Texas native Kevin Villalovos, executive chef at D.C.’s relatively new Cure Bar & Bistro in the Grand Hyatt Washington in Penn Quarter, admits his favorite food is south-of-the-border fare.
“I grew up eating Tex-Mex food,” he says.
But that tie to background in Tex-Mex flavors does not show up in his very stylish cuisine, a medley of house-cured meats, artisanal cheese plates and old-fashioned Americana, such as the Maryland blue crab pot pie.
“It’s going back to grandma’s house, but with a twist,” he says.
But if Texas doesn’t show up in his cooking, it’s Texas where Villalovos got his first taste of the culinary world, through his mom’s home-cooked meals — “My mom is a great cook,” he says, “and she cooked home meals every day” — then his dad’s barbecuing — “My dad barbecued almost every day” — and finally, his formal culinary training.
Villalovos studied culinary arts at the El Centro College in Dallas. With a culinary diploma in hand, he then went on to work for The Pinnacle Club in Denver; the Antares Restaurant in Dallas; and The Chaparral Club, also in Dallas.
Villalovos remembers he always wanted to be a chef. He recalls his ninth-grade girlfriend — who has since reminded him of his youthful dream — and how he fancied being like his favorite TV personality of the time, Cajun chef Justin Wilson. His other most-watched TV chef was Julia Child, he says.
Now that he is in control of the kitchen at an American-style bistro, Villalovos revels in this kind of Americana cooking, enjoying the many ways he can take a melting pot of ingredients and styles — steaks, fresh fish and Italian and other ethnic influences — to shape the way he cooks. As for his daily inspiration, he looks to his walk-in refrigerator, figuring out how to produce stylish meals from the fresh ingredients at hand.
“That’s my inspiration,” he says. “I get a weekly sheet from the produce and fish purveyors, so I know what I have to work with.”
That’s why Villalovos can describe his cooking style as “on the spot, going back to basics.” And using these fresh products, he has the freedom to create as he wants, though his main focus has been on salting, pickling and smoking for his charcuterie. After all, the restaurant is called Cure, an acknowledgment of what at least some of the food is about.
When asked about one of the recipes he’s proudest of, Villalovos pauses, then answers, “Cornbread with chunks of ham. It is moist, and comes with a fried egg on top. I tried it several times and the third time it was perfect.”
He adds everybody does cornbread with jalapenos, but his dish contains pork belly and a really good cheddar cheese; the egg is a natural partner. And then there’s his chicken-fried sweetbreads, something few others in the city are doing.
What do his parents think of his successful career? After resisting his urge to cook, they must certainly be proud of their son, whose drive for pursuing this career inspired his move from home in Abilene, Texas, to attend culinary school in Dallas. Here’s a guy with no regrets.
Q&A with Chef Kevin Villalovos
Do you cook at home?
I’ll cook if people are coming over, but not for myself. I usually make soups. My favorite is a lentil or a bean soup.
What is your cooking philosophy?
If you are going to do it, do it well. Don’t flood your dishes with different flavors. Use good produce, that helps keep the integrity of the dish.
What is in your basic pantry?
Fresh peppercorns, good, clean salt, about 12 different fresh herbs, good butter and nice vinegar and good oils.
What is your comfort food?
Soups. My mom used to make a lot; she used to make ones with summer squash.
Which is your favorite cuisine?
I can’t say one style. I would just say something that is uncomplicated, like a good pasta with good butter, salt and pepper.
From the Chef’s Kitchen
Maryland blue crab pie
4 servings
1 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp. butter
1 ⁄ 4 cup diced onions
2 Tbsp. diced celery
1 ⁄ 4 cup corn kernels
1 ⁄ 4 cup diced potatoes, blanched
2 Tbsp. sherry
2 / 3 cup all-purpose flour
5 / 8 cup cream
1 ⁄ 4 cup crab or fish stock
1/ 3 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked clean
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ⁄ 4 cup cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons snipped chives
Pinch spice blend
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. When it starts to foam, add the onions, celery and corn, stir well with a rubber spatula until the vegetables are translucent, then add the sherry to deglaze the pan.
Add the flour, and cook over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes to cook the rawness out of the flour; add the cream and continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock to thin out the mixture while continuously mixing, remove from the heat and fold in the potatoes and the lump crab meat. Season with salt and pepper, and place half the mix in an oven-safe container and the remainder in a second container. Mix the crumbs, chives and spice blend together, and cover the crab mixture. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes or until it’s bubbling hot. Serve.
If you go
Cure Bar & Bistro
10th & H Streets NW, Washington
202-637-4906
Hours: Dinner nightly, 5 to 10 p.m.
