Georgann Yara Hot from p 20 nowadays, so we were listening to the consumer,” Andrade says. “It’s been like that since day one. We’ve been very lucky to have that happen to us.” And with all of the national kudos, the reservation system is a way for out-of-state visitors to experience Bacanora for themselves. “We get people from New York City that fly in and layover here to have dinner, then go to wherever they’re going,” Andrade says. When Andrade is reminded of the recognition his restaurant and cooking has received, he exhales with a slight chuckle. It’s a blessing laced with a little curse. He feels the need to be at the top of his game every single night. “I never imagined this would happen to me. I’ve been lucky enough to be around the right people, and I work my heart out to show that,” he says. Does he feel extra pressure? “Yes, there are people who it takes a couple of months or three months to get in here. My job is like Eric Clapton rocking it … to give them the whole experience they expect,” he says. When asked whether his restaurant is the toughest reservation to get in the city, Andrade agrees, but he attributes it to Bacanora’s small capacity. Extending hours and adding another day to the schedule cross his mind as possible ways to ease the process. Building a Food Culture Andrade spends a lot of time visiting restau- rants in other cities, watching, observing, and keeping track of how they are serving their customers and what diners are asking for. He brings that insight back to Bacanora. He also believes that if he can get visitors to come to his establishment, they will also check out other restaurants in Phoenix, which will benefit the city’s entire food and beverage community. He talks about restaurants in Los 22 Angeles, San Francisco and New York City, where reservations are not an option and long wait times are accepted. He sees Seatings are capped at 90 minutes to allow for a better flow and to adhere to reservation times. Phoenix as a serious food city in the same league and wonders if that culture of appreciating the food enough to wait will ever find a home here. He accepts that it’s his job to cultivate that. “If that’s the kind of city we want to be … our job as chef-owners is to see how we can continue proving ourselves and also pushing ourselves,” he says. “It’s very important to me.” And for every Brandon Blitz and Leslie Guzman, there are a few more like Sonia Martinez, who has been trying faithfully — and unsuccessfully — to land an online reservation for two months. She’s called the restaurant to make sure the reservation platform was working correctly and ask whether any seats were being held back. She’s also inquired about the possibility of showing up and waiting. The answers she received: Yes; no; and you can try but … “Every time I look, it’s always booked out,” says Martinez, who lives in Mesa. “I’m not going to drive 20 miles to wait and not get in.” Martinez is Mexican and Yaqui, and her mother’s family is from Sonora. She’s lived in the Valley for 16 years and is still on the lookout for Mexican cuisine that will knock her socks off. When she saw Andrade’s menu, she got excited. Then the James Beard Award nomination hit. “There’s a Mexican restaurant on this list? I was shocked. I thought, this seems amazing,’” Martinez says. “I can’t believe Phoenix has a restaurant like this, where you cannot get in. I’m excited that it does and am grateful, but at the same time, can an average person go to it?” But what Andrade is doing with ingre- dients and the possibility of his dishes providing the satiation she’s been craving since moving to the Valley wins. “Yes, I will absolutely keep trying,” Martinez says. Bacanora 1301 Grand Avenue, #1 602-612-4018 bacanoraphx.com OCT 27TH–NOV 2ND, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
