{"id":104345,"date":"2025-12-30T00:54:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T00:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/104345\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T00:54:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T00:54:13","slug":"acclaimed-san-antonio-restaurant-cured-to-close-this-january-after-13-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/104345\/","title":{"rendered":"Acclaimed San Antonio restaurant Cured to close this January after 13 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SteveSteve McHugh is chef-owner of Cured, set to close in January. Credit: Josh Huskin<\/p>\n

After more than a decade as a cornerstone of San Antonio\u2019s Pearl district, Cured \u2014 the contemporary American restaurant from James Beard Award\u2013nominated chef Steve McHugh \u2014\u00a0will permanently close early next month.<\/p>\n

The restaurant will shut down Sunday, Jan. 4, according to details McHugh\u2019s team shared Monday afternoon. The chef-owner didn\u2019t cite a specific reason for the closure, instead thanking San Antonio for 13 years of support and reflecting on Cured\u2019s time in the historic jewel box building that became a symbol of the Pearl\u2019s transformation \u2014 and his own personal journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I opened Cured, the name represented two things close to my heart: my own successful battle against cancer and the artisanal craft of curing meats that became the cornerstone of our menu,\u201d McHugh said in a statement. \u201cWhat I didn\u2019t fully understand then was how much this restaurant would become a daily celebration of life itself \u2014 a place where appreciation and gratitude weren\u2019t just words, but the driving philosophy behind everything we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

McHugh was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010, shortly after he moved to San Antonio to help open the restaurant L\u00fcke. He was officially declared in remission in 2011, and the debut of Cured followed two years later. The new venture became a tribute to health and healing and new beginnings for the chef and his team.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During its run, Cured earned six James Beard Award finalist nominations, helping cement McHugh\u2019s reputation on the national culinary stage. The restaurant was also named one of Bon App\u00e9tit\u2019s Best New Restaurants in 2014 and recognized by Texas Monthly as one of the state\u2019s best dining spots. Together, the accolades positioned Cured as an early driver of San Antonio\u2019s rising national food profile.<\/p>\n

Philanthropy remained a central part of Cured\u2019s mission. Each September, during Blood Cancer Awareness Month, McHugh hosted the annual Cured for a Cure dinner benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause tied directly to his own cancer diagnosis and recovery.<\/p>\n

Though the restaurant is closing, McHugh\u2019s culinary approach continues through his cookbook, CURED: Cooking with Ferments, Pickles, Preserves, & More, published in spring 2024. Co-authored with Texas Monthly Senior Food Writer and Restaurant Critic Paula Forbes, the book includes more than 150 recipes focused on seasonal cooking and preservation techniques such as fermentation, pickling and charcuterie \u2014 things Cured was well known for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The historic building, whose walls date back to 1904, will remain part of the Pearl\u2019s evolving landscape. Officials with the development haven\u2019t revealed what restaurant is scheduled to take its place. <\/p>\n

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