8 latino chefs creating magic in the kitchen.

By Katharine A. Díaz

Latino chefs are delighting palates from coast to coast with their handiwork in the kitchen. Some are self-taught; others trained at culinary schools. Some adhere strictly to tradition; others like to mix it up a bit. Whatever their muse, their cooking is delectable.
Hispanic Magazine is proud to present top Latino chefs in the United States. Learn what keeps diners coming back again and again to their restaurants.

Adolfo García
Río Mar, New Orleans

The Katrina and Rita hurricanes hit the pause button at Río Mar, but within months, hard work put everything into play again. Adolfo García will never forget the spirit of cooperation among restaurateurs that followed or the challenge of reuniting his dispersed staff. In the end, he persevered, even managed to open a new restaurant, La Boca.
The restaurant: Casual with concrete floors and exposed brick walls with not overly fussy service.
The food: Seafood, seafood, seafood.
Specialties: “Ceviche is our calling card,” says García. His favorite is the Panamanian ceviche, a nod, no doubt, to his heritage.
Inspiration: His family always encouraged him to do what he loved, and after attending the Culinary Institute of America, he decided he wanted to be a chef and restaurant owner.
Home cooking: A favorite meal is roast pork and a Panamanian favorite, arroz con gandú.
Fantasy dinner date: Alejandro Fernández of Pesquera Winery [Grupo Pesquera]. “I would cook a simple meal of roast baby pig or lamb with roasted asparagus and a bottle of ’82 Pesquera Gran Reserva, if he has any left.”
Río Mar, 800 S. Peters Street,
New Orleans, 504-525-3474

Zarela Martínez
Zarela, New York

Her mother named her Zarela, predicting that this name was going “to look good in life.” From baking cookies to help make ends meet to running the Zarela empire, which includes an acclaimed Mexican restaurant in New York, cookbooks, television series and a line of home furnishings, she was right.
The restaurant: “It looks like the inside of a piñata,” says Zarela Martínez. Visitors often think they’ve stumbled on a private party when entering the restaurant.
The food: Authentic Mexican regional cuisine from various states of Mexico.
Specialties: Topping her favorites is manchamanteles de pato, the dish that expanded her appreciation for Mexican cuisine back then.
Inspiration: Growing up on a cattle ranch in northern Mexico, Zarela remembers cooking with her mom, planning menus, and sitting down every night for formal dinners. “Meals were very important,” recalls Martínez, “so I grew up cooking.”
Home cooking: She is a fan of Middle Eastern, Italian and French food and is big on grains, vegetables and fish.
Fantasy dinner date: Novelist/
philosopher Ayn Rand. She would prepare something classic with her signature
“layers of flavor.”
Zarela, 953 Second Avenue,
New York City, 212-644-6740

Gilberto Cetina
Chichén Itzá, Los Angeles

Gilberto Cetina grew up in the Yucatán, watching his mom cook for workers in a timber town. He studied to be an engineer, but turned his attention to cooking when he came to the States. Self-taught, he honed his skills working at restaurants while catering on the side.
The restaurant: A casual spot where you order at the counter, surrounded by shops selling Latin American arts and crafts, a Mexican bakery and more.
The food: One hundred percent Yucatecan. Cetina is an expert in the use of complex rubs called recados and other traditional ingredients.
Specialties: One of his favorite dishes is puchero, a hearty stew. “It takes me back to my childhood,” says Cetina.
Inspiration: His mother was his inspiration as was his love of eating and preparing food for people.
Home cooking: He’d rather dine out, saying, “Price doesn’t interest me. When I go some place new, I look for something that attracts me.”
Fantasy dinner date: Chefs Bobby Flay and Rick Bayless. He’d prepare scallops en escabeche, calamares en su tinta or costillas en pipián.
Chichén Itzá, 3655 S. Grand Avenue,
Los Angeles, 213-741-1075

James Schenk
Destino, San Francisco

“Nuevo Latino” may be used to describe James Schenk’s food, but he honors authentic tastes, even though the plating is contemporary. He has deep roots to his family in Peru, which influences his cooking, but he draws inspiration from all over the Americas.
The restaurant: Guests often refer to the décor’s dark woods, rich colors and muted, candlelit environment.
The food: Schenk enjoys introducing new ingredients and flavors to his menu, such as huacataya, a black mint from the Andes.
Specialties: Additions to the menu are seco de chorros, green-lipped mussels with a cilantro-infused rice; and destino chino ceviche, a showcase for mahi-mahi and tiger prawns.
Inspiration: A stay in Madrid and a favorite café made him dream of having his own place.
Home cooking: At home he might prepare papas a la arequipeña, a luscious dish of sweet potatoes, feta cheese, mozzarella, cream and ají amarillo oil.
Fantasy dinner date: Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa and revolutionary Che Guevara so he could understand them better. “I would prepare something very spiritual, very holistic, and nuevo andino,” says Schenk.
Destino, 1815 Market Street,
San Francisco, 415-552-4451

Isabel Mosquera
Café Salsa, Alexandria, Va.

A fusion of flavors awaits guests at Café Salsa in Alexandria. Chef Isabel Mosquera boldly mixes and matches the foods of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the rest of the Americas to create her version of Nuevo Latino. Originally from Colombia, it’s no surprise that that country’s cuisine also impacts her cooking.
The restaurant: The restaurant, which boasts a tropical, upscale Latino atmosphere, is a popular watering hole and place to dance salsa.
The food: “What we try to give you is a taste of our homeland cooking with a new Latin twist,” says Mosquera.
Specialties: Specialties include the alcapurrias and ropa vieja. As for desserts, the Nicaraguan tres leches cake has been named the best dessert by Washingtonian magazine.
Inspiration: “I used to watch my grandmother and started cooking with her,” says Mosquera. She went on to attend culinary school.
Home cooking: Mosquera loves to cook foods that remind her of home—Colombia. A favorite dish is arroz con pollo.
Fantasy dinner date: Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. “He’s a passionate person who would enjoy a passionate dish.”
Café Salsa, 808 King Street,
Alexandria, VA, 703-684-4100

Xiomara Ardolina,
Xiomara, Los Angeles and Pasadena

After making her mark with fine French cuisine, Xiomara Ardolina began experimenting with Nuevo Latino cuisine and transformed her first restaurant in Old Pasadena. She has since added Xiomara Melrose to her lineup of restaurants—all with menus that reflect her Cuban heritage.
The restaurant: Xiomara Melrose is romantic in its appeal with a Mediterranean look that might remind you of the décor of Morocco.
The food: Nuevo Latino, which Ardolina says “is in the eyes of the beholder. It’s wherever the chef comes from.”
Specialties: Her favorite dish is the churrasco nicaragüense, skirt steak served with a huitlacoche sauce and potato mash with cabrales cheese.
Inspiration: She worked in her godfather’s restaurant in Brooklyn and went on to work the business side of the restaurant until she realized she had a knack for cooking.
Home cooking: She loves cooking arroz con pollo, but admits, “I love a hamburger once in a while.”
Fantasy dinner date: Julia Child did dine at her restaurant, but if she could do it again, she would prepare a Cuban sandwich with a side of yuca fries.
Xiomara Melrose, 6101 W. Melrose Avenue,
Los Angeles, 323-461-0601

Espartaco and Dunia Borga
La Duni Latin Café, Dallas

The Borgas make a dynamic duo—he’s the executive chef and she’s the pastry chef. With her Colombian background and his Mexican and Venezuelan background, it’s no surprise that the food at the café (and sister La Duni Latin Kitchen and Baking Studio) is like a trip through Latin America.
The restaurant: The café is very homey, casual and
romantic.
The food: The Borgas feature their favorite dishes from seven Latin American countries. “We try to be as authentic as possible.” says Dunia, “Although, the presentation is more contemporary.”
House specialties: Enjoy the pollo al aljibe with its citrus mojo followed by the cuatro leches cake.
Inspiration: Dunia’s husband encouraged her to take cake-decorating classes, and she was hooked. Espartaco grew up in the business and owned restaurants and nightclubs with his father.
Home cooking: The Borgas love having people over to eat. “Whenever we think of relaxing,” says Dunia, “we always end up in the kitchen.”
Fantasy dinner date: For her—Peter Pan and Tinkerbell; for him—Alexander the Great, Spartacus or Winston Churchill.
La Duni Latin Café, 4620 McKinney Avenue,
Dallas, 214-520-7300 H

Alejandro Gutiérrez
Malverde, Lynwood, CA

Newcomer, Alejandro Gutiérrez stepped into the position of executive chef at Malverde, following the departure of his mentor, Chef Generoso Bahena. He uses his Le Cordon Bleu training and his loyalty to tradition to continue to showcase Mexican cuisine.
The restaurant: The décor is modern and traditional at the same time. Diners on the second floor get a bird’s eye view of the action in the kitchen.
Specialties: Gutiérrez is an expert at bringing depth to dishes with spices, herbs, and dried fruits. “I want to keep Mexican traditions, but give them new twists,” says Gutiérrez.
Inspiration: With family ties to Veracruz, Gutiérrez remembers the great breakfasts his mother would make. “I paid a lot of attention to what she was doing,” he recalls, “and found that I was good at cooking.”
Home cooking: It’s not unusual for him to fix three- to four-course meals for family and friends. But fish tacos would work, too.
Fantasy dinner date: Mexican food experts Diana Kennedy and Patricia Quintana. “I actually hope that they would fix something for me,” says Gutiérrez.
Malverde, 11215 Long Beach Blvd.,
Lynwood, 310-631-9177