San Diego Chef Behind New Birra Taco Shop Finds Pandemic Positive – NBC 7 San Diego
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This story is part of NBC’s Rebound, a 12-part series that will air on the streaming devices of NBC 7 and NBC’s Peacock. New episodes of the four-part story of Priscilla will air on Wednesdays.
“Something positive always comes from something negative.”
It means in Spanish that the negative comes the positive, and it’s the saying that San Diego chef Priscilla Curiel uses to explain the coronavirus pandemic.
Curiel closed her taco shop in San Ysidro in early November after an 18-month border closure between the United States and Mexico severely hampered her flow of customers, many of whom were daily cross-border commuters before the pandemic.
Given her business suffering, Curiel made the decision to relocate her popular, Michelin-acclaimed Birria taco shop from the border town to the livelier Old Town in the heart of San Diego.
I wish the pandemic never happened. But I mean, you want to look and take something positive out of something negative
Chef Priscilla Curiel
Tuétano Taqueria was officially opened on December 1st to achieve a steady rush and satisfied customers. Her new venture, a Baja-inspired small-plate seafood restaurant called Mar Rustico, opens this week.
“I wouldn’t be here if the pandemic hadn’t happened. I mean, I wish the pandemic never happened. But I mean, you want to look and take something positive out of something negative, ”said Curiel. “Like [from] the storm comes the rainbow afterwards. ”
When Mar Rustico opens, Curiel will operate three companies in San Diego; Their third is a take-away burrito and coffee shop in National City called Mujer Divina – an idea invented amid the takeaway era of the pandemic.
But anyone who thinks that the 34-year-old business owner will stop here is wrong.
She is looking for “a bigger place, a place to sit, because [Mujer Divina] grew out of the pandemic so it was just take away, “Curiel said.” So I’m looking for something that people can bring with their laptop and enjoy their coffee while sitting.
“And probably learn latte art! That’s something I want.”
The head chef in San Diego, Priscilla Curiel, has everything she needs to open her new restaurants Tuétano Taqueria and Mar Rustico: She has the perfect locations, she has carefully prepared recipes, she has the vision. The only thing she lacks is a steady supply of ingredients as the pandemic supply chain problems have hit her Michelin-recommended Birria tacos.
For Curiel there is always a “next” because for her it is a way to improve.
“It’s always about progress and learning,” she said. “Don’t go on [from] Projects, rather projects, making solid and moving on to something else and keeping everything you touch solid. ”
For now, she will be focused on “fixing” her current locations, which includes preparing her acclaimed Birria tacos from bone marrow two or three days in advance, each day of the week.
The customers who showed up for Tuétano’s opening were familiar faces who would eat at their San Ysidro location; others were admirers from afar, given the opportunity to explore the more central location.
“We used to go to San Ysidro to go to Tuétano because their tacos are very special,” said Mike Vella. “Their birria tacos are extremely authentic and just delicious, so we went there to get them and when we heard they were opening a restaurant here we were very excited.”
First-time visitors Dave and Laurie Courtney were so impressed with the food that they came back for seconds days later.
“It’s as good as the pictures look and better, and the bone marrow is a great extra,” said Dave Courtney.
Curiel is grateful to her customers.
“Grateful for your support, that they like the food and always cheer,” said Curiel. Even if we were in San Ysidro and many did not make it, even if they like a picture on Instagram, I am grateful for that. For a follow, for a label, that’s great. “
Curiel shared her journey – from closing her San Ysidro location to opening her new taco shop in Old Town – with NBC’s Rebound. She said the experience enabled her to give clients a fuller picture of what she’s doing.
“It was nice to tell my story to people because a lot of people just look at success, not the effort to make that success,” said Curiel. “I mean, I can’t think of a successful person who doesn’t have problems before they get there.
“And I think I’m not there yet. I have more to prove to myself. I think your personality is your only competition. You have to prove yourself, work harder on yourself to improve. ”
About NBC’s rebound
NBC’s rebound series began during the coronavirus pandemic when ever-changing orders and shutdowns threatened small businesses in the United States. Despite the challenges, small businesses grew stronger.
Now in Season 5, Rebound follows three small companies doing everything they can to keep business going amid the pandemic.
Watch Rebound here, on NBC’s streaming service Peacock, or on the following devices:
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