The epicurean sensibilities of David Rennolds '78, who owns and runs Café Olé in Richmond, reflects another dimension of Southern culture-that of the Southwest. An immensely popular lunch-spot in downtown Richmond, Café Olé features freshly prepared "Tex-Mex" fare with a twist. And while Rennolds' biweekly offering of blackened fish tacos has certainly become a local favorite, it is the burrito that inspires him.

"You can put just about anything in a burrito," says Rennolds, who developed his taste for burritos while living in San Francisco after college. "I don't come up with a winner every time, but it's fun to try new things. There's a great feeling of satisfaction when you find something that works."

One of Rennolds more recent concepts is the falafel burrito. Based on the traditional Middle Eastern dish, the burrito incarnation contains a deep-fried ball of ground chickpeas seasoned with onions and spices, served with yogurt or tahini sauce. When asked what rouses his passion for the burrito business, Rennolds responds, "I like food." Café Olé's atmosphere is an extension of this unpretentious attitude. The tableware is plastic, the tables are covered in contact paper, and the kitchen staff hollers out orders from the pickup window. And nearly every day from noon to 1 p.m. a line can be seen snaking out of the door as corporate lunch-goers wait to order their five-dollar burrito bounty.

David Rennolds '78 loves Mexican food but uses non-traditional ingredients. His Café Olé in Richmond offers such delicacies as falafel burritos and fish tacos.

"You have to want to work hard and you have to know food, but more than anything you have to like people," Rennolds says, echoing a refrain common to all these chefs and restaurateurs, despite their wide-ranging styles and settings. "Food is about people. And making food is about making people happy."