Paul Murphy fell in love with his wife, Anamarie, over Mexican food.
Since then food — especially Mexican food — has been the cornerstone of the couple’s relationship.
"We both love food," Murphy said. "We always cooked, as it brought family and friends together."
The couple also reminisces over spicy Mexican dishes. They remember the two week vacation to Acapulco in 1989 that eventually lasted a year and a half, and created a marriage that has survived more than its fair share of challenges. One of the toughest of those was opening their restaurant, Tiki Taco and Grill, this year.
"We built this restaurant not to make money but to create a place where friends and family can gather," he said.
Murphy decided that he didn’t want to start his restaurant blind, so he planned every part of the restaurant for five years prior opening. Since he knew Tiki Taco was going to serve Mexican-style tacos, Murphy spent two years apprenticing at Luna de Mexico in Monterrey, Nuevo León. He then returned to the United States and worked with Chef Arnoldo Yañez at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg for a year. There he learned to cook for banquets, create ice sculptures and how to handle large groups.
Once he had a handle on cooking, Murphy began designing and building his restaurant. During the construction phase, Murphy went to the property every day and helped the workers.
"It was a five-year learning process," Murphy said.
When the restaurant opened, Murphy learned the hard reality of owning a restaurant.
"I didn’t expect to be here seven days a week, 16 hours a day," he said. "I didn’t realize that I would only see my family at the restaurant."
However, Murphy doesn’t regret his decision.
"People who love to cook are control freaks," he said. This is why, he said, he spends so much time in his restaurant. When he has down time, Murphy stares out the glass plate that separates the kitchen from the dining room. From this vantage point he can watch his customers enjoy their food.
"I like being able to know you can please somebody," he said. "You don’t want to just put out anything. It’s not just about making money."
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Paige Lauren Deiner covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4425. For this and other local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.