A writing experiment


Who He is - Andy Alvar

“Andy” to his friends, is a cook at “Los Mejores Tacos” Mexican restaurant in Reno City but he dreams of opening his own restaurant – a Spanish/European restaurant.  He is single and not currently dating anyone.

When not working at the restaurant, Andy hangs around with Otis at his shop or at a local watering hole. Dr. Steve likes Otis also because Otis is pretty laid back and Steve likes that.  Steve almost never joins Otis and Andy at the bar as he doesn’t drink alcohol – a result of his upbringing by alcoholic parents.

Andy and Otis know the bar owners (there are 2) but they are not friends – yet.  Queenie owns one bar with a Japanese flare.  Andy knows that Queenie wants to set up a beer tent at the gala and Andy wants to work with her selling food.  Andy thinks Otis can help them set up the beer and food tent.  The problem with Otis is that he thinks of himself as an artist and whatever he does always takes longer than expected.  Otis will want to make the beer/food tent a work of art.

Andy is third generation American.  His grandparents emigrated to the United States after World War II not long after they were married.  They had two sons and one daughter.  His grandparents impressed upon their children to become Americans in every way.  They only spoke Spanish to each other and only when their children were not around.  Sometimes, they spoke Spanish even with their kids around because they knew they would not understand.  They did not encourage their children to learn Spanish.  All three grew up with English as their first, and only, language.

The younger brother and Andreas’s father, Eduardo, never spoke Spanish and did not encourage his children to learn it either.  So, Andreas grew up speaking English.  This was perfectly okay with him as he was born in Ohio where everyone spoke English.  His parents moved to Oklahoma when he was ten.  In high school, he wanted to know more about his grandparents and where they were from.  He knew his family had a Spanish background – not Hispanic but European Spanish.  That’s why he looks Caucasian in every way – because he is.

Andy likes cooking and made many meals for his family while growing up.  After high school, he attended culinary schools in Oklahoma and picked up many styles but he kept coming back to the Spanish/European style of cooking like his mother served.  He took Spanish at the local VoTech so he could know more about his ancestry. 

After working at a few restaurants and odd jobs around the area, he saved enough money to move to Spain where he could study Spanish/European style cooking instead of the Tex-Mex or Mexican style he had learned in Oklahoma.

When he got to Spain, he realized quickly that the “Spanish” he spoke was not exactly how it was spoke in Spain.  Andreas worked hard to learn Spanish correctly while learning everything he could about Spanish/European cuisine.

After two years in Spain, he returned to the United Stated and Oklahoma where he found a job in a Mexican restaurant.  Little by little, he is convincing the owner and head chef to put a few Spanish/European dishes on the menu.  Different versions of Paella are what he started with.  Andreas really wants to open his own Spanish/European restaurant someday and he already has a name selected – Sevilla.

When not working, Andy hangs out with his buddy, Otis, at Otis’s shop or one of the local bars.  Andy wouldn’t exactly call Otis a friend, he’s more of a drinking buddy.  At least until the big Gala was announced.  Andy is cooking up a plan to set up a food tent at the Gala and hopes to bring in Otis and one of the bar owners into the project.  So, Andy is spending a little more time with Otis to make sure he’s willing to be a partner while chatting up Queenie and the other bar owner (?) about the project.

Everyone in town is talking about the big gala being held in and around the old community center.  Reno City plans to build a new community center and the gala is a fund raiser.  Andy learned that Queenie plans to set up a beer tent outside the current center but he’s not sure he can work with her.  The other bar owner hasn’t committed yet as far as Andy knows.  There is time to spare but not a lot.  Andy needs to figure out which one he can work with then get Otis involved.  Andy will do all the food prep and bar’s staff can handle the service. 

If this works out good, Andy is hoping that one of the bar owners might see fit to join him as a partner in his planned restaurant.  He also knows that this may not be as easy as it seems.  Andy spent time in Spain learning Spanish and European cuisine while Queenie spent time in Japan learning a completely different set of skills and language.  Her bar is called “Shojo” and has a good selection of Japanese beers and Saki.  He and Queenie may not be able to work together.  The other bar owner is an unknown at this point.Does Tex-Mex food with a Spanish/European flare go with Japanese beer or will he have to make sushi if he works with Queenie.  Andy’s culinary training did not include Japanese, so that could be a problem.  What about the other bar owner, what would she like to serve?