192. From 8 Tables to the St. Anthony: Chef Leo Davila on Bringing San Antonians Back Downtown to Eat

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we sit down with Chef Leo Davila, a San Antonio native whose personal journey has led him from childhood field trips downtown to running the kitchens at the historic St. Anthony Hotel. After gaining a following at his acclaimed eight-table restaurant, Sticks and Stone, and being named a James Beard semifinalist, Davila made the decision to close his business and lead the food program at the St. Anthony—one of the city’s most storied venues.

Host Cory Ames and Chef Davila discuss the factors behind this major career move, what it means to build authenticity as a chef who defies easy categories, and the challenges of bringing everyday San Antonians back to downtown dining.

Topics include:

• The evolution of downtown’s dining scene and Davila’s efforts to make it approachable for locals

• How growing up in a mixed Chinese-Mexican San Antonio family shaped his culinary perspective

• The pressures of awards and recognition, and how a health crisis changed his priorities as a chef and leader

• What it takes to keep a restaurant sustainable in San Antonio’s challenging ecosystem

• Why hospitality and care are at the heart of his approach—both for staff and guests

Davila offers an inside look at the realities of running a high-profile kitchen in San Antonio, and his vision for a more unified, adventurous local food scene.

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