Published: June 28, 2007 12:43 pm         

Who's in the Kitchen? Leo Escalara of Rodeo Mexican Restaurant

Six years ago, Leo Escalara opened his first Rodeo Mexican Restaurant location at 2801 North Ashley Street in Valdosta. Before long, its overwhelming success and popularity prompted the husband and father to open two additional restaurant locations, one at 2020 Memorial Drive in Waycross and the other at 1219 Lakes Boulevard in Lake Park.

When asked if he enjoyed preparing meals for his many and varied customers, Leo responded with a smile, saying, “Big time. If I had the time, I would work as a full-time cook in one of my restaurants. I love being in the kitchen. I would much rather be in the kitchen than out front dealing with all the business stuff.”

A native of Mexico, Leo will never forget the exact moment he stepped foot on United States soil. The year was 1986. He did not have much in terms of material possessions, but he was overflowing with dreams of a life better and richer and fuller than the one he had left behind. All he needed was a chance, an opportunity to prove himself worthy.

Leo settled in the area of Costa Mesa, a Southern California city located in Orange County. He found employment in local restaurants, setting up tables, assisting waiters, and clearing away and washing dishes. It was during this time that he expressed an interest in learning how to cook professionally.

Employed by a barbecue company, Leo learned a great deal about preparing a variety of meals from its African-American executive chef, a man named Fred. And because the business was often hired to cater various upscale functions, including parties at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, he quickly became a master of more than chicken and ribs.

“Fred was a good guy,” Leo shared. “I remember him saying to me that if I could learn to prepare a bearnaise sauce I could do anything.” He remained loyal to the barbecue restaurant for seven years, at which point he accepted a position as chef for Aramark, a company known for providing award-winning food services, among other things.

As a result of his affiliation with Aramark, Leo was able to study and perfect his kitchen skills at the Culinary Institute of America in New York for a brief period of time. He was even offered a chance to work for the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 but declined to accept the opportunity because his wife was pregnant with the couple’s first child. Five years later, he packed up his white apron and moved on to the Morton’s of Chicago restaurant.

“That was my last job before I decided to open my own restaurant,” he said. “My brothers and cousins on the East Coast were always asking me why I was working all the time and cooking for someone else when I could be doing the same for myself.”

Leo and his family relocated to Valdosta in 2000. He opened the first of three restaurants one year later.