Late August is the anticipated opening date for Mateo Granados’ Cocina Latina, a sit-down version of the authentic Yucatecan dishes Grandos has been serving up at Northbay farm markets and his popular pop-up Tendejon Calle dinners for years.
Mixing his high-end experience (as former exec chef at Dry Creek Kitchen) and rural roots, the Cocina is slated to be a fusion of humble street food, family recipes and California cuisine — something Mateo calls Modern Yucatan Cuisine. Hailing from the Yucatan peninsula, his dishes combine influences from Spain and the ancient Mayans to compliment the produce and meats of Sonoma County.
And though the names may sound familiar — tacos, tamales, empanads, comidas and chorizo — Granados painstakingly seeks out local farmers and purveyors he often works with at the farm markets to flavor his dishes.
With the bounty of late summer to fuel his opening menu, Granados plans to have squash blossom emapanads with Redwood Hill cheese, White Crane Farm greens and Soda Rock tomatoes; suckling roast pig from Black Sheep Farm wrapped in banana leaves; Tierra Farms’ beans and Preston Vineyards’ pork chorizo. On this menu, farmer name-dropping isn’t chef grandstanding as much as a shout-out to friends and neighbors.
“Whatever’s available around here is what we use,” said Granados.
Tortillas will be made in-house with ingredients like Mendocino sea salt and local olive oil mixed into the masa. Desserts are simple, season ice creams, fruits or cool-weather flan with sticky buns from the Downtown Bakery and Creamery. At each table will be bottles of Granados’ El Yuca sauces made from local chilies and peppers.
It’s enough to make you start drooling in anticipation.
Signed on to help barside is mixologist Scott Beattie of h2hotel. He’ll help formulate a variety of tequila-inspired libations. Wine will be on-tap only.
The new restaurant is located in a simple one-story building that sat empty for years, and was reportedly built to be a tasting room rather than a restaurant. It’s proximity just across the street from the bustling h2hotel, however, has made the spot prime off-square real estate.
Expect prices in line with the kinds of ingredients Mateo sources, meaning $15 to $19 for larger dishes. Lunch and dinner will be served daily, and he’s just announced plans for a weekend brunch (he’s currently perfecting blue corn pancakes with honey) and possible late-night tamales at the bar, which will stay open until midnight or so.
If you’re hoping to work for Mateo, know that he’s looking for a year commitment from his staff for this project and is testing out potential workers at his Tendejon dinners.
Cocina Latina, slated for late August opening, Healdsburg
For all fans of this incredible chef…Chef Mateo is the star of a special benefit dinner in October – seats still available…….http://www.ceresproject.org/HarvestoftheHeart/buyinparties.html#bip01
For all fans of this incredible chef…Chef Mateo is the star of a special benefit dinner in October – seats still available…….http://www.ceresproject.org/HarvestoftheHeart/buyinparties.html#bip01
Why don’t you do a bit on Taco Grande? Been serving the locals for over 20 years. Not fancy enough?
Ouch! Just giving my two cents you dating the guy?
Why don’t you do a bit on Taco Grande? Been serving the locals for over 20 years. Not fancy enough?
Ouch! Just giving my two cents you dating the guy?
Can’t figure the animosity from some about a local guy trying to start a local business. Yeah, H’burg is graced w/ lots of great cheap Mexican food, but he’s trying to do something different, as he’s done w/ his truck and his bottled salsa’s, e.g., he’s doing with peppers he grows on Fitch Mountain and meat and produce from some of the finest local farmers in the area.
Those same ingredients, bought directly from the farmer’s market, and vastly more expensive than Safeway, but I don’t see anyone bitching about why we bother having a farmer’s market for upscale produce when we have Safeway, so what’s wrong w/ upscale Mexican food based on the same stuff? I love cheap taquerias. I love Mateo’s food. I shop at Safeway, and I shop at the farmer’s market.
I wish Mateo and his team all the best!
Ignore the Idiot Brigade. Sometimes folks wander in and subject us to their verbal diarrhea. It always amazes me how ignorant people can be. I leave the comments up sometimes just so Biteclubbers can taunt them.
Anyone who has half a brain knows why Mateo’s food has nothing to do with your usual taqueria or Costco sourcing.
Can’t figure the animosity from some about a local guy trying to start a local business. Yeah, H’burg is graced w/ lots of great cheap Mexican food, but he’s trying to do something different, as he’s done w/ his truck and his bottled salsa’s, e.g., he’s doing with peppers he grows on Fitch Mountain and meat and produce from some of the finest local farmers in the area.
Those same ingredients, bought directly from the farmer’s market, and vastly more expensive than Safeway, but I don’t see anyone bitching about why we bother having a farmer’s market for upscale produce when we have Safeway, so what’s wrong w/ upscale Mexican food based on the same stuff? I love cheap taquerias. I love Mateo’s food. I shop at Safeway, and I shop at the farmer’s market.
I wish Mateo and his team all the best!
Ignore the Idiot Brigade. Sometimes folks wander in and subject us to their verbal diarrhea. It always amazes me how ignorant people can be. I leave the comments up sometimes just so Biteclubbers can taunt them.
Anyone who has half a brain knows why Mateo’s food has nothing to do with your usual taqueria or Costco sourcing.
Fancy tamales y tacos, no thanks. Much better and cheaper authentic places in town.
Yuckkatan! High end Mexican food,good luck. Tamales,Tacos and whatever to many cheap and wonderful places in Healdsburg.
billy p, why so negative? Mateo’s cuisine is fabulous and COMPLETELY different than the local taquerias (which are also wonderful and we frequent in HBG). You obviously haven’t tried any of his items, he has a huge local following because of his food. If you’re too cheap and scared to step out of your box, that’s fine… but no need to bash.
Fancy tamales y tacos, no thanks. Much better and cheaper authentic places in town.
Yuckkatan! High end Mexican food,good luck. Tamales,Tacos and whatever to many cheap and wonderful places in Healdsburg.
billy p, why so negative? Mateo’s cuisine is fabulous and COMPLETELY different than the local taquerias (which are also wonderful and we frequent in HBG). You obviously haven’t tried any of his items, he has a huge local following because of his food. If you’re too cheap and scared to step out of your box, that’s fine… but no need to bash.
Wooooo Hooooo!!!!! Don’t forget about us @ Three Graces Farm~!
Wooooo Hooooo!!!!! Don’t forget about us @ Three Graces Farm~!
Can’t wait for this! Mateo is a great chef and a great asset to the community. This place is going to kick some serious ass.
Can’t wait for this! Mateo is a great chef and a great asset to the community. This place is going to kick some serious ass.
We went to one of his Tendejon dinners when it was in the barn-AMAZING. The only thing I want to know-will he have the Tacone? It’s a little tiny cone (maybe corn) filled with guacamole. We are STILL talking about it! We wanted him to cater our wedding-out of our budget. Look forward to dining at his place.
Yes four kinds of tacones. Not sure of the spelling
We went to one of his Tendejon dinners when it was in the barn-AMAZING. The only thing I want to know-will he have the Tacone? It’s a little tiny cone (maybe corn) filled with guacamole. We are STILL talking about it! We wanted him to cater our wedding-out of our budget. Look forward to dining at his place.
Yes four kinds of tacones. Not sure of the spelling
Yesssss! I can’t wait!
Woooohoooo! Love Tendejon de la Calle and the new space looks like it has a great patio . . . btw, I think it is “Yucatecan” food. Saying Yucatan food is like saying “Mexico” food instead of “Mexican” food.
Sounds awesome, can’t wait!
Yesssss! I can’t wait!
Woooohoooo! Love Tendejon de la Calle and the new space looks like it has a great patio . . . btw, I think it is “Yucatecan” food. Saying Yucatan food is like saying “Mexico” food instead of “Mexican” food.
Sounds awesome, can’t wait!