David Vargas was a f**k-up.
As a teenager in Santa Ana, Calif., the devil tapped him on the shoulder every day. Without a clear direction in life, he started smoking marijuana, which quickly turned into doing all the drugs: Cocaine, ecstacy, ketamine, and more. Drugs were the only thing David believed he was good at.
Until, one day, he prepared a fried bologna sandwich for his friends while they were high. David realized then that maybe cooking was something he could pursue professionally. Food is life in his Mexican culture, and what better way to honor that than by bringing people together through delicious food?
From Noble High School in North Berwick, M.E., Chef Vargas of Vida Cantina and Ore Nell's Barbecue sits down with host Troy Farkas to discuss his rampant teenage drug use in southern California, getting kicked out of high school after threatening his teacher's life, bone-chilling experiences with racism, attending culinary school in Minnesota, his near-death experience in The Virgin Islands, the $35,000 mistake food truck mistake, supporting a family of four on $12 per hour, the Food Network appearance that changed the trajectory of Vida Cantina, his new career, and SO much more.
To support Chef Vargas, you can attend and/or become a sponsor of the New England B.I.P.O.C. Fest on 8/17 in Portsmouth!
CHAPTERS:
- Seacoast Stories Dinner Club details! (00:00)
- How drug addiction derailed David's early years (01:35)
- How Chef turned his life around (11:15)
- Attending culinary school in Minneapolis (15:40)
- SPONSORS: JOBTALK LLC and Samonas Realty (27:00)
- Working as a private chef on St. Croix (29:55)
- Moving to Maine and living on welfare (35:40)
- Chef's failed food truck experiment (49:35)
- How Vida Cantina BLEW UP after "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives" (51:25)
- Co-owning Ore Nell's Barbecue (59:07)
- Why he started New England B.I.P.O.C. Fest (01:03:00)
- Chef's new job (01:10:50)
- How do you want to be remembered? (01:19:02)
To secure your seat at the "Seacoast Stories Dinner Club" this Wednesday, 7/16, at 7 p.m. in downtown Portsmouth, take the personality quiz here.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
- Visit SamonasGroup.com or stop by Samonas Realty in downtown Portsmouth to learn more about how you can find the Seacoast home of your DREAMS!
- JOBTALK LLC: Get 50% off JOBTALK Academy courses with the code "SEACOASTSTORIES50" for the rest of 2025!
Investment and insurance products are:• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency• Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount InvestedInvestment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Clearing Services (WFCS), LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. WFCS uses the trade name Wells Fargo
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