Inspiring Culinary Story Concerning the Energy Couple Behind Clementine, John and Elise Russ
An inspiring culinary story about Clementine, husband-and-wife duo Chef John Russ and Pastry Chef Elise Russ have constructed greater than a restaurant; they’ve constructed a shared imaginative and prescient of hospitality, creativity, and group. Collectively, they’re reshaping San Antonio’s culinary panorama whereas proving the power of partnership each out and in of the kitchen.
John
From their first conversations about opening a restaurant, John and Elise dreamed of a spot that mirrored their values as a lot as their skills. John, a New Orleans native and James Beard Award finalist, brings Southern roots and international inspiration to the menu.
Elise
Elise, educated at Johnson & Wales and an alumna of the James Beard Ladies’s Entrepreneurial Management Program, transforms her ardour for pastry into refined, memorable desserts. Since opening Clementine in 2018, the couple has married these strengths right into a seamless eating expertise.
Friends can select from à la carte dishes or Clementine’s signature Feed Me choice, a five-course off-menu journey designed by John and his crew. This ever-changing menu displays the Russes’ creativity and dedication to seasonality, providing diners a style of one thing new each go to.
John & Elise
Their partnership extends far past the kitchen. Elise’s precision and group complement John’s creative power, creating steadiness that fuels Clementine’s success. When the pandemic examined their resilience simply two years after opening, the couple tailored rapidly, reimagined operations, and emerged stronger, proving their bond was as unshakable as their imaginative and prescient.
Equally dedicated to their crew and household, John and Elise construction Clementine round steadiness. Workers obtain weekly updates, clear steering, and built-in day without work, whereas the restaurant closes on Sundays and Mondays to prioritize household life with their three kids. In an business infamous for burnout, the Russes are constructing a mannequin the place individuals come first.
“Clementine is our household’s extension of hospitality. It’s not simply in regards to the meals, it’s about how we take care of one another, our employees, and our company.”
Elise Russ of Clementine
With a rising record of accolades, together with recognition as Neighborhood Restaurant of the Yr and a number of James Beard finalist honors for John, John and Elise Russ embody a brand new period of restaurant entrepreneurship: intentional, collaborative, and deeply rooted in group.
Clementine isn’t simply considered one of San Antonio’s high eating places – it’s proof of what’s doable when love, resilience, and imaginative and prescient come collectively on the desk.
Opened in 2018 within the Fort Hills group of San Antonio, Clementine is a family-owned neighborhood restaurant serving seasonal, modern eats in a contemporary and vigorous environment. Led by Chef John Russ, a 2023 James Beard Award Nominee for Greatest Chef: Texas, and Pastry Chef Elise Russ, the menu options daring, globally impressed flavors via a rotating collection of small plates, beneficiant platters, produce-forward “sideboard” choices, and nostalgic, imaginative desserts.
Many company select the signature Feed Me—a six-course, family-style eating expertise the place Chef Russ and crew create a personalised menu for the desk based mostly on seasonal components and inventive pairings. Along with dinner service Tuesday via Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Clementine presents lunch on the third Friday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Clementine can also be residence to The Juice Field, a sommelier- and Chef Russ–curated month-to-month wine membership showcasing sudden, extremely drinkable bottles to be loved at residence. For particular events, the restaurant is offered for personal buyouts, providing a heat, intimate setting for every kind of celebrations. Clementine @House extends the expertise even additional, with a totally staffed, in-home eating service that brings Clementine’s hospitality and taste to your desk.
Location:
2195 Northwest Navy Freeway, Fort Hills, TX 78213
(210) 503-5121
Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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– 2021 Greatest Restaurant by San Antonio Journal– 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Winner – Neighborhood Restaurant of the Yr– 2025 Clementine ranked #2 within the metropolis on San Antonio Specific-Information “High 50 Eating places”– 2025 San Antonio Enterprise Journal Impression Award
– 2022 James Beard Basis Award Semifinalist – Greatest Chef: Texas– 2023 James Beard Basis Award Finalist – Greatest Chef: Texas (Just one from San Antonio)– 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Winner – Chef of the Yr
– 2025 CultureMap San Antonio Tastemaker Awards Finalist – Pastry Chef of the Yr– Alumna of the James Beard Ladies’s Entrepreneurial Management Program
