ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico man is making quite a name for himself in New York City, with his New Mexican restaurant. He’s brought his family’s recipes to Brooklyn, and lots of green chile and the place is a huge hit.
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Eric See has lived in New York for 11 years now. He grew up in Albuquerque and after more than a decade out east, one of the things he’s missed the most, was the food, especially burritos.
“You take for granted the access to a good burrito when you’re in the west,” said See. “Once you get out to the east, it’s a lot harder to find them.”
The chef never intended to open a New Mexican restaurant, his background was in pastry. When the pandemic forced him to shut his doors, he decided to go back to his roots, now he’s making burritos every day. See says he sells at least 900 burritos a week.
See opened Ursula in Brooklyn. The New Mexican restaurant near Park Slope is named after his grandma, who still lives here in Albuquerque. “She cried when I told her about it, and she said she never imagined her name up in lights in New York City,” said See.
See serves authentic New Mexican food inspired by his upbringing. His first job was at Little Anitas. See says he had to make sopapillas at the restaurant. “I had to do stuffed sopapillas here. We do them with carne adovada, and rice and beans, and then with beef,” said See.
Using a lot of ingredients from the Land of Enchantment, See just drove from Brooklyn all the way to Deming to buy 900-pounds of green chile. See roasted it on the patio of Ursula’s.
Recently See was recognized by Bon Appétit Magazine for his philanthropic work, specifically with the gay community. “I wanted to make sure that we were redistributing and reinvesting, to help maintain certain futures for us all,” said See.
He says he’s glad he can give New Yorkers a taste of his old home while giving back to his new one. “What I really hope comes from it is that it trickles down, and inspires other people to reinvest in their communities,” said See.