Award-winning chef, Food Network Hot Lister and half of the power team who launched Beto & Son, Julian Rodarte stars in this episode.
Award-winning chef, Food Network Hot Lister and half of the power team who launched Beto & Son, Julian Rodarte stars in this episode. He credits his abuelita’s resourceful culinary skills and his father’s food artistry for inspiring his success. Julian reveals what it took to get his mentor to support his dreams and when he began pursuing this passion. He compares what he learned about the technical side of the industry in culinary school to the business aspect his father taught him. Julian dishes on what it was like competing on Beat Bobby Flay alongside his dad, who’d been dreaming of that moment since he was a child. The first-generation American shares how his family’s farm-fresh Mexican dishes inspired his palette and what hosting dinner parties growing up taught him about running a restaurant. Julian explains what he strives for at each of his concepts and the influence aromas and music have on guests’ overall experience. Finally he spills the secret to his award-winning nitrogen margaritas and who was really the brains behind the viral champagne vending machine.
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Find episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/julian-rodarte-reveals-restaurant-secrets-and-his-culinary-competition-experiences
Jaymee Sire:
Hello, hello and welcome to Food Network Obsessed. This is the podcast where we dish on all things food with your favorite chefs, food influencers, and food network stars. I'm your host Jaymee Sire, and today we have a determined young chef talking about early twenties successes and how he's cooking up next generation Mexican food with his dad in Dallas. He is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur and food network hot lister. It's Julian Rodarte. Julian, welcome to Food Network Obsessed and congratulations on making the 2023 Food Network hot list. What was your reaction when you found out?
Julian Rodarte:
It was kind of surreal, you know, growing up used to watch Food Network all the time and, you know, always dreams of one day at least, you know, being recognized in some way, shape, or form. So I can definitely say it was, uh, dream come true in many ways. So it's really cool.
Jaymee Sire:
Well, congratulations again and I wanna kind of take it back so we can kind of figure out how you got to this point of all of these accolades and recognitions. I know you opened your first restaurant with your dad, Beto and son at just 23, and you've been a finalist for Food and Wine's 30 Under 30. You are a ceo, E O of Trinity Restaurant Groups. To what do you credit this success at such an early age?
Julian Rodarte:
You know, I, I think it's a combination of things. Obviously having a father who's a chef, you know, really, you know, helped me cuz I felt like I was just born into the industry. I mean, I was born when he opened his first restaurant 30, almost 30 years ago. And so I think that's a, a big piece to it of just kind of being born into it, being really raised and kind of molded in the industry, whether he wanted me to be in it or not. And then I think the second thing is just, you know, from the time I was like 14 years old, I really just knew this is what I wanted to do. I just had a passion for it and knew that at the end of the day I, I love to cook, I love the restaurant. And so I just pursued it from the time I was 14. So, you know, to think of it almost 10 years later, opening a restaurant after being in the industry for about 10 years. But again, truly really just being grown up in it. It didn't feel like I was that young just cuz I had already been in it for so long. Mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
I mean, speaking of which, you know, you, you mentioned you were born when he was opening his first restaurant. What do you remember about those times? You know, being in the restaurant with your dad cooking and, and running the whole place?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, it's interesting because most kids, when they go into a restaurant, you know, all they ever see is the dining room. Mm-hmm. For me, it was very normal for me just to run into the kitchen and go find my dad. And, you know, I just felt like there was always a comfort about restaurants, you know, in the front of the house, in the back of the house that was just abnormal for any kid to have. And so I was always, you know, wanting to go in the back and just watch my dad at work, whether it be cleaning plates or, or cooking a special or, or whatever that may be. And so, like, I think from a very, very, very young age, I just had this understanding and, and idea of the view of what a restaurant was. And seeing my dad as a chef, it kind of like was in my eyes viewing my dad as almost a superhero who could do things that other people couldn't. And so I think, you know, like you said, as a, as a kid, that was kind of my experience and, and what I, uh, fell in love with at a very, very young age.
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. I mean, it's no surprise that that is what you wanted to do. You wanted to follow in his footsteps because it was just like this magical place for you. What was his reaction when you told him you wanted to get into the family business?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, he was pissed.
Jaymee Sire:
Julian Rodarte:
Um, yeah, he, he would always say like, look, I work hard in restaurants, so you don't have to like, you know, he, he worked in restaurants because it was what was available to him. Mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
How long did it take him to kind of come around?
Julian Rodarte:
You know, there was like almost two parts to it. First part where he was like, okay, like, he's like, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna try to sway him out of doing what he loves, but I'm not happy about. It was kind of after that first night when I told him, I was like, Hey, you know, he, he had opened another restaurant of his, and I had told him, I was like, dad, I wanna be a chef just like you. This is when I was 14 years old. And after that first night of him being like, well, you wanna be a chef, dish pits that way,
And just trying to think of all the, just disgusting things he could, he could get me to, to do just to try to scare me away. And afterwards he's like, you know, so you still wanna be a chef, you know, it's hard work, right? And I was like, dad, I love it. Like, can I come back and do this all over tomorrow? And at that point he was like, okay, like if he's willing to work hard, like I'm not going to push him to not work hard. But then when I went to culinary school, and I think he really saw not just me, you know, enjoy being in the industry, but like start to kind of develop my own unique art form to what cooking is, right? I think that's when he turned from being okay with it to being proud and being like, okay, mm, this is, this is my boy is my son. He's following in my footsteps. He's finding his own voice, you know, in the industry and, and, you know, learning, you know, things and, and, you know, coming home and wanting to teach me and, you know, so it, I think that's when he really transitioned from it just being something that he was okay with to something he was very proud of.
Jaymee Sire:
You know, obviously you mentioned you went to culinary school. What things did you learn from your father that they can't teach in culinary school? And what are some things you learned in culinary school that you didn't learn? You know, in all those years, growing up
Julian Rodarte:
In culinary school, really what, what you learn is, you know, how to be a classically French trained chef. And, you know, a lot of times, you know, people say, oh, you know, classically trained French, blah, blah, blah, and there's not a lot of, a lot of meaning or depth, you know, to, to what that, uh, actually translates into. But basically, I mean, you learn the foundations, you learn how to make sauces and stocks and how to break down, you know, a cow or a pig or a, a lamb, you know, all those different things of fish. And so a lot of that stuff, you know, when, when my dad's buying, you know, tuna or salmon from the grocery store, a lot of times it's coming in, you know, just individual filets, you know, but when you're in culinary school, you got the whole fish and they're like, all right,
Jaymee Sire:
Julian Rodarte:
So when I was growing up, my, my mom didn't like to cook as much. You know, she would cook a few things. She grew up in New York, so, you know, she made Italian food a lot, you know, chicken parmesan lasagna, that kind of thing. But when it came to where I started was because my mom was like, look, if you want hot food, you know, or a hot meal, then wait for your dad to get home. I'll make you a peanut butter jelly sandwich or a Hammond cheese sandwich, you know, but she's like, I'm not trying to cook right now. So I was like, well, shoot, I, I'm not trying to eat a cold peanut butter and jelly or Hammond cheese, so I guess I'll make my own thing. So the first thing I I did was actually, I made a grilled cheese. That was the first thing I ever cooked on my own. I was probably eight or nine at the time. And just being spoiled rotten by my dad, who's just always cooking. I mean, every night, even though after he'd leave the restaurant, he would come home and he would cook for us. And, you know, just, the guy just loves to cook. I mean, his, his, every, every day he wakes up in the morning thinking about what he's gonna make that day. And so it doesn't matter if he had just worked a 12 hour shift at the restaurant, he was coming home and he was cooking for his family. And so I just fell in love with, you know, everything that he would always, and he honestly got really spoiled by his cooking
Jaymee Sire:
How would you describe kind of your approach to food and flavor, and which experiences do you think kind of influenced that the most?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, I, I would say there's a couple things. One of the things that influences it is just growing up, you know, just what the people that cooked for me, my Abu Alita, my dad's mom, who, you know, just used to cook some of the most authentic, you know, just good home cooked Mexican meals, you know, stuff that she grew up eating from her grandmother and her mother. And then, you know, just kind of like getting, getting to be the benefactor of, of that culture that I got to experience at a very young age. And then obviously my father as well. So I think a lot of what if, what influences my cooking and, and hopefully doesn't sound too cliche, but it's, it's just family. It's, it's what mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
Uh, I know after culinary school, you actually worked in the corporate culinary industry for a little bit as a research and development chef creating soups, sauces, dressings for some well-known restaurant chains. What did you enjoy most about that time in your career?
Julian Rodarte:
You know, what I loved most about that was I got to dip my toes in so many different restaurants and menus and, and brands. You know, a lot of times as a chef, you, you work at one place and it becomes a little repetitive. And, and as creatives, you know, a lot of times we can kind of be our own worst enemy sometimes where, you know, we have a menu and a month later we're sick of it, and that's what everybody's coming for, but like, we're ready to scrap it and move the next thing. What I was doing that, what I loved is one moment I'm making a dressing for PayWay, but then the following week I'm working on a suit for Panera Bread, and then, uh, in a month I've got burger ideation that I'm doing for Wendy's or, you know, all these other brands. So it was always something new. It was always something that I was getting to just keep those creative juices going. And that was, was my favorite part of that. And then also being able to travel across the country to go to these different headquarters all throughout the United States, meet these chefs and, and hear about their passion for the brands that they worked for, and what was the, the DNA of their culture from a kitchen aspect. And then all those kitchens, uh, operate very differently. The way a a PayWay is set up with all the different walks was super different than what Wendy's kitchen looks like, obviously. And then a Panera bread and everything in between. So it was like, it was almost like trying to solve a puzzle every time because it's like, these are the equipment you have and you can only use this equipment. So when you're developing these dishes and these recipes, like you have to make sure that it fits in each one of these kitchens. And ultimately now where I'm taking over different restaurants, and a lot of them are second gen spaces, it's like, here's your kitchen, what can you do in it that just prepared me for the time that I'm in now?
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah, I mean, what considerations do you have to make when you're creating something for, like you said, multiple, even hundreds of locations versus maybe just one or two?
Julian Rodarte:
First and foremost, safety was, was number one as far as when we create a sauce or a soup or a dressing, and again, like you said, it's going to hundreds of locations all throughout the United States. You know, safety was first and foremost, we had to make sure that we were hitting all these different, you know, health points when it comes to the things that we were creating. Because again, you know, you, you see on the news all these time, these outbreaks and different restaurants and in different chains, so mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
Aside from making sure, obviously, you know, the, the equipment is uniform, that the safety protocols have been met. What does that testing process look like when you are developing, like say a new soup recipe or something like that?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, absolutely. It's a long and tedious process because a lot of times once you get the, the green light from the chefs on the corporate side of the brand that you're developing for now, you have to basically do it over and over and over again in, in batches that are thousands and thousands of gallons sizes, and make sure that you can replicate it every single time. Because a lot of times we think of sauces and, and dressings in a restaurant. We think about, you know, portions or even just egg gallon, but we were, we were making hundreds of gallons of batches at a time. Wow. And so there's so much room for error, because whereas we're used to having maybe one cook prep, one recipe, we had at least probably 25 different people touching a recipe when we're making these batches that take almost a day sometimes to create just this hundreds and hundreds of gallon of batch. So it was a lot of repetition, it was a lot of, you know, making sure that we could be consistent. And then also, again, just vetting every single one of those people that are going to touch that recipe and making sure that they had the right practices, not just from a culinary aspect, but also from a safety aspect. And so a lot of times you don't see your sauce actually going to the restaurant level till like a year later we developed something, we're like, okay, we got the green light, but it's like 12 months of us getting it, right. Them approving, you know, batch after batch after batch, and then it going to a couple test stores and key markets throughout the United States, getting the approval there, seeing the product move, and then hopefully 12 months later you're producing it on a massive scale to the entire United States.
Jaymee Sire:
Wow. That's super interesting to know, like how long and how much work goes into of those menu items. A lot of times, how did these experiences help you when you were starting to develop your own signature restaurant menu?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, I think one of the biggest things is I got to do so many, like, development and, and, and just research testing. I got to be a part of so many different panels of people throughout the United States of telling us what they liked and what they didn't like and what w what their palette was. So I just got to consume so much information, so much data, so much feedback from people from all across the United States, you know, just kind of telling us where they felt there were gaps in, in the market from a food aspect, or where they felt they were being underserved with certain flavor profiles. And so I just got to just consume so much information, so much data, and that really, I think, helped me just get a leg up on the individual who maybe doesn't get to have that information or, or doesn't only gets to work in, in one place and experience one thing. It really made me focus on the consumer and hyperfocus on the consumer as opposed to what maybe I as a chef wanted people to eat. Mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
What was the inspiration behind your first restaurant, Beto and Sun, and, and, and what did you wanna do differently in Dallas at that restaurant?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, so I mean, in, in Dallas and in in Texas, you know, the last thing it needed was another Mexican restaurant. I'll start right there.
Jaymee Sire:
Um, I, I, I would disagree with that.
Julian Rodarte:
Alright. Well, I'm
Jaymee Sire:
Glad you can never have enough
Julian Rodarte:
Jaymee Sire:
So I missed it a lot in New York. So
Julian Rodarte:
Okay, I got you. I got you. Uh, did you spend some time in Texas?
Jaymee Sire:
Not in Texas, but in California, so, okay. Yeah, I was spoiled over there. Yeah, yeah,
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. So, well, I I I love people like you because, uh, that's, you're, you're the, you're the perfect person.
Jaymee Sire:
I'm the target audience.
Julian Rodarte:
Yes.
Jaymee Sire:
And, and you've kind of described it as like NextGen Mexican food. What, what is that exactly? How do you define that?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, I think two meanings to what NextGen Mexican food means. The first meaning is it was from one generation to the next. It really started with my great-grandmother. My dad's grandmother. She is kind of, I guess the matriarch, if you will, of our culinary cooking in that they lived on a little farm in D Durango, grew their own vegetables, had their own goats and chickens. And so they were living that farm to table lifestyle before it was a trend in the United States. Mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
That's awesome. And, and how, like, what's this, did, can you like name like another example of something that's like on the menu that has kind of evolved from, you know, from your grandmother's recipe to what you kind of call your own now?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. I can think of if, if we're talking specifically like grandmother's recipe, I mean, we have this delicious, delicious barbacoa that we make mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
I love that. I love that you can kind of see, you know, the, the family recipes being passed out almost through through your me menu and through your food. I know you mentioned beverages and you me mentioned cocktails. Tell me about the famous award-winning liquid nitrogen margarita
Julian Rodarte:
Jaymee Sire:
Oh my gosh, I love that.
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah, no, so here in Dallas, like the frozen margarita is, is not just a, a cocktail to us. It is something we're very proud of. And so when it came to Beto and Son again going along those next gen lines, how do we take something that is iconic and reimagine it? And so that's where the liquid nitrogen margarita comment kind of came into play. When I was in culinary school, I learned to play with liquid nitrogen. I would make ice cream with it in one of the restaurants at the school. And when we got the opportunity to open Beto and Sun, I was like, man, we gotta do something. And I knew liquid nitrogen was gonna have a piece or a factor, and I just couldn't figure out what to do with it at first. And then I was like, man, I wonder if I can make a margarita with this. So for months I just started tinkering and playing and trying different recipes. And one of the things that I found fascinating is when you make a frozen margarita in particular, it requires kind of you to make it one or two ways at home. A lot of people do it in a blender, right? You add ice, you add your liquor and your lime juice and everything. You blend it together and it, it's frozen per se. In a restaurant you have frozen margarita machines, which again, you add all the liquid, you have to add water because that's what freezes, and then you have a frozen margarita. Well, what I found I did not like about those two processes is they both require water in some way, shape, or form. Mm. Water in the machine or ice in a blender with liquid nitrogen, it's negative 320 degrees, so you can actually freeze the alcohol that freezes that negative 150 degrees. So not only was I able to kind of create this experience of like right at the table, customizing it with different fresh fruit purees, like mango or peach or strawberry, but I was able to take something that could be as simple, simplest for ingredients, lime juice, tequila, orange, laco, agave, and freeze those four ingredients without having to add any water. So that when you had that first sip and that last sip, no matter how frozen or actual liquid it was, the flavor stayed the same and was consistent and it didn't water it down. Like in a traditional margarita, when as it melts, it just waters down and waters down and waters down. So that's kind of the creation and the evolution and the thought process behind the liquid nitrogen margarita.
Jaymee Sire:
I love that. It's also, it also sounds like it's stronger, right? Which
Julian Rodarte:
Absolutely. Absolutely. A lot of times people will order one and go, oh wow, I don't need another one.
Jaymee Sire:
Julian Rodarte:
Oh, it's huge. And obviously this kind of goes back to my past where it was a lot of experimentation to, you know, develop things for different chefs and, and different restaurants and, and different, you know, groups of people. But experimentation is, is something I do every single day. I have a thought, I go to the restaurant, I execute on that thought, and 90% of the time it does not come out the way I wanted it to. And so a lot of times it's not just like an idea and then roll it out to the guest, it's an idea. And then months and months and months of trial and error before it actually finally hits the menu and hits, uh, a guest. You know, it's a lot of, you know, Hey dad, what do you think of this? Trying it. He gives me his feedback, Hey, you know, mom, or hey wife, you know, all, all the different people that I'm like ta having one of them taste before and then it gets to the employees and then it, you know, it, there's almost like a trickle down effect of before an idea turns into a menu item, there's a, a long process that it has to get to. So research and, and that ability to tinker and develop things is, is a huge part of the process.
Jaymee Sire:
And speaking of your other restaurants, you also own Lexi's and also Nitro Burger in Dallas. What do all of your concepts kind of have in common, especially from a customer experience perspective?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. I think experience is, is that piece. Mm-hmm. Every, every time we develop a concept, it's, it's never just because like, oh, you know, well, it has good food and good drinks. I mean, to me that's, that's what gets you to the dance, if you will. But that doesn't, you know, make you stand out while you're there. So, you know, at Lexi's it was kind of a brainchild of my wive's who we were out having drinks one night in San Antonio, and she was just like, man, I have this idea to create this like really feminine forward restaurant. And she's like, I've got this Pinterest board of everything that I know and love. And then we kind of just started talking about like, well, what, what food translates into this type of restaurant and what drinks and what's the environment? And next thing I know she's talking about this champagne vending machine and how it's gonna have a big piece of the restaurant. Yeah. And, and I remember thinking like a vending machine in a restaurant, like, like, maybe it's a restaurant, why would you put a vending machine? It? But I just didn't have the vision that, that she had at the time. And one of the things that I'll say about our family is we are, we are crazy idea people. So a lot of times when it's one of us has an idea, we're like, listen, if, if you believe in it, we will get behind it. We might not understand it or see it at the time, but we will, we will get right behind it. And so I was, it was just one of those moments where I was like, well, let me figure out what's the standard operating procedures of a, of a vending machine in a restaurant from a front of the house standpoint. And we kind of put some stuff together, and next thing I know, the machine itself is going viral,
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. I think the lesson here is that your wife is always right. I think that's, I think that's the main lesson.
Julian Rodarte:
I will never disagree with that one. Trust me that that is a hundred percent true.
Jaymee Sire:
True. Wait, I need to know a little bit more about this because I love champagne. So, so basically, so what, what happens? You walk into the restaurant and yeah. You decide that you want to do this and you go up, like how does it, how does it all work?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. So, so when you walk into the restaurant, it's a literally the first thing you see. So you, you walk right in and right against the wall is this big just kind of floral piece with inset of this Moe Chandon champaign vending machine. And it has three different versions of Moe. It's got the true champagne, it's got a sparkling rose, and then it has a sweetened sparkling rose. So it has three different options for you to choose from. And so a lot of times what ends up happening, the guests come, they see it, they take their photo, and then they get escorted to their table by the host. Once you're at the table on the cocktail list, it says the mot moment. And basically what it is, is it's you can you buy the coin from the server, the server just puts it on the tab and they bring out this gold coin on this gold plate, set it right in front of you, and then they say, Hey, would you like to, you know, have your mot moment now? Or is it something that you wanna want to take home at the end of your meal? Most people wanna have it immediately mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
I love that. I mean, it's, it's very clear that y you know, the experience, like you said is, is very important to everything you guys are doing and making sure that those customers, you know, have that same feeling that they come into your house and you're asking them what they want to eat and drink up next. We hear from Julian about facing skepticism in the industry and what it was like appearing on Beat Bobby Flay with his dad. You know, we talked a little bit about the, at the top about just like, you know, your success and, and how you've achieved it at, at such a young age. Have you faced any doubt or skepticism within the industry because of your age? Or has it been, you know, like open arms from everybody else?
Julian Rodarte:
I would love to say the latter
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. No, I think you, you hit the nail on the head. I think, I think it's those moments that really kind of make or break you, right? Like, it's either gonna motivate you and, and make you work that much harder to prove everybody wrong or, or like you said the opposite. And then we've, you know, it's somebody that we've never heard of kinda thing. I think it's also kind of a, a little bit of a, a competitive, you know, at, you know, spirit and that kind of thing in play. And speaking of what you've been popping up on Food Network more and more from competing on Beat Bobby Flay to creating a Breakfast torta on Crack an Egg With for foodnetwork.com, let's talk Beat Bobby Flay first. What was it like to compete on the show with your dad?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. You know, that was one of those dream come true moments because my dad had been watching, you know, even before it was beat Bobby Flay, it was the Throwdown Show.
Jaymee Sire:
Throwdown, yep.
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. Yeah. And my dad was always like, ah, one day I want to be on Throwdown, you know, and then they kind of, I'm assuming he kind of discontinued that show, and it tr it kind of transitioned into beat Bobby Flay mm-hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. You know, I feel like if, if it had just been me on the show, I think I would've been a lot more nervous and a lot more, you know, anxious about it. But because for me it was almost a win-win. Like, either I win and get to face Bobby or I lose, and my dad gets to do this
Jaymee Sire:
That said, would you like a round two
Julian Rodarte:
Oh, hell yeah. Absolutely.
Jaymee Sire:
Julian Rodarte:
No, now, now, I mean, look, I'm an extremely competitive person. I, I grew up playing sports my entire life, so yeah. I mean, uh, looking now, you know, looking back or whatever, I would love to now do it for me
Jaymee Sire:
Julian Rodarte:
A hundred percent. I mean, look, we're, we're ambassadors of our food. We're ambassadors of our cultures, you know, we're ambassadors of our experiences. And so when it comes to, you know, being comfortable in front of the camera, I mean, what better way to, to market yourself, your experiences, your past, your family, whatever that is, what better way to, you know, reach the masses that ultimately as chefs, that's what we want to do, right? We, we want to cook for as many people as we possibly can. And so yeah, being comfortable on camera, in my opinion is, is something that is absolutely a almost a requirement, if you will, as a chef or any creative individual that, that really wants their, their pieces, their work, their art form, you know, on display. It's just being, being your own, you know, marketing individual that is championing your brand and, and your body of work and, and history, you know, a hundred percent. I think it's, it's very important.
Jaymee Sire:
Well, you looked extremely comfortable on your episode of Crack an Egg With where you made one of my favorite breakfast dishes, a breakfast torta. Love it. Which I also saw is on the brunch menu at Beto and Sun. What is the key to a good torta?
Julian Rodarte:
Oh, the bread. Um, you know, ultimately, yeah, I mean it's, it's the bread. We, we, we live and die by it. And I mean, look, when it comes to Tortas, you know, your local
Jaymee Sire:
No, I completely agree. I actually did a, a recipe a few months ago, and I was, it was a, it's a little bit harder to source, I feel like in New York there are, you know, definitely pockets of places that have those bakeries, but I, I ended up going to a local, just like a local Mexican restaurant that had nice to tortes on the menu, but they, they were so confused. Like, I was like, I just wanna buy like a bunch of your bread
Julian Rodarte:
Thank you. Well, next time you're in Dallas, you're gonna have to let me know so I can cook for you, make you one of those.
Jaymee Sire:
I would love that.
Julian Rodarte:
It would be, it would be a pleasure.
Jaymee Sire:
All right, well, well, what is next for you?
Julian Rodarte:
Oh, man. Next, hopefully, you know, obviously more opportunities to play with Food Network and, and you know, get to do different things. I would say that's obviously, you know, one of my goals is, you know, just to expand, you know, and do more things like the Kraken Egg and, and like the, the Beat Bobby Flay show, whatever, whatever that be. Whether it be recipe based or competition based or, you know, really anything. But the other thing that for sure is restaurants I've working on currently right now, four new concepts. Wow. That hopefully will all open this year. It's gonna be tight, but have a one restaurant opening in the next 30 days, and then about three more that I'm working on. So restaurants are just probably always going to be in my future as far as just opening more and more, creating new concepts, more experiences. So that's gonna be one of the biggest things that is right now up in my future, is just new restaurants and like I said, hopefully getting to play with Food Network.
Jaymee Sire:
Well, we hope to see you on, on our screens more soon as well. And we thank you so much for taking the time. We are gonna finish off with a little rapid fire round, and then we have one final question for you all right. How, how would your friends describe you?
Julian Rodarte:
Ooh, friends describe me. Probably generous because I'm always cooking for them,
Jaymee Sire:
Love that quick snack. Your favorite quick snack?
Julian Rodarte:
Yeah. Favorite quick snack? You know, in the restaurant, obviously we're, we're cooking all day for other people. Rarely do we get to eat for ourselves or whatever. And one of the things that, I guess just kind of growing up, our always quick snack was just quick snack, was just a fresh tortillas and, and eggs just easy to crack an egg real quick, saute it up, get a tortilla, you know, whether that's with cheese or beans or avocado, you know, just easy to eat a, a little breakfast taco, you know, real quick on the, on the fly.
Jaymee Sire:
Yum. Favorite thing about living in Dallas?
Julian Rodarte:
Ooh, that one's easy. Okay. Favorite thing about living in Dallas? The dining scene. It's most people's complaint when they come to Dallas is that is all there is to do in Dallas, to shop and to, to eat and drink. And I'm like, yeah, what's the problem with that
Jaymee Sire:
How do you stay organized?
Julian Rodarte:
Whew. I have a real life. Alexa. My wife's name is Alexa, and she's a very organized person. And so, yeah, she, the only reason I stay organized as a crazy creative mind is I have a wife who is very, very organized and, and keeps me making sure that I don't miss my appointments.
Jaymee Sire:
All right. Lucky, lucky man. Uh, yes. Song you can stop listening to right now?
Julian Rodarte:
Electric Feel. Okay. Yeah, that's a big one for me right now.
Jaymee Sire:
That’s a good one. Yeah. Most used app on your phone?
Julian Rodarte:
Ooh. Most used app on my phone. Oh, honestly, this is easy. And it's restaurant related. It's the converter app going from like ounces to like the metric system. Okay. And, and back forth, like, you know, a lot of times I, depending on where I worked, some things were in the metric system and some things were, you know, just in ounces and in pounds. And so a lot of times I am, you know, taking old recipes that I've done in the past, converting them over to whatever restaurant, you know, measurement system they're using. And so that would be definitely my number one used app for sure.
Jaymee Sire:
All right, well I'm gonna download that app. Cause I usually just Google like ounces worse. Two, I mean, that works too, but it, it's, it's nice to help.
Julian Rodarte:
Hopeful Leader is just a lot easier to maneuver. Cause otherwise you're like waiting for Google. It's like, come on, come on. Like on the app it's just boom, boom, boom, you know?
Jaymee Sire:
All right. Good. Good to know. All right. And our final question is not rapid fire. You can take as long as you want on this one, and that is what would be on the menu for your perfect food day. So we wanna hear what you're eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert. There are no rules. So you can travel time, travel, spend as much money as you want, be served by somebody who is living or not. Again, no rules. It's your perfect day. So, yes. How about it?
Julian Rodarte:
So it would be a day with my abita, my grandmother, my dad's mom. She's no longer with us, but kind of before I, I guess I get into this full answer. When I was a child, like 5, 6, 7 years old, she always told me I was gonna be a chef. You know, Miho, one day you're gonna be a chef like your dad, you're gonna be on tv, you're gonna have your own restaurant. I mean, oh my gosh. I know she saw this happen before we
Jaymee Sire:
Is there a specific dish or recipe, you know, throughout that day you would want to, I guess, learn from her? Have her show you?
Julian Rodarte:
Yes. Her mole
Jaymee Sire:
Let me pull out my app. Yes.
Julian Rodarte:
Exactly. Exactly.
Jaymee Sire:
Well, that sounds like a wonderful food day, and I hope you figure out that Molay recipe at some point. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you again for taking the time and, and best of luck in all of your future endeavors.
Julian Rodarte:
Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Jaymee Sire:
You can watch Julian's episode of Crack an Egg With on foodnetwork.com and make sure to follow us wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And if you enjoy today's episode, please rate and review. We love it when you do that. That's all for now. We'll catch you foodies next Friday.