From The Liquid Chef making cocktails to M Cantina in Dearborn, Michigan,  Junior Merino is  a chef, sommelier, and mixologist originally hailing from Puebla, Mexico. Through his food, guests find not only a wide variety of flavors, but an introduction to some of the lesser-known, pre-Hispanic foods that you don’t see on most Mexican restaurant menus. 

As part of our series of episodes honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, today you’ll hear what his cultural background means to him, and the ways in which Puebla-styles and flavors show up in his particular style of food and drink. He shares his personal and professional culinary influences, how they inspire him, and how he incorporates a world of influence on his restaurant menu through the lens of fresh Mexican ingredients.