In 2024, Ladino received a Michelin Bib Gourmand<\/a>. In April, Richter\u2019s grill house was named Outstanding Restaurant<\/a> at the CultureMap San Antonio Tastemaker Awards.<\/p>\n To celebrate the restaurant\u2019s third anniversary, Richter is moving his charcoal mangal grill outside and throwing a block party on the patio Sunday from 3-9 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n The six-hour celebration will feature bites from Richter and guest chefs from Pullman Market<\/a>, Mezquite<\/a>, Burgers by the Butcher<\/a> and the Jerk Shack<\/a>. There will be live music, a balloon artist and face painting for children.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to do a fun outdoor event to celebrate Ladino,\u201d Richter said. \u201cOne of my chef mentors 25 years ago used to tell me, \u2018You\u2019re only as good as your last plate.\u2019 That really stuck with me throughout my career. In our profession you have to constantly keep pushing forward and strive to do better.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n Succeeding like Ladino has is difficult in the current economy, says Blanca Aldaco<\/a>, owner of Aldaco\u2019s Mexican Cuisine<\/a> and president of the San Antonio chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association. Primary challenges include the rising costs of goods, labor shortages and higher payroll expenses.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we approach the holiday season,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019m hopeful that the spirit of celebration and togetherness will bring people back to dining out and connecting over meals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Bringing people together is the aim of Jerk Shack founder Nicola Blaque<\/a>, a guest chef at Sunday\u2019s block party.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you look at how many businesses shut down and don\u2019t last as long as Ladino, I\u2019m happy to celebrate and lock arms,\u201d Blaque said. \u201cWith the times we are in, there\u2019s no need to be competing. We literally need to be supporting and uplifting each other. I love the way they supported me and I\u2019ll be happy to support them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Blaque understands struggle. The Jerk Shack opened as a 600-square foot, hole-in-the-wall in 2018. It had a walk-up window, limited parking and no refrigeration. Blaque worked as chef, server, manager and bookkeeper while pregnant. If not for the generosity of a customer, who kept her employees paid, the Jerk Shack would have folded.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, the Jerk Shack serves customers in a 2,700 square foot site on the far West Side. Like Ladino, it received a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024.<\/p>\n Richter also understands struggle. He did not attend culinary school. He learned to cook from his mother and grandmother in their home near Tel Aviv. In 2001, he left Israel for New York to pursue his ambition of becoming a chef.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/LadinoBlockParty_BertyRichter_02_10.16.2025_Vincentreyna.jpg\")
Chef Berty Richter posing inside Ladino located at Pearl. Credit: Vincent Reyna for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n