ChefSteveCruz
Indulge in Comfort Food with Chef Steve Cruz at Single Cut Brewery!
Join us at Single Cut Brewery for a special pop-up featuring Chef Steve Cruz’s delicious American comfort food through Single Bites! Available Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Enjoy a mouthwatering selection of hearty dishes that celebrate classic flavors with a creative twist. Each bite is crafted to warm your heart and pair perfectly with Single Cut's craft brews.
Services
Price varies.
About Chef Steve Cruz
Born in Jackson Heights Queens New York City, Steve Cruz was already showing his culinary inclination at the age of 10, where his inspiration and passion was influenced by his grandmother’s cooking and social graces that propelled him to pursue a culinary education after finishing high school majoring in Agriculture at John Browne high Flushing Queens in 2003.
Upon graduating the Art Institute of New York completing his Culinary Arts and restaurant management degree, Steve completed his apprenticeship at Culinart at Con Edison in 2005. He first started his career at various restaurants in and around the New York City Metropolitan area ranging from large scale catering venues, seasonal, Chef De Cuisine to private households, bartending, management and other free-range events that allowed him to excel within the his field.
In 2012, Steve was delighted to take charge as Executive Chef for The Orchard House restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. During that time, he has appeared in many culinary editorials like New York Magazine, CBS “Dining Deals” by “Tony Tantillo,” and others alike. Some of his featured favorites like, Mac & Cheese Pancakes, Eggplant Napoleon, Quinoa Crusted Salmon, Chipotle Grilled Shrimp and Tarragon Whiskey Grilled Chicken drew editorial attention to his creations.
After discovering layers of flavors with products such as Agave nectar to enhance many of his recipes, Chef Cruz begun his creative journey with many of his dishes inspired by ingredients and cooking traditions from his background, a mix of Colombian and Ecuadorian and those of Mexico, Peru, Spain and Cuba. As he incorporate many of his family recipes and culinary techniques to enhance the dishes he is proud to produce, Steve’s heart to his cuisine is concentrated on healthier and naturally nutritional diets whereby showcasing his dishes through presentation and exceptional quality. His style is described as inventive and classical. Using French Culinary principles as a foundation and adding an infinite supply of provincial ingredients, he creates dishes that are simple yet elegant allowing the character of the star ingredients shine through.
At Cruz Cuisine Catering, we prioritize quality, taste, and presentation. Our commitment to excellence shines through every dish, ensuring a memorable culinary adventure for each client. Let us cater to your culinary desires with finesse and flair!
Heather Holland from dna info
The Kips Bay eatery recently hired a new chef, Steve Cruz, who is dipping into the restaurant's collection of more than 100 types of tequila to add a modern kick to classic Mexican sweets. One of the highlights is a reimagined tres leches, which features the traditional rum-infused cake but is now garnished with a whipped cream made with cinnamon-flavored Jose Cuervo.
“I thought, since we carry over 100 types of tequila, why not use tequila in every dessert?” said Cruz, whose family is from Colombia and Ecuador. “Growing up, my grandmother used to make these all the time.”
Other new treats include churros served with espresso tequila chocolate sauce; a Spanish version of creme brulee called chocolate crema Catalana, served with espresso tequila whipped cream; and alfajores, Mexican shortbread cookie sandwiches made with espresso tequila.
Cruz joined Teqa last month and launched its new menu on Friday. On the savory side, additions include a hamburger topped with a yellow pepper aioli and sriracha ketchup. The restaurant now makes all its corn tortillas in-house.
Entrees range from $21 to $28, and desserts cost $5 to $8.
The restaurant at 443 Third Ave. near East 31st Street opened almost three years ago with chef Lisa Schoen, who once worked as Derek Jeter's personal chef, at the helm.
But original owner Derek Axelrod — who also managed product placement at his family's clothing company, French Connection — sold the spot about a year ago to Sokol Enzo. Enzo hired Cruz to upgrade the menu in the hopes of drawing a young professional crowd, Cruz said.
Cruz immediately began introducing new dishes, like seven-hour braised short ribs and pan-roasted chicken, through daily specials. Now, the best of those items have been incorporated into the overhauled menu.
“When we put the chocolate crema Catalana on the menu as a daily special a few weeks ago, they sold out almost immediately,” Cruz said. “So, we added it to the menu for good.”
Testimonials
Having missed their press dinner, Teqa’s PR person invited me to sample the food of the new executive chef Steve Cruz, who offers both modern and traditional Mexican cuisine.
I started with a spicy margarita made with Taneo jalapeño-infused tequila, lime juice and agave. Perfect, as it was not too sweet and had a small kick ($12, also available with a cucumber slush or for $42, by the pitcher).
Worth the trip alone is the lobster guacamole with fresh guac mixed with pico de gallo and huge chunks of lobster marinated in a chipotle, agave aioli ($16), served with fresh chips. Tuna lovers will enjoy “tuna on crack” ($16), a chopped mixture of sushi grade tuna, avocado, cucumber, sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro oil also with tortilla chips.
Skip the jumbo lump crab cakes ($14) as the breading over-powers the crab. That was the night’s only miss!
We sampled every taco, each on a housemade thick corn tortillas with a different salsa accompaniment. They’re $9 – $10 a pair. There’s pulled pork with a grilled pineapple salsa, chicken tinga with roasted tomato chipotle salsa, braised short rib with roasted corn pico de gallo, mahi mahi (my favorite) with a mango pico de gallo, grilled skirt steak with a roasted tomatoes pico de gallo and a crispy taco de papa, a potato filled tortilla (think flauta for this one) with roasted tomato salsa crème, fresca cotija cheese. All recommended.
I’d also suggest the fork-tender braised boneless short ribs ($25) in a sweet tamarind BBQ sauce, over a roasted corn puree. Or the four seared sea scallops ($26) with a butternut squash reduction, roasted corn salsa and yucca chips, drizzled with cilantro oil.
The desserts are also good, especially the moist tres leches ($8).
Teqa’s worth the visit – and it won’t break the bank.
Bonnie Tandy Leblang from "Bite of the Best"
Gallery
