Word came on Friday that Erasto Jacinto has joined Napkins Restaurant in Napa as their new executive chef. The former Cindy Pawlcyn chef (Mustard Grille, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen) opened his namesake restaurant, Jacinto’s Kitchen in Oakmont with brother Pablo in early 2012.
Despite some incredible dishes early on, featuring the bold flavors of Oaxaca, the location of the restaurant inside Santa Rosa’s Oakmont retirement village proved too challenging for the brothers. Prices were higher than many locals were willing to pay, and BiteClubbers complained over the years that the once-flavorful food became increasingly uninspired.
The good news is that Jacinto will likely thrive at the bustling new bar and grill in downtown Napa, which features American cuisine with a “global influence” and Napans are already applauding the return.
Rumors of a Chinese restaurant to replace Jacinto’s have been floating around for several weeks, and BiteClub has learned that Mei-Don Chinese Cuisine is slated to replace Jacintos in the coming months.