Meet the Owner of RG Cocina Mexicana: George Rodriguez

When you visit a place that has a long history, you tend to wonder who’s behind it. In the case of my favorite restaurant, the owner is George Rodriguez. He’s the soul behind the new image of the place, and I have to tell you that I was eager to talk to him. Through one of the staff members I got the chance to sit down and talk to him, and his story will enchant you.  He was born in New Jersey, and his family is Colombian, but his heart is Mexican since his stepfather is Mexican. “He taught me a lot.” He’s proud of mixing those cultures in his cooking, of joining the three different styles to make his own.

He started working at RG Cocina Mexicana, back in 1992 it was called “El Rancho Grande”. That was when he was 12 years old, working as a dishwasher. Doing jobs all the way up to the kitchen, he learnt the basics. He went from assistant cook to salad prep, to server assistant. He went back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen. And in the process, gained the knowledge and desire to know more about the business. He studied cuisine and became the official owner in 2003, when he was 23, and he opened the North Beach location. At that point, it was a very isolated area and not nearly as transitated as today, so he had to roll up his sleeves and get his hands on to make the restaurant grow. “I had to change my mindset, from working in the business, to work on the business. It’s a subtle difference, but it meant the world to me.”

That change made him decide to reach 786 Marketing to change the aspect of the restaurant, to modernize the feel of the place. “I love it, I identify myself with it.” He told me that when he was in Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts, he realized that people thought of Mexican cuisine as just a taco, nachos and burritos. At that point, he decided to take that notion and transform his food into something sophisticated, playful and colorful. “They thought of it as just street food, and I challenged that.”. He started making dishes that not only tasted good, but that were appealing to the public. To take them on a journey through their senses, and he surely did when he put together RG Cocina Mexicana current menu.

When I asked him what was his favorite dish, he told me that it was a trick question. “You are asking me to pick which one is my favorite child!” he laughed. And although he doesn’t pick one, he told me that there’s a dish that’s particularly emotional to him: Panuchos Yucatecos. It is a plate that inspired him due to the fact that it’s so hand crafted. He told me that he has to do the masa from scratch, cooking it on the comal (a flat mexican griddle) to the perfect temperature so it puffs up, and immediately stuff it with the black bean pure. To him, it was an amazing challenge. “Once I finished the whole dish, I actually cried. Because I felt the sense of humbleness.” The whole plate requires an elaborate process that makes him feel connected to his roots, to the origin of the Panuchos itself, back in Yucatan, Mexico.

To George, the thing that makes RG Cocina Mexicana different it’s the fact that they actually concentrate in the hospitality. He told me that is what makes a place stand out, to differentiate from the rest of the restaurants in the area. “Why do people choose to go out and pay for a dish in a restaurant instead of staying home? It’s how you feel in the place, the way we make you feel”. He teaches his staff how to approach the clients, since at the end of the day, it’s not what they do, it’s how they do it. He says that there’s a difference between customer service and hospitality. The last one has a nurturing feel to him, and you have to deal with different emotions from the clients, and approaching them from that point of view it makes them stand out. “We’re well known for our service because of that.” He’s the leader of the group and told me that he doesn’t like to push his staff, he wants to connect the dots and lead them to the same place.

And talking about the bar, he told me that he’s proud of how his bartenders incorporate the Mexican heritage to the preparations. While drinks like the Guava Jalapeño Margarita are the crowd pleasers, he likes the punch and balance of the Ginger and Lemongrass Margarita. “That drinks reminds me of Rancho Grande… And it’s new logo!”. While talking to him I realized that he’s full of passion for what he does. It’s contagious. “We like to be authentic, but genuine at the same time, sophisticated too!”. That’s the reason why the restaurant doesn’t have ponchos and  sombreros, he wanted a modern upbeat environment. He has many plans for RG Cocina Mexicana, and with the drive that he shows me while talking about the restaurant, I’m sure he’ll accomplish them all!

RG Cocina Mexicana address is 314 72nd ST, Miami Beach, FL 33141. Their phone number is: 305-4647404.