Local Love

At 34, Chef Ivan Barros vividly recalls the flavors of his Dominican heritage, thanks to the culinary traditions passed down by his father.

“My dad always made a delicious ‘sancocho’ (a traditional Dominican soup). It’s interesting because when I was younger, he would make ‘mondongo,’ which is a tripe soup, and I hated it because the whole house reeked of tripe. Today, I love it!”

Cooking continues to be something his father enjoys. “Every holiday season, he makes ‘pastel en hoja,’ which is like a Dominican equivalent of a tamale. I have some in the freezer right now,” Barros says with enthusiasm.

His mother is also gifted in the kitchen, and yet, while he has always enjoyed eating, a career in the culinary arts didn’t cross his mind until after graduating from high school in Kendall. His initial thought was to become a nurse, but after one semester at Miami Dade Community College, he realized it was not for him. A career questionnaire led him to visit the Cordon Bleu culinary school in Miramar. “I enrolled immediately,” Barriors recalls.

Thus began a nonstop schedule of balancing work and going to school. His first kitchen experience was at the fast-casual chain Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, where he’d work from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., then rush to Miramar to study from 4 to 11:30 p.m. That  drive eventually landed him a job at celebrity chef Scott Conant’s high-end eatery, Scarpetta, at the Fontainebleau, where he worked under Chef Mike Pirolo, now owner and chef of the award-winning Macchialina restaurant.

“Mike is one of my biggest mentors and one of my greatest friends. I asked him years ago, ‘Why did you even hire me?’ and he said, ‘Because you moved fast. You sucked, but you moved fast  — you moved with urgency.’”

He also worked alongside Nina Compton, the lauded chef who would go on to become a James Beard Award winner for her New Orleans restaurant Compère Lapin, and Christopher Cuomo, now vice president of Groot Hospitality, responsible for hotspots like Gekkō, Casadonna and Komodo, among others.

“Between the three of them, it was a crash course of what to do and how to do it that just really excelled and propelled my career,” Barros says.

An opportunity to be Conant’s corporate sous chef led him to New York, but after three years, Barros left for California craving warm weather. He spent seven years there, working for five at Alimento, a restaurant specializing in Italian food with Japanese influence. Again, that signature passion to push himself and learn more kicked in as he took a second job working in a local wine shop.

“I didn’t know anything about wine at the time … but it was something that intrigued me because it is within the realm of hospitality,” he says.

His next project was opening a nachos and margaritas spot in Santa Monica called Vamos Vamos, but by then, the yearning to return home after almost 10 years away paired serendipitously with the opportunity to work for one of his biggest culinary idols, Chef Michael Schwartz. He arrived in Miami on Thanksgiving Day 2023 and began as Amara’s executive chef on Dec. 1.

Amara proved to be a perfect fit, providing Barros the opportunity to return to his Dominican roots, which he did with a charred octopus dish paired with his father’s legendary “guineitos en escabeche” (pickled green bananas). While it is no longer on the menu, it was so beloved by diners that Barros is considering bringing it back. He’s also exploring other cuisines reflective of South Florida’s growing community.

“We can draw inspiration from Brazil, the Caribbean, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina — I think that is what we’re leaning into. I’ve been doing so much research on national dishes of all these different countries and trying to, not change them too much, but ‘Amarafy’ them,” he says, explaining this means adding a local twist without straying far from their origins.

It all pairs with Schwartz’s philosophy of supporting local purveyors and highlighting simple, fresh and seasonal ingredients — and Barros feels right at home.

“I think I’m just trying to approach it with the genuine ethos of using high-quality ingredients and honoring local purveyors. Getting an 80-pound swordfish at the back door directly from Jorge [of   Miami’s Trigger Seafood] is something special for me. I think it is special for everyone to know where their stuff comes from.”

The tomatoes, which are sourced from Michael Borek, a third-generation grower in Miami-Dade County, are another one of Barros’s favorites.

“Someone who comes with a humble ingredient, pulls up in his pickup truck and says, ‘Hey, how many cases of tomatoes do you want for this week?’ I think that’s important to Miami, culture, cuisine and myself, too.” 

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Serves 4

Cut the tomatoes into chunks (it is better if the cuts are different sizes), toss with extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt. Place aji dressing at the base of the plate and pool it in the middle. Place seasoned tomatoes on the plate and drizzle Salsa Macha over the top of the tomatoes. Garnish with basil or cilantro (optional).

Salsa Macha (makes 2 cups)

2 large heirloom tomatoes

2 cups canola oil

5 guajillo chilies (seeded)

3 garlic cloves (sliced)

¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1½ tablespoons sesame seeds

1½ tablespoons white vinegar

1½ tablespoons brown sugar

salt, to taste

•  Add oil to a sauce pot and heat to medium heat.

•  Remove as much of the seeds from the chilies as possible and add to the oil.

•  Lightly sauté chilies for 5 minutes and remove from oil.

•  Add pepitas and sauté until slightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

•  Add garlic and sesame seeds and sauté until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

•  Add vinegar, brown sugar and sautéed chilies to pot and let cool.

•  Blend sauce.

Aji Amarillo Dressing (makes 2/3 Cup)

1 jar aji amarillo paste, such as Goya Aji Amarillo

1 cup white vinegar

5 shallots, cut in half

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons garlic confit, available in specialty food stores

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups grapeseed oil

salt, to taste

•  Drizzle shallots with 1 tablespoon of olive oil then roast in a preheated 350º F oven until soft and lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

•  Once shallots are cool, combine them with vinegar, egg yolks and garlic confit in a blender. With the blender on low speed, slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil and grapeseed oil until emulsified. Season with salt.