Oro by Nixta owners reflect on James Beard nomination and making corn the star of a dish
Five Minnesota chefs and two businesses are in the running for the prestigious James Beard Awards this year. Among them is Oro by Nixta, a semifinalist for best new restaurant in the United States.
Gustavo and Kate Romero expanded their northeast Minneapolis tortilla operation into a restaurant this past summer. It’s since been celebrated in Eater Twin Cities and the Star Tribune as restaurant of the year but it’s also part of a mission to showcase heirloom Mexican corn.
The co-owners and chefs joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about celebrating heirloom corn and their recent nomination.
What have you done to celebrate?
Kate: Well, we got the news yesterday morning and the restaurant is only open Wednesday through Saturday. So we were open yesterday, we were celebrating with all the faces that dine with us.
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Not even not even a toast of champagne or anything like that?
Gustavo: We did some a little bit. We have to talk to the team and thank them for their hard work and discuss what’s next and in and get back into it.
I understand you have a pretty small staff. Is that right?
Kate: Yeah, absolutely. Our entire payroll, I think consists of about 20-22 employees. So everybody here is here all the time and we don’t have multiple different servers every day. If you come in here for dinner you’re likely seeing one of the four or five servers that we have taking your order. Then the kitchen staff is all here full time, they’re the same people doing the same thing every day.
What do you each bring to the restaurant?
Gustavo: Oh, man, I mean, combine 35 years of experience. You know, I think we are definitely different, but we want the same thing. That makes it interesting to work. We complement each other pretty well, we work really well together.
How hard is it to navigate a brand new restaurant?
Kate: It’s pretty hard. I think having worked in restaurants, obviously it is easier working for someone else because you don’t have to worry about the day-to-day operations like paying of the bills, the managing of the staff — you get to just show up.
Being an owner has got its challenges, but it also has its rewards. Like we’re very grateful for the opportunity to be able to employ our staff, you know, pay them really fair wages. They’re all generally happy to be here and work with us too. There’s hard stuff but the rewards are pretty great to have the day-to-day work.
And you get to see people eating your food, that’s pretty cool.
Gustavo: It is very rewarding. We have the luxury that we get to talk to people and we get to ask them how their meal was and other experiences and you know, I think that’s very important to know what they feel.
Your restaurant’s named ‘Oro,’ which I think means gold, is that right?
Kate: Yes, in Spanish. The reason we call it that is because corn is gold in Mexican cuisine, it’s such a big basis of the food that people all across Mexico and really all over the world also but in specifically in Mexico and then Latin American, Central American, South American countries eat. Every dish has some sort of corn, so the ingredient itself is gold.
I think of corn as a side dish or an ingredient but you’re trying to make corn be the center of your menu.
Gustavo: For us it’s been the base and the beginning of everything that we’ve done so we want to we want to showcase it. We wanted to educate people to the importance they have for us as a culture. The idea of changing the way people eat and the way the people look at corn is very important for us so we are trying to do it the best we can.
Don’t you have a relationship with Mexican heirloom corn?
Gustavo: I think every Mexican does. We all kind of grow up around corn and eating fresh tortillas, I think that is very close to home for us. For the ones that are far away from home, having something so important be down the street is just like being home.
Are you supporting Mexican corn famers?
Gustavo: Yes, we worked with a couple companies. We make sure we work with companies that care about the producers. We dream one day of being able to do the same thing here. But the Midwest has a completely different idea of what corn is.
People here are used to the sweetcorn and that’s about it. So it’s gonna take some time and it’s gonna take some some learning and some troubleshooting but that’s the dream, to be able to have some really good Minnesota corn and then we can be proud to make tortillas with.
Are you using other ingredients such as wild rice?
Kate: We do utilize some Minnesota wild rice actually, for one of our most delicious non-alcoholic beverages on our menu, we make a wild rice Horchata. And then sometimes here and there it will pop in to the menu, but our menu changes quite frequently. It’s not on the menu all the time but that Horchata is not going anywhere, people love it.
Do you have anything special coming up to celebrate the nomination?
Kate: I haven’t even gotten that far. I’m just trying to still wrap my head around what happened and get through a lot of emails and flood of reservations and things. Honestly, I just look forward to Sunday when we’re done with this week, so we can hang out with our little boy at home because he is in day care currently for the day and then he spends evenings with my mom, his Polish grandma.
So we’re not seeing him a lot because they’re so busy. So I look forward to that the most, celebrating with him.
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Audio transcript
Oro chefs and owners Kate and Gustavo Romero are on the line. Congratulations to you both.
GUSTAVO ROMERO: Thank you.
KATE ROMERO: Thank you so much. Thanks for having us.
CATHY WURZER: Oh my goodness. What have you done to celebrate, Kate?
KATE ROMERO: Well, we got the news yesterday morning, and the restaurant's only open Wednesday through Saturday. So we were open yesterday. We were celebrating with all the faces that wanted to come and dine with us. So that's what we did.
CATHY WURZER: OK. Gustavo, not even a toast of champagne or anything like that?
GUSTAVO ROMERO: I mean, we did a little bit of that. We have to. We have to talk to the team, and thank them for their hard work, and discuss about what's next, and then get back into it.
CATHY WURZER: Now, I understand you have a pretty small staff. Is that right, Kate?
KATE ROMERO: Yeah, absolutely. Our entire payroll, I think, consists of about 20, 22 employees. So everybody here is here all the time, and we don't have multiple like different servers every day. If you come in here for dinner, you're likely seeing the one of the four or five servers that we have is going to be taking your order. And then, the kitchen staff is all here full time, and that's what they work. But it's the same people doing the same things every day.
CATHY WURZER: And you two are business partners, and you're married, obviously. Gustavo, what do you each bring to the restaurant, you and Kate?
GUSTAVO ROMERO: Oh, man. I mean, combined 35 years of experience. I think we're definitely different, but we want the same thing. So that makes it interesting to work. And we complement each other pretty well. I think we work really well together.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, Kate. The restaurant business is so difficult. How hard is it to navigate a brand new restaurant?
KATE ROMERO: It's pretty hard, you know? And I think, having worked in restaurants, obviously it was easier working for someone else because you don't have to worry about the day-to-day operations, the paying of the bills, the managing of the staff. You just show up and work.
So having to be an owner, it's got its challenges, but it also has its rewards. We're very grateful for the opportunity to be able to employ our staff, pay them really fair wages. They're all generally happy to be here and work with us, too. So there's hard stuff, but the rewards are pretty great, too, of the day-to-day work.
CATHY WURZER: And you get to see people eating your food, Gustavo. That's pretty cool.
GUSTAVO ROMERO: It is. It is very rewarding. We have the luxury that we get to talk to people, and we get to ask them how their meal is and how their experience is. And I think it's very important to know what your guest feels.
CATHY WURZER: Now, your restaurant's named Oro, which I think means "gold." Is that right, Kate?
KATE ROMERO: Yes, it's gold in Spanish. And the reason we called it that is because corn is gold in Mexican cuisine. It's such a big basis of the food that people all across Mexico-- and really, all over the world also, but in specifically in Mexico-- and then Latin America, Central America, and South American countries eat. Every dish has some sort of corn thing. So gold, it's-- the ingredient itself is gold.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. So Gustavo, let me ask you about that because on your menu, corn is at the center of it. Because when I think of corn, I think of a side dish or an ingredient. But you're trying to make this corn be the center of your menu. Is that right?
GUSTAVO ROMERO: Yeah, that is correct. For us, it's been that. It's been the base and the beginning of everything that we've done. We wanted to showcase it. We want to educate people into the importance that it has for us as a culture. And the idea of being able to change the way people eat and the way that people look at corn is very important for us. So we're trying to do it in the best way we can.
CATHY WURZER: Don't you have a relationship with Mexican heirloom corn? I thought I remember reading that. It goes back to childhood for you. Is that right?
GUSTAVO ROMERO: Yeah. I mean, I think every Mexican does. I think we all grow up around corn and eating fresh tortillas. I think that it's very close to us, very close to home. And for us, for the ones they're far away from home, having something so important be done the right way is just like being at home.
CATHY WURZER: And are you supporting Mexican farmers who are growing that corn now? Do you use their corn?
GUSTAVO ROMERO: Yes, we work with a couple companies. They export the corn, and then it's been-- we made sure that we work with companies that take care of the producers, and with the dreams to one day being able to do the same here. We have we have a project where we're trying to adaptation, get some corn that will grow, and be able to utilize it for nixtamalized and in tortilla and masa production.
But the truth is, in the Midwest, it's a completely different idea of what corn is. People here are used to the sweet corn, and that's about it. So it's going to take some time. It's going to take some learning and some troubleshooting, but that's the dream. The dream is to be able to have some really good Minnesotan corn, and then we can be proud to make tortillas with that.
CATHY WURZER: Are you using, Kate, other ingredients? Of course, we grow a lot of corn in Minnesota, and Gustavo just mentioned that, but other ingredients, like wild rice?
KATE ROMERO: Yeah, we do we utilize some Minnesota wild rice, actually, for one of our most delicious non-alcoholic beverages on our menu. We make a wild rice horchata. And then, sometimes, here and there, we'll pop in to the menu. But our menu changes quite frequently, so it's not on the menu all the time. But that horchata, that's not going anywhere. People love it.
CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] Of course, we're talking to you at about 12:37 in the afternoon here during lunchtime for a lot of people. So when we talk to chefs on the show, we always ask them, what are you having for lunch today? Gustavo?
GUSTAVO ROMERO: I think Antonia which is our maestra tortillera, is making family meal. I'm not entirely sure. We're to her mercy to see what she feeds us. But we also have that luxury that we eat at work all the time, so whatever they want to make for us.
CATHY WURZER: Well, that sounds good. So it's kind of chef's pick. It could be anything.
GUSTAVO ROMERO: It's like chef's choice, yes.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. Sounds great. So anything that you have coming up special to celebrate the nomination, Kate?
KATE ROMERO: Oh, you know, I haven't even gotten that far. I'm just trying to still wrap my head around what happened, but also now get through a lot of emails and a lot of reservations and things. Honestly, I just look forward to Sunday when we're done with this week so we can hang out with our little boy at home because--
CATHY WURZER: Good.
KATE ROMERO: --he's in daycare currently for the day, and then he spends evenings with my mom, his Polish grandma. So we're not seeing him a lot because we're so busy, so I look forward to that, I think, the most. Celebrating with him.
CATHY WURZER: Good, good. I wish you both well. I'm so happy you took the time to talk with us. Thank you so much, and congratulations, and best of luck.
GUSTAVO ROMERO: Thank you for having us.
KATE ROMERO: Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.
CATHY WURZER: You too. Kate and Gustavo Romero, the owner and chefs of Oro by Nixta in Northeast Minneapolis. It was named yesterday as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for best new restaurant in the country. Finalists will be announced in April.
And, because it was so popular last year, we're going to bring back a series here on the program called "What's For Lunch?" That's where we call up Minnesota chefs for a look behind the scenes of some of the state's favorite restaurants. Monday, I'm going to be talking to Jorge Guzmán, the chef behind Petite León.
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