JOHN CUEVAS
owner + chef
Growing up under the San Diego sun, Chef John Cuevas' early years were spent around a family table and alongside his mother at her local surfside sandwich shop. A clear passion for food and the restaurant industry eventually led John to some of Arizona and California's most iconic kitchens. Classically trained at The Scottsdale Culinary Institute, John's career quickly escalated as sous chef at the nationally acclaimed Mary Elaine's restaurant at the Phoenician. In 2002 he returned to his California roots, joining the kitchen at Montage Laguna Beach. Over the course of a decade, John led his team as executive chef and chef de cuisine, eventually earning a James Beard Foundation Nomination for Best Chef / Pacific.
In 2018, John and his wife Julie opened Madre Boutique Taqueria in Boise, ID. A concept years in the making, MADRE delivered on a commitment to elevate the family table experience. Dishes from his childhood are beautifully represented across the menu, each receiving heightened attention to detail reflective of his extensive training. Chef John Cuevas continues to carve out his own niche of non-traditional upscale tacos and high quality, ingredient driven, scratch-made dishes.
JULIE CUEVAS
owner
Julie Cuevas grew up in Southern California where generations of her family owned and operated McCue's Confections - an institution for locals since the 1950's. Early memories of her father and grandfather conjuring up late night chocolate cake concoctions cemented a passion for the shared experience food can bring people. With a vision to open her own restaurant someday and a passion for exceptional service, Julie went on to climb the ranks at Montage Laguna Beach. Over the course of 15 years, Julie served as an Executive Committee Member and Director of Food + Beverage before leaving to create MADRE.
While the concept of an upscale taqueria had long been dreamt about between John and Julie, it wasn't until late one night while rocking her firstborn that the vision for MADRE truly came together. To combine years of shared fine dining experience while elevating the type of authentic food they both loved, all within an atmosphere deeply rooted in honoring the family table. The path to MADRE is one of family, food and community with John and Julie relocating to Boise in 2017 to open the restaurant. Since 2017, Julie has continued to build the MADRE brand through front of house leadership, extensive catering relationships across The Treasure Valley, and oversight on future projects.
GEORGE CUEVAS
guest relations director
George - or Big G - as he is lovingly referred to at the restaurant, has been an instrumental addition to MADRE since 2019. Brother to Chef John, George also grew up near San Diego with an early career rooted in service, specifically the family automotive business. Upon relocating to Boise, George truly found a new home at MADRE. His presence and pride for his brothers work reinforces the warmth often felt at a family table as he continuously treats guests like his own. The experience John and Julie always dreamed of for MADRE has certainly been reinforced by George's welcoming ways.
