SAN ANTONIO – Over the past several years, the culinary scene in San Antonio has exploded.
According to Casandra Matej, Executive Director of the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, from 2003 to 2013 the restaurant sector in San Antonio increased by 84 percent and has become a powerful segment of the more than $13 billion economic impact of the hospitality industry in San Antonio.
Some of the country's top chefs are now flocking to the Alamo City to showcase their unique twists and bold flavors.
Each week, KSAT.com will be spotlighting one of San Antonio's Top Chefs.
Chef Johnny Hernandez
Raised in San Antonio, Chef Johnny Hernandez has the food business in his blood.
The owner of several San Antonio restaurants and a catering company, Chef Hernandez is bringing different styles of Mexican food to the Alamo City.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America-Hyde Park in New York, most of Hernandez's concepts and ideas come from visiting different regions of Mexico.
"Every time I go down there, I bring back something unique," said Hernandez.
All three restaurants, La Gloria, The Fruiteria, and El Machito, serve up a different style of Mexican food.
The newest restaurant, El Machito, features a unique dining experience for customers: an open fire mesquite grill is in full view as trained chefs prepare a variety of meats.
Chef Hernandez is just one of the many chefs in San Antonio enhancing the dining experience and providing tasty fare for local clientele.
Hernandez said he believes the local food scene is supported and fueled by a lot of talent and the great history the city has to offer.
For more on Chef Johnny Hernandez and his restaurants, visit www.chefjohnnyhernandez.com.