Alex Raij

I’m a New York chef specializing in Spanish cuisines. With my husband, I own Txikito a Basque restaurant, La Vara a Michelin starred Spanish restaurant focusing on the Moorish and Jewish legacy in the cuisines of Spain, and El Quinto Pino, NYC’s most authentic multi-regional tapas bar. We also own Tekoá, a restaurant and all-day cafe dedicated to home cooked meals and pastries. Tekoá is not Spanish. I’m the mother of two children and I conduct my life bilingually and deliciously cross-culturally.

My mother was an exceptional cook but more importantly my parents valued food, and took us to ethnic restaurants where I developed a broad vocabulary and palate. My curiosity starts there. I was that late bloomer who never left that first deli job that everyone gives up for an internship in something more valued.