Carne y Hueso<\/a> was to bring something different to the neighborhood known for its trendy bars and eateries.<\/p>\n\u201cThey wanted to know why it was all white, and what the reasoning was behind it, if it was a Mexican restaurant. Mexico has continued to evolve. It\u2019s just that once it gets to the U.S., it\u2019s a past trend in Mexico,\u201d said Chantelle. \u201cIt\u2019s not just bright colors and sombreros and all that. There\u2019s also a lot of sophisticated design to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sisters originally planned to open the restaurant in 2024, but Chantelle said permits and opting for a more \u201cminimalist\u201d interior design presented challenges, which pushed the official opening date closer to December 2025.<\/p>\n
Chantelle said that she and her sister always considered themselves \u201cperfectionists,\u201d which is also part of the reason their parents entrusted them at such a young age to run their business, and why everything with this new venture had to be exactly right before opening.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family really taught us that hospitality \u2014 it\u2019s not just a business, it\u2019s more of a craft,\u201d she said. \u201cIf people are giving you their time to be there and they\u2019re giving you the opportunity to showcase whatever you have to tell, then you better take that responsibility serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sisters were also setting out to combine two worlds \u2014 what Chantelle described as the more sophisticated side of Mexico and its ancestral roots.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt actually didn\u2019t emerge from a standard business plan,\u201d said Chantelle. \u201cWe wanted to bridge the gap between the true spirit of Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n
A restaurant that came more so from a sentiment or feeling, a longing for Mexico.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw that there was a need for that feeling of when you come back, let\u2019s say, from vacation to Mexico to the U.S., and you\u2019re left with that sentiment,\u201d she said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t find a place that would actually give you that same feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of recreating that feeling was sourcing ingredients for the restaurant\u2019s menu directly from Mexico, like chiles directly imported from a specific region in Oaxaca or spices native to the Yucatan region for making mole.<\/p>\n
Chantelle also said that their chefs use ancestral techniques to cook the food.<\/p>\n
Those techniques shine through in menu items like huitlacoche tetela or cured nopal with heirloom tomatoes.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead a few months after opening, Chantelle said she and her sister have high hopes for their latest venture.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have a story to tell,\u201d said Chantelle. \u201cWe really are anticipating for it to be the best Mexican restaurant in San Diego.\u201d<\/p>\n
As far as being in business with a sibling, Chantelle said it\u2019s a challenge, but also the reason why they both continue to put their best foot forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re each other\u2019s hardest critic, but we\u2019re also each other\u2019s biggest supporter,\u201d said Chantelle. \u201cWe don\u2019t just look at it as a business. It\u2019s a shared vision. It\u2019s a shared goal. It\u2019s a shared dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
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