The Inspiration & Philosophy

of Chef Frederick Muller

During my research while writing La Comida, The Foods Cooking and Traditions of The Upper Rio Grande, Pruett Publishing, 1995, I discovered a great deal of North African influences in Northern New Mexican culture. Words like adobe, acequia, and horno were Arabic in origin. The architecture, such as enclosed adobe compounds like the El Torreon Hacienda, can be found in Tunisia and across the Middle East to Afghanistan. And harissa, a spicy North African condiment, does not really differ from chile caribe served throughout New Mexico.

Why is North African, or Arabic culture so infused in New Mexican culture? The answer lies with old Spain. The Moors, (North Africans), occupied Spain for 800 hundred years, which lent the Spanish a sense of style in architecture, language and cuisine that followed them into the New World. Northern New Mexico, being both isolated not only from Mexico but also from Mother Spain, retained many of these cultural traditions of Moorish Spain.

The restaurant El Meze, (meaning the table in Arabic), in the beautifully restored El Torreon Hacienda, is a fitting venue for modern interpretations of an eight hundred year old cuisine. My hope for El Meze is to explore these symbiotic cultures in an artistic vision of exciting and exotic flavors from Moorish Spain that are historically imbedded in the culture of Northern New Mexico.

Annette Kratka ~ El Meze Restaurant

Creative Design | Strategic Business Development | Operational Management

What began as a passion and an undeniable talent in the field of art and design for Annette Kratka, developed into a highly successful business career. Utilizing her intuitive competencies not only in the creative world, but also in marketing and the operational arenas, Kratka has generated more than $25 million in sales to date. Her track record emphasizes astute skills in conceptualizing, strategic planning and project management, organizational leadership and staff mentoring.

In 1984, Kratka’s career as a package/display designer began at Enesco Corporation, a $450 million gift and collectible company headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. Based on her high-performance and consistent promotions, within 10 years Kratka earned the title of Executive Creative Director followed by a coveted corporate Vice-President position. Leading numerous business units comprised of creative services, advertising, branding/licensed properties, collector clubs, catalog, sales/marketing, Internet/EDI, trade show services and events, Kratka was responsible for a multi-million budget and ultimately reduced operational costs by $500,000 in just one year.

Kratka has also held similar Vice-President positions in 2001 with United Design, Noble Oklahoma and most recently with Joan Baker Designs, San Clemente, California, where she made significant positive impacts on productivity, increased sales, cost-effectiveness and staff mentoring.

Then, arose a turning point for Kratka. With a life-long passion for creative cookery and fine dining, Kratka made a bold move to go beyond just her love of cooking and explore the creative world of cuisine—first hand. In 2007 Kratka relocated to Taos, New Mexico and accepted a general manager position for Graham’s Grille, a newly launched restaurant and catering business. Combining the success of her executive career path with the creative and dynamic food industry, Kratka discovered she could have her cake and eat it too!

With her distinctive creative vision, talent for success and passion for fine food and wine, Kratka partnered with Fred Muller in January ’08 as the general manager and dessert chef of El Meze Restaurant – a hip, new adventure in culinary, performance and visual artistry which resides in the restored 1847 El Torreon Hacienda.

Frederick R. Muller ~ El Meze Restaurant

Food Historian | Executive Chef | Author

Although he grew up in Europe, Executive Chef Frederick Muller is a Southerner by birth. While in Europe he got his first taste of classic French cuisine training at a small Swiss hotel. After returning to the United States in 1980, Muller had the opportunity to chef at prestigious spots including Denver’s Rattlesnake Club and the Santa Fe Bar & Grill, in Berkley, California.

When Muller’s parents retired to a seacoast town in North Carolina, he decided to leave the West in search of his Southern roots. Thus began his fascination with regional cooking and developed his passion: combining a unique blend of the familiar with the exotic. In 1987 Muller, part owner and Chef at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was voted as one of the top 10 new Southern Chefs by Southern Magazine. He received accolades and press in Southern Living and The New York Times.

Muller returned to the West in 1990 refocused on regional cooking of the Southwest and multiethnic approaches, which he continued to study and research.

In 1994, Muller opened Fred’s Place in Taos, New Mexico, receiving local, national and international acclaim for his traditional and innovative approach to regional Northern New Mexican cuisine. Shortly after, Muller wrote and published (Pruett Publishing, ‘95), LA COMIDA, The Foods, Cooking and Traditions of the Upper Rio Grand. He has also authored numerous articles for an array of media outlets.

As Executive Chef and visionary partner for El Meze, Muller expresses his passion for exciting yet simplistic combinations. His fiery creative spirit and his background as a food historian, personify the cutting edge of cuisine.

History of El Torreon Hacienda, circa 1847

In 1840, the Cardenas family arrived on burros at this spot in El Prado. The main house, El Torreon Hacienda was built in 1847 and designed primarily as a fort. This enclosed complex served to safeguard the few animals at night as well as protection from the Comanche and Apache raiding parties who were drawn to the region’s rich stores of grain and wheat.

During this violent era, with every approach of Indian raiders, muskets were loaded and extra powder was brought to the sharp shooters stationed on the roof of the hacienda. One of the unusual features of the hacienda is the torreon, or watchtower located on the south side of the hacienda, which is complete with firing apertures. Used to spot approaching enemies and to defend the hacienda, torreon’s were a common sight in New Mexico several hundred years ago. Below in the courtyard, the women heated lard in large, boiling caldrons, which would be hauled up to the roof and poured on the attackers.

The Spanish most likely adopted the style and function of the torreons from the numerous Pueblo Indians scattered about the Rio Grande Valley. They were in common use by their predecessors, the Anazazi. The torreon at the hacienda has been many things, including for many years, a chicken coop.

It is the wish of the Cardenas family to maintain the torreon with frequent muddings and to turn it into a shrine or santuario to honor the many people who sacrificed their lives here. Today it stands as a symbol of friendship and peace for all human beings.