De’s wedding festivities didn’t stop after her citrus themed shower wrapped up. The gals headed downtown for her bachelorette party that same evening. Since we aren’t 22 years old anymore, the stereotypical evening filled with debauchery, bar hopping and drama much didn’t appeal… but a great meal with yummy cocktails and good friends was exactly what the doctor ordered.
After hanging out and relaxing for a bit in our suite at Hotel Contessa, we got all dolled up to head out for dinner. Love that the bride dressed in white, and we all dressed in black. Don’t love that I’m the only one not wearing a dress – Waspy Redhead, Photo Ruiner.
For dinner we headed to one of my new favorite eateries, Restaurant Insignia
I’ve blogged about Jason Dady’s Insignia before, in my post “Eating for a Cause” in February, when I attended his fundraising dinner for the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. This was my first time to visit Insignia not during a special event, and order off their menu. Their menu (which is incidentally being updated this week – exciting) includes a wide variety of options from small plates, wood fired pizzas and gorgeous entrees. Of special note at Insignia are the signature chef inspired cocktails…
I started things off with a cocktail called the “Far East” which featured Bombay Saphire gin, saffron simple syrup and was muddled with fresh cucumber. The flavor was super intense! I loved that we started the night off with funky cocktails, they almost stood up on their own as an appetizer. Some of my girlfriends ordered cocktails that had Grey Goose pear vodka, pink peppercorns and vanilla. Very creative and bold flavor combinations!
After sipping on our swanky cocktails for a while, we ordered some appetizers to share
Mmmm crab cakes!
Probably the best crab cake I’ve ever had. Served on a bed of avocado, with pickled ginger and cilantro garnish. Basil oil and some sort of spicy sauce were a nice compliment to the creaminess of the avocado and the sweetness of the crab. We also shared an order of garlic fries with sriracha aoli. I failed to snap a pick of the frites, but trust me they were amazing.
Before our entres, we switched from cocktails to wine. The wine list at Insignia has a great selection from California, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and even Central Texas. We opted for a variety that Kelly had actually tasted during her trip to New Zealand after undergrad.
For our main courses we ordered several different things and shared.
The “Garden Pie” had smoked tomatoes and house made lemon ricotta. TO.DIE.FOR! Jason – if you take it off the menu, we’re not friends. Ok thanks. Bye.
Grilled Salmon with parsnip puree on a bed of mesculine greens with white beans. Very tasty! Though my friends requested it prepared well done, and I prefer my fish medium.
Insignia was perfect for our night on the town. The restaurant has a very modern vibe with great decor. The bar is in the center of the restaurant and the kitchen is open to the dining room so you can watch pizzas being put into the big wood fired oven. The waitstaff was knowledgeable and attentive, but they were great about not hovering when it was clear that we wanted to enjoy a long leisurely meal peppered with lots of girl talk. I can’t wait for my next trip!
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The plating is gorgeous!! I will definitely have to try that place next time I’m down that way. It’s 9:30am and I’m already hungry again.
I’m not sure if Deana would remember me, but tell her congrats!