1 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to more Anita, a deep dive into the Latin 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: X experience with Monita. We want to create a community 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: and a shared space with you while sharing knowledge and inspiration. 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: This show is about celebrating our culture with guests who 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: exemplify the best of us. I'm Darrylen Castillo. Vito Luis 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: Era is a Venezuelan born chef working in New York 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: City who has worked at top restaurants throughout the city, 8 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: including the Michelin Start Smith and the Brooklyn restaurant gassa Oa. 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: Luise has an incredible story to share about his journey 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: from Venezuela to the top kitchens in New York City, 11 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: and he cracked me up while telling me about it. Louise, Louise, 12 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: Welcome to Morenita. We are so excited to have you 13 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: on here. Hello, thank you so much for having me. 14 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: And I'm going to be fan girling over you because 15 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: your Munchie's video Repas is ethic and my boyfriend is Colombian, 16 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: so um, he loves APAs everything out ipp Us and 17 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: he's like, when we were watching that video, we just 18 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: watched it over and over again because we just love 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: food and his dad's a chef. Actually so um, we 20 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: cook a lot, We cook a lot in the house, 21 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: but we are big fans, thank you so much. Yeah, 22 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: we actually, I mean, that's that's funny. That is Colombia. 23 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: Because I think I think I said in the I 24 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: don't know if I don't remember, I think I said 25 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: in the video that actually Venezuela repas are better than 26 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: Colombia's something you did. You did say that there was 27 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: some fighting words. He was a little you know, you 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: know how you know how Colombians are with theirs. You know, 29 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: I'm Dominicans, so you know us is not really a 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: thing for us, you know, it's I mean more honestly, 31 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: I think it's just Colombians do it so so differently. 32 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: They just like usually they just put the feeling on top. 33 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: For me, it doesn't make sense because you're I don't 34 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: want to offend anybody, but let's let me love it. It 35 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: It all tastes good, Yeah, it's good. It tastes great. 36 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: Colombians they have another type of RepA chocolate which is 37 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: made with sweet corn instead of the Fun's sweeter. We 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: have a version of that, but it's called chapa. I 39 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: don't know if you ever try chapas, which also I love. 40 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: It's basically a chocolate but it's bigger. You do it 41 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: on the plant chat and then you usually fill it 42 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: with cheese and pernil or pork or something like that, 43 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: and then you fold it in half, you know, and 44 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: then you put it a lot of butter on top. 45 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: So good, I know. I know my producer Carlos right 46 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: now is very hungry, so I'm going to put him 47 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: out of his misery. I love him. I love I 48 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: love Chaps even more than yeah, I mean, yeah, that 49 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: video was interesting, Like I mean, I was very nervous 50 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 1: that that day. It was the first time I ever 51 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: did something like that. And then all the producers for it, 52 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: which is a chef ma cheese. Uh, They're all like, 53 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: it's like, don't worry you just you know, just sunk 54 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: up whatever you want to do. We're gonna make you 55 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: look good no matter what. You know, We're gonna we're 56 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,399 Speaker 1: gonna see yourselves. Yeah, that's what we have editing for. Yes, 57 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: we had. I mean, at the end, it was great. 58 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: We had a nice conversation, The back and forth was great. 59 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: The lovely arepas. It was like pre pandemic, which you know, 60 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: made everything like a little we It was like two 61 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: days before like lockdown actually happened. Um, so everybody was 62 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: a little freaked out about you know, like do we 63 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: like shake hands and we hug awkward? You know, like 64 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: we didn't even know like what what's a mask? You know? 65 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: Even like right? Um, but at the end, like everybody 66 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: was like, okay, let's bring it in. Let's everybody hug. 67 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: It was great. It was fun Yeah, and you're like, 68 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: and you're funny, you know that, right, You're you're funny, 69 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: You're a comedian. A little bit he was like, oh, 70 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: don't forget to take the ring off you guys. And 71 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: then you were like, I've gotten in trouble for that 72 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: one before I said, and also, if you have the 73 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: ring when you're shaping the arepas, you actually leave a 74 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: dent on them. But she's not. Yeah, so that's another 75 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: reason to say I don't have it anymore. So we 76 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: don't have to talk about that. If you want to, 77 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: we can any who. Um Luise, I am like, I 78 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: am just fascinated by your story. Can you tell me, 79 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: like what how did you become who you are? What 80 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: made you love food and become I want to become 81 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: a chef. I mean, that's a very good question, which 82 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: I'm not really sure to this day. Still, you know why, what, 83 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: like what made me become a chef. I'm actually a 84 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: mechanical engineer. I grew up between Spain and Venezuela. We 85 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: were moving around a lot, so we live in Bilba 86 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: for a year. We live in Majorka Maka. We live 87 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: in the town we live the most is the small 88 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: town called Salamanca, like two hours northwest from Madrid. Very 89 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: small town. Um, a lot of old people, but you 90 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: can walk the whole city in like thirty minutes, you know, 91 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: from like top to bottom. Yes, so, I mean it 92 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: was it was a great experience. Most of my family 93 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: on my mom's side are Italian also, so I have 94 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: a lot of like European background. Um. But I finished 95 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: high school in Venezuela and then I went to college 96 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: in Venezuela for mechanical engineer. Both of my parents are 97 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: physic seats. They're very like you know, they're they've been 98 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: professors in the university. Their whole lives are retired now, 99 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: but they still do like research and all that. So 100 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: I grew up in a very like academic household. Me 101 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: and my brother were very good in math and all 102 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: the physics and all that. Are you the older brother 103 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: or the younger brother. I'm the older brother. My brother, 104 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: my brother is a year younger than me, but we 105 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: always we were very close. We're still very close. So 106 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: and he's actually a civil engineer. He's talked to that 107 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: I didn't. So the thing is that when I went 108 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: to school, I mean, I was very good at math 109 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: and all that when I was a kid, and I 110 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 1: thought like, okay, I want to make I loved actually, 111 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: like you know, science and all that, but I want 112 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: to make something that it's more applied, like you can 113 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: like actually use it. It's not just like numbers and mass. 114 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, let's do engineering. I said. I did 115 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 1: the career. I liked it. I got a bachelor in it. 116 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: But as soon as I graduated, I was like them, 117 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: I don't really want to, you know, be stuck in office, 118 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: working out of five. That's not my thing. What do 119 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: I do? And I remember my father always my father 120 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: was the one that always cooked at the house and 121 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: I always used to help. Really yeah, yeah, he was. 122 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: My mom is My mom is very good with desserts. 123 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: I remember he used to do like you know, all 124 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 1: the birthday cakes, all the cookies all that. But my 125 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: dad actually do did like the day to day cooking. 126 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: And I remember Sundays. Sundays there was always like something 127 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: more special people like squab or dog or like Risot 128 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: or whatever, and they were like food is They used 129 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: to out to eat a lot. So yeah, I had 130 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: that that experience very young, and I kind of like 131 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: fell in love with restaurants, like going out to eat, 132 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: trying different things and all that. But I mean to 133 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: that point, I actually, I honestly I never really thought 134 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: that being a chef or a cook could actually be 135 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: something you do for leaving, you know, right it sounds 136 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: like it was a happy accident. Yeah, there were there 137 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: weren't like these like all these shows, like all these 138 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: reality shows that you see now like Chop, yeah, Master 139 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: Chef and all that, like or like Chef Table now 140 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: now like people can't really see what goes on inside 141 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: of the kitchens, you know, like it's very very it's 142 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: very mainestream right now. It wasn't still at that time. 143 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: So what was the what was the shift for you 144 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: a cameo? What was that moment for you you were like, 145 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm going to do this, so, I mean 146 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of complicated, but I'm going to try 147 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: to make you sure. I was like, well, I was 148 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: in college. I was a graffiti writer as well, and 149 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: I was actually, yeah, I was actually making a living 150 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: out of that because we're like murals for like you know, 151 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: private commissions and all that. Uh. And I did that 152 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: for like three years. We were making good money. I 153 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: was like, you know, working with my friends. It was 154 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: was it was great. It was a great face when 155 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: that but that stopped all the sort of basically mainly 156 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: because of the situation the country was getting into politically 157 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: and all that, and I had to look for a job. 158 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: I had already graduated, and I was looking for a 159 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: job as a mechanical engineer and I couldn't get any 160 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: because it's been it had been probably like a year 161 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: and a half two years since I graduated. And everybody 162 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: that I applied for we're like, Okay, you've been graduated 163 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: for two years and you haven't worked as an engineer 164 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: at all, Like where is your experience? And I was like, well, like, 165 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: if you don't hire me, I'm never gonna get any experience. 166 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: You know, like I'm just getting started, so nobody will 167 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: hire me. I think at the end of the day 168 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: was a blessing. I ended up getting this shitty job 169 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: as a telemarketer, like you know, like selling like English 170 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: online online English courses. It was called Open English. It 171 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: was actually very famous in Venezuela, and I worked there 172 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: for a whole year. I hated it so much, and 173 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: during that year I was like, Okay, I can't keep 174 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: doing this. Uh. The pay wasn't bad, and I just like, okay, 175 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: what can I do, Like I need to figure something out, 176 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: you know. Uh, And I just like thought about cooking. 177 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 1: There's there's a very good culinary school in Venezuela that 178 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: is the one I always want to go, called Sega 179 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: Central Studios Gastronomichos, and it's it was a school that 180 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: specialized in Venezuela and cuisine. So that really caught my 181 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: attention because, like I was saying before, I didn't really 182 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: grow up eating like Venezuelan food, Venezelent food. Yeah. My house, 183 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 1: I mean we have we made our past on the weekends, 184 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: you know, or some dinners and some that, and there 185 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: was like little recipe here and there. But my dad 186 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: didn't really cook Venezuela, you know, neither my grandma, which 187 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: we used to go on the weekends to have, you 188 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: know with launched. She was very Italian, very multicultural. Interesting. 189 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: And then yeah, so I was really interested in it, 190 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: and I was like, Okay, if I'm gonna do something 191 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: about it, I'm gonna If I'm gonna do this, it's 192 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: gonna be through Venezuela cuisine because I really want to. 193 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: I'm really interested in and I want to learn more 194 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: about these roots. There was there's not that many documentations 195 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: about Venezuelan cuisine either. Um, so I just like save 196 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: some money with this shitty job. And I quit like 197 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: a day before I actually came to New York for 198 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: the first time because I was gonna work. Oh so 199 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: I quit. Before I quit, I was I started doing this, like, uh, 200 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: cooking courses during the weekends in the same school, just 201 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: like basic you know, cooking, just like sauces. It was 202 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: very French, um and the typical chef, the typical yeah, 203 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: just how to do Bruno, how to do Julian you know, 204 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: you know, cram sauce like casual. Yeah, I mean, which 205 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: is very necessary, It's very necessary. You know, you need 206 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: to have that base. And then I quit that that 207 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: those courses ended, and I came to New York summer 208 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: two thousand and twelve for my first kitchen job, which 209 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: was actually really at Karacas Bar, which is an apta. 210 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: They have one in Brooklyn, but I went to work 211 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 1: the opening Rockaway Beach. Every summer Rockaway Beach. Yeah, so 212 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: I arrived there. It was July twelve, at this crazy 213 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: job and that was your first time in New York. 214 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: That was my first time in New York. What was 215 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: your reaction? I mean I thought it was weird because 216 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: I was like, this is New York, Like it's Rockaway, 217 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: New York. Because you know, I can't. I can't. I 218 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: came to JFK straight to Rockaway, which is like right there, 219 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: that's so true. So you got a whole different introduction. Yeah, 220 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: I was like, what the fun is going on here? 221 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: So let me rephrase that. What was your what was 222 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: your what was your reaction to Rockaway? It was it 223 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: was crazy. It was so busy. It was like the 224 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 1: next day I got there, I started working first time 225 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,559 Speaker 1: in the kitchen like professionally, you know, making like a 226 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: past per day, uh, something like that. You see, I 227 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: had this flat. I used to watch bay Watch, so 228 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: I was like biking through the boardwalk to get to 229 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: work and the beach. It was like nine am. I 230 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: was a really like pack with people, you remember, like 231 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: the intro Baywatch. We're like, yes, you like see that 232 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: like long beach like packed. It felt like that this 233 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: is the United States. You're like America, yes, American. Yeah. 234 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: And then I mean it was a crazy experience because 235 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: I mean, I love I love Caracas bar, but in 236 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: that case, the volume, on the amount, I really learned 237 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: how to manage just like huge amounts of food, you know, yeah, 238 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: a different skill. It was crazy. It was crazy. It 239 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: was so busy every day. Yeah, because Americans eat a lot. Also, yeah, 240 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: I mean, and there was like no many options in Rockaway, 241 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: you know, like really like you have you been there? 242 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, of course yea the Rockaway. Yeah. So I 243 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: mean you grew up here in New York where you 244 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: grew up? Yeah? Yeah, I grew up here. I'm a 245 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: New Yorker. I grew up in Washington Heights. But you know, 246 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: Rockaway Beach is a Rockaway Beach is a very New 247 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: York place for people just to go visit yeah, everybody 248 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,959 Speaker 1: knows Rockaway Beach. Tell me about your journey, um, your 249 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: journey with food and your journey to becoming you know, 250 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: obviously head chef. After that, I knew there was no 251 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: way back, you know, So I came back. I worked 252 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: that summer. I met that summer, I met my ex 253 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: wife but now its wife. I met my wife now 254 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: his wife, and I just I was just planning to 255 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: come for for the summer, honestly, and I met her 256 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: and I left after the summer was over to Venezuela 257 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:35,839 Speaker 1: for a month, and then I just came back again. 258 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: So but my plan was was to start school the 259 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: next year in Venezuela. So I just came work for 260 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: a little bit. I work in different restaurants in Brooklyn. 261 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: I gave more experience, came back to Venezuela for the 262 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: whole year to go to culinary school. We had, you know, 263 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: this long distance relationship in the meantime, uh, you know, 264 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: I would come here for when I could during the 265 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: during the summer, she would go there every two or 266 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: three months. Uh. And then I did this internship, which 267 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: I think that was like a you know, like before 268 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: and after I did an internship in a restaurant in 269 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: Venezuela called Alto by Carlos Garcia. Carlos Garcia, for me, 270 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: it is the best chef in Venezuela. At the time 271 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: that restaurant was in the fifty Best Restaurants in Latin 272 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: America East. I think it was seventeen or something like that. 273 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: But he he is one of the first. I mean, 274 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: there's a few people, but he was the better known 275 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: I would say globally that took Venezuelan food to a 276 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: fine nine in standard. Um. You know, he he's Venezuelan, 277 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: but I think his parents are from Spain, so he 278 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: actually went to culinary school in Barcelona, in Catalonia, so 279 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: he went. When he came back to Venezuela, he was 280 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: actually cooking Spanish food. He was cooking like you know, 281 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: it was like catalana, cocasina, catalana. Uh. And he did 282 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: it for like two or three years. I don't know 283 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: what happened, but all of the sunny he shifted. He's like, 284 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: I want to do Venezuela food now. That was probably 285 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: two thousand and ten, you know, two thousand and eleven, 286 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: and he started doing this like traditional recipes, but like 287 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: you know, taking up he took it up a notch 288 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: on the presentation. Yeah, the presentation was way different. I 289 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: remember like the probably the dish I remember the most 290 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: is like anchovy pasta. So did Carlos Did he inspire you? 291 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: Was he a part of your inspiration? Um and you 292 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: moving forward to being I think he was the door 293 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: for me to really see what Venezuelan cuisine could be. 294 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: You know. I spent three three months there um in 295 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: the restaurant, and at the end of the day, at 296 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: the end of those three months internship that that you know, 297 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: there was like you do you want a job because 298 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: they were opening in another restaurant, and I was like, 299 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: I would love to, but I'm going back to New York, 300 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: you know, I was actually coming back here. So I 301 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: mean he was the door for that. He was the 302 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: door for me meeting a lot of people that was 303 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: like they were like big in Venezuelan cooking. So then 304 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: I just came to New York with with that, with 305 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: with the you know, the the goal if you would say, 306 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: of like making Venezuelan food more known, right right, And 307 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: then you did that with obviously the restaurant Cassauda in Brooklyn, 308 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: actually the first opportunity I had, so me and my 309 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: ex wife we started Venezuelan brunch project called Bronchosan uh 310 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: that we did it over the three or four summers 311 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn. Uh. So we were just like found this 312 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: space called tv A in Brooklyn. And well, my ex wife, 313 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: she's a musician, she's a DJ, she's a graphic designer, 314 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: so she took care of all the image of the project. 315 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: She and then we did kind of like a like 316 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: a day party. She would like hire DJs Golden in 317 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: New York. That's like perfection. It was like six or 318 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: seven DJ Atlanta. He was crazy. It was a lot 319 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: of people and I would like set up a stand outside. 320 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: It was on the street. We set up a tent, 321 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: we rented like a plancha. We had like three electric fryers, 322 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: and then we did like straight up like Venezuelan street food. 323 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 1: So we had everything except because we thought that repas 324 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: was something that people already kind of knew, and we 325 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 1: wanted to introduce people to like New Venezuelan like traditional 326 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: street like you know items. So we had cachap, we 327 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: had inas, we had the canyons. I had Alla, which 328 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: is kind of like a shream cocktail and then we 329 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: had little clutters, you know, we like Pernell or like 330 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: Casson and all that. So like your transition of coming 331 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: from Venezuela, coming to New York and like just being 332 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: like thrown into all of these projects and all these 333 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: amazing things, like what it was and maybe this still 334 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: is a question for you now, but like what is 335 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: your goal like with food, like what are you what 336 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: is your message that you are bringing? You know, there's 337 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: a lot of chefs out there, and you sound like 338 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,919 Speaker 1: you're very passionate about Venezuelan food, even though you've had 339 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: all these amazing experiences, Like what is one of the 340 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: things that you want to tell, like your story with 341 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: with your food. I mean that question it is interesting 342 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: because it has shifted a lot. If ship's probably every day, 343 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, like it depends on what I'm doing at 344 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: the moment. I work out Cosme, which is a Mexican 345 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: restaurant in the city. For three years, I was a 346 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: Stusia there, so that gave me. That gave me a 347 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: very very deep like understanding of Mexican food too. I 348 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 1: love Peruvian food too, I mean, because I guess we 349 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,400 Speaker 1: can talk about Latin food in general more than Venezuela 350 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 1: right now. I mean, honestly, I do believe that Venezuelan 351 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 1: cuisine is very extense. But I do believe that after 352 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: I did the project with Casa Aura, which they opened, 353 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: I think they opened September twenty nine. Seen. Yeah, I 354 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: did the whole menu for them, you know, I basically 355 00:18:57,560 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: did the whole consultation of the kitchen, designed the kitchen, 356 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: trained the staff, hired the staff, you know, left them 357 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 1: with the recipe book and all that I think I did. 358 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: I think I reached my peak for now with Venezuela food. 359 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: You know, right right now, at this point in my career, 360 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: I don't want to have anything to do with Venezuela 361 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: food basically interesting. Really, I'm a little like overwhelmed by it. Also, 362 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: me and my ex wife we came up with this 363 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: project called Venezuela and Pantone we actually save for us 364 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: is during the pandemic, we basically started doing I started 365 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: doing like traditional stools and rose like Bernie and I 366 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: vacuum seal packed them by the pound, and we delivered 367 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: to people. Yeah, I was gonna ask you, how did 368 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: the pandemic affect your affect, your vision for everything especially. 369 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I I completely understand what you're saying. I'm 370 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: an artist as well. I'm a performer and an actress, 371 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: so I completely understand like the shift of everything. So 372 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: we're so I'm just curious, like right now today, And 373 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 1: maybe the answer is different tomorrow or when this episode 374 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: is aired, but right now today, like what is your 375 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 1: passion right now with cuisine with food? Well, I have 376 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: a project right now with a friend of mine, very 377 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 1: good friend of mine. He was the chef at a 378 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: restaurant called Blanca in Brooklyn. It was two Michel and Star. 379 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: We have a pop up we're doing on the weekends 380 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: cosson Sun where we do like an eight eight core 381 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: staste in many. We want pairing for like thirty people 382 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: every night. Uh. And we have blended or cuisine is 383 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: a lot you know. I bring a lot of like 384 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 1: Latin background, uh and he brings a lot of like 385 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: you know, good like technique to cook the proteins and 386 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:36,640 Speaker 1: like he's got a good like Italian background as well. 387 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: But we're really focusing on on on on seasonality, hyper seasonality, 388 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: working with like we can find out the farmers market. 389 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: We go like twice twice a week. Because that's another 390 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 1: thing when you try to do a qui seeing that's 391 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: not regional, that's not from where you are right now, 392 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 1: you get stuff with ingredients, you know, and like, for example, 393 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: for me, until like two years ago, it was so 394 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 1: tough to find which is an essential ingredient of the 395 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: venezuela machine. I mean even when I'm cooking any like 396 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: anything ethnically diverse. Um, it's difficult. So yeah, I'm like, 397 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: how do you even go about that? It is hard? 398 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: And I used I mean maybe not people that haven't 399 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: tried before, but if you are from Venezuela, you need 400 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: a hiduls in your sofrito, you know. Yeah, if you 401 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: don't have it, it doesn't taste the same. So exactly, 402 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: I came to like, you know, kind of like a 403 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: dilemma there, like should I keep like pushing for this 404 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: with what I have and try to make it happen, 405 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: or should I just shaft a little bit at half? 406 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: You know, make some other kind of cuisine where there's 407 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: like big flading influence, you know, like Mexican, Peruvian Venezuela 408 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: and too, but make it with the best, the best 409 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: product available, the best possible the best product that you 410 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: can find at the moment in the place whereight I 411 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: think that's kind of where we are right now. Uh, 412 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: you know, we've been doing it. We do this project 413 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 1: since the summer, so the menu has shifted. We have 414 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: like Mexican surces, and we have cevich in the Manu web, 415 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: but sevicha we make it with, for example, instead of 416 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 1: like lameb uice or like a hey or whatever we're making. 417 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: We conquer grapes, which they're all available on the market. 418 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: You know. Now we're making it. We're making it with 419 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: carrots right now, unlike orange. Okay, changing things like seasonally 420 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: and obviously adjusting to everything. Yeah. And I'm curious, um 421 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: because I know I know quite a few chefs or 422 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: people aspiring to be. Um. I mean, you came to 423 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 1: America not you know, I mean you said you came 424 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: in two thousand and twelve, I believe to Brooklyn, to 425 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: rock Away, And I mean you've done a lot. How 426 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:48,959 Speaker 1: does And I mean you know you work for some 427 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: top restaurants. I mean I know people who are still 428 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: struggling to after ten years, to like still even become 429 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: a sew chef. So I'm curious, like, do you think 430 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: that how your journey? How have you been able to 431 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: do so much? I don't. I don't even know. It's 432 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: I feel. I feel so miserable sometimes I'm not gonna lie. 433 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: It's life, you know, it is what it is. It 434 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: be is like that. Sometimes it is exhausting, and it is. 435 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: I mean after I was I when I when I 436 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: got into Cosme, which was my first big restaurant in 437 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,640 Speaker 1: New York. They were I was in the opening team 438 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 1: that were just opening. So I think, first of all, 439 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,239 Speaker 1: I think I was lucky to find that such a 440 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: talented team in that space that nobody knew what they 441 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:34,919 Speaker 1: were doing. You know, we were all like on the 442 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: same boat, like figuring it out. The chef of that 443 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,679 Speaker 1: place is Enric Alberta, which is like a very famous 444 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 1: Mexican chef. He's got a ton of restaurants in Mexico, 445 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: but that was his first restaurant in the United States. 446 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: How did that feel for you? Like being there, that's crazy, 447 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: So it felt very special. I still have, like, you know, 448 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: best friends that I work with very often from that team. 449 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: But yeah, I think I was very lucky about that. 450 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: And then I was, um honestly, and it was exhausting, 451 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: but I think it was worth it. I was always 452 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 1: doing something else other than just doing that. I was 453 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: always like, for example, when I when I worked at Costma, 454 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 1: I was doing the branch of song on the weekends 455 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 1: on my day off. I had one day off, I 456 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: did this project and then back to a restaurant there 457 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 1: were I was looking off for them to let me 458 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: like do the prep there, and they were very supportive. 459 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,880 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, that's pretty really lucky because usually 460 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: that life is very much you're in the kitchen all 461 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: the time and there's a lot of need you all 462 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: the time. So it was very very consuming, but it 463 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: was I think it was worth it. And I built 464 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: like a you know, like a big client lest now 465 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: because of that, because you know me from there. Now. 466 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: For example, like like now, I have like probably like 467 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 1: fifty emails that I haven't responded from people asking me 468 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: if I'm gonna make a yackas this Christmas. You know 469 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: what a dakas are? No, tell me more. I don't 470 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 1: know if you have it in Dominican Republic, but it's 471 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: like alto how they call in Colombia or Tamo. So 472 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: it's a type of it's a type of tamal that 473 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: we make specifically for Christmas. So it's just like two 474 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: of like uh usually like chicken or ham and pork, 475 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: very like sour and sweet, a lot of ingredients like 476 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: you have like bilance you in their raising scapers, monster 477 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: all that, and then you feel like a corn dough 478 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: that you mix with onato oil for the color and 479 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: then you wrap it in a plantain leaf and then 480 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: you steam it. Well, you have to add me to 481 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 1: the list, Louis. So that's the thing. I don't think. 482 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: I don't think I'm doing them this year. I don't 483 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 1: think I'm doing Okay, well, no, I need, I need, 484 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: I need a special order except okay, okay. So my 485 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: first question is going to be my first thing I 486 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: want to get to is because it's been on my 487 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 1: mind and I forgot to mention it earlier. But what 488 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: did your parents say when when you wanted to be 489 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: a chef? They were very supportive. Honestly, I was surprised 490 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: they were. Well their food is Yeah, that was a 491 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: part of the question you're asking me about, Like how 492 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: did I get to his point? How how have I 493 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: done so much? I also feel like I mean, I 494 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,880 Speaker 1: don't you know, I don't want to throw ship on college, 495 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: but it actually helped me, like having a degree and 496 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: having some kind of discipline background on how to approach 497 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: a job or how to approach you know. And I 498 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: was with a math you know you need you need 499 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: that to be a chef. I was gonna say, you 500 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: you have to have some kind of not something that 501 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: people I think forget about works of art. I mean, 502 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: I consider you an artist, um, your chef. I consider 503 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: that's an art. That's an artist to me. Um. You 504 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: create with these amazing things that is naturally given to us, um, 505 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: And I think that people forget that it's not just 506 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: about being an artist. So having those skills that you 507 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,439 Speaker 1: are mentioning very helpful, and I'm sure helpful. That's a 508 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: reason why it pushed you forward to where you are now. 509 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: So I'm thankful for that. But yeah, my parents were 510 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: very supportive. They actually helped me to pay for culinary 511 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: school when I decided to do it because I was like, no, 512 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: didn't work for a whole year basically unless I was 513 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 1: here in New York. I made some money here, came 514 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: back pay for school too, and then yeah, they love food. 515 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: They actually they really really love food. Do they love 516 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 1: your food? They do? They do. Yeah, they live in Spain. 517 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:30,239 Speaker 1: They live in Spain, Altis, they live in Salamanca. They 518 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: return there. I was there last time in June or 519 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: July this year, um, after two years, and we always 520 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,200 Speaker 1: like cooked together. You know, my mom is always asking 521 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 1: me for recipes. I actually I'm always asking her for 522 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 1: recipes about like, you know, all the deserts and all 523 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: the things that I want to make again to bring 524 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 1: me back, you know, all those flavors that I remember. 525 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, they're pretty I think they're pretty pretty proud. 526 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: I would say that's always helpful when you have some 527 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 1: support for the family. Definitely, definitely, I'm thankful for that. 528 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: So for you, I'm just I'm curious about this on 529 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: your end because I think it affected the industry so hard. 530 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: But what was the pandemic? I know we're still in 531 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 1: the pandemic technically, but what happened for you during that 532 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: moment when when everything started, I was still like Cassauura, 533 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: I was actually working on the spring menu and that heat. 534 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: You know, they never closed, they never closed. They stayed 535 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,159 Speaker 1: like doing take out and all that. But obviously they 536 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: couldn't afford for me to like go in and keep 537 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: doing things. You know, it wasn't like a time for that. 538 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: So I remember I didn't work for a few months 539 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 1: until like this like Pantona thing that we've been doing 540 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: for like a probably a couple of years prior. But 541 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: he started picking up because everybody was like, okay, we 542 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 1: can go out. We have no exact we don't know 543 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: how to cook, you know, people people sometimes didn't even 544 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: want to go to a grocery store. That was like, 545 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: you know, everybody was like very like yeah, so scared. 546 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: Like you remember, you had to remember when you have 547 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: to like work offs everywhere and you have to like 548 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: like you have to like sprayed all the lights. Yeah, 549 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: you have to spray or your package with lights and 550 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: like leave them for twenty four hours. All those crazy videos. 551 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: So that picked up a lot, and that can be 552 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: busy for most of that spring. And then in the 553 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: last summer, still pandemic. Uh me and my friend Corner, 554 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: which we're working together. We're still working together. We got 555 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: offered this project in Brooklyn called outer Space. It was 556 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: in Bushwick, which was a venue space, huge space that 557 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: you know, nobody was renting and the owners were slight, 558 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: were like the okay, let's open a restaurant then, uh. 559 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: And they had a huge outer space the whole restaurant. 560 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: It was like, you know, very COVID safe. At the time, 561 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: it was strictly out of the kitchen walls outdoors and 562 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: we opened it was like a pizza restaurant. We had 563 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: a wood fire oven. Uh. And that's when we started 564 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: with this like season are thing because we didn't have gas. 565 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:51,040 Speaker 1: We only had a food fire oven and like a 566 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: little Japanese grill, and we started we started doing like 567 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: groop edgies with different saucess pizza. Uh, you know, these 568 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: possible plates and all that. It was very simple, easy, 569 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: and he got so busy. It was crazy because there 570 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 1: wasn't there was nothing going around, you know. Well grew up. 571 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: In July, we were doing like four hundred covers a night. 572 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: You know. It was super fucking It was super crazy. 573 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: And we we we went all the way. We went 574 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: all the way till we were planning closing on Halloween Day, 575 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: and we went all the way. I think like to 576 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: like around this time of the year last year when 577 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: he started getting cold, you know, last year, like cases 578 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: started rising and all that. They didn't management didn't do 579 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: a great job with like you know, hurrying up and 580 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: putting up the hitters and setting up the tents and 581 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 1: all that. So the restaurant just died basically on its own. 582 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: It was it was like it was interesting because you 583 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: could feel like it was meant to be what it 584 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: was during the summer and then it just organically just 585 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: like it served its purpose exactly. That was it and 586 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: were closed. And then I did the a jackass last year, 587 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 1: which I did like seven eight hundred of them, and 588 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: it was so much more. You're like next, You're like 589 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: next project, So, um, what's your what are you rubbing 590 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: up for? What's your what's on the horizon for you? Now? Especially, 591 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: I know we're entering a new a new era of 592 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: the pandemic. We're entering the new trying to figure out 593 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: what this new normal is. I don't know what. I 594 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: don't know what's going to happen. Honestly, I don't. I 595 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 1: don't want to, like, you know, I don't want to 596 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: restaurant people to be mad at me. And maybe I 597 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: say this because I don't have a restaurant, but I'm 598 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: so sick of the outdoor things like settings. Really you're 599 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: sick of it. I like, I think it's making the 600 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: city so like, making the city so dirty, so like 601 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: hard to like walk, so hard to drive. You know, 602 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: you can't park anywhere now, you can't park anywhere. I 603 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: feel like, I mean, I get it. It was it 604 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: was nice at the beginning, but the city is not. 605 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: It's not built for that. This is not Europe. It's 606 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: not It changes the vibe, it's definitely not. And when 607 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: it's called I doesn't make sense. I don't want to 608 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: see it outside, even though you have hitter anything, I 609 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: don't want to see in one of those things. And 610 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: I know, I mean I have re friends that have 611 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: restaurants and they obviously they're getting more volume and they're 612 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: getting more income that way, but they're struggling to find 613 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: staff to like meet that demand, you know, like even 614 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 1: like it's so hard to find staff right now for restaurants. 615 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: People haven't really gotten back to work because he wasn't 616 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: like a sustainable industry honestly, at those rates, I mean, 617 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: the money is a struggle for for a lot of 618 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 1: people in the restaurant. And I used to working. I 619 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: used to be a server. I used to work in 620 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: a lot of restaurants. I get it, it's a struggle. 621 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: And then after pandemic, I can't imagine. I can't even imagine. 622 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: So what what do you what do you see for? 623 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: That's my point, like coming to like speaking about that. 624 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: I don't really think I want to have the restaurant 625 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: right now. Yeah, it's fair. I don't think it's time 626 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: for restaurants. I would love to at some point. I 627 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: guess that's every chef's dream, you know, to have your 628 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: own restaurant and do whatever you want. But right now 629 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: there's there's this new opening, you know, like open coming 630 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: chefs like me, or or like people who maybe had 631 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: a restaurant and they had to close all this whole 632 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: like private I wouldn't say, like private chefing, but like 633 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: private dining experiences, you know, like the one we're doing, 634 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: Like we're working with this Venezuelan guy. He started the 635 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: project by himself in his house. I would say, I 636 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: think he started like September last year. He like apparently 637 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: learned how to cook Chinese food on YouTube, and he 638 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: started cooking himself, and he was just cooking for like 639 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: strangers in his house, you know, and people started coming 640 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: then I think he left that space that was in 641 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: bad story and he started renting a space in Soho 642 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: which is where we are now. Um, and he started 643 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: hiring different chefs, you know, people that were like not 644 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: doing anything, or people who were in need of more 645 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: income because they don't get enough money in restaurants, you know, 646 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: like most people, Like it happened to most people. So 647 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: I started having a different chefs doing different like pop 648 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: ups with them. I think it was like one or 649 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: two chefs every weekend until he landed. For some reason 650 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: he found us, Me and Connor. We kind of like 651 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 1: hit it off and we like stayed as like basically 652 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 1: run out paramount chefs, like executive chiefs of the space. 653 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: It's funny enough. Last Saturday we had one of the 654 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 1: guests was a chef. I think he was coming from 655 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: Gramercy tavern. Like he was in different restaurants and he's 656 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:15,800 Speaker 1: doing that in his house. Also, he's doing a similar 657 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: project in his house, you know. So I think I 658 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 1: think people are looking like likes food and likes to 659 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,360 Speaker 1: go out to restaurant, looking for that kind of experience. 660 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: They're looking for something different because, as you said, we 661 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: don't want to go outside and sit on the sidewalk 662 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: or sit in the middle of the street next to 663 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: garbage piles. So even like what you're saying, I'm like, 664 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 1: I'm about to email you and when's the next slot available? 665 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, definitely to come out. I would love to 666 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: have you. So I'm curious because, like I know that 667 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: you started off, we started off with Venezuela and the 668 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:48,319 Speaker 1: and the culture of that food being very um inspirational 669 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 1: for you and something that you wanted to lean into. 670 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: And honestly, that's a it's a the representation of that 671 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: food is lacking, you know here in that kind of 672 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 1: sense I think in the States. So it's like, now, 673 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: is there a certain different kind of cuisine that you're 674 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,560 Speaker 1: interested in more or that you're shifting in towards more 675 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,600 Speaker 1: the kind of food we're doing at this place right now, 676 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:14,359 Speaker 1: I would say, is I think I'm always gonna I'm 677 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,320 Speaker 1: always gonna put Latin food on top no matter what. 678 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: You know, you have your your French techniques and you 679 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 1: can use some of them, and you have your local 680 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: products and you use them, and you can do like 681 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: also Japanese products with like you know, people love and 682 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,280 Speaker 1: you know they're actually so good. And Asian food in general, 683 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: like Southeast Asian like type food. I love that too, 684 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 1: But for me, like Latin food is always going to 685 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: have priority. So the many we're doing right now, it's 686 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: pretty it's pretty eclectic, but I would say it's like 687 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: at least fifty Latin in terms of like, like we're 688 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: doing mollets, for example, we have a dish that we 689 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: like change molly and we do different things with Molley. 690 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,879 Speaker 1: We have a sevich that's always on the menu as well. 691 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 1: We use like now we can find out he do 692 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:00,720 Speaker 1: the markets that we're using a heids for different season 693 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: ins and all that. So there's always going to be there, 694 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: I think. I mean, I think it's time for not 695 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: be so purist about you do. Yeah, expand expand on 696 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:13,479 Speaker 1: that a little bit, I think. I mean, I think 697 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:18,320 Speaker 1: people like I think the whole like perspective of creativity 698 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 1: and in all fields, I would say of creating the 699 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: whole like perspective of creativity and rules like change. With 700 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: this pandemic, there's no I feel like there's no rules anymore. 701 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,480 Speaker 1: I feel like there's no like parameters or like you 702 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: don't have to like stick to certain you know of 703 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: what somebody's expecting of you, like oh, he's been a swollen, 704 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: like he's got to do when his own food, or 705 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,399 Speaker 1: like oh this guy is it's like why is this green? 706 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 1: Or doing Mexican food? You know, like who who is? 707 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: If it's good? Who? Who cares? You know? You know, 708 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:55,399 Speaker 1: like I did when his own food and I love 709 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: it and I'm probably gonna do it again at some point, 710 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: but right now, like I feel like it's time to 711 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: like be more playful. It was like experiment and I 712 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,320 Speaker 1: love that. Yeah. Well, I mean and Connor were on 713 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 1: the same page on this is like let's just do 714 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 1: whatever the funk we want. I mean, we're in a 715 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 1: place of such unknown, such scenarios that we don't know 716 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: what the future looks like why not I love what 717 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: you're saying, like the be playful, but like it's almost 718 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,960 Speaker 1: like you're actually rewriting the future, which is like incredible. Honestly, 719 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,839 Speaker 1: I feel like, like generally globally, there's nothing to lose 720 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:29,680 Speaker 1: right now, Like what's the words that can happen? Like 721 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 1: I don't think it's gonna get worse. And it last year, 722 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: you know, like everybody was like it was my mom 723 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 1: and my moment knock on wood. But but I mean 724 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,560 Speaker 1: what for us, like we're like just like betting on 725 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: doing whatever we want if I mean so far, it's 726 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:51,720 Speaker 1: like people's being like very the feedback of the gas 727 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 1: is being very, very good that people like general lines. 728 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:57,759 Speaker 1: They say like, Okay, this food is something that I 729 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,840 Speaker 1: just have never tried before, Like I can't even like 730 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:02,439 Speaker 1: associated with anything because it's like so where you put 731 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 1: graves in Wait a second, yeah, but I love that 732 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,799 Speaker 1: you're rewriting the norm. You're writing something that people have 733 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:12,959 Speaker 1: something to look forward to and something fresh and new. 734 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: And I think that's what happens when when a country 735 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: goes through something right like as such the pandemic, and 736 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,920 Speaker 1: I'm in America in general, and you know how they are. Anyways, 737 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 1: I think that you're telling a beautiful story as in 738 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:27,440 Speaker 1: like a renewal with everything that you're doing with your food, 739 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: and and it's uh, I can't wait to like try 740 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: it one day. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and everybody else needs 741 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: to check it out. And this is what the future is, 742 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,360 Speaker 1: the future of storytelling through your food and your passion. 743 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: And I think it's a beautiful thing. Luis here at Moranita, 744 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,959 Speaker 1: we do a special special moment with all of our guests, 745 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,560 Speaker 1: and I want to invite you to join us on that. 746 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:56,360 Speaker 1: Um So, I have a question for you. My question is, shoot, 747 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:02,839 Speaker 1: what for you describes defines home and feels like home 748 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: for you? What are the things that remind you of 749 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: home that make you think of home? Okay, that's a 750 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 1: good question. I would say that family. Family is very important, 751 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,320 Speaker 1: and I'm very thankful to have a very like close 752 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, friends that are from the same place that 753 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: I am, and I don't think I could do it 754 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:24,640 Speaker 1: without that crew, you know. Yeah, yeah, so your original 755 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:27,759 Speaker 1: circle of people. Yeah, so the reason I came to 756 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: New York is because of my best friend from high 757 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 1: school move here and he's the one that actually got 758 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:36,799 Speaker 1: me the job I broke away and then so it's 759 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:41,080 Speaker 1: like an entanglement of family that makes everything kind of 760 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: like worth it, Like I get right now, I don't 761 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,360 Speaker 1: know probably happens to you, but I never, like, really 762 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 1: I have been conscious about it. But you know, you 763 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:53,279 Speaker 1: get that seasonal depression when like, oh yeah, absolutely, and 764 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:54,920 Speaker 1: you get like what the folk is going on? Why 765 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: do you know feel this way? I like when you 766 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:00,319 Speaker 1: like we have. We don't celebrate thtions giving, but we 767 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,400 Speaker 1: had a little gathering of like all of our friends, 768 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: a friends giving. We call that friends. We had a 769 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,000 Speaker 1: friends giving exactly, and it was a beautiful thing, you know, 770 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:12,040 Speaker 1: and it makes you put things in perspective. You know. 771 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: I don't really miss home because like because homies, the people. 772 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 1: Hm hm, I love that. Last time I was in 773 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: Venezuela was January. It was like the worst experience. I said, like, 774 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:26,120 Speaker 1: I just I don't want to come back here in 775 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:29,320 Speaker 1: a long time because you've got everybody's empty, like everybody 776 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,240 Speaker 1: just left. It's a different place, so it's not home anymore. 777 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: So I mean that's I think that's set. Hommies were like, 778 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: you know, your people, where where people are? I love that, honestly. 779 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 1: I think that's my my favorite answer so far. Home 780 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 1: is where the people are. Louise, thank you so much 781 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:47,400 Speaker 1: for for being here with us. Thank you for being 782 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:49,440 Speaker 1: a Morenita. Thank you for sharing your story and being 783 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: vulnerable and sharing your experiences. Um, I really appreciate you 784 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,800 Speaker 1: and I cannot wait to try your food. I'm really excited. 785 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 1: Can I wait for you to calm Yeah, yeah, I'll 786 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: send you guys a name for you should all come 787 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:02,839 Speaker 1: and Louise, if we want to follow your journey and 788 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,520 Speaker 1: follow you more, is there anywhere on social media or 789 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 1: anything that you might want to share with the listeners 790 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: Instagram asked Louise, Yabba l u I s g u 791 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 1: A y A b A. I don't. I'm very I'm 792 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 1: not very active right now because I'm having like a 793 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 1: lovehead relationship with the social media. Say always, but I 794 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 1: gotta get you know, it's something that, whether you like 795 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,080 Speaker 1: it or not, you need to do for work. You know, 796 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,319 Speaker 1: you need to know yourself that business part of you 797 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,000 Speaker 1: right there. That's that business part right there. That's that 798 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:39,960 Speaker 1: I hate it. I hated no, but it's necessary. Louise, 799 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:41,960 Speaker 1: thank you so much, and I cannot wait for us 800 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: to follow your journey and see the amazing things that 801 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:46,839 Speaker 1: you create and the whole future that you create with 802 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 1: the industry of food. I can't wait. Thank you for 803 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:59,759 Speaker 1: my pleasure. That was so much fun. Louis mataches to 804 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 1: the eat of his own drum. He started off as 805 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:05,080 Speaker 1: an engineer and then after a shitty job, decided to 806 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:07,680 Speaker 1: become a chef and now he works in New York 807 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:10,840 Speaker 1: City as a top chef. He's using his Latin roots 808 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 1: to create a whole new way forward for cuisine in 809 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:16,319 Speaker 1: the city, and I, for one, am ready to go 810 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:24,520 Speaker 1: on the journey with him. Aurama Mona Nita is a 811 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,839 Speaker 1: production of Sonato and partnership with I Heart Radio's Michael 812 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,440 Speaker 1: Uda podcast Network. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 813 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 814 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:36,560 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.