The Architecture of Affection: Building a Culture of Support at Cariño

In this inspiring episode, we step inside the soulful world of Cariño, Uptown Chicago’s acclaimed Latin American culinary sanctuary to explore what happens when radical ambition is built upon a foundation of mutual care.

While visionary Chef and Owner Norman Fenton provides the brilliant culinary canvas—celebrating everything from contemporary Mexican cuisine to ancestral heirloom corn with the upcoming Molino Los Hermanos expansion directly next door to his MICHELIN starred restaurant; the true heartbeat of the restaurant lies in its firm culture of support. 

Cariño - translating directly to affection, serves as a powerful reminder that no task is too large and no vision is too bold when a team stands shoulder-to-shoulder. 

It is within this nurturing ecosystem, stripped of traditional industry ego, that true creative exploration is allowed to flourish and redefine the modern hospitality landscape.

Central to this creative evolution is the inspiring work of Beverage Director Raymond Medina, whose personal journey of discovery and expression takes center stage in our conversation. 

Raymond opens up about his robust path of craft development, revealing how the restaurant's supportive environment empowered him to design a beverage program that seamlessly mirrors the complexity of Cariño's multi course tasting menu. 

From pushing the boundaries of traditional spirits to curating a highly inventive, deeply thoughtful zero-proof mocktail pairing program, Raymond’s sensory storytelling honors heritage and inspiration in every curation while also empowering curiosity.

His continuous exploration proves that when an individual is fiercely backed by their community, they can transform a beverage program into an elevated art form, illustrating that true mastery is born from curiosity and an unwavering safety net of team solidarity. 

This episode reminds us what is possible when we stand alongside one another to create something special - collectively. 

We love this episode and it proves that the journey of hospitality isn't linear and you never know where you will end - but the reality is, you will land exactly where you need to be. 

We'll see you out there. 

- The T o S Crew 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Hi, my name is Nareba Shepard.

SPEAKER_05 0:06

And I'm Justin O'Neill Graham. And this is Terms of Service. Hello, hi. Good morning, good afternoon, good morning.

SPEAKER_03 0:13

It is good morning. It is good morning.

SPEAKER_05 0:15

But not as early morning as is traditional. Yeah. So, and for that I'm grateful. But how are you?

unknown 0:21

Girl.

SPEAKER_05 0:22

Girl, I already know.

SPEAKER_03 0:23

I've been trying my best. I'm fine for my life. But we're here.

SPEAKER_05 0:27

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

And we're doing it.

SPEAKER_05 0:29

We're doing the thing. Absolutely. And so on my end, I go, well, I'm still slightly recovering from an amazing wedding. It was a couple nights ago, but it was a wager. So that is something that I was extremely happy to be a part of. And also I go out of town in a few days, chill with my mom.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

You're gonna be gone for my birthday.

SPEAKER_05 0:53

But I'm very much with you on your birthday. And happy early birthday, by the way.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

I see you.

SPEAKER_05 1:04

Sorry. We unfortunately lost um, you know, our dog. Yes. So my mom's having a a hard time, so I'm gonna go down a zone and be like, hey. Yeah, I'm just like, I'm like, it's gonna be alright. It's gonna be alright.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

But anyway, it is end times.

SPEAKER_05 1:23

It is gonna be our mic for Dolores on that day.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

Okay. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:27

I was like, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:29

Dolores can have it.

SPEAKER_05 1:30

Yeah, that is fair. So on our end, uh, I'm so excited to be sitting down with the both of you. And also, we are not at our typical spot.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

True. Yeah. Um, I was very excited because I be Dilly Dallion and I did not look up where I was going. I was like, I feel like I know where this place is. And then this like last night at work, I was like, oh, this is the closest I've ever had to travel.

SPEAKER_05 1:55

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:55

Usually we're fucking going on to the West Loop.

SPEAKER_05 1:58

Yeah, it's a whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:59

This is less than three miles from where I stay. I like that. There it is. But I know it's only today.

SPEAKER_05 2:05

That's fair. Yeah, we'll be back. We'll be back soon. But my friends, we are here at Carinho. And so please introduce yourselves, starting with you, Chef.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Uh so my name is Chef Norman Fenton. I'm uh owner operator here at Carinho.

SPEAKER_05 2:20

Fantastic. Amazing. And yourself, my friend.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

Amazing.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

Well, thanks for inviting us over. No, thank you very much for having us.

SPEAKER_05 2:31

Yeah, seriously. Of course. This is this is absolutely stunning. So also, on top of that, I will, you know, start as per tradition. Tradition. What are your signs? Yeah. Starting with you.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Like astrological signs? Yes. Yeah. Uh Sagittarius on the cusp.

SPEAKER_03 2:48

That makes sense. Okay. Which cusp?

SPEAKER_00 2:51

Capricorn.

SPEAKER_03 2:52

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

That doesn't sound like a good sign. No, no, no. That's a good sign.

SPEAKER_05 2:57

That's a good sign. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

And then you cuspy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 3:06

Nice. You know? We're both Aquarius. So, you know, Aquariae. Yeah. Yeah, one of those.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Got it. Air Virgosman is out here with a plan. No real route, but you're doing it. We're doing our best out here. Absolutely. And it's crazy to me that well, actually, no, because you're closer to the cusp of Capricorn that you're not trying to run away. You're like, um, I live here. This is where I live. You're like, this is where I'm at.

SPEAKER_05 3:33

This is where I'm anchored.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

So respectfully. Good job. Thank you. I don't disagree with your signs. You can we can go through this. There was one there.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

No, no. Scorpio. Let me tell you.

SPEAKER_05 3:48

No, there's there's one sign specifically that we've had a few guests. I'm not saying what time it is, but um it has lived up to that sign. So I'll tell I'll tell you all that.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

I don't even trust my own people. Fucking Aries.

SPEAKER_05 4:04

Yeah. It is your season, so again, happy early birthday. Thank you. So of course.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

But also fucking Aries. Um yeah. Okay, so let's get into the thick and thin of it because Chef got prep to do, respectfully.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

Um can you talk to us a bit about your background and and how everything has come to be?

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Yeah, it's a long journey. Long journey. Um so I started uh cooking when I was 14 years old in Metro Detroit. Um honestly, I just got a job cooking. Uh yeah, I started working as a busboy for a few months. Saw a dishwasher that was working doubles every day, crying, you know, not crying about it, but really upset that he had worked the double. I was like, hey, you know, I would love to work that other ship for you. You know, you make how much money you make? And he told me, I was like, Oh, that sounds good. Yeah. Um, so I did that for about a month or two, and then one day the owner called and was like, Hey, do you want to learn how to work the fry station? I'm like, Well, this is to make more money.

SPEAKER_06 4:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

You know, like I was like 15 at the time, and he's like, Yeah, of course we'll pay you 16 bucks an hour.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

What?

SPEAKER_00 5:02

And I was like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:03

What year is this?

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Oh my god, this is over 21 years ago, 22 years ago. The fuck? Yeah, yeah. I was like, I was like, this is great. This is great. And so, like, you know, I started doing that. Um, at first it was, you know, just uh a money-driven factor. I mean, I'm 15 years old, and now I'm the you know the best friend in the group because now we can all go out and do things, buy things that we shouldn't be buying and doing things together, you know, as friends, right? Yep. Um, and uh, you know, but that then turned into meeting somebody that was running that restaurant named Derek Watson, um, chef who worked uh underneath Takashi, which was a one Michelin star chef here in Chicago, uh very old school legend name. Yep. Um Surping Turtle and that stuff. And then off mic. Yes. Um, and you know, he was young and he gave me the French laundry cookbook, and I was like, What? What is this?

SPEAKER_03 5:51

That's how they get you.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

And I was looking at it and I was like, This is what food can be? And he was like, Yeah, of course. And you know, at this point, I'm just used to red lobster and that kind of thing. And those things still hit the heartstrings. Nothing wrong with a Toto Bay biscuit. Oh, the best of the town. What do you mean? Uh I just took my wife there two weeks ago. She just got here from Mexico uh six months ago. My wife and kids, um, she just got after a four and a half year immigration process, took her to red lobster and she was like, These biscuits are insane.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Yes, you know they put MSG in that basis. So now we can go back. Yes, now we can go back. Wait, have you taken her to Olive Garden?

SPEAKER_00 6:21

Yes, she loves Olive Garden. But you know what? I'm gonna be honest, the Olive Garden in Cancun's way better than Olive Garden anywhere here in Chicago. They got a Serrano Alfredo pasta that's insane. See? Okay, I'm talking about it. Yeah, they got their little Mexican touches on the Twitter down there. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I mean, I you know, I started cooking in Detroit. Um I want that. You know, started coming back uh just doing that thing, and then you know, it came to a point where you know eventually it was like, you know, my mom was like, Well, what are you gonna do for college, right? You're coming on 18, what are you gonna do? And I, you know, I was missing school, I was missing my first and second hour a lot because I was working late nights and you know, talked to the principal, ended up um deciding that dropping out and getting my GD was the best move. And so I did that, and then uh from there um just started working in kitchens more and more, engulfing myself into it. Um, every place I worked at went from high volume down to smaller scale as we went on, but finer and more refined food. Um, and then it you know, I started running restaurants in uh the Metro Detroit, uh Detroit area uh when I was like 24, 23. And then um, you know, I wanted a different challenge. I wanted to be in a Michelin market, and at that time I there was only San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, and Chicago was the closest thing that felt like home because I'm a Midwest boy at heart, right? You know, from Detroit, and then uh it was the cheapest. Yeah, it was like comparison. Yeah, so I came to I came to Chicago, um took a job within the Linnea group, worked at the aviary, they were doing a remodel, they were in uh Madrid at the time, um, engulfed myself into you know what was very interesting experience, you know, both um productive, great, and toxic at the same time. But you know, uh there were some great things about it and some some things that were, you know, helped me shape who I wanted to be in the future of about it that I didn't like, right? Yeah. Um and then from there, uh, you know, I ended up uh having a fallen out with the chef there at the time. Um I was supposed to wanted to go work at Next. Um he wasn't really happy about that. You know, I I looked at it as an internal transfer, so I didn't really think of it as a big deal. I was like, this is you know, it's the same company. What are you talking about? You know?

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Yeah, no, um like you where where they like.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Exactly. And so you know, then it ended up into me uh yeah, leaving. And then uh I took a job to go back home in Detroit, and this was maybe I was only here for just like eight or nine months or something like that, and um I went and stodged at Schwa in that time frame. And I didn't think they were gonna offer me a job, and this was like a whole nother world for me. I worked there from 2014 to 2020.

SPEAKER_03 8:44

I feel like we have ran in before this.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

Probably. Yeah. I mean, I you know, I'm gonna be honest, like I definitely. Yeah, absolutely. Definitely. I remember definitely at the John Von Che Awards. Yes. Um, uh, I mean, there's been multiple instances. I mean, I'm not a very uh public I don't go I don't go out in the public very often, you know. I'm pretty reclusive, like I'll work in kitchen, like yeah, you know. We're in the public all the time. I want to stay inside my little cage.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Yeah, my brain is like, I think it was one of the Michelin like galas or whatever the fuck. But my chef took me with him because I had dishes on the menu when we got the star, and we met a bunch, I think like the chef at Schwa, we like hung out with for a bit. So I'm like, where was it there? This is a side quest, I doesn't need to shit to do. But this is my brain now.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

I'm thinking, yeah, but yeah, I mean, you know, so after that experience, I ended up at Schwa. I mean, I didn't want to go back to Detroit with my you know, my tail between my legs after X amount of months when I set out to reach a goal and something like that. And you know, I'm definitely a goal-oriented person. You know, I I chase chase my dreams and my goals.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

I mean, so Sagittarius, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Um, so yeah, I ended up at Schwa. I was a cook there for a year, was sous chef for like four months, and then I was the chef de cuisine running the place for you know over three and a half years. Um and then at that point, uh, you know, I was uh it was getting uh a little taxing, right? You know, I've only I've given up, sacrificed my entire 14 on out to that was like 28 at the time of my life, my personal life, things I wanted to do, birthdays missed, all that kind of stuff. And I just chose that, all right, well, I'm gonna take a break. I saved up enough money, I'm gonna go somewhere.

SPEAKER_05 10:24

And that's kind of like the trade-off, right? Yeah, like it's just like as much you know, passion and drive as as you have, you know, you miss out on on those moments, but that's also kind of just the collateral damage of being a part of this industry as well, which is a sad, unfortunate reality at the time.

SPEAKER_03 10:42

That we can change and we can change and slowly start putting the people first instead of the customers. And I get it, like, people don't want to talk about the money aspect of things, but I think that we have allowed the culture to get to this point, and the only way that it can change is that if we make a concerted like effort to do that, yeah, and like a big part of how I ended up doing this podcast is because I wanted like non-industry folk to realize that we are also human beings and we would also like to live lives instead of making memories for everyone, with the only memories being here, yeah, which some people love that pop off sleigh. I but like for me, I think that people, employees, workers are dispensable for the most part in this industry unless you are making an effort to like actually be part of a community, and so for me, my community of people outside of work is more valuable because they're always gonna be there, even if my job isn't. Yeah, for sure. You know what I mean? Yeah, I'm just out here trying to manipulate people into caring about themselves a little bit more every day.

SPEAKER_05 12:06

You know, uh you're very much my accountability partner, and I don't do well on on that, but I appreciate it. So I'm gonna just keep saying shit. Yeah, that's that's very true. Continue, Sean.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Um yeah, so yeah, I mean, at that point I uh wanted to go to three places. Um problem was I just bought a Cadillac. All right, it was my dream car, right? Like I grew up in Detroit, you know, so I got a Cadillac CTS luxury package, like I saved up for it. I grew up in Detroit. I, you know, I remember drive watching the pastors drive around going, oh, he made it, he got it. You know what I mean? So that was like a childhood dream. And then uh I wanted to go to France, Japan, or uh Mexico, and I was like, Well, I ain't paying, I can't afford to ship these this car over there, you know. So I just packed it up with my dog and we drove down to Mexico. Oh, yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Um, and so then I spent uh you also can't go to Japan if you have a felony. Fun fact. I learned really yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Well, I think I'm okay. Well, yeah, I was just saying I don't have felonies for the record. I don't have felonies.

SPEAKER_04 13:04

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

So yeah, I went to Mexico and then I, you know, I soaked up the life down there. Um that I met my business partner down there, started working at her restaurant consulting, then I ended up becoming the executive chef at a place called Wild and Tulum running that. I met my wife, and then it just you know turned into a whole little thing of well, now we got a kid and we got a family, we got this, we got things going on. Um in the pandemic though, it was pretty rough, right? Uh you know, it was rough in the States, but it was even more rough down there. So that that came around.

SPEAKER_05 13:33

Yeah, can you talk a bit uh about that? Like how yeah, that just kind of piqued my my curiosity. How how was the pandemic in in Mexico doing that?

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Overall, like you know, in terms of like public things, like you know, it was pretty lax, right? You know what I mean? You could be in the streets, you could be without a mask, you know, there's rules, but no one enforced them, right? Everybody was pretty relaxed. Um but the businesses were legally required to shut down, you know, and there's a lot of things that were required to shut down and not have access to, um, which meant nobody was working. Yeah, and then tourism started happening, right? They close the borders, traveling became you know, a lot a whole different scenario. Right. So people weren't coming there. Um, so it turned into like a ghost town, pretty much. Wow, you know, and and that's what it came down to is the money started wearing real thin. You know, I think when I crossed the back over the border after I drew because I had to drive all the way back up, yeah, um, and that was uh an expense in itself. Um I had a little less than a thousand bucks in my bank account when I came in. I had no place to move, nothing like that. No, so I I was like, whatever, I'll go back to Chicago. And then uh this gentleman um who was a partner at Schwa a long time ago, um, had a restaurant called Brassheart in this location we're in right now. And he had called me. Oh shit. Yes, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He had called me um and said that we, you know, we we lost our executive chef. Would you be interested in something? And so I was like, okay, like sure. Um, what's the pay? What can I do? You know, whatever. And it ended up working out because I didn't know where dining was even going at that point in the middle of the pandemic. And I was like, whatever, I got a job, like I feel fortunate, you know. Yeah. Um, and then I worked there, and you know, it was not the funnest time, right? Uh, there's some things that I didn't agree with, and things that were happening, a lot of things that helped shape the ideologies of what we have here, yeah. Um, and so after two years, two and a half years of working there, you know, he you know, I think I just had my son um a couple months later, he called me like five days before and said, Hey, we're you know, closing down. And I kind of knew that was happening because the last couple months before I wasn't allowed to hire anybody, and I was like cooking 16 course tasting menus by myself for 20 people a night. Yeah, I mean, I remember my last dinner cooking there, it was a bunch of James Beard was in town. It was a big table of James Beard award winners. Um, and they all came back like, Oh, everything was amazing, everything. You know, I was like, you know, and I was just like, I'm just glad you guys had a great time because I had an awful time. And then I called them and I was like, you know, I don't screw your five days. Like, I'm done with this crap, right? Like, I'm good. I'm good. Um, so he shut down the restaurant. Um, done. I didn't have work. Um, one of my buddies held me down, employed me at Flower Power for a little bit at a pasta shop in West Town. Yeah, yeah. Paid me too much money to put pasta in paper bags and put cheese on top, you know, but held me down. I was able to take care of my kids and my family, which I appreciated. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 16:19

Um, and uh You're like an immigrant.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

Yeah like my wife's an immigrant for sure.

SPEAKER_03 16:27

I mean like because when I first moved to the States, I was like living with my grandma and my aunts and stuff, and they were nannies, but all the money they were making was going back to Trinidad to like support the family, and I'm like, that's you're giving immigrant energy.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

It was I mean that's all that's what it did. I mean, I took care I I made sure that my wife and my kids' life did not change one bit based on what was going on in my personal life down in Mexico. Yeah, um, you know, we were fortunate that it was you know, we had a place in Mexico, which was obviously, you know, we had a beautiful apartment, but it was cheap in comparison to what's happening in Chicago, right? I mean, it was right out of the way. Even though Chicago is cheap compared to other cities, yeah. Yeah, um, so you know that that that that all happened. Um, and you know, during that whole time we're going through an immigration process, right? Um, and just going back and forth, flying back and forth to, you know, sometimes two, three times a month, uh just see my wife and kids for a day and a half, two days, or to go to the restaurant, work for two days, and come back. Um, because I still had that job. But it wasn't it was sparingly, but I had it, right? Um, and then when this closed, uh my business partner, the owner of the restaurant down in Tulum, was like, what are you gonna do? And I'm like, I don't know, like go just work somewhere, try to make a bunch of my own care for flip burgers, whatever. I gotta take care of my family, you know.

SPEAKER_06 17:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

And she's like, Is that really what you want to do? And I'm like, No, but like, yeah, okay. And so what do you want to do? And I and then I told her, I was like, you know, for the past two years, this is what I've wanted to do. This is what I would, I want this space, I want to do it in this space, but I want to do this to this space. You know, I like I like the space, I like the layout, I like the you know. Um, and we start, she just basically pulled out a computer and was like, just talk. And then I just told her, I was like, this is the concept, this is what I would do, this is what the direction is, these are the values, these are the philosophies, this is what I want to accomplish, this is uh, you know, how long I want to be here, you know, I want to build something that's gonna be 15, 20 years long, yeah, you know, um, and have control of it, have control of the entire direction, have control of what we do, take days off, you know. Like, you know, we do, you know, you were talking about the industry earlier and having to work on certain days and sacrifice. I have that choice here. So we close on Father's Day because I'm gonna go spend time with my my family. You know what I mean? We close on Mother's Day because I'm gonna take care of my wife and my mom. Yeah, you know what I mean? So we close on important holidays that are very important. My you know that's incredible. That's right. Like my my son's birthday was on a Saturday in February, right before Valentine's Day, and I said to close it. Yeah, we're going to we're going to Jungle Safari out in Villa Park and playing arcades.

SPEAKER_03 18:43

What is Jungle Safari?

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Oh, it's just ridiculous like arcade dealio with like weird thing. Right. Yeah. I'm done with it. Safari land. Safari land. Look it up. Villafari. Yes. Amazing. Um, and you know, so that was kind of you know, she started talking about it. I was like, all right, well, where are we gonna get this money? And I was like, well, you know, we gotta figure out how we've got to figure out a price because we could probably do a purchase asset selling the things that are in here, like glassware, silver, things that are we know the the history of it because I I worked there, you know what I mean? Um so we worked out that deal, got the landlord involved, worked out that deal with the lease. Um, and you know, she came up with the the the cash, cash, chunk of cash to to make it happen, um, and said, I trust you, you know, do it. Like, you know, I believe in you and I trust you. And so we just get shit done.

SPEAKER_03 19:31

Yeah, so I you know what then respectfully, yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

And so then yeah, we opened Carino. I mean, I you know, I didn't know what was gonna happen. You know, I tell these guys all the time, especially Ray and Camille, it's like, you know, when we opened up that first payroll coming around, there was less than 10 G's in the bank account payroll, 16,000. I didn't know what was gonna happen when we opened that door. You know, we didn't come, we didn't build this with a lot of money, like you know, I mean there's not a lot behind it. Um, you know, we had our first month was awful, but everything after that, you know, I mean just fell in line, and everybody, you know, that was putting in the the effort, and you know, everybody just put in the effort to fulfill the goal, right? And and and say this is what we want to be, you know, and this is who we want to be, and this is our values and philosophies, and you know, the the art of hospitality that they carry with them. Absolutely, you know.

SPEAKER_05 20:15

Um so then quick, quick, uh, quick questions. So obviously, the relationship with with the space, can you speak a bit about the neighborhood specifically?

SPEAKER_00 20:26

So the neighborhood. I love Uptown, it is eclectic. It is, you know what I mean? Um, you know, for me, Uptown is uh I think it's super special. I mean, it's got a really great history, right? We date this all the way back. This was the entertainment district of Chicago before the Great Fire. You know, when you're talking about the Rat Pack and all that Al Capone and all that, they were hanging out at the Green Mill, hanging out over here. Yeah. I mean, there's tunnels underneath these restaurants, underneath these buildings that connect to each other. You know, the place across the street, the the corner store, their basement comes out to the middle of Broadway, and they're a hole 50 feet into Broadway. You know what I mean? So, like, there's like all these little things from the you know, Prohibition Um that I think was really cool and and and interesting. Um, you know, obviously, uh, you know, I think uh in the 80s and the 90s things took a little bit of a different turn here in Uptown. Um I can't speak too much on that. I didn't live here there, I wasn't living then in the 80s, and I was born in '89 and I was definitely not here. I was in Detroit, you know, in the 90s. So um, you know, but from my understanding, um, it went through a lot of changes. And now it's even going through even more changes, you know. Um you see a stand donut pop up down the street, but then you see, you know, a homeless encampment right across the street, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

We were literally outside talking about this, and I was like, I wanted to ask, like, do you think that this place is possible because that gentrification target went up, that school got shut down and was turned into lofts, and then everything started changing. When I moved here in 2013, it was a month into me living in Chicago, and I was on the red line going to Pride, and And I heard this white man say to his white girlfriend, this is a gentrification target, and everything's about to change here. And he was not wrong. Right. And I was like, but I think that without all of that like change that was happening, like, would the previous restaurant have been here? Would you guys be here?

SPEAKER_00 22:27

Well, you know what put me had faith in the space was 15 years ago there was a two Michelin star restaurant in this space. We won't talk about that restaurant because they don't deserve to be talked about. The chef doesn't deserve to be talked about, he doesn't deserve any recognition whatsoever from anybody. So I'm not gonna speak of the name or the restaurant, but we we know what it is. Absolutely. Um and so I knew that there was a possibility, right? Um pre-Carennial, would I say that this was possible with the neighborhood or the neighborhood would be supporting this? Absolutely not. You know, I didn't it wasn't, you know, the people that were coming to the restaurant before weren't coming from the neighborhood, but you know, we've been super fortunate um here to have I would say at least 25 to 35 percent of our business is people go, I live around the block. Yeah, that's I just walked by one day, saw you. Yeah, you know, so yes, um, it has changed. I do think it is helpful. Um, but at the end of the day, we are destination dining no matter what. You know, you can barely tell we're a restaurant from the outside, you know what I mean? So most people don't even know unless they know, right? Unless they're walking by and paying attention.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

Um that's like my job. No one knows it's there until they're like literally walking down that street. Yeah, and they're like, This has been here. I'm like, yeah, like 11 plus years now. But that's the thing about like neighborhood places. It's important that the neighborhood have see like the potential and the investment that they're doing when they come into the space. Yeah and they like are supporting this small local business. It's what makes the neighborhoods in Chicago different than other places. Oh, for sure. Super special.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

I mean, there's a lot of history here, and you know, the other thing too is like we don't carry that same rent, you know. You're talking about the West living how having to go there, right? We don't carry that same rent fee, um, which then helps us focus more on reinvesting in our restaurant through employees, through equipment, through paid time off, you know what I mean. Everybody here's salary, so like we take vacations and and uh you know, we take two weeks and over two weeks in January, everybody's paid. You know what I mean? Um in July, we take another week and a half, everybody's paid. And you know, with like those days that I was talking about the Father's Day off of that, those are days that we're open, technically. Restaurant's not making our revenue, but everybody's still paid. You know what I mean? Yeah, we may not be getting tips or anything that day because we don't have any tips coming in, but right we're getting our salaries. We're getting that everybody here is very competitively paid, and that's you know, that that's allows us to do that and not have to sit there and carry the burden of 25 grand or 30 grand or 40 grand in rent in the West Loop or downtown, where we have to sit there and make decisions that obviously are business decisions, but maybe not be in the best interest for the business in the long term.

SPEAKER_05 25:02

Yes, you know. So then that brings me to my next point here. So, Ray, can you talk a bit about your background and how you both linked up together?

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Yeah, so um I started at True Restaurant, um at a dishwasher. Um, I always say I got lucky. People are like, how are you lucky if you're a dishwasher? Um at that time, true was like one of the hardest restaurants to get in. I didn't know that. Um I didn't grow up eating in restaurants like that. Um people like with suits on and stuff like that. So I was dishwashing. I was there for about a year and a half. Um also I was there when people were like walking out on me, like other dishwashers, because it was a tasting menu, probably doing like 150 covers back then. So it was busy and it was hard. And we were probably like leaving 2-3 in the morning. Yeah. Um, so they were like walk out on me, I would stay. So they seen that I wasn't, I was also like young's first time in restaurants. Um, I wanted to transfer, I wanted to leave. Food let us entertain you so you could transfer to a different restaurant. I didn't know where I wanted to go, and um, at the time Paula was there. I don't know if you remember Paula.

SPEAKER_06 26:01

Yeah, uh she stopped me.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

She's like, Why would you do that? I was like, Well, I don't I can't dishwash no more to make more money. Plus, it sucks, like it sucks. Yeah. So she was like, Well, you got this huge tattoo on your neck. Um, the thing that stopped me right now is that tattoo. Like, it's like back then it was no tattoos, like visible tattoos. Um, so I would just set out now, like, what if I got it removed? And she's like, Well, let me talk to the chef. And then Chef kinda, he was like, kind of cool with me, um, Anthony Martin. So honestly just went and just started knocking this tattoo off, started getting lasered. So they seen I was serious about that, and they just threw me into kind of just like being a porter. Kind of like bounced around with Michelin. Um met Chef honestly through Cami. Um came here to eat his food when it was Brassheart. So I knew he was real good at cooking. Um plus I like heard his name like popping up a lot. Um didn't personally know him, but like knew his name. Um to kind of piggyback about the Uptown thing. So I was at Moody Tongue, went two stars, so it was busy. It was busy, money was good. Um, I felt like I wasn't learning nothing no more. I like I learned a beard real quick, and it was like kind of like they formed me into like who I am now, so I will give them a shout-out with that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

How did you transition from being a porter into well yeah?

SPEAKER_02 27:11

I didn't want to get like too into the like the. No, no, so honestly, I transferred into everything. Uh went into a porter, some guy got fired, and there was a uh extra suit there, and they were like, hey, just see if the suit fits you. Oh my god. I don't know how it was like a Cinderella store. I don't know how it fit me because this guy's like 6'3, I'm like 5'10, and it fit me. I got it out a little bit. Oh some other guy, um, Jorge wanted to make more money, but you don't make more money at true unless you do more. So he became a front waiter. They needed someone to become an expediter. So, like, hey, we've seen you had like some type of like organs um um organization skills to see if you could expo. Um, I got kind of good at it. Had a couple times where maybe I was sending like the wrong table first, whatever, and at true everything had to be on. So it was that would happen like once in a while. But other than that, like I was fine.

SPEAKER_05 28:00

Um called that a learning curve. Yeah, it was a learning curve, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:03

For sure. Um went there, then became a back server. But at True, you honestly had like what was like a captain, front waiter, back server. So it was a massive team, which is like so. I was literally just like the water boys, a machine. Yeah, um, yeah, left there to go to spiagging, and then that's how I got into the serving thing. So Joe was finally like, hey, Cafe Spiagas opening up. This is back when they went to that remodeling, and I was expo there and a food runner. And he was like, You should go be a server. And I was like, nah, like they asked me this, no, they asked me this at true. Like, I'm not really a talker, I don't really like to speak much, I don't want to be in front of people. Yes, and Joe was like, You're insane.

SPEAKER_05 28:40

And yet, here you are speaking to us right now. Look at this. Yeah, here I am. This is different, yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:46

I need a microphone. I still don't even know if you could hear me on a microphone because I'm like so monotone. No, we got it, yeah. Um, but yeah, so I went to Cafe Spiagia to well, I was doing both. And honestly, I sucked at being a server. I was like, I didn't know the prosciutto yet, I didn't know anything yet. I was like trying to figure it out. So then the choice was like, you need a because you're going overtime now. Um, figure out if you want to stay at Cafe Spiagia or Spiagia. And sit at Spiagia. To make it quick, went to Acadia, happened to me again. Um, when you get into Acadia, you start off as a food runner. Uh right away, they were like, all right, you're you you got like real good movement on the floor. Let's see you like back weight real quick. So I was back waiting with the general manager of Tyrone. Yep. And then conversation came in again. It's like, hey, would you ever think about being a server? And I was like, ah, why does everyone keep trying to push this server thing? Like, yeah, if he like if it comes down the lane, then I will. Um, that's how I kept getting into the server role. Yeah. Um, but yeah, no, met Chef through Camille uh company at Brassheart. Uh but the piggyback on the uptown thing was um that almost did stop me from coming here, honestly. Because I was like, man, it's uptown. Like, I don't know if people are gonna travel there. Mooditung's still kind of hot right now, but I'm also like not really learning nothing. And there was an opportunity to like get into like a different road that I haven't done. So I was like, see what he has and walked in, and the way he talked, like the way he just talked, like he gets like really into it and he paints a picture in your head. He painted this big old picture in my head, and I was like, hell yeah, let's do it. Yeah, he's a salesman. That's what it is. That's awesome. Um, I mean, I won't talk about all the stuff, I'll let him talk about it. But yeah, when I walked in, he just the room was I mean, the tables were here, but well, he's about to leave, so you're about to talk about it. I mean, like the light picture and like the paintings, and like that came from his home, or like from Jalisco, like the paintings, uh, chandelier outside with like made by a small family from like Oaxaca or something, but like everything was just like like handmade, like brought from Mexico, and yeah, he just I mean it's gorgeous. He delivered it and he sold it.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Yeah, I mean, you know, like the thing was for us, it was like you know, it's real important. I mean, my wife's Mexican, my kids are Mexican, you know. Yeah, my son looks like me, but he's brown. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, that's why it's like that's so like I've been engulfed and um put into a culture that you know, maybe I I didn't really go seeking for or asking for, I just fell in love with the wrong person. I got it. So it was really important when we were building this because my business partners in Mexico too, it was that everything that we were putting in this space we could tie back to the person we got or from a family that we're supporting a group of people that we are truly supporting, instead of going into a um restoration hardware and saying, hey, we're gonna buy this, this, and this for the restaurant. It's like, no, like I want this to come from this family. I know exactly who made this lamp, this mirror, this painting, this, this, and that. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_03 31:35

I like a place with texture.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

Yes, yeah, I like textures in my food. Yeah, so you gotta taste his food.

SPEAKER_05 31:41

Yes, yes. So then, because I know that we're wrapping up on time with you, Chef, specifically. What do you want people to take away from their experience here?

SPEAKER_00 31:55

At the end of the day, what I want people to take away from their experience here when they come into Carino is a sense of uh wholesomeness, um, as well as you know, either which way I want to provoke emotion. Whether it's it brings up a memory, positive or negative or anything at it, you know what I mean? Like, and I I'm talking about with the food and the service and the experience, not like you know, let's bring up your ex that broke your heart or something. No, like you know, I I want people to have to leave here and not only go was man, was that hospitality great? Was that service great? Was Ray's cocktails great? Was that wine program great? But I wanted them to go I really felt immersed in that experience in general. It was great. So for me, it's a full concept thing, and that's why you know, like when I talk about the paintings and things like that, and the the water being from Mexico, it's all for me. Little tiny details that tie this together that make this people leave and remember time after time their experience here and that the the sense of being they had when they were in these four walls. Oh, yeah, you know, amazing.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Yeah, so like I knew it too. I knew I was like uh like he's gonna get the star. Like he opened up his own space. Well, because also at Moody Tongue, like we were rooting for him um to get the star. Um when it was Brass Hart. So we were cheering him on for that when it was like oh snub, like alright. And then he was like, I just opened up his own spot now.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

Like you just gotta fight him.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

If I go to it or not, like he's gonna get the star and brought it in quick.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Well, I mean, uh, you know, to be fair, the other restaurant didn't have any soul or character. That's okay, I think. That's a elevator with nice music. Yeah, but I think that's what it is.

SPEAKER_03 33:19

It's like even if the soul might be a little dark, you you have to have something to like invoke feeling in food. Like, I think when I was in high school, my dance teacher was like, You're very technically good, but like I don't put like the same expressive emotion into it. So if someone is like doing the exact same move but they're feeling it, it looks so different. But with food, it was like I'm technically good, and I'm like, I'm trying to make you fucking cry when you eat this pierogi bitch. It wasn't happy, but I did it. And like I think that's the thing. People need to understand that food is a feeling.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

And that's Well, and I'm gonna be fair to myself. I did not work as hard as I work now. But well, that's what I'm saying. I mean, I did not put as much effort. The difference here is like, you know, I I've responsible, I have responsibility for X amount of people working for me. I have responsibility to create growth, I have responsibility to create opportunities. Absolutely. I have responsibility to take care of them as much as I can within my realms that fit our standards and doesn't help us break away from them, still creates who we are, and you know, be fair to ourselves in our restaurant, everything fair. Um, you know, and that was the big the big motivating factor is like, you know, I don't have to work behind that stove if I don't really want to, right? I own this restaurant, I can pay people to do it. But if I want everybody to be as invested as you know as we are, and and to take them as far as I think we can take them, I have to be in it with them, right? And I have to put that extra effort in, you know, and I didn't put that extra effort in in brass heart, to be honest, you know, when I was there. Whereas now the responsibility is different. I wasn't the owner. Now I now I have people that I have to care for. Yep, you know, beyond myself.

SPEAKER_03 35:07

So that I think that's what it is. I think that there's two kinds of people, and uh you are the other person because I've worked under a lot of chefs, but like I could tell the difference between someone who wants to be there for the right reasons and someone who is driven by the goal and doesn't give a shit about the people.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

And uh I said earlier, I was like, this is giving millennial because we have been so disenfranchised in all the generations that now we're like, how do we make this better for everyone? And so I think it's interesting that you took this methodology from I liked this, I didn't like this, and this is what I'm doing now. And what you're doing is creating a path for everyone that works here to say, oh, we could do it like this, which is how the change happens.

SPEAKER_00 36:05

Yeah, little by little, right?

SPEAKER_03 36:06

That's all that matters.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

I was just going to mention to where because we see it very much in real time. Yes, but that's fine. Yes, there's um you know, because again, we see it very much in real time to where people don't apply the lessons that have been provided to them prior. Yeah, right. So that's typically the standard. The standard, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Well, I mean, it it's on us, you know, if if we want to be, you know, on the forefront of change the industry, yeah, of change in the industry here in Chicago, just as a a high caliber restaurant in the direction that we want to go, you know, we have to make that conscious decision that, you know, right now we're in a changing of the guard, right? Like, you know, the people that we looked up to as chefs are are now becoming you know old, you know. And I'm not saying old, they're still in their kitchens doing their thing, rocking their thing, but you know, there's gonna become a change in momentum, and you know, you have to make a decision what side you're gonna want to be on. And if you want to be a you could still have what they have and had, yes, but provided in a different way, you know. Absolutely. You know, I think that's gonna you're gonna see a little bit more of that as we go through the next 10 to 20 years of this industry.

SPEAKER_05 37:10

Because most certainly there is that generational bridge, right? So the industry just by concept already came up within that point of view. Because one thing that one thing that I was a part of a couple weeks ago, I was a part of a panel at Kendall College. Okay, and so sitting in front of these, you know, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you know, next generation of of the industry, I was just like sparkle in their eyes. Yeah, I was like, I was like, this is this is so great to see. And they're like, Well, from your experience, what is what is a piece of advice that you would share with all of us? And I was sitting there and being like, okay, I can give I can give the answer that I know is gonna hit the way that I feel would just be the most accepted. But then at the same time, I was like, no, actually, I was just like, no, I'm like, this industry is difficult, like the work is is significant, and there's a multitude of different ways to where you can achieve your your goal. And so I landed with this whole idea of allowing yourself to figure it out and to listen to your experiences to help you figure out your trajectory moving forward. Yeah, you know, and they're like, what the hell?

SPEAKER_03 38:34

And I was like, Whoa, I was like, well, yeah, what would you display to them? Yeah. Oh, me? I'd be like, this is hard. Um you uh I feel like and this is a little controversial to exist in this industry, you have to hate yourself a little bit. Because let me tell you why. I just make the most optimistic person to be at this table right now. Listen, I can also say why that is, yeah, but we're gonna stick to the test. Um I think you have to hate yourself a little bit because the amount of work and time and effort takes you away from so much stuff when you're trying to like get to where you want to be.

SPEAKER_00 39:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:18

And so I am, I would, I was like, I think from 2013 to like 2017, 18. I was in the I kinda hate myself era, but I'm moving up. I'm getting all the steps, I'm doing what I want to do. 2019, I got the opportunity to be an executive chef. Didn't want it. But I was like, you know what? I can do this, and I did. But I realized that I was like, I want to learn more, and I try to transition back to being a sous chef. I was actually gonna be working at Meetakoya. But then the pandemic happened, and she was like, I cannot bring you in, girl. And I was like, that's real. Um so what I like going back to everything is like my thing would be like it is very hard, but it's also very rewarding when you literally have the experience of seeing your work manifest every single day. Like people who work in offices are working countless hours, they're typing up everything, but there's not a physical manifestation of what you're doing. And at the end of every single shift, no matter what position you work in a restaurant, you can see your work and effort, and it goes into the next one.

SPEAKER_05 40:37

And also feel it as as well. Because I mean, the biggest the biggest takeaway that I have just throughout all of the different hats that I wear throughout this industry is the community of it. You know, it's just like all of the work, all of all of the struggle, all of the the focus and precision, all of that. It just has connected not only myself but my colleagues and just really opened open up so many possibilities and be like, oh, like this is great to be in like actual community within an industry. Yeah. So you feel as if you're contributing not only to the business, to the business, but also to your neighbors and and people that you're interacting with that you would never meet traditionally. So yeah. Awesome. Yeah, but also it'd be like you know, I was just like don't do it. Yes, being very, very focused on the challenges that are rewarding, but also understanding that you are building this sense of cultural community along the way as well. So, yes. So, is there anything else that you would like to mention? Because I can keep you here forever. But also, I was just like, no, great. I'm about to get into all of things beverage.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

But yes, I'm out.

SPEAKER_05 41:55

Yes, no worries. Thank you so very much, Chad. And um, again, just on this, how do the people find you if you want to be found on the internet?

SPEAKER_00 42:04

We don't want to be found.

SPEAKER_04 42:05

Okay, yes, we don't want to be found.

SPEAKER_05 42:09

Do you like that? Talk to your friends. I don't know. Because again, you know, if you know, you know. Yeah. So, but you gotta drop the Instagram though. What is the Instagram?

SPEAKER_00 42:19

You don't have to check out Instagram. There you go. Thank you very much, guys.

SPEAKER_05 42:24

Thank you. Absolutely, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 42:27

Thanks for giving us your time.

SPEAKER_05 42:28

Yes, thank you, Chef.

unknown 42:29

Take a box.

SPEAKER_05 42:30

Yeah. Yep. Sweet.

SPEAKER_02 42:37

Yeah, so the beverage program here um kind of focused on like more like South American uh spirits. Um so all of it has to be, not all of it, but the main base is always gonna be tequila mescal, uh, some type of agave spirit. Um I could do a whiskey, but it's gonna be from Mexico, uh gin from Mexico. Um no vodka, so vodka lovers. I'll figure it out.

SPEAKER_03 42:58

One of the cocktails has a tapacha?

SPEAKER_02 43:00

Yeah, yeah. So I do like house-made tapaches. Um honestly, it's probably like one of my first, like, I guess like pride cocktails. Um I use it as an NA as well, but I clarify it. So I wash it down with some milk or some um coconut milk, give it like a kind of like a little tropical twist on it. Um but most people though, so honestly, I don't even I don't really like tapaches myself. Um the flavor too, it's like more like a vinegar, kind of like aftertaste. I don't know. So I started playing around with it, clarified it, and it came out like kind of like crystal clear. And um the flavor is like kind of like an apple cider, so it has more like a pop tart to it. So I went with it, um, kind of see what the guests would think, and started throwing it out there, and then I talked about it, and it was like it's fermented pineapple, and they're looking at me like, uh, what are you drinking right now? Yeah. So drink it, next thing I'll look over and it's gone. So I'm like, all right, people are really liking this one. And it was getting ordered and ordered, so I'm like, alright. Um kind of what you were mentioned earlier, like I'm also my biggest enemy. Like um it can look real nice, or I'm always just like. Well now I'm like a chef where it's like like why aren't they eating everything? Like, oh why aren't they drinking it? Oh, they don't like it. So that's why I got into it. Um, but yeah, I mean I can do it.

SPEAKER_05 44:09

That shit personal.

SPEAKER_02 44:10

Yeah, take it personal.

SPEAKER_03 44:11

Well, that's why I think that so many people that work in the industry that are actually very good at their jobs have imposter syndrome. Where and I think that's why we keep pushing because we're like, oh, how can we make this better? Blah blah blah. Some people say it's anxiety, some people say it's ADHD. So column A roll, column B. I think it's like the desire to want people to actually enjoy everything.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

Yeah. You know, yeah, it's definitely the yeah, it's my anxiety. What am I doing? Um, yeah, I mean, so I could do almost like any cocktail for you. Um, I could do martinis, but the martinis probably gonna come with tequila or mescal. Damn right. Yes. Um, I actually just came up with a super cool one that's not on the menu. Um, but I do like a chayote brine, so chayote is like a type of squash. Uh just brine that down. Um then I do a tomateo cilantro cordo. So kind of like keep it um and then I said I base all my cocktails off of their food. Oh yeah. Um only because I'm super new at this. I don't know if like I um been in the industry for a while, first time even bartending. Um always wanted to do it. Thought I got like too old and it was too late. I couldn't barthrate. Yeah. So when I was at Honey's, uh, talked to Tyrone about that and I wanted to bartend. You threw me in as a bar back. You know that man sucks. Like, I'd rather go back on the floor.

SPEAKER_03 45:26

How old were you when you decided or like transitioned into bartending?

SPEAKER_02 45:32

Uh when I got to Carinho. So a year and a half ago.

SPEAKER_06 45:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:38

Listen, I started bartending in 2021.

SPEAKER_02 45:42

Um, I didn't even drink until I got to Moody Tongue. I didn't I never really drink, I didn't like drinking. I smoke, smoke weed. Um, I didn't drink.

SPEAKER_03 45:49

Same. I'm not a drinker.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

Yeah. So when I got to Moody Tung, it was um Jared would be like, hey, smell this beer. What do you smell? I was like, uh beer. I don't know what that means. What do you how do you smell a beer? And then uh, yeah, it's kind of like the way he like made you think about beer. Now I was like, all right, think about it. You smell orange, yeah. I do. What part of the orange? So he started to get in your mind. It's like, oh, okay, I like what is where it's going. So I got like really into this beer, started drinking beer. It's kind of how I started drinking. Um when I got here, it was only me and Camille, so it was two of us on the floor. Um at the at that time, we had the niece who she kind of built the cocktails, she like gave us the ingredients, um, showed us like one, two times how to do it. I picked onto it pretty quick. So she was like, All right, then you're doing your things. I don't really gotta show up no more. Um, I took on the cocktails, Camille took on the wine, uh, came down to the point where it was like, all right. Well, honestly, it was like Chef was like, Hey, are you ever gonna change the menu? Are you gonna add anything on? What are you doing back there? So I'm like, Oh, I just didn't know I could even doing that.

SPEAKER_05 46:47

I didn't know, yeah, yeah. So also, side note, it smells incredible. I was gonna say here, it absolutely smells incredible in here.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

It's nothing yet, yeah. Um, so um, I'm just kind of like doing that, and then uh yeah, I would just start playing around with like different things. Um, I had to start reading books, so that's how I got into it. Um, because I was like, all right, now it's definitely a challenge. Because now Chef was like, I want you to make a mocktail pairing, and you need to come up with it now because Denise isn't here and she hadn't showed you one mocktail because we didn't have no mocktails. Yeah. It's like, all right, so I don't gotta make one mocktail, but I gotta make a mocktail pairing and try to get this to make sense to people. Yeah. Uh so that was my first challenge, and I did it. And the real challenge was I had to bring it to Chef so Chef could taste them before I got it on the menu. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, which he has like one of the best palettes ever, so I appreciate that. Uh yeah, he helped me with that. I I built them. Some of them were like, uh, it's cool, or it's boring. Try again, think again. So I kept doing that. Um yeah, now honestly, I got some real cool mocktails on there.

SPEAKER_03 47:47

Um I mean, I was looking at some of the descriptions, and I was like, I like that none of this sounds like juice.

SPEAKER_02 47:58

Yeah, no. Um, also with that, too, nothing's bought. Uh there's no phony the gronies, there's no NA beer, there's no NA wine. Um, I'll use like Club and Oplos and stuff like that. But yeah, I'm making my own like cordials, my own, my own type of things to go with these box tables.

SPEAKER_03 48:13

I think that like I enjoy that there is access to non-alcoholic beverages when people come in for tastings that don't make them feel like a sippy cup situation is happening. I think that people have been very afraid to try doing something savory or something a little bit more uncuous as non-alcoholic beverages because everyone thinks of pop and juice and whatever. But uh yeah, I was looking at your offerings and I enjoy the spirit of what you're putting down.

SPEAKER_05 48:53

Also, a quick quick question just on on kind of the the educational aspect um from the program to the guest, right? So with your specific approach, how do you how do you kind of build that trust with the guest to introduce them to something to something new? Because you had mentioned like uh a gin from from Mexico, or like if there was gonna be a whiskey, it's coming from Mexico, you know. How do you kind of like educate it?

SPEAKER_02 49:27

Yeah. Um see, I mean, I guess if like someone trying to go off menu, I just try to like figure out like if you go out, what kind of cocktail do you get? So that's like my first question. Yeah, right. I always hate the I hate the before, or they didn't even like open up the menu. Like, what do you recommend? Yeah, right. Well, my name's Raymond, what's your name? Let's get to get to know each other real quick because you're the opposite of me. Yeah, I don't really know. I don't I don't know you, I don't know what you drink. Um also like the preference thing is always just hard because it's like I like this. Or I always hate when you just like I like tequila and muscle. I don't like tequila muscle. It's like, well, we're off to a bad start, so what do you like to drink then? So yeah, I try to get to I just try to ask, like, if you don't like tequila or muscle, what do you like to drink? And I bet you I could blend tequila and mescal into that cocktail, you won't even know.

SPEAKER_03 50:11

That's what I'm fucking saying.

SPEAKER_02 50:12

Yeah, so I I've done that, and people were like, Oh, or like you think all mascot is like super just smoke blown in your face? Like it's it's not, yeah, and I'm gonna show you one that you're gonna like, or I'm gonna show you one that's way more savory, or it smells like jalapeno and it smells like bell pepper, but it's gonna taste like green apple.

SPEAKER_03 50:29

I like a green mezcal, I like a young spirit. I think that, and we talked about this a little bit earlier, where I am trying to stop fucking with mezcal as my main spirit in every single cocktail that I do.

SPEAKER_05 50:46

I fuck with mecal all the time. I know. That's my whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 50:50

I like like you were saying, I want to learn and grow, and like I am new to the front of house world and bartending. I know a lot about beer and wine from working in fine dining and having to do pairings. But spirits is still an open world for me, and I think for me, going from back of house to front of house, I'm tricking everyone because I have no concept of what should not go in a drink. And I think because you sort of went into it without the classic like I progression of being in bars, you are also probably doing shit that people wouldn't regularly think of because there's not the limitations of what the expectation is.

SPEAKER_05 51:40

And there's also curiosity there.

SPEAKER_03 51:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:42

Yes, it's all curiosity. Um so now maybe my approach to going to bar is different. Maybe now I watch how they stir something, like little small things. How they I watch how they cut a wedge. Yeah. Um, why are they filling their glass up with cold water first? So like a little small thing to put it in the freezer, like little just like little small things.

SPEAKER_05 51:57

Cause I never had this just here wild, like very I got real good with a knife.

SPEAKER_02 52:02

I got real well, so there's a funny story. Um, when I first got here, I didn't even know how to use a knife. Like me and Chef were back there doing like the whole ghost thing when they're like doing the Chef's like holding my hand.

SPEAKER_04 52:16

That's a real story. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:17

I told that to hide it. That's a real that's a true story, though. Chef like holding my hand and like teach me how to like glide it. The tip's gonna be the sharpest parts.

SPEAKER_06 52:25

We start there, and then you're trying to get fancy and hold it down and start saying, Yeah, I'm not doing that.

SPEAKER_02 52:29

I'm gonna stick to that. So, yeah. Um, yeah, I learned how to use that knife pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 52:35

Very Sagittarius, okay.

SPEAKER_05 52:38

So, with not only the uh the build out of the cocktail, can you talk a bit about kind of the storytelling aspect um within the program?

SPEAKER_02 52:52

Of like the cocktails? Yeah, so um my first cocktail I got on there, um so I forget what bar I went to, but we did like uh it was tequila, it was like agave flight. And they gave us a thing called sangrita, and it was a verdita, and I forget what else. But the sangrita was like red, it's kind of more like acidic. Uh the verdita was uh I want to say it was like cucumber in there, like jalapeno, but it's like uh acidic, kind of like herbal spice to it, and it's uh it's a chaser. And then you could start going like different because I wasn't drinking at this time, like started going different spots to get tequila, and they'll always give this the or ask you if you want a little chaser. It's like, oh, it's gotta be a thing they do in like Mexico, or it's like a thing you do with tequila. So it's like, alright. So that came to mind. Their agua chila is also about the same thing. It's like, how do I get a cocktail to match that agua chile? Like, oh I'm gonna take that tequila and I'm gonna add it into that verdita. Instead of having it as a chaser, I'm just gonna make it a cocktail. And then now what do I do? I'm just turning it into a margarita pretty much. Yeah. Um, so then with my cocktail chair, I always just kind of switch them. Um, I had like a little tortilla chip rim on it, so it's kind of like a chips and salsa type of thing. Like that. Um so my story behind that one. Well, the name on that was um Esmeralda. Um also honestly, I don't I don't even I don't really name all my cocktails, I make them. Um kind of get help naming them because I don't I don't even speak Spanish.

SPEAKER_03 54:11

That's the move.

unknown 54:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:12

So Esmeralda was all me. I thought of that one too, because it was green, and I was like, well, when I was growing up as a kid, um I always watched um this show called Esmeralda with my grandma. It's some lady with green eyes. And then my daughter's birthdays may uh single to Mayo, so she her birthstone is green. So like I'll knock out two birds, one stone, add two of my favorite girls into this cocktail and call it Esmeralda.

SPEAKER_03 54:33

Two birds, one stone also is a very good name for a cocktail. Yeah. If you're combining two of your most beloved ladies in your life, put that out there.

SPEAKER_02 54:42

Yeah, the chingona. So that cocktail came from a guest, honestly. Chingona. Um we got this uh Mexican tomorrow called Sheila. So honestly, like one of my yes, I love it. Um it just has like a lot of spices to it. Uh there's like cinnamon in it, there's um guajil in it. Uh it's gonna be like a charred pineapple. And um Scott was like, wow, this would be real good in a cocktail. I'm like, you know what? Instead of just drinking it in the back all the time, I should think about putting it in a cocktail. Damn right. Yeah, so um started just like kind of like reading books and like what goes with tomorrow and things like that. Um I had G4 reposado, I had nothing to do with it. So started just trying to blend things. Um, I finally got it down, and then I caught it chingona because uh Sheila is one of the first um like Mexican women-owned distilleries in Mexico. So hell yeah. Chingona means like badass woman, and it's it's definitely a spirit for a cocktail. Um, does have some spice, I had like some mole in there, so it's it's not for the weak. So chingona was the name for it.

SPEAKER_03 55:40

And neither is the chingona, that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 55:43

Um my tapache. Uh so I was making that tapache, and I had to figure out a cocktail to go with it as well. Also, Chef's a big like tiki drinker type guy. Uh uh, so I wanted to get like some type of tiki drink. Which one's that?

SPEAKER_03 55:57

It's out in the suburbs, it's like river forest. Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Yeah, yeah. It looks and smells like a VA to this day.

SPEAKER_02 56:06

He probably does. One time we were in Milwaukee and he randomly sent us to some tiki bar that was super cool. So he's like a tiki bar guy.

SPEAKER_03 56:14

Ugh. But I don't like the ones downtown. I will say that they're overpriced. Fight me on it. I got a cut with a cotton.

SPEAKER_02 56:21

I got a cool one on the cocktail. So it's like talking about how like you develop and then you get excited to like watch your work. So when I was first starting, it was like doing my own cocktails, it was Valentine's Day, and I wanted to get some Valentine's Day special on there. And it was just like a tequila lime hibiscus, like the most jankiest cocktail. Because I still got the picture, and I look at it and I'm like, damn, Chef was just nice to me. He let me, he just let me put that out there. This was like, it looked horrible. Uh you follow Misty, so that como the floor is now my new version of my new version of what I made then, and like that's so different compared to where I was at. So I do notice like little things of yeah, super developed. So I noticed like little things like that. And just always there, humble.

SPEAKER_03 57:06

Just went to the museum in Texas. I liked it a lot.

SPEAKER_02 57:09

Yeah, but I'm I'm just like noticing like little smart things like that about me. Like, um, yeah, I'm definitely growing into it, growing into it. Yeah, those are like my stories on my names. Um up in New Thomas was a cool one as well. That's um the one before the last. I got that from Camille's dad. Um that's not on the menu no more, but that was my take on the last word. Also, so that's how I get my things out. So again to Chef being from Detroit, so kind of like things like that. Um, that's uh honestly I based my cocktails off of I base my cocktails off of this room.

SPEAKER_05 57:37

Yeah, it's very like it's it's it's like this idea of like intentional inspiration, yeah. Right? So, and that to me is one of the one of the coolest things that that I've seen so far just as like an outsider look looking in. But then another thing is I'm I'm really interested to hear of you know, with all of you know the the accolades and and the praise, like I mean, how does that affect the the beverage program? Is that pressure something that you're um conscious of? It's just like no, we're just out of the way.

SPEAKER_03 58:18

This man said he had anxiety earlier.

SPEAKER_04 58:19

Oh I'm just you know speak on it.

SPEAKER_02 58:22

Oh definitely that that is our pressure now. Uh because it's my name, it's my cocktail. Um and besides that, you're paying for it. So I don't want to give you something that sucks, or I just like like half-assed, like put no thought into. So yeah, no, it's just this everyday stress and struggle. Um, that's why I said like I get what the chefs like getting out. It's like, hey, how come they didn't finish that cocktail out of the way or like something wrong with it, or and not drinking it as quick as I thought they would have drunk it? But uh then yeah, going into like the Michigan and like James Beer. So we we know they're in here, we know they're coming in. Um no, yeah, it's just everyday pressure.

SPEAKER_05 58:56

And is that does that become a new standard for what you all are working on for next door as well?

SPEAKER_02 59:03

Oh, yeah, that's gonna be there's definitely the big standard for next door.

SPEAKER_05 59:06

Um talk about that a bit.

SPEAKER_02 59:08

Yeah, I mean, honestly, there's not too much to talk about yet because we're still developing it. Um, it's gonna be the Molino. Um, so I could tell you right now, I'm gonna go all masa focused cocktails. Um, so in the back, I've been doing the thing called Tahino. Okay. Uh it's fermented corn masa.

SPEAKER_04 59:23

I just started heard about this.

SPEAKER_02 59:25

Yeah, yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_04 59:25

Yeah, I'm not promoting you like that.

SPEAKER_02 59:27

So I read about it, I seen it. Um trial and error, like Chef always says, like, hey, because he was seeing me something I get like the scourged defeat. It's like, why aren't you um trying that no more? It's like, ah, it's sometimes you gotta send it to the case. It's like no, no, yeah, you gotta keep doing it. Like, do you think every time I made the pasta the first time or I did something, it just came out perfect the first time? Like, no, I was like, throw it away, scratch it, throw it away, do it again. So yeah, he made me like yeah, like like because I wasn't just gonna give up on it because it was hard. It's coming out super brown, it's coming out dark, just coming out the way I wanted it to. And um I won't say I mastered it, but I got it down. Um that's so I haven't put it on my I haven't put it on my menu. I haven't put it on the menu, but so the cool thing is we do the taco makase. Um that's kind of like my playground area, which I'm still giving good cocktails, but now I get uh instead of before I put it on the list here, like for the dining room, I kind of like give it out to a couple people, or we have repeat guests, so we all make friends here. Like I made like multiple friends, but like guests that come in. Absolutely. They're not even guests number their friends. Yeah. Um, so when I see them coming in, I'm like, oh, I'm gonna come up with a whole different menu and just give it to them and see what they see. Yeah, I was like, I wish I had everything on me. So I did this uh tahino, I clarified it, came out actually pretty cool. Um, so yeah, I definitely have a direction to what I'm gonna go with that next door. Um, but yeah, we're gonna do slushie. So there will be like a migratory slushy.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:50

But also at the same time, it's really great to be able to have that rapport with your clientele and also with your chef as well, to be able to experiment in real time with guests here as well. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:05

So that's kind of what I do. Um yeah, next tour I can definitely stay a bit more masa driven for me. Um Tahino Kate would definitely be will be over there.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:14

I'm excited. See, I'm learning soon.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:17

Because I'm not familiar.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:18

I wasn't until like in the last couple of weeks, mostly because my best friend is Rochelle.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:25

And so it's almost the same as the tapache, but it's just not a fruit this time. Uh since I got out of masa here anyway, like house made uh handmade house made masa. Uh to have any scraps, I take it. Um, I just boil it down with some pill and seal, um, strain it out, or blend it, strain it out, and just let it sit in the mason jar for about three days. Um just sweet and tangled.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:53

Like texture-wise, I imagine if you blend it versus not blending it, it's not a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:58

Well, I mean, honestly, I'd done it both ways. I done it one time, well, because Missy was recording me and I was trying to give her something cool to record. I just started like trying to cook something, and then instead of blending, I just like threw it straight in, and I was like, damn, I messed that up. But she doesn't she doesn't know that. Honestly, it didn't really change, it didn't really change anything. I just always like blend it into just trying to just like soak it into more of the water, and then yeah. So that's like why I do that, but it didn't really do much.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:21

Textually, yeah. Alright. Alright.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:23

So as we're getting on to as we have known each other for you know quite a bit of time, because I'm just going back through all of the things, especially honeys, which we will talk about off mic, anyhow. Um just what I've been hearing in regards to to your role and how you interact with people, is just like your beverage program is an extension of your personality and your curiosity to the guest.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:54

But it's not monotone as you try to gag yourself earlier, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:02:58

It's just like it is it is elevated, it's dynamic, it's it's rich, and also it it's honest.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:05

Yeah, I mean, um, I also try to put a cottil on there for everyone. So there's there's something on there, yeah. It just should be something on there for at least everyone. I also try to get um every um like at least agave, so it's not just oh, tequila and muscle. Some people are afraid of tequila and muscle, or like never even had it. We get a lot of guests who never had tequila and muscle. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:23

Or if they've had it, it's like Jose Cuerva.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:28

Which, listen, I recently had one of their reserved situations way different than what I was busting out. Yeah, yeah, way different than when I was busting out in college. But like, I'm like looking around this space and the fact that you can like literally see what is available and what I think just looking at that wall over there, which you cannot see, I will not describe for you because I am not good at that. I will say that, like, you have a couple that I as a bartender have never seen before, but a lot of this people won't think that agave spirits are as diverse as this, which is wild.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:12

But and also it's great because looking around, there's so many, so many talking points. Yeah. Right? So it's you look at literally anything, there's a story behind it, and also you can enjoy it at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:28

Yeah, so well yeah, I mean, um kind of like what I tell. So what I learned about muscle as well, because I'm still learning about it. Um it's like wine. Yeah. There's also what's called um the turt um herar and the uh muscle as well. But what it grows around is what it's gonna taste like. So exactly.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:45

You know, it's uh whole idea that if it uh grows with it, it goes with it. Yeah, you know, yes. I was like, that is what I remember from all of the extensive years learning wine.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:57

So also the other thing is like a lot of people don't realize that much like wine, agave does take time to grow. You have to treat the land properly, you have to, it's an investment. And I think that what I really enjoy is, and I know a lot of people aren't gonna agree with this, the fact that agave spirits are priced up now that people understand that it is not a renewable resource in the way that they would like to believe that it is. I think that the fact that they're holding standards to what is and is not an agave spirit is also gonna do wonders, not only for the spirit world, but also for Mexico, because it's not being exploited as much as it was 10 years ago when it comes to agave.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:47

So I mean, since we're on Moscow, like it's literally it's a handmade, uh, it's a handmade spirit.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:54

From the from it being planted to the seeds, from it being grown and chopped down the brush. Like business for the most part.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:02

Ever like every family has devoted generations of like caretaking to these plants, to this land. And like Pop Off Slay, Trinidad got rid of all their fucking sugarcane. They were like, we're done with this. I mean, not really, but like we're not a big export anymore. So I think that the protections that are happening now with agave spirits is exactly where we need it to be. Keep growing.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:30

Finally. Yes. And so if they're gonna open soon.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:35

What time do y'all open? Oh, we open at six.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:38

Oh, yeah. Why did it say the thing online when I looked at it today that it opens at noon?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:43

Also, like it still might be saying like brass heart or something. Because when I call it Uber, it still says brass heart. So maybe I don't know. But yeah, it says six o'clock. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:50

Never mind. Sorry, I was panicking all day for no reason. I'm like, stop moving shit around.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:56

Okay, cool. So as we as we wrap up, from your own words, can you tell us what people should expect from your beverage program and how you want them to feel?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:14

Yeah, so definitely expect agave. You're gonna get some spice. I like spice, so I throw a little bit of spice, but I also try to make cata's for everyone. But if you want a kata, I'm gonna recommend. I'm gonna add some spice to it. Um I love spice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:27

Um you talk a little bit about what type of spice is it because I feel like some of the flavors.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:35

It's gonna be like more like flavor spice. Like I might throw in some serrano, um, get it like ruins like guajio. I like that like the fruit and smokeness good from that guajio. So you're gonna pick up things like that. Um I'm definitely coming in with like more like clean approach to my cocktail. So um nothing like too heavy on the palate, nothing like real murky. Um stuff like that. It's kind of clean. Um, and things that will go with the food. So I could kind of like build like a cocktail, kind of like um like pairing if you wanted to or something. So like the cocktails will match the food.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:06

Perfect.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:07

And then I was gonna say, y'all need to take a little trip up to Rogers Park, visit me at the bar.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:12

Alright, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:13

Yeah, yeah. Come on down, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:16

But then also, what is outside of here? What is your your go-to cocktail?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:23

My go-to cocktail.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:24

Um wait, did you say outside of here? Okay, not here.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:28

Yes. I have I have two. It depends on what mood I'm in. Okay. Go for it. So I'll say my first one was kind of like my go-to recently, is a Mescal Negroni.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:37

We just talked about how I put that on the menu. Well, it's not a Mezcal Negroni. What do you mean? Well, his is, but when I say Mezcal Negroni, I'm thinking, remember, I'm only a white Negroni bitch. Yeah, you're so good. Oh god, yes, no, for sure. Yes, but my go-to. Also, don't laugh at me, Jojo.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:56

You can confirm I love a Mezcal Negroni. Oh, yeah. Yes. Uh continue.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:01

If I'm at Money Gun, shout out Money Gun, uh, Trinidad Sour.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:04

Yes. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:07

Yes, yes. Okay. Oh, but Vets also has like probably like one of the best like Trinidad's Trinidad Sour for sure. Um Negroni.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:14

I don't think Trinidad has been said this much on this ever. You said it like three times in a row just now. I thought I was gonna pop back up in Port of Spain.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:24

I feel like I think I was just being called home right now. I think so. Yeah, that's fair.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:29

Well, my friend, how was your time with us?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:32

It was fun. Uh more relaxing than I thought. Yeah, we're just people. Yeah, just chilling.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:37

But listen, over 250,000 people are gonna listen to this.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:41

Yeah, nice. Yeah. Hopefully, I can ask some followers. I have no followers on Instagram.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:44

Me neither. I like it that way, though. Don't follow me.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:47

You know, but that was gonna be my my follow-up. How the people find you if you want to be found.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:52

Oh, uh, Instagram's El Gusano312. Okay. That is how I will be phoned.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:56

Oh, yeah. Perfect. Great.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:58

And then you are Or come next door to the Molino when we open up. Pitching it, selling it.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:04

Amazing. Yes. And you are here at Carinho every day that every open, yeah. Every day.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:11

Every day that they're open because they'd be closing for reasons that are important and valuable to them, their staff, and showing the community that it's okay to not have your favorite place available every day of the week.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:23

I mean, I guess uh with me too gets into like Chef, because yesterday Chef was like, hey Ray, who's gonna start making your cocktails? Like, what do you mean? What am I gonna do? He's like, well, eventually you gotta teach someone to make the cocktails. Like, yeah, yes, and that's a right. I would teach them, but will they ever make the cocktail? No, because I'm gonna make the cocktail.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:38

Ah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:38

You gotta tell Chefley, hey Chef, you should come out on a like expo, and like you don't always gotta be in there, like, no, no, I want to cook. Yeah. So it's like I would try and take him out. I would take a cookie.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:48

Well, see, listen, the way that he said is he's been doing this for a hot second minute, but I think that it is important and valuable the earlier on you are in whatever position you're in to learn how to start explaining that to other people. Because when I transitioned from being a line cook, prep cook into a sous chef position, no one was fucking teaching me the things that you need to know because they're gatekeeping. But I mean, pop off slate, continue being on the floor doing it. I like that. But you should also start.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:23

I love it. I just have not.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:25

I've been hanging out with uh a lot of gays recently. As a queer myself, I'm not around the gays a lot. It's in my brain now.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:35

Okay, got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, then when I start, you know, pop off popping that.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:39

Say it. Say it, mean it. Pop off slay. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:44

Thank you. Um, yeah, no, that pop off slay. Like just like completely like the report loop.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:50

Okay. I just feel myself turning more and more into a gay man every year that I continue to work at my job, which is crazy.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:58

That's but I have zero commentary on that. Okay, you're welcome. You know, just like as a gay man myself, I don't. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:05

Listen, gay men are basically black women. Fight me on it. Okay. Fight me on it. Okay, fair. Well. I think we have to finish now.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:13

Whoa, and on that note, on that note, Ray, thank you so very much. Yeah, thank you guys for coming out. Um we have to come in for dinner. No, you do. Oh, 110%. And for cocktails.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:25

I don't go out, so the idea, I also don't go to places that I feel like I can make it myself as someone who can make whatever the fuck I feel like. So I gotta come in because my best friend and I have recently decided that our summer project is she's half Mexican and um she decided she wants to start making her own tortillas. So that is our side quest this summer. But I need to do more research first.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:57

Real.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:58

That's what I'm saying. So, yeah, you're gonna see me.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:01

Come stage my chef. Chef will let you stage in here.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:03

I uh listen. I have uh been thinking about stodging randomly, but I also know that if I do it, I'm gonna get sucked back in. So I have not done it yet. I have been helping out some of my chefs if they need like a line cook for a couple of weeks or whatever the fuck. I will do that. I will pop in, but I'm I'm bartending now and fighting for my life on this podcast, apparently. No, well, no, I can't.

SPEAKER_06 1:13:34

You can do both.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:34

Yes, I'm like, I'm trying to see what's going on over there. I'm just not life.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:38

I'm like, you're on both sides of this house.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:40

I just taught like three other people at my job how to sharpen their knives. I forgot that I knew how to do that. It's muscle memory.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:47

It's the image for me of the ghost with Chef teaching you how to do the knife work like it was.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:58

And then he bought me like a little play set, it was like a little play-doh knife set.

unknown 1:14:01

Ah.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:03

Because he wasn't sure if I knew how to use the real knife kit or not. But I graduated and got like a real real knife.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:09

Yeah, so well.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:13

Now that we're on that note, on that note, um, well.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:18

You gotta do some stuff.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:20

No.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:21

We you ain't got nothing to do? No, I mean, because we're Well, okay. Then let's go. Let's go. Shout out to everyone here in this room. Thank you for inviting us. Um and my name is Nriba Shepard. You can find me on Instagram at R-E-B-A-R-U-Ribaroo. And but don't.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:41

But don't. And I am Justin O'Netgram, and you can find me on Instagram at this is Biko. But then also on top of that, uh, please come and see our friends at Carino, and then also at the new spot, which please Hermanos Molino.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:58

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:59

Bolin's Hermanos.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:02

Listen. No, I got no, you're fine. Neither can I, it's fine. Well, you didn't hear anything. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:08

Bolinos des or Hermanos.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:10

Okay, perfect. One more time.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:13

Molino's des Hermanos.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:16

Listen! Don't let these white people shake it.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:19

No, you're dead too. Jake. I got another funny one because they'll be like, oh, can I get this cocktail? And I'll be like, well, they don't like, oh yeah, they are.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:26

Listen, my last cocktail on the winter menu was a play on a penicillin but with mescal. I used a young meccal in the base and an aged one for the top off. I wanted to call it Rosemary's Baby, but I didn't want it to be like Rosemary's baby the movie. I wanted to literally say that. I can no longer remember it. But I had to have two other people that spoke Spanish translate it for me, and they did both did it as Rosemary's Baby. I was like, no, no, no, no, no. I want like De Romera. I think it was El Niña de Romera. I am not Spanish. I do not speak Spanish. I am from Trinidad, where we speak English or bad English. You're lucky I don't have an accent. Yeah, I'm from Chicago.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:25

I'm Spanish.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:26

I don't speak Spanish. People think I'm Dominican. Or Great English.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:31

The same. Yeah. You both are doing great. But then also, on that note, we gotta go. Love you so very much. And we'll see you out there. Yes. Thank you. Peace.