Flavors Unknown

El Paso to Mixtli: Chef Rico’s Story

Chef Rico Torres att Mixtli

Today, I’m talking to chef Rico Torres from Mixtli in San Antonio, TX. Born and raised in El Paso, the vast desert landscapes helped inspire his creativity. His proximity to the border of Mexico fed his love for south of the border culinary traditions, made evident through the food he dishes up at Mixtli.
You’ll hear how he embraces his Mexican cultural roots in the food he creates, and how he cleverly weaves the history of the people and the land into every menu.
He shares his early passion for art and explains how that led to a love for culinary creativity.
You’ll hear about his progression through the world of cooking, his impressive skill set as a self-taught chef, and his thoughts on the future of food.

What you'll learn from chef Rico Torres at Mixtli

The birthplace of chef Rico Torres creative roots 2:24
Smells that bring him back to his childhood 4:13
Rico Torres artistic background 4:52
How his love of art eventually translated into a love for food 5:44
His transition into entrepreneurship 6:56
Business lessons chef Rico Torres adopted from his dad 8:06
Learning on the job and being resourceful 9:39
Tips on buying and prepping BBQ Brisket 11:31
Going from catering to pop ups 12:28
When he met his business partner 13:19
Trading pop ups for permanence 14:32
Where the name Mixtli originated 14:47
What he did differently when he started his business 16:26
A very intimidating first table on opening night 17:25
His second shot at impressing Rick Bayless 18:37
Approaching food from an individual ingredient perspective 19:10
How Rico Torres pairs ingredients together at Mixtli 19:47
Undercover learning of tools of the trade 20:50
The concept of the menu at Mixtli 21:40
Why you can’t have a latte at the end of dinner 23:40
How he makes his Café de Olla 24:30
And example of building a menu out of history 26:09
The fake champagne parties of old Mexico 27:02
Planning ahead for menu themes 28:14
His biggest business struggles 30:37
How they collaborate to make decisions 33:08
His mission for the restaurant in terms of culinary history 34:38
Thoughts on the future of food 37:04
Focusing on food as fuel and feeling 38:05
Why Mixtli has an open kitchen 39:33
Five hotspots in San Antonio 40:58
His guilty pleasure 41:43
Books that have inspired chef Rico Torres 42:48
His kitchen pet peeves 43:20
His wildest ingredients 43:38
What and who he would cook for if he could 45:48
The new business he’s looking forward to launching 46:26
The connection between food and storytelling 4:38
Switching from artist to architect in a kitchen 5:43
The connection between food and memories 7:14
Why do you have to take care of your team 7:55
How management changes your creativity 8:24
The importance of consistency 9:10
Realizations about training staff 10:48
The challenges of translating recipes and techniques from one culinary culture to another 11:22
The French contribution to worldly cuisine and going beyond French culinary techniques 13:03
A new wave of inspiration 13:57
What’s missing from the pages of food history 15:16
Reaching into the “back pocket” of Mexican cuisine 16:21
Shifting the threshold for what “chef” implies 17:31
The power of the internet in culinary education 18:35
“Fusion” versus evolution 20:14
Combining culinary techniques from one culinary culture to another 22:32
Surprising challenges faced by professional chefs 23:53
Inspiration for their work, including the influence of international cuisine and food destinations 25:43

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Links to other episodes with the chefs from Texas

Don't miss out on the chance to hear from these talented chefs and gain insight into the world of culinary techniques.

Conversation with chef Edgar Rico

Interview with Chef Rick Lopez from La Condesa

Conversation with chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph

Conversation with chef Fermin Nūnez

Panel Discussion with chefs Andre Natera, Rick Lopez, and Edgar Rico from Austin

Conversation with Pastry Chef Philip Speer from Comedor in Austin

Leadership with Chef Andre Natera – What Every Senior Executive Can Learn From Top Chefs

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 1

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 2

Interview with Chef Andre Natera – The Culinary Yoda

Chef Fiore Tedesco – L'Oca D'Oro

Chef Michael Fojtasek – Olamaie

Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

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We’re like a desert flower that doesn't receive enough rain, so it just sometimes blooms a little brighter. El Paso is full of incredible creative talent from music and art to food and architecture.

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A lot of times, I'm more of a counselor than a chef. There are so many different personalities that need to be dealt with and whenever you're trying to keep a team together, knowing when to make cuts and knowing when to invest in an individual, is paramount to having the right team.

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Throughout my career, it has been things like that- if you want it, go get it, go find it. Go find the answer. Go ask somebody.

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