Summer is here!

Summer, to me, means beach days, enjoying and eating seafood, watersports, fishing, sun and sand. Summer was the time I most wished I was back in the Rio Grande Valley when I was living in New York City. We wanted this issue to feel like summer from cover to cover. In it, we take on the serious topic of the state of the shrimping industry, celebrate the work that Sea Turtle Inc. does and provide, oh, so many fun and delicious summer recipes!

No matter where I’ve been, shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico is always the best. The more that I have heard about the hardships the local shrimping industry faces, the more that I realize it’s us, the consumer, who needs to be informed and ask for Gulf shrimp to be served wherever we dine. It’s easy to assume we are eating Gulf shrimp in the Valley, especially on South Padre Island, but the reality is that if the menu does not specify Gulf shrimp, then it’s not. Gulf shrimp is a premium product and, as such, comes at a premium price. The beautiful part is that when you buy local Gulf shrimp from a local seafood market, let’s say Los Tortugos in Port Isabel, your dollar stays here and you support the local business, the local workers and the local industry, thereby expanding our local food economy.

The work that Sea Turtle Inc. has done for the last 45 years is phenomenal. Getting to know the staff and the work they do was a true honor. The facility is amazing to visit if you find yourself on the island and looking for something fun to do. While I have never been to a turtle release, it is on my summer bucket list this year!

We chose Mahi Nic’s for our first In Conversation piece as it exemplifies what I value in a restaurant experience. It is customer driven, sustainable, environment friendly, and the food just tastes good! Owners Wendy and Billy Nichols are the nicest people. They lead by example and love what they do. What else could you ask for? On this topic we ask you, our readers, to let us know the places you love so we can expand this section. We ask that the businesses are locally owned, provide a great experience and try to source locally. If a place comes to mind, please email it to letty@ediblergv.com.

So many recipes … we have heard that you all truly enjoy them. Of course in this issue, we needed to include as many shrimp recipes as possible. VIVA is the new hot restaurant on the island — the drinks are fabulous, the food is delicious and the view is one of a kind. The chef, Blake Angelos, shows us a bit of his Greek heritage with his fish recipe. His olive relish will be in my fridge all summer long. Our dessert recipe in this issue is easy to make and can travel well to all your summer BBQs. It’s also vegan! Las Ramblas was recently chosen as a finalist for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Bar — such an honor. Las Ramblas’ cocktail and spirits director Chris Galicia shares with us three refreshing recipes that show the versatility, flavors and styles of spritzes. While I tend to drink spritzes year-round, they really do make summer feel like it’s really here. I love the flavors of floral and citrus, the gorgeous colors but most of all that they’re low ABV cocktails, we can drink them all day long. My go-to right now is any amaro and Topo Chico. Order an Apreol Spritz at your next brunch and give them a try! Please share photos of your favorite dishes with us on Instagram @edibleriograndevalley.

We invite you to share this issue with friends and family. When you spot Edible RGV, make sure to take more than one copy so you can pass them around! I would like to thank our advertisers; without them, you would not be reading this issue. Please support the businesses that allow us to bring this magazine to you.

I wish everyone a fabulous and safe summer, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

PUBLISHER

Jacqueline Folacci

EDITOR

Letty Fernandez

PHOTO EDITOR

Daniela Loera

CONTRIBUTORS

Blake Angelos

John Burnett

Christopher Galicia

Wendy Knight

Amanda Nolan

Texas Department of Agriculture

Eugenio Uribe

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Denise Cathey

Daniela Loera

LAYOUT DESIGN

Matthew and Tina Freeman

COPY EDITORS

Doresa Banning

Marci Caltibiano-Ponce

Cristina Tijerina

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Sara Ortiz

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CONTACT US hola@ediblergv.com

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Visit us online at edibleriograndevalley.com edible Rio Grande Valley is published quarterly by GC Publishing LLC. Subscription rate is $28 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us at hola@ediblergv.com. Thank you.

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Jacqueline Folacci Publisher

Congratulations!

Wright Vineyards started selling its wines in the Valley. The farm and winery located near La Feria is a dream come true and an adventure for owners Turner and Matiana “Nena” Wright. They launched the business in 2017.

“It’s been an exciting journey of learning experiences. We worked tirelessly to grow our grapes, we learned the winemaking process through lots of trial and error and now we are proud to share our product with the Valley,” says Turner.

All the grapes are grown, harvested and processed in the Valley. The wines are created by local winemaker Kate Coleman and are named for famous animals that “roam South Texas and give it character.”

They include Ocelot Blanc du Bois, Nilgai Bull Lenoir and Rattlesnake Rosé, all of which are now available online at wrightvineyards.com and at Dodici Provisions in Brownsville. The Wrights are working with a distributor to sell their wines in local restaurants and additional stores.

Los Chilaquiles Mexican Buffet in Pharr made the list of “Where to Find Some of the Best Chilaquiles in Texas” and was featured in an article in Texas Highways magazine. Read it at texashighways.com.

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish. Corn tortillas are quartered, lightly fried and topped with ample green or red salsa. Sometimes pulled chicken, cream, queso fresco and avocado slices are included.

Edible RGV Publisher Jacqueline Folacci moderated a panel, “Farm to Table: Chefs and Farmers on Eating Sustainably,” at the UTRGV Earth Fest Food Summit. She says, “We are proud to be part of these important conversations on the Rio Grande Valley’s food culture. We’re thankful to the UTRGV Agroecology Program and the Office of Sustainability for including us in their event.”

Brownsville

Lettuce Eat Salad

3341 Pablo Kisel Blvd., Ste. R McAllen

AMBRA

1200 Auburn Ave., Ste. 200

South Padre Island

VIVA

202 W. Whiting St.

Know someone who should be in Notable Edibles? Send us a note at hola@ediblergv.com.