SAN FRANCISCO – A restaurant owner in San Francisco’s Mission District is preserving the Latin and Caribbean roots of his newly acquired restaurant, even though he’s not from that region.
You may already know the work of Chef Johnnie Young; he owns Hot Johnnie’s Smokehouse on 18th and Castro streets.
A San Francisco native, he specialized in French cuisine, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts after gaining inspiration from his dad.
“He’s the one that believed in me,” said Young. “My family’s from Hong Kong. They came here in the ’60s when they were 10 years old and they grew up in Chinatown, so we’re really a lot of part of that history.”
Now, he’s learning Latin and Caribbean dishes, after buying Cha Cha Cha from its long-time owners and renaming the space to “Sangria and Salt.”
“This address is one of the first prohibition bars out of 1933,” he said. “I was trying to pay tribute to what it was once before. So sangria was definitely why a lot of people would come here and order a pitcher of sangria.”
According to the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, since 2019, about 25% of Hispanic-owned businesses in the Mission have either shut down or been sold to new owners.
CEO Carlos Solorzano says the declining diversity is because of challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and fears of current immigration enforcement policies.
“We have a good diversity of businesses that are no longer here,” said Solorzano.
“There was La Hoya. There was Las Tinajas. There was Honduran, a little bit of Guatemalan, Mexican, of course.”
Solorzano points to the many different restaurants representing cuisines from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, opening along Valencia Street. He says that’s not a bad thing, but the area looks much different than it did when he first moved to San Francisco in 1989.
“We actually have a great diversity, but it used to be more Latino.”
The idea of immigrant enforcement concerns is new for Young, whose only relationship with Hispanic heritage is the Spanish classes he took in high school.
“I do have a lot of compassion for what’s going on right now,” he said. “I feel also honored to be here because I’m a part of the revitalization of this neighborhood.”
It’s part of the reason he’s keeping Latino and Caribbean dishes on the menu instead of replacing them with his own.
It includes adding a twist to a best-selling Cajun shrimp pasta while also learning classic dishes like plátanos maduros or sweet fried plantains.
“It took me a long time because all of it was new. It’s great to be able to expand your horizons in the types of food that you cook,” he said.
Oakland’s Mago Restaurant celebrates Latin American Heritage Month
As part of KTVU’s continuing coverage of Hispanic Heritage Month, Magos Restaurant in Oakland is marking the occasion with a month-long celebration spotlighting Hispanic culture through food, wine, and community partnerships. The festivities culminate on October 14 with a special “Three Generations Dinner” hosted by Chef Mark Liberman.