Premieres October 22
In Part Two of the series, From Dos Laredos to Mars, Pati travels from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo to Brownsville, Texas. She learns how tight-knit family bonds are an underlying theme connecting everything in the Laredos, and throughout La Frontera. She gets an up-close look at the major industries of the region – trucking, trade and ranching and tastes a bit of the American dream spending time with the owners of Taco Palenque, a family-run, regional favorite that has grown to a fast-casual empire throughout south Texas.
Pati spends the afternoon with Sister Norma Pimentel to understand the motivational force behind migration and takes in a Tecos baseball game – the only bi-national baseball team in the world. She journeys all the way to the gulf of Mexico to see how the border is grounds for yet another new frontier – as the launching pad for the Space X program to explore Mars. By tasting the food and meeting people who live and work here she sees how the border is a place ripe for opportunity and creativity – including the next ticket to Mars.
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Featured Voices
Juan Francisco “Don Pancho” Ochoa
Juan Francisco “Don Pancho” Ochoa, was born in Sinaloa, Mexico. He founded El Pollo Loco in Mexico and decided to bring his restaurants to the United States. He first started in California but settled in Laredo after he felt a strong connection to hom. He opened his first Taco Palenque®, in 1987 and today there are close to 30 locations throughout Texas. He runs his family business with his wife and children and can often be found back in the kitchen of any location at any given moment!
Judge Tito Tijerina
Judge Tito Tijerina was born and raised in Laredo, TX. He is the product of a family of civil servants and was taught at an early age the importance of hard work, commitment, dedication, respect, and community service. In 1993, he was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth round of the amateur draft and played four years of professional baseball in the Milwaukee organization before retiring from baseball and returning to Laredo. Upon his return to Laredo, Judge Tijerina continued his education at Texas A&M International University and in 2002, earned a degree in Fitness and Sports with a minor in Criminal Justice. Judge Tijerina is a longtime rancher in Webb County and has professional interests in oil and gas, rodeo stock management, financial investments, and transportation.
Lucy Montemayor
Lucy Montemayor moved to Laredo with her family at age 9 from Monterrey and loves to call Laredo home. She is now the Operations Manager at CoolHouse Distribution Center and worked for a number of years as a customs broker. She married into a multi-generational Laredo family and knows the traditions of the town, its relationship to Nuevo Laredo, and its importance on a large scale to trade throughout the Americas.
Luis Aril Anzures
Luis Aril Anzures, is the owner of Tacos Con Ganas at the World Trade Bridge. His family-fun taco truck at the World Trade Bridge is parked right smack in the middle of the two-lane highways heading north and south. While some trucks speed by at 70 miles an hour, others stop for breakfast and lunch – a quick break from the neverending highway in their sights and Luis’ business is a staple for many drivers who congregate here and enjoy their tacos, caldo, gorditas, and more.
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado, has been working in maquiladoras for many years and now helps them run more efficiently and up to environmental standards. But in addition to that, he has a ton of love and passion for his side-business, El Pozo Carbonero. He’s taken a past-time that is a regional favorite, carne asadas, and has turned that into a side-hustle and competitive business. On top of that Carlos still loves to grill with friends, colleagues, and family where it all started – the parking lot of a maquladora.
Sister Norma Pimentel
Sister Norma Pimentel is part of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. She is committed to responding to the needs of people who have recently migrated to the United States, serving those in need with basics, shelter, and a warm embrace for people in need. She is a diplomat in the true sense, often crossing the border herself multiple times a week in order to ensure the safety and collaboration between agencies working in the US and Mexico.
Chef Larry Delgado
Chef Larry Delgado has been one of the driving forces behind making McAllen one of the Texas border’s hottest food destinations. He was born and raised in the RGV and knows it well. He comes from a family of migrant farmworkers so he has a deep respect for the way food is cultivated and prepared in the Valley. He takes that passion to his restaurants, where his recipes embody the modern cross-border experience, using ingredients from both Mexico and the US. Larry and his wife Jessica run three successful restaurants in McAllen – House Wine & Bistro, Salomé on Main, and SALT.
Stephanie Martinez & Alyssa Hind
Stephanie Martinez & Alyssa Hind, are mother/daughter owners and operators of 2F Akaushi Beef at Rancho Santa Fe. Stephanie and Alyssa run the business with their husbands and family which have been operating ranches, breeding, producing, and raising commercial cattle since 1984. They have Certified Akaushi Wagyu genetics and provide to make local restaurants and households in the RGV.
Ed Margo
Ed Margo, runs his family raspa stand, Margo’s. They have been successfully serving us delicious raspas to the community of Weslaco, TX and beyond fo many years. Originally opened by his parents, Ed and his brother are keeping this family tradition alive by expanding their business and supplying sweet delicious syrup to other stands, fixing up machines, and selling snacks like Frito Pie.
Veronica Rosenbaum
Veronica Rosenbaum is the Executive Director of the Brownsville Wellness Coalition. She is a Brownsville native and loves her city and it’s neighbor Matamoros. With the (BWC), a Texas not-for-profit corporation was formed to address our community’s poor health status by providing programs that promote nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Sonia Najera
Sonia Najera is the project manager at The Nature Conservancy’s Southmost Preserve. She loves her work and is a steadfast believer in the importance of conserving and preserving the natural environment of the region.
Joana Hernandez
Joana Hernandez runs Ultimo Taco, a Brownsville favorite with her husband. Their tacos utilize fresh ingredients and play off of local staples. They often get creative with their menu and are constantly changing things up.
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