After years of cooking in other people’s restaurants, Corina Paniagua now has a kitchen to call her own.
She and her family recently opened José José Latin Restaurant at No. 9, 7110 50th Ave.
There, the menu includes burritos, tacos, fajitas. enchiladas, pupusas, empanadas and quesadillas, as well as more traditional western Canadian fare like steaks, ribs, grilled chicken, sandwiches and burgers.
Paniagua’s knowledge of Latin cuisine is authentic. She and her husband José are from El Salvador, although they left there about 27 years ago and have lived in Red Deer for the past two decades.
Paniagua has spent much of that time working in local restaurants.
“I’ve cooked a lot,” she said.
José José is her first stab at ownership.
“I wanted to do something different.”
Helping with the new business are daughters Jenifer and Michelle.
Paniagua compares José José’s menu to that at the popular Las Palmeras in south Red Deer. She hopes her restaurant will fill a void on the city’s other side.
Although Central Alberta has a large population of transplanted Central and South Americans, many of Paniagua’s customers are longtime Canadians. She spices her dishes to suit individual tastes.
The challenge now, she said, is to spread the word that there is new local destination for Latin food. “It takes time.”
José José Latin Restaurant has seating for about 50, and also prepares food for takeout. It’s open six days a week: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com