'The life I've chosen': James Beard finalist for Best Chef Southwest, Eduardo Rodríguez desires to preserve traditions for upcoming generations
May 13—Editor's note: Cocina Connection is a once-a-month feature that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a New Mexico-based chef, who, in turn, shares some recipes.
Like others growing up in a Mexican household, Eduardo Rodríguez grew up celebrating big holidays.
On birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, family members would arrive at the family home in Zacatecas, Mexico, to get together and break bread.
At a young age, Rodríguez held space with his mother, grandma and uncle in the kitchen.
"I was involved as a kid with my family during the big holidays," Rodríguez says. "It's where I learned to love how food can bring people together. As a kid, you were expected to help out in the kitchen making carnitas or making mole and chicharrones."
The Santa Fe-based chef's love for the culinary world has evolved over the course of 25-plus years.
Rodríguez finds himself as a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef Southwest. The winner will be named on June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Since 2020, Rodríguez has been the proprietor of Zacatlán in Santa Fe.
"It feels like all this work that I was doing for 25 years is worth it," he says. "It's like a prize already for me. Being recognized is an honor. It's great. I still have more things that I would like to accomplish."
Rodríguez's culinary journey may have started in the family home back in Mexico, yet his drive for being in the industry grew exponentially when he moved to the United States in 1994.
His mother was already living in California when he moved — but he decided to take a chance and move to Santa Fe.
"My brother was working in the area and I came to visit," he recalls. "He was working on the Plaza at Coyote Cafe. Then he moved over to On Water."
Arriving in Santa Fe, Rodríguez wanted to get to work, so he took a job washing dishes at Coyote Cafe.
He would stay at the restaurant for four months before moving to Geronimo, where he would again wash dishes.
It was there when Rodríguez began to flourish in the kitchen.
After finishing with his tasks, he would ask others in the kitchen if help was needed.
Step by step, he got more experience.
Eventually, he was prepping and then cooking, eventually managing his own station.
"Months later, I was in the line," he says. "I was cooking side by side with my mentors. The chef saw how I was learning from every position. He pulled me aside one day and told me to be his sous chef in the mornings."
During his time at Geronimo, Rodríguez often turned down get-togethers and parties with his friends.
"I was cooking and washing dishes," he says. "I was doing my own thing. I dreamed of owning my own restaurant."
He would work at Geronimo for 14 years.
In 2008, chef Eric DeStefano bought Coyote Cafe and wanted Rodríguez to be the sous chef and run it for him.
DeStefano would oversee both Geronimo and Coyote Cafe, offering guidance to Rodríguez.
"I said, 'Yes, why not.' I moved there and was there for almost 13 years."
March 2020 rolled around and Rodríguez made the decision to become his own boss.
He got word that the former Aztec Restaurant, located at 317 Aztec Street in Santa Fe, was available.
"We were in the middle of the pandemia and I thought my friend was kidding me about the space," he recalls. "He was asking me for almost six months. After I took the call, I told him to let me think about it. Twenty minutes later, I called him and took the risk."
Like many others, Rodríguez thought the pandemic would shut down the world for six months.
Being a new business, he pivoted like others and provided take out.
"We were only open for a week and then had to close down again," he says. "It was tough times."
His experience in restaurants was able to help him put a plan together — hoping that he would succeed.
Today, he's running both the front of the house and the kitchen.
For Zacatlán, Rodríguez took inspiration from his travels to Mexico — specifically Yucatán, Merida and Mexico City.
It was there, he would eat from food trucks or street vendors.
"I'd spend a week at a time and eat everything I could," he says. "I would travel a lot and find different ingredients and learn how to prepare different types of food."
And boy, did he try the food.
"I'd go to the señora in Oaxaca and order the 20 different types of tamales that she had," Rodríguez says with a laugh. "These little kids from the street came and asked me for money and food. I told them to bring their friends and I would buy Coca-Colas for everyone. We shared the food together and it was an amazing experience. It created memories for me."
Rodríguez says at Zacatlán, he desires to continue to preserve the traditions for upcoming generations, while bringing forth new flavors. These new flavors incorporate Southwestern and Mexican influences.
A routine day begins with breakfast.
At the restaurant, it's not a big space, so he finds fresh ingredients daily.
"I buy about 10 pounds at a time," he says. "I have to go to the grocery store or farmers market multiple times a week. This is the life I've chosen for myself because it has challenges every day. It tests me to figure it out. There are days I have to get into the restaurant to fix the Wi-Fi. That's what running a business is about. I have to be there for each step to help out."
Hibiscus flower poached pear
16 cups water
12 bags hibiscus flower tea
4 cups cabernet wine
10 pears
2 cups sugar
2 sticks of cinnamon
4 star anise
Peel all the pears and put them in the pot along with the wine, tea bags and water.
Put dry ingredients into the pot and let it boil for about 45 minutes to 1 hour over low heat.
(Recipe courtesy of Eduardo Rodríguez)
