Our next stop, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana has been serving Association of Neapolitan Pizzaioli-certified pies since 2007 (Neapolitans visiting the nearby Air Force base even stop in for an authentic coffee). They’ve had burrata on the menu long before it was trendy, and the Campionatiore Burrate Platter still wows today in a restaurant landscape filled with burrata appetizers. The shareable always includes the signature Burrata al Tartufo bursting with mascarpone, ricotta and a not-overpowering truffle essence; Burrata Tre Colore mimicking the Italian flag with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes over housemade fior di latte burrata; plus a selection that changes with the seasons, like the fior di latte burrata spilling over a mountain of Texas watermelon cubes in the summer or maple-roasted butternut squash with a pomegranate-balsamic reduction and crispy sage when the weather turns cooler.

San Antonio is an American city that feels like no other. It carries the distinction from UNESCO as being named one of only two “Creative Cities of Gastronomy” in the U.S. (Tucson is the other), citing the San Antonio’s wide-ranging culinary heritage, including Mexican, Spanish, Indigenous, Asian and African, as well as its support of innovative culinary endeavors. The Flavor & The Menu team wanted to experience that mix of authenticity and creativity firsthand, so we set off on a flavor scouting trip, seeking out the dishes, flavors and ingredients that are driving culinary innovation in San Antonio.