SepOct 2023 el Restaurante

Summer is over.

That seems like an almost impossible statement — and it’s one I make with mixed emotions.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a summer person. I love the sun, the beach, the longer days, and the more relaxed atmosphere the warm weather always brings.

But I’ll admit there’s something about fall that resonates, too.

The leaves begin to change, and our neighborhood is filled with the sights and sounds of young people as the little tykes head to the elementary schools and the college students to DePaul’s campus, all just a few blocks away. Maybe it comes from all those years when fall meant new school clothes and new friends and new things to be learned…but there’s just something about the season for me that elicits a feeling of anticipation and excitement about what lies ahead.

It is in that spirit that we bring you this issue, which is full of ideas you can use as you’re preparing for fall and beyond.

In our cover story Sizing up Sides, culinary experts including James Beard Award-winner Iliana de la Vega share insights that can help you boost check averages by menuing creative side dishes. You’ll even find recipes to add to your fall menus to get you started on the road to side dish profits.

This issue’s At the Bar takes a close look at Mexican wines in an information-packed story by Publisher Ed Avis, who’ll be speaking on the topic on September 13 at the Latin American Cuisine Summit at the Culinary Institute of America’s San Antonio Campus. Mexican wines for fall? You’ll consider adding them after reading the story!

You’ll also be able to “travel” to Chilpilo, Puebla in the From Mexico feature by Mexico-based Joseph Sorrentino, where you’ll learn about Mexican-Italian fusion fare. Would you consider adding a dish like Ravioli con Mole to your new seasonal menu? You might after reading what sisters Celia and Maricruz Stefanoni Montagner are doing at Merende and Cuore, their two restaurants that share a single space on the main street in Chilpilo.

That’s just a taste of what’s inside.

Happy reading…and happy fall.

PUBLISHER

Ed Avis

EDITOR

Kathleen Furore

ART DIRECTOR Ala Ennes

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Annelise Kelly, Joseph Sorrentino

MAIN OFFICE phone: 708.267.0023

PRESS RELEASES TO: kfurore@restmex.com

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613

SHIPPING ADDRESS 1317 W. Belden Ave. Chicago, IL 60614

AD SALES/ENGLISH Ed Avis

708.218.7755 e davis@elrestaurante.com

Suzanne Bernhardt 678.880.9282 suzanne@elrestaurante.com

AD SALES/ESPAÑOL

Alfredo Espinola 52-55-7862-4491 alfredo@elrestaurante.com

Published by Maiden Name Press, LLC Volume 26, Number 4 el Restaurante (formerly el Restaurante Mexicano) (ISSN 1091-5885) is published five times a year by Maiden Name Press, LLC 1317 W. Belden Ave., Chicago, IL 60614 el Restaurante is distributed by subscription at the cost of $40. All contents copyright© 2023 Maiden Name Press, LLC. Nothing in this issue may be reproduced in any form without publisher’s consent.

Kathleen Furore, editor

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LRA Asks James Beard to ADD LATINOS TO BOARD

THE LATINO RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

(LRA) and others are pressuring the James Beard Foundation to increase Latino representation on its board.

“The foundation’s mission statement talks about elevating diversity, but there are no Latinos on the board,” says Christy Vega, a James Beard Award winner and owner of Casa Vega in Los Angeles. “I filed a formal ethics complaint that said, ‘You have 27 board members and not one Latino? That’s not acceptable.’”

Vega, a member of the Latino Restaurant Association board, later spoke with Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach. After that conversation, LRA CEO Lilly Rocha wrote a letter to the foundation and issued a press release about the situation.

The letter stated, in part: “Achieving diversity requires a concerted effort to identify and invite individuals who can contribute meaningfully to the Foundation’s mission. By actively seeking out qualified Latino candidates who embody excellence, innovation, and a deep understanding of culinary arts, the Foundation can elevate its impact and relevance within an ever-evolving culinary landscape.”

Nancy Lutktish, chair of the JBF board, responded: “The James Beard Foundation is committed to a diverse and inclusive Board of Trustees, including deepening our relationship with, and increasing the representation of the Latino community. …We acknowledge the need for more Latino presence on the Board of Trustees, especially recognizing the community’s invaluable contribution to the culinary industry, food culture, and the broader food system in the U.S.”

New Cookbook Spotlights

NATIVE AMERICAN INGREDIENTS

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE about the Native American ingredients that continue to impact the menus at Mexicanand Latin-inspired restaurants today, “Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky” is the place to start.

The new cookbook from Lois Ellen Frank, a Santa Fe-based, James Beard Award-winning author and chef, celebrates corn,

beans, squash, chile, tomato, potato, vanilla, and cacao — the eight important plants Native Americans introduced to the rest of the world.

You’ll find a discussion about the importance of this Native culinary history plus more than 100 modern, plant-based recipes using these “Magic 8” Native American ingredients — dishes including Blue Corn Hotcakes with Prickly Pear Syrup, Three Sisters Stew, Green Chile Enchilada Lasagna, and Calabacitas, plus basics like Corn Masa, Red and Green Chile Sauces, and Cacao Spice Rub.

“Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky” — published by Hachette Book Group — is available at hachettebookgroup.com, Amazon, and other booksellers nationwide.

(See Frank’s recipe for Calabacitas on page 47.)

Need Tech Advice? el Restaurante Can Help!

EVERY RESTAURANT USES A POS SYSTEM , delivery apps, and other technology. But it can be hard to understand! A new digital supplement published in July by el Restaurante can help.

“Tech on the Menu,” which is available in English and Spanish, offers clear advice on choosing a POS system, maximizing the value of third-party delivery apps, and building a social media strategy. The articles in the supplement, written by el Restaurante staff, include interviews with experts such as Izzy Kharasch and Mark Sorenson and restaurant owner Karla Garcia of Tecalitlan Mexican Kitchen & Margarita Bar in Chicago.

MICHELIN GUIDE HONORS VALLE WITH STAR

VALLE, AN UPSCALE MEXICAN RESTAURANT in Oceanside, California, received a Michelin star on July 18. The restaurant, opened by Chef Roberto Alcocer in 2021, was the only Mexican restaurant so honored in this year’s awards.

“Celebrated chef Roberto Alcocer brings his refined, modern expression of Mexican cuisine stateside at this elegant space in the Mission Pacific Hotel, overlooking the scenic Oceanside Pier. The name is a nod to the Guadalupe Valley of Baja California, Mexico’s premier viticultural region, and the source of a plethora of interesting options on the wine list,” The Michelin Guide wrote. “Diners can make selections from a four-course prix fixe, or leave things entirely in the kitchen’s hands for an eight-course tasting. Dishes strike a winning balance between tradition with creativity, as in a tetela made with heirloom corn masa and hoja santa, filled with juicy chanterelle mushrooms and creamy goat cheese, and paired with a complex salsa of morita chiles — at once earthy and bright.”

Valle doesn’t stand alone in the list of Mexican restaurants that have received Michelin stars. In 2022, Los Felix in Miami, Quetzal in Toronto, KOL in London, and Come in Barcelona were added to the list, which now includes a total of 10 Mexican restaurants with a Michelin star, and one with two stars, Californios in San Francisco.

RAPPER PITBULL INVESTS IN CILANTRO TACO GRILL EXPANSION

PEOPLE PROBABLY DON’T ASSOCIATE MEXICAN FOOD WITH RAPPER PITBULL , but the entertainer is partnering with the owners of Chicago-based Cilantro Taco Grill in an effort to expand that restaurant through franchising. Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, says he is investing in the multi-unit because he likes the “American dream” story behind the owners.

“I invested in Cilantro because I was inspired by [the] Morfins’ stories of struggle and stride for a slice of the American pie,” says Perez, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrant parents. “I relate to those with an underdog mentality because I am also a person who fights and works hard for the American Dream.”

Cilantro Taco Grill was founded in 2013 by Temoc Morfin, who says he was inspired to bring the family’s recipes to the public by his father, “Don Javi” Morfin, an immigrant from Guadalajara. The restaurant, which now has 15 locations throughout the Chicago area, is known for its Jalisco-style cuisine, such as Cecina a la Mexicana and Milanesa de Pollo.

The effort to franchise the restaurant is being led by Fransmart, a franchise development firm. The leaders aim to grow Cilantro Taco Grill to 1,000 units worldwide over the next 10 years, with initial efforts focused on the nation’s top 100 largest markets.

Chef Roberto Alcocer

CHICO - 4OZ | NHS1008

A. Grande | NHS1005

Carton: 8” x 8” x 8.5”

Packed: 24 per carton

Charcoal

E.

CHICO - 4OZ | HS1000

Carton: 15.25” x 7.75” x 10”

Packed: 12per carton

Blueberry & Raspberry

Carton: 16” x 16” x 15.625”

Packed: 24 per carton

Charcoal

C.

B. Mediano - 8OZ | NHS1006

Carton: 10” x 10” x 10”

Packed: 24 per carton

Charcoal

D.

Mediano DOBLE - 10OZ | NHS1006D

Carton: 10” x 10” x 10”

Packed: 24 per carton

Charcoal

E.

7” TORTILLA SERVER | NHS1000

Carton: 15.25” x 7.75” x 10”

Packed: 12 per carton

Jalapeño, Paprika & Charcoal

7” TORTILLA PLEEZER™ | NHS2000

Carton: 15.25” x 7.75” x 10”

Packed: 12 per carton

Jalapeño, Paprika & Charcoal

G.

F. CHICO - 4OZ | NHS1008

Carton: 8” x 8” x 8.5”

Packed: 24 per carton

Red Chile, Green Chile, Azul

H.

TACO CRADLE | HS1071

Carton: 6.625” x 6.25” x 6.5”

Packed: 24 per carton

Charcoal

I.

7” TORTILLA SERVER | NHS1000

Carton: 15.25” x 7.75” x 10”

Packed: 12 per carton

Jalapeño, Paprika & Charcoal

7” TORTILLA SERVER | NHS1000

Carton: 15.25” x 7.75” x 10”

Packed: 12 per carton

Jalapeño, Paprika & Charcoal

J.

I. COVER | HS1080

Carton: 6.25” x 4.25” x 4.5”

Packed: 12 per carton

Black Bean, Natural/Opaque

K.

SPOON | HS1029/S

Carton: 8” x 12” x .5”

Packed: 24/pack

Black Bean

WE TOLD YOU: “Taco Tuesday” Can Be Used by Anybody

BY ED AVIS

Were you worried about using the phrase “Taco Tuesday” because Taco John’s held the trademark to the phrase and threatened legal action against other restaurants using it? Well, you can stop worrying: On July 18 the chain officially announced that it will drop its trademark claim on the phrase.

Even though the company had long claimed it owned the term, and occasionally sent cease-and-desist letters to restaurants using it, the threat was actually hollow. In 2019, el Restaurante researched the issue and learned that the company had filed only three trademark infringement cases about the term since it gained the trademark in 1989. One was dismissed and no conclusion information was available on the other two.

More important, trademark attorneys we interviewed at that time said Taco John’s trademark was simply not enforceable because the phrase was too common.

“Infringement of a trademark normally means you are creating a likelihood of confusion between our trademark and your use of it,” noted Kevin Grierson, a partner and intellectual property cochair at law firm Culhane Meadows. “But that’s nonsense in this case. No one thinks the taqueria down the street is part of Taco John’s just because they advertise ‘Taco Tuesday.’”

The attorneys explained that if someone contested Taco John’s claim to the phrase and won the case, Taco John’s could be forced to abandon the trademark altogether. Nobody forcefully contested the phrase for several decades, so Taco John’s was able to continue browbeating other users by sending the letters. But that changed in May when Taco Bell — a much larger rival — took up

the fight and challenged Taco John’s by filing a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark.

Taco John’s decided the fight wasn’t worth it.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being the home of Taco Tuesday, but paying millions of dollars to lawyers to defend our mark just doesn’t feel like the right thing to do,” said Taco John’s CEO Jim Creel in a statement the company released July 18 announcing that they were officially abandoning the trademark.

The company is putting a positive spin on the situation by donating money to non-profit organization Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), which supports restaurant workers when the employee, spouse or a child faces a life-altering health crisis, injury, death or natural disaster.

“As we’ve said before, we’re lovers, not fighters, at Taco John’s,” Creel said in the statement. “So, in that spirit, we have decided to begin sharing Taco Tuesday with a pledge to contribute $100 per location in our system to restaurant employees with children who are battling a health crisis, death or natural disaster. “

Creel went on to challenge other taco chains to match their donation.

“Let’s see if our friends at Taco Bell are willing to ‘liberate’ themselves from their army of lawyers by giving back to restaurant families instead. We challenge them to match our $100-perrestaurant pledge — that’s about $720,000 — which is less than they’d have to spend in a legal battle for the mark. We also invite Del Taco, Taco Bueno, Taco Cabana, Jack In The Box and mom and pop taco shops across the country that intend to use Taco Tuesday in the future to join us in this movement to support working families and donate to CORE.”

The bottom-line: Now you can promote your Taco Tuesday specials as much as you want without worrying about getting that nagging letter — or lawsuit — from Taco John’s.

“As we’ve said before, we’re lovers, not fighters , at Taco John’s. So, in that spirit, we have decided to begin sharing Taco Tuesday with a pledge to contribute $100 per location in our system to restaurant employees with children who are battling a health crisis, death or natural disaster.”

JIM CREEL, CEO , Taco John’s

MARIO PONCE Takito Kitchen, Bar Takito & Takito Street

EDITOR’S NOTE : In 2013, Mario Ponce debuted Takito Kitchen in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.

Today, Ponce helms three unique Takito brands: the original Takito Kitchen, featuring modern Mexican fare; Bar Takito, a restaurant in the West Loop that fuses modern Latin cuisine with creative cocktails; and Takito Street, a Lincoln Park favorite featuring food with a fusion of traditional and contemporary Mexican flavors.

1Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you end up in the restaurant business? And how did you come up with the concept for Takito Street?

It was a hot sunny July day when I saw a cook cleaning his trash cans. I offered to do it for him and before I knew it I became a dishwasher, prep cook and eventually a busboy from the tender age of 13 until I graduated from high school. The experience still drives me today. The word “Takito” derives from the word “Taquito” or mini-taco. Our cuisine is contemporary and modern versus traditional Mexican cuisine. Our ingredients come from local farms and are of a high quality; and flavors are memorably unique and always approachable. Mexico’s street food has been elevated to include exciting

and explosive flavors. Takito Street was designed to pay tribute to modern Mexican street cuisine. Many people don’t know that Mexico boasts some of the finest restaurants in the world!

2How did you develop the menu for your first location? And how has that evolved over the years since you started the business?

Our first menu was designed to excite, entice and dazzle palates using all Mexican ingredients — we did not seek to mimic any other restaurant. As trends change and palates become more sophisticated, we too must adapt and seek recipes that keep guests returning. Three of my favorite items in our small network began on the first day and remain on the menu: The first is the Crispy Fish Taco — hibiscus tortilla, Alaskan cod dusted in rice flour (gluten free), coconut curry custard and pickled slaw. The second is the Lamb Merguez Taco — popcorn tortilla, lamb chorizo wrapped in baked Brunkow Cheese, tomatillo pistachio salsa. The third is the Barbacoa Taco — popcorn tortilla, pickled jicama and cotija queso.

3How did you decide to expand?

After 16 months of strong restaurant traffic at our first

Mario Ponce

restaurant, Takito Kitchen, we felt confident that the West Loop was going to come alive — the Google Regional Headquarters had been announced. Takito Kitchen did not have a conventional bar, yet 40 percent of our sales represented alcohol. The Bar Takito site met our criteria by having two bars. We believed that the area would grow — it turns out, the area has exploded!

Takito Street opened in January 2020. The location has great visibility — it is at the six corners of three very busy Lincoln Park streets — and it also has moderate pedestrian traffic.

All three Takito locations are unique, by design. Whereas Takito Street sits across from a major university and is intended to be casual, Takito Kitchen is smaller, intimate, cozy, and Modern Mexican. Bar Takito is nestled between the West Loop and Fulton Market and serves elevated/ contemporary Latin American cuisine.

4How has your business changed since Covid upended everything? Have you made any significant changes as a result of what’s happened?

When the local government allowed diners to visit restaurants, we enjoyed a year, 2021, of bliss — concerts, conventions, festivals, sports events and other gatherings were not happening yet. Once those events re-opened and restaurants began to re-open, business contracted and we have had to work harder to keep guests returning.

We’ve made many attempts to read guests expectations. Our most successful promotions have been adding a Latin Dance program at Takito Street. Our bottomless mimosa program has always been popular — however today it appears that everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. Thus, in an effort to differentiate, we’ve added tableside magic working with professional magicians. Additionally, we’re constantly creating new cocktails and dishes. One taco that

I’m proud of is our Chef Lite Shrimp Taco using jicama as the tortilla. The experience is game changing — refreshing, clean, crazy flavorful with a unique bite.

5There are now a lot more taco-focused and casual Mexican/Latin restaurants than there were when Takito Street debuted. You’re doing a great job of remaining competitive. Do you have any advice for other taco restaurants, especially smaller independents, on how to stand out from the crowd? Don’t underestimate the palates of diners today. People today are attracted to sophisticated and complex flavors — give them what they want. Our new Strawberry Gazpacho, Pepitas Hummus, Lite Shrimp Tacos, and Barbacoa & Earthy Mushroom Tacos are good examples of things we’re doing with our menus that showcase those kinds of sophisticated, complex flavors.

Also be sure to hire smart and personable staff who understand the value of each guest.

To better understand our cuisine is to know our chef, Chef Yanni Sanchez. She’s highly creative and has a lot of fun making dishes that make good sense. She is also happy to approach tables and spend time with guests. Chef Yanni is responsible for all three kitchens. She welcomes chefs de cuisine, like Chef Epifanio, to create dishes that excite. As a result, Chef Epifanio also has created dishes that have been embraced by our guests.

Chef Yanni Sanchez with Chef Epifanio

About the cover photo

The Mexican Carrots Side Dish pictured on this issue’s cover is from Erin Lynch, creator of Platings + Pairings, a website and blog that “grew out of my love for all things yummy — especially food and wine,” Lynch says.

“Similar to how you’d dress grilled street corn, these delicious tender carrots are topped with lime, crumbled cheese, jalapenos and cilantro, Lynch explains on the site. “In an effort to get even more street corn flavor into my life I came up with the idea of topping roasted carrots with all those same flavors going on – chili powder, cumin, tangy lime juice, creamy cotija cheese and spicy jalapenos.”

For more information and recipes, visit platingsandpairings.com

sizing up SIDES

| BY ANNALISE KELLY | Beans, rice and a little shredded lettuce — along

with salsa and guacamole — are the most common entrée accompaniments that diners find on Mexican restaurant menus. When it comes to side dishes, an enticing selection of creative side dishes, it seems, is often in short supply.

The fact is that side dishes are bursting with potential for chefs, diners — and your bottom line!

Side dishes can give chefs an opportunity to express their culinary creativity, entice customers to try a new dish, enhance the aesthetic appeal of most any entree, set your restaurant apart from your beansrice-and-salad focused competitors — and boost profits in the process.

Eric Williams, chef/owner of Momocho in Cleveland, Ohio, and El Carnicero in nearby suburban Lakewood, is one chef elevating

“Use seasonal ingredients because the price is low and the quality is excellent. Then ask, ‘What is everybody else doing?’ And then don’t do that.”

– CHEF ERIC WILLIAMS, Momocho and El Carnicero

Lois Ellen Frank’s Calabacitas

PHOTO FROM SEED TO PLATE, SOIL TO SKY: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank.

sides — which he dubs meriendas on both menus. The word, he explains, translates to “little whims.” The section includes several dishes that could be categorized as sides or appetizers — “just something extra,” Williams says, noting that an appetizer can be a side dish, and a side dish can be an appetizer. While the general notion is that those are two different categories, Williams says he purposely blurs the distinction “so that they’re more accessible to eating either as a starter or with an entree.”

And because Williams says customers love to special order, he purposely has written his restaurants’ menus without pairing specific side dishes with each entrée “so customers feel they’re making their own dish.

“It’s their decision to order food like that and I feel like they’re more satisfied with the choices that they made,” he says. In addition, keeping the side dishes a la carte prevents “anarchy in the kitchen” when a substitution is made, he adds.

The servers at Williams’ restaurants are trained and encouraged to help customers with their special orders. Case in point: At both Momocho and El Carnicero, they suggest Fried Brussels Sprouts prepared with coconut vinegar and chile-spiced peanuts as the side dish for the Machaca Taquitos — the #1 seller on the buildyour-own taquitos menu for the last 17 years. “It’s a very rich, slightly spicy, full-flavored beef dish…and the Brussels Sprouts have that vinegar acidic juxtaposition to the rich beef, so it kind of changes the [flavor] profiles as you’re eating. You’re not just eating that same one taste from start

Chef Eric Williams’ Potatoes el Royal side dish with Carne Asada Torta

Chef Eric Williams’ Fried Brussels Sprouts

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to finish,” Williams says.

In addition to the Brussels Sprouts, Momocho and El Carnicero also offer Carrot “Elote,” a dish inspired by corn elote and prepared with habanero-agave butter, citrus crema, and queso cotija.

Tamale Tots served with red chilechocolate mole, queso cotija, and toasted sesame, and Potato el Royal made with smashed, fried potatoes,

almond salsa macha, pecorino and a fried egg join the Brussels Sprouts and Carrot Elote on El Carnicero’s menu.

Why the slightly different side dish offerings? So Williams’ fans will keep visiting both of his restaurants, which are less than seven miles apart, he says.

MATCH-MAKING TIPS

Once you depart from the basic rice-

and-refried beans-with-every-dish formula, how do you decide what sides to pair with main dishes — or what sides to suggest your customers choose when ordering a side?

Sofia Sada Cervantes, professor and Latin Program Lead at the Culinary Institute of America, offers several tips based on her extensive research and travels.

Chef Eric Williams’ Carrot “Elote”

“What I usually see are proteins like steak, carne asada, paired with potato dishes or fresh salad, and seafood paired with rice,” says Sada Cervantes.

She also shares the kinds of culinary pairings most frequently found in different regions in Mexico.

“You’ll see a more acidic kind of sauce, vinegar- and lime-based, with fish and seafood all around the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. So, a heavier side dish like rice or pasta balances it out,” Sada Cervantes says.

In Northern Mexico, more robust, spicy, heavier, charred sauces that are less acidic are favored. “So usually in northern Mexico they’ll choose a lighter vegetable to go with steak or chicken,” Sada Cervantes continues. Heavy proteins, she adds, are seen more often in the center of the country “so the side dish will also be lighter — corn, beans, vegetables, squash.”

One example of a squash dish that works well as a side is Chef Lois Ellen Frank’s Calabacitas — “a traditional Southwestern favorite dish featuring yellow summer squash and zucchini served on almost every Pueblo and all throughout Northern New Mexico and on many of the Pueblo Feast,” Frank explains in her new book, “Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients.” She calls it “a tasty dish that brightens any meal.”

Rice and pasta in creative presenta-

“Our star dish is a head of cauliflower made with a chile morita mayo and roasted for an hour and served as the whole head. It sells for $15 dollars and the cost is $2. We would sell close to 500 heads of cauliflower a week. That’s how you can make profitable side dishes.”

– SOFIA SADA CERVANTES, Culinary Institute of America

tions are also good side dish options, as Sada Cervantes observed while traveling recently to Monterrey, Mexico.

“Rice is having a big moment. Lots of restaurants are doing a risotto-type dish, using classic white or basmati rice, called arroz meloso, which translates to creamy, silky. It is rich, with cream or cheese,” she reports.

When it comes to pasta, it’s all about the sauce, she says.

“A lot of creamy peppers — poblano, red bell pepper with chipotle. It can be like rajas, or blended with

onion, garlic, corn,” she says.

Other side dishes trending on restaurant tables in Mexico include Brussels sprouts at “a lot of higher-end restaurants” and Papas a la Diabla, which she describes as “marble potatoes with butter and chile de árbol.”

THE PROFIT POTENTIAL

A menu featuring creative, inviting side dishes gives guests more opportunities to boost check averages.

Iliana de la Vega, the 2022 James Beard Best Chef in Texas Award winner and chef/owner of of El Naranjo

“Differentiate yourself and put forth a [side] dish that people are going to notice, recognize, and then be excited for, because they haven’t read this on the menu at the last six places that they went,” suggests Williams.

Chef Eric Williams’ Tamale Tots

in Austin, says her side dishes tempt diners to bump their ticket up by at least $9 or $10.

“Think what goes well with your menu. If you can implement having some of those [sides], it will increase the average ticket,” de la Vega advises.

Even dishes that don’t necessarily complement a specific dish can create a profitable bump, she adds. Her roasted coliflor al pastor is an example.

“It’s something spectacular that is delicious and it stands on its own,” de la Vega says.

Using low-cost vegetables as a base is one road to side dish profits, according to Sada Cervantes. “Choose a family of vegetables like cabbage or Brussels sprouts or kale. Very low cost. Make a good marinade or sauce or mayo to go with them and roast, grill, or char them,” she suggests.

A cauliflower dish on the menu at a restaurant Sada Cervantes works with is one example.

“Our star dish is a head of cauliflower made with a chile morita mayo and roasted for an hour and served as the whole head. It sells for $15 and the cost is $2. We would sell close to 500 heads of cauliflower a week. That’s how you can make profitable side dishes. Vegetables are on a big rise right now — you can do so many things with them. With people turning vegetarian and vegan, chefs have gotten very creative with using vegetables and can make great profit out of it.”

Offering side dishes ala carte is the most profitable strategy, she adds.

Williams agrees, and offers his take on just how that strategy can boost ticket averages.

“The way I look at it is, we have to be competitive in our prices, and

we have to be fair with our prices,” he says, noting that today’s diners don’t want to see — and are reluctant to order — dishes in the $30 to $45 price range. Ala carte items like the meriendas at Momocho and El Carnicero, says Williams, can be the way to reach a $30+ total per person spend. The idea is to price main dishes that come with basic accompaniments at $20 or less, then offer sides too tempting to ignore.

“Differentiate yourself and put forth a [side] dish that people are going to notice, recognize, and then be excited for, because they haven’t read this on the menu at the last six places that they went,” suggests Williams. “You can charge a premium price, a fair price that people are willing to pay because they can’t get it anywhere else. People are willing to spend the money on something that’s different.”

More advice on successful, profitable sides from Williams: “Use seasonal ingredients because the price is low and the quality is excellent. Then ask, ‘What is everybody else doing?’ And then don’t do that,” he suggests.

One word of caution about menuing side dishes comes from de la Vega.

“The problem with having too many side dishes is people sometimes, instead of ordering another entree, will go for several side dishes. And that is the tricky thing,” she says. “Like somebody will order just rice and the cauliflower. I’m like, hmm, that didn’t work for me.”

See the cover recipe plus recipes for Carrot “Elote,” Calabacitas, and Coliflor al Pastor on page 47.

Annalise Kelly is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer and a frequent contributor to el Restaurante

A DREAM BECOMES REALITY FOR SAN DIEGO RESTAURATEUR

City Tacos

OB PLAYGROUND

Gerry Torres is about to find out. This fall, the founder of City Tacos, the restaurant he launched with a single location in North Park in 2014 — will open OB Playground in the Ocean Beach community, his 7th San Diego location. His most ambitious project

“OB Playground isn’t about just tacos. It’s about people spending time with one another and enjoying each other’s company. I know it’s hard to do, but my hope is that our guests keep their phones in their pockets, connect with one another, play games, and enjoy our San Diego sun. Together is the best place to

to date, the 10,000-square-foot playground/community space/gated dog park includes a City Tacos shop plus coffee and flower shops, taps for beer from local craft breweries, Mexican beers, wine and seltzers.

Guests will also be able to enjoy the courtyard with picnic-table seating, lounge seating around fire pits, bar

stool seating, giant-sized games, cornhole sets, bocci ball, and foosball tables. Acoustic guitar players and other musicians will perform regularly, and there are plans to rotate food trucks into the space and to host craft fairs and small festivals, too.

“It has been a dream of mine for quite some time to create an all-ages

be.”

– GERRY TORRES

| BY KATHLEEN FURORE | What does it mean to turn a dream into a reality?

community hub like this for one of the vibrant areas of our city — a place where people can play, enjoy, and relax,” says Torres, who was born and raised in Mexico City, moved to San Diego in 1992, and became a U.S. citizen in June 2022.

Adding to the festive atmosphere are murals created by local artists, including several children Torres hosted to help paint the perimeter fencing.

For Torres, the realization of his dream extends beyond the food that has made City Tacos a San Diego institution.

“OB Playground isn’t about just tacos. It’s about people spending time with one another and enjoying each other’s company,” Torres told el Restaurante in early September. I know it’s hard to do, but my hope is that our guests keep their phones in their pockets, connect with one another, play games, and enjoy our San Diego sun. Together is the best place to be.”

CHIPILO: Where Italian and Mexican Flavors Collide

| BY JOSEPH SORRENTINO , writing from Mexico | Celia Stefanoni Montagner and Maricruz Stefanoni Montagner are putting a new twist on traditional Mexican

dishes. An Italian twist.

The sisters own two restaurants in Chipilo, Puebla, a small pueblo settled in October 1882 by northern Italians. Celia owns Merende (Veneto for “breakfast”), which, as its name suggests, serves breakfast; Maricruz owns Cuore (Italian for “heart”), which serves lunch and dinner. The two restaurants share a space on Chipilo’s main street.

Chipileños, as residents are called, held onto their traditions, language and, especially, their cuisine — so all of the

restaurants in Chipilo are Italian. There are a few fondas and taquerias — small places offering Mexican staples like quesadillas, gorditas and tacos. But, oddly, for a Mexican pueblo, there are no Mexican restaurants.

Until recently, there was very little mixing of the two cuisines — just a couple of restaurants offering a dish or two. Chipileños, “do not like to mix the two,” Maricruz explains. “Me, I am a little crazy. I like to mix flavors.”

And that is just what these sisters are determined to do with Merende and Cuore, where they’re creating dishes that show the two cuisines can be mixed successfully.

“It is in our roots. We are Mexican with Italian roots,” Maricruz says. “By mixing the two cuisines, it is an opportunity for people to try something different, something better.”

TRANSFORMING THE TYPICAL

In 2011, the two sisters went to Italy for a month. “We went to study cooking to learn how to make tiramisú, gnocchi, other pastas, and to learn about the culture,” Celia recalls. Before the trip, Maricruz had thought about opening a restaurant. Celia hadn’t.

“I only wanted to finish preparatorio (high school), get married, have children and work at home,” Celia says. That trip

Celia and Maricruz Stefanoni Montagner with their Ravioli con Frijol y Mole Poblano

to Italy changed her mind. She enrolled at Instituto Suizo de Gastronomia in Puebla in 2012 and earned a bachelor’s in gastronomy in 2017; Maricruz took one class there and learned about parrilla and how to make make paella. Celia opened Merende in September 2019 and Maricruz followed with Cuore in April 2023. The goal has been the same from the beginning.

“We want to be different from the rest. We do not want to be boring or common,” Maricruz says. Their food is anything but.

“In Mexico, there are many restaurants that serve breakfast,” says Celia. “We want people to know that we are different. We are Chipileñas.”

Walk into any of those other restaurants and you’ll find enchiladas on the menu, typically verde, suiza and mole. The flavors vary a bit between restaurants, but they’re basically the same. At Merende, Celia offers

four different enchiladas, made from recipes they created by trial and error. “We try something,” Maricruz explains. “If it does not work, no pasa nada.” No problem. They also sometimes involve a bit of serendipity.

One day, Maricruz was making enchiladas verde at home. “I did not have any cilantro,” she says, “so I added basil.” Celia tried it and liked it. It’s now on Merende’s menu as Enchiladas Chipileñas, with pesto replacing basil.

Enchiladas suizas traditionally has a red salsa with just a thin stream of crema on top. The sisters’ Enchiladas Formaggi e Chipotla are enchiladas with a cream sauce made from four cheeses and chipotle chile, which adds a nice, smoky flavor. “The parmesano, mozzarella, manchego and crema are all from Chipilo, and the gorgonzola is imported from Italy,” Celia says.

In most restaurants, molletes are toasted bread covered with refritos and manchego. At Merende, they’ve replaced the manchego with mozzarella and added pesto. In fact, many of the dishes have what Maricruz calls “un toque de pesto.” A touch of pesto. And why is that? “I like pesto,” she says.

Maricruz takes over the space for lunch and dinner. She has fewer dishes that mix Italian and Mexican cuisine because the menu was designed by her husband, who is also a chef. “He is more traditional,” she

“It is in our roots. We are Mexican with Italian roots. By mixing the two cuisines, it is an opportunity for people to try something different, something better.”

– MARICRUZ STEFANONI MONTAGNER

Enchiladas Cuore

Enchiladas Formaggi e Chipotle

says. But there are two interesting queso fundidos: Gormaggio Carciofo with artichoke hearts, mushrooms and bell pepper, and Formaggio Cuore with mushrooms and un toque de pesto. She serves 23 pastas but, for now, only one that mixes the two cuisines: Fetuccini gamberi e chipotle with a four-cheese sauce, shrimp and chipotle chile.

MENU-MAKING IN PROGRESS

As we sit and talk, Maricruz mulls over the fact that there aren’t enough pastas on the menu that mix the two cuisines. She suddenly turns to Celia. “What about ravioli with mole?” she asks. Celia likes the idea, and they ask if I want to try it.

“Sure,” I tell them, “but the ravioli are stuffed with meat and I’m a vegetarian.”

Barely missing a beat, Maricruz announces, “Ravioli with beans and mole,” then hurries to the kitchen to talk to her chef. Shortly, heart-shaped ravioli stuffed with peruano beans and swimming in mole poblano arrive. I find it incredible; the sisters aren’t impressed.

“The raviolis are good, but they do not surprise,” says Celia.

“We used peruano because it is more buttery,” says Maricruz. “It goes better with the Italian palate.”

Celia takes out a small notebook. The sisters begin rapidly bouncing ideas off each other as Celia takes notes. I am witnessing how they come up with their recipes.

Maricruz asks Lupito, one of the chefs, how she cooks the beans for her bean tamales.

“With avocado leaves and hoja santa,” Lupito says. Hoja santa (sacred leaf), is an herb with a slight peppery flavor, often used in central and southern Mexico cooking.

“We will try different beans,” Maricruz announces. “Maybe black...”

“Or pinto,” Celia chimes in.

Suddenly, the conversation shifts to other dishes.

“Molletes with pepperoni,” says Celia.

“Or salami,” Maricruz offers. Then, of course, “Beans with a touch of pesto.”

Celia takes another bite of the ravioli. “It does not have ‘Wow!’” she says. “We are looking for ‘Wow!’”

I have a feeling the next time they call me in to try their Mole Ravioli, it’ll have that Wow!

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Joseph Sorrentino is a freelance writer based in Mexico and a frequent contributor to el Restaurante.

Mexican Wines on Your Menu? YES, NOW IS THE TIME

| BY ED AVIS

| There is a feeling in the wine world that something big is happening with Mexican wines. Suddenly, in the past few years, wine lovers have recognized that wines from Mexico can be excellent — even exceptional.

“The wines from Mexico are definitely better than they were five years ago,” says Chef Luis Arce Mota, owner of La Contenta and La Contenta Oeste in New York City. Mota’s wine list at La Contenta Oeste is entirely Mexican wines. “The

experience of the people making the wines, the technology they are using, and also the appreciation of the roots of Mexican wine are all up.”

Tom Bracamontes, owner of La Competencia Imports, a major importer of Mexican wine, supports what Chef Mota is saying. “Wine distributors are starting to realize, ‘Hey, wait a second, Mexican wines are a real thing,’” Bracamontes says. “I think now we’re at an inflection point.”

Even consumer publications are taking note. Case in point: “Tipping Point: Mexican Wine is Slowly Shifting from Novelty to Mainstay,” a story featured in the March/April 2023 issue of Imbibe, a magazine for liquor aficionados.

There are many reasons Mexican wine is becoming fashionable, but the bottom line is that distributors, restaurant owners and consumers are realizing that Mexican wine can compete with the very best on the world stage.

What does that mean for Mexican restaurants? It means that more and more of your customers, at least those who enjoy wine with dinner, will start asking for wine — Mexican vintages specifically.

There’s another point, as well. While Mexican restaurants may seem the logical place to order Mexican wine, non-Latin restaurants are starting to put great Mexican wine on their menus, too — which adds another layer of competition to consider when building your wine menu.

“There are Greek, French and Italian restaurants where people go to drink wine, specifically,” says Max Strygler, owner of Primos Imports in New York City, which imports Monte Xanic, Bodegas Santo Tomás, and other wines from Mexico.

“The wines from Mexico are definitely better than they were five years ago. The experience of the people making the wines, the technology they are using, and also the appreciation of the roots of Mexican wine are all up.”

– CHEF LUIS ARCE MOTA, La Contenta and La Contenta Oeste

Tips for Selling Mexican Wine

The restaurants that have succeeded in selling Mexican wine have several characteristics in common. First, they highlight the wines on the menu so customers see them immediately. A good wine menu includes the type of grapes the wine is made from and the country

and region it is from, explains Max Strygler, owner of Primos Imports in New York City.

Training also is important.

Chef Luis Arce Mota, owner of La Contenta and La Contenta Oeste in New York City, hired a Mexican sommelier to help servers understand the characteristics of the Mexican

“To my surprise, I started approaching these restaurants and getting really good response. So now I’m selling Mexican wines to Greek restaurants.”

Having Mexican wines on wine lists in non-Latin restaurants is not necessarily a bad thing because it builds the overall familiarity of Mexican wines. But if you want your Mexican restaurant to be on the cutting edge, adding Mexican wines to your menu now is a good place to start.

FUNDAMENTALS DRIVE QUALITY

Mexico has some key fundamentals of good wine — interesting, rich terroir; moderate climate; and a range of grapegrowing regions, from mountainous to oceanside. Some wineries, such as 400-year-old Casa Madero, have long made quality wines. But in recent decades, a new generation of winemakers has taken advantage of those fundamen-

wines on his menu and how to properly express those to customers.

“We have to put into the hearts of the staff how high quality these wines are, and they have to love them,” he says. “Then we need the language to transmit that to the customers. They need to be able to tell the customers that a Mexican restaurant is not just about beer and tequila, it’s also about wine. I don’t have a problem selling margaritas or tequila or mezcal, but I believe food tastes better with wine.”

Making suggestions of how to pair wine with food also is a good selling technique, Mota says. Customers appreciate seeing suggested wines next to menu items, especially

tals to create some remarkable wines.

Tying all of this together is something not found in many other wine-growing regions: a general lack of rules on how to make wine, which has led to experimentation that has created blends not found anywhere else.

“If you go back 10 years, you started seeing what I would call the next generation of young winemakers coming from all over the world — France, the United States, Chilé, Argentina,” says Bracamontes. “And they all came to Mexico because there was just this freedom to explore. So, you had this convergence of young wine makers that were all excited and willing to help one another. You started to see a different style of Mexican wine. You saw them fresher, more vibrant, higher in acid, lower in alcohol, minimize the wood.”

Delilah Snell, owner of Alta Baja Market, a restaurant and retail store

if they are not familiar with Mexican wines.

Finally, selling Mexican wine by the glass, rather than just by the bottle, is a great way to help diners see if it is right for them, says Ivy Stark, owner of Mexology Taqueria in New York and former chef at Dos Caminos, a New York Mexican restaurant known for its Mexican wines.

“I think the biggest key is to offer it as a glass wine,” Stark says. “And then you just have to get the servers behind it, and when people ask for a glass of wine, they can say, ‘Listen, I know you probably have not ever had a Mexican wine, but this particular Nebbiolo, Cabernet, whatever, is really special. And it goes really well with the food.’”

in Santa Ana, California that offers a broad selection of Mexican wines, observes the effect of this new generation of winemakers on her customers.

“You see a lot of interesting blends and interesting techniques,” she says “For example, I always try and push the Bruma Plan B Chardonnay because a lot of people are like, ‘I don’t like Chardonnay, it’s too oaky and heavy.’ I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no. Lulu [Martinez Ojeda, the winemaker at Bruma] ages this in stainless. It’s actually super light and refreshing.’ And so, they see that these are just different blends, unique blends, and they know it’s something that is going to be the conversation-maker.”

Mexican wines also have succeeded at international competitions. Eighty-five Mexican wines brought home medals from the Concours Mondiale de Bruxelles, an international wine contest held in May. Among the winners was Cenzontle

Chef Luis Arce Mota

Blanco 2019, a Mexican white wine that ranked the highest among 7,504 entries from 50 countries. That wine, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Palomino, was produced in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe by enologist Jesús Rivera for Finca El Empecinado.

PRICE IS A CHALLENGE

One hurdle for putting Mexican wine on the menu is price. They often cost a couple of dollars more per bottle wholesale than wines from Argentina, California or Italy.

“It’s a battle for the consumer who

says, ‘Well I can have this Mexican wine for $22 or $20, where I can get another Cabernet or Chardonnay, whatever, for $4 cheaper,’” says Mike Glazer, executive vice president of vintner relations at Southern Glazer’s, a distributor that carries Mexican wines from Casa Madero and Monte Xanic. “It’s easier to downgrade in your beverage spend than it is your food spend.”

Why is Mexican wine more expensive?

First, the volume being produced is much lower than in many other countries, so the wineries lack the economies of scale. That factor may change as some wineries expand. Second, in many areas, good water is in low supply, so wineries have to pay more for it than wineries in countries with a healthy water supply. Finally, high Mexican taxes play a role.

The Consejo Mexicano Vitivinícola (CMV), an organization representing the

Mexican wine industry, is working on improving the government’s recognition of wine as a valuable industry. That may improve the taxation situation and lead to infrastructure programs to improve water availability.

Higher prices notwithstanding, Mexican wines are rapidly becoming an essential element of Mexican restaurant menus.

“Even in Mexico City, 10 years ago, if you went into a restaurant, they primarily carried Spanish, French, Italian, Argentinian, Chiléan, just about anything, but not Mexican wine,” Bracamontes says. “And now it’s the complete opposite. The quality has gotten better, Mexican pride has kicked in, and now you see entire wine lists of Mexican wines, both in Mexico and in the United States.”

Ed Avis is the publisher of el Restaurante.

¿Vinos mexicanos en su menú? SÍ, AHORA ES EL MOMENTO

| POR ED AVIS | En el mundo del vino, existe la impresión de que está ocurriendo algo grande con los vinos mexicanos. De pronto, en años recientes, los amantes del vino han reconocido que los vinos de México pueden ser excelentes, ¡incluso excepcionales!

“Los vinos de México son definitivamente mejores de lo que eran hace cinco años”, menciona el Chef Luis Arce Mota, propietario de La Contenta y La Contenta Oeste en Nueva York. La carta de vinos de Mota en La Contenta Oeste es completamente de vinos mexicanos. “La experiencia de la gente que elabora los vinos, la tecnología que usan y además la apreciación de las raíces del vino mexicano están a la altura”.

Tomas Bracamontes, propietario de La Competencia Imports, un gran importador de vinos mexicanos, respalda lo que menciona el Chef Mota. “Los distribuidores de vino han empezado a darse cuenta: ‘Oye, un momento. Los vinos mexicanos son algo real’”, dice Bracamontes. “Considero que ahora estamos en un punto de inflexión”.

Incluso las publicaciones para consumidores están tomando nota. Un buen ejemplo: “Momento decisivo: El vino mexicano está pasando lentamente de ser una novedad a un pilar”, una historia que aparece en la edición de marzo/abril de 2023 de Imbibe, una revista para los apasionados de los licores.

Existen muchas razones por las que el vino mexicano se está poniendo de moda, pero lo más importante es que los distribuidores, propietarios de restaurantes y consumidores se están dando cuenta de que el vino mexicano puede competir con lo mejor de la escena mundial.

¿Qué significa eso para los restaurantes mexicanos? Significa que cada vez más clientes suyos, al menos aquellos

que disfrutan del vino durante la cena, comenzarán a pedir vino, específicamente los añejos mexicanos.

También hay otro tema. Si bien los restaurantes mexicanos pueden parecer el sitio lógico para pedir vino mexicano, los restaurantes que no son latinos también han comenzado a poner excelentes vinos mexicanos en sus menús, lo cual agrega otro nivel de competencia a considerar al armar su menú de vinos.

“Hay restaurantes griegos, franceses e italianos a los que la gente acude específicamente a beber vino”, dice Max Strygler, propietario de Primos Imports en Nueva York, el cual importa Monte Xanic, Bodegas Santo Tomás y otros vinos de México. “Para mi asombro, comencé a acercarme a estos restaurantes y a recibir una respuesta muy buena. Entonces, ahora estoy vendiendo vinos mexicanos a restaurantes griegos”.

Tener vinos mexicanos en cartas de vino de restaurantes

“Los vinos de México son definitivamente mejores de lo que eran hace cinco años. La experiencia de la gente que elabora los vinos, la tecnología que usan y además la apreciación de las raíces del vino mexicano están a la altura”.

Consejos para vender vino mexicano

Los restaurantes que han tenido éxito vendiendo vino mexicano tienen varias características en común. Primero, resaltan los vinos en el menú para que los clientes los vean de inmediato. Un buen menú de vino incluye el tipo de uvas con las que el vino está elaborado, y el país y la region de la que proviene, explica Max Strygler, propietario de Primos Imports en Nueva York.

La capacitación también es importante. El Chef Luis Arce Mota, propietario de La Contenta y La Contenta Oeste en Nueva York, contrató a un sumiller mexicano para ayudar a los meseros a entender las características de los vinos mexicanos en su menú y cómo expresarlas correctamente a los clientes.

“Tenemos que meter en los corazones del personal cuán alta es la calidad de estos vinos, y tienen que encantarles”, dice. “Luego, necesitamos el lenguaje para transmitirlo a los clients. Es necesario que puedan contar a los clients que un restaurante mexicano no solo es cerveza y tequila, también se trata del vino. No tengo problema vendiendo margaritas o tequila o mezcal, pero considero que la comida sabe mejor con el vino”.

Hacer sugerencias sobre cómo combinar el vino con la comida también es una buena técnica de venta, dice Mota. Los clientes aprecian ver vinos sugeridos a un lado de los artículos del menú, especialmente si no están familiarizados con los vinos mexicanos.

Por último, vender vino mexicano por copa en lugar de solo por botella, es una excelente manera de ayudar a los comensales a saber si es el adecuado para ellos, dice Ivy Stark, propietaria de Mexology Taqueria en Nueva York y antigua chef en Dos Caminos, un restaurante mexicano en Nueva York conocido por sus vinos mexicanos.

“Considero que la clave principal es ofrecerlo como una copa de vino”, dice Stark. “Y luego, solo tiene que ir con los meseros responsables, y cuando la gente pida una copa de vino, pueden decir: ‘Mira, sé que probablemente nunca ha probado un vino mexicano, pero este particular Nebbiolo, Cabernet, lo que sea, en particular es muy especial. Y va muy bien con la comida’”.

que no son latinos no es necesariamente algo malo, porque crea la familiaridad general de los vinos mexicanos. Pero si desea que su restaurante mexicano esté a la vanguardia, agregar ahora vinos mexicanos a su menú es un buen punto de inicio.

ASPECTOS FUNDAMENTALES PARA IMPULSAR LA CALIDAD

Mexico cuenta con algunas claves fundamentales para el buen vino: un terruño rico e interesante; un clima moderado; y una gama de regiones vitivinícolas, desde montañosas hasta junto al océano. Algunas bodegas, como Casa Madero (de 400 años), siempre han elaborado vinos de calidad. Pero en décadas recientes, una nueva generación de vinicultores ha aprovechado dichas claves fundamentales para crear algunos vinos extraordinarios.

Enlazar todo esto es algo que no se halla en muchas otras regiones vitícolas: una falta general de reglas sobre cómo elaborar vino, lo cual ha dado lugar a una experimentación que ha creado combinaciones que no se encuentran en ningún otro lugar.

“Si retrocede 10 años, empezó a ver lo que yo llamaría la siguiente generación de jóvenes vinicultores procedentes de todas partes del mundo: Francia, los Estados Unidos, Chile, Argentina”, dice Bracamontes. “Y todos ellos vinieron a México porque justamente había esta libertad para explorar. Entonces, tenía esta convergencia de jóvenes vinicultores que estaban emocionados y dispuestos a ayudarse mutuamente. Comenzó a ver un estilo diferente del vino mexicano. Los vio más frescos, más vibrantes, con más acidez, más bajo en alcohol, reducir al mínimo la madera”.

Delilah Snell, propietaria de Alta Baja Market, un restaurante y tienda minorista ubicada en Santa Ana, California que ofrece una amplia selección de vinos mexicanos, observa el efecto de esta nueva generación de vinicultores en sus clientes.

“Ve muchísimas mezclas y técnicas interesantes”, dice. “Por ejemplo, siempre trato de

Chef Luis Arce Mota

empujar el Bruma Plan B Chardonnay porque muchas personas dicen: ‘No me gusta el Chardonnay, sabe demasiado a madera y es muy pesado’. Y les digo: ‘No, no, no, no. Lulu [Martinez Ojeda, la vinicultora de Bruma] lo envejece en acero inoxidable. En realidad es super ligero y refrescante’. Y entonces, ven que estas solo son mezclas diferentes, mezclas únicas, y saben que es algo que va a ser el tema de conversación”.

Los vinos mexicanos también han triunfado en concursos internacionales. Ochenta y cinco vinos mexicanos se llevaron a casa medallas del Concours Mondiale de Bruxelles, un concurso internacional de vinos que se celebra en mayo. Entre los ganadores estuvo Cenzontle Blanco 2019, un vino blanco mexicano que obtuvo el puesto más alto entre 7,504 concursantes de 50 países. Ese vino, una mezcla de Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay y Palomino, se produjo en el Valle de Guadalupe de México por el enólogo Jesús Rivera para Finca El Empecinado.

EL PRECIO ES UN RETO

Un obstáculo para poner el vino mexicano en el menú es el precio. Suelen costar un par de dólares más por botella al por mayor que los vinos de Argentina, California o Italia.

“Es una lucha para el consumidor que dice: ‘Bueno, puedo obtener este vino mexicano por $22 o $20, mientras que puedo conseguir otro Cabernet o Chardonnay, lo que sea, por $4 más barato”, dice Mike Glazer, vicepresidente

ejecutivo de relaciones de vinatero en Southern Glazer’s, una distribuidora que lleva vinos mexicanos de Casa Madero y Monte Xanic. “Es más sencillo bajar su gasto en bebidas que en su gasto de alimentos”.

¿Por qué el vino mexicano es más caro?

Primero, el volumen que se produce es mucho más bajo que en muchos otros países, por lo que las bodegas carecen de economías de escala. Ese factor puede cambiar a medida que algunas vinotecas se expanden. Segundo, en muchas áreas, el suministro de agua de buena calidad es escaso, por lo que las bodegas tienen que pagar más por ella que las vinotecas en países con un suministro saludable de agua. Por último, los altos impuestos mexicanos son un factor.

El Consejo Mexicano Vitivinícola (CMV), una organización que representa a la industria vinícola Mexicana, está trabajando para mejorar el reconocimiento del vino como una industria valiosa por parte del gobierno. Eso puede mejorar la situación fiscal y llevar a programas de infraestructura para mejorar la disponibilidad de agua.

A pesar de los precios más elevados, los vinos mexicanos se están convirtiendo rápidamente en un elemento esencial de los menús de restaurantes mexicanos.

“Incluso en la Ciudad de México, hace 10 años, si iba a un restaurante, conseguían principalmente vino español, francés, italiano, argentino, chileno, casi cualquiera, pero vino mexicano no”, dice Bracamontes. “Y ahora es todo lo contrario. La calidad ha mejorado, el orgullo mexicano ha surtido efecto y ahora ve cartas de vinos enteras de vinos mexicanos, tanto en México como en los Estados Unidos”.

Ed Avis es editor de el Restaurante.

The Food Hall PHENOMENON

RESTAURANTS FIND ADVANTAGES IN GROUP SETTINGS

| BY ED AVIS | When Lucero Martinez and her brother Luis Martinez-Obregon were searching for a location for Taqueria La Luz in early 2021, the real estate consultant they were working with suggested something other than the usual standalone restaurant: a spot in Chattahoochee Food Works, a food hall located in a redeveloped industrial site in Atlanta’s Upper Westside neighborhood that had opened the year before.

Lucero and Luz, who already operated Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina in Midtown Atlanta, found the option appealing, especially because of the lower cost.

“Given the more affordable cost for us to open a concept at a food hall rather than a stand-alone brick-and-mortar, we chose the food hall,” Lucero says.

Lower cost is not the only advantage the duo have discovered. Others include the community feeling of the hall, the large space with loads of seating, and the steady traffic. Of course, there are a few potential downsides — but overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for many Mexican/Latin restaurant owners.

A COMMUNITY OF RESTAURANTS

It’s long been understood that restaurants benefit if other restaurants are nearby. If a neighborhood has multiple options, more customers are likely to travel to the area when they’re seeking a place to eat out. Shopping mall food courts proved that 40 years ago.

According to real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield, there were 321 food halls operating in the United States in early 2023, and another 145 were in some stage of development. There were 220 food halls in 2019, so the idea has been growing in recent years.

The community feeling of a food hall is one key reason restaurants choose to locate in food halls.

“It’s true what they say, the more the merrier,” Lucero says. “A variety of foods attract more people. People like options, especially with families and groups, everybody can eat what they want and find a common place to gather and sit.”

However, those myriad food options mean more direct competition, which means Taqueria La Luz has to work hard to rise above the crowd. “We do have to stay on top of our game so we can offer the best quality product since we are surrounded by many very good choices from the other vendors,” Lucero says.

Good foot traffic does temper the competitive situation. The more potential customers milling about, the less likely any single concept will be ignored. And of course, it helps a Mexican/Latin restaurant if there are no similar concepts in the hall, which is the case for Taqueria La Luz.

MINIMIZED MANAGEMENT TASKS

Ivy Stark, founder of Mexology, chose food halls for all three locations of her upscale taqueria: Time Out Market and JACX&CO in New York City and Houston Lyric Market in Houston. Money played a key role in her decision to chose food halls over stand-alone locations, but the services that the food halls provide also persuaded her. The food halls her restaurants occupy manage the all utilities, handle warewashing and cleaning, service equipment, and in general

JACX&CO New York City

manage the whole facility.

“The primary reason [I chose food halls] was that it was a smaller investment to open than it would be if I had to build out a restaurant, but there are some great advantages that come along with it, like a marketing team who is not only marketing the food hall but also your individual kitchen,” says Stark, who previously was the chef at Dos Caminos and Rosa Mexicana in New York.

Food hall-sponsored events also help boost traffic, according to Lucero. For example, every week, Chattahoochee Food Works runs Chill Tuesday — “Georgia’s Largest Happy Hour” — as well as an artists’ market every Thursday. The brother-sister team also value the efficient management of the common eating area, parking lots, and other amenities.

“Our team wouldn’t have the bandwidth to run all these extra events to help draw attention, so this is a big plus for us,” Lucero says. “Also, the common areas offer dining inside and outside, there is ample parking, security, and of course restrooms. All of these things are not something that we have to worry about or take care of which is a relief. These things can be expensive for a small business owner and take up a lot of your space in a small restaurant, too.”

THE ECONOMICS

Restaurants that open in food halls avoid the typical construction costs incurred with stand-alone locations, at least in part. However, depending on the hall and the restaurant, operators usually still must customize the build-out of their individual space and/or bring in any specialized cooking equipment they need.

The on-going costs of operating a location within a food hall vary. Some halls require the restaurants to pay a base rent plus a percentage of sales, others just a percentage of sales, which can range from 12 percent to 30 percent.

Stark pays a percentage of sales to keep her Mexology locations running. “It ends up shaking out at around the same percentages you would pay for rent, utilities etc., but it streamlines it in such a way that it economizes at the management level,” she reports.

POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES

In addition having to compete with so many other restaurants, operating in a food hall can present other challenge

One is that the stalls must follow the rules, which in some cases include hours of operation. If a restaurant doesn’t serve breakfast yet the food hall requires that all stalls be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., that restaurant will have to add breakfast to the menu or end up paying staff for several unproductive hours per day.

Another potential risk is if the food hall fails. In that case, even a successful stall operator suddenly must find a new location.

That’s why researching the operator before signing the lease is worth the effort, Stark says.

“Do your homework on the location as you would a freestanding location,” she stresses. “Vet the operators and make sure they are experienced operating a food hall, as it is a completely different animal. And negotiate a percentage rent that allows you to take a profit.”

Regardless of the potential problems, Stark and Lucero say they are happy with their food hall decisions.

“I always learn something new with every new business venture,” Stark says. “But I have no regrets about choosing this path.”

Ed Avis is the publisher of el Restaurante.

Given the more affordable cost for us to open a concept at a food hall rather than a stand-alone brick-and-mortar, we chose the food hall.”

– LUCERO MARTINEZ, Taqueria La Luz

Luis Martinez-Obregon and Lucero Martinez

|

EL FENÓMENO del salón de comidas

LOS RESTAURANTES ENCUENTRAN VENTAJAS EN LOS GRUPOS

POR ED AVIS | Cuando Lucero Martínez y su hermano Luis Martínez-Obregón buscaban un local para la Taquería La Luz a principios de 2021, el consultor inmobiliario con el que trabajaban les sugirió algo distinto al habitual restaurante independiente: un local en Chattahoochee Food Works, un recinto gastronómico situado en un sitio industrial remodelado del barrio Upper Westside de Atlanta que había abierto el año anterior.

A Lucero y Luz, que ya regentaban Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina en Midtown Atlanta, la opción les pareció atractiva, sobre todo por el menor costo.

“Dado el costo más asequible que nos suponía abrir un concepto en un recinto gastronómico en lugar de un local independiente, optamos por el recinto gastronómico”, afirma Lucero.

El menor costo no es la única ventaja que el dúo ha descubierto. Otras son el sentimiento de comunidad del recinto, el gran espacio con muchos asientos y el tránsito constante. Por supuesto, hay algunas desventajas potenciales, pero en general, las ventajas superan a las desventajas para muchos propietarios de restaurantes mexicanos/latinos.

UNA COMUNIDAD DE RESTAURANTES

Hace tiempo que se sabe que los restaurantes se benefician si hay otros restaurantes cerca. Si un barrio cuenta con múltiples opciones, es probable que se desplacen más clientes a la zona cuando busquen un lugar donde comer fuera. Los patios de comidas de los centros comerciales lo demostraron hace 40 años.

Según la agencia inmobiliaria Cushman & Wakefield, a principios de 2023 había 321 recintos gastronómicos en funcionamiento en los Estados Unidos, y otros 145 se encontraban en alguna fase de desarrollo. En 2019 había 220 recintos gastronómicos, por lo que la idea ha ido creciendo en los últimos años.

El sentimiento de comunidad de un recinto gastronómico es una de las principales razones por las que los restaurantes deciden ubicarse en ellos.

“Es cierto lo que dicen, cuantos más, mejor”, afirma

Lucero. “La variedad de alimentos atrae a más gente. A la gente le gustan las opciones, especialmente con familias y grupos, todos pueden comer lo que quieran y encontrar un lugar común donde reunirse y sentarse”.

Sin embargo, esas innumerables opciones de comida suponen una competencia más directa, lo que significa que la Taquería La Luz tiene que esforzarse mucho para destacar entre la multitud. “Tenemos que estar muy atentos para poder ofrecer el producto de mejor calidad, ya que estamos rodeados de muchas opciones muy buenas de los otros vendedores”, dice Lucero.

El buen tránsito de personas atenúa la situación competitiva. Cuantos más clientes potenciales deambulen por el lugar, menos probabilidades hay que un solo concepto sea ignorado. Y, por supuesto, ayuda a un restaurante mexicano/latino que no haya conceptos similares en el recinto, como es el caso de la Taquería La Luz.

TAREAS DE GESTIÓN MINIMIZADAS

Ivy Stark, fundadora de Mexology, eligió recintos gastronómicos para los tres locales de su taquería de lujo:

JACX&CO New York City

THE LATINO RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION (LRA)

supports and promotes restaurateurs, small businesses and businesses of the Latino restaurant sector at a national level to ensure the equitable economic growth of this robust community. LRA community members come together to network with industry pros, market their brand and learn new ways of making their business more efficient.

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Time Out Market y JACX&CO en Nueva York y Houston Lyric Market en Houston. El dinero desempeñó un papel clave en su decisión de elegir los recintos gastronómicos en lugar de los locales independientes, pero los servicios que ofrecen los recintos gastronómicos también la convencieron. Los recintos gastronómicos que ocupan sus restaurantes gestionan los servicios públicos, se encargan del lavado y la limpieza de la vajilla, del equipo de servicio y, en general, administran todo el local.

“La razón principal [por la que elegí los recintos gastronómicos] fue que la inversión para abrir era menor que si tuviera que construir un solo restaurante, pero hay algunas grandes ventajas que vienen con ello, como un equipo de marketing que no solo comercializa el recinto gastronómico sino también tu cocina individual”, dice Stark, que anteriormente fue chef de Dos Caminos y Rosa Mexicana en Nueva York.

Los eventos patrocinados por los recintos gastronómicos también ayudan a aumentar el tránsito, según Lucero. Por ejemplo, todas las semanas, Chattahoochee Food Works organiza Chill Tuesday —“la mayor hora feliz de Georgia”—, así como un mercado de artistas todos los jueves. El equipo de hermanos también valora la eficaz gestión de la zona común de comidas, los estacionamientos y otros servicios.

“Nuestro equipo no dispondría del ancho de banda necesario para gestionar todos estos eventos adicionales que ayudan a llamar la atención, así que esto supone una gran ventaja para nosotros”, afirma Lucero. “Además, las zonas comunes ofrecen comidas dentro y fuera, hay un amplio estacionamiento, seguridad y, por supuesto, baños. Todas estas cosas no son algo de lo que tengamos que preocuparnos o ocuparnos, lo cual es un alivio. Son cosas que pueden resultar caras para el propietario de un pequeño negocio y que, además, ocupan mucho espacio en un restaurante pequeño”.

LA ECONOMÍA

Los restaurantes que abren en recintos gastronómicos evitan, al menos en parte, los típicos costos de construcción que implican los locales independientes. Sin embargo, dependiendo del pabellón y del restaurante, los operadores suelen tener que personalizar la construcción de su espacio individual o traer cualquier equipo de cocina especializado que necesiten.

Los costos de explotación de un local dentro de un recinto gastronómico varían. Algunos recintos exigen a los restaurantes el pago de una renta fija más un porcentaje de las ventas, otros solo un porcentaje de las ventas, que puede oscilar entre el 12% y el 30%.

Stark paga un porcentaje de las ventas para mantener en funcionamiento sus locales Mexology. “Acaba siendo más o menos los mismos porcentajes que pagaría por la renta, los servicios públicos, etc., pero lo racionaliza de tal manera que economiza a nivel de gestión”, informa.

POSIBLES DESVENTAJAS

Además de tener que competir con tantos otras restaurantes, funcionar en un recinto gastronómico puede presentar también otros retos.

Uno de ellos es que los puestos deben seguir las normas, que en algunos casos incluyen el horario de funcionamiento. Si un restaurante no sirve desayunos pero el recinto gastronómico exige que todos los puestos estén abiertos de 9 de la mañana a 9 de la noche, ese restaurante tendrá que añadir el desayuno al menú o acabará pagando al personal varias horas improductivas al día.

Otro riesgo potencial es que el recinto gastronómico fracase. En ese caso, incluso un operador de un puesto de éxito deberá encontrar de repente una nueva ubicación.

Por eso, investigar al operador antes de firmar el contrato de arrendamiento merece la pena, dice Stark.

“Haga los deberes sobre la ubicación como lo haría con un local independiente”, subraya. “Investigue a los operadores y asegúrese que tienen experiencia en la explotación de un recinto gastronómico, ya que es algo completamente distinto. Y negocie un porcentaje de renta que le permita obtener beneficios”.

Independientemente de los problemas potenciales, Stark y Lucero dicen estar contentos con sus decisiones sobre recintos gastronómicos.

“Siempre aprendo algo nuevo con cada nueva aventura empresarial”, dice Stark. “Pero no me arrepiento de haber elegido este camino”.

“Dado el costo más asequible que nos suponía abrir un concepto en un recinto gastronómico en lugar de un local independiente, optamos por el recinto gastronómico”.

– LUCERO MARTINEZ, Taqueria La Luz

Ed Avis es el editor de el Restaurante.

Luis Martinez-Obregon and Lucero Martinez

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BEST MEXICAN FOODS

Cover Recipe: Mexican Carrots

Side Dish

Recipe and photo courtesy of Erin Lynch, Platings and Pairings (platingsandpairings.com)

Carrots, small to medium size

Olive oil

Chili powder

Cumin

Salt and pepper

Lime juice

Jalapeno (optional; use serrano pepper for more heat)

Garlic

Honey

Fresh cilantro

Cotija, queso fresco, Parmesan or feta cheese

Peel the carrots and cut them in half lengthwise. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, toss with chili powder and cumin, and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 to 20 minutes at 450°F until tender when pierced with a fork.*

Meanwhile, combine lime juice, jalapeno, garlic and honey in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange carrots on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and crumbled cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

*These carrots would also be amazing thrown on a hot grill. They’ll get nice and smoky and caramelized.

Carrots “Elote”

Recipe courtesy of Eric Williams, Momocho and El Carnicero, Cleveland

The Butter:

2 sticks softened, unsalted butter

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. agave nectar

½ t. minced habanero chiles (seeds and stem removed; jalapeno can be substituted)

1 clove fresh garlic

Fine mince chiles and garlic, then fold into softened butter. Add kosher salt and agave and mix well.

Extra seasoned butter can be rolled into plastic wrap and kept refrigerated after use.

The Crema:

1 c. sour cream

¼ c. buttermilk

1 t. kosher salt

Zest from 1 lime, fine mince Juice from 1 lime

Mix/whisk all ingredients together.

The Onion Escabeche:

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 c. red wine vinegar

½ c. water

1 T. kosher salt

1 t. agave nectar

Add vinegar, salt, sugar and water to pot and simmer. Pour hot liquid over shaved onions and set aside in refrigerator for 1 hour.

To make spicier pickled onions, add reserved seeds from habanero to the pickling liquid.

The Carrots:

1 lb. farmers carrots, baby carrots, or trimmed large carrots*

¼ c. vegetable oil

1 t. kosher salt

1 bunch fresh cilantro, for garnish

Tajín and crumbled queso cotija for garnish

Lightly toss carrots in vegetable oil, season with salt and roast in 375°F oven for 18 to 25 minutes.

At 20-minute mark, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chile-agave butter to sheet tray with carrots; continue to cook 5 to 7 minutes or until tender;

remove carrots from oven, toss to incorporate, and plate.

Garnish with with citrus crema, crumbled queso cotija (substitute a good, grated parmesan), minced cilantro, pickled onion + a dusting of Tajín.

*This recipe also is delicious made with spaghetti squash, asparagus or roasted corn.

Calabacitas

Excerpted from Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank. Copyright © 2023. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 to 2 mild New Mexico green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced (approximately 3/4 c.)

2 t. sunflower oil

½ yellow onion, sliced (approximately 1 c.)

2 medium zucchini, cut into halfmoons (approximately 2½ c.)

2 medium yellow summer squashes, cut into half-moons (approximately 2½ c.)

3/4 t. kosher salt, or to taste

2 t. blackened garlic

1 c. sweet yellow or white corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Roast the chiles. In a cast ironskillet or heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat the sunflower oil on high until hot but not smoking.

Add the onion and saute until translucent for approximately 4 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and add both types of squash and the salt and saute for another 3 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.

Add the garlic, corn kernels, and chiles and saute for another 3 minutes, stirring to ensure all the vegetables cook evenly.

Taste, and adjust salt, as needed. Serve immediately with your favorite main course.

Coliflor al Pastor

Recipe © Iliana de la Vega, 2023; reprinted with permission

6 ea. guajillo chiles, wiped clean

3 ea. ancho chiles

2 T. achiote paste

½ c. white vinegar

½ ea. white onion

2 ea. garlic cloves

½ t. cumin seeds

4 ea. cauliflower

2 ea. white onion, julienned

1 bu. cilantro, chopped

½ ea. white onion, chopped

20 ea. lime wedges

Discard stems, seeds and veins from the chiles; place chiles in a bowl; cover with boiling water. Soak the chiles for 10 to 15 minutes.

Puree the ½ onion, garlic cloves, cumin, achiote, vinegar, and soaked chiles in the blender, add fresh water if needed. Pass through a small mesh china cap; season with salt to taste.

Cut the cauliflower in medium size flowerets and julienne the onion, place in a bowl, add the marinade. Marinate overnight.

Slightly oil a baking tray and arrange the prepared cauliflower. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 15 minutes, or until nicely roasted. Serve with chopped cilantro and onion and lime wedges.

Corporate Chef Cory Seeker

LOLITA COCINA & TEQUILA BAR

BOSTON AREA DINERS hungry for “an ultra-modern and sophisticated approach to Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails” can find it at Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar. Whether heading to the original Back Bay location, (which reopened in January 2023 after closing for renovations in late 2020) or the Fort Point neighborhood restaurant (which opened in 2017), they’ll find a menu that offers what the restaurant describes as “an unexpected twist on traditional Mexican fare while seamlessly offering subtle nods to Boston’s local cuisine.”

That fare includes Corn & Lobster Hushpuppies with charred jalapeño, smoked cheddar, and chipotle tartar sauce; Carne Asada with grilled Niman Ranch bavette, red chili adobo, grilled onions, black bean refrito and queso cotija; and the popular Brussels Sprouts Taco with green chili-pimento cheese, Sonoran sweet & sour, and sweet onion pickle — one of Seeker’s favorites.

“We pair the heat and depth of charred poblano with tangy feta cheese to create a flavorful sauce that brings out the best of the charred garlicky brussels sprouts,” Seeker says. “The taco is brought to life with a sweet and sour sauce that is filled with flavor from fresh pineapple, citrus and smokey chipotles.”

Spicy Brussels Taco

The Green Chili Pimento:

4 oz. egg yolk

1 T. brown mustard

5 grams garlic, sliced

1 oz. lime juice

16 oz. canola oil

2 t. salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. ancho powder

¼ t. cumin powder

250 grams roasted poblano

300 grams feta

Start by adding egg yolk, mustard, garlic and lime juice into food processor. Turn processor on and slowly stream in canola oil to form a thick mayonnaise.

Turn off processor, scrape the sides, add all remaining ingredients and pulse to incorporate.

The Sonoran Sweet & Sour

½ oz. canola oil

200 grams onions, sliced

1 qt. pureed pineapple

5 oz. champagne vinegar

3 oz. lime juice

1 ea. lime zest

1 ½ c. sugar

1 T. worcestershire sauce

¼ t. cumin

2 T. chipotle in adobo

Sweat onions in canola oil over low heat until tender. Add all remaining ingredients and reduce until well thickened.

Carefully puree in blender and cool completely.

The Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered

Pickled onion

Chopped cilantro

Cotija cheese, grated

Cook brussels sprouts with olive oil and a little salt until well charred and have a soft texture.

To assemble the tacos, spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the Green Chili Pimento.

Add cooked Brussels sprouts and lightly drizzle them with the Sonoran Sweet & Sour Sauce. Sprinkle each taco with a little cotija cheese, some cilantro and some pickled onions.