It is easy to see how passionate Carlos Mendez is about the food that he prepares. Head chef and co-owner of Cocina de Carlos, a new Mexican restaurant off Route 20 west of I-75 in Perrysburg, the gentle-eyed, unassuming cook loves to talk about his restaurant and its traditional recipes.
“The key to good Mexican food is freshness,” Mendez told me during a relaxed weekday interview at his new restaurant. “In Mexico, businesses have less money, limited technology and fluctuating prices, which forces restaurants to use fresh ingredients.” This tradition lives on at the Cocina de Carlos, which only uses fresh, never-frozen ingredients to craft its menu items.
“I get all my produce from a farm in Temperance, Michigan,” says Mendez. “We don’t even have a walk-in freezer here at the restaurant because I never use frozen ingredients. If the food is made without fresh ingredients, it becomes Tex-Mex, and is not traditional Mexican food.”
Mendez began his culinary career in Jalisco, Mexico, in the Tequila region, where he worked as a cook at his father’s restaurant. He eventually moved to America to work in the culinary industry with the dream of opening up his own place. After working in kitchens across the Midwest, Mendez was able to open his first restaurant in Salem, Indiana in 2003. He finally settled in Toledo, opening the restaurant OK Patron, in a former Wendy’s, before moving his business to Perrysburg.
The food at Cocina de Carlos is exceptional — for lunch I had a Burrito Mijas, which came recommended as Mendez’s favorite burrito on the menu. Stuffed with tender carne asada ribeye steak, whole pinto beans, Spanish rice, hot salsa and queso blanco, this wrap was full of flavor and freshness. The Mayan Salad was a great complement, featuring mixed vegetables, roasted corn, black beans, avocado and fresh cheese that created a delightful flavor concoction. The lunch buffet bar, served from 11am to 2pm daily, offers customers the choice between several varieties of gourmet fajita fillings like fresh carnitas, chicken and carne asada.
The Cocina de Carlos also features an extensive tequila bar that has over 100 types of craft tequilas, and Mendez has personally tasted the tequilas he offers at Cocina de Carlos in order to guarantee quality and taste. The restaurant also has daily specials on margaritas and other cocktails that highlight the fine tequilas the Cocina de Carlos has available.
Mendez and his family are planning on staying in Perrysburg and are optimistic about Cocina de Carlos. When asked what the three most important things were to a successful business, Mendez replied “Quality, quality and quality. The key to staying on top is making sure that your food is good and that people come back for more.”
Cocina de Carlos, 27072 Carronade Dr.,
(behind Kroger). Open Monday through Sunday, 11am-9pm; 11am-10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 419-872-0200.
www.cocinadecarlos.com
