BERENICE, who with her father Luis and brother Johnny, runs what most think is the best taco truck in town.
The next time you’re about to go to Chipotle, I’d invite you to look to your right, across the parking lot, to El Chile Toreado, a bustling stand serving al pastor, carnitas, adobada, and barbacoa. And, if you have a hangover, the legendary Mr. Polish.
My dad came to the United States 35 years ago, leaving his wife and us kids. But he always had this dream. His mother worked in California – every day, she slid through a hole in the fence and would take money back to Mexico to feed her children. First, he worked as a used car salesman, but he was fired because he was too honest. He also tried working in the fields and finally got a job from the brother of a friend at a “You Fix It” hot dog stand.
He worked his way up, and when the company ran into financial trouble, he bought it. He became a citizen and my mom, my brother, and I came to the United States. Our hot dog carts kept growing. We were like a little gypsy tribe, with carts in Stockton, Sacramento, Lodi, and Fresno.
We had a cart at a flea market, and man from Zacatecas put a taco stand right next to our hot dogs. And I have to say, other than my tacos, those were the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. So my dad and I learned a lot. A lot. Twice a week, we would make 3,000 tamales to sell. All by hand, no machines.
But my dad’s heart was in Mexico, so we sold everything and went back. Sadly, that was hard because the old friends that he thought would fill his heart had moved on with their lives. And you can get stuck with your own demons. It was a rough time.
I decided to go to college in the United States; UCLA, I thought.
My dad took me to see UCLA and to some schools in Colorado, and on the way back home to Chihuahua, we stopped by Santa Fe. Someone had mentioned the community college there, and we went to see it. It was March. I walked into the school’s plaza…and it started to snow. This was a mystical moment. It changed my life. I thought, This is it! This is it! And my dad decided to bring the whole family to Santa Fe.
I started Santa Fe Community College to become an FBI agent.
I actually thought that would be easier than cooking with the family. But it wasn’t for me. So I decided to go to Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. I loved it – I was top ten in my class. I couldn’t escape cooking. I think you don’t get to choose what you want to be, you have to follow your passions and life will push you where you should be. So I graduated and began working at José Andrés’s Bazaar, Ortolan, and other Michelin-starred restaurants.
This was beautiful food, very small portions, and very expensive. What we were producing was amazing, but the kitchen interaction wasn’t for me. It wasn’t my family. Even though working with family is the hardest thing that anybody could ever do, nothing is as good.
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Photo Mary Moon
