New Braunfels Edition | February 2022

DINING FEATURE

BY WARREN BROWN

ITALIAN COMFORT FOR ALL Some people require their food to be handled in specic ways to avoid allergens. The sta at 188 South are meticulous to accommodate such needs. Here are some of the dishes with a gluten- free option.

(Photos by Warren Brown/Community Impact Newspaper)

ShrimpScampi is made with garlic, white wine, lemon and butter, and it is available with gluten-free toast.

Pizza #13 is made with Italian sausage, dates, red bell pepper, goat cheese, asiago, roasted garlic puree and crushed red pepper.

Focaccia bread is available in either the gluten-free or standard recipe and served with a balsamic drizzle.

188 South Italian comfort food is made fresh with local ingredients A t 188 South, chef Diego Obando Sancho has crafted a menu of Italian comfort food made with fresh ingredients, which are sourced from local producers whenever possi- ble with some herbs even grown on-site.

can be modied for sensitive diets. The chef had initially been hesitant to the idea but has fully embraced the need for such a menu. Fried gluten-free menu items are cooked in their own fryer, and gluten-free pasta can be carefully prepared with clean kitchen utensils and pasta water by request to prevent allergen cross-contamination. Gluten-free pizza receives similar attention. Even the focaccia bread served with meals can be substituted with a gluten-free recipe if desired. “People sometimes don’t even believe that,” Obando Sancho said, noting the parity of avor between options, but also the lack of similar oerings from other restaurants. Much of the kitchen’s prep work is done painstakingly, with pasta, bread and all manner of dish components made in house. Tonic for drinks is also homemade and is used in some of the bar’s signature drinks. “It’s a labor of love,” Borden said. “We’re not going to cut the corners and … we’re not going to do things that are going to jeopardize the quality that we expect out of ourselves.”

From left: Assistant Manager Jennifer Kinsella, General Manager Chadd Borden and Chef Diego Obando Sancho of 188 South.

While this separates 188 South’s fare from most chain restaurants and some of its locally owned peers, the feather in the proverbial cap is the accessibility of the menu. Many of the dishes produced by Obando Sancho and his kitchen can be made gluten free or tailored to other sensitive diets, said General Manager Chadd Borden. Italian food, renowned for its liberal use of pasta and cheese, is typically unavailable to people with certain food allergies, or they have a very limited selection. 188 South took a dierent approach. “It’s not just going somewhere where you can have gluten-free options, but an amount [of options] where you can actually make a decision and then an environment where you actually trust it,” Borden said. Borden has been gluten free for ve years and collaborates with Obando Sancho on dishes that

188 South 188 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels 830-609-9194 www.188southnbtx.com Hours: Tue.-Sat. 3-9 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022