Shawn Cronin: Executive Chef/Partner M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
My favorite restaurant memory happened the first time I went to Chicago. I was there on a food trip, since I had always heard about all the progressive culinary movements, the Michelin stars, the James Beard awards. At the time I was 28 years-old and had never been on a plane in my life, (never being able to afford to travel on a line cook wage). I had saved up for so long and I wanted to make sure this was a trip were I didn't have to hold back. I remember incredible experiences at award-winning restaurants like Girl and the Goat, eating Oysters in Eataly with Prosecco and incredible charcuterie at Publican meats.
There was one place, Au Cheval, that so many regulars kept saying was a must have, 'Try the burger". Every server or Lyft driver I encountered I would ask,' Where do you like to eat?" The amount of times of hearing you have to try the burger at Au Cheval being repeated was too many times to ignore.
Finally one night, about 9:00, I stumbled into this tiny dimly lit diner. The place was packed and I was told that there would be a small wait. As I waited I knew this was the place to be. They blasted 90's hip hop to a level where I could hardly hear the hostess call my name. I was seated at the counter right next to the expo where the cooks were directly in front of me. All of them heavily tatted, wearing bandanas and singing along to Wu Tang blasting through the air. They had about 10 beers on tap, all of which were popular craft beers. I started talking to the guy on expo (turned out to be the sous chef) and we started talking food. I looked at the menu and saw Foie Gras Terrine and realized I could care less about a burger. I asked the sous chef about it and he said it was something he came up with as a labor of love. He continued that although it wasn't the biggest seller, it was one of his favorites.
I ordered my beer and the foie gras. When it came to the table there was 2 slices of a beautifully made terrine, 2 slices of basic Texas toast, and a shot glass of strawberry jelly where I watched the line cook overfill until it ran down the side of the glass. The initial thought was no frills, no crazy garnish, just here's what you ordered; bread, jam and terrine. I combined everything and took a bite and at that moment realized the amount of work, technique, long hours, missed friendships, late nights, early morning, books and chapters read, and in general, the sacrifices that the person who created this dish had to experience. It was truly a work of art. The sous chef looked at me as I was staring at my plate trying to dissect and figure out exactly how this dish was done. He asked, well what do you think? Is it ok? I said to him, "homie, this is f***** incredible". Truly a perfect dish.
I finished off with a whiskey and a pickleback. My first time trying the combo. I have had many more since that moment.
On another trip I had the burger and it was really incredible but it couldn't come close to the emotion from the terrine. They have since change the dish altogether but the memory will live on.
Jade Santiago & Jared Winter, Managers at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five & M’tucci’s Moderno:
We traveled to Seattle, our first trip to a state where we were completely alone. We basically saved up money to eat out and watch baseball. One morning we were walking around trying to find something to cure our post-game hangovers and stumbled across this huge line that went into a small, maybe 20-person restaurant. We put our names on the list and walked around a little more before we finely got a table.
Immediately, Jared ordered an Irish coffee and I got a mimosa. I remember the tables were so close together and it was complete organized chaos. The service was genuine and very pleasant. I ordered the lobster benedict and Jared order their breakfast burrito. The food was amazing and honestly, this was the best breakfast date we had ever had. I made sure we stopped there a few more times on our trip.
Chris O’Sickey, General Manager/Partner M’tucci’s Italian:
Several years ago, my family and I were visiting my 70 year-old grandmother in Deltona, Florida. We were walking around the streets and we walked by a small cafe that had a sign specializing in Polish food, which is part of my heritage. My other grandmother, who had passed away was from Poland. My grandmother (who was with us) said she had dined there and gave it rave reviews. As my Mom, my brother and grandmother and I sat down, we starting perusing the menu and saw that they had a lot great dishes that we remembered from growing up.
My Mom said, “I remember when your grandmother used to make this dish.”
So, we ordered a bunch of things to share and had such a great time sitting there on their patio. Even a light rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of our meal, so we just sat there and enjoyed the weather, the food, and the memories with family. That’s what restaurants are all about: great food, good times with family, and sharing and creating memories.
Cory Gray, Executive Chef/Partner M’tucci’s Italian
One of my most memorable restaurant experiences is from growing up on the East Coast. Northern Virginia had great access to bountiful varieties of fresh Atlantic seafood. My family and friends would go to the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River to feast. Seafood boil was always everyone’s favorite.
We would sit at a large table covered with butcher paper, everyone would get a wooden mallet and there would be lots of melted butter, lemons, and tons of paper towels and wet naps. Then came the bushels of seafood: crab, shrimp, clams and mussels and don’t forget the corn-on-the-cob and new potatoes. The waitress would dump everything on the table for everyone to have at - almost like a trough. It was so delicious and fun to share with everyone. It’s an exciting and messy experience that everyone always loved. We would eat, talk, and drink for hours. Great memories and good for the soul.
Amanda Romero, General Manager M’tucci’s Moderno
I was first introduced to Tepan restaurants as a young teenager. I had never been seated at a table with a large warm grill in front of me and strangers sitting all around the table. I remember reading through the menu, quickly skipping over all the things I didn’t understand and deciding on a plain-Jane teenager dinner option. It was my birthday and my mom wanted to take me here for my special day. The waitress took our order and quickly brought out salads and soups for everyone. As a pickier eater back then, I skipped over the salad, offering it to my mother, and slurped down the delicious soup. Then the chef came out with his large smile and exciting personality. The meal was a blast!
From making a heart out of the rice to a volcano with the veggies, I was sold! The chef was interacting with everyone at the table including singling me out as the birthday girl. It was an experience I would never forget. Over the next six years I spent every birthday there with my mom. She would let me invite a few close friends and family members. Usually we would fill the table. I always looked forward to my fried ice cream dessert including hitting the large restaurant gong to commemorate another year of my life. As time went by, I started to really enjoy the salad and veggies that came with the dish and I ordered more exciting dishes that I found on the menu. It was the first place I legally ordered a drink on my 21st birthday and it was where I first tried sushi. It is one of my favorite places in Albuquerque because of the wonderful memories it brings back and the wonderful time spent with my friends and family.
