By ALEX SOULIER asoulier@shawmedia.com
About Juan Luis Gonzalez What: Mago Mexican Grill and Cantina executive chef Residence: Woodridge Age: 39 Family: Wife, Silvia; children, Juan Jr., Dariana, Dayanara; father, Juan Sr.; mother, Rita
I forever cherish and pass onto my children.” Gonzalez says he moved to the United States to “pursue something different.” He stayed with family in Wo-
Q: Do you agree with the new law allowing concealed carry in Illinois?
odridge and soon landed a job washing dishes at Trattoria Vivaldi, now Isabella Pizza Capri in Downers Grove. Three months later, he was promoted to food prep, and within half a year, Gonzalez was one of the main cooks at Trattoria Vivaldi. But, Gonzalez yearned for a taste of Mexico. “On Sundays, I would take my wife and children out to dinner, but there was no authentic Mexican food in the area. I then made it my mission to bring authentic Mexican and Latin cuisine to the western suburbs,” he said.
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WOODRIDGE RESIDENT’S MAGO GRILL RESTAURANTS A HIT
“I absolutely agree with it, without a doubt. I think it’s a constitutional right.” Ed Briner, Downers Grove “I’m against it. I think there’s so many people that will have the weapons that haven’t had the proper training.” Sandy Castrogiovanni, Downers Grove
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SPECIAL DELIVERY ic student delivers Woodridge paramedtraining PAGE 4 baby on last day of
Emma Castrogiovanni, Downers Grove
8ON THE COVER Paramedics Kathy Meier (from left) and Caleb LaLonde, and paramedic student Robert Deubel, of Woodridge, delivered a baby July 12 in an ambulance. Bill Ackerman – backerman@shawmedia.com
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“I guess, technically, constitutionally, they should be able to, but I don’t personally think it’s necessary.”
After opening the successful Arlington Heights restaurant Fuego Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar in 2005, Gonzalez left and launched Mago in 2010 – Mago is Spanish for magician. For Gonzalez, it never has been solely about bottom lines and profit margins. The chef believes success and happiness are the product of hard work and passion. “If you work for money, you will never be completely successful,” Gonzalez said. “You have to do what brings you joy. If you love what you do, success will follow.”
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8STREET TALK
Photo by Alex Soulier
Mago Grill and Cantina Executive Chef Juan Luis Gonzalez, 39, of Woodridge, prepares authentic Mexican and Latin dishes Thursday at the Bolingbrook restaurant.
WSD • Wednesday, July 17, 2013 • mysuburbanlife.com • Reporter | Progress
Growing up, Juan Luis Gonzalez learned to cook authentic Latin cuisine working alongside his mother and grandmother, the owners of a small, bustling Mexico City cafe. Today, the 39-year-old Woodridge resident is the one educating aspiring chefs and feeding the suburban residents who flock to one of his three Mago Grill and Cantina restaurants. July marks the two-year anniversary of the Mago location at the Promenade Bolingbrook, and in spite of Gonzalez’s and co-owner Ric Munoz’s recent successes – opening three restaurants in as many years, appearing in television and radio programs, receiving several culinary awards and accolades – the head chef often shies away from the limelight, instead flexing his creative cooking muscles in the kitchen. Gonzalez works six days a week in the Bolingbrook Mago kitchen, preparing an authentic Mexican and Latin menu that includes empenadas, ceviches, enchiladas and 10 kinds of tacos. The chef personally prepares a variety of moles and salsas, some of which can include up to 40 ingredients, he said. “Cooking is what I love to do and it is my inspiration, my passion, my way of life,” Gonzalez said. “I believe that you should do what you love and share your talents with others.” Although the Mago executive chef never was employed in a formal restaurant setting until he emigrated from Mexico City to the western suburbs in 1996, he recalls cooking for hundreds of friends and family members on birthdays and holidays. “In Mexico, birthdays are like national holidays and festivals,” Gonzalez said. “I will never forget the passion my mother and grandmother showed when cooking on special occasions. It is something
GETTING STARTED |
Local chef works his magic at Mago Grill and Cantina
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