by Andrew Chalk
Want a filling breakfast or lunch served inside an Art Deco turn of the siecle house in the national Register of Historic Places, or outside on its herbaceous patio next to one of the most inspiring sections of the San Antonio River? Combine that with 10,000 steps walking to and from your downtown hotel? Choose The Guenther House, a place where calories go to hide before bouncing back into your life.
With an early start I was able to covert a table outside where I overlooked the walkers and cyclists traveling between downtown and Southtown. Plus the canoeists on the river, some more stable than others.
Guenther’s Favorite Breakfast Platter ($12) was my choice to start the day. It was two freshly baked Pioneer biscuits (this used to be part of the Pioneer Flour Mill), a side of Pioneer’s Country gravy with crumbled sausage, served with Pioneer breakfast potatoes, two eggs, Applewood smoked bacon and your choice pork sausage patty or chicken sausage link. I chose the patty. I also took up the menu’s suggestion to add an egg prepared to order for $2.50.
It was gargantuan and soporific in its effects. So much so that the pastry selections that make up the dessert choices took a miss. Never mind. Next time.
To salve my conscience I walked the one mile plus back to downtown. The Guenther house deserved its place on my itinerary. It’s not just a meal, it’s a trip. Combining the Riverwalk, the industrial grit of the main drags, and the Victorian majesty of the restored houses that make up Southtown and the King William district. It is considered one of the most livable parts of San Antonio, and I can see why. Even with the impressive architecture, verdant flora, and restaurant and entertainment amenities, house prices are still affordable to the working household (and embarrassingly low to the East Coast or Californicator transplant). That kind of epitomizes current day San Antonio. A coiled spring about to explode to its full potential.
When searching, do visit the Guenther House. Its biscuits and preserves may settle the issue for you.
