The smell of dried chiles toasting in his mother’s kitchen is one of chef Adrien Nieto’s favorite childhood memories. As she prepared her homemade salsa with spicy chile de arbol, he would wake with a coughing fit, a sure sign that breakfast was ready.
“Basically, the stuff was pepper spray,” he said.
It’s also one of the most nostalgic recipes on the opening menu of Healdsburg’s Arandas restaurant. Located at the former Chalkboard restaurant space inside Hotel Les Mars, the new Mexican-inspired eatery is part of entrepreneur Bill Foley’s business portfolio, which includes Healdsburg’s Goodnight’s Steakhouse and Chalk Hill Winery, The Farmhouse Inn and restaurant in Forestville, sports venues, the Vegas Golden Nights hockey team and hotels.
In a town already rich with Mexican cuisine, Nieto focuses instead on creating dishes that express the complexity of being American-born while straddling his Mexican family’s history, culture and identity.
“I grew up with this duality, which is a really interesting experience for lots of us who grew up Chicano,” said Nieto, describing an identity that also encompasses his food.
“We say, ‘It’s ni aqui ni alla,’ not from here or there. It’s the soul of our family and our experiences as Americans.”
From server to celebrity
In 2011, Nieto was the runner-up on “MasterChef,” besting 16 home cook contestants on the Gordon Ramsay reality show. At the time, he was a 28-year-old server and vowed to keep cooking despite the loss.
The near-win catapulted Nieto into culinary jobs in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with his most recent stint in Dallas with “MasterChef” alums Jennie Kelley and Ben Starr at a private, invitation-only dinner party called Frank.
A web of chef connections landed him a tryout for the Arandas job in May, followed by a whirlwind month that included hiring staff and creating an entirely new menu after wowing the Foley team. The former Chalkboard restaurant was remodeled into a cozy, modern cantina with dramatic lighting, leather Equipal chairs and low, vaulted ceilings that enhance the warmth of the space.
The menu
Just over a month after Nieto was hired, Arandas is a beautiful work in progress. The young kitchen staff are quickly jelling into a cohesive team. Nieto encourages them to contribute to the menu, meaning every dish has a backstory that only makes the experience of dining at the restaurant more charming.
Nieto’s sous chef, Felipe Hurtado, created one of the restaurant’s simplest dishes, Frijoles, $18. The preparation of heirloom Rancho Gordo beans cooked in dashi and piled onto local sourdough bread is an elevated version of a sick-day dish made by Hurtado’s mother. It’s incredibly comforting with a combination of mashed and whole beans topped with cheese.
“I want you to feel like you’re at my family’s house,” said Nieto, who expresses that sentiment on the menu.
“When you visit my family’s home, my relatives will ask you if you are hungry or thirsty, and if you shake your head ‘no,’ they will bring you a plate and tequila anyway. It’s that kind of soulful experience, of feeling you’re in our home, that I want to create here, at Arandas.”
Best bets
Guacamole Y Mas, $28: Fresh guacamole served with crispy chicharrones, pickled vegetables (escabeche) with mango and pineapple, and homemade tortilla chips made with Masienda heirloom corn masa. Served with Salsa de Alma, Nieto’s mother’s salsa made with tomatoes, tomatillo, onion, garlic and chile de arbol.
Ostiones, 3/$14, 6/$28: Nieto has a flair for presentation, and these oysters are a showstopper. Simple oysters get dolled up with tart, sunset-orange leche de tigre sauce with pops of turmeric, ginger and lemongrass.
Papas, $18: A can’t-miss dish. Nieto poaches baby potatoes in dashi broth and then roasts them to crispy perfection. Served with chili salt, avocado crema, chives, sesame seeds, furikake and topped with smoked trout roe.
Esquites, $18: A riff on the creamy corn street food, but, er, without corn (at least until corn season). It’s a flavor bomb of fresh vegetables from Chalk Hill Farm with huitlacoche emulsion, sumac tajin, guajillo-kimchee mayo and cheese. You can try to figure it all out or just enjoy the layers of sweet, savory, salty deliciousness.
Cerdo Tacos, $32: Nieto’s taco game is still evolving, but these green chorizo tacos with artichokes and white beans are the best of the bunch, a DIY affair with stunning blue corn tortillas.
Aztec Chocolate Terrine, $15: Leave ample room for Arandas’ desserts. A rum crème Anglaise is the base for a wedge of creamy chocolate flavored with cinnamon and smoked chiles. It’s inspired by spicy hot chocolate made by chef Felipe’s grandmother but takes it up a level with ground, spicy Takis and a cacao tuile.
Panna Cotta, $15: This button-cute dessert has layers of flavor, starting with a saffron horchata panna cotta topped with strawberries, almond granita and rose water crema.
Dillicioso Cocktail, $16: We were wary about this “savory” cocktail, but it’s a refreshing delight with gin, tomato-dill shrub, cucumber, celery bitters and coriander flakes. Trust us.
The menu also includes a large selection of tequila, mezcal and several Latin American wines.
Open daily for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., happy hour at the front bar from 4 to 6 p.m. 29 North St., Healdsburg, 707-473-8030, arandashealdsburg.com.