The Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio announced Savor, the brand new restaurant at Pearl, will open on Tuesday, January 22. The seasonal Modern American concept is based on the CIA’s curriculum, which teaches cuisines and techniques from around the world. The college’s world-class chefs and hospitality instructors will lead the students who will prepare and serve dinner as part of their associate degree studies. Upon graduation after this class, students may go on to pursue their bachelor’s degrees in management, culinary science, or applied food studies at the college’s New York campus. Savor is the newest member of the CIA Restaurant Group.
“We are thrilled to have Savor join the Pearl community,” says Shelley Grieshaber, culinary director for Pearl and previously director of education for the CIA in San Antonio. “As a graduate of the CIA, I understand the hard work these students put in to make this a special experience for the guests, and I am excited the restaurant will bring flavors from all across the globe to our city.”
Before students join Savor, they have studied the cuisines and cultures of the Americas, Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe. Most menu items at Savor will be locally sourced and the CIA team relies on relationships with farmers and producers to create an array of fresh dishes. Savor’s menu style allows guests to build a customized three or four-course meal, including options such ashoney-chili roasted chicken with fat rice and Asian lime; grilled Gulf shrimp with polenta, olives, and tomato; and Berkshire pork schnitzel with a sunny egg, chamomile apple, and red sauerkraut. The purpose of this menu format is to educate both students and patrons on various cuisines. CIA faculty overseeing SAVOR are Chef Uyen Pham and service instructor Samantha Fletcher.
The bar and lounge area will feature a menu of smaller and shareable plates such as caviar, potato, and soft egg with leeks and pumpkin seeds; roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with toum garlic dip and chicken cracklings; and crisp-fried wings with miso-chili paste, pickled cucumber, and toasted sesame. The beverage program will feature classic cocktails like a Negroni, a Manhattan, and a dirty martini along with New World and Old World wines and local favorite craft brews.
“We are curating a menu with seasonal ingredients and global cooking techniques we admire,” adds Chef Pham. “The menu at Savor will encourage our guests to try unfamiliar flavors.”
Savor’s 2,500 square feet and 62-seat layout ensures that the ingredients, learning, and great food are the focal points of the restaurant. Clayton & Little are the lead architects on this project and designed the modern industrial interior to highlight the open kitchen.
”We are opening a new restaurant in order to improve the education of our students and meet the evolved tastes of the San Antonio dining community,” says Waldy Malouf, senior director of food and beverage operations for the CIA.
Savor is located at 200 E Grayson St., Suite #117, San Antonio, Texas, 78215, in the Pearl. The restaurant will be open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
