Edible Rio Grande Valley - Summer 2024

EAT. DRINK. THINK. LOCAL.

Photo by Daniela Loera

Summer is here, and it is going to be a hot one …

What better way to enjoy the season than a barbecue with family and friends. South Texas and meat go hand in hand … and no one does it better than the Rio Grande Valley! The different flavors from two cultures coming together is quite unique. In this Edible RGV issue, we have two barbecue heavyweights to help us celebrate how special our local BBQ community is and how far it has come. Arnie Segovia shares the evolution of our local barbecue culture, from competitions to the blending of central Texas and Mexican flavors. Lou Castro introduces us to some of the pit masters making a name for themselves in the RGV.

We share recipes that will add a kick to your next barbecue. Check out Lou’s seafood grill and the two side dishes created by Joel Garcia from Teddy’s Barbecue. No barbecue is complete without our pan de campo, and who better to show us how to prepare it out on the ranch than Melissa Guerra. In Last Sip, Daniel Arizpe from Pluton Brewery kicks up a michelada by marrying it with a mangonada. It makes it feel so 956 and taste so good! Pluton is now open in the historic Brown White building on Elizabeth Street in downtown Brownsville. The owners show all of us how to turn a passion into a business.

Summers are not complete without a trip to the beach. Here, the fourth generation of the Ghilain family, which has island life and restaurants in its blood, operates Nautico Island Grill, a local spot you must try. Miriam Perry shares the story of how it all began. Keep an eye out for Nautico’s funny puns on its marquee.

Edible Rio Grande Valley launched a dinner series in the spring to bring the local Edible community together. So far we’ve had dinners celebrating two of our magazine issues, and they’ve been so much fun. I enjoy organizing these events, working with our local chefs, listening to our engaging speakers, and most of all, seeing people around a table enjoying the food inspired and prepared by the RGV’s local culinary stars. I invite you to join us at the next dinner, for the Summer issue, in August at Teddy’s Barbecue in Weslaco. Stay tuned for information on where to get tickets.

It is a true honor to meet more and more of the people in the RGV who make up our unique food culture and to bring this magazine to you. We could not do it without all our loyal advertisers, and we have some new ones in this issue, which I acknowledge and thank. I encourage you to visit and show them how Edible RGV readers support local and small businesses. Please let them know you saw their ad in this magazine.

Stay hydrated and use sunscreen!

Happy Summer!

Jacqueline Folacci Publisher

Edible Rio Grande Valley is published quarterly. Subscribe and have it delivered right to your door. You can subscribe online at edibleriograndevalley.com or mail a check for $28 to: 415 Calle Retama, Brownsville, Texas 78520.

PUBLISHER

Jacqueline Folacci

EDITOR

Letty Fernandez

CONTRIBUTORS

Daniel Arizpe

Lou Castro

Joel Garcia

Melissa Guerra

Michael Gonzalez

Miriam Perry

Arnie Segovia

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Michael Gonzalez

Daniela Loera

Delcia Lopez

Iliasis Muniz

LAYOUT DESIGN

Matthew and Tina Freeman

COPY EDITORS

Doresa Banning

Marci Caltibiano-Ponce

Cristina Tijerina

ADVERTISING

advertise@edibleriograndevalley.com

CONTACT US hola@ediblergv.com

TO SUBSCRIBE

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.

©2024. All rights reserved

edibleriograndevalley.com

Arnie Segovia on his back patio

WHETHER

YOU CALL IT BARBECUE OR BARBACOA,

It’s All About The Mouthwatering Flavors

STORY BY ARNIE SEGOVIA | PHOTOS BY DELCIA LOPEZ

The Golden Age of Barbecue … I love it! Doesn’t matter whether you spell it barbecue, or barbeque, or Bar-B-Q, or Bar-B-Cue, or just BBQ or even barbacoa! It means different things to different people, but at the end of the day, barbacoa is indeed barbecue — that’s where the word originates.

Fact is, when it comes to cooking in general, many of our traditions, recipes and techniques are similar, yet still different. Cooking over direct or indirect fire goes back thousands of years, but each region has its own peculiarities and specialties. The Rio Grande Valley is no different.

In Central Texas and beyond, referring to fajitas and chicken as BBQ? Well, them just might be fightin’ words. At the very least, it’s blasphemy to the “low ’n’ slow” crowd who will swear on a stack of signed cookbooks that real  BBQ is only smoked meats like brisket, pork ribs and pork butt, and cooking anything at more than 225 degrees is just grilling.

In the Valley, we invite family and friends to our BBQs, but some more old school folks prefer to call it carne asada. Along the border, a carne asada party usually will include some or all of these proteins: fajitas, sausage, chicken, short beef ribs and some offal favorites like mollejas (sweetbreads) and tripas (intestines). Of course, que no falte la cerveza, too. Salud!

My father and the neighbors would slaughter a cow for special occasions out west in Pecos. Sometimes, that meant sacrificing a whole hog for cooking up chicharrones and carnitas — always over an open fire and in a big pot.

“These places are fusing the best of the BBQ worlds together so you and I can have delicious carne asada or amazing smoked BBQ or both together at the same table with family and friends.”

When we came back to the Valley, we found the traditions were almost exactly the same as in Pecos. Here, the beef short ribs was one of my grandfather’s specialties, and his technique was to chop mesquite and burn it into coals inside the BBQ pit. The meat went on when the fire was just right.

While mi abuelo was cooking fajitas and beef ribs, my father was making guisado or tripas in the homemade disco he had welded. The wafting aromas of the wood, meat drippings and those tripas frying in oil remain vivid in my memory.

Interestingly, pork ribs were never a thing and still aren’t at a typical south Texas BBQ, neither was turkey breast, however those are super popular choices today, even in the Valley.

My welder father built a trailer pit for our many parties back when smoking a brisket was not really a thing here. But it was cheap, so Dad used to slather them with mustard and cook them slowly over mesquite coals. Then he would slice and place the meat into roasting warmers along with some BBQ sauce. That’s how it was served, simple and delicious. And that, friends, was BBQ’d brisket in the Valley in the 1960s and ’70s. You’ll still find it served that way today here.

own BBQ places, and suddenly we have wall-to-wall BBQ restaurants. And, know what? Most of them are excellent! They have to be if they want to succeed in this tough, highly competitive field.

The litmus test for any BBQ spot in Texas is always the brisket. It has to be juicy, so soft it melts in your mouth and not dry. And the bark has to have just the right crunch — not hard, and highly flavorful. That’s the start of the flavor bomb — when that bark hits your palate and it all comes together just right.

We have the best of both worlds here in the Valley, where old school carne asada BBQ coexists with modern, smoked BBQ meats that are traditional and super popular outside the Valley.

As a full-time BBQ competitor for several years, we traveled and sampled lots of BBQ all across Texas. It was rarely good, and my wife, Terry, would tell me I was a glutton for punishment.

Enter Aaron Franklin. And while he wasn’t the first to cook amazing BBQ, he certainly was the first to make it so popular. People from around the world fly to Austin and stand in line for hours just to taste the brisket that made him so famous. Maybe it was just good timing or great luck. But this renaissance back to true wood-smoked BBQ forced countless BBQ places to step it up to keep their diners coming back. It also helped aspiring pit masters realize they could open their

The Smoking Oak in Mercedes was the first BBQ place to bring that Central Texas smoked meat style to the Valley. It upped the BBQ game here. Now, we have Teddy’s Barbecue in Weslaco; Smokin’ Moon in Pharr; GW’s in San Juan and a few more coming on strong. The food trailers, too, with their own versions of both carne asada style and smoked meats. Places like 492 BBQ and El Sancho Tex Mex BBQ in Mission, as well as Rio Valley Meat in Harlingen and Vargas BBQ in Edinburg.

These places are fusing the best of the BBQ worlds; we can enjoy delicious carne asada or amazing smoked BBQ — or both together! So, round up the wife and kids and some friends and get on out to one of these BBQ places for a deep South Texas eating experience. It won’t taste the same anywhere but in the 956.

I’ll see ya there. Vamonos!

Arnie Segovia is a Texas BBQ Hall of Fame competitor, pit master and former restaurant owner. He is well known as ArnieTex on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, where he shares recipes and cooking techniques. He sells his popular BBQ rubs at local meat markets all over Texas and at pitmaster.us and ArnieTex.com.

Arnies’s Go-To Marinade for Fajitas

Recipe by Arnie Segovia

Make for 3 to 5 pounds of fajitas

“This is a really great marinade that does wonders to the tough skirt steak we know as our beloved ‘fajitas.’ It adds moisture first; it makes the meat soft, tender and juicy; but in addition, it adds a great balance with wonderful flavor without overpowering the meat. This marinade works great with any steak or tough cut of meat too.”

½ cup (118.3 ml) oil (canola, veggie, avocado, olive)

2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) soy sauce

½ cup (75 g) Texas Honey sweet onions, diced

½ cup (118.3 ml) lemon juice (chop the rinds to add to marinade)

2 tablespoons (17.2 g) WOW! BBQ Rub

2 teaspoons (6.4 g) OG Salt, Pepper & Garlic

1 teaspoon (5.6 g) Adolph’s tenderizer or ½ cup (105 g) fresh papaya or fresh pineapple

2 teaspoons (3.9 g) chili powder (I recommend Bolner’s Fiesta brand

Combine all ingredients in a zip-locked bag or Tupperware bowl.

Marinate fajitas and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but 6 to 8 hours is better.

Note: The OG is simply what I call “the perfect blend of salt, pepper and garlic” and came from my memories as a kid watching my dad and grandpa cook BBQ, carne asada, etc. Back then, all that was used was salt, pepper and garlic as an “all purpose” and ”season all.” OG is PURE salt, pepper and garlic, no additives, no fillers, no free flow agents, just pure SPG.

Smoky Perfection

Valley Pitmasters Create Innovative BBQ With 956 Flair

STORY BY LOU CASTRO | PHOTOS BY DELCIA LOPEZ

The Rio Grande Valley is no stranger to meat-laced wood smoke. Football games, birthday parties, weddings and Tuesday nights have always been great reasons to prender el bote, or light the pit. Platters of perfectly grilled/smoked chicken, fajitas, brisket and sausage are everywhere, and these time-honored South Texas traditions have crossed over into the arena of commercial barbecue.

For decades, the only place to get “real Texas BBQ” was north of the Valley. But these days, you don’t have to travel far for that smoky, rich, bark-covered brisket. Perfectly smoked beef or pork ribs and house-made sausage are just around the corner.

Our Valley BBQ can compete against any in the state, and you can quote me on that. From Central Texas style to Tex-Mex style or a combination of both, the Valley has put itself on the map in the golden, smoky world of Texas BBQ. And everyone knows Texas BBQ is unrivaled.

The folks responsible for some of the best BBQ in the state are the pit masters, sweaty, smoky, tired, unbelievably dedicated creatures of almost mythical status. They take all knowledge — from driveway BBQs to working under other pit masters — and put it on a plate, just for us.  Meet four noteworthy Valley pit masters making waves in the barbecue revolution:

Vargas BBQ

Edinburg, Texas

Style: South Texas BBQ

Pit Master: Ram Vargas

Ram Vargas makes heavenly barbecue, so it is fitting his inspiration comes from above, as well. In 2015, he was 31 when he was diagnosed with kidney failure. With no direction, depressed by his bleak prognosis, he found solace in selling BBQ plates out of his trunk. It wasn’t until 2021 that he opened his brick-and-mortar place.

During that journey, Vargas’ health improved, much to the bewilderment of his doctors. His kidneys resumed normal, healthy function. “Any motivation I have today, I have to give it to the Lord. I had no motivation to live, to tell you the truth. He put a fire in me, he gave me goals,” Vargas says.

Vargas paid attention to other pit masters, then took existing barbecue concepts and made them his own. Vargas BBQ was named as one of Texas Monthly’s 25 Best New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas in 2023.

Vargas smokes on a 250-gallon offset smoker powered by oak. His own homemade rub seasons the meat, and sides like green spaghetti and charro beans complete the uniquely Tex-Mex BBQ journey.

Top Left: Fan Favorites menu at Vargas in Edinburg. Top Right: Ram and Nidia Vargas. Bottom: Ram Vargas working the wood.

Texican BBQ Co.

Olmito, Texas

Style: South Texas Fusion

Pit Master: Marc Garza

Marc Garza doesn’t do anything halfway. He epitomizes the term “bigger than life,” and so does his barbecue. He joined a BBQ team 17 years ago.

Having derived his skills from his mom, his palate yearned for unique flavors that were the driving force behind his original South Texas style of barbecue. “We happily think outside the box,” he says. “How can we make traditional barbecue better?”

His desire to be the best requires him to use top-quality ingredients and innovative recipes. He does not compromise. Garza and his crew have won three times in competitions to benefit local charities.

The barbecue at Texican is hickory fired on custom pellet smokers. Garza uses his own proprietary South Texas spice blend, which is available in local stores. Scrumptious BBQ sandwiches, loaded sweet potatoes and BBQ bowls round out the menu, along with fresh, unique sides.

Marc Garza in front of the Texican Food Truck.

Bottom Left: Texican Torta only avalible on Thursdays. Bottom Right: Texican Beef Dino Rib.

Photo by Marc Garza

Photo by Marc Garza

Photo by Marc Garza

Rio Smoke Catering Co.

Rio Hondo, Texas

Style: True South Texas BBQ

Pit Master: Al Lino

Owner Al Lino began his barbecue journey at age 13, but it wasn’t until he decided to dedicate himself to the art of competition BBQ that his craft really took shape.

Today, he uses South Texas mesquite, smoking on 1,000-gallon and 500-gallon offset smokers. “It’s true South Texas BBQ. We use mesquite, we use Mexican spices,” he says. Sides like coleslaw with cilantro and mac and cheese complement his delectable brisket, pulled pork and ribs.

Lino and his wife competed in Arkansas in the Final Table of the prestigious World Food Championships. As one of 11 competitors to achieve this, he sits among the elite. This, along with a pile of trophies, makes him plenty qualified to serve excellent barbecue to the masses in the RGV.

“So … the idea of eating delicious Texas BBQ is no longer planning to make a stop on your way to Austin. It’s right next door. The Valley is now at the top of the BBQ world, and we have our own cultural, regional twist that makes it that much better!”

Top Left: Al & Tiffany Lino from Rio Smoke. Mid Right: Rio Smoke trophy wall. Bottom: Spread at Rio Smoke.

Top Left: Spread at GW’s in San Juan.

Top Right: George Watts cutting brisket.

Bottom Left: Sliced brisket at GW’s. Bottom

Right: George Watts keeps a watchful eye on the brisket. Smoking meats, he says, is his passion.

GW’s BBQ Catering Co.

San Juan, Texas

Style: Central Texas Style

Pit Master: George “G” Watts III

George Watts III, or “G” as he is widely known, is a pit master, along with his dad, George Watts Jr. When the younger Watts was about 10, he already was tending the pit at home with his dad, a definite hint of things to come. Learning from his parents and grandmother when he was so young laid his foundations. Watts has always been competitive, early in life in sports and now in barbecue. He’s a self-driven perfectionist, and this is reflected in everything from his impeccably smoked prime briskets to his fresh, innovative sides.

GW’s made Texas Monthly’s Best 25 New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas last year, and was in the magazine’s Best Bites for its Peacemaker Sandwich in 2022. It also was featured as one of CNN’s Best Bites, and received a Best Brisket vote in the Valley.

Watts smokes his meat on a 1,000-gallon offset smoker and fires with post oak; he seasons with salt and pepper. GW’s also sells house-made sausage that will make you giggle a bit.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

So … the idea of eating delicious Texas barbecue is no longer a plan to stop on your way to Austin. It’s right next door. The Valley is now at the top of the BBQ world, and we have our own cultural, regional twist that makes it that much better!

Lou Castro is the owner of TXQ Rubs, a rub/spice company based in Brownsville. He is a lover of all things edible and outdoors. He can often be found with family and friends next to a mesquite fired pit with a cold beverage in hand. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok @txqrubs.

Follow on Facebook

@The Original Willie’s BBQ

Brownsville

1848 BBQ & Beer Garden

5 Avalon Drive (956) 504-1848

Follow on Facebook

@ 1848 BBQ & Beer Garden

El Vela’s BBQ

6825 Boca Chica Blvd. (956) 407-0471

Follow on Facebook

@El Vela’s BBQ

BBQ of the Valley

Donna

Ain’t She Grand BBQ Co.

3011 E. Business Hwy 83, Bldg. 2 (956) 975-0778

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@Ain’t She Grand BBQ Co.

Edinburg

492 BBQ Food Truck 1703 W. Trenton Road, Ste. 112 (956) 270-4741

Follow on Facebook

@492BBQTrenton

Vargas BBQ

701 E. Cano St. (956) 278-0094

Follow on Facebook

@VARGASBBQ

Holy Smokes BBQ & Catering

6305 Paredes Line Road (956) 990-9963

Follow on Facebook

@Holy Smokes BBQ & Catering

O’SO GUD BBQ

429 W. Elizabeth St. (956) 454-7857

Follow on Facebook

@O’SO GUD BBQ

Pitbosses Barbecue

Catering Co. (956) 479-1097

Follow on Facebook

@Pitbosses Barbecue

RJ’s BBQ

2704 Boca Chica Blvd. (956) 639-7958

Follow on Facebook

@RJ’s BBQ

Texican BBQ

6937 South Expressway 77 (956) 443-8400 texicancompany.com

Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que 2404 Southmost Road (956) 546-4159

Follow on Facebook

@Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que

Harlingen

Rio Valley Meat Butcher Shop 1219 W. Tyler Avenue (956) 230-1560 riovalleybbq.com

SMOKE: Texas BBQ & Watering Hole

1600 W. Harrison Ave., Ste. A (956) 622-3128

Follow on Facebook

@SMOKE: Texas BBQ & Watering Hole

Hidalgo

Black Diamond BBQ

708 S. First St. (956) 627-2366 blackdiamondbbq956.com

McAllen

True Texas BBQ 901 Trenton Road (956) 618-0073 truetxbbq.com

Black Diamond BBQ

104 N. Bicentennial (956) 484-8004 blackdiamondbbq956.com

El Sancho Tex Mex BBQ Food Truck 1625 N. Conway Ave. (956) 424-2493

Follow on Instagram @elsanchobb

Penitas

Rowdy River BBQ Food Truck 1101 W. US 83 (956) 997-0122

Follow on Facebook @Rowdy River BBQ

Pharr

Smokin’ Moon BBQ 1617 W. Polk Ave (956) 997-6328 smokinmoonbbq.com

Raymondville

Tucker’s BBQ

200 S. 16th St. (956) 699-2259 tuckersbbq.com

Rio Hondo

Rio Smoke  BBQ

Catering Co.   31164 FM 106 (956) 897-7666 riosmokecatering.com

Roma

O’Maria’s 1502 N. Grant St. (956) 849-3654

San Benito

Longhorn Cattle Co. 3055 West Expressway 83 (956) 399-4400 longhorncattlecompany.com

San Juan

GW’s BBQ Catering Co.

107 N. Nebraska Ave. (956) 601-0056 gwsbbqcatering.com

What’s In Season

June – August

What to Harvest

June & July

Bell Peppers

Cantaloupes

Corn

Cucumbers

Dragon Fruit

Green Beans

Mangos

Melons Microgreens

Sweet Peppers

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Zucchini

All Season

Eggplant

Okra

Sweet Peppers

What to Plant

Dragon Fruit Microgreens

Okra

Market to Market

All Across the Rio Grande Valley Market

Locations & Available CSAs

Brownsville

Brownsville Farmers Market

Linear Park, 1495 E. 7th St.

Saturdays 9AM-12PM brownsvillewellnesscoalition.com @brownsvillewellnesscoalition

Donna Heart of the Valley Farmers Market

120 S. Main St. 3rd Sunday of every month 2-5PM @heartofvalleyfm

Edinburg

Hub of Prosperity Urban Farm

3707 W. University Dr. Saturdays 9-11AM openfoodnetwork.net @hub_of_prosperity

Harlingen

Harlingen Farmers Market Tyler Avenue & 2nd St. Saturdays 3-4:30PM Mid October-mid June harlingenfarmersmarket.com @harlingenfarmersmarket

HOPE Farmers Market 19833 Morris Rd.

Mondays & Thursdays-Saturdays 10AM-6PM yahwehfarm.com yahwehs.farmgarden@gmail.com @yahwehsfarm hopeforsfs@yahoo.com hopeforsfs.org

Wild August Nursery & Flower Market 16802 Garrett Rd. October-May

Saturdays 9AM-12PM June-September

Fridays 6-9PM wildaugust.com @themarketatwildaugust

Laguna Vista

SPIGC Community

Farmers Market

South Padre Island Golf Course

1 Ocelot Trail Rd.

1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month 4–6PM

McAllen Farm to Table Tres Lagos

Farmers Market

4350 Tres Lagos Blvd. 1st Sunday of every month 2-5PM visitmcallen.com @treslagosmcallen

Grow’n Growers

Farmers Market

Firemen’s Park, 201 N. 1st St. Saturdays 9AM-12PM visitmcallen.com @farmersmarketatfiremenspark

McAllen Farmers Market

4001 N. 23rd St. Saturdays 10AM-1PM mcallenfarmersmarket.com @mcallenfarmersmarket Mission

Buena Vida 77 Farmers Market

77 Farmers Market Bannworth Park 1822 N. Shary Rd. Sundays 2-4:30PM Buenavida77gardens.com 512-554-9713

Neighborhood Farmers Market

The Bryan House 1113 E. Mile 2 Rd. Wednesdays 3-7PM thebryanhouse.com @thebryanhouse

Primera

Primera Market

City Hall, 22893 Stuart Place Rd.

3rd Thursday of the month 4:30–7:30PM (956) 423-9654 or ecavazos@primeratx.gov

Rancho Viejo

Rancho Viejo Farmers Market 3301 Carmen Ave. Every other Sunday 3-6PM ranchoviejofm.com @ranchoviejofarmersmarket

San Benito

El Pueblito Market

101 N. Reagan St. 2nd Sunday of the month 11AM-3PM elpueblitomarket956@ gmail.com

South Padre Island

South Padre Island Farmers Market 8605 Padre Blvd. Sundays 11AM-1PM sopadre.com

Weslaco

La Cebollita Mid-Valley Farmers Market

Weslaco City Hall

255 S. Kansas Ave. Last Saturday of every month 11AM-2PM @weslaco_chamber weslaco.com

Available CSAs in the RGV CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), is one way consumers can directly support local farms. You connect directly with the farmer, and every week your farmer delivers or you can pick up a variety of fresh nutritious food.

All CSAs have different financial structures and procedures, so we suggest you reach out to the CSA for more information.

CD&J Mini Ranch Offers a produce CSA Meat and egg CSA 29575 Adams Rd., San Benito cdjminiranch.com @cdjminiranch_woman_owned

Nature’s Heartland Farm Offers produce and eggs 11920 N. Mile 16, Edinburg Saturdays 10AM-4PM heartlandfarm.com @naturesheartland

Sentli Center for Regenerative Agriculture Offers produce CSA from Participants: Terra Preta Farm, Food Bank RGV, Vida Farms, The Hour Farm & Sunshine’s Bounty. Contact Shakera Raygoza to sign up,  956-472-7436

Valley Green Growers Cooperative (VGG) Offers fresh produce and protein boxes CSA 19833 Morris Rd., Harlingen vggcoop@hopeforsfs.org

Please send updates to letty@ediblergv.com

Raspas Con Mi Grandpa, a tribute to South Texas culture, is perfect for summer reading with a cool raspa. Written by award-winning author, Eliza M. Garza of McAllen, the book is about a little boy in South Texas who looks forward to a raspa adventure after school with his grandfather. Garza’s own childhood memories with her grandfather inspired the book.

Garza says it warms her heart to hear from readers. Many share their raspa stories and even photos of them enjoying raspas with their abuelitos. She is working on a new book, Tamales Con Mi Grandma, which will be available in the fall.

Raspas Con Mi Grandpa is available for purchase at J’aime Les Livres, Book Club Magic, Barnes & Noble in McAllen and on Amazon. Visit elizamgarza.com for more information or to schedule an author visit at your campus.

Nana’s Taqueria of Weslaco was featured in “Taco Talks: The Stories y Sabores of Texas,” the new series from Texas Monthly and Coca Cola Southwest Beverages.

While Nana’s owners, Roxanne and Alfredo Trevino, serve a variety of Mexican dishes, they are most known for their lonches, a popular street food. “It’s not a taco, it’s not a burger and it’s not a hot dog; lonches is lonches,” says Alfredo. Listen to their story at Taco Talks.

Jaime Elizondo and Navin Chatlani of McAllen, the owners of !Tacos! Mi Gente, were recently spotlighted in Texas Monthly, too, in an article by Taco Editor Jose R. Ralat. Read it on the magazine’s website.

Wright Vineyards, near La Feria and owned by Turner and Matiana Wright, has unveiled two new wines. One, Bobcat Blush, is its sweetest yet. Made from the Lenoir grape, it has flavors like cranberry, raspberries and cherries. The other, Altamira Oriole Orange Blanc du Bois, has vibrant flavors of orange peel and zesty grapefruit plus a touch of smooth vanilla.

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

The wines are available at wrightvineyards.com.

Congratulations!

Happy 25th anniversary to Sylvia Casares of Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen in Houston. From Brownsville, Casares also is a contributor to Edible Rio Grande Valley. For the event, she celebrated with customers at her two locations with delicious treats, dazzling margaritas and a whole lot of fun, rolling enchiladas like never before. Salud!

The Rio Grande Valley is represented in the nominations for the 2024 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. Ana Liz of Ana Liz Taqueria, Mission, is nominated for Best Chef, Texas; Las Ramblas , Brownsville, for Outstanding Bar; and Barbs-B-Q , Lockhart (the owners are from Brownsville) for Best New Restaurant.

Among the nation’s most prestigious, these awards recognize leaders in the culinary and food media industries. Winners will be announced and celebrated on June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Good luck to our RGV nominees!

And we are honored and grateful to be recognized by the American Advertising Federation – Rio Grande Valley, for the second time. This year Edible Rio Grande Valley earned Best of Print.

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

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Nautico

Where Generational Island Dining Is Alive And Well

STORY BY MIRIAM PERRY | PHOTOS BY ILIASIS MUNIZ

Back in 1804, Padre Nicolás Ballí would have agreed: Family matters. When the priest extended his family’s ranching legacy to the Spanish land grant known today as South Padre Island, he continued the tradition of his mother, the first Cattle Queen of Texas. Over two centuries later, Island locals Jenna Ghilain and Briana Ghilain-Scanlan are expanding their own family’s four-generation legacy with Nautico Island Grill.

When the original Queen Isabella Causeway opened in 1954, commercial fishermen plied Gulf waters to establish the catch basin at Texas’ southernmost tip as a seafood nexus. The sisters’ prescient

grandparents, legendary fisherman Captain Jim and restaurateur Jan Henry Ghilain, opened Jim’s Pier on the Laguna Madre. Captain Jim caught the fish and Jan offered table service to vacationers crossing over from the mainland. While Jenna fondly remembers fishing the Laguna Madre for redfish with her grandfather, today she casts her line for mahi-mahi.

After the spectacular 2.37-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway opened in 1974, Jenna and Briana’s parents — Danny, a professional fishing captain, and Lee Ann Ghilain — opened businesses and restaurants, including the noteworthy Amberjack’s Bayside Bar & Grill in the 90s.

With Nautico, we’re keeping it in the family. The name speaks to our local fishing and surfing vibe and the seafaring vessels of our dad and grandfather.”

— Briana Ghilain-Scanlan

“We cut our teeth on Amberjack’s, and opening a restaurant had always been in the back of our minds,” says Briana. Fast forward to January 2023, when she and sister Jenna took the plunge. “With Nautico, we’re keeping it in the family. The name speaks to our local fishing and surfing vibe and the seafaring vessels of our dad and grandfather.”

Did it surprise their parents when the two daughters decided to hang out their own shingle? “Not really,” says Lee Ann. “They grew up on the Island surrounded by Gulf food and cooking, so it made sense. A few years before selling [Amberjack’s], we bought a sailboat and took Briana and her twin, Danni Lynn, on the adventure of a lifetime — homeschooled on the high seas.”

In fact, Briana had logged so many hours on the water with her dad, a private sport-fishing captain, by age 18 she’d earned her 100ton captain’s license while navigating the Panama Canal.

One recent, sun-kissed day, our group spills into the cheery blue cottage with the vibrant ambience. A magenta swordfish points to walls

Left: Jim’s Pier in the ‘90s. Jenna Lee Ghilain and Briana Ghilain-Scanlan in the dining room at Nautico. Opposite Page: Frozen Basil Lemonade. Top Right: Amberjack’s that hung in Amberjacks Restaurant that the sisters had painted green. Bottom: Jenna’s favorite Tony Schaub painting.

brimming with local artwork, glimmering sunrises, windswept dunes, and O’Keefe- like hibiscus. Settling in among Nautico’s 100 seats, we ponder the inventive menu over lavender-infused mimosas and frozen basil lemonades in hefty goblets garnished with fresh orchids.

We begin with classic Tex-Mex antojitos that appear on a tray lined with agave print: guacamole casero, salsa rojo and melt-y chile con queso, but the shrimp appetizer stops the show. The chef stuffs them with cream cheese, pineapple jam and jalapeños, swaddles them in bacon then finishes them on the grill. More is more.

Nautico specializes in Mexican fusion and seafood — making the extra effort to source its seafood and produce locally — as well

NAUTICO’S HISTORY

1950s: Great-grandfather Bruce Henry opens Tradewinds Cafe

1954: Grandparents Captain Jim and Jan Henry Ghilain build Jim’s Pier

1980s: Parents Danny and Lee Ann Ghilain operate Jim’s Pier

1994: The Ghilains own Amberjack’s Bayside Bar & Grill

2000: The Ghilains launch Bubba’s BBQ & Steakhouse

2023: Sisters Jenna Ghilain and Briana Ghilain-Scanlan open Nautico Island Grill

as handpicked Angus burgers and salads with homemade dressings. We navigate a flotilla of selections — ceviche, shrimp bisque, tampiqueña.

“My fave dish and what I always refer to everyone is the Poblano fish enchiladas,” says Briana. The wild-caught flounder in Poblano cream sauce and Oaxacan queso is drizzled with silky lime crema to impart a subtle complexity to the delicate fish. Having grown up in a professional fishing family, Jenna and Briana cater to anglers by offering cook-your-own-catch options. “If they bring in their own catch, the enchiladas are even better. The takeaway is just everyone loving the freshness of our food.”

The sisters’ hands-on managerial style supports an expert kitchen staff and front-of-house team. Nonetheless, arrive early for your carafe of Champagne and build-your-own chilaquiles to beat weekend brunchers. No shirt? No shoes? No problem. Nautico’s drive-through offers the full menu. Of the future, Jenna says, “We’re both moms, with nine- and four-year-olds. We’re doing this so they grow up with the family legacy and knowhow to serve our community.”

Family matters. That’s why, 70 years later, the Ghilains’ four-generation heritage of dining on historic South Padre Island endures.

Nautico Island Grill: 1313 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island, (956) 772-7074; nauticoislandgrill.com

Miriam Perry, a Brownsville native, is commissioner of beautification and environment for the city of Nashville. She promotes green spaces and culture in the South.

Eat & Buy Local Market Place

We are a Latino inspired, award winning frozen dessert novelty manufacturer. Our founder, Gerardo Alcazar, is a 5th generation descendant of a paletero bloodline. We have infused tradition and authentic premium natural ingredients to create tasteful flavors that are a creamy memorable experience. For us, it’s important to represent our culture and tradition through our flavors, textures and colors.

Savor the essence of Texas at Wright Vineyards in La Feria. Our boutique winery offers locally grown, high-quality Texas wine, celebrating the unique flavors of the RGV’s terroir. With biodynamic grape cultivation and minimal intervention, each bottle embodies tradition and innovation.

Pluton Brewing Company

Turning A Hobby Into A Business

STORY & PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GONZALEZ

It’s 2015 and three friends are gathering together at a house on Calle Pluton in Brownsville to enjoy their newfound hobby of brewing beer together. Going on nine years later, this same trio shares a full-fledged commercial brewery, Pluton Brewing Co., in a 5,200-square-foot building in downtown Brownsville. The former storage area full of furniture and appliances for a local business is now home to Pluton’s state-of-the-art brewing system, beer tap counter and seating for patrons.

Daniel Arizpe is the founder and co-owner of Pluton, along with Joey Martinez and Daniel Brashear. What started as a fun shared activity for the three at Arizpe’s father’s house on Calle Pluton — where the brewery gets its name from — turned into a growing enterprise that boasts the title of Brownsville’s sole local brewery.

What first sparked the friends’ interest in bringing a brewery to Brownsville? “One of the big pioneers that really gave us our love for the craft and the art of creating craft beer was Jester King Brewery in Austin,” Arizpe says. “We fell in love with the atmosphere that breweries created for people to go and hang out at, and we realized that none of that existed in Brownsville.”

“Just like artists spend a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears making their art, it’s the same thing for us. We spend a lot of our time and effort making sure that we make delicious beer.”

As with any business, Pluton has had its share of obstacles to overcome. In 2020, Arizpe and his partners competed in the StartUp Texas pitch summit program, hosted by the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) aimed at providing Brownsville business owners with capital to scale their businesses. The partners lost the competition initially but competed again in 2021 and that time, won a $20,000 grant.

That paired with an additional $80,000 grant from BCIC’s BIG program gave Pluton a much needed cash infusion to continue operating. “I had to do this,” Arizpe says, while gesturing to the brewery around him. “I had zero excuses this time.” Arizpe says that high quality water is the foundation of good beer, accounting for 70 percent of the product, and is something that Pluton takes seriously by using a sophisticated water filtration system. The water is heated, combined with milled grains and mashed to produce a liquid called wort. The wort is boiled, hops are added for flavor and aroma, and the beer continues to be processed. Yeast is added to produce the alcohol. The beer undergoes two weeks of fermentation. Following a few more steps in the brewing process, all of Pluton’s beers are conditioned inside kegs for a few days before being ready to serve.

Hops are added to each batch of Pluton’s beers — an ingredient used to brew craft beers to give them a unique taste and aroma and complement their individual flavor profiles. Arizpe describes the Gamma Ray Blonde Ale as an entry-level craft beer that is light, crisp and easy to drink. The Terra Nova Brown Ale is Pluton’s version of an

American brown ale that is brewed with roasted malts to give coffee notes to the beer. The Mosaic IPA is a West Coast-style beer brewed with Mosaic Hops and resulting in citrus flavors like grapefruit.

Arizpe compares beers to burgers while talking about the difference between brews found at any gas station and Pluton’s varieties. You can have a fast food burger that tastes fine or a burger made at home using select ingredients that tastes far better. The same is true for Pluton’s beers, the crafters of which choose everything that goes into the brewing process, such as their malts from Germany and hops from Washington. What results are outstanding beers made with love, care and effort.

“Just like artists spend a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears making their art, it’s the same thing for us,” Arizpe says. “We spend a lot of our time and effort making sure that we make delicious beer.”

Pluton hopes to change the way beer is consumed in Brownsville, to one craft pint at a time. As the brewery continues settling into its space in downtown Brownsville, the owners are keeping their eyes on the future, with hopes of soon canning their beers.

“Our motto is, ‘We have something for everyone here,’” Arizpe says. “There’s people that say they don’t like beer, but I think that they just haven’t had the right beer yet.”

Michael Gonzalez is a photojournalist based in Brownsville. He primarily works on stories about the border and immigration, in addition to his commercial photo and video work. Follow him on Instagram @michael.gonzlz.

Brisket Elote

Recipe by Joel Garcia, owner and pitmaster of Teddy’s Barbecue in Weslaco Serves 4

“The brisket elote is something that we came up with just playing around in the kitchen. It’s a snack we like to eat when we are on shift. The sweet cream corn combined with the salty/peppery brisket, the lime and hot Cheetos give the dish the perfect combination of salt, fat, acid and heat. It’s definitely a very RGV dish.”

2 tablespoons (28.4 g) butter

¼ cup (30 g) flour

Pinch of nutmeg

2 cups (473.2 ml) heavy cream

1 pound (453.6 g) cream cheese

½ cup (100 g) white sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 quart (660 g) frozen corn kernels

In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter and gradually whisk in flour to form a light roux.

Once roux is formed, gradually whisk in heavy cream, bring nearly to a boil and turn off burner.

Add in cream cheese until fully incorporated and smooth. Whisk in white sugar until smooth and glossy.

Mix in corn until incorporated with cream base.

Top corn with your favorite BBQ brisket, queso fresco, limes and hot Cheetos.

Photo by Daniela Loera

Teddy’s Brussels Sprouts

Recipe by Joel Garcia, owner and pitmaster of Teddy’s Barbecue in Weslaco Serves 4

“The Brussels sprouts are special. It is a recipe formulated by us simply because we could never find a Brussels sprout we liked. We needed a green on our menu, and we decided to try something different that would hit the palate with some sweet and salty notes. The sprouts combined with the sweet peppers and that vinegary syrup gave us just the right tones to complement fatty peppery barbecued meats.”

For the syrup:

2 cups (416 g) brown sugar

1 cup (236.6 ml) water

½ cup (118.3 ml) apple cider vinegar

For the peppers:

1 cup (175 g) sweet bell peppers, sliced

1 cup (100 g) onions, roughly sliced

2 strips bacon, sliced into lardons

1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) canola oil

1 pound (453.6 g) Brussels sprouts

Cut Brussels sprouts in half.

Combine brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water in saucepan. Reduce until thickened.

In sauté pan, cook bacon until rendered. Remove from pan. Then cook sweet peppers and onions in rendered bacon fat.

Fry in oil or air fry

To fry in oil, heat oil to 350° F and deep fry for 45 seconds. To air fry, place sprouts in single layer in air fryer basket (you may need to work in batches). Set the temperature to 375° F (190° C) and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. This will ensure all sides of your sprouts are evenly cooked and crispy!

Combine Brussels sprouts, peppers, bacon and onions, and 3 teaspoons of syrup in bowl.

Serve and enjoy.

Photo by Daniela Loera

Pan de Campo

Recipe & photo by Melissa Guerra, culinary

expert

and food historian

Serves 12

“Pan de campo is an excellent side bread for soups and stews, but we eat it as a dessert or at breakfast. The leftovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container and will even fit into the toaster for a little added crunch. Eating this delicious treat with loads of butter and honey is my preference but also my downfall. I eat too much!!”

4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons (50 g) sugar

2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder

1 tablespoon (12 g) salt

¼ cup (50 g) vegetable shortening

¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

About 2 cups (500 ml) milk

To bake in a home oven:

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Sift together the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the shortening and vegetable oil and work the dough with your hands until it resembles coarse meal.

Add 1½ cups (375 ml) of the milk and stir. The dough should be sticky but workable. If the dough is too stiff, add more milk; if the dough is too thin, add more flour.

Turn the dough onto a counter dusted with flour and knead for about 1 minute, but don’t overwork it.

Pat out gently or roll into a 9-inch circle that is ½-inch thick. Using a fork, prick the dough all over.

To bake over a fire:

Prepare the recipe as directed above but use a 14inch cast iron Dutch oven with a heavy lid. The Dutch oven needs to have feet to sit above the live embers.

The mesquite wood that we use in Texas for all our outdoor cooking burns hotter and smokier than almost any other wood and gives the bread extra crispiness with just a hint of mesquite flavor.

Build a mesquite fire, and once your fire has burned for about 30 minutes, so it has a steady calm heat, you’re ready to bake.

Using a shovel, transfer some of the coals to a separate spot a few feet from your fire. Arrange the coals in a small bed about 2 square feet (60 sq cm) in size.

Remove the lid and grease the interior of your Dutch oven generously with vegetable shortening. Replace the lid and put your Dutch oven in the center of the coals to heat for about 10 minutes.

Once heated, remove the lid and unfold the pan de campo dough in the Dutch oven. Adjust the dough so it is centered in the pan.

Replace the lid, and using your shovel, pile of small amount of live coals on top of the lid so that the Dutch oven is entirely surrounded by gentle heat. After 10 minutes, open the Dutch oven, and flip over the pan de campo for even baking.

Note: The skill in making pan de campo over live coals is in controlling the temperature of the Dutch oven. If it is too hot, the bread will burn. If it is too cold, it will not cook properly. Remember that you need a 450° F oven to bake pan de campo successfully in your home oven, so your Dutch oven needs to be maintained at the same temperature. Using a thermometer with a live fire is a bit difficult, so judgment and experience will eventually become the tools on which you rely for perfect pan de campo.

by

Photo

Daniela Loera

South TXQ Cast Iron Seafood Grill

Recipe by Lou Castro, president and CEO of TXQ Rubs in Brownsville Serves 4

“This is a simple, delicious way to make seafood on the grill. A hint of smoke is what ties this dish together. You’re cooking something different, yet you still have an excuse to light the fire and have a cold beverage.”

2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

¼  cup (25 g) green onions, chopped

1 small bell pepper or, if in season, Hatch pepper, thinly sliced 1−2 serrano peppers, quartered (optional)

1 rib celery, thinly julienned

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2−4 fresh firm white fish filets, depending on size

12 peeled, wild-caught Gulf shrimp

6 large scallops

½ cups (90 g) flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 lemons (1 thinly sliced and 1 juiced)

Louisiana Hot Sauce, to taste Worcestershire Sauce, to taste

TXQ (956) All-Purpose Rub, to taste

1 stick butter, sliced into pats

Drizzle olive oil into a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet. Scatter ¼ of the onions, green onions, peppers, celery and garlic in the skillet. Place fish filets in the skillet in a uniform manner and season lightly with TXQ (956).

Place shrimp and scallops on and around the fish filets. Scatter the rest of the veggies on top of the seafood. Mix juce of 1 lemon, Louisiana Hot Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce in bowl then pour over skillet. Place butter pats and thinly sliced lemon over the fillets and veggies in the dish in a uniform fashion for garnish. Season with more TXQ (956).

Place uncovered skillet in BBQ pit with indirect heat (hickory or applewood chips add a great flavor). Shut lid to allow the dish to absorb some smoke (about 10 minutes).

Cover the skillet with foil and finish cooking until the fish has reached about 140−145° F and the juices from the seafood and veggies have rendered, approximately 10 minutes. About halfway through, make sure to rotate the skillet.

Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve over rice or with freshly toasted sourdough bread.

Note: TXQ (956) rub can be purchased at your local H-E-B or at txqrubs.com.

SEASONAL MENU

Mango Michelada

Recipe by

Daniel Arizpe,

founder and co-owner of Pluton Brewing Co. in Brownsville Makes 1 serving

“I love micheladas and mangonadas which is a traditional and popular Mexican frozen drink. It has shaved ice with mango pieces, lime and chamoy. I love the sweet, salty tartness of this drink. I wanted to capture this in my mango michelada. This drink is perfect for the summer, and with our Pluton beer, you are going to love it!”

12 ounces (355 ml) Pluton Mexican lager beer

3 ounces (88.7 ml) of Clamato or tomato juice

3–4 splashes hot sauce

2 splashes Worcestershire sauce

2 splashes Maggi sauce or soy sauce

3 ounces (90 ml) of mango purée Juice of 1 lime Tajín seasoning

Before you begin making the drink, place a classic, 12-ounce beer mug into the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle some Tajin in a shallow dish. Run the lime along the rim of the beer glass and then dip the beer glass into the Tajin seasoning to get a nice rim going. To make the mango michelada. Fill the mug halfway with ice. Add all the ingredients except for the beer. Then add the beer and stir. Taste and add more hot sauce if you desire. Enjoy!

Note: For the mango purée, you may blend the mangos or use store-bought mango concentrate. Pluton Beer can be purchased at Pluton Brewing Co., 805 E. Elizabeth St.

Photo by Daniela Loera

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