousands of hoops fans expected for the men's NCAA Final Four at the Alamodome. Semifinal games will tip off Saturday, and the championship game will take place Monday night.
Among the 17 restaurants recommended for Final Four visitors by Spurs personnel, four are in The Pearl complex, which is roughly two miles north of downtown San Antonio.
The maven of Spurs-related dining prowess is Sean Elliott. A Spurs player for 11 seasons (1989-93 and 1994-2001), Elliott is a two-time All-Star and a member of the first Spurs NBA championship team in 1999. He retired in 2001, and the club hired him in 2004 as a color analyst on its locally produced telecasts.
(1999) "Memorial Day Miracle." Spurs were down 18 in the WCF before Sean Elliot hits this three to give them their first lead of the game. pic.twitter.com/bVH2VMJjdF
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 29, 2017
Elliott, whose No. 32 jersey was retired by the Spurs in 2005, honed his taste buds during his three-plus decades living and working in San Antonio. The guidance of this 57-year-old devotee of fine dining deserves special attention from anyone searching for food options within a short drive — maybe even an enjoyable walk — from the Alamodome during Final Four weekend.
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'I've got plenty of recommendations,' Elliott said. 'For openers, I love all of my guy Jason Dady's places.'
Dady is a celebrated San Antonio chef who has appeared on Food Network's 'Iron Chef Gauntlet' and 'Beat Bobby Flay' shows, among others. Dady is also a favorite of Spurs coach and noted gourmet Gregg Popovich. Dady owns five restaurants in or near San Antonio, and all of them are on Elliott's list: Tre Trattoria (Tuscan-Italian cuisine), Range (Tuscan-Italian), Jardin (Mediterranean), Two Bros BBQ Market (Texas pit-smoked barbecue) and Tre Pizzeria (Italian pizza and pasta located in Boerne, Texas, roughly 35 minutes away from San Antonio).
'They're all great,' Elliott said, 'but I especially love Tre Trattoria on the river.'
A post shared by Tre Trattoria (@tre_trattoria)
The city's scenic, rustic River Walk, defined as a popular destination for tourists, lines the San Antonio River, which flows through a long stretch of downtown. A number of the restaurants listed below help make the River Walk draw its many visitors. The river runs past The Pearl as it winds towards the downtown area.
Several dining establishments further on the outskirts of town also have found favor with the Spurs over the years, a few prized by Elliott.
'Clementine is another of my favorites,' he said. 'For a long time, the fried quail there has been one of my favorite entrées. They also have a chicken dish, simply grilled and served with rice cakes, that is out of this world.
'Another one of my spots, not too far from downtown, that a lot of people don't know about is The Magpie. It is a hidden gem. They serve kind of a combination of French-Vietnamese cuisine. The chef might not agree that it's more French than Vietnamese, but it is spectacular food. And it's right there on Houston (Street), not all that far from The Alamodome.'
A tad farther from downtown are two of Elliott's favorite Mexican restaurants.
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'I love El Catrin and Guajillo's, a couple of my favorites that people don't know much about,' he said. 'A couple of others I love: Le Frite, Belgian cuisine, down in King William District, and obviously, I love Bliss.
Bliss is where Elliott and three of his best friends — fellow Spurs greats David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili — hosted Victor Wembanyama for a welcome dinner after the French star's arrival in San Antonio following the 2023 NBA Draft.
The intimate eatery, long a favorite of Spurs players and front-office personnel, describes its offerings as 'upscale, contemporary American cuisine with an emphasis on seasons and fresh local ingredients.'
A post shared by BLISS (@bliss_texas)
One Spurs player may be more devoted to restaurants than Elliott. Backup center-forward Sandro Mamukelashvili insists his plans include opening a restaurant of his own. A native of the Republic of Georgia, Mamukelashvili has found the lack of restaurants serving Georgian dishes — in San Antonio and elsewhere around the league — are somewhat alarming. His solution is to open one.
'There is nothing close to a Georgian restaurant here,' Mamukelashvili said, 'but someday I will open one (in San Antonio). I'm trying to, hopefully, if I am still (with the Spurs).'
Though there are minimal Georgian food options in South Texas, Mamukelashvili has his preferences when he dines out.
'There is nice Spanish food at Toro (Kitchen + Bar),' he said. 'I love going there.'
Among Mamukelashvili's other favorite San Antonio stops are Best Quality Daughter (Asian-American cuisine) and Brasserie Mon Chou Chou (French).
'I like the cashew chicken at Best Quality Daughter, but there is lots of unbelievably good stuff in there', Mamukelashvili said, 'I've been to Mon Chou Chou with my mom every time she comes to visit. And, there is a good brunch spot in the hotel (Hotel Emma) in The Pearl called Supper; it's the best breakfast in town. Amazing spot. Everything's great, but the French toast you wouldn't believe.'
A post shared by Brasserie Mon Chou Chou ✨️ (@brasseriemonchouchou)
There were Spurs players who touted steakhouses as must-stops. One of the restaurants, J-Prime Steakhouse, got endorsements from both Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie. Johnson, who has spent six seasons in San Antonio, is the longest-tenured Spur.
Champagnie's choice at J-Prime isn't always beef.
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'They've got the best lobster mac and cheese I've ever tasted,' Champagnie said. 'If you like that, go there.'
The Spurs player with the most diverse ethnic background had some of the more interesting choices among international cuisines. Jeremy Sochan was born in Oklahoma to an American father and Polish mother. He played last summer for Team Poland in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain. He was raised in England and then started his pro career with a club in Germany.
Sochan calls himself 'a citizen of the world,' and he enjoys Japanese food in San Antonio. Nigiri, a type of sushi consisting of a small ball of vinegared rice topped with raw seafood, is one of his go-to options.
'My favorite restaurants are Shiro and their sister restaurant called Yozora,' he said. 'I love any type of their nigiri, especially with yellowtail.'
Sochan added that he is a fan of Peruvian food. He frequents Leche de Tigre (318 E. Cevallos) and has a favorite dish at the Peruvian restaurant.
A post shared by Leche de Tigre (@lechedetigretx)
'I love their yucca fries,' Sochan said. 'With the sauce they have, (they're) delicious.'
Harrison Barnes, the only current San Antonio player with an NBA championship ring (he won with the Golden State Warriors in 2015), agrees with Sochan on his choice of Leche de Tigre. He also concurred with Wesley on Best Quality Daughter and endorsed Toro, one of Mamukelashvili's picks.
When asked to pick one dish that might epitomize dining in San Antonio, Elliott stuck with true Mexican cuisine, but not what locals like to call 'Tex-Mex.'
'More than anything, we're known for Mexican food, so I would say it would be the mole poblano at Guajillo's,' Elliott said. 'That's a dish that I enjoy. That's my very favorite Mexican dish in town.'
(Writer's note: Both 19-year veteran point guard Chris Paul and standout rookie guard Stephon Castle have personal chefs and said they don't go out to eat when the team is at home. Wembanyama has not spoken to the media since a blood clot in his right shoulder was discovered on Feb. 20 and is out for the remainder of the season.)
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