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Photo by Wesley Law
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Photo by Wesley Law
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Photo by Wesley Law
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Photo by Wesley Law
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Photo by Wesley Law
It could be that the 1950s Harris Armstrong architecture harkens back to another era, or that the house, set into a wooded hilltop landscape, is partially obscured by its surroundings, giving it a secluded quality.
But on a recent evening, solitude gives way to a house full of guests, including designers Jacob Laws and Retta le Ritz and furniture maker Martin Goebel. They’ve been invited to sample a five-course meal prepared by chef Martin Lopez, who is launching a spice and coffee line inspired by his passion for Mexican cuisine. The menu offers such dishes as arepas with apple guacamole and guajillo pepper, roasted duck purses with mole poblano sauce, and sea scallops with prickly pear gastrique and ancho sauce.
“Mexican food isn’t just about burritos and chimichanga sauce,” says Lopez, who was born in Mexico City and moved with his family when he was 14 years old to Alton. “Don’t be afraid to get to know the spices,” he advises.
The spice packs, sold online at chefmartin.net, are designed to simplify the preparation of traditional Mexican meals such as carne pastor and chorizo, and offer a twist on classic flavors.
“The poblano is so good,” says Abbey Groenda, whose husband, Mark Groenda, is Schwartz’ business partner at Blackline Design + Construction.
For others, the food and the house are reminders of home. “I haven’t tasted these flavors since I was a kid,” says Claudia Ochoa-Espejo, who is originally from Mexico. “The flavors take me back home; the house takes me back home,” she says as she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the living room’s windows.
