Cured is a restaurant that is synonymous with hand-crafted cuisine. Chef Steve McHugh takes local ingredients and uses organic methods to cure the charcuterie on his menu. Items are cured from 30 days to 12 months and hang in a humidity controlled locker. Diners can see the locker as soon as they walk in the door.
If you visit for brunch, you will find fluffy biscuits and fresh takes on egg dishes, but charcuterie is the star. Patrons can choose from a list of delectable selections and create bespoke platters. From smoked duck ham to pickles, every flavor is so distinct that you might find it hard to finalize your selections. Rest assured, whatever choices you make your tastebuds will enjoy the experience.
Location: Cured is located at 306 Pearl Parkway, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas.
Menu: At Cured, there is a list of items to create a personalized charcuterie board. There are 18 different types of meats, liver, or foie gras all cured or crafted in house. You can make a board of three, six, or nine selections. Other choices include chicken and doughnuts, Bananas Foster French Toast, and colossal breakfast platters with signature biscuits and praline bacon. If you happen to have room for dessert, there are some decadent ice cream sandwiches to round out your meal.
Thoughts: If you are in San Antonio and are looking for a unique dining spot, Cured is a fantastic choice. The restaurant is a local’s favorite, so it is not easy for walk-ins like us to get a table. Thankfully, there was room at the communal seating area. The “communal table” is a long bar with seats in front of the open kitchen. We watched dishes prepared expertly by Cured’s culinary professionals.
The curated cocktail list had just the right choices for brunch. We ordered Mountain Marys which included moonshine, pickled okra and celery salt. The cocktails were large, spicy, and appropriately priced at $11.
The menu is not extensive, but it is inviting. We decided to select four items from the charcuterie list and added a few kinds of cheese. Our board looked like a wonderland. Our meat choices included chicken liver mousse, 6 -month Coppa, smoked duck ham, and Sorrento salami. Our cheese choices included a hunk of white cheddar and fresh goat cheese procured from local farms. All of these items were plated beautifully with housemade brewers crackers, pickles, pickled red onions, and condiments including a spicy, grainy, mustard. To say we were in Heaven would be putting it mildly. Every choice on the board was incredible, including the spreads and the crackers. I am still dreaming of the Sorrento salami; it was that delicious.
Next, we ordered one of the large breakfast plates. We selected the “Cured” breakfast with scrambled eggs, praline bacon, grits, and cathead biscuits. The biscuits were outstanding and were some of the best I have ever eaten. The praline bacon was decadent and is something I plan to copy in my own kitchen. It would have been terrific as a stand-alone breakfast, but paired with the board, we had the best of both breakfast and lunch in one sitting. Too full for anything else, we passed on dessert, but the plates delivered to the diners next to us looked divine.
Price Range: For brunch, charcuterie boards are 3/$20, 6/$28, or 9/$36. The sandwich choices are around $12. Plates run from $12-$30 depending on the number of ingredients on the platter (for example, the Chef’s Breakfast comes with a cocktail). Desserts are $4.
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