Want to fall in love? Head to San Antonio: a magical place in constant rediscovery, always presenting new, romantic ways to show Texas to the world. In this historic city, where everything leads to the San Antonio River, and the river leads to everything, you can have a torrid affair with cuisine, from the first tentative bite of warm fresh tortilla to the last lingering lick of chocolate soufflé. San Antonio is inextricably linked to Mexico; you’ll find it reflected in the cuisine. But you’ll also find hot, spicy barbecue, flavorful Tuscan farro salad and sinful, soulful biscuits and gravy. You’ll come home from Texas very, very satisfied…if you can tear yourself away at all.

Michael Cortez, owner of Mi Tierra Café Y Panaderia, knows how to please his customers: with traditional Mexican cuisine in a lively, festive atmosphere. Passion for the business is in his blood—his grandparents opened the restaurant in 1941 with three tables and a counter in San Antonio’s El Mercado (The Marketplace). Heat up your romance with drinks and dancing in the bar, then dine under thousands of twinkling lights, colorful ribbons and streamers, while strolling mariachis serenade you. Regional dishes include Michoacan Carnitas de Puerco (savory baked pork tips marinated in oranges and spices), Menudo (warm-you-up tripe stew) and Huevos a la Mexicana (scrambled eggs with onions, peppers, beans and your choice of bacon, pork chop, sausage or ham). Open 24 hours, it’s a festival de amor all night and day.

An evening at Mi Tierra transports you to Mexico.

Feeling a little naughty? Maybe you’d like to nibble on decadent Smoked Salmon & Queso Chilango inside a former convent. The Benedictine Sisters that used to live in this historic home, dating to 1880, never had it this good. Liberty Bar moved to these new digs in June 2010, and manager Oscar Trejo has a lot to do with the innovative cuisine served in the gorgeous, high-ceilinged rooms of the restaurant.

You can start your tryst with a twist: 17 tequilas punch up the drink menu, and all you need is a lime. Besides dinner, that is…you won’t want to miss the Whole Roast Garlic Head on Toast, to start. The savory Lentil Salad is served warm, with fragrant, crispy bacon and fresh spinach. Pita bread, tiny dill pickles and kalamata olives are served alongside, and fruity olive oil adds exotic interest. And it doesn’t stop there; with entrees sourced from Mexico to Maine, you can sample everything from crab cakes to quail, and not even have to go to confession after.

Sometimes you need a little love to start your day. Do it up right with breakfast at the Guenther House, along the mission reach of the San Antonio River in the historic King William neighborhood. Carl Helmut Guenther opened the flour mill next door in 1859—still in operation today—and the restaurant is in his home, restored to its original beauty. It’s open from 7  a.m. to 3 p.m., and the food…well, let’s just say that if you like sensuous Southern sweet cream waffles with luscious blackberries and raspberries, sticky buns piled high with pecans, and banana bread that somehow how manages to be oh-so-moist, yet light in texture, you’ll be happy. You know you’ll want more later; stop at the gift store and carry-out counter to purchase silky sauces, creamy butters and freshly baked treats.

Hot, sweet and sticky: the buns at Guenther House.

To really spice things up, you may want to head to a hotel—but not just any hotel (we know what you’re thinking, Sassy). The Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk has one of the best high-class barbecue joints around. Executive Chef David Wirebaugh, of Q on the Riverwalk, can satisfy your carnal instincts…with his melt-in-your-mouth, dry-rubbed Brisket, Tamarind Salmon and Liquored Lacquered Chicken. The menu at Q is full of surprises; even the Caesar Salad is intriguing, with corn relish, spicy chipotle dressing and caramelized cornbread croutons. Wirebaugh likes cooking over an open fire, and you’ll be glad he does; there’s something, well, sexy about the combination of man, flames and food. Plus, his brisket is so full of flavor, you could eat it without any sauce or condiments. But don’t make that mistake—each one is homemade, and they’re sure to light your internal fire. As you work your way through them, from Indonesian BBQ Sauce to Hot Gingered Pickled Peaches, you’ll feel like you’re on a culinary adventure.

Q on the Riverwalk's firey love on a plate.

There are times, of course, when you just want it now, fresh and fast. That’s when you head to La Gloria, where Chef Johnny Hernandez can transport you to Nirvana by way of Mexican street foods. The idea, according to Hernandez, is that you don’t have to die to go to heaven—it’s right here, in the regional foods from south of the border. Tacos Al Pastor (marinated pork) and Dorados de Pollo Verde (chicken with tomatillo salsa) mingle with Ceviche Veracruzano (fish marinated in lime juice, olive oil, tomatoes and onions) and Quesadillas Deshebrada (shredded beef and cheese). Hernandez is passionate about authenticity, and does his homework; he’s traveled extensively throughout Mexico, collecting recipes in preparation for pleasing the palates of his customers. At La Gloria, you can have your heaven inside or out, since there’s a charming little patio where you can watch the river roll by as you feast.

Food, much like love, should be made often…and in innovative ways. Chef Jason Dady, owner of Tre Trattoria Downtown, understands that, and has dedicated his fifth restaurant to Tuscan-inspired foods that will delight even the most high-maintenance food lover. The secret is the way that ingredients are combined; Tuscan Farro Salad, for example, features charred tomatoes, onions, charred pine nuts, lemon oil and kosher salt. That’s it. But those simple flavors literally sing on the tongue, and when you follow it up with, say, a thin-crust Goat Cheese Pizza with caramelized cipollini onions, pistachios and a sexy swirl of balsamic vinegar, you’ll be singing, too. Pasta-from-the-gods Pappardelle with Rustic Pork Ragu, Fennel and Lemon brings you back down to earthy pleasure, and if you still haven’t had enough, meet sensuous, chocolatey Nutella 3—it’ll push you right over the edge. Seriously, it should be illegal.

Tre Trattoria's silky Pappardelle with Rustic Pork Ragu.

There are plenty of other reasons to go to San Antonio: the newly expanded Riverwalk, the art museums, the missions, the Alamo. But the food…oh god, the food…will render you helpless…from the first scent of the flower on your salad plate to the last, incredible bite of that silky custard you were powerless to resist.

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