By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez—
Texas Border Business—
It was an honor getting to know Chef Santiago de la Cruz; he is best known as Chef Jimmy. He was awarded Best Chef of Texas and that is quite a recognition because the state of Texas is not a New Hampshire in size.
How do you feel being recognized by your peers as the Best Chef in Texas? “Well, I feel good, but not any different, but it feels good that the Texas Chefs Association to recognize me as such. It is an honor,” he said.
He said that he loves what he does as a Chef; he has been the Chef at the Club At Cimarron for more than seven years. “I got here in November of 2006.”
According to him, the award is a traveling Trophy that has been circulating since 1968 in the state of Texas.
The trophy serves as an historical document for the TCA and a high status of the profession.
Twenty-seven years ago while working at a country club in San Antonio as dishwasher, the main chef of the club by the name Paul Rossmeier asked him at the time, what are you going to do for a living? “I am planning to join the military even though my parents were not in agreement.”
The Chef Rossmeier asked him, “Why don’t you try cooking?” Chef Jimmy at the time believed that the cooking part was left only to women but began to change his mind when he learned that he could make a very good living in this profession.
But not until Chef Rossmeier invited him to help during an event of the Texas Association where Rossmeier was the director. He also gave him an opportunity to be around other chefs and do some cooking as well.
Chef Jimmy was awarded with the 2013 Texas Chef of the Year Texas Chefs Association / TCA. The award was presented to him on June 21, 2013 during the TCA 2013 State Conference and Presidents Dinner Downtown Omni Hotel Ft. Worth, Texas.
Chef Jimmy said that more than 600 chefs and culinary professionals in 14 Texas chapters that are a part of the Texas Chefs Association and his peers selected him, which is a great honor for him.
The TCA is part of the American Culinary Federation, which is a professional network of more than 20,000 chefs that was founded in 1929. Within the organization are state chapters or associations, like the TCA.
“Next year I am eligible to compete for the ACF 2014 Central Regional Chef of the Year at the central regional conference for a chance to move on and compete for the ACF 2014 U.S.A. Chef of the Year at the ACF National Conference,” he said.
Chef Jimmy said that he would never forget that evening. “It was a pleasant surprise while my wife Rosario kept me company during this great evening together with the Rio Grande Valley Chapter member and other colleagues,” Chef Jimmy said.
He has a vivid memory of the evening which started with a reception in the lobby of the Ft. Worth Downtown Omni Hotel and they served canapés of cold watermelon compressed with smoke duck and jalapeño, hot seafood dumpling, lobster bisque and orzo mac and cheese croquette followed by a great plated four course dinner with wine pairings. What a night!
Can you describe the setting for this special event? “The setting for the event was awesome as the room for the award presentation and dinner was staged as an elegant sophisticated venue. The Award ceremonies started with Directors Trophies as I was awarded the RGV Trophy.”
The RGV TCA Chapter was awarded the ISAAC Award as well. This is also a traveling award that is given to the chapter that is truly involved and making an impact in the community.
During the same evening, awards went also to Chapter 2013 Pastry Chef of the Year and the RGV Chapter award was presented to Johel Diaz the pastry chef of the Sweet & Tasty Bakery from McAllen, TX.
While all the 14 TCA Chapter Chefs of the Year were all on the stage, the final award was the 2013 Texas Chef of the Year and that’s when his name was announced. Chef Jimmy said, “I really did not know that they had called me until the other chefs on stage told me. I was surprised and in shocked that I was announced as the award winner that I never expected and made me feel humbled.”
Chef Jimmy was born in Monterrey, Mexico and he grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Executive Chef Jimmy De La Cruz has been overseeing the culinary department at The Club at Cimarron in Mission Texas since 2007.
His style of cuisine is a Mixology of world cuisines and “Blending Flavors”. With years of culinary experience, Chef De La Cruz served as chef for the four-star/four-diamond Woodlands Resort in Houston Texas, Aberdeen Woods Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa, “The Ultimate Hideout”, in West Texas, and various prestigious Country Clubs in San Antonio.
He attended culinary school with an apprenticeship program with the Texas Chefs Association (TCA) and the nationally accredited American Culinary Federation (ACF). Chef De La Cruz began his career at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, where he studied with the German Certified Executive Chef Paul Rossmeier. Chef De La Cruz continues to add to his experience by keeping up with culinary trends at ACF Chef conferences and continuing education at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in St. Helena, California.
Currently he serves as the director of the Rio Grande Valley chapter since 2011 to present. He states, “I will end my 2-year term in August 2015.” Aside from loving being a chef is there anything else that you pour your heart into? “Mentoring and giving back to the community is all worth the invested time,” Chef Jimmy said. TBB
Written by Roberto Hugo Gonzalez the 2009 SBA Journalist of the Year Award Winner & The 2009 and 2012 Paul Harris Award recipient.
