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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These Latino restaurateurs in unlikely places are nominated for a prestigious culinary prize
Before moving to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, two decades ago, Oscar Ortega had left Mexico City at a young age and spent many years in several European countries, where he studied gastronomy with what he calls incredible teachers. But he never forgot 'where my roots came from, my origins,' he said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. Cacao originated in Mexico, he explained, which was one of the reasons Ortega decided to dedicate himself to becoming a chocolatier, gelato maker and baker. This year, his Jackson Hole establishment, Atelier Ortega, is one of five finalists for the outstanding bakery prize of the prestigious James Beard Awards, which will be announced June 16 and are considered the Oscars of the culinary world. Ortega, whose desserts have won international competitions and who's been featured on numerous television programs, is one of almost 20 Latinos who are finalists across different categories, recognized for making their mark in the culinary and beverage arenas — including in states with smaller Latino populations. One of them is Wyoming, a state where 10% of the population is Hispanic and that many people might associate more with 'cowboy country' than with chocolate making, Ortega said with a laugh. 'But I said, 'Let's see, let's try,'' and he opened a chocolate and pastry shop in 2004. There were days when he didn't sell anything, he said, but then everything started selling out. To keep honing his skills, he began entering international culinary competitions. Initially, he represented Mexico, his native country, but after winning several times, he was invited to join the official U.S. team with which he has won several prestigious international awards. 'And after I made the desserts for the competitions, I would serve them in my bakery when I got back. And that's how it began to establish itself' to the point of getting James Beard recognition, Ortega said. Like Wyoming, Idaho and Alabama are not states with the largest Latino populations. But in Caldwell, Idaho, people of Hispanic descent make up almost 40% of the population compared to 13% in the rest of the state. In this city, Salvador Alamilla's dishes at his restaurant, Amano, have earned him a nomination for 2025 James Beard best chef: mountain, where he's competing against four other chefs in nearby states. The restaurant's website touts a dedication 'to uplifting the food and beverages of the Mexican diaspora through ancestral cooking methods.' From the beginning, Alamilla said, his restaurant sought to be a place that offered 'the dream of eating like you did at home, with food like your grandpa or mom used to make it.' That's why regardless of whether he wins the James Beard Award or not, he said he's already been rewarded by 'seeing how people react to this food, saying, 'That's how my dad made it,' or 'Wow, it tastes just like my grandma's.'' That's behind one of this season's signature dishes at Amano: seasoned goat meat that's slow-cooked in an underground pit, or birria en hoyo, as it's known in Spanish. He's been making it with input from everyone who works at the restaurant, based on how they remember their own older relatives did it using the ancient technique. Along with his wife, Becca Alamilla — who's also the restaurant's manager — the chef's mother, aunts, brother and cousin also work there. 'It's a family project that has become a community cornerstone here in Caldwell,' Alamilla said. For the family, that includes advocating for community initiatives, such as raising funds so local teachers can purchase more books by diverse authors. 'We can be a place that offers a connection to this beautiful culture that exists here because we're here,' Becca Alamillo said. 'I think it can help carry people back to a place that they had forgotten and then it brings back really special memories.' In Birmingham, Alabama, José Medina Camacho has been nominated for outstanding professional in beverage service as co-owner of the bar Adiõs. Medina Camacho told Noticias Telemundo that, at first, he didn't want to be involved in the food industry because his mother and stepfather worked in kitchens, and he saw how long and tiring their days would be. But once he decided to do it, 'I worked my way up the ladder in every aspect of a restaurant,' he said, 'dishwasher, line cook, busboy, server, and then manager in one place, bartender in another, putting together the wine list in yet another... everything.' During the pandemic, he considered moving to another industry, until his partner in what is now Adiõs suggested opening a bar. He said he was initially afraid to make that step, but then he thought it over. "I saw and went to bars all over the city and said, 'Yeah, something's missing here. Where are my people?'' he said. While people in the area knew about Southern hospitality, 'Mexican hospitality is on another level, and I wanted to show them that," he said. At first, people who came to his stylish bar didn't know what to expect; they asked for 'chips and salsa,' he said, because they didn't necessarily know that Latin American culinary establishments can offer so many other things. 'Now they love music in Spanish, they ask me about epazote (a Central American herb), they want to know all the differences between the types of mezcal or tequila,' Medina Camacho said. In that vein, one of the bar's current favorites is a martini made with aged tequila, pickled watermelon and campari. 'We want to attract the entire Birmingham community, whether Latin or American, and show them our culture ... I'm excited about the future, whatever the outcome is' regarding the nomination, he said. Back in Wyoming, Ortega believes his own career's advancements reflect how 'the influence of Mexican and Latin American cuisine has been incredibly significant' in the American culinary world over the last 10 years. 'And in part, it's because, from New York to San Diego, there's no kitchen without Latinos, whether they're chefs, those working alongside them or those financing them, and regardless of whether they're Michelin-starred restaurants or small establishments,' he said. Ortega would be the first Wyoming chef to win the James Beard Award. But he said that regardless of whether he wins, being considered a finalist is a boost after years of work, tireless hours in the kitchen and coaching a team. 'My priority, regardless of the outcome, remains having the opportunity to grow as a pastry chef, chocolatier and ice cream maker, internationally,' Ortega said. He still has one goal, however: re-creating his favorite dessert, which is a flan (custard) that tastes just like the one his late mother used to make. 'Imagine that: after so many years of working at this, I haven't been able to copy her recipe, which she took with her,' Ortega said with a sigh. 'But you have to keep trying.' An earlier version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo. This article was originally published on
NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
These Latino restaurateurs in unlikely places are nominated for a prestigious culinary prize
Before moving to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, two decades ago, Oscar Ortega had left Mexico City at a young age and spent many years in several European countries, where he studied gastronomy with what he calls incredible teachers. But he never forgot 'where my roots came from, my origins,' he said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. Cacao originated in Mexico, he explained, which was one of the reasons Ortega decided to dedicate himself to becoming a chocolatier, gelato maker and baker. This year, his Jackson Hole establishment, Atelier Ortega, is one of five finalists for the outstanding bakery prize of the prestigious James Beard Awards, which will be announced June 16 and are considered the Oscars of the culinary world. Ortega, whose desserts have won international competitions and who's been featured on numerous television programs, is one of almost 20 Latinos who are finalists across different categories, recognized for making their mark in the culinary and beverage arenas — including in states with smaller Latino populations. One of them is Wyoming, a state where 10% of the population is Hispanic and that many people might associate more with 'cowboy country' than with chocolate making, Ortega said with a laugh. 'But I said, 'Let's see, let's try,'' and he opened a chocolate and pastry shop in 2004. There were days when he didn't sell anything, he said, but then everything started selling out. To keep honing his skills, he began entering international culinary competitions. Initially, he represented Mexico, his native country, but after winning several times, he was invited to join the official U.S. team with which he has won several prestigious international awards. 'And after I made the desserts for the competitions, I would serve them in my bakery when I got back. And that's how it began to establish itself' to the point of getting James Beard recognition, Ortega said. 'Tastes just like my grandma's' Like Wyoming, Idaho and Alabama are not states with the largest Latino populations. But in Caldwell, Idaho, people of Hispanic descent make up almost 40% of the population compared to 13% in the rest of the state. In this city, Salvador Alamilla's dishes at his restaurant, Amano, have earned him a nomination for 2025 James Beard best chef: mountain, where he's competing against four other chefs in nearby states. The restaurant's website touts a dedication 'to uplifting the food and beverages of the Mexican diaspora through ancestral cooking methods.' From the beginning, Alamilla said, his restaurant sought to be a place that offered 'the dream of eating like you did at home, with food like your grandpa or mom used to make it.' That's why regardless of whether he wins the James Beard Award or not, he said he's already been rewarded by 'seeing how people react to this food, saying, 'That's how my dad made it,' or 'Wow, it tastes just like my grandma's.''
