One of America’s Top Pastry Chefs Just Opened a New Dessert Bar in San Antonio
Texas’s culinary scene just got a skosh sweeter.
A new dessert bar opened at Pullman Market in San Antonio on Wednesday. Named Nicosi, the intimate 20-seat restaurant offers a dessert-tasting menu for all of you with a sweet tooth. The executive chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph and his chef de cuisine, Karla Espinosa, will play with sweets, but also acidic, bitter, and umami flavors to ensure the dishes are not overly saccharine.
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“It has been a dream of mine since I was 17 to be in a space that celebrates desserts and the artistry behind it,” Bristol-Joseph said in a statement. “I am excited to finally see Nicosi come to life.”
The menu at Nicosi will change every three months, but there will always be four bites and four dishes. Each plate will highlight one of the four aforementioned flavor profiles. Drink pairings will be provided, too: The nonalcoholic options will set you back $100, while the alcohol pairings will cost $120. (The dessert menu is included in both prices.)
“Nicosi is a space that will allow chefs … and guests to explore what desserts are and how different they can be to each of us,” adds Bristol-Joseph.
Further details are scarce, as Nicosi wants to lean into the element of surprise. Photos and details of the dishes won’t be released until each menu is crafted, and the restaurant has asked that diners refrain from using their phones. While that ideally limits images from leaking online, it’s also a way for Nicosi to get its patrons to converse with each other and with Bristol-Joseph and Espinosa as they work behind the chef’s counter.
The two cooks are aiming to put on a show, two times a night from Wednesday through Sunday. As such, the space acts as a sort of theater in the round: The seats are all arranged facing the kitchen, where the chefs work under a large brass light that acts as a spotlight as they take to the stage. Velvet curtains add to the theater-like vibes.
If Bristol-Joseph’s work at his other Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group spots is anything to go by, diners at Nicosi are in for a treat—quite literally.
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