ÁTAME: A Cuban Food Pop-Up Series
INTRODUCING CUBAN FOOD TO THE MIDWEST USING LOCAL INGREDIENTS AND GLOBALLY INFLUENCED TECHNIQUES.
What does Átame mean? Átame means ‘tie me up’ in English (if you are familiar with Pedro Almodóvar’s films, this might ring a bell.) Átame symbolizes the delicate balance of a restaurant; from the host’s conversations, the kitchen staffs’ knotted apron strings to the guests’ interlocking utensils, both guests and crew are tied up in a love of good food.
Photo of Cuban garlic vendor by Charlie Clift.
MEET JOSE.
Jose was born in Placetas, a city in the Villa Clara Province at the center of Cuba. He grew up with a deep connection to the surrounding landscape and the people who farmed it, and learned the basics of great cooking from his grandma, Magaly–an amazing chef at Iglesia Católica San Atanasio. Despite moving to the United States at the age of 14, cooking was always a way for Jose to deepen his relationship to his family, and to Cuba. As a teenager, he began working as a dishwasher at a Miami restaurant, and found that kitchens were a place where chaos, creativity, and discipline converged. Inspired, he began to cook his way through fine dining restaurants across Miami, Austin, and now, Indianapolis. Shaped by a life lived amongst many cultures and landscapes, Jose brings a piece of each of these places with him when he cooks. Yet at the heart of all of his endeavors is his enduring love of Cuba–and his desire to translate that love through good food.
Jose and his grandmother, Magaly, cooking at home together in Miami.
Monday, September 16th
five COURSES
I am so excited to have you join me on September 16th to share in this 5 course tasting menu. I want everyone to feel at home during this meal–to think of it as if you were going to a friend’s or loved one’s house for dinner. Everyone is welcome here. One of the most beautiful aspects of my culture is our hospitality, and how quickly we open our doors to feed a stranger. Mi casa es tu casa. The menu will center products from local farmers across Indiana with a fine dining twist, yet is inspired by all of the meals I grew up eating in Cuba.
THE CORRIDOR @ the STUTZ
When thinking of locations of where to host this dinner, my good friends at Julieta lended a hand, and have kindly let me use their kitchen and event space. This event would not have happened without Gabriel and Esteban's help. Turner’s, the bar next door to Julieta, will be crafting cocktails to pair with some of the dishes on the tasting menu (drinks are not included in ticket pricing).
experience cuban cuisine
The story of Cuban food has not yet been fully told: its history has been hidden and suppressed, just like the island itself. One of my goals as a chef is to pull back that curtain, to reveal the true complexity and poetry of Cuban cuisine, which is made up of a melting pot of cultures and people. I thank you so much for joining me as I try to reimagine Cuban food’s past–and how it might continue to evolve.
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