DINNER AND A DRINK Sueño Modern Mex-Tex o ers Mexican dishes paired with cocktails that are inspired by ingredients included in the food. Here are some items recommended by co-owner Christian Lujano.
Carne Asada
DINING FEATURE
Cousins Christian Lujano (left) and Julio Pineda (right) co-own Sueño Modern Mex-Tex. (Photos by Sara Rodia/Community Impact Newspaper)
This Grilled Angus Ribeye, $29, is served with vegetables, frijoles a la mexicana, tomato relish and guacamole fresco.
Sueño Modern Mex-Tex Cousins bond over family dream of restaurant ownership C ousins Julio Pineda and Christian Lujano said they did not always get along as kids, but the two eventually bonded over their BY SARA RODIA
This cocktail, $12, is made with blackberry puree, organic agave, orange liquor, fresh mixed juices and Hornitos Blanco Tequila. Blackberry Smash
that [is] similar to brisket,” Julio said. “We’re [also] doing a raw bar that will have some ceviches and aguachiles.” Lujano said that the heart of the restaurant is its family bond and the sta behind it. “Julio and myself could leave one day and the restaurant will continue to operate,” Lujano said. “But if [the sta ] leaves … then we will need to put a sign up that says we can’t operate.” Julio said they recently began looking for sta outside of the family because the restaurant needs extra help. “We’re probably about 90% family operated,” Julio said. “My dad [is also] our executive chef in our kitchen.” The name Sueño Modern Mex-Tex encompasses the achieved dream of owning a restaurant, Lujano said. Sueño translates to “dream” in Spanish, so when the cousins were choosing a name, they decided on something that represented their vision and could give hope to those who have similar aspirations. “I believe every person has a dream, and if some- how we can inspire someone else to do the same thing for themselves, that’s where Sueño comes from,” Pineda said.
This cocktail, $12, is made with Liquor 43, Lockwood Bourbon Cream, homemade horchata and a shot of espresso. Horchata Carajillo
shared dream of opening a restaurant. Julio and Christian come from a family that mainly worked in the food industry. The cousins were born in Mexico City and migrated to Texas with their families at ages 5 and 9, respectively. The cousins said they knew from a young age that working in the restaurant business was what they wanted to do. “My biggest motivation has been my grandpa,” Christian said. “He was the kitchen manager at a restaurant, and he said ‘I’m going to give you an opportunity, but I want you to start as a washer.’” Through this opportunity, Christian worked his way through various restaurants and manager posi- tions. In late- 2021, the cousins and Julio’s father Aureliano Pineda opened Sueño Modern Mex-Tex. The restaurant is meant to o er a spin on tra- ditional Tex-Mex dishes, Julio said. In addition to enchiladas, nachos and quesadillas, he said Sueño o ers authentic Mexican dishes such as carnitas, carne asada and birria tacos. “[Those tacos will use] basically a short rib meat
Sueño Modern Mex-Tex 800 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson 469-372-6739 www.suenomextex.com Hours: Mon.-Thu. 5-9 p.m., Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
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972.669.7807 bryjo.com
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RICHARDSON EDITION • JULY 2022
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