Tucked away at the edge of a shopping strip in Castle Hills, Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” plays inside Clementine, the volume slightly under the sounds of sizzling pans, clinking utensils, gentle laughs and conversations.
At tables inside the small restaurant with a fresh-feeling blue-and-beige color scheme, guests nod as they take their first bite, signaling their approval.
Chef John Russ emerged from his kitchen and walked a plate of strawberry shortcake dessert out to a table, poured a strawberry jus over toasted almond ice cream and vanilla crumble, bowed to his guests and retreated back to the kitchen. The family of four snapped photos of the food, admiring the dessert.
If they were aware they had just been served by a 2023 James Beard Foundation finalist, they didn’t let on. Russ is one of five finalists in the category of best Texas chef — and the only one in San Antonio — who are awaiting the awards ceremony on June 5 in Chicago.
John and his wife, Elise Russ, opened Clementine in 2018, inspired by world-class restaurants in neighborhoods in Atlanta, where Elise lived for some years, and New Orleans, where John lived.
“You can just like walk down the street and have incredible food. And it’s not like you have to drive downtown,” said John Russ of the Southern food destinations. “There are just great restaurants all over the city.”
Since the first day, the couple’s aim has been to stay a small business.
Having a smaller restaurant allows for creativity, focus and mission, Russ said. Compared to downtown or Pearl-area restaurants, Russ said he believes having an “it” location would mean compromise to be open seven days a week for brunch, lunch and dinner.
With three young children, the Russes prefer a neighborhood setting serving a neighborhood community, even giving staff members space for their families.
As opposed to the responsibilities that come with being in a prominent location, Russ explained he would rather have the freedom to change his menu as often as he wants.
“I get excited about whatever the farmers have today,” he said. “And it might not be the same thing one week from now, and we print our menus once a week.”
A prestigious honor
The James Beard Awards is one of the nation’s most prestigious culinary honors, recognizing the recipients’ talent and achievement.
Category winners include chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership and who create a sustainable work culture while contributing to the community. Measured by those criteria, Russ makes an effort to qualify.
In 2019, Russ was among a group of business owners that raised funds to support the San Antonio Food Bank during a 35-day shutdown of the federal government by hosting a “give back” night at Clementine at which customers donated to help keep the pantry stocked and feed furloughed government employees.
Most recently, Russ attended the James Beard Foundation 2023 Chef Action Summit to learn about legislation for the farm bill, which funds the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). In June, Russ and other chefs plan to meet with elected officials to advocate for an increase in SNAP benefits to compensate for higher grocery prices and decrease the need for food assistance. The chefs also intend to ask how they can help push for work permits for migrants, especially those going through the asylum process, Russ said.
“Being in South Texas, we can continue to put our heads in the sand and hold a blind eye, or we can recognize that there are people here and there are jobs that are empty,” said Russ of asylum-seekers entering the country.
Food over location
It all ties back to Russ’ passion for cooking.
“When we took over the space here in Castle Hills, we were like, ‘We just gotta get going’ like, ‘Let’s open this restaurant, let’s follow our dream, and go,’” he said.
It was business as usual for a Wednesday evening at Clementine, located in a quiet strip commercial center on NW Military Drive.
“It’s a really fun part of town, where food is important to people that live here,” Russ said. “So maybe cooking good food is more important than just having a great location. For a suburb, it’s not super normal for San Antonio to have that.”
Russ likes to point out that Clementine, with its classic American fare, is not a fine dining restaurant, it’s a “neighborhood restaurant.” Similar to some chefs and restaurants nominated for a 2023 James Beard Foundation award, Russ said the list of nominees has evolved to be more democratic and inclusive.
“This is much closer to what the list needs to be,” he said. “It’s the movers and shakers who are making a difference in their community and not people who can afford to spend $100,000 a year on [public relations] every year. It’s restaurants who might not ever afford a PR person, who might not ever afford to have a publicist because it’s not their mission.
“Their mission is to serve their guests and to help their community. … We’re right on target with that.”
