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By Carl Ruiz
Nestled in a charming 100 year old Southtown bungalow, the cozy neighborhood restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner with international flair.
The first thing you notice about vivacious owner, Donna Norling, also known as Tutti, is her beautiful sparkling eyes and a smile that exudes the greatest friendliness and warmth. Getting to know her, you realize her passion extends not only to exquisitely prepared comfort food for humans, but also includes a menu for man’s best friend! In fact, Tutti’s might just be the most dog friendly restaurant in the Alamo city. Don’t let this fool you. The canine menu is just a bonus to the delectable human menu that features recipes that have been in her family for generations.
The interior is decorated like a cozy, neighborhood Parisian French Bistro. Think soft pink. It’s Tutti’s favorite color! Yet the interior exudes a casual, comfortable lazy Sunday afternoon vibe. The outdoor seating area features shady and inviting tables nestled around beautifully landscaped container gardens. Fido would approve.
Inside, there’s an impressive, state of the art, high tech coffee machine that produces some of the cities best cappuccinos and lattes. It’s no wonder that the coffee beans are roasted locally right here in San Antonio. In fact the pumpkin spice latte is so popular, it’s served year round.
What was her inspiration for the restaurant?
Tutti explains that after her husband passed away and her only child left for college, she decided to pursue one of her life’s passions. She’s a people person who always had a passion for entertaining and traveling.
The menu features the ever popular chicken and waffles. Tutti’s are flavored with a Jamaican strawberry rum drink called a hummingbird.
Israeli style food is also featured in a tomato and egg dish called shakshuka. The varied menu has something for everyone, even vegan options. Her meatloaf was named the best in the city. It’s her great grandmother’s recipe.
The homemade, made from scratch baked goods are just as impressive. Her enormous signature rice crispy bars will absolutely melt in your mouth. They sit in an enclosed glass cake plate calling out to you and they’re topped with pink icing of course! They sell like hotcakes! You can describe them as sophisticated fun food for kids of all ages.
One of the most innovative features in the restaurant is a communal dining table. I asked Tutti to elaborate and explain how she came up with the idea. She said that many people want to go out to eat, but often find themselves without a dining companion and don’t want to dine alone. So, the restaurant offers certain nights of the week where as a solo diner, you can join other solo diners at the same table if you want, for good food and conversation served family style. You can check the restaurant website in advance to see what is being served at the communal table on a particular night. “It’s a fun and casual way to meet new people in a relaxed setting,” says Tutti.
The refreshing ambiance and delectable comfort food combined with the talent of the charming Donna Norling makes “Tutti’s For Foodies” a Southtown jewel in the crown of our remarkable city.
Open Everyday:
Sunday Brunch 10am- 4pm
Mon-Thur 8am-4pm
Fri-Sat 8am-10pm
(Dinner ONLY on Friday and Saturday)
Available Mon-Thur evening for special events
Located in the Lone Star Arts District near Southtown
318 E. Cevallos, San Antonio, Texas 78204
210- 530-1313 • Tuttisforfoodies.com
