Meet Alejandro Rodriguez-Garcia | Chef/Co-Owner Dos Caras

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alejandro Rodriguez-Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alejandro, what are you inspired by?
I am a first generation native of Mexico. My family’s history lies in the central part of Mexico, Michoacan where the purhepecha reign since pre colonial times. Both of my parents immigrated here not knowing the language or culture but simply knowing how to work and wanting better lives for their family. Starting my business was inspired by all of these things. My mothers hospitality in inviting strangers into her home and feeding them inspired me to cook from the heart and make people feel welcomed and nurtured by my food. My heritage inspires me to discover more native ingredients from the Americas used in my food, and showcase the beautiful art coming from Michoacan. The sacrifice my parents endured leaving their homes to find a new one, their desire to give us a better life is my biggest inspiration. I cannot let their sacrifice be in vain and they inspire me to propel my vision forward to change the way people think about Mexican culture and food.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2013 I had been cooking for 6 years. I was managing a retirement home, hospice was where I had begun my culinary career. I was content over cooking vegetable and under seasoning food for the forgotten members of our society. When the company was bought out they put me on probation and asked me to perform at a level I never had and 30 days later I was fired. In those 30 days my mothers mother fell I’ll and was in the hospital. She was a very resourceful cook, raising 9 children alone while working her farm in Mexico. She taught my mother and aunts to cook and her knowledge was eventually passed down to me. The knowledge of her incapacity was not easy to accept especially remembering how delicious and simple her food was. The week after I was fired she passed away, I had no leads to a new job and felt hopeless and depressed. On one of those restless she came to me in my dreams. She was grinding corn on a metate in her rudimentary kitchen, a stream was flowing beneath the metate and she was looking into the distance kneeled and grinding she told me “you have nothing to lose hijo, go to school.” When I woke I immediately signed up for culinary school. My late registration was miraculously accepted. I spent 4 years in culinary school. We learned about all of the great cuisines of the world and I realized that mine was not represented. I would check out atleast 5 cook books every week and started working in restaurants. I picked up Sean Brock’s cookbook and I began reading about his rediscovery of local grains in the south. I saw the impact Alice Waters had on the restaurant scene and the artistry behind all of it. Culinary school became a playground for me I experimented and pushed myself to experience new concepts, and flavors. I decided to dedicate my life to Mexican food. My palette was naturally suited to Mexican food. I know the ingredients and flavors so I began studying the cuisine. Before I checked out 5 books now it was 10, YouTube and google, we’re in constant search for traditional Mexican foods. I needed a foundation and I got it, but the time I graduated culinary school I was prepared to show my knowledge and artistic food style. I had a vision diving deep into the resurgence of Native American cooking by Sean Sherman. Mexicans are native too, we use a lot of the same ingredients. In pre Colombian time there was an extensive trade route that connected all of the pre colonial Americas. I was trying to find something that connected them all and it was corn! Corn was found all throughout the Americas. I began drafting an idea for a central wet mill that featured corn from all of the Americas, south and north. From there I began challenging the traditional ideas of Mexican cuisine, I learned sto distinguish the difference between Native American, including mexico, ingredients and European and Asian. Now 15 years of experience and knowledge culminate in the project me and my brother collaborate on. Our project Dos Caras draws its names from two masks used in a traditional dance from michocan honoring the sun and the moon, seasonality and harvest time. It also represent us. I think of myself as a Mexican cook working with Denver seasonality, now during the summertime when tomatoes and fresh chilie peppers are abundant I do not use dried peppers. I use seasonal ingredients in our food such as watermelon, cucumbers, cactus pears, gooseberries.

Unconventional ingredients in Mexican food nevertheless Mexican. We also are a majority plant based stepping away from the traditional meat heavy, sour cream and cheese platers. We trade that for foraged quelites, locally farmed corn and tomatoes, and recipes from the 1700s. My mission is to challenge the idea of Mexican food by understanding the produce in my area, understand seasonality and avoid drawing from sources that are across the world to keep my menu consistent. I want to teach people how to care for the planet, their community and themselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Somebody people is such a funky sophisticated dinner spot. The coolest institution in Denver with a very well kept secret: they’re 100% plant based.

Brutø, best food in Denver currently, the chef is Mexican but draws from the season and technique driven food, 5 course tasting menu.

American Elm, great bar program, solid food and it’s a neighborhood spot!

Basta Is one of Denver best kept secret, so well kept its in Boulder Colorado, hearth fried food and a bar program that competes with the best bars in the east and west coast. A real treat.

PonPon just a solid industry bar, industry meaning artist, cumbia band members, chefs, the most interesting people.

Funky Flame, our great friends Colton and Allison both bread heads. Wood fired baked good, solid breakfast, and dinner pizzas, all out of a decommissioned mechanic shop parking lot.

Potager, friends of my partner, husband and wife duo, solid French bistro, husband leading the kitchen wife leading the bevi program and little baby son leading the adorable vibe. Wonderful little restaurant, with the best patio in Denver..

3 Margaritas, solid marg and queso type place. The owner Chuy a great friend of ours loves to see people enjoy themselves a family owned business such a great institution to support.

La Reyna del Sur, food truck slanging Oaxacan food. Respectively the most authentic Mexican food in Denver. Two traditional cocineros from Oaxaca import ingredients from Mexico and create the most unique and delicious Mexican food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Chef Jose Ramos, executive chef of Nido’s Backyard in Oakland. His extensive knowledge and way of understanding Mexican cuisine really shaped the way I view it as well. Like all of the great painters had a mentor and solid springboard to launch from. Originally chef of the famed Nopalito chef Jose Ramos opened many Mexican restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area. His flavors are authentic with a seasonal twist. He deserves a lot of recognition but his story has not yet been told. I love this man and he will always be my greatest mentor.

Instagram: @salsadoscaras

Other: Can be found weekly at City Park Farmers Market and South Pearl St. In Denver.

Image Credits
B&W Dos Caras Stephan Werk director of Sons of Mezcal