By Mike Kostyo
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.
Mike Kostyo is the VP of Menu Matters, a private consultancy that works with foodservice professionals to analyze, understand and leverage food and beverage, industry and consumer trends. Kostyo has been a recurring guest on Fusion TV’s “The A.V. Club” show; has been featured on NBC News, CBS Radio and Gimlet Media’s “Why We Eat What We Eat” podcast; is regularly featured in newspapers and magazines; speaks at numerous conferences across the country; and was a judge on Food Network’s “Eating America.” For over a decade, he was the resident Trendologist and an Associate Director at Datassential, one of the food industry's leading insights companies. Kostyo has a master’s in Gastronomy from Boston University, plus certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine and artisan cheese production. He is a regular contributor to Flavor & The Menu and can be reached at ISSUE
