Welcome to the July/August 2025 edition of el Restaurante!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
J.J. Gouin Shutterstock
Hotline: How to Tackle Imported Food Costs
Mexican restaurants buy a lot of imported food, especially from Mexico. Unfortunately, the price of imported food is hitting the roof this year, according to a late June survey of el Restaurante readers.
Five Questions: Chef Pepe Stepensky, Porkyland, Margarita’s Kitchen & Cantina, and San Diego Burger Company
Pepe Stepensky and his wife, Deborah Stepensky, own four restaurants in San Diego: two locations of Porkyland Mexican Grill, plus Margarita’s Kitchen & Cantina and San Diego Burger Company, the latter two long-time staples of the city’s Seaport Villa
Fabulous Fusion: Global ingredients and culinary traditions combine to create new takes on ethnic dishes
At first glance, Amerikas might not seem an apt name for a restaurant that showcases what has been described as a daring, chef-driven menu that dances across continents, blending Latin roots with inventive influences from around the globe. Think Barb
Epazote: Humble Herb Enhances Mexican Menus
One word kept coming to mind when Simonne Carrasco and her husband, Chef Hugo Mendez, were deciding on a name for the restaurant they planned to open in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Chef Roberto Alcocer and the Guest Chef Experience
Chef Roberto Alcocer has been creating Baja-inspired cuisine for more than a quarter century. He helms two restaurants, Malva in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico; and Valle in Oceanside, California. Valle earned a Michelin star in 2023, two years after op
Corn, Soul, and Fire: Mexican Whiskey is Trending
Few people think of whiskey when they think of spirits from Mexico, but distillers in the land of tequila and mezcal are now producing whiskey of high enough quality that bartenders at Mexican restaurants in the United States are adding it to their c
Marketplace July/August 2025
Read about Contigo Soybean Oil, 3 Cricketeers Crickets, Natavo Avocado, Aguas Frescas de Mexico, Sunsof Empanadas, De La Calle! Tepache, and Tabanero Bloody Mary Mix
My Favorite Recipe: Carlos Garza, Co-owner & Chef, Dell Rooster
More than 20 years ago, Miguel Tenesaca immigrated from Ecuador to Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, beginning a culinary journey that has taken him from restaurant kitchens throughout the city to his current role: co-owner of Dell Rooster, the Latin
