By Johanna Wilson Jones

Ivan Almeida doesn’t look like he’s been broken. He is upbeat, charming, and has a smile that can cheer up downtrodden souls. Yet, on his journey to become the chef he had troubles and pains that have robbed others of their dreams and sidelined them forever.

Almeida, however, is not a quitter. He puts the muscle and the mantle necessary to jump through life’s harsh hurdles while others are too afraid to jump.

He is a husband, dad, and chef with an inextinguishable fire to create food fanciful and fun that pays tribute to his Mexican roots and heritage.

Now, his stories are incorporated into meals encoded with messages at Whiskey Roots of triumphant tastes harrowed through tremendous trials.

“When I was a kid, everybody came to our house,’’ said Almeida, a chef at Whiskey Roots in Myrtle Beach and its sister property, La Taqueria, in Murrells Inlet. “All of our family came to our house and ate and cooked. It was the gathering point, and everybody brought food.”

Some took bread. Others carried meat, fresh cheese, beans, tortillas, and more. Whatever they prepared was delicious and enjoyed by all.

Life in the state of Guerrero in the town of Taxco was heavily built upon food and fellowship.

“I remember when I was in the kitchen with my aunt,’’ Almeida said. “It was nothing fancy. It was rustic.”

Almeida grew up in a household headed by his aunt and uncle, who were also his godparents after his mom passed away when he was 4.

Marcelian Delgado was known for her hospitality and gift of making food with great care and exceptional taste. She cooked with lots of peppers and salted meat called cecina that was pounded flat, salted, and refrigerated before cooking.  The meat was moist and served whole, distinguished from most other places in Mexico where the meat was dried.

Her originality, concern, and love she incorporated in her meals are what he does now in dishes he prepares reminiscent of what he learned and lived in Mexico from her and others.

The Gain After Pain

If Almeida had his way, people would have never known he'd become a magnificent chef.

“Even though I lived and worked with my aunt who cooked and sold food, I didn’t want to be a chef,’’ Almeida said. “I wanted to be a professional soccer player. I was really good. I liked the kitchen, but it wasn’t for me.”

His foot game was golden until he injured his left ankle. What looked like a promising future was mangled in a moment.

“I continued playing, but my ankle would start to hurt,’’ he said. “I would try and stop, try and stop, try and stop. It was chronic pain.”

Then, he was done. He knew soccer was a dead dream and no resurrection was in sight. It was during this period he unearthed his passion for cooking.

“I became hungry for other things and working in the kitchen was easy at that moment,’’ Almeida said. “When I started cooking, I knew it was for me. It was destiny.”

He got his first restaurant job at 18 or 19.

“That’s when I started to appreciate all of this and like it,’’ Almeida said while taking a break at Taqueria. “It was weird. Since that first day, I knew that was my passion.”

His humble beginnings in the industry started with a job as a busser and then a waiter – he was promoted after two weeks.

“After I finished my shift, I stayed to learn in the kitchen,’’ he said.

Lingering after his workday was through and studying the chefs up close proved plenteous for knowledge.

After eight months on the job, he was a manager at The Italian Coffee Company.

He stayed there for two years before moving on to his next gig at Marakame in Cancun, where he stayed for three years. It was here that Almeida delved deeper into learning more about kitchen procedures, including how to manage food supplies, proper temperatures for food, and additional methods imperative to success in the industry. Here, he received culinary school training without attending an institute.

“After I left Marakame, I went back to Taxco and opened my restaurant,’’ Almeida said.

It was called La Troje de Taxco. The word "troje" refers to a type of wood roof.

His eatery had the essence of Marakame, although on a much smaller scale. He kept the food yummy in a haven that was chill and intimate like the family gatherings of his childhood.

His in-demand items included his spicy pork barbecue baguette sandwiches packed tight with his meat, vegetables, cheeses, and a salad with grapes and yogurt. He was 24 or 25, ready to rock his part of the world with his interpretations of Mexican choice appetizers and plates.

“Family and friends supported me,’’ Almeida said. “However, it didn’t last long. I was there for one year and two months.”

One day, Almeida was struck by a vehicle while riding his motorcycle.

He was hit from behind and went flying into a concrete wall. His left leg was shattered.

“I don’t remember the accident,’’ said Almeida, who was 25 or 26 when it happened. “I just remember waking up in the hospital. The doctors told me I was OK, but no, not really.”

Once he returned home, his left foot started swelling. It grew bigger and bigger. The ballooning wouldn’t stop.

He had surgery and recuperated from the surgery for almost two months. He couldn’t work for one year.

“I lost everything,’’ Almeida said. “I was devasted. I was depressed.”

Sadness, however, was not his permanent home. He refused to let his loss end his career, and eventually, his courage returned. His hope was renewed. He remembered his roots – the strength of family, friends, and faith.

With less than a dollar, he returned to Cancun and stayed with a friend. He started working again and saved money.

He returned to Marakame where he worked as a waiter and ventured into catering with a coworker. After a year, while catering an event, he met Odette Torres. She became his wife. They have been together for 15 years, married nine, and have a 1-year-old daughter named Ivana. She has her parents’ natural good looks and resembles a porcelain doll that has come to life.

The Comeback to Chef Life

Before coming to the Grand Strand, Almeida and his wife continued to stay in for four years and even started their coffee shop, Cacao Café.  Their venture was short-lived after a hurricane caused it extreme damage.

They decided to sell everything and moved to Dublin, where he worked as a chef at Pablo’s Place. After less than a year, they left Dublin and traveled for two months around Europe before visiting the Grand Strand, starting in 2018. In 2021, they made the Myrtle Beach area their home. They both first worked at Fiesta Mexicana in Myrtle Beach before rooting themselves at Whiskey Roots, 205 N. Kings Hwy. in Myrtle Beach, and La Taqueria, 804 Inlet Square Dr. Unit C in Murrells Inlet.

At Whiskey Roots, Almeida plays with a wide range of flavors. From ceviche presented in three distinct ways to whole red snapper served with a tangy tropical salsa, he can showcase his diverse gourmet prowess. At La Taqueria, he stays more within his Mexican origins.

The Taco Mazatlan gives tuna a new personality by expressing spices savory and slightly spicy that are kissed by coriander and cooled by house-made guacamole. The Taco Cancun is an ode to tender shrimp battered in a crispy tempura shell with black sesame and purple cabbage.

“We had an assortment of food and all of it was delicious,’’ Kaysie Allen said in a Google review. “The staff is friendly, and the restaurant is very clean!”

Torres said her husband is most assuredly the best cook in the family and sets himself apart by his genius of knowing how to pair food with flavors. He puts in the time too, working at least 60 hours a week.

From his barbecue ribs to his chile rellenos and salmon served atop his artisanal toast and elevated by rosemary potatoes, poached egg, salsa, fresh spinach, and salsa.

“He always cooks with his heart, and he says that is his secret ingredient,’’ Torres said. “Truly, the food doesn’t take the same because he does put his heart into what he does. His food tastes like it isn’t for sale. His food takes like he always cooks for family serving big portions and big tastes.”