'There has to be quality over anything': Through Mesa Provisions, chef and owner Steve Riley brings focus to local ingredients

Jan. 15—Editor's note: Cocina Connection is a once-a-month feature that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a New Mexico-based chef, who, in turn, shares some recipes.

Steve Riley's philosophy in the kitchen is to compile flavors in a way that makes sense.

It's a lifelong lesson that continues to evolve.

For the Albuquerque-based chef and Mesa Provisions owner, the flavorful journey began when he was young.

Unlike other chefs, Riley's foray into the culinary world wasn't started by a grandmother or mother.

"It's quite the opposite experience," Riley says. "My mom worked graveyard shifts and she wasn't there to cook for me. I was a portly little kid and I wanted to eat all the time. I learned to cook out of necessity because my mom was always at work during the evenings. That's how I started."

There were years of trial and error as he experimented with the food on a much smaller scale.

One of the best lessons he learned at the time?

"The difference between baking powder and baking soda," Riley says with a laugh. "I messed them up."

Despite teaching himself how to cook, he never thought it would be an avenue for a career.

In 1994, the Albuquerque native got a job as a dishwasher at Ragin' Shrimp when the restaurant first opened.

He worked there for four years and eventually worked his way up to kitchen manager.

"Through the four years of working there, there were some sparks in me," he says. "I worked with some good people there. I realized that I could get to a better position."

Riley then left for Le Cafe Miche.

This is where he met James Beard-nominated chef Jennifer James — and his life changed.

"She taught me about all the different foods," he says. "I wanted to learn. She got me the job and I worked the pantry shucking oysters and making salads."

The job opened his eyes to a new world.

"I was making so many things I had never seen," Riley says. "I was learning the basics of modern cooking."

While intrigue grew in the culinary world, his personal life was falling apart and he began to get in trouble.

His mother had moved to Los Angeles to further her degree and she told him to move.

In early 2001, he made the leap to California and it took him a while to find his footing.

He landed at Chez Melange in Redondo Beach.

"When I started there, they had a great reputation," he says. "One of the things that intrigued me about the restaurant is that they changed the menu all the time. Every day, the menu was evolving and I was learning something new. It really pushed my boundaries of what I could do and what I was capable of. I worked there for a couple years and I became sous chef."

In 2010, he and chef Robert Bell opened the Italian restaurant called Mama Terano.

"It was based on Robert's grandma's cooking," he says. "I'm not Italian and I'm not a grandma. We were 50/50 partners. That is really where I learned more about running a restaurant and what it takes to be successful in this industry."

Despite finding success in California, Riley's plan was always to come back to Albuquerque.

In 2017, Riley moved back to New Mexico with a goal to open Mesa Provisions.

"The vision has always been to have a smaller space that stands up alongside the upscale restaurants," he says. "The smaller space would give it a more intimate and personal feel for dining."

As the owner and chef of Mesa Provision in Nob Hill, Riley's life has changed again.

Getting up around 7:30 a.m., the 47-year-old will eat breakfast and drink coffee with his girlfriend.

"It's super important that I get that time," he explains. "Having that time to decompress is super important for me."

Riley arrives at Mesa Provisions around 10:30 or 11 a.m. depending on what he needs to get done.

By 2 p.m. the cooks arrive.

"I get out of their way as they set up their space," he says. "While they do that, I start to do the front end of the restaurant. This is the time I also spend on menu development."

At 4 p.m. the servers arrive and by 4:30 p.m., the entire staff sits down for a family dinner.

"We talk about the guests that are coming in for the night," he says. "We communicate if there are special occasions or dietary restrictions."

Riley says the focus of Mesa Provisions is to be local.

"Though I tell everybody that there has to be quality over anything," he says. "Quality is super important. Sometimes the quality of local ingredients is not the standard it needs to be. So I have to go with quality every time."

Riley also likes to support New Mexico-based farmers and often utilizes New Mexico Harvest.

"They help us order products from local farmers," he says. "We're a much smaller restaurant and the demand for certain items isn't enough for a farmer. New Mexico Harvest steps in and helps us fill in the gaps."

Riley also makes a point to focus on vegetables in his creations.

"When you come to Mesa Provisions, we respect vegetables," he says. "I feel like people have a stigma on vegetables and that they are secondary. One of our most popular items is a cabbage salad. It's so simple. If you treat it properly, it can taste great. I always have some very vegetable-forward dishes."

Chef Steve Riley's Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 eggs

2 slices of soft white bread (crusts removed)

1/4 cup milk

8 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/4 cup Parmesan-Reggiano

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the white bread on a plate and slowly pour milk over until covered. Let stand 10 minutes, if any part of the bread is still dry, add a little more milk.

Place all the other ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Gently pick up bread and squeeze out excess milk, add the bread to the mix breaking up any lumps.

Thoroughly mix all ingredients by hand.

Chill mixture for one hour. Working quickly separate into about 15 portions and then roll each ball between your hands to make a perfect ball. Place on a baking sheet spaced out with at least one inch on each side.

Brown meatballs in oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and finish cooking in your favorite red sauce slowly simmer for another 15 more minutes or until cooked through.