Un-Granola

Food is Bliss. So goes Chef Mark Bliss’ slogan for his restaurant, and it is right on the money. The food here really is Bliss, even for vegetarians and vegans. Which is nice, since for us Food is Often Sadly Predictable or even Hard To Find.

The restaurant, in the bungalow-filled King William neighborhood, incorporates an old gas station. The conversion is terrific, with an open, airy dining room and small patio.

Our waiter explained that Bliss always has one vegetarian and one vegan option. On this night, they were gnocchi (which she pushed, saying it was one of her favorite dishes) and a vegan platter. I ordered the platter, along with an endive salad. I always worry that upscale restaurants will stop offering non-pasta veggie options if people like me don’t order them.

And I’m glad I did:

A selection of vegan dishes, with protein and vegetables. My favorites were the fresh zipper peas, grilled lemon, and the artichoke. The sweet potato puree added a bit of starch. Everything was super-fresh and treated with a light hand, just enough to bring the flavors out.

There are a lot of veggies on that plate, right? So I didn’t bother resisting dessert:

The lemon tart was tart instead of sickeningly sweet, as it so often is. And the deconstructed pecan pie, with wafers instead of a crust, was insanely good.

Bliss is on the expensive side but is totally worth it. So grateful for a place with a great wine list, serious cooking — and vegetarian/vegan options every night.

Tags: Chef Mark Bliss, deconstructed pecan pie, grilled lemon, San Antonio vegan, vegan platter, zipper peas