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Twists on tradition

Nuevo Latino approach rules chef’s corner of culinary kingdom

Ask Valley restaurant patrons where their Latin eating allegiance falls and you’ll likely to hear many say they love border foods such as burritos, tacos and chimichangas.

Yes, we live in a place where food is strongly tied to Mexico, but there are local cooking professionals who simply ask that diners be open to discovery.

Take, for example, Roberto Madrid, a native of Northern Mexico. He proudly pledges his palate to the Culinary Republic of Nuevo Latino, an imaginary place where (by his definition), a classically trained chef "reunites all Latin countries."

Madrid, the Chef de Cuisine at the Westin Kierland Resort’s Deseo restaurant in Scottsdale, is bent on exploring every appetizing avenue Nuevo Latino has to offer. Guests at his restaurant are eager to go along for the adventure. The payoff for this leap of faith: succulent ceviches, grilled entrees graced with South American chilies, and colorful servings of native vegetables.

Still, for those who find comfort in ordering chimis everywhere they dine, there is a learning curve involved.

WHAT, EXACTLY, IS NUEVO LATINO?

Nuevo Latino can be traced to the 1994 opening of Patria in New York City, where Chef Douglas Rodriguez and staff dazzled patrons with reinterpretations of South and Central American dishes. Unusual ingredients, expensive cuts of meat, bold flavors and a sort of anything-goes attitude characterized the approach as it spread across America. Cities with heavy Latino populations like Miami, Fla., and Los Angeles embraced it immediately, recognizing familiar ingredients presented in new ways.

Twelve years later, Nuevo Latino is still going strong, gathering fans as it continues to evolve. And some analysts predict it will eventually become part of the mainstream table, thanks to support by American Latinos and non-Hispanic fans.

But how is it different from traditional Mexican food? Think tropical fruits (including plantains and passion fruit), root vegetables, sweeter flavors and indigenous chilies. In this cuisine, there is less dependency on tortillas and tomato-based salsas – sorry, no bowls of chips and salsa. However, you will find twists in flavor combinations as American chefs experiment with ingredients from Argentina, Brazil, Peru and the Caribbean.

Lest you think Mexican food has been voted off the island, know that variations of that can be seen on Deseo’s menu.

But, "there’s a big difference between Mexican and Latino cuisines," Madrid says. For example, he points to Argentina’s churrascos (thick cuts of grilled skirt steak) as being a dish whose roots are indigenous to that country’s pampas region, unlike the rolled burritos carried by Mexican cowpunchers.

If you’re the type who likes to sample, take advantage of Deseo’s happy hour, 5:30 to 7 p.m. daily, during which a selection of Nuevo Latino discounted plates ($4 to $10) is available along with half-off cocktails.

Madrid’s advice: Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from ordering something different.

The chef says he often sees a Deseo guest squinting at the menu, trying to figure out what the dishes are and how to pronounce them.

"I ask them what they usually like to eat. Then, I tell them what thing on the menu is like that," he says, chuckling. "About 90 percent of the time, they love it!"

DESEO

Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale

Dinner: 6 – 10 p.m. Monday – Sunday.

Muddle Bar open for beverages and appetizers 5 – 10 p.m. Monday – Friday and 6 – 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Reservations: visit www.kierlandresort.com or call (480) 624-1015.