La Contenta Information

Chef Luis Arce Mota brings years of skill, experience and ambition to the kitchen of La Contenta. At La Contenta it is his goal to showcase his Mexican roots and his classical French culinary training, offering Mexican cuisine with French accents.Chef Motas story is archetypal, that of someone starting at the bottom and determinedly working his way up. Emigrating to the United States from Mazatln, Mexico in the early 1990s, Luis began his culinary career as a dishwasher in Carmines Restaurant in Times Square. His early exposure to and love for family cooking and traditions in Mexico primed his eagerness to learn more in New York at every opportunity. Chef Motas initiative and performance were rewarded, and he gained experience in many famous Manhattan kitchens, under the tutelage of renowned chefs including Cesar Ramirez, David Bouley, Michael Lomonaco, and Michael Romano. In between stints at Bouley, Windows on the World, Union Square Café and Jefferson Restaurant, Luis received formal culinary education at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Read MoreRead Less Chef Mota eventually found two partners and opened Café Condesa, a very popular and well-reviewed West Village eatery. Café Condesa was a tiny space with a smaller kitchen containing just an induction stove and convection oven; for Chef Mota these were not obstacles but creative challenges, and he succeeded brilliantly. He then moved on to Ofrenda where New Yorkers reaped the benefit of what Chef Mota can do in a real kitchen where he offered a menu rich in tradition and heritage and at the same time fun. La Contenta is the newest development in Luis career as a chef-owner. In this intimate Lower East Side bistro, he presents a menu highlighting traditional Mexican ingredients while incorporating classic French techniques.Luis is joined by noted mixologist Alex Valencia who has created a robust cocktail program emphasizing agave spirits. The goal at La Contenta is to offer excellent quality at ...