Alejandro Barrientos, a Midland restaurant owner, said he found inspiration in witnessing the joy and dedication of a girl working tirelessly on a grill despite the scorching heat at a bustling chicken and waffle place. Barrientos was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
“I remember they opened up the food truck door in the back, and there was this girl working a grill," said Barrientos on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. “It's blistering hot outside, and it was a charcoal grill. I see the flames come up, and she grabs a scraper, and she's scraping the grill, and she's pouring sweat. She has a bandana on and coveralls, and then she's grinding, she is covered in tattoos and stuff, but she looks so happy.”
“I see her calling out orders and throwing the chicken on the grill, and she just, she's hustling, she's going at it, and I was like, 'Man, that looks amazing,'” Barrientos said. “You see the food truck from one point, the little square, and you see her cooking, and then you look this way, and see a line of people, and you're like, 'Man, she's going to get hammered.' But she was having a blast doing it, and I was like, 'Man, that's what I want to do.'”
Alejandro Barrientos
| Best of Midland podcast on Youtube
Barrientos is a restaurateur who transitioned from operating a food truck to owning Curbside Bistro in Midland.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.