Rick R.
Yelp
Reviewing Supper, we found ourselves on the horns of a dilemma: Features worthy of praise, features earning disapproval. Here are our thoughts today.
This black Friday, Marjan and I recommended lunch at Supper, meeting friends visiting from out of town. We had previously enjoyed an evening dinner with a colleague from Japan about 2 years ago, and the dining experience was remarkable.
Supper is the celebrated restaurant found within Hotel Emma, the hotel reborn from 1890s service as a brewery. The hotel sits midst the bustling Pearl complex, with several noteworthy eateries within a stone's throw distance from the front door. There is a parking garage left of the hotel entrance, but we chose valet parking for the convenience.
Hotel Emma is a visual treat. Entering, one faces a two (three ?) story library, guarded by floor to ceiling glass, and serviced by wooden ladders one would find in a turn of the century bibliotheca. Right of entry, one faces a HUGE piece of industrial equipment, coloured in fire engine red, the piece a relic of previous service in the brewery. Walking right, hallways lead to shops, and right of the hallway is found our destination: Supper.
There is a smallish bar, with seating for perhaps 8 or 9 patrons, and moving left, the main dining area. The style reminds one of, again, a turn of the century bistro. The design somewhat industrial, very pleasing to the eye. We chose dining on the patio, (Marjan's perennial preference), the lunch hour cool and crisp. Kudos for the overhead heaters, linear, easily warming patrons seated against the wall of Supper. The view from our vantage, the well traveled walkways that serpentine along the San Antonio Riverwalk, Anyone in for people watching?? Should weather permit, we think diners would enjoy patio seating.
We were immediately greeted by Luke our waiter, pleasant and knowledgeable of menu features. Our party was somewhat surprised with the abbreviated menu on this Friday at 1:00 o'clock, the actual brunch menu usually offered on Sundays. We ordered apertifs all round, and unhappily, there was a delay in delivery that we considered surprising, given the reputation of the restaurant.
Brunch orders in, we thought the delay in delivery again, less than ideal. Marjan ordered their burger, the burger finished medium rare as preferred, the spicing, pleasing, delicious. I ordered eggs benedict, and compared to my gold standard of pulled pork Benedict Verde at Snooze, delicious, yet a cut below that standard. Sided with Marjan's and my dish: delicious potato wedges. We would definitely recommend the benedicts and the burger.
One member of our group ordered chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican dish of fried corn tortillas, matched with over easy eggs, but here, missing, the integral salsa, and deficient in sour cream. The dish was returned to the kitchen and was immediately remedied, but the overall dish was considered less than inspired.
After our meal, we ordered a round of digestifs. Unhappily, the delay in delivery from the bar...excessive.
The physical plant and the environment surrounding the Hotel and the restaurant make for a delightful visit. But we thought the delay in service from the kitchen, from the bar, and the preparation of the chilaquiles less than worthy of this celebrated restaurant. We will definitely visit Supper again, but might prefer their lunch and dinner menu items. We look forward to fellow Yelper experiences!!
