On The Backburner Podcast

Happy holidays! On this Merry Christmas episode, Mikey Vince joins the pod to discuss starting a food truck during a pandemic as well as some of his favorite Christmas foods and traditions.

Mikey's love for food began as a kid. His passion ignited at age 4 when he tried to surprise his grandma and almost burned down her kitchen. Mikey’s connection to food and family traditions are embedded in his unique version of New Mexican street food. Regardless of his career path, be it as CEO of Live Life Multimedia or on a construction job site as Project Manager, Mikey never stopped cooking. He knew the culinary arts were his passion.

Burnt Fideo was a concept born from “prep meals with a twist.” His goal was to preserve New Mexican culinary cuisine in a healthy format. Within months of the opening, Mikey had to re-think his business model to survive and thrive in the pandemic and the new norm, Burnt Fideo (V.2).

Burnt Fideo is a whole vibe. When you visit the truck the music, the food, and the aesthetics are part of the experience.

Mikey talks in depth about the inception of his creations and plans to expand his successful business venture.

Dominic and Tristin have the opportunity to sit down with a mentor and former boss. Marco Espinoza traces his career from the dish pit in the kitchens of Las Vegas to overseeing multiple properties for an international hospitality chain. Now, Marco has his sights set on achieving yet another goal, which is to bring his sabor to Albuquerque. So, sandwiches or tacos? Find out!

Originally from Compton CA, Marco spent most of his early years line cooking in Las Vegas NV. He began his career in 1994 as a Line Cook at the Rainforest Café at the MGM Casino in Las Vegas. He worked at various restaurants in various casinos. When he met his wife, he moved to Albuquerque NM. Soon he was the Sous Chef at the Hilton’s Ranchers Club, where he worked under Executive Chef Salim Khoury, a great mentor and friend.  Subsequently, he moved on to become the opening  Executive Chef for Gruet Grill. After that, he moved on to become the Executive at Chef Sandia Golf Course, Executive Chef Whisque Bar and Grill, and Executive Chef at One Up Elevated Lounge. For the past 10 years, he’s been Legacy Hospitality’s Cooperate Chef where he oversees 12 properties in Albuquerque, NM and Seattle, WA . Marco is based in Albuquerque, is married and has two children, a 14 year old daughter and a 12 year old son, and 2 furry kids, Oreo and Jazzy, both Shorkies. Marco is a u13 Competitive Soccer Coach and is addicted to great food.

John talks about bringing his Korean flavors to Albuquerque. We learn about his passion for people and their stories, and how that can create unexpected results. John also explains what makes Korean food so special!

Award-winning Chef/Owner John Katrinak is based in Albuquerque, NM. Learning the love of food from his grandmother, you can find him creating traditional and fusion Korean cuisine at his restaurant Soo Bak Seoul Bowl in Nob Hill.

Listen in as Michael Mondragon traces his steps back to the time in his life when a dream became a reality. The owner of Mighty Mike’s Meats Food Truck describes how he gained the clarity after his near death experience and how it changed his view of life. We learn what Mike lives each day for and how it brings joy to so many. He even gives us a couple BBQ tips too, shhhh.

Frank Holloway, owner of Hollow Spirits, talks about how he turned his failures into motivation as a young entrepreneur, and how he found the leader within by welcoming the challenges life has thrown him.

Marie talks about the key that she recommends for all entrepreneurs to grab, and her new restaurant and food truck concepts.

Explore some of the driving forces behind one of Albuquerque’s most well-known local chefs in this discussion of her success as well as the challenges she’s encountered to achieve her goals.

Marie Yniguez, known locally for her appearances on Food Network shows such as Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Chopped, delves into these topics with her signature honesty and humor. We cover everything from taxes to memory and love, and share some exciting you-heard-it-here-first announcements (maybe, she admits she’s not the greatest at keeping secrets).

So, pods or powder? Tell us! Follow us @backburnerpc on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Chef Mike talks about opening multiple locations, his struggles with mental health, and his many endeavors in philanthropy.

Chef Michael W. White is a restaurateur, chef, and philanthropist who has resided in New Mexico for over 25 years. He is the owner of High Point Rustic Kitchen, founder of The Kitchen Kids Inc., and director of 505 Food Fights.

Xavi joins the podcast to discuss his new restaurant concept, his upbringing, and issues he's faced getting to where he is today.

Chef Javier Montano starting his culinary career in Albuquerque in the 1990s where he worked at Scalo and the very first Il Vicino. He moved to San Francisco in 1997 where he would work at world-renowned restaurants including Rubicon, Acquerello, Dio Deka, and Limon. He spent 4 years as the corporate chef of Electronic Arts where he ran a culinary team of up to 40 people cooking for up to 1500 people a day. He moved back to the land of enchantment in 2016 and opened up Malaguena's Latin Tapas Food truck with his wife. They won the Local Hero award for "Best Food Truck" in 2019 by Edible New Mexico.

He plans to open his brick and mortar restaurant next year- Pecan River Provisions,  where chef wants to bring you into his kitchen and cook for you the way he likes to eat. He is influenced by his love of travel and exploration, adding flavors from Asia, South America and Europe to classic American favorites. The heart of the operation will be the rotisserie featuring a Pecan Coffee Chile Chicken with mojo sauce and potatoes cooked in the chicken juices. There will a daily selection of fresh salads, desserts, and pickles.

Follow, like, and love @pecanriverabq on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with this new venture.

On this episode Dominic and Tristin discuss Kate Gerwin’s views on Yelp reviews, her extensive background in bartending, and her many accolades.

Kate Gerwin, a widely celebrated restaurateur and mixologist, is well-known in the bartending world for being the first woman and first American to win the Bols Around the World Bartending Championship in 2014, but this is just one of her many worthy accomplishments. In her more-than-20-year career, Gerwin has been named by Drinks International as one of the industry's "Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the World," she has worked as a certified advanced master sommelier for some of Napa’s top wineries, consulted on the docuseries Bar Rescue, taught at the Le Cordon Bleu campus in Scottsdale, Arizona and the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt.

We’d be remiss not to mention, as she puts it, her “favorite crowning moment”: being inducted into the Tales of the Cocktail Dame Hall of Fame, which celebrates the contributions of hard-working women to the spirits and cocktail industry.

It’s her consulting work that she is most passionate about, specifically that which she does with small market bar programs. Sometimes she's called in to help train and educate teams at struggling bar programs, almost like a real life Bar Rescue, and other times she is hired to design bar programs in small tertiary markets that don’t yet have a cocktail bar scene.

Recently, Gerwin and her business partner, flair bartender Blaze Montana, opened their own bar and distillery, Happy Accidents. The bar is located in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

So, Casino or Good Fellas?

Adrienne talks about starting off as a bartender, where she has won numerous accolades, to leading the kitchen at a fun, out-of-the ordinary bar that she's at now, which also happens to be the hottest place to get a drink in town.

Listen to Chef Dominic and Chef Tristin explore the intricacies of becoming a leader in the kitchen, and how that changes depending on what part of the industry one might be coming from.

Finding a balance of excellence in the kitchen and a healthy mental state is a thread that runs through this conversation. Strap in, it’s a wild ride!

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