Fine Dining at The Herald Restaurant in Del Rio
By Bill Sontag
Feature Writer
Downtown’s most popular eatery – like most adventurous culinary enterprises in town – has seen its share of ups and downs since its August 2006 opening. Recent management changes seem to have catapulted loyal staffers at The Herald Restaurant, 321 S. Main St., into renewed enthusiasm and determination to succeed.
Service has been notably uneven in recent weeks, but – though still hectic – responsiveness to customers’ needs Saturday night (April 26) was on the mark for our table and others with whom we visited. With about 20 employees in varying shifts, The Herald appears to comfortably accommodate groups up to 10 or 15, as well as singles, couples and families.
Food choices unlike any menu available elsewhere in Del Rio have compelled faithful customers to frequent The Herald, and the variety is always a work in progress with Chef Jose Soto. My wife, Debbie, and I deliberately selected very different entrees, though we shared a halved wedge salad and a plate of stuffed mushrooms first.
The wedge of iceberg lettuce is simply too huge for either of us to finish, but one of our favorites. So our waiter, Chris Wood, agreed to bring us each half servings – perfect size, with lots of creamy parmesan peppercorn dressing and bacon topping. The stuffed mushrooms were virtually swimming in a butter sauce, but had wonderful, fresh taste and a satisfying bacon filling that would benefit from a bit more spinach, for our taste.
For our main courses we shared samplings of The Herald’s new signature entrée of buffalo sirloin steak and an old standby, Texas redfish with Pontchartrain sauce. The sauce carries an extra charge, but it takes the edge off the spiciness of the filet, though that seasoning is anything but excessive in our book.
The sirloin of buffalo – American bison, in my ingrained naturalist’s jargon – is worth mention with both praise and caution. Alex Cervantes supervised the dining room Saturday, and asked how I’d like the steak prepared. I settled on “medium,” my usual choice for a nearly crisp exterior with a dark pink center. When the plate arrived, and I made my first slice, I was reminded that bison meat only turns anything but blood red when it’s seriously overcooked.
It was prepared exactly as I’d requested – nearly black on the outside and crimson red within. Buffalo meat is naturally drier, virtually unlubricated with marbling as in prime or even choice beef, and the more it’s cooked, the chewier it becomes. Mine was very good, but next time I’ll probably ask for medium rare. Chef Soto said he uses seasoned salt, rather than a spicy rub, so the full flavor – not “gamey,” but similar to very good beef – is unhindered.
General Manager Eddie Nweisir says most customers have yet to discover the buffalo steak. It’s usually on the specials blackboard, but has yet to appear on the printed menu. More on that later. Buffalo hamburgers, on the other hand, have soared in popularity. “I think we must be selling about 40 of them every week,” Nweisir said.
We also enjoyed a couple of drinks before dinner. Deb is a real fan of bloody Marys and I favor gin-and-tonic. As always, head bartender Brígido Díaz accommodated her request for a skewer of olives. The bloody Mary could use a bit more “heat,” and a stalk of celery with this tomatoey concoction must be considered passé, I suppose, but frankly we miss it. Still, it was tangy and very tasty. My Tanqueray gin-and-tonic was cool, refreshing and a bit astringent, just right. Most importantly, the drinks were prepared and served promptly. Patrons, I believe, may be patient about an entrée, but when they want a drink, instant gratification is expected.
Two couples shared a table in the center of a nearly packed house, Saturday night, Tom and Janna Castloo and Carolyn and Dale Clark, the men opting for seafood, the ladies for chicken. The Castloos just returned to the area from Havre, Mont. Tom is a border patrol agent, now at the Del Rio Station, but before his assignment near the Canadian border, he was at the Comstock Station. The Clarks, residents of a small town near Tyler, are Janna’s mom and dad. They said that, with the closer proximity of the young family and The Herald’s good food, they’d be visiting Del Rio often.
But it’s the thrust for innovation on the menu that attracts old and new customer interest, and Nweisir is shaking things up again with a new roster of selections to be printed, probably by the end of May if not sooner.
Cervantes gave a tantalizing rundown on what customers may expect. “To the appetizers, we’re adding chicken wings, marinated Spanish olives with hummus, and the tapas are coming back,” Cervantes said. “We’re also replacing the beef sirloin steak – we’ve had some problems getting what we want on those [verified with another diner Saturday] – with a bone-in rib eye steak, very tender and with better flavor because of that bone.”
Cervantes also promised lamb chops on the new menu with a choice of a traditional mint jelly or an orange pomegranate glaze, both condiments served on the side. He is also contemplating a filet of tilapia accompanied by a mango habañero sauce, and tri-colored medallions of beef with burgundy mushroom, béarnaise and brown mushroom sauces. “All these sauces will be served on the side, if the customer prefers, and will be available on any other meat we offer, too,” Cervantes said.
This review was an excuse for us to succumb to the temptation of a dessert, and we spied a beautiful carrot cake going to another table. But our four-inch tall slice – though beautiful – tasted dense and cold, surely because it came straight from refrigeration. In part, because we were already satiated from dinner, we couldn’t make much of a dent in it. But – miraculously – when taken out of our home refrigerator the next day, and allowed to warm to room temperature, this favorite dessert was fluffy, spicy, a nearly perfect confection, with its frosting transformed from paste to sweet, creamy cheese.
Cervantes has plans to add more desserts to The Herald’s menu, including a New York-style cheesecake with a choice of strawberry or caramel toppings.
Overall, there are only a few restaurant choices here in Del Rio that may be considered fine dining. The steady thrust toward creative, new menu selections is as compelling an attraction as a fine art museum that rotates fresh exhibitions, and The Herald seems to outgun its competitors on that criterion alone.
The Herald’s hours are 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Mon. – Fri., 11 a.m. – 2 a.m., Thurs. – Sat., and noon – 7 p.m., Sunday. Ladies Night drink specials are available on Fridays. Happy Hour is celebrated at the amply-stocked, long, serpentine bar on Tuesdays, 2 – 7 p.m., and Saturdays, 7 – 11 p.m. Reservations and more information are available by calling 774-2845.
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Just an FYI, This review and
Just an FYI,
This review and the discussion herein compelled me to re-visit the Herald tonight and here are my findings:
Food was very good overall, Filet was cooked to order and melted in my mouth. Salad cold and crisp, desert was really out of this world. Crown Royal, well it tasted like it does any place else.
Service was very friendly and staff was very courteous. We had a great time!
Having said that, there is no place in Del Rio that I have dined in lately that I can truly say that about.
Only my review.
Niles
I have to say I agree with
I have to say I agree with you Nstrong. After dining at The Herald time after time I still can't get over the salad. I absolutely love the ambiance and always have a great time. Every time I go into The Herald I forget I am in Del Rio for however brief or long of a stay as it may be. I give a round of aplause to Mr.Brigido (head bartender) for after a long and tiring search I finally had my patron served exacltly as I asked for it.For those of you that would like to know how I like it well here goes: chilled in crushed ice so it will double in volume in a larger glass. It may sound simple but in this town I have found people don't value or resect the particular wants of the customer ,until Brigido served me.That man hand crushed my ice ....talk about passion for your job. It is that type of service that keeps me coming back in.
Thanks nstrong, It's always
Thanks nstrong, It's always good to hear that an eatery here in Del Rio has improved. My wife had lunch there the other day with a friend and said pretty much the same thing. Oh and she liked their new French Fries. I'm going to have to go there again.
I think that the food has
I think that the food has gone down hill in the last year. What was a great place to dine is now just ok.
Hi Syd, I'm terribly sorry
Hi Syd,
I'm terribly sorry we disappointed you and I appreciate your feedback. It is customers like you that keep us focused and on target to be the best. We will continue to improve in hopes of meeting your expectations. The next lunch or dinner is on me if you'll allow me.
We want you to come back and enjoy the best food and the best dining experience. Again, Thanks for your feedback.
Nick
Thanks Nick, I will take
Thanks Nick, I will take you up on that offer with an open mind and an empty stomach.
Syd
Let me know when you're
Let me know when you're ready. 775 7575
Hmm, isn't the owner of the
Hmm, isn't the owner of the Herald also the owner of Southwest Texas LIVE! Hmm, indeed.
That is a childish comment.
That is a childish comment. There are so few good places to eat in Del Rio, the review is appreciated. This is the kind of town that everybody knows everybody, or at least someone who knows that person. Sounds like you are trying to stir up trouble.
I've reviewed at least eight
I've reviewed at least eight restaurants in Del Rio and environs over the past two years, and not one because an owner called and asked me to do so. All were pretty surprised when I showed interest in doing the reviews, usually by just showing up to eat.
Moreover, in only half the cases did I even interview the owner(s), and then only because they also ran the place. With most of the others, I didn't even know who the owner was, in part because I was reviewing the food and service of a restaurant, not management styles or positions in the community. Ownership was really none of my business, or anyone else's for that matter.
Imply what you wish, but - as has been said here so many times - know the facts before you use this as a forum to impugn someone's ethics or the motives of the subjects of these articles.
The restaurants I reviewed were selected for their variety, uniqueness (those that can't be found on a road trip to Anywhere, USA), and reputed quality. A few didn't measure up, but all were interesting for one reason or another. The ones I recall include:
Caruso's Italian Restaurant
Jitra Thai
Waypoint Cantina/Southwest Grill
Cripple Creek
Bodacious Barbecue
Don Marcelino's
México Típico
The Herald
No one's ethics are being
No one's ethics are being called into question; although disclosure of a potential conflict of interest would have been nice. I am also curious as to what really happened to the prior managers of the Herald/Cafe Centrale -- they worked hard to get those places up and running and seemed to have been abruptly dumped on the corner without so much as a "thank you" for their efforts. Admittedly, I do not know all the facts, but there is an air of callousness that surrounds the decision to leave them in the dust.
Publius, I know you don't
Publius, I know you don't know me but I hope you will trust me when I tell you that owning and operating any business is a copper plated Bit$#.
I could write a novel on the things that can and do go wrong, and I could write a second one on all of the examples of how an employee can destroy a business and a third one on how just much is sucks to not be allowed to make a mistake have an accident or even a bad day when in business.
If asked, most medium to large businesses will tell you that the expense that they would most like to contain is employee turnover, yes it's actually a worse problem than shop lifting for some. I can tell you from painful experience that firing an employee is an expensive proposition where no one wins. You only hope by firing them you won't loose any more than you already have. And money aside many times it's heart wrenching to have to do what is necessary and fire someone. Many employers wait too long trying to straighten someone out when they should have just cut bait long before. I myself have been guilty of having too much hope for a hopeless case. The massive pain in the pocket book is a considerable deterrent against doing so again.
There is a huge difference between the run of the mill employee and a business owner. For example an employee can clock out at 5pm and go home and by law can expect a paycheck on payday. Whereas a business owner may indeed go home at any time of the day but never ever gets the business completely onto the sideline so that off time can be fully enjoyed and a business owner may not expect a paycheck and in fact gets payed last after everyone else and may not even get one after a bad cycle.
Every time a business owner hires someone at 10 dollars an hour that employer has just taken over a 20k hit in his or her income. How would you like that? In turn those employee's get over time in the form of time and a half or other such overtime extra compensation. Successful employers work on an average of 80 hours per week and get no overtime, and like I said aren't even guaranteed any income at all.
I've had employee's come to me asking for a pay raise. I say sit down and tell me why you deserve it. Did you learn something new, making you more valuable to me? Sometimes the answer is yes and usually a raise is given. Those that say well I've been here for a year and I want a raise almost always leave disappointed since there is a system to help them bring added value just for those pay raises. For those that are disappointed I always ask them if they would like to know a trick for doubling what they earn. When they say heck yeah! I then tell them to work another 40 hours. The all fail to find the time for that for varying reasons. I will also tell you that this particular type of employee doesn't last very long at mine or any other business. There is no work ethic and they don't see that surfing on the internet or talking to their significant other while I am paying them is simply a form of theft.
I've seen people freak when a baby sitter wants 20 bucks for 4 hours of work and I just laugh. When it's coming out of their pockets it's always different.
So anyway Publius, Yes there is a very good reason why those two are not at the Herald anymore.
As the owner of the Herald
As the owner of the Herald and Part owner of Live! I have contemplated whether or not to reply, I thought if I just left it alone, maybe time will reveal the truth and all things will be fine. Then again, I don’t really have it within me to simply ignore things and act as if they did not exist. Henceforth, I decided to do what I have always done, and that is to “tell it like it is”.
Publius Jr. If only you knew the facts and the details you wouldn’t have posted in such manner, unfortunately you don’t and I'm surprised you made such accusations. Had you known me, you would know that your post was empty and unfounded.
Why did you state that they were “abruptly dumped on the corner without so much as a "thank you" for their efforts.”? Yet in the very next statement you acknowledged that “Admittedly, I do not know all the facts”. Don’t you think it would have been wiser and much more professional for you to know all the facts before you post. You could always call me at 775 7575 and I will discuss any issues with you that are not in violation of employment and/or privacy laws.
The details of how we got to the point of separation is lengthy and very dramatic, it is not my style to tattle tale nor is it proper to discuss my previous employment in public, I will simply state that it was not abrupt, nor were they dumped, they had plenty of notice, more than recommended by any laws or ethics. In fact we had previous occasions to end our relationship and I was the one that stepped in and recommended we extend the period and give it a second and even a third chance. I wish them all the best and hold no ill feelings toward them whatsoever; it was simply a business decision.
As to the conflict of interest, I assure you I did not request or recommend this article be written. I am an advertiser in my own publication and I pay the full price, all businesses that I own pay their advertising bill like any other advertiser. Furthermore, I rarely get consulted on content. I do not operate Live! Joe Hyde does and he makes these decisions. Upon finding out from Bill Sontag that he was writing a review, I called Joe and inquired, “The Herald, like the many businesses in Del Rio deserves a write up”, that was the answer I got from him at the time.
I’m sorry about any appearance of a conflict or callousness that you may have gotten, but it, simply, is not true.
You are absolutely right. I
You are absolutely right. I did not know all the facts and fired off half-cocked. I apologize.
Mr. Khoury, Your hard work
Mr. Khoury,
Your hard work at making Del Rio a nicer place to live is deeply appreciated. I frequented Cafe Centrale up until the menu changed. I try to get to The Herald as often as possible. Thank you.
I don't know the details of
I don't know the details of that, nor is it really any of my business. I will say this. Running a business really, really sucks most of the time because you have to make hard decisions that concern real people all the time. It is the roughest thing I have had to adjust to since leaving the Air Force. In the Air Force, if the pilot sucked, we put him in a job where the pilot did't have to fly, but the pilot still got a paycheck. In entrepreneural businesses, if the money isn't there for payroll, or if there isn't a good fit, you have to cut it quickly, or you the business owner will be on the streets. It looks callous, mean, and cruel. But that is the way the small business in America game is played.
My and Bill's decision to
My and Bill's decision to review The Herald, not anyone else's. we've reviewed every other restaurant in Del Rio (except McDonald's and Long John Silvers), so why not? It is noteworthy. And The Herald has been through a ton of changes lately, so that makes it even more newsworthy.
There is nothing wrong with
There is nothing wrong with full disclosure. Oh, and what exact changes are you referring too? It's certainly more than just the menu, I'm thinking.
BILL SONTAG.........THANKS
BILL SONTAG.........THANKS again for your story...I would say most of the readers still miss your stories. Is this the last in the Q for LIVE... The Herald is First Class and I can hear now....
Best of Luck
I second that, their Filet
I second that, their Filet is out of this world!
Hmmmmmmmmm I sure I posted
Hmmmmmmmmm I sure I posted earlier...
The Herald is First Class...Where Everyone Knows your Name.....