Editing Tex-Mex (section)

== Influential chefs ==
* [[Felix Tijerina]] was a successful restaurateur and civic leader who helped pioneer Tex-Mex cuisine through his dishes.
:Born in 1905, Tijerina began working as a busboy at the Original Mexican Restaurant after moving to [[Houston]] in 1922.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Pilcher|first=Jeffrey|title=[[Planet Taco A Global History of Mexican Food]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press, Incorporated]]|year=2012|pages=135}}</ref> He rose through the ranks and opened his restaurant, the Mexican Inn, in 1929.<ref name=":4" />
:After serving in World War II, Tijerina opened a chain of restaurants named the Felix Mexican Restaurant.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=TSHA {{!}} Tijerina, Felix|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/tijerina-felix|access-date=2020-10-12|website=www.tshaonline.org}}</ref>
:With mildly-spiced dishes and reasonable prices, Tijerina's restaurants catered more towards an [[Anglo]] audience.<ref name=":4" /> His ''spaghetti con chile'' special exemplifies how Tijerina americanized traditional Mexican food to appeal to the local Texans.<ref name=":4" />
:Tijerina used his influence and economic profit from the restaurant business to become active in politics.<ref name=":4" /> In 1935, Tijerina joined the local council of LULAC ([[League of United Latin American Citizens]]), and eventually became the national president of the organization, holding the position from 1956 to 1960.<ref name=":4" />
:Tijerina died in 1965, but his chain of Felix Mexican Restaurants continued to promote Tex-Mex cuisine until operations stopped in 2008.<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Press|first=Houston|date=2008-03-21|title=Felix Mexican Restaurant Closes After 60 Years in Business|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/felix-mexican-restaurant-closes-after-60-years-in-business-6406894|access-date=2020-10-12|website=Houston Press}}</ref>
* [[Josef Centeno]] grew up in [[San Antonio]], becoming familiar with Tex-Mex cuisine through his [[Tejanos|Tejano]] family's cooking.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Roasted Cauliflower with Cilantro-Pecan Pesto Recipe|url=https://www.sunset.com/recipe/roasted-cauliflower-with-cilantro-pecan-pesto|access-date=2020-10-31|website=Sunset Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>
:In 2011, Centeno opened his first restaurant, Bäco Mercat which became an instant success due to the multicultural menu.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Snyder|first=Garrett|date=August 1, 2020|title=Josef Centeno's downtown restaurant Bäco Mercat has closed permanently|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> 
:Centeno subsequently opened Bar Amá,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bar Amá|url=http://www.bar-ama.com/|access-date=2021-03-27|website=Bar Amá|language=en-US}}</ref> then Orsa & Winston<ref>{{Cite web|title=Orsa & Winston|url=http://www.orsaandwinston.com/|access-date=2021-03-27|website=Orsa & Winston|language=en-US}}</ref> which received a Michelin star in June 2019. 
:Centeno's most recent Tex-Mex restaurant, Amácita,<ref>{{Cite web|title=amá•cita|url=https://www.ama-cita.com/|access-date=2021-03-27|website=amá•cita|language=en-US}}</ref> opened in July 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-02|title=LA chef Josef Centeno has a Michelin star restaurant and a new cookbook, now he's on a mission to defend Tex-Mex cuisine|url=https://www.dailynews.com/la-chef-josef-centeno-has-a-michelin-star-restaurant-and-a-new-cookbook-now-hes-on-a-mission-to-defend-tex-mex-cuisine|access-date=2020-10-31|website=Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref>
:Centeno has also written two cookbooks: Baco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles (2017)<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Centeno|first1=Josef|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5cXaDgAAQBAJ|title=Bäco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles|last2=Hallock|first2=Betty|date=2017-09-05|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-1-4521-5578-4|language=en}}</ref> and Amá: a modern Tex-Mex kitchen (2019).<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hallock|first1=Betty|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JPCjDwAAQBAJ|title=Ama: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen|last2=Centeno|first2=Josef|date=2019-10-01|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-1-4521-5685-9|language=en}}</ref>
:Centeno has become a leading chef in Tex-Mex cuisine, receiving praise for both his restaurants and his cookbooks. While the New Yorker listed Centeno's Amá: a modern Tex-Mex kitchen as one of the best cookbooks in 2019, the LA Times named Orsa & Winston as the "Restaurant of the Year" in 2020.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Rosner|first=Helen|title=The Best Cookbooks of 2019|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2019-in-review/the-best-cookbooks-of-2019|access-date=2020-10-31|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":5" />