For quick bites, we headed to Mi Roti at the Bottling Department Food Hall at the Pearl, where Chefs Nicola and Lionel “Butch” Blache serve up Caribbean-inspired street foods, like a customizable jerk chicken bowl that didn’t hold back on the spice and a fudgy brownie studded with rum raisins, a clever way to introduce Caribbean flair to an American standard.

San Antonio is an American city that feels like no other. It carries the distinction from UNESCO as being named one of only two “Creative Cities of Gastronomy” in the U.S. (Tucson is the other), citing the San Antonio’s wide-ranging culinary heritage, including Mexican, Spanish, Indigenous, Asian and African, as well as its support of innovative culinary endeavors. The Flavor & The Menu team wanted to experience that mix of authenticity and creativity firsthand, so we set off on a flavor scouting trip, seeking out the dishes, flavors and ingredients that are driving culinary innovation in San Antonio.