North San Antonio Edition | February 2023

DINING FEATURE

BY EDMOND ORTIZ

Aldaco’s features an array of dishes and handcrafted cocktails. (Courtesy Aldaco’s)

Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine owner Blanca Aldaco (left), seen here with sta member Georgina Torres, said her Stone Oak restaurant also oers space for private dining and cooking classes. (Edmond Ortiz/Community Impact) Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine Longtime restaurateur oers cantina-style dining in Stone Oak B lanca Aldaco, owner of Stone Oak restaurant Alda- co’s Mexican Cuisine, said location and moved in 1999 to the now-former Sunset Station near downtown. salad,” which patrons may enjoy as a whole meal if they wish. “The Centerpiece was created

A HOT DISH: The Centerpiece ($14.99):

Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine 20079 Stone Oak Parkway, Ste. 4100, San Antonio 210-494-0561 www.aldacosrestaurants.com Hours: Sun., Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Add-ons: For a few more dollars, add chicken, beef, shrimp or carne asada a la brava. PHOTO COURTESY ALDACO’S Originated in 1995 as a “lettuce- less salad” Ingredients: tomatoes, avocado, red onions, grilled zucchini, chiles toreados, grilled queso panela

everything from her employees to the eatery’s aesthetics provide traditional, cantina-style dining. “Cantina-style is lively and not formal, but it’s still prestigious and elevated. Cantina-style can mean this is the hangout and place to be in the neighborhood,” Aldaco said. “I take a lot of pride in our food, service and cleanliness that are projected to our sta and to our clients.” Aldaco, her family and sta have had more than three decades to foster a positive reputation among local diners. A native of Guada- lajara, Mexico, Aldaco opened Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine in 1989 on the eastern edge of downtown San Antonio. According to Aldaco, the original eatery outgrew its rst

Aldaco said a chance opportunity led her to move the restaurant to Stone Oak in March 2008, fullling a desire to operate a location in North San Antonio. “There’s been a lot of trial and tribulations, and lots of blood, sweat and tears. The hardest thing is being in the restaurant business, because we spend more time away from our families than we spend at home,” Aldaco said. Aldaco said longtime and newer fans of her restaurant have made popular dishes of several menu items, including chile relleno, carne asada, shrimp enchiladas, Pollo Aldaco’s—grilled chicken breast covered in a signature sauce—and The Centerpiece, a shareable dish that Aldaco described as a large “lettuce-less

to be a companion for your meal. Bring it to the center of the table, and it can be shared amongst the group. It can also accompany your own meal,” Aldaco said. Aldaco also said some of the restaurant’s margaritas and dishes have received numerous awards and accolades, including the Mar- tini Azteca, made with El Perrito Tequila Gold, which received the best cocktail award at the 2022 Texas Restaurant Association’s Lone Star Bash. Aldaco said she owes much of her restaurant’s success to her employees, a few of whom have worked with her since the eatery’s inception. “Luckily for us, we have a solid team. They’ve become like a fam- ily. They’re very loyal,” she said.

MESA RANCH

FEATURING

APPLIANCES • CABINETRY • CARPET • COUNTERTOPS • HARDWARE LIGHTING • PLUMBING • SINKS • TILE • WOOD FLOORING

139 KENLEY PLACE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78232 512-614-4298 CONTACT US FOR AN APPOINTMENT

INFO@MCSURFACESINC.COM WWW.MCSURFACESINC.COM

HOME ENHANCEMENT FULL SERVICE REMODELING SAN ANTONIO, TX

Transform your countertops and walls with a beautiful, ultra compact surface that won’t scratch or fade over time.

NORTH SAN ANTONIO EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023