Lucero Soto Arriaga

When I was last in Morelia, that stately city in Michoacan, Mexico, a friend told me I couldn't leave without eating at Restaurante LU in the historic center. A young chef named Lucero Soto Arriaga had taken over her family's restaurant and was doing smart, modern takes on Michoacan food. As soon as I sat down, I knew this chef had true talent. She understood the emotional impact of the dishes she was riffing on. Take her enchiladas placeras, one of Michoacan's favorite street foods. Traditionally, they're corn tortillas dipped in a red chile sauce, seared, and served with vegetables and pickled jalapeños. Instead of tortillas, Lucero substitutes thin rounds of jicama, served with a brunoise of potato and carrot and a confetti of jalapeño. A jewel of a dish, yet it still conjures every fond memory of street food stalls. When you taste her food, you think to yourself, Man, this is the real deal. —Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, Chicago