[ad_1]
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 Priscilla’s four-part story will air on Wednesdays.
For admirers who drop in, restaurant owner Priscilla Curiel thrived through the pandemic.
The chef who put bone marrow birria tacos on San Diego’s menu was recognized by the Michelin French guide for her small taco shop in San Ysidro, Tuétano Taqueria, just six months after a pandemic stabbed most restaurants in the side had laid.
After another six months, she opened her second store, Mujer Divina, a coffee and burrito shop with a focus on women in National City.
But behind the scenes, Curiel and her little businesses barely held out.
“The result on social media would be, ‘Oh my god, she’s doing great,'” Curiel told NBC’s Rebound. “But no, San Ysidro was hit very hard.”
Curiel’s Tuétano Taqueria was minutes from the US-Mexico border south of San Diego, next to the busiest land border crossing in the US every day.
“I had to cut my hours. I had to cut my days. I was left without employees because they came from Tijuana and closed the border so we couldn’t find people to work. We were all scared and panicked,” said Curiel.
And with good reason. More than 300 companies in San Ysidro have closed during the pandemic, according to the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. Curiel got to a point in that statistic when it officially closed its San Ysidro site in October.
“It took me many months to make that decision. So like this whole month, six months, maybe seven months, I’ve already cried or suffered,” said Curiel.
It’s a delicious braised meat. I cook it right in its adobo and its juices for two days, and the adobo consists of dried chilies and spices, onions, cinnamon. I cook it on very low heat and it gives it a really delicate, strong taste.
Pricilla Curiel on her hit creation, the Birria taco served with bone marrow
The National City cafe only opened because her husband’s sandwich shop didn’t survive the pandemic. It was a way to use the space they paid for with fewer resources by creating a product that seemed invincible to the pandemic – coffee.
But it wasn’t the end of the restaurant owner who had already made a name for herself in San Diego with tacos. It was soon announced that it would reopen its location in Tuétano Taqueria in the old town. She also opened TWO restaurants – the original Tuétano Taqueria and a Baja-inspired table restaurant called Mar Rustico.
The two locations will open Thanksgiving weekend at the Old Town Urban Market, a food hall-style retail, events and restaurant center on Congress and Twiggs Streets.
NBC’s “Rebound” gave Curiel a camera to document her journey as she reopened Tuétano Taqueria and started Mar Rustico in the old town – from the challenges to the excitement and, understandably, a little nervousness.
“I’m grateful because I know a lot of people didn’t get through the pandemic. I don’t know why or what it took. But since I started the business from scratch and had nothing and had two or three jobs,” about the brand I think, ‘You know what? I just hold out. ‘”
“When I jump, I jump all the way. And I think it’s going to be a great experience for everyone.”
Watch as NBC’s rebound follows three small companies recovering from the coronavirus pandemic on NBC 7.com, Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV, or on Peacock
What is Birria?
Birria is growing in popularity in the U.S. thanks to social media, but the Mexican dish can be traced back centuries to Jalisco, Mexico.
“It’s delicious braised meat,” said Curiel. “I cook it right in his adobo and juices for two days, and the adobo is made from dried chillies and spices, onions, cinnamon. I cook it on very low heat and it gives it a really delicate, strong taste.”
The braised beef is stuffed in a taco, sometimes with cheese, and served with coriander and onions.
Curiels became a sensation with a special note: “Birria IIt’s a very popular dish, but it’s really rare to serve it with bone marrow, “said Curiel.” I think that bone marrow got us across in the media and with customers. “
Birria tacos are often served with a cup of broth known as a consumé. Dip your taco in for a delicious – and Instagram-worthy – experience.
About Priscilla Curiel, Chef at Tuétano Taqueria
Curiel was born in San Diego but grew up in Tijuana. Like many other frontier families with dual citizenship, Curiel crossed the border every day to go to school.
“So that makes me a frontier kid,” Curiel told NBC Rebound. “I think I’m a San Diegan now because I’ve been here for 15 years.”
She comes from a food-oriented family. Her parents always worked in restaurants and they helped out, which inspired her to enroll in the culinary school at the Art Institute in San Diego.
“I wanted more and I enrolled in school to learn how to cook and experience every aspect of a restaurant. And that was 2010, ”said Curiel.
Tuétano Taqueria first opened in 2017 and Curiel has put more than just her culinary experience into the store; She added her personality to the place.
“All of my brands are my personality. It’s my personality, ”said Curiel. “You should know that I have this interest and love for cooking and that I want to give you something nice and delicious.”
Whether because of their tacos or their passion for business, Curiel’s creations were well received by customers.
“I had visitors from Charleston, New York, San Francisco,” said Curiel. “It was like something that brought a lot of people together to have a taco.”
Now she’s hoping that her customers will follow her to the old town for this one taco.
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 have grown.
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:
[ad_2]
Source link
