By Luis Monteagudo Jr. • Times of San Diego

Copyright timesofsandiego

As a boy growing up in Mexico City, Gerry Torres had parents who worked as pilots. When they came home from a trip, they brought food from around the world, sparking what he calls his “food curiosity.”

Marzipan from Germany. Arabic candies.

“That really made me the person that I am today because of the ferocity that aroused in food,” he said. “And all my life I’ve been searching for the best place.”

Now, Torres is trying to follow in their footsteps and bring new tastes to San Diego. A successful veteran of the restaurant business, Torres has opened Fonda del Barrio, a restaurant that promises to bring flavors from the many regions of Mexico to Barrio Logan.

The restaurant will represent mainland Mexico by featuring Oaxacan mole sauces, Mayan achiote rubs and handmade masa. The menu features dishes from each of Mexico’s seven primary culinary regions – North Mexico, North Pacific Coast, Bajío, Central Mexico, South Pacific Coast, Gulf Coast and South Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula).

Starters include Salpicon de Jaiba (Papantla-style tostada with gulf crab meat and flounder fish), Mango Habanero Aguachile (shrimp crudo) and Dedos de Pescado (Ensenada-style golden fish sticks with potato and corn grain breading). Huasteca Potosina tortilla soup and fresh-tossed Pasquaro-style house guacamole are also available.

The endeavor is another milestone in a 34-year career in the industry that includes stints at the former Candelas restaurant in San Diego. Torres also founded the popular City Tacos, which has seven locations throughout San Diego, and Tour de Tapas, in La Mesa.

Fonda, which translates to a small inn or boarding house, has indoor and outdoor seating for 90 guests and a bar that focuses on tequila and mezcal.

“You know, when you go to dinner in Mexico, you usually dine in a hacienda setting or something of a sort, something that transports you back in time,” he said.

But it’s not just the food and drinks Torres is prioritizing.

“Service to me is, quite possibly, the most important part of the experience. It’s greeting people with a smile. Pulling a chair for them. Picking up a napkin when they drop it. All of those little details that really enhance the experience.”

The 2,500-square-foot restaurant is at 2234 Logan Avenue, not far from Chicano Park and that was important to Torres.

“Barrio Logan is the mecca for our culture here in San Diego and it wasn’t necessarily being represented food wise in that aspect,” said Torres. “We have a lot of great restaurants in San Diego but not necessarily restaurants that feature what our cuisine is capable of … And you know we aim to shed a positive light on our culture, our people, our food. And the best way that I know how to do this is by serving people.”

Alexandra Perez Demma, president of All for Logan, a nonprofit that represents businesses along Logan Avenue, welcomes the addition of Fonda del Barrio.

Demma said several well-known businesses in the area closed in the aftermath of the pandemic and new businesses like Fonda are helping the community.

“It’s really beautiful to see a new service, new life being brought into the community,” she said. “Especially like businesses like Fonda del Barrio because it is something different from what we have, I think, that is really celebrating our ancestral roots and telling the story of where we come from and I think that’s also really important.”

Although the restaurant aims to provide fine dining, Torres said it will be for all tastes.

“This is a restaurant that is going to serve everyone. And people are going to enjoy it because the food, the quality, and the value proposition are there.”