Interview with Chef Josef Centeno

When chef Josef Centeno opened Bar Amá, an L.A. restaurant serving creative cocktails and Tex-Mex food made with fresh, local ingredients, there were skeptics at first. “We had the Texas transplants who said, ‘This isn’t Tex-Mex!’ and we had the Southern Californians who said, ‘This isn’t real Mexican food!’” says Centeno. “But eventually we just hypnotized them all with great queso and cocktails.”

 

Now, the locals can’t stop buzzing about what Centeno and his staff are serving, from the signature Super Nachos at happy hour to the bar menu full of inventive cocktails and small-batch tequilas. Read on to learn about Centeno’s original inspiration and what he’s loving now.

 

 

Where does the name “Bar Amá” come from?

 

Amá is my great grandmother, who was an amazing cook. Amá and Apa were my great-grandparents on my mother’s side, and the food at the restaurant is inspired by what I used to eat with them. There’s a whole section on the menu called “Amá’s favorites” that are all dedicated to my grandparents and my mom.

 

Developing the original menu for Bar Amá involved a lot of phone calls to my family. I had some vague recollections, but hearing their memories really helped me understand what stood out about the food I grew up with.

 

What makes your version of Tex-Mex at Bar Amá different than the foods you grew up with in San Antonio?

 

In traditional Tex-Mex cuisine there isn’t a tremendous amount of vegetables beyond what’s in the guacamole and
the salsas. But I love vegetables and it’s a part of the way I like to cook, so it was important for me that vegetables have a real presence on the menu. Now there’s even a vegan aspect to the menu, which is very non-traditional for Tex-Mex.

 

A vegan menu? That is surprising.

 

That’s the cool thing about Tex-Mex food: The only authentic thing about Tex-Mex is that it’s not authentic. It’s inspired by so many different cultures, so there’s plenty of room to be creative. Personally, my family is Mexican, Spanish, German, French, Irish, Polish, and English… By now we’re all really a melting pot of flavors, and Tex-Mex is modern enough to reflect that. It’s not like French food where this only one classic way to do it. There are so many different interpretations of Tex-Mex. Here, I really like making the most of the incredible produce we have available to us, and integrating that into my interpretation of Tex-Mex.

 

Southern California is a great place to be a produce-driven restaurant.

 

Definitely. We work with different groups that do source a lot of our produce. It’s just about staying in constant contact and being able to stay connected to what’s at it’s best and what we’re able to get. You’d be surprised, finding really great avocados takes a lot of persistence! Guacamole, which hits almost every single table, needs to be the best for every single person. Making sure we stay on top of sourcing is essential because you can’t go to a Tex-Mex place and have bad guacamole.

 

 

You also have a strong focus on good cocktails at Bar Amá. What’s your idea of the perfect cocktail?

 

Honestly, I usually like my liquor straight. But we have a great beverage director and he showed me that a perfect cocktail is one that’s not too sweet; it has just the right amount of acidity. It should be balanced with enough sugar that it makes you want to drink several, not just be tapped out after one because it’s too strong or too flavorful.

 

You own four restaurants in Downtown LA and you live there too. What’s that like?

 

Well, I get to be at one of my restaurant first thing in the morning, because I don’t have a commute. Then it’s just about hitting up all the restaurants to see what needs to happen; there’s always some sort of damage control or menu development to do. It definitely makes it convenient that all of my restaurants are about 40 yards apart, and that I live right there on the corner. I’ve pretty much chosen to make this my life, just going from restaurant to restaurant. The good thing is, each of my restaurants are very different so I still get to eat a lot of different foods! I’m never bored.

 

Why Downtown LA?

 

I opened my first restaurant in the neighborhood about five years ago, and it’s definitely changed tremendously since then. I guess the best way to explain it is that downtown LA is really an open canvas for artists of all types, from culinary to writing to art. It’s really an opportunity for everybody to do their own rendition of whatever they’re trying to get across.

 

I was attracted to downtown originally for financial reasons; the opportunity to open something here was a lot more realistic than in other parts of the city or even the country. But, DTLA is definitely a really great place to be right now. It keeps evolving and growing. More people are moving down here. It used to be that there wasn’t even a grocery store down here; now we’re getting a Whole Foods.

 

 

Okay, time for the rapid fire round… What’s your favorite late night snack?

Roasted almonds.

 

Your most referenced cookbook?

Anything by Paula Wolfert. I think I have all of her books.

 

Best hangover cure?

Cheesy burrito.

 

Favorite meal as a kid?

Green enchiladas.

 

Piece of kitchen equipment you can’t use without?

My spatula.

 

Ingredient you use in pretty much everything?

Vinegar.

 

Guacamole or salsa?

I have to pick?? Salsa.

 

Tequila shots or tequila cocktails?

Shots.

 

Greatest way to spend a day off?

At the beach.