4 minute read
El Paso Windows
The El Paso food scene has grown wildly over the last decade and while its roots remain strong, an influx of flavors from all around the globe has become the new norm. This is where one local chef has made his mark, and beyond, through a fusion of flavors new and old. Enter Chef Rulis Gonzalez, Executive Chef and Owner of Rulis’ International Kitchen, and you’ll find a once financier for UBS, formerly Union Bank of Switzerland and one of the world’s largest Swiss banks, who worked in private banking for nearly a decade from 1999-2008. That last year spent “serving the super, ultra-wealthy,” as he describes, would mark the year he’d open his very first restaurant. Today, Rulis’ International Kitchen has become a go-to eatery for El Pasoans by serving up an intriguing and tantalizing variety of dishes that infuse worldly flavors with the traditional local flair that El Pasoans know and love. What’s more, throughout the recent pandemic, Chef Rulis has successfully demonstrated a savvy ability to keenly adapt and swiftly innovate during the already highly competitive landscape of the restaurant world as proven by his latest and greatest culinary projects. To start, this local favorite made its mark well beyond our turf, and on foodies from all over the globe, by way of a feature on none other than Guy Fieri’s highly acclaimed Food Network series, “Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives,” a.k.a. “Triple D.” The official episode aired on August 16, 2019 and featured Rulis’ Oxtail Tostadas and Pasta Chihuahua. Commenting on Rulis’ ability to uniquely blend different cuisines, Guy said of the Pasta Chihuahua, “I think you made yourself a dish that is a one of a kind” and described it as a “Mexican take on a Bolognese” from its mix of chorizo meat sauce, grilled steak and pasta, topped with cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. The show not only put Rulis’ International Kitchen on the map, viewers from Alabama to as far out as London, England have traveled here to experience, firsthand, the deliciously eclectic plates that Chef Rulis always has cooking up.
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Speaking of cooking shows, this leads us to Chef Rulis’ latest sensation: “The Chuco Cooking Show.” The show is highly engaging and an eye-opener to the artisan growers and local farmers from right here in El Paso and
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the surrounding area. Inspired by Chef Rulis’ passion for storytelling, specifically that of El Paso’s rich culinary history, the show pays homage to the dishes that so many of us love, but can’t always explain the exact origins of. “We want to make the content something that will make El Paso proud,” explains Rulis and adds, “We’re doing it for El Paso.” The show launched in late July of this year, is easily found on Facebook and has a dedicated YouTube channel with a rapidly growing list of subscribers. From his first episode’s fascinating visit to Myers Mushrooms EPTX, which showcases their gourmet Lion’s Mane and Blue Oyster mushrooms, to an entertaining stop at Dead Beach Brewery, where Rulis explains how Oktoberfest came to be a Sun City tradition, the show’s a definite hit.
In fact, those inclined to roll up their own sleeves can partake in Chef Rulis’ new live cooking classes, a.k.a. “Chuco Cuisine with Chef Rulis,” complete with ingredient bag and remote access to Rulis for virtual cooking instruction from start to finish. As we know, the current pandemic has shifted the consumer mindset to that of ordering in or takeout, which makes these cooking classes a fun alternative. More importantly, it demonstrates Chef Rulis’ adaptability amid the pandemic, a trait that doesn’t always come easy in business and trait that sets businesses apart from the rest. Topping that is Rulis’ support of fellow local business owners struggling during the crisis via a makeshift “bodega” that he set up inside his restaurant to sell local fruit and produce from the likes of Sierra Vista Growers, and neighboring products from places like The Tea Spout and Mtn Pass Coffee Co., and where he recently showcased his new “Fall Market.”
Clearly, the entrepreneurial spirit remains alive and well for a finance guru gone food
