rico torres

From a retrofitted train car in San Antonio, Texas, chef/owners Diego Galicia and Rico Torres turn out some of the most exciting, constantly changing Mexican food in the United States today. While in New York City to cook their third James Beard House dinner, the pair sat down with Andrew to discuss how they met and became co-chefs and business partners, their approach to menu development and collaboration, and their next project. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening!

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THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

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Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

We're bringing you our highlights from Feast Portland – four days of delicious food and some very deep conversations in an airstream trailer. We begin with one of the most buzzed-about events at Feast Portland this year, Zero Proof, an alcohol-free dinner that brought together chefs including Andrew Zimmern and Michael Solomonov.

Next, we get an insider's look into the history of Portland's dining scene. How did it become the foodie mecca it is today? Elias Cairo of Olympia Provisions interviews one of his mentors, Monique Siu, a key figure in the Portland restaurant scene since she opened Zefiro in 1990.

Joining the HRN team on our trip out west were Andrew Friedman and Dana Cowin. Both of their shows, Andrew Talks to Chefs and Speaking Broadly, feature long-form, in-depth interviews with chefs and food industry insiders. For our Feast coverage, they helped us explore the intersections of food and identity with guests Rachel Yang, Diego Galicia, Rico Torres, and Reem Assil.

The more chefs talked about how their personal history and family ties shaped their culinary identities, the more we noticed that there was one theme that popped up quite a lot: the overwhelming influence of grandmothers. We hear from Emma Bengtsson, Kristen Murray, Maya Lovelace, Jill Keuhler, and Bonnie Morales. Each woman shares an inspiring story about how their grandmothers shaped their lives and culinary aspirations.

We end this week with a short excerpt of Dana Cowin's interview with Jim Meehan. Hear how Meehan envisions the future role of alcohol in restaurants and cocktail culture – especially with the rise of legalized cannabis. It got us wondering if the grass is greener on the other side... a topic we'll explore in next week's Meat + Three!

Love Meat + Three? Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @Heritage_Radio, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or drop us a line at ideas@meatandthree.nyc.

Our theme song is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

Photo by Aubrie LeGault

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Diego Galicia and Rico Torres are successfully drawing the line in the sand between Mexican gastronomy and Tex-Mex cuisine. Every 45 days they change up the menu at the award-winning San Antonio restaurant Mixtli in an effort to educate and entertain diners. Andrew Friedman interviews the duo.

Diego Galicia was born in Toluca, Mexico in 1984. He studied psychology at The University of Texas at San Antonio a few years before graduating from The Culinary Institute of America. While a student at the CIA, he was employed at Restaurant Lüke, owned by Chef John Besh, and a local french bakery where he did Sunday brunch. Weekday mornings, he would do service at Patty Lou's at the Olmos Pharmacy. Diego has had the opportunity of working back in his native Mexico at Azul Condesa, owned by renowned Chef Ricardo Munoz, and stints at Michelin starred restaurants Atelier Crenn in San Francisco and Moto in Chicago. Mixtli is a very personal and intimate project that reflects Diego's love and passion for his native country.

Rico Torres was born in El Paso, Texas. Early on, he was immersed in the heritage of Zacatecas and greater Mexico, both in travel and through daily life. In 2013, Torres opened Mixtli with Chef Diego Galicia and has continued to dedicate himself to his craft. Each time a new menu concept is developed for Mixtli, Torres researches for hours at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s library, where he has a special partnership and is able to review historic Mexican cookbooks and recipes for inspiration.

Thanks to our engineer, Aaron Parecki of Stream PDX.

Music by Breakmaster Cylinder

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