Authentic Family

Authentic Family Experience

By Tom Worgo Photography by Stephen Buchanan

Even in an industry in which family-run business are common, the Serrano family’s restaurant, Jalapenos, stands out like few others. Nine family members are involved in the day-to-day operations. Jalapenos manager Zaneli Serrano calls it “Rare and unique.”

Owner Alberto Serrano has established the restaurant, which serves Mexican and Spanish cuisine, as one of Annapolis most respected. He opened the establishment in 1999 along with Gonzalo Fernandez and became sole owner in January of 2018. Alberto takes a lot of pride in the smooth operation of the kitchen. Alberto’s brother’s Obed is the executive chef, his other brother, Azael Serrano Hernandez, is a line cook, his wife Isabel is a prep cook, and cousin Lucino is the souschef. “Everybody lives for this place,” Alberto says.

The restaurant offers a large and varied menu. Customer favorites include the sirloin steak, salmon appetizer, Gambas Al Ajillo (a shrimp dish), and in-house made sangria.

JALAPEÑOS 85 Forest Drive, Annapolis 410-266-7580 jalapenosonline.com

We recently talked to Zaneli and Alberto about working with all the family members, what makes Jalapenos standout from the competition, and popular dishes.

Zaneli, what are the positives and negatives about having so many family members here?

We all pitch in. We are able to manage and stay flexible if there is a problem. We have been in this restaurant since the beginning so we can do everything. If there is something my father can’t do, we can do it for him or make the decisions or solve the problem. But sometimes, we all don’t see eye to eye. When we don’t, we all put in our opinions.

What sets your menu apart?

We have such a variety of dishes and we have all the different kinds of sauces. They are made from scratch. You won’t go wrong with choosing an item, whether you are vegetarian, a meat lover, or a seafood lover.

We serve Spanish-Mexican cuisine, but we don’t serve the typical Tex-Mex. We have more of a variety on our menu. We do offer fajitas and enchiladas, but there are plenty of other dishes here people can choose from.

Alberto, you have many loyal customers. What keeps them from coming back?

The customers come and they feel like they are at home. They really feel welcomed here. We treat people with respect. We know what they like. We have a lot of people who have been com-

ing here since we opened. Our food is excellent and consistent. The main reason is the kitchen. Chef Obed is my brother, the sous chef is my cousin, and my other brother is a cook. They all have been here since the start. We have a bartender that has been here over 15 years and our server has been here over 12 years.

What impresses you about your brother as a chef?

His recipes. We can be at home or playing basketball and he will have to stop what we are doing and write, write, write. Something will come to his mind for a new recipe. He will put something on paper that might be the special next week. He is very happy when he comes out of the kitchen and talks to customers and

he is very proud of what he put on the plate.

When you took over as sole owner, what was the transition like?

I have been an owner since we opened. Gonzalo owned 51 percent and I owned 49 percent. I used to work for him in other restaurants. We miss him. The only change we made is we put a different drink menu together. We added different kinds of mojitos, tequila drinks, and Spanish cocktails.

Zaneli, what is your top selling item?

Gambas Al Ajillo. Our chef adds a special sauce with tomatoes, garlic, white wine, and sherry. It’s accompanied by the bread and when you the dip the bread, you soak up the sauce and its simply delicious.

What is another customer favorite?

The sirloin steak. It’s a thin steak. It’s sautéed and it’s prepared with a unique sauce. A Spanish blue cheese sauce. It is rich because of the sauce. You have that blue cheese flavor, but it doesn’t overpower the main dish.

Alberto, what dish falls under the radar?

One that not too many restaurants have these days. It’s the veal liver or Higado de Ternera Encebollado. It’s sautéed with onions and cumin butter sauce.

You also offer sangria. Is that a special recipe?

Yes. That’s one of our main sellers. The red sangria we make ahead of time and the white sangria we make by the order. We have a different recipe than other places. For the red sangria, we use red wine, Cointreau, and other liquors.

Chuleta de Cerdo Serves Six

Ingredients 6 14 oz. center cut rib pork chop 2 Cups olive oil 1/2 Cup sesame oil 1 oz. chopped garlic 2 Tbsp. green pepper corn 8 oz. honey Pinch of salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients, mix well, pour over the pork chops, and marinate for at least a day before cooking. Pan-sear and roast the pork chop with brandy and touch of butter. Serve over caramelized onions, potatoes, and vegetables.

Zaneli, what kind of entertainment did you have before the COVID-19 pandemic?

We had Tom Lagana, who played the guitar here Thursday and Friday nights. We also had Flaminco dancers about every six months. The customers love the experience of the Flaminco dancers, and a lot of customers follow Tom. Both will come back when we are at 100 percent capacity.