When Antonio and Doris Quintanilla met, they had two things in common: their culture and their love for cooking. Both hailing from Linares, Nuevo Leon, a small city in the northern state of Mexico, the two share the same love for the country’s cuisine.
“You have people from all over Mexico here, ... but we wanted to bring food the way it’s cooked [where we grew up],” Doris said.
Growing up in Linares, Antonio often spent time beside his grandmother, Rosa, in the kitchen, learning how to make masa, or dough, from scratch. He learned how to prepare chili peppers for homemade salsas as well as how to cook chicken, pork and beef. He said he fondly remembers the time he spent with her preparing tamales for the family. After getting married, Rosa taught Doris how to properly cook tamales, known as a labor-intensive dish.
“I remember she taught me how important the [corn] leaves are,” Doris says. “She was always very stern about making sure you put the dough on the right side of the leaf, or it will fall apart.” The idea of opening a Mexican restaurant showcasing the flavors of Nuevo Leon gradually grew into a dream, then a reality. After opening a number of successful taquerias across Dallas, the couple began thinking of a new concept. “We [started] with two tables, enough for four people, and there were 50 people [lining up for our tacos],” Antonio said.
