THE MIGRANT CHEF

An examination of a pioneer of cuisine, from his time as an itinerant farmer picking oranges to hosting the political and social elite at Mexico City eateries Máximo Bistrot and Lalo!

Tillman, the Mexico City–based author of The Long Shadows of Small Ghosts, brings five years of reporting to the story of one of Mexico’s foremost chefs. Born in the tiny village of San José de las Pilas, in Guanajuato, Eduardo “Lalo” García Guzmán (b. 1977) followed his family across the border to the U.S., where he began to travel agricultural routes between Florida and Michigan starting at age 10. Through distressing experiences of family separation and pesticide-ridden labor, which convinced him that “the health of the oranges was more important than his own,” Lalo found a calling in kitchens where his grit and focus caught the attention and mentorship of chefs. His early success was hampered by a robbery conviction. Though he fled at first, he returned to turn himself in and face deportation. Lalo again crossed the border to care for his father during cancer treatment. He won critical acclaim as the head chef of Atlanta’s Van Gogh’s but then was deported again. Tillman ably contextualizes the Mexico City to which Lalo returned, a city on the cusp of change with chefs like Enrique Olevera of Pujol exploring local ingredients and Mexico’s agricultural legacy. The author frames Lalo’s reentrance into the food scene and elevation as a star with an examination of what makes a pioneer. Referencing the work of anthropologist Alyshia Gálvez, she points out that chefs are often natural fits, crossing divisions of wealth and status among purveyors, the kitchen, and the dining room. Many are increasingly “asked to explain the connections between a country’s food, people, history, and environment.” In Tillman’s pages, Lalo’s voice rises above the fray with his drive to see Mexico recognized for its abundant culinary wonders.

A harrowing and inspiring portrait of an important contemporary chef.