Victor Albisu

Last updated

Victor Albisu
Victor Albisu 2010.jpg
Albisu (right) in 2010, making risotto
Born1974or1975(age 49–50) [1]
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. [2]
Education George Mason University, Le Cordon Bleu
Culinary career
Current restaurant(s)
    • Taco Bamba (2013 – present)
Previous restaurant(s)
    • Del Campo (2013 – 2018)
    • Poca Madre (2018 – 2020)
Award(s) won
    • Chef of the year, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (2015)
    • Semifinalist, James Beard Foundation Award for best chef, Mid-Atlantic region (2016 and 2020)

Victor Albisu (born 1974or1975) is an American chef and restaurateur. He has created fine-dining Latin American restaurants Del Campo and Poca Madre in D.C. and the fast-casual chain of taquerias Taco Bamba, featuring traditional as well as inventive house-special tacos often influenced by other culinary traditions. Opened in 2013 in the Falls Church, Virginia, shopping center where Albisu's mother has a Latin market, as of June 2024 Taco Bamba has 15 locations in the D.C. area and nearby states. In 2015, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington named Albisu chef of the year, and in 2016 and 2020, he was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Contents

Early life and education

Albisu was born to a Cuban father and Peruvian mother; his grandfather was a baker in Cuba. [2] Albisu grew up in Falls Church [1] and Annandale, Virginia, and worked at his mother Rosa Susinski's nearby Latin market. [3] [4] He attended Annandale High School, [5] then George Mason University in Virginia, graduating in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in politics and international relations. [6] He later attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. [7]

Career

After college, Albisu worked in international development before becoming a chef. [8]

Fine dining

In December 2007, Albisu became chef de cuisine, [9] then later executive chef at BLT Steak, a steakhouse in Washington, D.C. popular with the Obama family. [10] Albisu also cooked at the White House for the Obamas, and previously for George W. Bush. [11] In 2011, he won a competition hosted by Eater in honor of the Obamas’ love of burgers, preparing a Kobe beef burger with cheddar, ketchup and wild ramp dijon mustard, nods to Michelle Obama's preference for Kobe beef and Barack Obama's taste for spicy mustard and spicy greens. [12] The dish was later added to the BLT Steal menu. [13]

Albisu left BLT Steak in 2012 to start his own restaurants [14] and in 2013, he opened Del Campo, an upscale South American grill in the Chinatown neighborhood of D.C. Esquire named it to a list of best new restaurants in the country, with critic John Mariani praising Albisu's "phenomenal cooking". [15] A review in Condé Nast Traveler said, "D.C. is notoriously plagued by mediocre steakhouses, but this Argentine-style parilla in the Penn Quarter ain’t one of them," [16] commending the South American wines on offer, the Peruvian fish dishes like ceviche, as well as the "toothsome" of roast meats with chimichurri and salsa. [16] In The Washington Post , Tom Sietsema gave the restaurant two-and-a-half stars, indicating good-to-excellent. [17] In 2015, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington named him chef of the year, [18] and in 2016, Albisu was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region. [19]

In 2018, Albisu converted Del Campo into an upscale Mexican restaurant called Poca Madre. [20] In 2019, Sietsema listed Poca Madre at number six of the 10 best restaurants in D.C., highlighting "game-changer" dishes centered on vegetables like charred cabbage with mole and oxtail jam, or mango with chile, lime and charred habanero oil in ceviche. [21] In 2020, Albisu was again a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for best chef, Mid-Atlantic region. [22]

Poca Madre closed on March 16, 2020, when D.C. implemented a dine-in moratorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the restaurant did not reopen, closing permanently in September 2020. [23] [24]

Taco Bamba

A Taco Bamba location in Springfield, Virginia, in October 2024 Taco Bamba Taqueria on Backlick Road.jpg
A Taco Bamba location in Springfield, Virginia, in October 2024

In June 2013, Albisu opened Taco Bamba, [25] a fast-casual taqueria in the Falls Church, Virginia shopping center with his mother's market, Plaza Latina. [26] His mother and stepfather Bill Susinski were cofounders with Albisu. [27] Named for Peruvian slang for "inauthentic", [28] Taco Bamba offered both traditional tacos (carne asada, barbacoa, birria) and more inventive versions, like fried tilapia with squid ink aioli. [29] Esquire called Taco Bamba “some of the best tacos on the East Coast.” [30] In September 2016, Albisu opened a second location in Vienna, Virginia. [31] Washingtonian magazine described the Vienna menu as a “love letter to Northern Virginia”, with a “7 Corners Shrimp” taco honoring Eden Center’s hub of Vietnamese restaurants and “Bulgogi Bullfight” for the Koreatown neighborhood of Annandale, Virginia, Albisu's hometown. [28]

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Taco Bamba had five locations, with half of revenue coming from dine-in customers. [32] As indoor dining restrictions were imposed, Albisu laid off 100 people and closed the D.C. location, [32] which was adjacent to Poca Madre. He converted the four Virginia locations to takeout-only, then introduced delivery service, which helped keep more staff employed. [33] By the end of April 2020, Albisu said sales had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels though the dining rooms remained empty. [33]

In 2021, Investors Management Corporation, parent company to the restaurant chain Golden Corral, [34] acquired a stake in the business with the goal of creating a national chain. [5] As of June 2024, Taco Bamba has 15 locations, [35] in the D.C. area as well as Richmond, Virginia, [36] Raleigh, North Carolina, [37] and Nashville, Tennessee. [38] These locations offer locally inflected dishes like barbecue pork tacos and pimiento cheese empanadas. [38] [37] [36]

Other activities

Albisu appeared as a competitor in an episode of Beat Bobby Flay airing in early 2015, winning top honors. [39] [40] [41]

Albisu has worked with humanitarian organization CARE, [42] and World Central Kitchen. [43] At World Central Kitchen he was a member of the board. [44]

Awards

Personal life

Albisu is married and has two sons. [2] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang Puck</span> Austrian-American chef and restaurateur

Wolfgang Johannes Puck is an Austrian chef and restaurateur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komi (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in Washington D.C., United States

Komi was a restaurant in Washington, D.C. operated by Chef Johnny Monis, serving Italian cuisine and Greek cuisine.

<i>Mitraillette</i> Belgian sandwich

A mitraillette is a type of sandwich in Belgium commonly served at friteries and cafés. It is popular among students.

Bryan Voltaggio is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and author. He is a Top Chef television series alum; and he was a semi-finalist for the James Beard award. His brother is celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio. He resides in Frederick, Maryland and is known for Mid-Atlantic cuisine.

Peter Chang is a Chinese chef specializing in Sichuan cuisine who is known for his restaurants in Virginia and other states in the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray's Hell Burger</span> Former American restaurant in Virginia, United States

Ray's Hell Burger was a hamburger restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, part of a group of restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area under the "Ray's" name owned by restaurateur Michael Landrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Momofuku (restaurants)</span> Culinary brand

Momofuku is a culinary brand established by chef David Chang in 2004 with the opening of Momofuku Noodle Bar. It includes restaurants in New York City, Toronto (defunct), Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, a bakery established by pastry chef Christina Tosi, a bar (Nikai), and a quarterly magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pujol (restaurant)</span> Mexican restaurant in Mexico City

Pujol is a Mexican cuisine restaurant in Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City. The restaurant is owned and headed by chef Enrique Olvera. Pujol's dishes are based on traditional Mexican cuisine, including maize-based food, seafood, and tacos, served in a sophisticated presentation through tasting menus or a taco omakase bar.

Robert Wiedmaier is a West German-born, Belgian American chef. He owns multiple restaurants in and around Washington, D.C. and is known for creating dishes involving Belgian cuisine, specifically mussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushi Nakazawa</span> Japanese restaurant in New York City, US

Sushi Nakazawa is an upscale Japanese sushi restaurant located on Commerce Street in Manhattan. The restaurant has been praised for its quality and preparation.

James Alefantis is an American chef and restaurateur. He founded and owns two restaurants in Washington, D.C., including the pizzeria Comet Ping Pong, and American restaurant Buck's Fishing & Camping. He is also the president of the art gallery Transformer in Logan Circle, Washington, D.C. In 2012, GQ named him one of the 50 most powerful people in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pineapple & Pearls</span> Restaurant in Washington, D.C.

Pineapple & Pearls is a restaurant located on Barracks Row in Washington, D.C., serving a fixed-price multi-course dinner. The Washington Post gave the restaurant a four-star review, writing that Aaron Silverman, the chef and owner, "...pushes the fine-dining cause in only exquisite directions." Pineapple & Pearls was a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category of the James Beard Foundation Awards in 2024.

Fabio Trabocchi is an Italian chef and restaurateur based in Washington, D.C., where his restaurant Fiola earned a Michelin Star. Before opening his own restaurants, Trabocchi ran kitchens in London, Virginia, and New York, winning a James Beard Foundation Award in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dabney</span> Restaurant in D.C., United States

The Dabney is a restaurant located in Blagden Alley, in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Chef-owner Jeremiah Langhorne opened the restaurant in 2015, focusing on Mid-Atlantic cuisine. The Dabney was named one of the Best New Restaurants of 2016 by Bon Appétit magazine, it was a awarded a Michelin Star in 2017, and Chef Langhorne won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic in 2018.

Roberto Donna is an Italian chef and restaurateur in Washington D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coquine</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Coquine is a restaurant located in the Mount Tabor neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. The restaurant serves French-inspired food made from ingredients purchased from local farms as well as Stumptown Coffee.

The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize culinary professionals in the United States. The awards recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists each year, and are generally scheduled around James Beard's May birthday.

Rob Rubba is an American chef. He grew up in New Jersey and his first chef job was in the pastry department of the Mohegan Sun resort and casino in Connecticut. He worked for Todd English in Connecticut, for Gordon Ramsay in New York City, and for Charlie Trotter and Guy Savoy in Las Vegas before opening his own restaurant, Hazel, in Washington, D.C. in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyster Oyster</span> Restaurant in Washington, D.C., U.S.

Oyster Oyster is a restaurant by chef Rob Rubba, serving plant-based, American cuisine in Shaw, Washington, D.C. The restaurant has received a Michelin star.

Albi is a restaurant in Washington, D.C. owned by chef and restauranteur Michael Rafidi Established in February 2020, the restaurant serves Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. The menu has included barbecued lamb kebabs and baba ganoush. Albi has received a Michelin star.

References

  1. 1 2 Sietsema, Tom (May 24, 2023). "At Del Campo, a reimagined tour of South America, noodles included" . Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Rothstein, Betsy (December 9, 2008). "Chef 101 With Victor Albisu of BLT Steak". The Hill. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ Frederick, Missy (May 9, 2014). "Taco Bamba, a Mother/Son Affair; STK Shenanigans". Eater DC. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  4. ↑ Miles, Vernon (June 15, 2021). "For Taco Bamba owner, newly announced Landmark location is a homecoming". ALXnow. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Sernovitz, Daniel J. (November 5, 2021). "Exclusive: Taco Bamba brings on partner, plots nationwide expansion" . Washington Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Greg (June 1, 2023). "Mason alumnus chef influences region's culture through his restaurants". Costello College of Business. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  7. ↑ Sargent, Stephanie (June 24, 2024). "Taco Bamba founder Chef Victor Albisu's journey to Nashville's culinary scene". The News. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Van Zandt, Emily (March 23, 2017). "Victor Albisu" . Washington Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ Oczypok, Kate (May 7, 2008). "BLT Steak carves its niche". The Hill.
  10. ↑ Sidman, Jessica (July 9, 2024). "BLT Steak Has Closed in DC". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  11. ↑ Steinhauer, Jennifer (December 14, 2018). "Trump Kicks Away Obama Traditions Even at the Dinner Table" . The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  12. ↑ McKeever, Amy (April 27, 2011). "Chefs Todd Gray, Victor Albisu And Brian McBride Compete In Eater DC's Obama Burger Challenge". Eater DC. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  13. ↑ McKeever, Amy (October 31, 2011). "BLT Steak Launches a Rotating Board of Political Burgers". Eater DC. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  14. ↑ McKeever, Amy (March 6, 2012). "Executive Chef Victor Albisu Leaves BLT Steak". Eater DC. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  15. ↑ Carman, Tim (December 3, 2021). "How Del Campo made Esquire's list of America's best new restaurants" . Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "Review: Del Campo". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  17. ↑ Sietsema, Tom (May 18, 2023). "Tom Sietsema: Del Campo offers smoke, fire and flavor" . Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Hiatt, Gabe (December 7, 2018). "How D.C.'s Mexican Food Mad Scientist Makes a Ramen Taco Work". Eater DC. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  19. ↑ Frederick, Missy (February 17, 2016). "Kinship and The Dabney Are Among This Year's James Beard Award Semifinalists". Eater DC. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  20. ↑ Mitchell, Travis (June 18, 2018). "First Look: Chef Victor Albisu Goes Upscale With Mexican-Inspired Poca Madre". DCist. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  21. ↑ Sietsema, Tom (October 10, 2019). "Review | Poca Madre starts to sparkle" . Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  22. 1 2 "These 21 D.C.-Area Restaurants And Chefs Are James Beard Semifinalists". DCist. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  23. ↑ Sullivan, Jenny (April 19, 2021). ""We've All Been Through It This Year"". Arlington Magazine. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  24. ↑ Hiatt, Gabe (September 8, 2020). "Inventive Mexican Restaurant Poca Madre Has Permanently Closed in Penn Quarter". Eater DC. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  25. ↑ Sietsema, Tom (December 3, 2021). "It's Taco Bamba time: Victor Albisu's Falls Church taqueria opens June 17" . Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  26. ↑ Gutierrez-Jones, Jackie (March 1, 2024). "A Bastion of Pimento Cheese Empanadas and Catfish Tacos Arrives in Green Hills". Eater Nashville. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  27. ↑ Jennings, Lisa (November 8, 2021). "Taco Bamba plots national growth with Investors Management Corp. partnership". Nation's Restaurant News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  28. 1 2 Spiegel, Anna (January 5, 2017). "The New Taco Bamba Is a Love Letter to Northern Virginia". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  29. ↑ Poster, Leslie (July 24, 2013). "Restaurant Spotlight: Taco Bamba". Falls Church News-Press Online. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  30. ↑ Erickson, Nate (April 24, 2018). "The Gringa Will Be the Best Taco You Ever Eat". Esquire. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  31. ↑ Carman, Tim (December 2, 2021). "The first 100 customers at the new Taco Bamba receive free tacos for a year" . Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  32. 1 2 Lalley, Heather (April 26, 2020). "Emerging chains flip from growth mode to survival". Restaurant Business. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  33. 1 2 Feldman, Jess (April 27, 2020). "Table for None: 'It's very surreal' says Victor Albisu of NoVA's Taco Bamba". Northern Virginia Magazine. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  34. ↑ Lalley, Heather (November 9, 2021). "Golden Corral parent partners to expand Taco Bamba". Restaurant Business. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  35. ↑ Dickerson, Trevor (June 3, 2024). "Taco Bamba set to open first Richmond location at Willow Lawn Tuesday". RVAHub. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  36. 1 2 Peifer, Karri (May 30, 2024). "Taco Bamba's first Richmond location opens June 4". Axios.
  37. 1 2 Jackson, Drew (August 17, 2023). "Popular DC-based taco shop comes to Raleigh. What to know about the opening". The Herald Sun . The News & Observer.
  38. 1 2 Gutierrez-Jones, Jackie (March 1, 2024). "A Bastion of Pimento Cheese Empanadas and Catfish Tacos Arrives in Green Hills". Eater Nashville. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  39. ↑ Spiegel, Anna (January 15, 2015). "Watch Del Campo's Victor Albisu On "Beat Bobby Flay" Thursday". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Clash of the Culinary Titans". The Food Network .
  41. ↑ "7 of the Best Breakfast Spots In DC". Washingtonian. May 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  42. ↑ "World Class: Celebrity Chefs Aren't the Only Global Do-Gooders". Washington City Paper. December 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  43. ↑ Hayes, Laura (March 6, 2017). "World Central Kitchen Mobilizes Chefs to Tackle Global Hunger". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  44. ↑ Gans, Stefanie (September 7, 2017). "Victor Albisu is back from Houston and ready to open Springfield's Taco Bamba". Northern Virginia Magazine. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  45. ↑ "Victor Albisu". James Beard Foundation. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.