University hospitality and tourism students from the Upper Rio Grande Valley traveled to the Lower Valley recently to get a taste of the real world, so to speak.
Boqueron, an upscale wine and tapas bar that launched in Market Square in Brownsville last September, hosted five students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program on March 24. The five were from instructor Eva Paschal’s Wine and Beverage Appreciation Class. Paschal accompanied the students along with instructor Chef Marcel Fortuin.
For three hours that afternoon, Boqueron’s Director of Operations Vanessa Boyd and Chef Eugenio Uribe showed them the ropes. Wine was tasted, as was Uribe’s jamón serrano. He showed off his new batch of uni, the Japanese word for sea urchin.
“They were things that they have never seen, and their questions were brilliant,” said Boyd, an advanced sommelier who’s also in charge of Boqueron’s wine menu.
She discussed the operational side of things: organization, cleanliness, attention to detail, and overall, general front-of-house issues. The two emphasized the important of communication between front-of-house and back-of-house — those directly interacting with customers versus the folks in the kitchen. It’s a key to success, though a lot of restaurants and hotels don’t practice it, Boyd said.
But the same “dynamic teamwork” infuses Las Ramblas cocktail lounge (2023 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Bar finalist), flagship of the Las Ramblas Hospitality Group, which includes Boqueron and this summer plans to launch a third venture, a French-influenced restaurant with Uribe as head chef.
This was the second organized trip to Boqueron by UTRGV students.
In November, members of the hospitality program’s HOST student club visited. Boyd said Las Ramblas/Boqueron plans to host students on a monthly basis and that the next step will pair students one-on-one with Uribe, who’ll teach them things like researching new recipes and calculating costs.
The second phase of front-of-house training will entail “an evening of problem solving” and learning how to converse with guests, she said.
“Being a wine server isn’t waiting on someone,” Boyd said. “It’s engaging in a conversation. It’s trying to find out how to make their evening special. That’s something else that’s not taught (in class).”
It’s all about complementing the students’ formal education with practical education — following a server through their shift, learning how to correctly open a wine bottle, navigating difficult situations and so on, she said. Paschal characterized the opportunity for her students as a godsend.
“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “They run an immaculate, innovative operation. Students learn so much. … They got to taste a wine that was served at the right temperature and wine that was served at the wrong temperature, and immediately they could tell the difference. You cannot get that experience just reading the books. Vanessa knows what she’s doing. She is a pro.”
The students had a great time meanwhile, she said.
“They loved it,” Paschal said. “They couldn’t get enough. I want to say that if they lived in Brownsville they all would apply for a job there.”
Boyd credits Dr. Kelly Nassour, UTRGV executive vice president for Institutional Advancement, for spearheading the relationship between Las Ramblas Hospitality Group and the university.
“I know they are really focusing on UTRGV Brownsville,” Boyd said. “They’re wanting to partner with more Brownsville businesses, so we’ve been one of the businesses that she’s partnered with in order to really generate more interest in the hospitality program in Brownsville specifically.”
Nassour said the university places high value on such partnerships, which helps educate “better students and a better future workforce in the industry.”
“Our community partners make everything possible that we do, so we are very proud of our relationship with Vanessa and (Boqueron co-owner Michael Limas) and their team,” she said. “When we’re teaching our students and then augmenting those classroom discussions with real world experience, with partners who are so strong and have such a great reputation, that just helps our students along the way.”
It also helps Las Ramblas Hospitality group, which needs adventurous, creative individuals to help operate its businesses, Boyd said.
“We’re trying to locate people who live in Brownsville or Harlingen or Los Fresnos or maybe (South Padre Island) who would consider a part-time commute or an internships,” she said. “When we open our new (restaurant), there will be so many opportunities on the admin side, on the management side, on the operations side, training manuals, hand books, hiring — all of these steps that are integral to opening a business.”
The company also needs people to help support its catering and off-site gigs, Boyd said, noting that Las Ramblas will host a job fair on April 17, hours yet to be announced. Watch Las Ramblas’ and Boqueron’s social media sites for details. Arrangements can be made to meet with interested parties on other dates, just contact Boqueron or Las Ramblas through social media, she said.
“It doesn’t matter how much hospitality experience they’ve had,” Boyd said. “If they want to learn and gain hospitality experience from people who have chosen this as a career, very passionately and very creatively, this is the place to do it.”
