By Kristina Fiore
Even during specialty conferences that meet in the same city
year after year — like the recent San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium – rarely do attendees have a chance to get a sense of place.
Reporters, like doctors, are confined to the walls of the
convention center most of the day, from which they head straight for dinner at
tried-and-true spots with colleagues, only to immediately retire to the same
old hotels.
It’s not until I’m at the airport waiting for my return
flight that I get the chance to sit down with a copy of the local magazine or newspaper to
learn more about the place that I’ve just spent a week in.
Luckily, this most recent trip to San Antonio, my colleagues
happened upon a new dinner spot – but only because we couldn’t get into
Rosario’s, one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in San Antonio, on a
crowded Saturday night.
Though it was just two blocks down the road, none of us had
heard of Tito’s before. A colleague had noticed it while he was driving around earlier that day. Apparently, none of the other folks waiting for hours outside
Rosario’s had noticed it either, because the place was nearly empty – and for
no good reason. The food was fantastic, and the cuisine was far more creative than
that of our over-packed staple.
Of course, I still don’t feel I know San Antonio on the
whole any better, but it’s good to know that a fresh experience in an often-visited place may be just around the corner.