The Dallas-based Latino Culinary Institute and Association recently announced the winners of its inaugural Chispa Awards for the best Hispanic restaurants and food industry workers in the D-FW restaurant industry.
“I am very excited to recognize the best of Hispanics in D-FW, because even though the vast majority of restaurant workers are Hispanic, they are never recognized for their hard work and effort,” said Lydia Gonzalez, president of the LCIA and chef at Urban Grill in Dallas, to The News. “It’s people like them who make it possible for this industry to continue to grow in D-FW.”
In the first inaugural Chispa Awards, more than 4,000 people nominated candidates and voted for their favorites.
The seven winners of the 2024 awards are:
- Best Chef: Adan Ventura, Tasty Paella, Richardson
- Best Sous Chef: Alejandro Castro, Fleming’s Steakhouse, Plano
- Best Server: Dulce Beltran, Half Shells, Dallas
- Best Bartender: Joel Almanza, Fish City Grill, Dallas
- Best Fast Casual: Casa Mama Authentic Mexican Restaurant, in Dallas, Plano and Rockwall
- Best Breakfast Diner: Pete’s Café, Farmers Branch
- Best Full Service: La Comida, Dallas
“With over 15,000 restaurants in D-FW area, this initiative represents a significant milestone for LCIA and its ability to support Latino restaurant owners, and underscores our commitment to attracting Latinos into the culinary, food services, and beverage fields,” Gonzalez said.
The LCIA is a member-driven non-profit organization founded in 2020. It promotes professional development to attract Latinos to the U.S. culinary field.
The winners share a multi-year career in the industry and a culture of hard work that has gotten them where they are.
Adan Ventura, the Honduran chef who won a paella contest in Spain
Adan Ventura was awarded the title of best Hispanic chef. He owns Tasty Paella, a live paella preparation business in D-FW and Houston, the Easy Paella brand, sold at Central Market, and ACD Kitchen, which caters to corporate events.
Ventura’s story as a chef began as a child, working in his mother’s restaurant in his native San Marcos, Ocotepeque, a small town in Honduras near the border with Guatemala and El Salvador.
At 20, he emigrated to Valencia, Spain, for more opportunities. He went to work at the Gloria Bendita restaurant, famous for specializing in rice and paella, where he started at the bottom and learned the trade.
Eight years later, he immigrated to the United States, where he held several jobs before he discovered that he didn’t have to open a restaurant in order to open a paella business.
“We started developing the concept of live cooking, so we go cook in homes, at parties, and from there we expanded to other concepts and other places,” Ventura told The News.
In 2022, Ventura returned to Valencia to win the International Valencian Paella Competition.
“It was great to return to the land where I learned this craft and beat Spanish and international paelleros. I felt very proud,” Ventura said.
Alejandro Castro, the entrepreneur sous chef
Alejandro Castro, who works at Fleming’s Steakhouse in Plano, was awarded the title of best Hispanic sous chef in the region.
Castro was born in Acapulco, Mexico and came to the United States 35 years ago. One of his first jobs was as a busboy and dishwasher. Although he was a teenager, Castro already had some cooking knowledge because he had worked at a taco stand his mom had in the city of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, in Mexico.
“They would put me to do a lot of things, and it was easy for me because I knew how to cook because of my mom,” Castro said to The News.
For a time, Castro moved away from the restaurant industry and studied to become a nuclear medicine technician. But his love for restaurants called him back.
He became sous chef at Fleming’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas and then moved to D-FW in 2016 to open a Fleming’s.
“The most important part of my job is to lead my team and verify that the kitchen is running at 100 percent at all times, so that the people who come to eat with us take away a pleasant experience,” Castro said.
In addition to working at Fleming’s Steakhouse, Castro and his family own 9th Island Revel Foods, a Tex-Mex food truck that caters parties and public events.
Dulce Beltran, the devoted best server
Dulce Beltran, who works at Half Shells in Snider Plaza, was awarded the title of best Hispanic server in D-FW.
Although originally from Durango, Mexico, she immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 2. At 18, she started working as a waitress to pay for college.
She had other jobs for several years, and on weekends, she worked as a waitress to make ends meet. But for the last seven years, that has been her main job.
“I love people. What I like most about my job is that I meet all kinds of people, and I like to treat them as if they were my friend.; I chat with them, learn their names and listen to them, how they are and what do they want,” Beltran told The News.
For years, Beltran has followed the same routine: Five minutes before starting to work, she takes a deep breath, prays, and puts on her best face regardless of what she experiences outside the restaurant.
Beltran said that most restaurant workers are Latinos, so she applauded the effort to recognize their work.
“The truth is that we work hard and our efforts must be recognized. This award makes me feel special and more eager to keep going,” Beltran said.
Joel Almanza, best bartender and loyal company man
Joel Almanza, who works at Fish City Grill at Preston Road and Royal Lane, was awarded best Hispanic bartender in the D-FW area.
Almanza is originally from Monterrey, Mexico and has been working at Fish City Grill for almost 21 years. He started as a host, then became a waiter, and since 2011 has been a bartender.
“At first, I was very insecure because I thought I didn’t have the personality needed for that position. I was timid, but they gave me the opportunity and I took advantage of it,” Almanza told The News.
Almanza said his daily priority is customer service and making sure people feel good.
“We have customers who are already regulars and come every so often and already know me, and there are many others who come one time and come back because we provide good service,” Almanza said.
For Almanza, receiving this award is a motivation to continue offering good service while remaining humble.
