Alex & Jeff Henry - El Molino Del Sureste

“The Sauce” with Jeff & Alex Henry – Bringing Yucatán Cuisine to St. Louis Through El Molino del SuresteOn this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with brothers Jeff and Alex Henry — the owners of El Molino del Sureste and Taqueria del Sureste — to talk about their journey from growing up between Missouri and Mexico to building one of St. Louis’ most exciting and celebrated regional Mexican restaurant concepts.The brothers share how their upbringing in Mérida, Yucatán shaped their connection to food, family, and hospitality, and how summers spent cooking with their grandparents inspired Alex’s path into the culinary world. They dive into the evolution from opening inside City Foundry STL to launching their standalone South City restaurant, where they’ve been able to fully showcase the depth and creativity of Yucatán-inspired cuisine.They also break down some of their standout dishes — from handmade masa creations and smoked sweet potatoes to traditional candied squash desserts — while explaining the techniques, ingredients, and philosophy behind their fully scratch-made kitchen. The conversation touches on seasonal menus, farm sourcing, house-grown herbs, and how their James Beard semifinalist recognition helped transform the trajectory of the business.Beyond the food, the episode explores the importance of family, cultural identity, mentorship, and staying deeply connected to both St. Louis and Mexico while building something truly personal.From Yucatán traditions to modern technique, from masa to mezcal cocktails — this episode is all about honoring heritage through food.In this episode:Growing up between St. Louis and Mérida, YucatánFamily traditions and learning to cook from their grandmotherAlex Henry’s path into the culinary worldOpening at City Foundry STL during uncertain post-pandemic timesExpanding into El Molino del Sureste in South CityRegional Mexican cuisine and Yucatán influencesScratch cooking and farm-to-table sourcingHandmade masa dishes and smoked sweet potato preparationsTraditional Mexican candying techniques and seasonal dessertsThe evolving cocktail program and bringing on beverage manager Ben BauerGardening, specialty herbs, and growing ingredients onsiteBecoming James Beard semifinalists and the impact on the restaurantFavorite St. Louis restaurants and exploring the cityWhat’s next for the future of the Sureste restaurants