SIOUX CITY | This year will be the first time Pete Utthachoo has ever taken an entire week off for a Thanksgiving break.
"Thanksgiving is the only holiday when we close but normally we close for one day," said Utthachoo, owner of Diamond Thai Cuisine. "This year, I'll be out of town so we'll be closed a bit longer."
Utthachoo figured he's earned the vacation. He considers being Diamond Thai's owner a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job.
"Even when I'm at home, my mind is still on the restaurant," he said.
It's a seven-day-a-week job
Christina Bautista can identify with Utthachoo's predicament.
The owner of La Juanita, Bautista handles her multiple roles of hostess, cashier and expediter with aplomb.
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"I'm at the restaurant more than I am at home," she said. "It gets tiring a times."
That's especially true when you realize this has been Bautista's life for years.
Born into a restaurant family, Bautista began working in a lunch truck restaurant in California back in the ’70s. Moving to Sioux City in 1997, Bautista kept her sister's name as well as her concept of a mobile restaurant.
"Our first year in Sioux City, we'd set up shop at parking lots around the city, feeding workers during their lunch break," she said. "Business became so good that we decided to open our own restaurant in 1998."
Over the past two decades, La Juanita has earned raves from Esquire Magazine, the New York Times as well as visiting politicians who make their way to Sioux City during the Iowa Caucuses.
But most of the restaurant's fan base is homegrown.
"We're so busy around the holidays," Batista noted. "People who used to live in Sioux City come back home. And when they're home, they get their burritos from us.
"Hey, everybody needs their La Wah, I guess," Bautista said, smiling.
This also means La Juanita will be open during the day on Nov. 24.
"In order to give ourselves some time off, we close early on Thanksgiving," she said.
A chef's day off
So, what does Bautista do on Thanksgiving? To be honest, she'll be doing plenty of cooking.
"Thanksgiving is time for family," the Jalisco, Mexico, native said. "My mother usually prepares the turkey and my sister and I alternate between making the ham."
That's sounds pretty traditional. Does Bautista do anything unusual on Turkey Day?
Well, she does make sure to bring two to three burritos from her restaurant.
"We have out-of-town relatives who insist on having our burritos, even on Thanksgiving," Bautista said. "But to be honest, I eat our burritos every day as well. If I don't have one, I feel deprived."
Just like La Juanita's Bautista, Diamond Thai's Utthachoo cooks for extended family and friends on Thanksgiving.
Only don't expect him to be roasting the traditional bird.
"People seldom eat turkey in Thailand," Utthachoo said. "We eat chicken and pretend it's like a miniature turkey."
Think Utthachoo is kidding? Well, he's not.
The Thai native masterfully debones a Thanksgiving chicken, filling it with a stuffing that reflects his homeland.
"I never use bread in my stuffing, only rice," Utthachoo said. "Rice is more Asian."
Fried rice is also used for a lemongrass-roasted chicken that is served with mixed veggies.
"That's a nice day-after meal," Utthachoo said.
Still, his favorite Thanksgiving dish has no poultry whatsoever.
"I like my Thai beef salad with grilled vegetables and cilantro," Utthachoo said. "It's delicious."
Giving thanks to their adopted community
It's been nearly 10 years since Utthachoo opened Diamond Thai at 515 W. Seventh St.
"Things are good now but that hasn't always been the case," he said. "I keep on smiling because I don't want anyone to see me cry."
What has kept Utthachoo going through the lean years is his appreciative customer base.
"They first came in as customers," he said. "Then, they leave as friends."
Across town, La Juanita's Bautista feels the same way.
"We've catered graduations, wedding receptions, even funerals," she said. "That's how you know you've made an impression in somebody's life. They crave your food in good times and in bad times."
This is exactly what Bautista wanted.
"La Juanita is all about family," she said. "Today, our family is the people we're related to. But they're also the people who walk through our door, day after day, year after year."
