Q & A with George Mendes

Distinguishing yourself as a chef is not easy.  Yet, George Mendes has done just that with his first restaurant, Aldea located in the Flatiron District.  This Portuguese chef has managed to bring invigorate Iberian cuisine with his modern twists on classic Portuguese and Spanish fare.   Mendes has been working two years to get Aldea off the ground. 

Prior to his solo debut, Mendes graduated from the CIA and went on to train under such esteemed chefs as David Bouley and Alain Ducasse.   Multiple stages
in France and Spain further
prepared him for the role of executive chef at Le Zoo and Toqueville.

At Aldea, he’s receiving deserved critical attention for his vibrant Iberian cooking.  The menu’s filled with Spanish and Portuguese classics, like shrimp alhinho as well unique bites, like sea
urchin toast with cauliflower cream, sea lettuce and lime.

Single/Married/Divorced?

Married.

What did you want to be when you
grew up?  Do you ever have thoughts of
taking off your chef whites and doing something else?                                                                                                                                    I was very into sports: basketball
and soccer.  Then in high school I began
drafting and architecture, so that was what I was going to embark on.  And then I visited the Culinary Institute of America.

What was it like growing up in Connecticut in a Portuguese household and what are some of your most memorable recipes and family traditions?                                                                                            Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, as
well as all major holidays involved elaborate food preparations.  Various rice dishes, rabbit, goat, salt
cod—my mom and aunts would be cooking for two days straight.

You regard David Bouley as your
mentor.  What were the most important
things you learned from working with him at Bouley?                                                                                                                                    It was an introduction to a very
light, herbal cuisine, but most importantly I learned how to marry flavors.  He taught me to trust my palate and welcome
global ingredients and seasoning.

You worked in kitchens our first executive chef job was at Le Zoo.  What was your cooking
style like then, and how has it developed over the years?                                                                                                  I was 24 years old and it was my
first time running a kitchen.  There was
a lot of trial and error.  My food was
very simple with the focus on technique. 
I was eating out a lot.  My food
has developed into a personal style influenced by my travels, heritage, and
inspirations but with an Iberian reference point.

Your cooking has ranged from French
to Austrian to Spanish, but which cuisine are you most passionate about?
I’m very passionate about the
Iberian Peninsula – Portugal
and Spain.

You’ve worked in restaurants all
over the world, from Arpege in Paris to a stage
under chef Martin Berasategui in Spain.  Why return to New York?

I never really left.  Those were trips/stages to learn and
grow.  I grew up 1.5 hours from New York City and have lived here for 15 years.  I love it
here, a lot to offer inspiration-wise from restaurants to design, fashion, etc.

 

Tell us about your experience working at
Toqueville.

It was a period of research, defining my
style and what direction I wanted to take. 
I learned a lot about customer relations and business sense.

 

What is the most difficult aspect of
opening your own restaurant?

Multi-tasking.  Trying to be everywhere at the same
time.  It’s not about just being a chef
or a cook anymore.  It’s other things
like maintenance, and opening up envelopes of bills!

 

What food trends do you embrace?

Don’t like the word trend.  There is a constant influx of information out
there—new techniques and ingredients.  New
approaches.  I love the avant-garde
movement.  If cuisine (or us chefs)
doesn’t evolve, we regress.  And it gets
boring.

 

What food trends do you wish would
just die already?

I love burgers, but enough already.

 

What is your favorite item on the
menu at Aldea?

There are many. The sea urchin
toast, the shrimp alhinho, duck rice egg preparations, salt cod.

 

What is your least favorite (and
yes, you must pick one)?

OK fine, but not really.  The clams.

 

Where do you like to go for a great
Portuguese or Spanish meal in New York
City?

For Portuguese I would go to PAO in
west Soho or to Newark, New Jersey – Ferry St. 
For Spanish, I love Boqueria and Txikito as well as El Quinto Pino.

 

Any new projects on the
horizon?  Spill the beans…

Just Aldea right now.  And it’s more than enough.

Address: 31 W 17th Street, btwn. 5th Ave. & Ave. of the Americas

Phone: (212) 675-7223