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Karina García y Eduardo 'Lalo' Rodríguez
By Natalia Otero
Imagine if, thanks to a spur-of-the-moment decision, your destiny changed your life forever: you write to a colleague on Instagram, invite yourself on a trip to his home country to try his food, and not only do you end up marrying him, but you also end up owning your own business together.
That's what happened to Karina García, owner and chef of the restaurant Cocina Consuelo in New York. In a burst of courage, she decided to write to Eduardo 'Lalo' Rodríguez, and thanks to that encounter, they fell in love and founded their Mexican restaurant. Amidst the boom that Mexican restaurants have experienced in the city, the chef strives to stand out among the popular trends.
They met in 2017 as co-workers at a restaurant in New York. She is from the Dominican Republic and he is from Mexico. She is a chef, he is a musician. They were meant to be together.
When Rodríguez returned to Mexico, García kept in touch with him. During one of his visits to his grandmother, who lived in Puebla, Rodríguez posted on his Instagram, and García decided to write to him.
“Lalo told me that his grandmother was a great cook, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to try authentic food. I invited myself over,” says García, laughing about her decision.
He happily accepted. According to García, “while I was in Mexico, he showed me his town, we went out to eat, and we had his grandmother Consuelo’s cooking. She made me rice with corn and poblano peppers,” she recalls fondly.
Not only did she love Rodríguez’s grandmother’s cooking, but the trip ended in a serious romantic relationship. In April 2018, they became boyfriend and girlfriend, and in September of that same year, they decided to move in together in New York. They got married in 2019.
Cocina Consuelo
Since Rodríguez lived far from his family, García decided to cook authentic recipes for her husband to make him feel at home.
“I would call his family to ask for the recipes he liked best, so I could replicate them and he wouldn't miss them. He would say, 'Wow, that’s really good!’” says García.
Rodríguez liked his wife’s dishes so much that he suggested they start a food business. During the pandemic, when restaurants closed, she took a chance and started selling tacos for delivery.
They started by giving their friends a taste. They prepared the tacos and their friends had to come pick them up. However, instead of taking the tacos home, their friends stayed at Rodríguez and García’s home, and they loved being hosts.
Their friends encouraged them to host more dinners at home, known as “clandestine dining rooms.” Word spread quickly. After the first group of friends visited, others wrote to them interested in dining at their home.
Standing Out Among NY’s Mexican Restaurants
At first, they sold birria tacos, but soon expanded the menu.
“One night, a friend of Lalo’s came in. He was a pescatarian and didn’t want birria. I had just cooked jalapeños stuffed with tuna, in honor of Grandma Consuelo. He loved them. Today, that dish – called Mamá Chelo Jalapenos – is one of the restaurant’s favorites. It’s different and authentic.”
They dedicated themselves to private dinners for two to 12 people, maintaining the surprise element. They collaborated with other chefs, as was the trend at the time. But customers insisted that they open a restaurant.
In August 2024, they opened Cocina Consuelo with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. Although the initial inspiration was Rodríguez's grandmother, the creative and culinary force is Karina García, and Lalo Rodríguez approves the dishes to give them the endorsement of a Mexican palate.
“I try to capture the authentic flavors, but what interests me most is evoking those emotions, those emotions that are awakened when you taste something you love,” García explains.
In addition to Mamá Chelo Jalapenos, the restaurant’s menu features dishes such as birria bone marrow, duck leg with mole negro, and roasted whole Cornish hen. And guests are entertained with live music every Friday.
“I always knew I was going to have a restaurant; that was my destiny, although I didn’t know how or when,” García says. “I focused on Mexican food because that’s where life took me. And I concentrated on developing it very well.”
She was given Mexican food, inspired by wanting to please her husband. Today, she focuses on evoking those feelings and emotions in her customers.
Ensalada de Havas
Recipe: Ensalada de Havas
This salad is one of the recipes Karina García shares with you, so you can add your own dose of love by following her instructions:
For the salad
1 lb fresh, cooked fava beans
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh mint
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
1 fresh serrano chili, finely chopped
1/4 cup of lemon juice
For the cream
1 cup of raw, soaked cashews
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of white pepper
The juice and zest of one lemon
In a clean, deep bowl, peel the fava beans that have been previously cooked in boiling salted water.
Finely chop the herbs (oregano, parsley, mint, and thyme) and place in a bowl. Add the serrano chili pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Place the cashews, white pepper, garlic, lemon juice, and zest in a blender and blend until thick and creamy. If necessary, add a little warm water to speed up the process.
To serve:
On a flat plate, create a crater shape with the cashew cream.
Place the beans in the center like a mountain.
Garnish with fresh herbs and more olive oil.
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