Food & Wine August 2018

CERVECERÍA AGUAMALA MANTIS ($5) I love this tangy witbier from Ensenada-based brewery Aguamala, especially when enjoyed at their oceanography-themed tasting room (owner and brewer Nathaniel Schmidt started out as a marine biologist). 2015 VENA CAVA BIG BLEND ($30) A robust blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and several other grapes, this Valle de Guadalupe red was one of the best wines I tasted while traveling in Mexico with Rick Bayless (see “Baja on the Rise,” p. 82). TEQUILA CLASE AZUL REPOSADO ($90) Margaritas are great, but sometimes you just need to sit back and sip some tequila straight. This is one of my favorites—it’s a seductive reposado that seamlessly balances vegetal agave and light caramel-oak notes.…

AS OF THIS WRITING, the news of Anthony Bourdain’s death is five days old, and the world he documented mourns a legend. I didn’t know him personally, but Bourdain’s suicide cuts deep. In 2001, I tore through the pages of Kitchen Confidential, his memoir, which launched the greatest second act of any chef in history. For me, that book validated the notion that I could go out and make a living in a liminal zone between cooking and writing. A few years later, after I quit my newspaper gig and moved to New York to become a “real” cook, I saw Bourdain at a bar and bought him a beer to thank him. My hero shooed me away, already weary of adulation. Bourdain’s star rose just as media coverage of global food…

1 CHEFS WITH ISSUES Mental illness shouldn’t be taboo. That’s why F&W contributor Kat Kinsman, senior editor of Extra Crispy, founded Chefs with Issues—to shine a light for restaurant workers struggling with mental illness and sobriety. If you need help or resources, reach out at chefswithissues.com. 2 HAVE BIKE, WILL TRAVEL My favorite way to cover ground in a new city is on a bicycle, especially in cities that sponsor a bike-share program. Packable, fold-flat bike helmets by Morpher make the ride safer. $149, morpherhelmet.com 3 PANTRY STAPLES From guajillos and chiles de árbol to tiny pequín, dried chiles add depth and savor to pots of beans and stews and form the base of many quick salsas. Marx Foods is my favorite source. marxfoods.com PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIK TANNER/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES; ILLUSTRATIONS: EMILY JOHNSON…

THE MEXICAN CHEF ON EVERYONE’S LIPS RIGHT NOW? Oswaldo Oliva, of Lorea in Mexico City. After staging and cooking at Spain’s fine-dining institutions—El Celler de Can Roca, Mugaritz—Oliva never thought he would return to his hometown. He had the best job in the world doing research and development at Mugaritz, Andoni Luis Aduriz’s modernist temple. It was demanding. It was creative. It was the kind of job he couldn’t find in Mexico when he first finished culinary school. But four years ago, a whirlwind trip with Aduriz to Mexico City set him on a new path. “I ate at incredible fine-dining restaurants and taco stands,” says Oliva. “The city had changed. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and when an idea gets in your head, it starts eating away at…

HUITLACOCHE “This corn-cob fungus typically is cooked in stews or quesadillas, but I prefer to poach the sweet, slightly bitter ingredient as simply as possible and then butter it. It’s amazing.” FAVA BEANS “We see these springtime peas in early February. I pickle them right away so we can use them in the coming months. I love their texture and acidity once pickled—they become tangy and tart.” MAMEY “Creamy and with a seed that has a nutty, almond-like aroma, this indigenous fruit is usually whirled into milkshakes, but I love it grilled and dressed with hazelnut oil.”…

What restaurant in all of Mexico are you most excited about right now? “Joel Ornelas, from Tintoque in Puerto Vallarta, is taking the Pacific Coast flavors to another level.” —FRANCISCO RUANO VILLANUEVA, ALCALDE, GUADALAJARA, MEXICO “Origen in Oaxaca.” —VAL M. CANTU, CALIFORNIOS, SAN FRANCISCO “Le Tachinomi Desu in Mexico City. They have an amazing selection of natural wines, and the three-course omakase is amazing.” —GABRIELA CÁMARA, CALA, SAN FRANCISCO, AND CONTRAMAR, MEXICO CITY “La Docena in Mexico City. Every time I go, I spend my whole Sunday drinking rosé and eating brunch and dinner.” —DANIELA SOTO-INNES, COSME AND ATLA, NEW YORK CITY What destination do you recommend for food lovers? “Baja is exploding, and I’m planning a trip there to find out what’s up!” —VAL M. CANTU “Guadalajara.” —DANIELA SOTO-INNES “Truly just traveling to the lesser-known states. The food varies so much that you…