Scorched Earth

Seasonal fruits and vegetables on the grill make for perfect summer cookouts

BY NINA RANGEL

Grilling is often associated with sizzling steaks, juicy burgers and charred chicken, but the world of outdoor cooking extends far beyond meat.

Many vegetables also undergo a magical metamorphosis on the grill, benefitting from a smoky flavor and a delightfully charred exterior. Our summer Sunday Funday events aren’t complete without some kind of pepper, squash or mushroom kissed with fire from the grill, and charred edamame or shishito peppers offer difficult-to-top fireside snacking.

Fruit shines on the grill too. Our personal favorites — especially for poolside noshing — are pineapple and watermelon, caramelized to perfection and sprinkled with lime juice and salt. Grilling fruit intensifies its sweetness and helps release natural juices.

Fruits with pits, such peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines, peak at different times throughout the summer, so you’ll legitimately never be without an option for a fresh grilled dessert that’s as easy as adding a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of cinnamon after a quick sear.

Other non-meat offerings for the grill, such as marinated tofu or tempeh, take on a smoky, flavorful profile that adds serious depth to plant-based dishes. For those who simply must grill up a meat-forward main course, we suggest grilled avocado, mashed and spread onto a burger bun for a little smoky fattiness in place of mayo. Trust us on this one. This summer, you can diversify your grilling repertoire by exploring non-meat ingredients with suggestions from San Antonio chefs. We asked five culinary pros for their ideas on what kinds of nonmeat grillables make for great summer cookouts. One chef even offered up a quick recipe.

Chef Teddy Liang

Chef-consultant, Conversa Elevated, Gather Brewing Co. and more

“Grilling feta! It’s meaty, fatty, and you can add even more flavor with a light marinade. It’s great for summer on a light beet or Mediterranean salad, but you can also add it to a kebab. Personally, I’ve had a craving for grilling pork belly with some grilled kimchi. Funky, but it offers a lot of umami flavors.”

Chef James Moore

Chef-consultant, The Creamery

“I like doing a fruit crumble on the grill. Berries tossed in lemon juice, sugar, corn starch, a little butter. Throw it in a cast-iron skillet and top with the crumble mixture: half oats, half flour, brown sugar and butter cut into that. Set it on the rack above the grill, so it’s off the direct heat, and it picks up a really badass smokiness. That also works for rhubarb, peaches, berries, cherries. For savory options, people really underestimate throwing a sandwich on really crusty bread on the grill. Turkey and provolone, throw a brick on top of it, press it a little. Fucking delicious.”

Chef Jesse “Kirk” Kuykendall

Ocho at Hotel Havana, Milpa

“Grilled sweet plantains with rum, topped with marshmallows, chocolate and crushed graham crackers. My weakness for bananas Foster combined with camping s’mores is the highlight of the night when grilling is concerned. With butter-brushed sweet plantain halves, rum-soaked marshmallows, abuelita’s chocolate syrup and crushed graham crackers.”

Chef Paul Petersen

Bar Loretta

“I have been known to grill up romaine, bread and some roma tomatoes for a backyard Caesar salad dressed with grilled fresh anchovies. [Dress the romaine with] a little olive oil, salt and pepper. And use real-deal parmesan.”

Chef Robbie Nowlin

Arrosta, Allora, Maverick Texas Brasserie

“I love grilling Texas peaches! I like to buy mine when they are a little firm to the touch, so that they hold up to the grill. I simply cut them in half, remove the pit, brush with extra virgin olive oil, season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and onto the grill they go! A nice little char from the grill enhances their natural sweetness. I love serving them with a whipped vanilla mascarpone dip.”

Chef Robbie’s Vanilla Mascarpone “Dip”

3 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup heavy cream

Mix well with a whisk to combine. Chill and serve with grilled Texas peaches.

News

Grady’s Bar-B-Q has shuttered all of its San Antonio locations after more than 70 years in business. Company officials didn’t provide a reason for the closure but said they’re trying to find work for as many former employees as possible.

Adults-only bar and grill Lucy Cooper’s will open a new location on the city’s Far West Side “any day now,” according to chef-owner Braunda Smith. 8403 TX-151, Suite 101, lucycoopers.com.

The building that formerly housed Beto’s Alt-Mex will reopen as hacienda-style Mexican restaurant La Malinche later this summer. 8142 Broadway.

Jewish diner The Hayden will open a North Side location on June 3 and continue to operate its original Broadway location. 10003 N.W. Military Highway, Suite #2115, (210) 600-3598, thehaydensa. com.

The former site of long-running Japanese restaurant Fujiya will be demolished after a May 16 fire. It was the third blaze at the building in two years.

Area Shipley locations will give away free glazed donuts on National Donut Day, Friday, June 2.

Openings

Hybrid bar-cafe-hair salon Head Space is now open in the Lavaca neighborhood, slinging coffee, eats and salon services. 109 Playmoor St., headspacesatx.com.

The Nest Cafe is now open, offering Alamo City boba fanatics another spot to enjoy tapioca pearls. 6903 Blanco Road, (210) 444-9596, thenestboba.com.

Beloved taco spot Taquería Datapoint has reopened with a new look after a 2020 fire forced it to close temporarily and serve from a mobile kitchen. 4063 Medical Drive, (210) 975-8495, taqueriadatapoint.net.

Florida-based Seasons 52 grill has opened at Alamo Quarry Market. It offers a low-calorie menu plus a wine list with 52 varieties, including options available by the bottle, glass or in tasting flights. 255 E. Basse Road, Suite 1400, (210) 5266525, seasons52.com.

Irish pub Francis Bogside has reopened in new St. Paul Square digs, bringing a bold look to the East Side culinary destination. 1170 E. Commerce, (210) 274-2977, francisbogside.com.

Rollin’ in the Doe

Veteran singer-songwriter John Doe’s folk trio playing San Antonio’s Echo Bridge

BY BILL BAIRD

Musician, songwriter, author, actor, punk icon.

John Doe serves as an inspiring example of an artist who has remained vital over decades by expanding his vision and trying his hand at new things.

One of those new things, Doe’s folk trio — which is filled out by a standup bassist and drummer — will play Sunday, June 4, at Echo Bridge, one of San Antonio’s must unconventional performance spaces. Bryan Wheeler will open the outdoor show, which has presale tickets due to its limited seating.

As part of the seminal LA band X, Doe helped create the West Coast’s explosive late ’70s and early ’80s punk scene, as depicted in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization. He’s since published two books chronicling that chapter of his musical life: Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World, both named for X albums. Doe also branched out into film, grabbing starring roles in the 1987 art-film classic Border Radio, later reissued by the Criterion Collection, and 1989’s delightfully cheesy Road House, before racking up more than 60 film and TV credits. His latest movie, a remake of the noir classic DOA, is currently playing festivals.

Doe’s post-X musical trajectory led him into Americana and songwriting that explores a quieter kind of chaos. Fables in a Foreign Land, Doe’s new album with fellow trio members bassist Kevin Smith and drum- mer Conrad Choucroun, was released by Fat Possum Records.

The Current talked with Doe by phone about his move to Austin, his Roadhouse role, bro country and a lot more. The interview was edited for space and clarity.

You’re playing the Echo Bridge, a spot I love.

I was taken with the location and the whole idea. Plus, this folk trio that I’ve been doing would be perfect there because that was designed to do in an acoustic setting.

Will you be playing tracks from your album with the trio, FablesinaForeignLand?

I’m playing tracks from everything I can get away with.

When I think about X, part of what makes that band so special is the harmonies. They’re untrained and almost country in a way. Did you grow up listening to country music?

Just by osmosis. Nothing that X did, except try to stay a band, was calculated. There are plenty of bands that are calculated, even if they don’t seem to be. We did things that felt right. We came up with a hybrid. It was country-influenced but it was never A + B = C.

Of course, you’re an artist, you’re responding instinctively and intuitively. Yeah. But it didn’t have to be. We couldn’t have been more influenced by, uh, Kiss or something. (Laughs.) Early on, I was influenced by all the things someone my age was influenced by — whether it was AM radio, the rise of Motown. But I looked into who Hank Williams was and looked into Chicago blues. Moving to California, being friends with Phil and Dave Alvin [of roots rockers The Blasters], all their musical history. [X guitarist] Billy Zoom as well. That all helped.

Unfortunately, country music is not very well defined now. Maybe it’s the evolution of genres mixing. But Kevin Smith, who’s going to be playing in the trio, said, ‘Have you heard this guy who won the CMT awards named Jellyroll?’ And I said, ‘No.’ It was ... I don’t know what it was. It was Post Malone does country music. Although I think I like Post Malone better, and he has more to do with the spirit of country music than this guy.

I don’t want people to be separate, but if it’s gonna be a hybrid, I want to be able to feel something of whatever individual strains were brought to the hybrid. If that makes sense.

There’s a moment in Decline of Western Civilization where somebody says, “Punk music is folk music because it’s just people saying what’s on their minds.”

We’ve said that in the past. Folk music is for folks.

Music of the people.

I listened to folk music when I was a kid. I don’t think my parents really listened to the songs. They saw the record is by Pete Seeger — he seems to be a pretty good guy. But the songs are all written by Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston — very questionable characters ... in a good way.

Have you seen the film Chulas Fronteras, which documents the Tejano and conjunto scene in South Texas?

Reminder:

Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.