Veteran restaurateur Cappy Lawton paved the way years ago for much of what is good, true, and virtuous about contemporary cuisine in San Antonio. It would be easy to imagine that he would now want to bask in residual glory at the two remaining restaurants, Cappy’s and neighboring Cappyccino’s, which he now runs with his wife, Suzy. Yes. And no.

The Lawtons’ attention to hospitality is reflected in the thoroughly comfortable space, both indoors and out, at Cappy’s—and in the well-trained staff (which includes Suzy in charge of the wine list). If the food is no longer pioneering, that’s probably just fine with the local Alamo Heights crowd; the (share-it) “truffled potato stack” is about as far as they can go, the truly exceptional Kobe burger challenging enough, thank you.

Grilled rack of lamb and New Orleans gumbo, comfortably correct with a deep and soulful roux, continue the no-excitement, few-disappointments theme—though the nightly “Out of the Blue” fish special is a category in which the kitchen can, and often does, shine anew. The à la carte weekend brunch, with items such as Texas pot roast and “Eggs Commodore,” is one of the most varied and appealing in town.