El Rincon is a shoebox, a hole-in-the-wall. But chef, owner,
waiter, dishwasher and kind host Alberto Fuentes has big
aspirations for his one-year-old restaurant. And he’s not talking
tacos and enchiladas.
Morgan Hill – El Rincon is a shoebox, a hole-in-the-wall.
But chef, owner, waiter, dishwasher and kind host Alberto Fuentes has big aspirations for his one-year-old restaurant.
And he’s not talking tacos and enchiladas.
“It’s not a taqueria,” 33-year-old Fuentes said with a gleam in his eye. “It’s fine cuisine.”
Fuentes, a Morgan Hill resident, could be the town’s “Soup Nazi” if he wanted to, but he’s far too compassionate to compare to the famous Seinfeld episode. Still, the similarities are striking. He’s a culinary artist with dedicated fans, operating out of tiny bistro at 45 E. Second St. with five tables and 12 chairs. Sure, El Rincon (the phrase means “the little corner” in Spanish) serves up burritos and enchiladas, but his specialty are regional Mexican dishes that can’t be found anywhere else in town. He’s a bit of an eccentric, the captain of a one-man ship, taking people’s orders, waiting tables, mashing up fresh guacamole with his traditional stone mortars and pestles and even washing dishes after customers leave. He developed a passion for cooking when he was growing up in Mexico City, where his mother managed a restaurant.
When he was old enough, Fuentes attended El Instituto Culinario de Mexico for six years in the 1990s, where he mastered the rich cuisine he serves today. Later, in the United States, he honed his skills at Santana Row’s Consuelo Mexican Bistro, a large and boisterous joint for which Fuentes developed the menu. He worked long and grueling hours, sometimes starting at 6am and toiling until midnight, to perfect his craft. About a year ago, Fuentes decided to launch his own enterprise, becoming his own boss and restaurateur.
El Rincon has already turned critics’ heads, earning favorable reviews in local papers. Today he’s gearing up for the grand opening of his second location, El Rincon Mexicano #2 on First Street in Gilroy. The expansion involves a slightly larger version of the Morgan Hill original, with 10 tables instead of five, along with two cooks and a hostess. But the menu will be the same, he said, focusing on the fine, regional cuisine of Mexico.
Fuentes said most of El Rincon’s first-time customers are surprised by the food’s bona fide authenticity. Camarones con salsa de ajo rostizado (shrimp with garlic salsa) is one of his favorite dishes, exemplifying the popular beach cuisine of Vera Cruz. Salsa de mango is another specialty most Americans aren’t used to, he said. The menu also features a hearty sopa de tortilla, a creamy soup made with tomatoes and pasilla chiles.
Customers even get an indirect lesson in Mexican cooking when they order one of El Rincon’s five styles of guacamole. Fuentes prepares the avocado-based concoctions right in front of their eyes, using traditional stone mortars called molcajetes. Instead of chips, Fuentes serves warm handmade corn tortillas.
Burritos remain a popular lunch item, but Fuentes goes the extra mile to make sure they’re as delicious – and unique – as can be. For example, the veggie burrito is wrapped in a green, spinach-based tortilla with rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, onions and pico de gallo.
Business is still picking up for Fuentes, who knows authentic Mexican cooking is still rather mysterious to some Silicon Valley residents. But his earnest efforts in his tiny kitchen and gracious attitude are helping the new venture move forward. He said he’d like to take English classes at night – when he carves out a little time – so he can feel more at one with his clientele.
But for now, Fuentes’ hard work and bright culinary skills speak loud and clear. And the results are delicious.
EL RINCON MEXICANO
- Owner: Alberto Fuentes
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Address: 45 E. Second St., Morgan Hill
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Phone: (408) 778-6769
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Hours: Monday-Friday: Lunch 10am-2pm, dinner 5-9pm
Saturday: 10am-9pm
Sunday: 10am-4pm
