9 questions with Armando Ramierez, executive chef at ZuZu in Napa

Make no mistake: Napa County’s dining scene is one of the most vibrant in the West.

In recognizing that, a key part of The Press Democrat’s expanded coverage into Napa County includes interviews with some of the restaurant and dining scene’s biggest names and influencers.

Look for our regular series that casts the spotlight on a different chef or restaurant owner who stands out in the world of food and drink.

This week, The Press Democrat caught up with chef Armando Ramierez at ZuZu in Napa.

Ramierez has worked at ZuZu since it opened in 2002, working his way up to executive chef. Inspired by the flavors of Northern Spain, the tapas and small-plates restaurant features regional California ingredients and has become a downtown Napa destination.

We offered nine questions to Ramierez. Here’s a sampling of our conversation:

The Press Democrat: What inspired you to get into cooking?

Armando Ramierez: I actually started at ZuZu 21 years ago as a dishwasher. Now I am executive chef. It was a long process, you know, and I’m still learning. My dad was a farmer, and my grandmother was always cooking with fresh ingredients. For me, it was a way to travel through cuisine, too.

PD: How would you describe your restaurant to someone who has never visited?

Ramierez: The restaurant is pretty cool and very chill. We have a beautiful bar, lots of wines from Spain and 50 gins from all over the world. We use our wood-fire oven for rib-eye and pork chops and focus on local farmers. We even have a to-go window so you can get food and have a picnic in the park nearby. With tapas-style dining, you can try three or four different dishes and enjoy different flavors instead of just one plate.

PD: What’s the most popular dish on your menu?

Ramierez: We are definitely known for our paellas. We focus on California ingredients and use short-grain Bomba rice especially for the paella. Everything is made from scratch and cooked to order, so it can take 25 minutes to cook one paella. We have seafood, meat and vegetable ones.

PD: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not cooking?

Ramierez: I like to get together with my family and go out with the kids. Sometimes I exercise. I definitely like to walk and go to the gym.

PD: Tell me about a memorable meal you’ve had.

Ramierez: When I was growing up in Oaxaca (in Mexico), my grandmother would make a bunch of tortillas, boiled potatoes and salsa verde and we’d go out into the field with the cows and eat in the middle of nowhere. There was fresh lemonade. I still think about it. It was so good.

PD: What makes the Napa dining scene unique?

Ramierez: There’s a lot of competition in Napa, and I think we’re unique for what we do here. We have 21 years in the industry. I think in 10 years, Napa will grow even more with more restaurants. The way to survive is to stay true to what you have.

PD: What do you see as the future of the Napa dining scene?

Ramierez: I think there will be even more support for local restaurants. We are on a beautiful street, and people love to come and walk here, come between the street and the park. I think people like the (walkable) and safe idea. And it’s great for seating at restaurants, too.

PD: Is there anything you hate cooking?

Ramierez: As a chef I experiment with a lot of things, so I don’t think so. I still enjoy washing dishes. It’s the only part of the job where people don’t bother me. And sometimes I work by myself, so I have to clean up my mess.

PD: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned coming up from a dishwasher to being executive chef?

Ramierez: Managing people is one of the hardest things. You get to know a lot of people with different personalities. Cooking is the easy part, putting together ingredients. Managing people is harder. But it’s rewarding, too. People will come in and say, ‘Hey chef, your food is amazing.’ They compare me to really good restaurants in the valley. It’s really cool.

Dahlia Ghabour is an award-winning food writer. Contact Ghabour at dghabour@gmail.com and on Twitter at @dghabour.