NYC Chefs Roberto Santibáñez and Julian Medina infuse Mexican family traditions into dishes
NEW YORK -- Two Mexican Americans have made their mark on New York City's culinary scene by infusing family traditions into their food.
They showed CBS2's Lisa Rozner how they're sharing the success with younger generations.
From freshly grinded guacamole in a stone molcajete to hand-pressed tortillas, Chef Roberto Santibáñez adds New York City flavor to the traditional, Mexican fondas - known as small neighborhood, mom-and-pop restaurants.
"They serve homey daily foods like enchiladas and tacos and guacamole and little stews, chicken and salsa verde," said Santibáñez.
The Mexico City-native now has three New York City restaurants, aptly named Fonda. As a nod to the luncheonettes back home, the Tribeca seating is bright pink and red with Mexican decorations hanging from above.
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, he took his education back to his roots.
"I dedicated my life to researching, learning, traveling through Mexico and eating more of my country's and learning from the older generations," said Santibáñez. "I spent a lot of my childhood also going to Oaxaca. My father's family is from there. So Oaxaca, Mexico were always home. Veracruz too, that's from my mother's side of the family."
Santibáñez said he's feeding people history, from steak tacos to contemporary fare "made with oranges, limes and chipotle peppers, just topped with a little bit of avocado for texture."
"The most elementary things in Mexico is this salsa that is now called pico de gallo, right," he said. "It's just the simplest thing. Onions, tomatoes, cilantro and chilis."
Chef Julian Medina also shares dishes inspired by his upbringing in Mexico City. Medina worked as a line cook when he moved to New York City in the 90s. Now, he owns a dozen restaurants in the city and employs around 400 people.
Medina's first location, Toloache on West 50th Street, just celebrated 15 years. Toloache is a flowering plant from Mexico, known for being used in love potions.
"So basically when you say that someone gives you toloache, you just fall in love and you keep coming back. So that was the story of the restaurant," said Medina.
A good amount of the ingredients Medina uses are from Mexico, like what he uses in quesadillas and avocados, which he uses to serve a "guacamole trio" inspired by his dad's recipe.
"So we have the traditional guacamole here. We have chipotle with queso fresco, another variation, and then we have a fruit guacamole," said Medina. "So it just complements very well with pomegranate seeds."
Medina serves four different kinds of ceviche, lobster tacos and, the most popular, topped "with black truffle and some chives."
Medina redefines dishes alongside longtime staff who he said are an important part of the process.
"Hispanic Heritage Month is just so important and special here in New York because most of the front and back of house in all the restaurants are Hispanic," said Medina. "Most of my chefs here, at least, they've been with me for 10, 12 years. I have a couple of chefs here, Juana and Fidel, they've been with me since we opened on day one."
Medina said representation matters.
"It's been very important for me just to inspire them," he said.
Medina and Santibáñez will be sharing their heritage through culinary creations at the New York City Wine and Food Festival from Oct. 13-16.