Nopalito SF

The history of Nopalito dates back to a long time before the year 2009, when we first opened our doors to the public. In the modest hamlet of El Aguila, which is located in the coastal city of Catemaco in the Mexican state of Veracruz, Gonzalo Guzman first learned how to cook from his mother Alicia. He went on to become the head chef and owner of the restaurant. Gonzalo, the eldest of three children, pitched in to help support his family by working in the fields. There, he learned how to cultivate corn, beans, chili peppers, and tomatoes. Gonzalo was the family's oldest child. In addition to that, he helped his family prepare their meals. At a very young age, he began to sense a connection to the land, and he also developed a profound appreciation for the components, traditions, and methods of preparation that are unique to Mexican cuisine at an early age. When Gonzalo was 13 years old, he made his first move away from the house he shared with his parents and siblings. Prior to relocating to San Francisco, he lived in Puebla and Mexico City. Gonzalo met his future business partners Laurence Jossel, Allyson Jossel, and Jeff Hanak after working in a variety of restaurants for a period of twelve years. Around this time, Gonzalo also began to formulate the concept that would eventually become Nopalito. The food served at Nopalito would be traditional Mexican fare that is cooked from scratch and made using a variety of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, all of which are in plentiful supply in the Bay Area. Tequila, mezcal, and fresh aguas frescas would be the primary alcoholic beverages of choice for the hospitality program, which would be designed to reflect the warmth of Mexican culture and be centered on tequila, mezcal, and fresh aguas frescas. The 4th of February 2009 was the first day that we were open to the public for business. 2011 was the year that we launched our catering company, and in that same year, we also started selling our salsas, chips, and spicy garbanzo beans in retail locations. Both of these endeavors began in the same year. After one year, on September 9 of the following year, we opened our second location in the warm and welcoming community that is known as the Inner Sunset. And in 2018, Gonzalo collaborated with our dear friend Stacy Adimando on the book "Nopalito: A Mexican Kitchen," which they both authored. In the latter part of that year, the James Beard Award for "Best International Cookbook" was bestowed upon the publication. Thus, we have arrived, more or less, at the year in question. Because of the harsh and unavoidable realities brought on by the pandemic, we were forced to make the difficult and unavoidable decision to close that location in June after operating there for eight years. It would be the grossest of understatements to say that this decision was difficult; however, in the midst of the heartbreak, a (literal) window of hope presented itself in the form of the former soft serve space that was occupied by Bi Rite on 18th Street. [Citation needed] [Citation needed] [Citation needed] [Citation needed] [Citation needed] [Citation needed] [Citation needed] [Cit Since we took over this tiny storefront in the Mission neighborhood in July, we have been providing the local community with tacos, totopo, rice bowls, and Bi-Rite soft serve.