My name is Karina Garcia I am a native of the Dominican Republic, moved to Harlem in the early 2000s. I've always been surrounded by food and grew up in the kitchen. When I moved to the USA, I started my career in the kitchen when more often than not, I was the youngest and the only female staff in the kitchen. I worked all the positions from dishwasher to captain at various restaurants in New York City ranging from restaurants like Ristorante Morini( where I meet my husband and business partner) in the Upper East Side, to Eleven Madison Park in Chelsea. My fascination for Mexican food led me to take many trips to Mexico on a by month basis.
My husband, Eduardo, also known as Lalo, is a musician and an avid food lover who's love for Mexican food goes beyond his heritage. He was born and raised in different states and cities in Mexico, where the food varies in every region. His family is heavily involved in the beverage industry in Huejotzingo, Puebla, where they own and operate a cider business that dates back to the early 1900s.
He has worked not only at a 2 star New York Times restaurant but also at Cosme, which was named the best Mexican restaurant in the USA in the St. Pellegrino's list in 2019.
Since we've been together over four years ago, it has been our goal to open up a small intimate restaurant to serve real authentic Mexican food. During the tragic pandemic, we made a choice to share with the public the many family recipes that we replicate here at home. Recipes are ranging from well-known dishes like "carne asada" to the more regional ones like "birria, huauzontles and dulce de calabaza." When brainstorming for the name of our ventured, we consulted with my mother. She told me that my grandfather's name was Consuelo, which translates to "solace." Solace happens to be Lalo's late grandmother's name and a name we had considered. After the conversation with my mother, we knew then it was all meant to be.
The concept of our venture is to focus on highlighting the many varieties of tacos in Mexicos while engaging with our guests in a very private and intimate setting that will make anyone feel cozy and at home.