Carlos joined the Frontera family in 1997. Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Carlos has lived in Chicago since age ten.

What is your favorite natural setting?

The view of the Uxmal ruins at dawn. It's just beautiful.

You have landed yourself on a desert island. What book and piece of music/album would you bring with you?

Aztec by Gary Jennings, music by Gustavo Cerati.

What is your fantasy profession, something you might not have the ability to do, but would thrill you?

To play baseball for the Chicago Cubs... I want to be able to hit a 95mph fastball over the wall onto Waveland Ave.

Which of Oaxaca's moles best captures your personality?

Mole Negro - complex, pretty intense... and its damn good.

If you could have one, and only one, indulgent beverage - wine, tequila, or coffee - which would it be?

Beer. Definitely.

What are your indulgence foods, the stuff you can't say no to?

Carnitas.

When did you know the restaurant world was for you? What is the moment you decided you needed to be in this environment?

Way back, the first day I worked in the restaurant of the Holiday Inn.

What is your most embarrassing moment working at Frontera?

Seeing Jen Fite's boobs my second day on the job (she claims it was an accident, but no one's really for sure).

What is your most rewarding?

Winning the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2007.

Outside of Mexico and your professional life, what is your most memorable meal?

Eating at Balthazar in New York after the Beard Awards this past May was one of the best of my life.

Jen started at Frontera in 1987. She is originally from Momence, IL.

What is your most embarrassing moment working at Frontera?

OK, so this guy came into the restaurant one day while I worked the front desk he said he wanted to buy half an avocado, half a tomato, half a jalapeno on and on half of all these ingredients. You know: who does that? So I walked straight into the office. It was a tiny closet sized room in the kitchen back then so I was standing there going on a on in this mocking voice to two of the managers about this guy. After a minute, I realized, they were stoned faced like totally white in the face. I hadnt realized this guy followed me back and was standing right behind me the entire time. So, Sam McGee - one of the managers - gives me this face, I realize that this guy is right behind me. I turn around and say, And this gentleman would like the other half.

What is your most rewarding?

The most rewarding part is calling farmers who receive grants from the Frontera Farmer Foundation to tell them they got a grant. They are so grateful they cry and are just so excited its a wonderful part of my job.

What is your favorite food word or sound?

Macaroni it makes me laugh, and there is something satisfying about it.

What is your least favorite food word or sound?

Bloated I know its not really a food word, but I hate it.

Which of Oaxacas moles best captures your personality?

Black (There is more to this answer, but we couldnt print it on a family oriented website).

If you could have one, and only one, indulgent beverage - wine, tequila, or coffee - which would it be?

Wine. Definitely wine.

What are your indulgence foods, the stuff you cant say no to?

Flaming Hot Cheetos, anything with red dye number 40, and yellow dye number 5 I grew up on that stuff.

When did you know the restaurant world was for you? What is the moment you decided you needed to be in this environment?

I walked into Frontera 18 years ago, I sat down. Ricks sister made me Queso Fundido and a salad. I took a bite. Everything was warm. The food, all the good people around me. I knew it was for me.

Jill became Sommelier at Frontera in 2001. She is originally from Barker, NY, and has lived in Chicago since 1987.

What is you fantasy profession, something you might not have the ability to do, but would thrill you?

To be a winemaker, to live in wine country in Burgundy, France.

What is your most embarrassing moment working at Frontera?

Im too embarrassed to tell.

What is your most rewarding?

When people get what I do. When they understand that wine works with the rich complexities of regional Mexican food. That moment they realize wow, this really does work, is so rewarding.

How do you relax?

Cooking dinner with friends.

Which of Oaxacas moles best captures your personality?

Mole Negro powerful and complex and intense

If you could have one, and only one, indulgent beverage - wine, tequila, or coffee - which would it be?

Vintage Champagne, 1976 Dom Pgnon

What are your indulgence foods, stuff you cant say no to?

Cheese, I love stinky cheese, any kind of cheese the stinkier the better, cured meats, homemade sausages like bratwurst and sauerkraut with good mustard, I have three or four different kinds of mustard in my fridge at any given time. I grew up with a family that made homemade sausages, very Austrian, and like them all.

What is your most memorable meal outside of Mexico? Why does it stick with you?

Places in wine country, there are so many memorable meals, overlooking the vineyards, eating in really beautiful parts of the world.

When did you know the restaurant world was for you? What is the moment you decided you needed to be in this environment?

Having dinner with a really good friend of mine whose knowledge I respected. He thought I should get into wine as a business; I was working as a server at the time. It took me a long time before I started getting paid to work in the wine side of the business. It was after that dinner I started working towards it. It was a long process I used my restaurant experience to hone my wine knowledge.

Richard joined the Frontera family in 1993. He is originally from Chicago.

What natural gift would you most like to possess?

I want knees that dont age so I can dance when I need to.

What is your most embarrassing moment working at Frontera?

The wood fire in my grill going out during the first seating in Frontera ten years ago. Everything is cooked on that grill.

What is your most rewarding?

Two things: First getting promoted to Sous Chef, then to Chef.

What are the five pantry items you cannot live without?

Bread, rice, beans, bacon (pork in general), Miracle Whip.

What is your favorite food word or sound?

The guys on the Frontera line laughing and joking even when they are in the weeds.

What is your least favorite food word or sound?

The sound of glass breaking on the line.

Which of Oaxacas moles best captures your personality?

Manchamanteles (an almond-thickened red mole with fruit and chorizo) because its big and bold in chile flavor, with that sweetness of the fruit shining through. And also... because I've been known to stain a few tableclothes.

If you could have one, and only one, indulgent beverage - wine, tequila, or coffee - which would it be?

Tequila.

What are your indulgence foods, the stuff you cant say no to?

BBQ, foie, risotto, fried chicken, pork chops, Paydays, bacon, ham

What was your most horrible meal?

The Ketchup Meal at a restaurant in Michoacan on one of our staff trips. Seemed like every course had ketchup in it. In Mexico! Really!

When did you know the restaurant world was for you? What is the moment you decided you needed to be in this environment?

After I had been working in the industry for like six years. I just thought, I could make a life out of this.