The Staff

It is a rare privilege for any business but  particularly  the restaurant business to have staff  that have been with you for a long time through thick and thin.  I have employees who have been a part of the Zarela family since the days that I was at Cafe Marimba (1984-1987,)  There’s Winston Cole, our head bartender and incomparable catering director who is like a brother to me, Ali Chowdury, our head waiter and our food runner Nilhu, who says that he’s been with me longer than he was with his mother.

But what has kept the food at Zarela consistently good is that, not only the chef, but several  people on “the line” have been there since Zarela opened in 1987.  Except for our first chef, Gary Jacobson, I had started with an all-Mexican staff but they would not make the food as I told them. It was “mi mama  no lo hace asi” (my mother doesn’t make it like that or similar things.)  While my food is very traditional, my way of preparing it has it’s own unique style of layered flavors and textures that hit your mouth at different times and make the taste explode in your mouth.  Gary was with us for over 10 years and then Hermene Fernandez (aka Hilario) stepped in and took the helm firmly and proudly.  He had started as a dishwasher at age 17 and I have seen him grow into an exceptional cook, excellent manager and a good man, un hombrazo.  He’s tall, strong and gorgeous, with chocolate skin and jade eyes and dimples that light up his face.  Best of all he’s an enthusiastic playmate who will eagerly try any new recipe I bring in no matter how much extra work it involves.  He needs constant stimulation and challenges me to find new techniques or dishes for him and me to learn. One week it’s let’s make longaniza verde from Toluca, a sausage,  and another we’re serving mochomos, crisply fried shredded beef from Chihuahua.  Together we’ve taken our customers on gastronomic tours of many different regions of Mexico.  It’s very rewarding to bring someone along and help them develop along with me.

Most of the cooks too have been there for 10 to 12 years. Kashim and Hussein from the beginning; Leo, sous chef, and Felix, pastry chef, Tono and Tobias and too many others to mention are in their second decade.

Managers, in general, don’t last as long but Paul Ross has been there since 1991 and Pierre, the fabulous maitre d’ , the only person I’ve ever trusted the reservation book arrived in 1993.  We now have our adorable and wonderfully efficient Grace, learning the managerial ropes and Galina, the bookkeeper, stepped in when Vera retired after 20 years.

I am indeed blessed and thankful for all the help and support they constantly supply because without them we could not be the 21 year old success story.

Every year we have a staff party and I cook for them and my friends serve.  The pictures I include are from last years party and not everyone is represented yet..