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TASTE OF SUCCESS Meet the power couple behind three of the Valley’s most lauded restaurants
Nadia Holguin and Armando Hernandez
Winter 2023 | ElevateAZ.com
Le Cordon Bleu College of USBAND AND WIFE restauranteurs Armando Hernandez Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, and Nadia Holguin had $50 in their checking account was a 2019 James Beard the day they opened their beloved taco shop Tacos award nominee for her Chiwas in 2016. Since then, the couple has wrapped culinary direction at Roland’s enough tacos to increase their operating budget Café Market Bar, a short-lived, and become owners and co-owners of some of the hottest but celebrated venture she restaurants in the Valley: Tacos Chiwas, Espiritu Cocktails + and Hernandez had with chef Comida, and Bacanora. and restaurateur Chris Bianco Restaurant success isn’t that common right out of the in downtown Phoenix. gate, but the duo, who met at an ASU party, discovered they The attention is flattering, had similar back stories. Both were born in the Mexican but the goal for Hernandez state of Chihuahua, had immigrated to the U.S. as children, and Holguin has never been and were exposed to the food and restaurant industry early to capitalize on what’s popular on. And both wanted to recreate the recipes of their youth. at the moment. Instead, they “Everything is kind of against you,” says Hernandez of are in it for the long haul. the challenges of opening a restaurant for the first time. “But “We have a story that is when you’re so eager, you have this mentality of just like, ‘Hey, very true. We’ve never really you know what? I think we can be successful and awesome.’” gone for gimmicky, meaning The team’s confidence paid off. Tacos Chiwas was an we don’t chase trends,” says immediate hit and the perfect platform to showcase the Hernandez of staying authentic food of their upbringing in an affordable, fast-food setting. to their culinary roots. “The Lines quickly formed around the original taco shop at Tucked in a historic space on Grand Avenue in Phoenix, Bacanora expectation is greater when 12th Street and McDowell (a former Dairy Queen) to get is attracting national attention people are talking about you. a taste of their stuffed gorditas and quesadillas made for its wood-fired Sonoran cuisine. The notoriety just means we from 100% organic, handmade flour tortillas. have to be better.” “I always wanted to open a restaurant here, with a Buzz aside, it might appear their momentum happened focus on the originality of Chihuahua, so a year after we with little effort, but he points out building a small restaurant were married, we decided to go for it. Every aspect of what enterprise has been anything but easy in a fickle industry we do is based on how we can make the best product,” that can eat its own. says Hernandez of keeping things simple and using “People talk about success as it just happened overnight, fresh ingredients. but for us it’s been 16-hour days, 31 days a month, nonstop. Most new restaurant owners pine for media and peer You’ll find it hard to find someone who’s worked harder than approval, waiting years for acknowledgment. Yet the us,” says Hernandez. accolades—both local and national—have come fast for It appears their workload won’t lighten anytime soon. Hernandez and Holguin. Tacos Chiwas, now with three In January, they’ll launch another restaurant, Cocina Chiwas, locations, has consistently garnered praise as one of the at Culdesac, a 17-acre, car-free community in Tempe with best taco shops in town by Phoenix New Times. Guy Fieri an expanded menu including chile-centric vegetable bowls featured the eatery on his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. and wood-fired cheese crisps, deconstructed Their collaboration with chef Rene Andre at breakfast burritos, Chihuahuan French the Sonoran-style Bacanora, which opened toast and seasonal salads. in March 2022, has a three-month “We’re not just trying to make a wait list. It’s also been recognized money grab. You know, there are as a James Beard Foundation “The expectation is people in our own field who need finalist and named one of the opportunities. And obviously 50 Best Restaurants of 2022 in greater when people that’s been our narrative,” America by The New York Times. are talking about you. says Hernandez. “As long as Executive chef Roberto Centeno The notoriety just means we’re able to do it in a fashion of the team’s seafood-driven we have to be better.” that still represents who we Espiritu Cocktails + Comida, a are, then we’ll just continue partnership with Andre, recently Armando Hernandez, Co-owner, Tacos Chiwas, to try to do our thing. If you won the culinary challenge on Espiritu Cocktails + Comida, Bacanora are true to what you’re creating, the popular TV show, Chopped. then it just comes out better.” In addition, Holguin, a classically Sally J. Clasen trained chef who graduated from
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