Tag: Ladino

Celebrating Local: Food, Music, and Fun at Pullman Market’s First Birthday Bash

Pullman Market celebrates one year with a birthday party block party this Saturday May 3. Photo: Robert J. Lerma, used with permission.

Pullman Market, the 53,000-square-foot culinary hub at Pearl in San Antonio, will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a family-friendly block party on Saturday, May 3, from 1p.m. – 5p.m. The free event highlights the market’s mission of bringing local land to local hands with food from award-winning local restaurants, live music, family activities from DoSeum, and more. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the San Antonio Food Bank. (Pullman Market, 2025)

The celebration will feature dishes for sale from numerous local restaurants, including The Jerk Shack, Freight Fried Chicken, Ladino, Leche de Tigre, Mixtli, Pharm Table, Southerleigh, Supper and Pullman Market’s own Mezquite.

Pullman Market in the Pearl District, created by the Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group, opened on April 23, 2024. In its first year, it has become a community culinary hub featuring a specialty grocer, five quick-service eateries and four full-service restaurants – Fife & Farro, Mezquite, Isidore and Nicosi. Committed to sustainability and supporting local producers, Pullman Market sources all products within 150 miles of San Antonio, fostering an ecosystem that connects farmers, chefs and consumers.

Since opening, Pullman Market has been named to Progressive Grocer’s “Outstanding Independents” list for its commitment to local connections, elevated grocery standards and integration of chef-driven concepts. Among its accolades, Nicosi, the on-site restaurant featuring a dessert tasting menu experience, received a Michelin recommendation in Texas’ inaugural Michelin Guide, and Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph was named “Pastry Chef of the Year” by Esquire in late 2024.

Pullman Market’s First Birthday Party is free to attend, with RSVPs encouraged via Eventbrite.

Pullman Market on Karnes Patio
221 Newell Ave
San Antonio, TX 78215

Mediterranean Grill House Ladino to open next week

The new restaurant concept from Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group will open Monday September 19 in San Antonio. Photo: Ladino, used with permission.

Ladino, a Mediterranean Grill House celebrating Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine, will open Monday, September 19, 2022. Brought to you by Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and led by Executive Chef Berty Richter, Ladino will pay homage to Berty’s roots with a menu centered around the charcoal grill. The restaurant will be located in the Pearl at 200 E. Grayson St #100 and reservations are now open. (Ladino, 2022)

The name Ladino, was chosen because Berty wanted to showcase and share not only the cuisine he grew up in, but also the influences of the surrounding cultures and cuisines on his style of cooking and eating, sharing food, and the excitement of a bountiful and colorful table of delicious food.

“I grew up in Israel mainly with my mom’s side of the family that came from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. We spoke Ladino, a dialect of Spanish mixed with French, Italian, Greek and Turkish,” said Chef Berty Richter. “Large family gatherings and endless feasts were part of our daily lives and I’ve always dreamt of one day creating a concept that will pay homage to my family’s roots and culture. Naming this concept Ladino was the natural choice for me and is the realization of this dream.” 

Using a wood burning oven, Ladino’s menu features freshly made pita and other regional specialties accompanied by an abundance of dishes that are playful and bold including Coal Charred Eggplant Dip, Jerusalem Mix, Meat Dumplings in yogurt, and a modern take on Agristada, a traditional Sephardic fish in a lemony egg sauce. The dessert menu is inspired by the sweet and savory staples of the region with a modern touch. The beverage program highlights regional wines and spirits. 

The team worked with partner Rand Egbert on the design of the space. Egbert says, “Sephardic Jews have origins all over the Mediterranean with deep roots in North Africa, so much of the interior is influenced by Morocco and the Moorish culture of Spain during the time the Ladino language first came to be. The space is meant to be transportive and that is created through beautiful tile accents, handmade light fixtures, traditional patterns, and pops of color. ” 

This marks the seventh concept from Austin-based Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and the first venture into San Antonio. Other restaurants from the renowned restaurant group include Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Canje, Kalimotxo, Henbit and TLV. 

Ladino will be located at 200 E Grayson St #100, San Antonio, TX 78215 and is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5p.m. to 10p.m and Friday and Saturday from 5:30p.m. to 11p.m

First taste of Ladino: an exclusive meal by Chef Berty Richter

Richter to partner with Chef John Brand for Ladino preview dinner on April 19; proceeds to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank. Photo: Ladino, used with permission.

For one-night only, the highly anticipated restaurant from Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group, Ladino will be hosting a sneak peek ticketed dinner in the Elephant Cellar at Hotel Emma on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30p.m. Executive Chef of Ladino, Berty Richter is partnering with Chef John Brand to create a pre-fix menu featuring some of the dishes that will be at Ladino, which is slated to open in summer 2022. A portion of proceeds from the dinner will go to San Antonio Texas Food Bank. (Ladino, 2022)

Tickets are $225 and will include wine pairings. The menu is as follows (please note items are subject to change):

WELCOME DRINKS
Raki Cocktail

DIPS
(served with warm pita)
Zaalouk- fire roasted eggplant
Spiced green tahini
Muhamarra
Spicy whipped feta
Hummus
Schug, Amba

COLD MEZE
Fennel/Pomelo salad
Apio- Celery root in orange and olive oil

HOT MEZE
Saganaki- greek style fried cheese
Shishbarak- beef and chard dumplings, smokey tomato

MAIN
Lamb Shawarma- Roasted shoulder (think middle eastern “barbacoa”)
Fish Kebabs
Chicken-Halloumi Kebabs

Condiments
Onion Parsley sumac salad
Rocket
Beef fat “kaymak”

DESSERT
Knafe- with salted cream and smoke

Hotel Emma at Pearl
136 E Grayson St
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 448-8300

The team behind Emmer & Rye, the Austin-based, nationally renowned hospitality group, is excited to announce their latest concept and first concept for San Antonio, Ladino. Led by Executive Chef Berty Richter, Ladino will pay homage to Berty’s Sephardic roots with a menu centered around the charcoal grill which plays a lead role in the Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Described as a Mediterranean Grill House, Ladino will be a celebration of all the cultures combined, starting from the decor, the ambiance and the music, to the beverages and food. Using a wood burning oven, Ladino will feature freshly made pita and other regional specialties accompanied by an abundance of Mezze, vegetables, spices, and herbs that are playful and bold. Ladino will be located in the Pearl at 200 E Grayson St #100, San Antonio, TX 78215 and is slated to open in summer 2022.

Ladino, a Mediterranean Grill House, to open at Pearl

Ladino, a Mediterranean Grill House from Chef Berty Richter, will open at the Pearl this summer 2022. Photo: Ladino, used with permission.

The team behind Emmer & Rye, the Austin-based, nationally renowned hospitality group, is excited to announce Ladino, their latest concept and first concept for San Antonio. Led by Executive Chef Berty Richter, Ladino will pay homage to Berty’s Sephardic roots with a menu centered around the charcoal grill which plays a lead role in the Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Ladino will be in the Pearl at 200 E Grayson St #100, San Antonio, TX 78215 and is slated to open in summer 2022. (Ladino, 2021)

“I am beyond excited and thrilled for Ladino to open. For the better part of my culinary career, I’ve been wanting to create a concept like this and share my vision of Mediterranean cuisine, influenced by my Sephardic roots and traditions, and tell a story that has never been told through food here in Texas. Doing it as part of the Emmer and Rye hospitality group with our high standards of excellence, and with the Pearl team as our partners, makes this an extra special achievement and will truly make it an unforgettable experience.” – Executive Chef Berty Richter.

Ladino, also referred to as Judeo-Spanish, is a mix of Castellano, French, Italian, Greek, Turkish, and Hebrew. The language follows the route of the Jewish people’s migration from Spain dating back to the mid-1500s. Slowly on the path to extinction, some Sephardic Jews still speak this language mainly in the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, and Israel. As a son to a Turkish mother and with roots in Italy, Bulgaria and Greece, Berty spoke Ladino at home while growing up and some of his family still does to this day. The name was chosen because Berty wanted to highlight and share not only the Jewish-Balkan cuisine he grew up in, but also the influences of the surrounding cultures and cuisines on his style of cooking and eating, sharing food, and the excitement of a bountiful and colorful table of delicious food.

Described as a Mediterranean Grill House, Ladino will be a celebration of all the cultures combined, starting from the decor, the ambiance and the music, to the beverages and food. Using a wood burning oven, Ladino will feature freshly made pita and other regional specialties accompanied by an abundance of Mezze, vegetables, spices and herbs that are playful and bold. The dessert menu will be inspired by the sweet and savory staples of the region with a modern touch.

“The vision of Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and Chef Berty is so compelling and we feel that this concept will profoundly enrich the culinary community of Pearl and San Antonio at large. Ladino as a manifestation of Berty’s culinary upbringing and his expertise is representative of our ambition to connect profoundly through food and culinary stories. We are thrilled to add this concept to Pearl’s restaurant offerings.” – Elizabeth Fauerso, Chief Marketing Officer of Pearl

Ladino will be Berty’s second concept as Executive Chef in Texas. Berty opened TLV in Austin in 2019 to rave reviews with a menu inspired by the streets of Israel. Located in Fareground Food Hall, TLV offers classics such as the traditional hummus plates, iconic Israeli sandwiches, homemade pickles, specialty house spice blends, vegan tahini shakes, and other favorites. This marks the seventh concept from Austin based Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group.