San Antonio Chefs John and Elise Russ Open a New Neighborhood Restaurant

Chefs John and Elise Russ are opening their own neighborhood restaurant in San Antonio. The Southern-inspired Clementine, which will be found in the Castle Hills areas, makes its debut today, Wednesday, January 17.

The restaurant, which was named after the fruit, focuses on seasonal fare served family-style. Dishes span hush puppies served with labneh, salt cod tots, ricotta cavatelli, to larger entrees like crispy skin river trout and 24-hour short ribs. Desserts, aptly found on the menu under the “best parts” section helmed by Elise Russ who is the pastry chef, will include chocolate-clementine crunch bars and cardamom doughnuts. Drinks take the form of wine (with an emphasis on bubbles) and beer. Scope out the full menu below.

The bright restaurant highlights a white and blue mural of clementines by illustrator Steven Noble, which was transferred to the large canvas by tattoo artist Kelly Edwards. The rest of the space, designed by Ron Bechtol, features white, blue, and gray hues. The restaurant can fit 50 guests, with seating ranging from communal tables to banquette seating.

Jess Attie

Jess Attie

Clementine is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The Russes met while working at the Inn at Perry Cabin in Maryland, where he was the executive sous chef and she the pastry chef. Before opening Clementine, Elise worked as the pastry chef of Biga on the Banks in San Antonio.

John Russ was previously the executive chef of the San Antonio branch of Lüke, the John Besh restaurant that closed earlier last year. Besh stepped down from his restaurant group in October 2017 after the Times-Picayune reported that the restaurant group’s culture encouraged sexual harassment and assault.

• Clementine [Official]
• Clementine [Facebook]
• Clementine [Instagram]
• Clementine [Twitter]