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Carlos Santana says his corazón is in new Austin restaurant
Carlos Santana has a new restaurant downtown, and he wants you to know that he’s not just in it for the money.
Although the name, Maria Maria, is cringe-worthy — you can thank me later for getting that song stuck in your head — the food is good and the motive seems as heartfelt as Santana himself.
At a media event at Maria Maria on Monday night, Santana, clad in brown and his trademark stocking cap, said he sees the restaurants — there are four total — and even his line of shoes as a way to return the blessings he’s received, to invest in people to give them an opportunity to financially, psychologically and spirituality grow.
Former Fonda San Miguel chef Roberto Santibañez developed the menu, which is the same for each of the four Maria Marias. (The first opened in Walnut Creek, Calif., a year ago.) Apparently it was Santibañez’ dream to open a cooking school in Oaxaca that won him the job, which fits with Santana’s goal sharing the literal and proverbial wealth with those who aren’t Grammy-winning artists or world-class chefs.
Despite rough times for both the music and restaurant industries (His spirited response: “Music puts wings in your heart; we’ll never get rid of it.”) he is planning several more Maria Marias in the next few years, including in Boca Raton, Fla., and Houston.
He spoke freely about his feelings about the country and its president-elect. After the past eight years (“Halloween with no candy,” he calls it), “we’re believing in the intangibles again,” he says. If you invest in trust, hope and faith, you can go beyond a life inside a hamster wheel, he reminded the half dozen journalists scribbling away each of his words during our 20 minutes together.
As for his favorite dishes? He likes the pato (duck) tacos that we sampled before he arrived. Rich duck inside tortillas covered in a sweet, smoky and spicy tomato-habanero cream.
“The secret of life is in the sauce.”
Sounds cheesy — his words, not the sauce — but I couldn’t help but believe the guy. He’s known these days as much for his devout spirituality as his signature guitar solos, so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt (and awfully sugary sweet Maria Maria sangria).
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By Neal Hamilton
October 17, 2009 11:01 PM | Link to this
I love the comments carlos had about his restaurant! Good luck to him in his business! I would also like to offer my services! I specialize in celebrity art for the music industry, and would love for Carlos or whom ever to take a look at what I do.
Bootsy Collins of the Funkadelics has a great restaurant in Cincinnatti, Ohio. He commissioned me to fill the walls with my art. The decor is one of a kind! I hope we can do business in the future. Thank you for your time………Neal Hamilton.
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June 20, 2011 10:49 AM | Link to this
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