Playing It Forward

At the Woodstock Cafe, Jose and Nikki share their passion for food, love of travel and a quiet commitment to giving back.

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The line of patrons often seen stretched out in front of Woodstock Cafe says it all: Nikki and Jose’s eatery is a must-stop for locals and visitors alike. Jose commands the kitchen. Nikki manages the front: her infectious energy sets the mood while her practical side offers above-par wine pairings. Theirs is an inspiring partnership, both as coworkers and as a couple.

Nikki grew up in the Valley, but she left for 22 years during a well-traveled career that took her to Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Denver. She met Jose in Chicago nearly ten years ago, where he ran one of the Windy City’s top Italian restaurants, a multi-million-dollar establishment with hundreds of reservations to juggle.

“Food’s probably the most important thing in both of our lives,” Jose said. “I’ve been doing the chef thing for 20 years now, and it’s my love of food that has come from my family. We always grew up with large family gatherings with lots of food.”

Jose originally went to school to study architecture but ended up majoring in philosophy.

“That’s how I approach food, and I think that’s what makes me successful: getting an understanding of what the food is, what the culture is behind it, where it starts, and seeing it all the way through.”

It just so happens that Jose is also a long-time golfer. Despite not being one to brag, Jose can hit his driver nearly 300 yards — and more often than not in the fairway.

“Golf has also been my world,” Jose said. “It’s something that I do mostly by myself. It’s kind of like a therapy session. You get out here by yourself, and you do something that you love.”

For her part, Nikki has just begun her golf journey.

“I don’t like to be bad at things,” she said, laughing. “I’ve been an athlete my whole life — softball, yoga, volleyball, everything picked up very quickly. But golf is one of the hardest things I have ever done as a sport.”

Nikki and Jose have traveled the world to hone their craft as chefs, most recently visiting Japan.

“It was an incredibly life changing trip for both of us,” Nikki said. “I was impressed with the kindness of the culture. I’ve never personally been somewhere where I was touched by every single aspect: the people, the food, it’s beautiful. Every aspect of it is beautiful.”

Today, Nikki and Jose strive to implement all their world food travels into their work at Woodstock Cafe, a place that bustles with positivity. But it was a tragedy that brought the two of them to the Valley.

“My mom passed away pretty suddenly and tragically,” Nikki said. “Jose and I were home for an extended amount of time for the funeral. My mom and I had always wanted to buy a market or have a little shop. My mom and I both were business-minded. Yes, she was the most shrewd human being I’ve ever met. She always helped others, but nobody ever knew that she helped.”

Through some difficult searching while they were back in town, they found a home in Woodstock for sale that fit their tastes and desires perfectly.

“Every obstacle that came up resolved itself in about 24 hours,” Nikki said. “So it was like everything was leading us here.”

Jose, a man who lived for years in big cities, now loves his home in the Valley. “The Valley has something special,” he said. “It’s one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to, honestly.”

Understanding their unique location, Jose and Nikki do all they can to incorporate local farms and products into their restaurant as much as possible.

“I think for each of us, it’s really important to give back,” Nikki said. “We’re incredibly fortunate. We have had incredible careers. We’ve gotten to see the world. We get to eat great food. What more can we ask for? We have this incredible life, and I think it’s important for us to help as many people as possible. We both remember each of our mentors very clearly, so if we can even give a little of that to a kid working here, then that’s success to us.”

“I understand very highly that I didn’t do this by myself,” Jose added. “We didn’t get to where we are by ourselves. We had help along the way, which put us in a place where we can now pay it forward. So, whoever comes through, we do all we can to give them the boost they need.”