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.