Michael Cordúa
Encyclopedia
Michael Cordúa is a Nicaraguan
-born American
restaurateur
, entrepreneur
, owner of Cordúa Restaurants, and award winning self-taught chef
. Cordúa is the owner and executive chef of 6 restaurants in the Houston, Texas
area. He was the first to introduce Houston to Latin American cuisine
that was not Mexican.
, Nicaragua
and later moved to Houston, Texas. He graduated with a degree in Economics and Finance
from Texas A&M University
in 1980. Cordúa worked for a Houston shipping firm until it was liquidated in the late 1980s. After arriving in Houston, Cordúa taught himself to cook, he has said "The whole reason i got into cooking was because i missed the foods from home".
He was named honorary consul of Nicaragua in Houston in 2004. Cordúa married his Nicaraguan sweetheart Lucia in 1980 and has 4 children David, Michelle, Elisa, and Cristina.
that made up half of its sales. In 1997 Cordúa opened a third Churrascos in Chicago
. It received great reviews from critics, however, after 8 months it closed down when Cordúas partner backed out.
Cordúa went on to open 3 other restaurant
s; Américas in 1993, Amazón Grill in 1999 (2 locations) and Artista in 2002, all of which have received various awards. Cordúa plans to open another location for his Américas restaurant in late 2007 and also owns a catering
company, Cordúa catering.
as one of America's "Top Ten Chefs" and is received the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence in 1994. His restaurant, Churrascos, was named Best South American Restaurant by the Houston Press
in 2005.
Nicaraguan
Nicaraguans are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage from Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans live in Nicaragua, although there is also a significant Nicaraguan diaspora, particularly in Costa Rica and the United States with smaller communities in other countries around the world...
-born American
Nicaraguan American
Nicaraguan American are Americans of Nicaraguan ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 177,684 Americans of full or partial Nicaraguan ancestry living in the U.S...
restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, owner of Cordúa Restaurants, and award winning self-taught chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
. Cordúa is the owner and executive chef of 6 restaurants in the Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
area. He was the first to introduce Houston to Latin American cuisine
Latin American cuisine
Latin American Cuisine refers to typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America...
that was not Mexican.
Personal life
Cordúa was born in ManaguaManagua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and later moved to Houston, Texas. He graduated with a degree in Economics and Finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
from Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in 1980. Cordúa worked for a Houston shipping firm until it was liquidated in the late 1980s. After arriving in Houston, Cordúa taught himself to cook, he has said "The whole reason i got into cooking was because i missed the foods from home".
He was named honorary consul of Nicaragua in Houston in 2004. Cordúa married his Nicaraguan sweetheart Lucia in 1980 and has 4 children David, Michelle, Elisa, and Cristina.
Career
Cordúa, with inspiration from his uncle's restaurant in Managua and despite having no previous experience in the restaurant business, opened his first 130-seat restaurant, Churrascos, on August 8, 1988. Churrascos was an upscale South American-style restaurant. Four months in, Cordúa was ready to give up due to the restaurant losing money. Many critics, such as the New York Times, praised the new restaurant and in 1989 Churrascos was listed in Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurants in America". Fred Smith, a banker from First National Bank, decided to help him expand after eating at his restaurant. Cordúa took the help and opened a second Churrascos near the downtown Houston area. The second 175-seat Churrascos was opened in 1990 and emphasized a Central American churrascoChurrasco
Churrasco is a Portuguese and Spanish term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a prominent feature in the cuisines of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and other Latin American countries...
that made up half of its sales. In 1997 Cordúa opened a third Churrascos in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It received great reviews from critics, however, after 8 months it closed down when Cordúas partner backed out.
Cordúa went on to open 3 other restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s; Américas in 1993, Amazón Grill in 1999 (2 locations) and Artista in 2002, all of which have received various awards. Cordúa plans to open another location for his Américas restaurant in late 2007 and also owns a catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
company, Cordúa catering.
Awards and recognition
Cordúa and his restaurants have received much recognition and many awards throughout the years. He was named by Food & WineFood & Wine
Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
as one of America's "Top Ten Chefs" and is received the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence in 1994. His restaurant, Churrascos, was named Best South American Restaurant by the Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
in 2005.