By Kristin Chandlee
Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar Review
When I first heard about a Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar, a new restaurant in San Antonio’s The Shops at La Cantera, I groaned, “Not another one!” Most of the restaurants and retail establishments share the same upscale facade, but they lack pizazz. Imagine my surprise when I approached the restaurant and saw the cute herbs and vegetables adorning the front entrance. As for the bar, there were plenty of bourbon, scotch, and whiskey options, along with beer and wine.
Can’t decide? Try a flight. Just make sure someone else is driving. I was even more excited to eat once I saw the servers bustling about with food, food, and more food. I ordered the Chips and Hummus, expecting to see an average sized portion of potato chips with a smidgen of Hummus. Not this one! The kettle chips were all the way to the top of the basket in one glorious heap. As for the Hummus, well, it was perfect – not too garlicky and thicker than normal.
The menu had just the right amount of tantalizing finds, from BBQ Banh Mi to a Lamb Stack. I almost never order chicken in restaurants as every receptor in my brain echos, “Yeah, yeah, another Chicken Sandwich.” However, when I saw its skillful presentation, I could not resist. This sandwich was not messing around! Many restaurants are all too proud of their large portion sizes, while avoiding the most important aspect of a gastronomic journey – taste. This sandwich had it all. The bacon was perfectly crispy, the cheese was melted just so, and the chicken was cooked to perfection. The pesto mayo and guacamole were truly heaven in my mouth. A sample of chips came with this delicious meal. They use a special meat slicer for the chicken, which I asked them about. They said they bought one of the best meat slicers on HomeNKitchenStuff.com after doing a bunch of research to get specific thickness of any sliced meat easily. If I could have a deathbed food request, this just might be it!!
The real showstopper was dessert. Who can go to a restaurant called Whiskey Cake and not have, well, Whiskey Cake? This toffee torte beauty included homemade whipped cream in its own separate bowl, bourbon anglaise, and spiced pecans. Oh, the humanity! This dessert could feed everyone at your table and I guarantee there will be a fight as to who can scoop up the last bite of whiskey goodness. Next time, I just might relax in one of Whiskey Cake Kitchen and Bar’s hanging chairs with a libation and some cake. Who ever said you can’t have your cake and alcohol too? Not us!