Questions with Chef Natalie Rodriguez
Name: Natalie Rodriguez
Restaurant: Nuestra
Town: Worcester
Background: Worked in hospitality industry for over 20 years. Always had a love for cooking and making people smile. Graduated from QCC with Associates in Hospitality Management. Worked as a Food and Beverage Operations Manager and then decided to take the leap into having my own restaurant.
Q1 What is your first or best memory of cooking and who was it with?
My first memory of cooking was learning how to make Harina de Maiz(cornmeal) with my amazing grandfather Miguel who recently passed. The dish is made with milk warmed up in pot with cinnamon and sugar. My grandfather believed there was a science to how you stirred the pot with your spoon so that there were no lumps of cornmeal and it would be smooth. I make it at least once a week. My staff love it.
Q2 What is your most popular dish?
At the moment our Jibarito’s are the most popular. It is a pork shoulder sandwich topped with lettuce, mayo, ketchup, cheese, and tomatoes sandwiched between 2 full size fried plantains. We have also tested it out with burger lettuce in middle.. so good!
Q3 What is your favorite dish to make?
Anything with Pork Shoulder! We cook ours for 12 hours and it’s so soft and tender. It can be paired with rice and beans , French Fries or even in a sandwich.
Q4 What do you eat when you are not working/ favorite thing to eat?
Tacos and Chinese/Japanese food! I can never say no to tacos and I swear I’m part Asian… it’s my favorite food.
Q5 Person you would most like to cook for?
This one is difficult…but I’m gonna go with Rapper Fat Joe! I think he would love my Puerto Rican food to the max! Plus I think he would be good company an crack jokes in the kitchen.
Q6 If you weren’t cooking, what would you do for a living?
Before quitting my job and being my own boss last November I was a Food and Beverage Operations manager at a Marriott. I would probably be doing same type of event / restaurant management.
Q7 Not your own spot, what is your favorite restaurant?
There are several favorites.. I’m a foodie however my go to has gotta be Sake Bomb!
The MUST TRY items according to Taste of Massachusetts:
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