Michael Cordúa, Cordúa Restaurants
Restaurateur and entrepreneur, Michael J. Cordúa, recently celebrated 18 years in Houston, blazing a trail of New World cuisine that has critics raving. Today, Michael Cordúa is owner and executive chef of six Houston area restaurants including Amazón Grill Kirby, Amazón Grill Westchase, Américas, Artista, Churrascos River Oaks and Churrascos Westchase.
Cordúa was born in Managua, Nicaragua. He was educated at Texas A&M University and graduated in 1980 with a degree in Economics and Finance. A self-taught chef, he has always had an affinity for cooking, frequently entertaining his large circle of friends and family with delicious meals. One of seven children, Cordúa quickly became the family's chef for special occasions, learning how to prepare his favorite dishes from his mother and the family's cook.
With inspiration from his uncle's restaurant in Managua, Cordúa conceived Churrascos, the first upscale South American-style restaurant in America, which opened August 8, 1988. Critics were immediately enamored with the tantalizing dishes and unusual blending of spices and ingredients at the unique restaurant. Churrascos was listed in Esquire magazine's prestigious annual listing of "Best New Restaurants in America" in 1989, and the New York Times sang its praises during the same year. A second Churrascos opened in the Westchase District in 1995.
In July 1993, Cordúa debuted another new restaurant, Américas, a high-concept eatery specializing in the foods of all the Americas - North, Central and South. Américas was Cordúa's opportunity to stretch his prolific cooking talents to even further heights. Named "Restaurant of the Year" in the November 1993 issue of Esquire, Américas became a national sensation.
In December 1999, Cordúa found a new outlet for his culinary creativity with the opening of Amazón Grill, a Churrascos for the "khakis set." Cordúa led the culinary craze for creative Latin American cuisine by blazing new trails in a casual environment with this upscale, stylish self-serve grill.
In winter 2002, Cordúa opened Artista, a restaurant that serves contemporary American cuisine and offers restaurant-goers a theatrical ambiance. Named "Best New Restaurant" in 2004 by Texas Monthly Magazine, Artista offers a unique dining experience, magnificent views of the Houston downtown skyline and a beautiful terrace overlooking Tranquility Park.
Since making his culinary debut in 1988, Cordúa has been recognized as a pioneer of creative South American cuisine. Cordúa was named by Food and Wine as one of America's "Top Ten Chefs" and is a recipient of the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence. He has received local and national acclaim for his creative ideas and artful presentation and was awarded "Male Entrepreneur of the Year" by the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2004.
On days when Cordúa is not in his restaurants, the master mind behind Amazón Grill, Américas, Artista and Churrascos is busy giving back to the community. Cordúa and his wife Lucia are the parents of four children. A devoted family man, Cordúa generously donates to Casa de Esperanza, the non-profit crisis center for HIV-positive infants and children under the age of six who are at-risk. Cordúa has raised more than $3,000,000 for this and other worthy charities.
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