by Ron Bechtol
Upscale With a Good Neighborhood Vibe
Cappyccino’s, the little brother (or sister—we’re nothing if not equal
opportunity) to Cappy’s, thinks of itself as an upscale watering hole with
a neighborhood vibe. And, sure enough, on my last visit I ran into an old
friend I hadn’t seen in two years or so. Shame on both of us. But thanks
to Cappy and Suzy Lawton for providing a welcoming forum for
reconnection; the place just has that effect.
Thanks, too, for offering a menu that, though it appears to change
little, is consistently dependable and occasionally even inspirational. I’m
talking about you, Kobe beef burger, though the Broken Arrow antelope
version with tomato-bacon jam, new to me, is not to be overlooked. Not
at all new, but always tempting, is the white chili with grilled chicken; it
may be a tad ’09 for no-bean chili purists just as the basil pesto and grilled
chicken pizza might cause old-school sorts to sniff — but it never fails to
satisfy, especially on a blustery winter day. Which, this time, seemed to
call for investigating another soup, the daily special Gorgonzola
and broccoli.
“It’s actually very good,” said my waiter, almost apologetically. And
indeed it was, providing comforting companionship to a poblano chicken
quesadilla. Quesadilla purists (admittedly less numerous and vocal than
their chili counterparts) might object to the use of yellow cheese, but the
whole flavorful package seemed to work admirably, right down to the
chunky guacamole and the potato chips that are so often perfunctory but
here are house-made, lustily seasoned and utterly irresistible.
Also unfortunately too good is the sticky toffee pudding with warm
butterscotch sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Dessert crepes
such as the lemon drop, not common currency in San Antonio, are another
temptation, especially when paired with the likes of a Café Godiva with,
yes, luxury chocolate.
As both bistro and bar, Cappyccino’s also does not neglect its more
potent liquid offerings; it sports, for example, an extremely impressive
list of Scotches, both single-malt and blended. Classic cocktails such as
the French 75 and Dark ‘n’ Stormy share space with creative concoctions
such as the Gin Crisp with lime, agave nectar and celery juice. Maybe I’ll
begin to think Crisp in the spring, when making a new friend (celery juice
in this case) might seem as appealing as reconnecting with an old one.
