Meet the Chef: David Martinez

David Martinez, chef and co-ower at Union Restaurant and Bar Latino grew up on a farm, in Metapán, El Salvador, about 70 miles from the capital city of San Salvador. There were cows, chickens, pigs, horses, vegetables, and fruits, including pineapple, mango, coconut, and even yucca. His step-mother was the primary cook (he lost his mom when he was 7 years old) and he showed no interest in being in the kitchen.

Rather, Martinez left school and trained to become a mechanic. He had his first child when he was just 19, and when he turned 24 in 1988 he decided life would be better for his family if he joined his brother in California. The plan was to get a job as a mechanic. As soon as he got there, a friend convinced him that there was much more opportunity for the future in New York. His brother saw no logic to this sudden change of direction, but eventually wished him well, and off he went.

— So how did you get your start in the food industry?

I actually knew someone from El Salvador who was living in Piermont, so I went right there. I asked if I could stay with my friend George for a few days until I could find a job and an apartment. Three days later George's friend Peter Kelly called and told him he needed a dishwasher for his restaurant Xaviars in Piermont. That was my start. But I saw it as temporary until I found a job as a mechanic. Working around food was really interesting and six months later I was still there. Peter must have seen potential and when he opened Freelance Café he asked me if I would like to do more, and allowed me to move to the Freelance cold station. So I learned salads and desserts, and started going to the hot line too to learn, and was always watching what Peter was doing. I thought he was very smart in the kitchen and how he related to the customers.

— Are there any other chefs who have influenced you?
Six months after I started at Freelance Café Peter took a few of us to lunch at Gramercy Tavern in New York. I was very excited. It was the first time for me to go to one of the best restaurants in New York, with one of the top chefs. I loved it! And I started to buy books and magazines to teach myself more. That's what I did every night.

— So how did you go from helping in the kitchen to becoming a chef?
After I was on the cold station for about a year, the chef was going on vacation, and Peter took me aside and told me I was going to now work on the line with him. He said he would be there if I needed him but I was on my own. The third day, he told me he was going to be in Xaviars and I was really on my own. When the other chef came back from his vacation, Peter asked him to move to Xaviars in Garrison, and there I was at Freelance, where I stayed until 2007.

— Where did the idea come from to start your own restaurant?
I kept going back to Gramercy Tavern to see how they did it. And in the magazines I read about all the top chefs and thought one day I'd like that to be me. Right near Gramercy Tavern was another great restaurant Patria, owned by Chef Douglas Rodriguez … he created the cuisine "Nuevo Latino." I went for a tasting, loved his style, and right away bought his book. I decided that one day I wanted to do something on my own with a Latino twist.

— How did you and Paulo end up becoming partners in Union?

It's always been important to me that the chef communicates to the front … the waiters, the busboys, everyone … to watch and make sure that everything is being done right. Paulo also worked at Xaviars and Freelance and we had the same ideas of how things should be. He said, David, maybe one day we can open our own restaurant.

— Why did you open Union in Haverstraw?
I wanted to buy a house and a friend of mine told me I should look in Haverstraw, it had a lot of potential. In 2001 I bought a house here. We first started looking for a restaurant in Nyack and Piermont. But one day I stopped in at this location in Haverstraw. A friend of mine owned a Mexican restaurant here … Gallito's. I asked him if he was interested in selling it. He wasn't at first, but eventually he came back to me and said yes. I didn't know for sure if the town was ready for something my style but I called Paulo and he came to look. He pointed out that the kitchen was tiny. I told him I thought we could do it. Our friends thought we were crazy! They didn't understand the menu and said we'd be closed in two months.

— Was it difficult to get it going?
I figured we'd start small, especially since the kitchen was not very big. Maybe 20-30 people. A soft open. We could handle that. But the third week after we opened Liz Johnson wrote about us in The Journal News and that Saturday we had people waiting outside! We weren't really ready for that, and it was a little rough, but I knew then there was potential and we just had to get prepared. So right away we made the kitchen bigger, moved things around, and organized so we could work faster. To me it's very important when a customer comes to your restaurant, you have to make sure they go home happy.

— Are you still glad you became a chef?
I'm very excited! It's like every year is my first year. Every day I'm happy. That's how I am all the time. The best part is making the customers happy too. I love to hear people say Union is the place to go, the food is good … consistent … that makes me stronger.

— Your wife Maria works with you in the kitchen?
People always ask how I work with my wife! We get along really well. When I hire people I say, if you want to be part of this family you are welcome. But if you are coming just for the money, no. That's where the name Union came from. We want it to be a "family" … customers and workers … everybody here together … with choices for everyone but with my Latin twist.

— Where do you get your inspiration for new creations?

I like the fresh, natural flavors I grew up with. And I don't like to just follow a recipe. Of course I may take an idea of some ingredients, but I make it my own. The food I create comes from my heart. Food … being in the restaurant business … it's an art. You have flavor, color, presentation … the food needs to look exciting, beautiful.

— How do you source the food you cook with here?
I like to shop locally and I go to the farmer's market. We also started our own rooftop garden right here in June. This year we are learning what we can grow. Next year I have a picture in my mind of what it will be. I want the customers to be able to see the fresh vegetables and herbs that we are using from the garden … and they will get excited. It's a big difference to have everything fresh.

— What is your "we care" foundation?
I come from a family that is together, and very supportive of each other … grandmother, mother, sister, brother … everyone shared food. I remember in early 2009 when a lot of people around here were losing their jobs. Some of my friends too. And they had kids. I saw they didn't have the money to support them. It's very important to me to help my community, to help people when they are in need. We talked about it and decided one thing we could do was to close Union for three days and offer free meals to anyone in the community who was having a hard time. Our customers even came to help us! And other chefs said we were crazy … but now we are doing it every year and they help too. Many people came to eat here on those days, from all over Rockland County. You feel good when you can help people like that! I always think it could be me. This comes from wanting everyone to be part of the family. And it's great when kids come and you see that expression on their face and it might be the first time they ate at a restaurant, had a nice meal. Now some of these kids know me when they see me on the street. Maybe they will grow up with the idea that they can do something like this too.

— Do you still have time to cook at home?

My wife and I like to eat as a family so we do that when we can. We keep the food very simple. But sometimes we experiment at home.

— Where do you like to eat out?
When I get a chance I like to go to New York City to see what the top chefs are doing. That's important, that's learning. All different types of food, different flavors … I pick up ideas. Even for the front of the house, I like to see what they are doing. And a lot of chefs come here because
they have heard about us.

— What would you tell someone who wants to become a chef?
You have to love what you are doing. It's a lot of work, a lot of hours. If it doesn't come from your heart, you are in the wrong business! And you have to be able to communicate. You can't be independent if you are in the restaurant business. A chef can't be a chef alone. It's a team. To be a chef is not just to be able to cook. I think to be a great chef it's important to be connected … talk to the people who work with you … listen to the customers. It's important to learn the skills, but if you don't have the money to go to a school, find a place and stay there and learn. It takes time. I tell the young people who work for me that one day they can do this too. I want to help them. Peter Kelly has been really supportive to me and Paulo all along. I still stop by every week. And he comes here, or we call. I was with him for 20 years! You become family.

— What tips do you have for someone who wants to learn how to cook for themselves or guests at home?

Make a simple salad, simple dressing … maybe some tortillas … make your own quesadillas or your own guacamole. It's very easy … just take some fresh tomato, onion, cilantro … chop up the tomato and the avocado and you have guacamole. And then you learn from that. You taste it and you add salt. Experiment. But don't buy things you don't know what to do with. Cook at your level.

— Are there any cookbooks that you would recommend?

Here are a few: Douglas Rodriguez's Nuevo Latino, Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition, Jean Georges: Cooking at home with a Four-Star Chef, and Tapas: A Taste of Spain.

 Union Restaurant and Bar Latino

22-24 Main St.

Haverstraw

845-429-4354

www.unionrestaurant.net

Editor's Note: Linda Kallman is a freelance writer/editor who in past lives has worked as a print journalist, in a TV newsroom, at an Internet start-up and who has run her own PR/Marketing agency in Nyack. She has called Rockland County home for 30+ years and recently moved to Haverstraw from Upper Nyack.