A Night in Old San Antonio brings 160 food vendors to La Villita, but recipes for Bongo K Bobs, Yak-I-Tori, Gorditas and Fat Bread satisfy cravings year-round.
It's nearly time to polish those medals and dust off your best party hats. Oh, and make sure to remember your stretchy pants. The annual feast of exuberance that is A Night in Old San Antonio — better known as NIOSA — is set to return April 29 through May 2.
The event, held alongside Fiesta for the past 77 years now, will bring more than 160 food and drink vendors to the historic La Villita spread across 14 zones representing San Antonio's rich and diverse cultural heritage. And this is a serious food festival, folks. The numbers are kind of mind boggling. For example, more than 13,500 pounds of beef is likely to be consumed in the form of anticuchos in the Mexican Market area and Bongo K Bobs in the Mission Trail district. More than 11,000 pounds of chicken will become Yak-I-Tori skewers in Chinatown and the ever-present jalapeño-capped chicken-on-a-stick. About 3,800 turkey legs and and more than 4,200 pounds of sausage will vanish into the ravenous bellies of attendees. NIOSA is the flagship fundraising effort of The Conversation Society of San Antonio, a vibrant historic preservation society that turned 100 years old in 2024. And they're generous with their time and talent. TASTE OF HISTORY: NIOSA back in full swing with tasty foods representing San Antonio's diverse cultures This week, they've shared several recipes for time-honored favorite NIOSA dishes, including those beloved Bongo K Bobs and Yak-I-Tori. If you're craving the bean and cheese gorditas from the Haymarket district, we've got those as well. And your meal wouldn't be complete without a serving of Fat Bread — a tangle of sauteed mushrooms and gooey cheese over a toasted English muffin. If you want to bring a taste of NIOSA to your home, enjoy any of these dishes year-round. Bongo K Bobs The magic to this recipe is in the bright citrus marinade. Don't try to shortcut the beef's long swim in that special sauce. At NIOSA, they use the rare cut ball tip beef, but the easier-to-find top sirloin makes a good substitute. 3 pounds top sirloin, cut into chunks 1/2 clove garlic, minced Juice of 3 lemons 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 onion, chopped into large pieces 2 bell peppers, any color, cut into wedges Instructions: Place the meat in a bowl or plastic bag. Combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, salt, oregano and cumin, and pour over the meat, stirring to combine. Let the beef marinate in the mixture for at least 6 hours or overnight. Alternate pieces of the beef, onion and pepper wedges on skewers. Grill the skewers until desired doneness is achieved and serve. BEST BLING: Express-News Fiesta Medal Contest winners announced for 2025 Fat Bread These popular mushroom-loaded English muffins pick up a distinct flavor and aroma courtesy of a healthy glug of Worcestershire sauce. 4 tablespoons butter 2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce English muffins, split Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese, shredded Instructions: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mushroom sauce has reduced and thickened a bit, about 5 minutes. Toast the English muffins and pour a portion of the mushroom sauce over them. Sprinkle the muffins with 3 tablespoons of cheese each. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese melts, and serve. HERE'S THE BEEF: Make NIOSA’s famed anticuchos at home Gorditas Bring a crowd if you attempt this recipe. It makes enough fluffy gorditas to easily feed a dozen people. Feel free to scale it down. 5 pounds of fine ground corn masa 1/2 pound pure lard 1 ounce salt 1 cup water Oil, for deep frying 4 cups refried beans 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups pico de gallo 2 cups guacamole Instructions: Hand mix the masa, lard, salt and water until smooth and moist. Add additional water if needed. Roll up 25 equal portions of dough, each roughly the size of a golf ball. Pat each ball of dough out evenly with rounded edges. Heat frying oil to 350 degrees. Drop the gorditas into hot oil a few at a time. They will sink at first. Once they rise, add more raw gorditas. Flip over the raised gorditas once golden brown. When both sides are golden brown, remove from oil. Place the gorditas on a drip pan to remove excess oil. With a pairing knife, slice open the gorditas on their sides. Make a cut half way, very similar to pita pocket. Stuff each gordita with 2 ounces of refried beans and 1 ounce of cheese. Add pico de gallo or guacamole, if desired. PARTY SAFE: Fiesta 2025 tightens security with big changes Yak-I-Tori Don't take any risk with undercooked chicken. These skewers separate the poultry from the veggies to assure everyone's safety. 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 cup soy sauce 1 large tomato, cut into chunks 1 onion, cut into large chunks 1 bell pepper, any color, cut into large chunks Instructions: Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, and cut the meat into roughly 1-inch pieces. In a bowl or plastic bag, combine the chicken with the soy sauce and allow to marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours. Place the chicken pieces on wooden skewers and reserve. On separate skewers, alternate pieces of tomato, onion and pepper. Grill the chicken skewers over a medium-high flame until nearly cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Add the vegetable skewers to the grill and continue cooking until the chicken and vegetables are done, about 5 more minutes. All recipes courtesy of The Conversation Society of San Antonio
Yak-I-Tori Do PARTY SAFE Pat NIOSA Old San Antonio La Villita Mexican Market Mission Trail Chinatown Worcestershire Haymarket Express-News Fiesta Medal Contest Bongo K Bobs English Gorditas Bongo K Bobs Yak-I-Tori Fiesta 2025 Fat Bread Monterey Jack
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