¡Ay, Dios mío… no puede ser!
Amá’s James Beard Best Emerging Chef semifinalist Frankie Ramirez is bringing the culinary drama in collaboration with a strong lineup of Philly chefs for a new “Taco Novela” series, with 10% of the proceeds going to a charity of each chef’s choice.
Ever wonder what a taco from Her Place’s Amanda Shulman would look like? Or perhaps, a Filipino-inspired taco from Tabachoy’s Chance Anies? Well, we’re about to find out.
Every month, Ramirez is hosting a different guest chef for his Tuesday dinner-service to collaborate on a unique taco at Amá — the upscale Mexican bar and restaurant that opened on the Fishtown‑Kensington border last May.
A full table at Amá (Photo by Mike Prince)
“I see food as memories, experiences, sometimes even wishes or connections,” Ramirez said.
The chef got the idea by combining “Taco Tuesday” with one of his other favorite Tuesday night activities — sitting down on the couch, unwinding and turning on a telenovela.
“On a Tuesday night, I like to watch a telenovela, watch a drama or action, or emotions,” he said.
And like a novela, the chef believes that every taco can tell a story. For example, Amá’s swordfish taco — the only taco on the regular menu — is a history lesson from the early 1800s when Middle Eastern immigrants made their way to Puebla, Mexico.
“They brought their shawarma with them,” Ramirez said. “So they were doing the spit and the pita bread, and somehow Mexicans adopted the culture and started building, instead of lamb, we did pork with spices. We literally gave birth to the Al Pastor taco.”
“My parents are from Puebla,” he added. “So I had a lot of those tacos árabes when I was a kid. Having one taco on my menu that represents my parents and tells my story, I think it’s very important.”
Now, Ramirez is curious about the tales that other chefs can create with a tortilla. Each guest chef who comes to Amá will get to express their own story and collaborate on a recipe. Ramirez was initially nervous to reach out and share the idea.
“I gotta be honest to you, I was a little afraid of texting people and them being like ‘Ah… yeah… no, I’m too busy to do this,’” he said. However, once word got out, chefs were eager to join in.
Ramirez has assembled a sort of avengers of Philly chefs. The series already boasts a deep bench of talent:
Joey Baldino, chef and owner of Palizzi Social Club, Bomb Bomb Bar and Zeppoli, said that he’s not surprised so many people have jumped on the chance to collaborate at Amá.
Amá’s shrimp ceviche tostada with pico de gallo, burnt árbol and ancho chamoy (Photo by Mike Prince)
“Oh, it’s all about Frankie,” Baldino said. “Frank is one of the most talented chefs that I know and one of the most kind individuals that I know — very sweet guy. He’s always been there for me.”
Baldino recently signed onto the series, and is still thinking about what his Taco Novela could be. However, he’s got ideas.
“I think what we’re planning on doing is actually a tamale, an Italian tamale,” he said. “I was thinking about maybe doing polenta and stuffing it with some roast shredded pork.”
The other option? A “tripe taco,” inspired by a dish already on Palizzi Social Club’s menu.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a mix between Italian and Mexican food,” Baldino said. “A lot of ingredients, ironically, in Italian food and Mexican food are very similar — a lot of tomato, a lot of garlic.”
Chef Ramirez is from Mexico City, but moved to Philadelphia when he was 16 years old. Since then, he’s built his resume working in kitchens around the city, including at various STARR restaurants. Amá is his debut as an owner.
El Chingon’s Juan Carlos Aparicio is the first to work with Ramirez for the Taco Novela series. The two have known each other for nearly two decades — beginning in 2008 at Parc when it was brand new.
“He’s one of my best friends,” Aparicio said. “We always collaborate with ideas and recipes. And if I need to know something, if I don’t know right on top of my head, I always call him, and he always calls me.”
Aparicio helped Ramirez flesh out the concept behind the Taco Novela series.
“There’s a lot of stories behind a taco,” he said. “In Mexico, we always said that eating tacos on the street is not just going out and filling up the belly. It’s because you go out and you talk to the people. You always meet friends.”
Together, the chefs have decided on a “Taco de Lobster Zarandeada.” It includes Maine lobster with squink ink sofrito and charred cabbage on a black squid ink tortilla.
According to Aparicio, seafood is not just for New England.
“On the coast of Sinaloa, there’s a lot of seafood,” he said. “There’s a lot of fish. And Sinaloa is known because of the aguachiles and all the fresh seafood that they get.”
The chefs chose lobster because they wanted the taco to feel, well… fancy.
“Frankie and I, we always joke around that we like to eat like rich people,” Aparicio said. “So we made a rich people taco with lobster.”
Chef Frankie Ramirez and Chef Juan Carlos Aparicio. (Photo by Mike Prince)
The dish is topped with a chiltepín mayo.
“We call it Zarandeada Salsa,” Aparicio. “It’s actually very close to how they make the mayonnaise for the lobster roll. But we use mustard, and we use some garlic, and we use some chiltepín peppers. It’s a little bit spicy, but it’s very fruity.”
The series kicked off Tuesday, and you can grab Aparicio’s creation again on Feb. 24. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Esperanza Immigration Legal Services, an organization that Aparicio has collaborated with in the past.
Ramirez is proud that the first “Taco Novela” dish will support a cause that is both meaningful and personal to him.
“The truth is that we are the backbone of the industry,” he said. “I’ve been in this city for about 20 plus years, and I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with great people. People that care for their families. They have two, three jobs.”
He does not want to see friends who have lived in Philadelphia for decades have to leave without due process.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Ramirez said. “But I feel like we’re fighting for a seat at a table that we helped to build.”
Overall, he’s hoping that diners will come to Amá on Tuesdays, enjoy learning about the tacos, the chef’s stories and delight in something delicious.
“At Amá, we [are trying to keep it] super classy — trying to respect culture, trying to respect heritage,” he said. “We have done a lot of research on products, on stories, on states, on regions, and we want to break the ice a little bit and go into something a little bit more fun for Tuesday. Something that will get you off the couch and be like, ‘You know what? Let’s go have lobster tacos and support something that is important.’ Why not?”
“Let’s be a community,” he added. “Let’s greet people. Let’s greet industry people. Let’s all support each other.”