16 Oct CELEBRATING DIA DE LOS MUERTOS WITH CHEF ALAN DELGADO
CELEBRATING DIA DE LOS MUERTOS WITH CHEF ALAN DELGADO.
The Rising Star Chef takes inspiration from his family and the flavors of Mijenta Tequila to create a complete pairing menu for the holiday.
ALAN DELGADO GREW UP ON THE TEXAS-CHIHUAHUA BORDER, SPLITTING TIME BETWEEN EL PASO AND CD. JUÁREZ. AFTER MOVING TO AUSTIN AS A TEENAGER, HE SPENT A DECADE WORKING IN SOME OF THE CITY’S MOST NOTABLE RESTAURANTS—SWAY, LAUNDERETTE, AND CARPENTERS HALL, WHICH BON APPÉTIT MAGAZINE NAMED ONE OF THE 50 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN THE COUNTRY IN 2019—AND HE LAUNCHED A MONTHLY SUPPER CLUB CALLED TUMAHYE. BEFORE MOVING TO NEW YORK, DELGADO WORKED AS THE SOUS CHEF AT COMEDOR, A MODERN MEXICAN RESTAURANT RECOGNIZED BY ESQUIRE MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE 10 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA. PREVIOUSLY THE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT VIA HALCON HOSPITALITY, OVERSEEING XILONEN AND OXOMOCO, HE LOOKS FORWARD TO PUSHING HIS UNCONVENTIONAL TAKE ON MEXICAN CUISINE TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND HELPING TO FOSTER THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROFESSIONAL CHEFS.
“Family is truly the overall inspiration for the menu — celebrating the people that made an impact on my life that aren’t with us anymore,” says Chef Delgado. “I wanted to recreate dishes that I grew up eating with my mother and my grandmother, to honor them and pay it back.”
Chef Delgado’s story is a tale of self-discovery through the food of his ancestors. His parents met in their native Mexico, and migrated to El Paso, TX, raising their children between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and nearby El Paso. Fast forward, Alan most recently worked as the director of recipe development at Brooklyn’s Michelin-starred Oxomoco, where he was able to explore his passion for creating modern, vegetable-centric dishes using traditional Mexican techniques.
Alan and Mijenta connected over the importance of community and were thrilled to collaborate around Dia de los Muertos, a holiday that celebrates family, loved ones and those closest connections. He says, “growing up with a Mexican family, you have a strong sense of community. This always rings particularly true on Dia de los Muertos, when we gather to cook a massive meal and get a little bit closer to everyone around us. Community is what I grew up with and what I will continue to celebrate.”
WE ARE BEYOND THRILLED TO WELCOME CHEF ALAN DELGADO TO THE MIJENTA FAMILY.
#MiGente
