GREEN VEGETARIAN CUISINEEatatgreen.com

Green Downtown at Pearl Brewery, 200 E. Grayson, 210.320.5865

Green at Alon, 10003 NW Military, 210.233.1249

Photography by Hilmy Productions

Chef Mike Behrend has a long history in the San Antonio restaurant scene. Alongside his mother Luann Singleton, he owned and operated Lulu’s Bakery and Café for 15 years. Then, in 2006, they sold the café to begin construction on Green. “Our idea, back in 2007, was to open the first vegetarian restaurant in San Antonio, introducing the many benefits of a plant-based diet to this community. I think we have been successful in providing great tasting food and exceptional service,” says the chef, who became a vegetarian in 2005. The menu at Green features affordable vegetarian comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing is too fancy or complicated — guests can choose vegetarian versions of familiar dishes like the avocado eggs benedict, sample international flavors with the Mediterranean bowl, or enjoy original creations like the cauliflower “hot wings.”

FOOD n DESIGN

By CLAUDIA ALARCON

THE NEW

Many people have the misconception that vegetarian, or plant-based cuisine, has to be bland and boring. We live in such a

meat-centric culture that the thought of eating an entire meal without animal protein sounds impossible and unappealing.

The fact is, plant-based cuisine offers great benefits to your health and to the environment, and in the right hands, it can be

delicious and satisfying. You don’t have to be a full-time vegetarian to explore what is fast becoming a national trend.

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VEGETARIAN

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“When we first opened, not too many people were open to the idea of a plant-based diet. I like to think that we have helped to enlighten the community a little. Including our three locations, San Antonio now has six vegetarian restaurants. San Antonio’s food culture is now thriving, and I believe that there is still room for growth in this category.” In 2010, Mike’s brother Chris joined the team, enabling them to open new locations. Currently, Green has two locations in San Antonio and one in Houston, and they also own and operate Earth Burger Stand, serving 100% plant-based fast food. The team plans on expanding a little more in San Antonio, as well as in other markets in Texas.

Green garnered even more attention with the move of their original location to the Pearl complex. “The owners and developers of the Pearl were loyal customers at our old location,” says the chef. “When they approached us about the move, we were very excited. The Pearl is a wonderful property, and their vision is very much aligned with ours. This move has allowed us to reach many more people than we could at our old location. We have also exposed the community to a greener way to operate a restaurant through practices such as recycling, using biodegradables and water conservation,” he adds. Green has a recycling dumpster for cardboard, serves fair trade organic coffee and free range eggs, uses biodegradable packaging when possible, and will eventually install a cistern to capture rainwater for landscape maintenance.

GARDNERGardner-austin.com

1914 E. 6th Street, 512.354.1480

Photography by Kate LeSueur

After the wild success of Austin’s Contigo, co-owner Ben Edgerton and Executive Chef Andrew Wiseheart opened Gardner last fall as a venue to showcase a mostly plant-based menu that emphasizes quality

ingredients, straightforwardly prepared yet artistically presented. “My dishes are inspired by a lot of different factors, but some of the most important are the weather, the seasons, and dietary restrictions and preferences of guests that will be dining with us,” says Wiseheart. Items on the menu are simply described, for example, “Cabbage, striped bass, jalapeno, marjoram.” The main component is a large wedge of grilled cabbage, served over a light fish broth, simply seasoned with the chiles and herbs. The flavors and textures are complex and rich, yet the preparation is so simple. Wiseheart’s menu changes often, depending on ingredient availability. “Since all plants are seasonal, each dish only has a certain small window to be available, and constant creativity is needed to develop more dishes,” he explains. And although preparations are simple, they are labor intensive. “Since the shelf life of plants is shorter, there’s a need for constant prepping,” adds the chef.

Wiseheart and team, which includes Chef de Cuisine Andrew Francisco, strive to stay innovative with creations such as the kale “chicharrones,” and incorporating meat as a seasoning rather than as a main ingredient to give dishes depth. “We have made something called “pork salt,” which is diced, dry-cured pork shoulder that is frozen with liquid nitrogen, turned into a powder in a blender and dehydrated. We used this to season lots of different vegetables. We also do a dry-cured beef lardo, sliced thin and draped over vegetables, then melted to impart flavor.”

To match the cuisine, Gardner features a one-of-a-kind cocktail program that maintains a strong focus on raw culinary ingredients and kitchen techniques. Mixologist Erin Murtagh carefully crafts the drinks so they pair with the food, like wine and beer would, without using any “secondary spirits” to preserve the flavors of the fresh ingredients. Like the food items, cocktails are seasonal and simply described by their components. A stunning example is Gin, concocted with freshly-pressed beet juice, house-made celery bitters, blood orange marinated overnight in sugar and zest and apple cider vinegar steeped with pink peppercorns. The result balances sweet, savory, spicy and bitter masterfully, and boasts a lovely color reminiscent of a spring garden. Inspired by the cream sauce featured on a popular gnocchi dish, Vodka combines fresh-pressed ginger, elderflower, coriander seed and a touch of whey that adds a refreshing creaminess. v

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