Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, just east of Los Angeles, I learned to love Mexican food early in life. After school, my sister and I would spend our afternoons and evenings at my Grandparent’s apartment building which they owned and where they occupied the cat seat apartment on the top floor. Our Grandmother was a strong entrepreneurial woman with a lot of responsibilities that were mo
re important than cooking meals. While she had a few great “go-to” recipes - including the inspiration for the enchilada recipe I use - her best recipe was for us all to slip out back across the alley at a little old Mexican food restaurant called Cha Chas. I remember well the smell of the kitchen, the painted concrete floor, and Vicente Fernandez singing quietly in the background. The food was amazing; real, down to earth, and a mystery as to how it was made. The owners, Cha Cha, and her husband, knew our family, and we all felt very welcome. During a decade of living in Sweden and out of necessity, I learned how to cook Mexican food the way I wanted it: L.A. Since that time, my Swedish wife - and now our two kids have resided in Northern Virginia. For some reason, during all these years, I’ve yet to find a great “place” to get a Mexican “fix” outside of Southern California. There are a few that have come close, but I’m not spilling the frijoles. As someone who loves cooking, I often yearned about starting up a Mexican restaurant. In my mind, this business would be perfect with no complaints and profitable on day one. Always excelling at procrastination (Fun fact! If procrastination was a sport - I’d be its head coach). And so, I would go on and on and on planning, dreaming, researching, “adjusting” plans accordingly… After all, I had a well-paying gig doing something I loved, working with Sweden. If the Lord gives you lemons, you make refried beans. Covid-19 killed my consulting business. After many years, my world was turned upside down. I was good at what I did then, but now I’ve decided to do something I’m passionate about. Your Southern California-style Mexican food was made fresh today and when necessary, quickly cooled afterwards. So that the experience stays fresh, please enjoy, or freeze within 24 hours.
-Rob
