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Editor鈥檚 Note: Cocina Connection is a once-a-month feature that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a New Mexico-based chef, who, in turn, shares some recipes.

Matthew Bernabe鈥檚 life is full of taking chances.

Within those baby steps or giant leaps 鈥� lessons are learned.

Bernabe is the owner of Urban Hotdog Company, which has found success in sa国际传媒官网网页入口. While a hot dog can be viewed as a more simple dish, Bernabe and his crew create some lasting impressions with entrees served at the restaurant.

Creations such as Crunchy Onion, Le Blue, Spicy Rooster, Chile the Kid, Relleno Dog, Tijuana Dog and Elote Dog are a few of the examples of culinary curiousness.

Bernabe knew from a young age that he would have a career in the restaurant industry.

A lot of his curiosity stemmed from his mother.

Though she was born in New Mexico, her parents were missionaries in South America.

鈥淪he brought those cultures to the table,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 had tried papusa and jicama by the time I was in kindergarten. She opened my mind to the fact that there鈥檚 more food out there.鈥�

If that wasn鈥檛 enough influence, Bernabe鈥檚 uncle owned an Italian restaurant in Gallup.

鈥淕oing out to eat was a big deal, and it was done on special occasions,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was at that point I knew I was bitten by the restaurant bug.鈥�

During high school, Bernabe鈥檚 first job was at High Finance, which was located at the top of Sandia Crest.

There he went from bussing tables to hosting.

鈥淚 was working maximum hours for my age at 15,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he food experience has always been at the forefront of my life.鈥�

While at High Finance, he also learned the art of patience and structure.

Being that the restaurant was fine dining, he always had to be professional, which took him out of his comfort zone.

鈥淚 just didn鈥檛 go to work,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 had to conquer my fear of heights as I rode the tram every day for work. It was a process that taught me lessons of making a go towards things that scare me.鈥�

He was also quick to get business savvy.

As a child, there was a cherry tree in the yard and Bernabe would get some help to pick the cherries.

He鈥檇 then go door-to-door selling them to neighbors.

鈥淭hen they would bring me some of the items they used the cherries for,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 found out during that time that doing hard work breeds great friendships.鈥�

His journey includes stints at Chick-fil-A, which was an introduction to the corporate world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not necessarily the fun part, but it is important,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here I learned the need for checklists and consistency. I worked my way up to become a manager.鈥�

Despite being in the thick of the restaurant world, there was something missing.

Bernabe longed to be like his uncle who owned the restaurant in Gallup.

鈥淚 had always had that goal and I know this industry is a young man鈥檚 game,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to be there.鈥�

Then he met David Kleinfeld, who came up with the original idea for Urban Hotdog Company.

鈥淗e took me under his tutelage and at 21, I shouldn鈥檛 have been involved, but he trusted me,鈥� he says. 鈥淓veryone thought I was the owner and Dave saw that I dropped out of UNM at the time to work for him and run the restaurant.鈥�

Kleinfeld noticed that ambition and worked out a purchase agreement with Bernabe so that he would be the sole owner of the company.

He鈥檚 found success with the West Side location and is gearing up to open a space in Nob Hill, at 3507 Central Ave. NE.

If he thought his days were busy before, Bernabe is burning the candle at both ends.

With the Nob Hill location under construction, he finds himself traveling between both locations multiple times a day.

鈥淚 keep an eye on what the West Side location needs and will clean and empty the fryer for them,鈥� he says. 鈥淎s I鈥檓 driving, I鈥檓 thinking of new ideas for some hot dogs.鈥�

The Nob Hill location will also serve cocktails, so Berabe鈥檚 thinking outside the box again for pairings.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been 10 years for me, and I鈥檓 making the big jump,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 scary but exciting at the same time.鈥�

Bernabe鈥檚 also had a spotlight on him with an appearance on the Cooking Channel鈥檚 鈥淔ood Paradise鈥� in 2022.

Bernabe credits the success of Urban Hotdog Company to his solid team 鈥� many have been with him for five-plus years.

鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 hot dogs,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat we do differently is make sure that our guests are taken care of. We treat everyone with respect and want them not only to have a good experience, but a fun one. The business has changed since COVID and our goal is to go the long way to make people feel at home when they are at Urban Hotdog Company.鈥�