Making the decision to quit a restaurant that one has poured passion, sweat and money into can be daunting. “It’s a better life,” he says, “better work-life balance, better pay, better pretty much everything.” Does he miss leading a restaurant kitchen? I don’t want to explain things to people, why it costs so much, I don’t want to hear ‘I …
Chef Carlos Salgado at Taco María in Costa Mesa. Chef Carlos Salgado is taking a break, closing his critically acclaimed Taco María restaurant in Costa Mesa with the intent of relocating elsewhere with a bigger dining room that’s a “better fit,” he told The Times Monday. We didn’t deserve you Carlos Salgado opened Taco María in 2013, and changed both …
Carlos Salgado opened Taco María in Costa Mesa in 2013, propelling an exploration of what Mexican food and a Mexican chef could be. Taco María’s Twitter account stated the truck was named after the matriarchs in Salgado’s family and would focus on “Chicano cuisine.” As food editor for OC Weekly at the time, I found Salgado’s proclamation preposterous. My wife …
