story by

Liesel Schmidt

W

e all know that summer is 

the season for 

getting the grill all fi red up and ready to 
shine, the perfect time to show off all those 
mad skills you claim to have. Every steak, 

burger, and hotdog you cook to juicy perfection is a veritable 
jewel in your crown, each beautiful char mark proof that 
you—yes, 

you, equipped with your over-sized tongs and 

impressively large spatula—are the tamer of the open fl ame. 
Your talents are matchless, and now is the time to sit high on 
your throne and let the crowds be wowed, stunned into silence 
as they bite into your masterpieces of tender meatiness…

Whether or not that was a glimpse into reality or just how 

you imagine yourself, we 

are undeniably in the thick of grilling 

season. And even if your time manning the grill doesn’t 
always turn out quite as boast-worthy as you’d hoped, you 
can still have fun breaking out the briquettes, piling up the 
chips…or doing whatever it is you do to get your grill going. 

Interestingly enough—though you might have already 

guessed this—grilling has been in practice since man 
discovered fi re and actually learned how to put it to use. 
It wasn’t until the 1940s, however, that the backyard 
version of grilling became commonplace, as most grilling 
was strictly done at campsites and on picnics—i.e., where 
the conveniences of stove tops and ovens were nowhere to 
be found. When middle class America began to populate 
suburbia after World War II, the grate-ness (ha ha) of grilling 
at home really caught fi re; and by the 1950s, pretty much 
everyone was doing it. 

Even in the midst of all that popularity, however, the grill 

itself hadn’t quite reached its full potential, as the fl at, open 
brazier-style so common at the time was extremely diffi cult 
to control. It was the ingenuity of Chicago metalworker 
George Stephen—a controlling member of Weber Bros. 
Metal Spinning Co.—as he tinkered with and modifi ed one of 
the company’s harbor buoys by cutting it along the equator, 
adding a grate, and using the top as a lid, controlling the 
temperature with vents he’d cut into it, that led to the re-
birth of the grill. And, consequently, to the invention of the 
Weber grill that so impacted the future of grilling. And all of 
America.

Naturally, meat is one of the top contenders when it comes 

to things that make their way onto the grates of the grill. 
From steaks and ribs to healthier proteins like chicken and 
fi sh, those char marks seem to make everything better, giving 
them a distinct taste that pairs oh-so-well with the fresh air 
and the summer sun. And yes, the grill is also the perfect place 
to cook up some fresh produce, as that fl ame-kissed fl avor 
does something almost magical to vegetables and imparts 
a caramel-like sweetness to fruits unlike anything else. But 
nothing—and we mean 

nothing—feels more at home on the 

grill (or more American) than good old hot dogs and burgers. 
Regardless of what’s on your grill, however, it’s the perfect 
way to get outside and enjoy the season. So get ready to fi re it 
up!

All Up In Your Grill

18-19 CoastalCuisine.indd   1

5/30/19   6:21 AM