familia

Edgar Rico

Owner / Chef

The man, the myth, the legend. Not only is Edgar a future fictional character in one of Wes Anderson’s movies, but he also has hella experience in a myriad of concepts.

Edgar hails from the Central Valley of California and graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA) in New York. After completing his externship at Craft, operated by Chef Tom Colicchio, Edgar was tapped to join the opening team of an East-Coast-fish-shack-meets-California-cuisine concept called Son of a Gu n in LA, with James Beard award-winning Chefs Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook.

Once he departed the seafood temple, Edgar was recruited to assist in the opening of a new fine-dining, and award-winning concept, Tr ois Mec, with Chef Ludo Lefebvre in LA with an emphasis on intimate French bistronomy.

Moving on to the brunch game, he joined the team at Sq irl with Chef Jessica Koslow at her breakfast lab that redefined the modern California cuisine and was even featured in their book, Everything I Want To Eat.

After he left LA-LA-Land, his journey took him all throughout Mexico - from Monterrey down to the Yucatan. It was here that he staged at P uj ol (the Mecca of Mexican fine-dining cuisine), got a lesson or two from abuelitas in Oaxaca, and still continues to draw inspiration from everything he encountered in between. Rounding out his experience in catering and events, Edgar made the move to where everything is bigger and better - Austin, Texas - to become the Chef de Cuisine of The Peached Tortilla’s event space, Peache d Social House.

Throughout Edgar’s life, there have been experiences that have reaffirmed his destiny in maiz. Nixta Taqueria is the culmination of who he is and what food means to him - imaginative creations that are steeped in technique, history, tradition and finesse.

— AKA —

Rico Nasty

Gargar

Sara Mardanbigi

Owner / Operations

— AKA —

Bigi Smalls

Sasa

Sara is a NWA-native. You know. The other NWA. Arkansas. The Natural State. Where neighbors stop to chat with you and always wave/say hi to each other (and it’s not weird). It’s also where her dad cages raccoons to then release into the wilderness a few miles away (classic Fred).

Eventually, Sara moved to Austin (sight unseen) and slipped into the field of International Education at I S A. After meeting all of her best friends and assisting thousands of students with professional development as the Director of Alumni Relations, Sara switched gears to work at Peached S ocial House as the Senior Events Coordinator for all corporate events and SXSW activations. Event management can be glamorous (she did get to meet Tony Bourdain), but it also involves spilling a bunch of brisket juice all over you and your car multiple times each week.

It was here that Sara met Edgar - it was her last week at Peached before transitioning to Tor chy’s Tacos as a Talent Engagement Manager, and his first week at Peached. She may or may not have slid into his DM’s to holler.

Sara has now lived in Austin for over a decade, and it’s the place that makes her heart pitter-patter with excitement. It’s somewhere that has had a profound impact on her life, and she is ready to give back to Austin’s fine and kooky-ass citizens. This, coupled with her Persian hospitality and quest for nice bathrooms without murder lights (you know the ones - makes everyone look like a gremlin), are what she’s looking forward to doing. Sara will be handling some operations stuff, some social stuff, some design stuff, and some everything stuff for Nixta.

Points of interest:
— She can crush her opponents in a thumb-wrestling match.
— Otters are her spirit animal.

Sara Aguilar

Chef de Cuisine

— AKA —

La Chingona

Chef Sara was born in Juventino Rosas, Guanajuato, Mexico where she grew up watching her grandmother and mother pour themselves into their cooking. Working with local ingredients and ancestral tools such as metates and molcajetes since Sara was a little girl, directly inspires what she creates today.

For many years, Sara’s frustration stemmed from the misconception that ‘Mexican’ food is only carne asada and meat-heavy. Prior to colonization, indigenous food was plant and vegetable based and directly sourced from the lands from which they (and its people) originate.

In October of 2019, after hearing about Nixta and their maiz, molino, and preservation of ancestral methods, Sara began working with Chef Rico and Sara Mardanbigi after one week of the official opening. Through Nixta, Sara has flourished and explores new, creative, fresh, plant-based recipes every single day and is an integral part of our family.

Sara describes Nixta as her dream come true, because although the food is part of it, for her, it is also the culture, community, preservation, and learning that is fostered at Nixta. Like her mother and grandmother, she pours her love and culture into the food she makes, and we are so lucky to get to experience it.