San Antonio chefs Steve McHugh and Robert Cantu to helm eateries at luxury hotel opening in February

By Nina Rangel | San Antonio Current

Thompson San Antonio, San Antonio’s first luxury hotel to open in five years, has roped in the culinary talents of two local heavy hitters: chefs Steve McHugh and Robert Cantu.

McHugh—a five-time James Beard Award finalist and chef-owner of Cured at the Pearl—will helm Landrace, a 200-seat eatery on the hotel’s ground floor that will highlight regional providers of quail, pork and produce. The hotel and both restaurants are scheduled to open next month.

“Landrace is a dream realized for me, as I have been envisioning and working on the concept for some time,” McHugh said in a release. “The menu will showcase my fascination with local ingredients and the unique products grown in Texas as we celebrate the natural flavors and nuances of the seasons in collaboration with Texas’ heritage farmers and growers.”

Dishes at Landrace tentatively include a savory Wagyu beef tartare with smoked crème fraiche, quail egg and American caviar as well as an oven-roasted delicata squash with pomegranates and rye berry pilaf.

Meanwhile, Robert Cantu, a San Antonio native who’s cooked throughout Texas and the Midwest, will lead The Moon’s Daughters, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and bar on the 20-story hotel’s rooftop.

Cantu will serve a variety of small plates featuring ingredients such as charred and preserved lemon, local honey, roasted pistachios, local eggplant, fried mint and Marcona almonds. Lamb Ragu and Seared Black Bass will round out its entree options.

The Thompson San Antonio hotel is scheduled to open February 18, according to its website. The pricey lodging—a standard room starts at $300—is accepting reservations for room stays beginning March 1.

McHugh’s Landrace is scheduled to open February 18, while Cantu’s The Moon’s Daughter will open Feb. 20.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

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