Chef Andrew Weissman leaves Signature, La Cantera Resort & Spa restaurant in North San Antonio
Celebrity San Antonio Chef Andrew Weissman has left Signature, Inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman, the upscale European-influenced restaurant he opened at La Cantera Resort & Spa in 2016.
The restaurant, now referred to simply as Signature, has handed over the reins to executive chef John Carpenter, whose connections in San Antonio include a cooking degree from St. Philip’s College and cooking jobs at Beat Street Bistro, Botika at the Pearl and at the old student-run restaurant. NAO at the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio.
The change comes six months after the sale of La Cantera Resort & Spa by USAA Real Estate to subsidiaries of Ohana Real Estate Investors, based in California. The sale resulted in a leadership change at Signature, Weissman said.
“I knew that with the new owners, they wouldn’t see the value that a locally run hotel restaurant can bring,” he said. Amid talks that included proposals for wage concessions, Weissman stayed on long enough to bridge the transition, but ultimately decided to step down.
“It wasn’t so much about the money,” Weissman said. “It had been a great race for five years, but it was the end of an era. I wish them all the best.
Weissman is no stranger to shaking up the city’s food scene. The James Beard Award-nominated chef has opened and closed some of San Antonio’s best restaurants over the years, including Osteria Il Sogno and Sandbar Fish House & Market at the Pearl and French restaurant Le Rêve downtown.
His current projects include the popular Mr. Juicy hamburger restaurant, which won first place in the Express-News Top 15 Burger, as well as the Sip Brew Bar & Eatery at the airport and consultancy work. restoration. Weissman’s downtown Sip location has temporarily closed as it determines the direction of the store after the pandemic, he said.
Weissman said he was also looking for a location to open a second Mr. Juicy and hinted he was working on another large restaurant project but was not ready to give details.
Signature’s menu still lists gold leaf risotto, seared foie gras, grilled antelope, and caviar oysters from Weissman’s days, but also ventures into hamachi crudo, rabbit and a Playful Akaushi beef starter called Tongue & Cheek.
In addition to Carpenter, Signature’s kitchen team includes fellow Botika veteran Jaime Torres as executive sous chef and French-trained pastry chef Stéphane Leopoldo.
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