Josef Centeno facts for kids

Josef Centeno is a well-known American chef. He also owns restaurants and writes cookbooks. He is famous for his Tex-Mex cuisine, which is a mix of Texas and Mexican cooking styles. In 2020, he was nominated for a special award called the James Beard award for being one of the best chefs.

Early Life and Learning

Centeno grew up in San Antonio, Texas. His family had Mexican roots. He loved eating his grandmother's Tex-Mex food. He said her cooking was "all from scratch and very simple." It was like "farm-to-table" cooking. This means they used fresh ingredients from their own garden.

His father worked as a butcher in their family grocery store. His great-grandfather, Joe Centeno Sr., started Centeno Supermarkets. This was the first group of independent grocery stores owned by Latino families in the United States.

Josef Centeno went to San Antonio Academy and Central Catholic Marianist High School. He then studied cooking at the Culinary Institute of America.

Cooking Career

In 2011, Centeno opened a restaurant called Bäco Mercat. It was in Los Angeles and served Spanish-inspired food.

He named another restaurant, Bar Amá, after his grandmother. Her family came to Texas from Northern Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. Centeno said they cooked Tex-Mex food. He described his grandmother's cooking as "simple cooking." It was not the usual Tex-Mex with lots of melted cheese.

In June 2019, his restaurant Orsa & Winston earned a Michelin star. This is a very special award for restaurants. Orsa & Winston serves Japanese and Italian-inspired dishes. In July 2019, he opened another restaurant called Amácita in Culver City.

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Centeno was one of the first chefs to close his restaurants completely. He told his employees to apply for unemployment benefits right away. Both Orsa & Winston and Bar Amá have since reopened.

Cookbooks

Centeno has written two cookbooks. His first book was Baco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles. It came out in 2017. He wrote it with Betty Hallock, who is his life partner and a former food editor. This book focused on the food of Los Angeles. The magazine Food & Wine said the book was about being an American who mixes different cultures and flavors.

His second cookbook is called Amá: a modern Tex-Mex kitchen. It was published in 2019. He also wrote this book with Betty Hallock. The New Yorker magazine said it was one of the best books of the year. Eater also named it one of the best cookbooks of fall 2019.

Cooking Ideas

Centeno says he grew up when Tex-Mex food became very popular in a commercial way. Because of this, he first tried to avoid cooking Tex-Mex. He moved to New York and learned French cooking.

However, he later changed his mind. He now sees Tex-Mex as a special type of cooking. It was created by people who moved to Texas and needed to make food with what they had. It is not just about processed cheese.

Awards and Recognition

In February 2020, Josef Centeno was named a semifinalist for Best Chef. This was by the James Beard Foundation. This foundation gives awards to top chefs.

In July 2021, the Los Angeles Times named Orsa & Winston their restaurant of the year. They praised Centeno for how he handled his restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. He also holds a Michelin star for Orsa & Winston.