The green chile harvest continues -- up and down the streets of Federal Blvd. the chile tents are lined up everywhere. My favorite green chile is New México’s Big Jim, first introduced to me by Candy Ortega at Nick's Garden Center in Aurora, several years ago.
Denver is home to a notable family who began selling green chile from a stand at 26th Ave. and Federal Blvd., over twenty-five years ago, and from there -- a family business that expanded to the popular Jack-n-Grill Mexican Restaurant. Jack Martínez and Ana Pedroza-Martínez, owners of the nationally recognized restaurant shared some fascinating stories about their green chile journey.
Jack-n-Grill reads like a modern day fairy tale with romance, green chile and happily ever after. To me, the famous eatery has become more of a legend than a fairy tale. Jack met Ana in New México; and in 1976, Ana was 16 and he was 21, they were married in an old fashioned traditional 17th century colonial style wedding complete with pages carrying banners with the bride and groom's family coat of arms. That was 37 years ago.
What makes this story so special is that Jack has always been a salesman and a risk taker, and Ana has always supported her husband at every risk and turn he has taken in their lives. The magic ingredient in this fairy tale/legend is Socorro, New México green chile. This is a fairy tale romance and marriage made in green chile Heaven.
Jack was born in Denver, Colorado. His father, Elmer Martínez was a police officer and his mother, Mary Perez, is from the San Luis Valley. An interesting phenomenon in my recent writings is that there continues to be a link with Francis Heights Senior Apartments where I reside, both Jack
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