Here is your chance to meet Jesse Gomez of Cocinas y Calaveras in Los Angeles!
Cocinas y Calaveras co-owner, Jesse Gomez, has quite literally grown up in the restaurant business. His experience began in the restaurant opened by his grandparents, Gustavo and Irene Montes in 1964—El Arco Iris in Highland Park. Jesse later spent several years managing and operating some of LA's well-known restaurants for Hillstone Restaurant Group and Innovative Dining Group. In 2006, Gomez redesigned and reintroduced El Arco Iris, fusing and updating the dining area with the signature classic dishes passed down for generations. The restaurant became a neighborhood staple and destination for home-style Mexican food. In 2009, Gomez introduced Yxta Cocina Mexicana, in the emerging Industrial District of Downtown Los Angeles and quickly earned acclaim for its inventive menu, artisan cocktails, design and impressive art collection. “The food at Yxta is contemplative, with each dish turned out with an eye toward presentation.” Los Angeles Times (April 28, 2011). It was an honor for the restaurant to be selected for the Michelin Guide California for several years. The Mercado brand, which Gomez co-created with long-time friend and revered chef, Jose Acevedo, was introduced in 2012 with its first location in the heart of Downtown Santa Monica and was chosen as one of LA Magazine's Top 10 Best New Restaurants.
Mercado has since introduced two more outposts in Los Angeles and Hollywood. The east side welcomed the fourth Mercado location on Lake Avenue in Pasadena in March 2018. Expansion continued on the west side when the fifth Mercado opened in Manhattan Beach in 2019. Los Angeles and Santa Monica locations closed in June 2024 after more than 10 and 12 years of service respectively. Gomez is a 1998 graduate of Princeton University, where he majored in Psychology. In his off time, he enjoys dining out, riding motorcycles and spending time with his daughter Vera. You can follow him on instagram @jesseangelgomez.
This is an opportunity to meet with someone who has had their boots on the ground of small business ownership over the past several decades in one of the most vibrant and challenging cities in the United States.
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