Sneak peek: Bye-bye Citrus, hello Dorregos at Hotel Valencia

CaptionCloseWhen Hotel Valencia opened in 2003 with its sleek and ultramodern stylings, it immediately raised the game for hospitality offerings in San Antonio. And the modern Texas stylings at Citrus restaurant were a culinary and stylistic hit.Now, folks...

Sneak peek: Bye-bye Citrus, hello Dorregos at Hotel Valencia

Caption

Close

When Hotel Valencia opened in 2003 with its sleek and ultramodern stylings, it immediately raised the game for hospitality offerings in San Antonio. And the modern Texas stylings at Citrus restaurant were a culinary and stylistic hit.

Now, folks at the hotel hope they can do it again with a new $10 million renovation that’s finishing in mid-March.

Citrus is gone, and in its place will be Dorregos, an Argentinian-inspired restaurant named after the famed Plaza Dorrego in the historic San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Beef is a big part of the culture, but I don’t want to say we’re a steakhouse,” said executive chef Anthony Mesa. “We want to show our guests that we appreciate them.”

He didn’t want to give too many specifics about the menu, touching on his plans for strong seafood options, South Texas quail and, of course, Argentinian empanadas. But he did return from a visit to Argentina as an evangelist for that country’s cuisine.

“We want to elevate the sharing experience,” Mesa said. “In Argentina, you share a steak, you share a bottle of wine, you share some chorizo.”

Dorregos will feature a large bar, which will showcase a ate-night menu after 10 p.m.

The stylish VBar is gone, and in its place will be Naranja, a new bar and cafe, which will be a much more mellow space than its nightlife predecessor.

Check out some photos from a preview tour. The work is scheduled to finish in mid-March and the restaurant’s official opening date is April 1.

We’ll keep checking in on the hotel’s progress.

etijerina@express-news.net

etijerina@express-news.net

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.