Chef Soleil Ramírez outside the location of her upcoming restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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By Maximiliano D’Onofrio
Chef Soleil Ramírez came to the United States seven years ago as a political refugee from her native Venezuela. Today, less than a decade later, she is about to open Crasquí, her second restaurant, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Soleil's life has not been easy over the last two decades, firstly because she had to leave her country of origin and, secondly, because once she found peace in the United States, she faced all the setbacks that come with being an immigrant.
“The approval of the building permits took almost five months. The plan was to open in May and we are starting to build in the month we were going to open. I had a really hard time getting the funds to open the restaurant because I was a political refugee. I have been here for almost seven years and I am still waiting for my asylum permit. After a year of struggle, they gave us the last part of the loan,” she comments with an air of exhaustion and satisfaction at the same time.
Crasquí will open its doors at the end of July; it will be have a fine dining focus. It’s a different concept from Arepa, her first gastronomic venture in the United States, where the idea was to "bring a piece of Venezuela" through more "on the go" meals typical of Caracas.
With this new project, Ramírez will capture her childhood years traveling through Venezuela with “elevated” dishes. “It is a walk through our culture and the way we cook. The recipes are 100% based on my knowledge and experiences,” she says.
But there is another problem: the ingredients.
“It is very difficult to get them. You try with what you have and what you can get. The climate here is very different from that of Venezuela, therefore, many things I bring from Texas or Florida. Others, like Venezuelan cheese, for example, are outright illegal here. Our cheese is not pasteurized and here that is illegal.”
The same will happen with fish. “Our fish in Venezuela are from the sea, wild, and here there is no sea. Luckily I have suppliers that make it much easier for me to obtain them, but I have to pay more for that.”
Partially because of these challenges, Crasquí's menu will change every four months. This will allow Ramírez to use what is available each season and offer some fresh dishes to customers.
The distance between Minnesota and Venezuela is not the only problem the chef faces. There are issues specific to the United States that have forced her to change plans more than once.
“Because of my status as a political refugee, nobody was going to give me $1 million. That is why we looked for a location where a restaurant was already operating in order to use what was available and reduce the investment.”
The chef found a place that met her expectations: bright, with a patio and with the possibility of, after some work, leaving the kitchen open “so that everyone feels included when they come. This has to be an experience."
At the same time, the inflation that plagues the country made her reconsider numbers several times. “A fork that three months ago cost $5 dollars, today it is $7. The same thing a can of Coca-Cola, or the containers to preserve food in refrigerators, which are 30% more expensive than not long ago. I modified the budget more than once.”
In this sense, the formation and preparation of the team is also a major pillar of the project. Ramírez plans to serve 150 people; to provide a suitable service she will need a team of 35 people.
“Salaries after the pandemic went up a lot. It is said that the payroll cannot normally be more than 30% and nowadays no restaurant should be below 42%”.
Although her years of experience in her industry have given her people who want to work with her again, she understands that "you can't take people without experience for an opening."
“I must train them all. I don't expect the team to work perfectly from one day to the next, but the restaurant's guidelines must be followed. I spent many years on the other side and mistreatment will not be tolerated here. I have seen chefs humiliate their cooks and that has no place with me. We are humans, not numbers."
Perhaps these values have served as a guide on a difficult path, far from home. Ramírez had to flee Venezuela and with it she left behind not only her material goods but also what cannot be bought: love and contact with loved ones.
“I fight every day to get my mother out of there, since I cannot return to my country. I could with my brother, I couldn't with my father [who has passed away], but I still dream of getting her out of Venezuela. I've seen her once in the last seven years. I am stubborn and persevering, and that pain is my fuel.”
Despite all these challenges and setbacks, Soleil Ramírez is a palpable example of perseverance and struggle. A rebirth that will once again bring a piece of Venezuelan culture to St. Paul in the summer, when Crasquí opens its doors to the public.
Maximiliano D’Onofrio is a freelance writer who regularly contributes to el Restaurante.