El Paso’s Elemi Restaurant To Be Featured On New Food Show Taste The Nation

Elemi is set to be highlighted in Padma Lakshmi's new food show Taste The Nation on Hulu.

Padma Lakshmi is setting out across the country to feature the cuisine that makes this nation’s culinary palette so diverse and that included a stop in El Paso for her upcoming show, Taste The Nation streaming soon on Hulu.

Lakshmi is well known for hosting Top Chef on Bravo TV, she is also an actress and has authored many cookbooks. Her recent travels recently brought her to El Paso where she tasted the unique cuisine and flavor that only Elemi can offer.

Elemi is a true hidden gem located in downtown El Paso off of Kansas and Mills. The restaurant opened a little over a year ago by locals Emiliano and Kristal Marentes. The favorite hot spot offers amazing eats and flavors inspired by the border and our Mexican culture. The restaurant’s menu varies but always offers delicious selections including a variety of vegetarian and meat tacos that are made with handmade blue-corn tortillas.

The new food show, Taste The Nation will be streaming on Hulu and follows Padma Lakshmi on her road trip across America discovering the diversity of cultures through food. The new show will premiere on June 19 and will open with Lakshmi’s visit to Elemi in El Paso.

According to Hulu’s press release the first segment titled, S1 Episode 101 ‘Burritos at the Border’ gives the following caption, “El Paso was once part of Mexico. Its border location defines the region’s identity and the complexity of America’s political landscape. Padma eats her way through this border city while discovering the origins of one of America’s most beloved cuisines.”

In the upcoming episode, Lakshmi will be grinding nixtamal into masa for homemade blue-corn tortillas, along with learning how to make Elemi’s delicious El Campesino tacos which are made with confit portobello mushrooms, grilled eggplant, avocado, queso and black beans in the blue-corn tortillas.

This is not the first time an El Paso restaurant has been featured nationally. Desert Oak Barbecue, Lick it Up El Paso, Ruli’s International Kitchen and Tasty Kabob have all been featured on various shows on the Food Network over the last couple of years.

It’s no secret that El Paso has some of the best eateries around so it’s refreshing to see that the national spotlight keeps recognizing our unique border essence cuisine.