Avocado Club is a recent endeavor. But you’d think it had a longer, more charismatic history, based on its sophisticated and creative menu, which seems to demonstrate how to introduce curious new dishes and give standard entrees new flavors and textures.
Its location is second-story, steep stairs for those who consider such things. But once atop the building, there’s an immediate glow of sky and sun, a refreshing coolness and what seems like an eye-level view of the mountaintops. In only a few short months, Avocado Club has assembled a club of regulars, a temple for brunch. Something seldom mentioned about the charm of a restaurant are the friends and friendly faces who visit it. Expect that at AC. The company at meals makes a big difference.
The menu features dining adventures. And sometimes eating out should be an adventure, meaning daring to try interesting combinations of breakfast standards and luncheon specialties. With a good stiff drink or a gentle cocktail.
For example, one of my companions had Baked Oysters Rockefeller, a pearly Aztec necklace of eight large oysters — neatly coated with a light cheese and bacon topping. And presented on a large platter like a party gift. As a second course, she had a cream cheese and salmon bagel with Hollandaise.
Another companion went boringly conservative with eggs done {estrellados tiernos} (over easy). These came with wee chunks of golden potatoes and crunchy bacon. The eggs had a nice delicate coating at I estimate an easy two-second flip.
My third guest ordered the inspired crunchy avocado salad, a creative dish that is not breakfast and not lunch: chickpeas, tomatoes, avocado oil, olives, feta and boiled eggs. When I asked why an avocado salad had no avocados, our waiter was bemused, as if I asked for a horse-mounted ride to Oaxaca. For avocados, one had to go to just about any other selection. As a salad, it was a nicely-dressed mix of food groups.
My own choice was the butter chicken pot pie. And it was like none I’d ever eaten before. The pie crust was flaky and tender like filo pastry and sat as a topping on the pie bowl. But the surprise was the filling, chicken chunks with peas and corn in a soupy, spicy curry sauce. There is nothing better in dining than common dishes catching you by surprise with some special recipe twist. (Except for avocado salads that don’t have avocados.) Several others, such as the chicken on Belgian waffles with maple syrup, begs for proofing.
The menu has more creative efforts as well: the big red breakfast burrito, skillet shakshuka, which I’m inferring is a middle-eastern eggs benedict on a pita. And much, much more. In Avocado Club’s case, they should have a section called “exotic,” because many of their other offerings are quite interesting inventions. All this goes along with delicious-sounding burgers and arrachera sandwiches.
Avocado Club also has a complete bar menu, and a casual, equally bright and happy bar area alongside the restaurant center. Pricing is reasonable and we had no trouble finding parking at the site and nearby.
Avocado Club resides in San Antonio on the lake side of the Carretera, just across from the Chula Vista golf course. Let’s all encourage AC to get more visible signage, something like a marquee, maybe with the missing avocado.