YUCO To Open In The West Village June 15

At YUCO, diners will experience inventive Yucatan flavor combinations, delivering visually striking food that reimagines traditional Yucatan cuisine. Restaurateur, financier, wine collector, and entrepreneur, Trent Walker and long-time friend and collaborator, co-owner Chef Christian Ortiz have developed a new concept for New York City. This up-and-coming young chef is one to watch; Chef Ortiz employs a variety of methods, including classic French technique, molecular gastronomy, traditions of Meso-America, as well as painstaking culinary and scientific experimentation. Walker and Chef Ortiz were inspired to open YUCO by their shared love of cooking and flavors of the Yucatan Peninsula.

YUCO’s wine program has been designed to be the most aggressive quality-to-price program in the country. Walker’s personal cellar is the source of some of the finest, rare wines, some that can only be bought at auction. The wine and beverage program is an integral part of the YUCO experience—all at approximately half the price of a conventional fine dining restaurant.

The team at YUCO intends to offer a customer-focused approach to fine dining, operating with lower prices and smaller margins than comparable restaurants to enhance the dining experience. Extending this philosophy to their staff, YUCO will be contributing 15-percent of their first year’s profits to the salaried and back-of-house staff.

Chef/Co-Owner: Christian Ortiz, a native New Yorker, trained at Le Cordon Bleu, but was greatly influenced by his experience cooking in kitchens from New York to Florida including Sous Chef at Time Warner’s Landmarc and Prime House. After a decade studying the culinary arts, this is Ortiz’s first opportunity to give true expression to his vision and showcase his talents. He spent six months brainstorming with Walker, cooking, and experimenting to create the elevated cuisine of the Yucatan for YUCO. A chef this talented, cerebral and creative does not often come along. His food must be experienced, repeatedly, if possible, to get a true sense of his talent. From March 2013-17, Ortiz was chef and co-founder of C.C.O. Consulting Group, where he built restaurants from concept to operations. Training staff and designing kitchens. Clients included Wine Bar, The Taco Project, Millennial Trains Projects and Sincerely Burger.

Menu: Ortiz has created five menus that allow you to experience YUCO in different ways. A bar menu, an a la carte menu, a short-form tasting menu and a long-form tasting menu. The a la carte menu and bar menu features Snake River Farm Ribeye tacos, squash blossom tacos, and braised oxtail empanadas. The short-form tasting menu begins with a first course of beautifully composed Ceviche, that includes sushi-quality, sustainable kampachi, tender octopus, cucumber, apricot and citrus; second course of Flor en Nogadas, lightly tempura-fried squash blossom, sweet plantain, red prickly pear spheres, on walnut cream sauce with poblano powder, a take on the traditional red, white and green poblanos en nogadas, that pay homage to Mexican independence with the colors of the Mexican flag. The third course is the highest quality Wagyu Ribeye Steak, served with smoked chayote puree, pearl onion, and chili pepper demi-glace. The fourth and final course is a dessert, called Corn Texture, it combines sweet corn crème patisserie, aguachilies sorbet, corn shortbread and carbon powder for a touch of smoky, bitter contrast. Wine pairings can be arranged to go with any of the menus.

Walker and Ortiz have recruited a passionate and talented team of creative professionals:

General Manager Michael Pacheco was previously GM at Black Barn and worked at Michelin and James Beard Award winning chef properties (Tom Colicchio and Jose Andres). He’s a problem solver with a genuine love for creating the perfect guest experience. Michael also specializes in restaurant and hotel F&B openings, including the Beekman Hotel as well as Mondrian Park Ave.

Wine:

Derek Engles has built a career as a sommelier and hospitality professional through various positions with celebrity chefs and high-end restaurants from New York to the Las Vegas strip including properties in the portfolios of Chef Tom Colicchio; Chef Charlie Trotter; Chef Charlie Palmer; MGM Resorts International; Wynn Resort; BR Guest Hospitality and Four Seasons Hotels. Education and certifications include: Advanced Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers; Advanced Certificate, Wine & Spirits Education Trust; Certified Wine Specialist, Society of Wine Educator; Certified Sake Specialist, Sake Education Council; B.A. in Social Science and Organizational Leadership. For more information on the wine program, please click here for a partial wine list.

Ben Wald, head of the bar program, worked at Zuma in New York and the Lyan Company, where he helped execute the Lyaness x Mastercard New York Residency. Ben was on the opening team of Silver Lyan at Riggs DC (Best New American Cocktail Bar 2020) and earned his Level 2 Spirits Certification with merit from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.
Cocktails: Some of our favorite cocktails are the Spicy Margarita: Lunazul El Humoso Tequila, agave nectar and spice and the Not Dirty Not Dry Martini built with Porter’s Modern Classic Gin, Lustau Blanc Vermouth, Yerba Buena (a Mexican herb), salt and olives; and Pulp Fiction, beef-fat washed Ten to One Dark Rum and Feijolas. The cocktail program is an integral part of the YUCO experience, including both in the front room and as a complement to the cuisine. The extensive bar contains close to 100 Agave-based spirits. Please click here for the cocktail menu.

Divided into two main spaces, YUCO offers fine casual cuisine with high end cocktails in the front room and a choice of tasting menus and a la carte service in the dining room, flanked by an open kitchen. Clean lines, and targeted lighting, puts the focus on the beautifully composed plates. The bar area contains ancient artifacts almost 2000 years old and mural designed by Broadway set artists.