Solano Avenue has a new Mexican restaurant. Family-owned and -run, Anahuac held its grand opening Jan. 31.
Fonda, a Spanish and Mexican Mayan tapas restaurant, occupied the space for more than 20 years before closing last year after struggling to fully recover from pandemic slumps.
Anahuac is managed by Jose Rodriguez and his sister and owned by their mother. The name Anahuac comes from the ancient Aztec term meaning “land surrounded by water.” Rodriguez said the name comes from the Aztec word for Mexico but is also a reference to the Bay Area.
Murals of Mexican figures, such as Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent deity, and Xoloitzcuintle, a Mexican hairless dog, decorate the walls of the restaurant.
Rodriguez said the restaurant represents a new step for the family, who already operates Taqueria Talavera, a taco shop in the area. Anahuac’s food is “a little more elevated and upscale,” according to Rodriguez.
“We’ve been managing taquerias most of our lives, me and my mom, but it’s (been) more like fast, casual tacos and burritos,” Rodriguez said. “This is our first actual sit down, full bar place, so it’s a learning experience for us. But with my mom in the kitchen and us running the front of the house with my sister, I think we’re doing a really good job.”
The menu features mole poblano, made from a family recipe that includes more than 50 ingredients. Rodriguez said it is one of his favorite dishes and one he grew up eating, the recipe having been perfected by his mother over many years.
He also highlighted the chile verde, the octopus ceviche tostadas with codfish eggs on top and the tortillas, which his aunt makes by hand.
Among the diners on opening week was Tristan Stickel, a nearby resident who said he had been watching the restaurant’s opening process for a while.
“I’ve been looking forward to coming here … It’s a wonderful spot, so I’m so glad that they’re doing this with it,” Stickel said.
In addition to Anahuac, Rodriguez’s mother has successfully opened and operated several other restaurants in the Bay Area, including La Mission and the previously mentioned Taqueria Talavera.
Rodriguez reflected on his mother’s journey as an immigrant and single parent. He described how she is still working every day at the age of 50 and continues to inspire him and his siblings.
“We were living with my grandparents on the couch. Now she has her own house. She put both my sisters through college,” Rodriguez said. “All that she’s been able to do, it’s amazing.”