Cascarones!
This is what the crowd yells at the end of Oysterbake during the San Antonio Fiesta. At least that's what we yelled at the end of Oysterbake as we crushed cascarones, or confetti eggs, on the heads of people we knew as well as friends we hadn't met yet. I'm opposed to expressing myself with all caps and superfluous exclamation marks, but if it helps you get a mental picture, it might have been something like "CASCARONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And then, maybe, if I was really feeling it "yayayayaya!"
This was the big payoff of a road trip Saturday that began in Waco a little after 8 in the morning and ended somewhere near the St. Mary's University campus where I downed a couple of spectacular homemade tacos.
Fiesta has been celebrated in San Antonio since the late 19th century and honors the battles of The Alamo and San Jacinto. I learned these facts after the fact, but it still somehow enriches the experience. All I knew going in was that some friends said, "Hey, come down to San Antonio for Oysterbake" and I said, "Yeah, sounds good." We ended up visiting The Alamo on Sunday to show it off to an Iowa native who had never seen our state's most noble and historic building. So we properly celebrated Fiesta.
It ended up being an informative experience for me as a food and restaurant blogger as well. To that end, here are the top 5 food items I encountered in the 36-hour road trip.
5. Soft-serve chocolate and vanilla twist ice cream — I know this seems kind of plain, but I can't how express how perfect it was, especially as it served to mediate everything else in my stomach at that moment. The ice cream helped me rally.
4. Oyster shot — This is not some sort of liquor. It's just an oyster in a little sample cup with some Tabasco sauce on it. I was at Oysterbake and needed to have at least one oyster. And I liked it.
3. Steak on a stick — I couldn't wrap my mind around this before I actually had one in my hand. I was thinking of a filet or ribeye with a stake through it. And I was trying to picture myself gnawing it like a ravenous pit bull. However, it was more like skirt steak and came off the skewer fairly easily. It was also delicious.
2. Chorizo and eggs breakfast tacos — We enjoyed Sunday brunch at a downtown location called Taco Garage. I love chorizo.
1. Chalupa Robert — Upon arriving in San Antonio, we were directed by a local to meet him at El Milagrito Cafe where he also recommended the Chalupa Robert. The chalupa came piled high with beans, picadillo, cheese, a fried egg, red hot sauce and guacamole. Number one with a bullet. No doubt.
