Vida, a new Spanish restaurant led by husband-and-wife team Marc Taxiera and Brianne Meyers-Taxiera, has opened in Thornwood. The couple, who opened Augustine’s Salumeria Italian restaurant in Mamaroneck in 2022, (see our review here) aim to offer what they called “a highly-anticipated, captivating culinary experience that blends the best of Spanish cuisine with global influences.”
Whether they succeed, of course, remains to be seen, but reading the runes, the prognosis is good.
Taxiera was born and raised in Ossining, and Meyers-Taxiera – Bri, as she is known – grew up in Texas but has been living in New York for more than 20 years. The two met working in a restaurant and, after spending many years as colleagues and friends, one day “it became more,” he said.
As chef, he aims to show the versatility of Spanish flavors, incorporating local and unique ingredients to create truly “memorable” dishes. Taxiera, who named chefs like Jose Andrés and Ferran Adrià as being ones he especially admires, said it was easy to make the “leap” from Italian to Spanish cuisine, as both are informed by integrity of ingredients and the seasons.
Following the success of Augustine’s, the pair had been looking for a new project when the Thornwood opportunity presented itself. With the area being such a “foodie community” and home to this agreeable space, with its downstairs bar and dining room and cozy second-floor lounge, “it seemed like a right fit,” Taxiera said. A rather lovely outdoor patio, accessed via the second floor, will be open seasonally.
With a bona fide menu drawing on regional cooking – in no way dumbed down to satisfy popular perceptions of “Spanish food” – he added that diners, for the most part, would be excited, even “thrilled,” to see modern/original dishes that couldn’t necessarily be found elsewhere in the area. He also saw that experience as something of a two-way street.
“I like to tell guests, ‘Let’s taste. If it’s not your thing, then we’ve learned something If you do enjoy it, we’ve found something new.’”
He added that diners familiar with the authentic offering at Augustine’s would find the same philosophy in play at Vida – traditional dishes, full of integrity, but with a modern take.
That might be anything from old favorites like papas brava (smashed potatoes) to cheese croquettes with Serrano ham, to more complex assemblies like olive-oil-fried duck egg with sea urchin hollandaise and caviar. The parilla (white hot grill) section of the menu, meanwhile, offers Iberico pork and exceptionally succulent grass-fed beef dishes, with a variety of accoutrements. And yes, there is paella, with a real Valenciana paella – featuring chicken, rabbit and snails for purists – and seafood and vegetarian options also available.
Asked about the challenges of running not one but two smallish, independent restaurants, and whether there was a “sweet spot” – possibly in the number of covers needed for the business to thrive but also stay manageable – Taxiera said this involved sound “time management on our end” and “knowing when you need to pull back and focus on the quality of what (you’re) doing, as opposed to the volume.” Covering overheads and payroll costs were the continual challenges of the business, he said, while “shopping around to make sure we are getting the best food cost” was something that can be controlled, though only to some extent. “Inflation struggles are real.”
Perhaps the greatest difficulty, though – one shared almost universally across the hospitality industry post-Covid – was finding great front-of-house staff. “It’s challenging, to say the least,” said Taxiera. While training staff about food, service and expectations was something that could be taught, he said, “finding positive personalities, motivated and hardworking folks who are willing to learn is key.”
