Hispanic Heritage Month gives us the perfect excuse to spotlight the culinary leaders who are bringing authentic regional Mexican flavors to San Diego, and the experience of discovering their work feels more important than ever.

These three chefs aren’t just cooking Mexican food—they’re telling stories about specific regions, family traditions, and cultural connections that run deeper than most restaurant menus dare to go.

Raul Casillas Brings Mexico’s Regions to Puesto

Raul Casillas just stepped into the Creative Chef role at Puesto, and his background tells you everything about why this appointment matters. Growing up between San Diego, San Ysidro, Mexicali, and Tijuana, he learned to cook in his grandmother’s kitchen over bubbling refried beans and fresh tortillas on the plancha.

That border upbringing gives him an understanding of Mexican regional cuisine that you can’t fake.

His resume includes Michelin-starred kitchens like L’atelier in Las Vegas and Valle in Oceanside under 2025 James Beard Semifinalist Roberto Alcocer. Now he’s channeling that technical training into showcasing Mexico’s diverse regional cuisines at Puesto.

The CDMX Ribeye Taco and the return of their Taco of the Month program featuring dishes like Yucatan’s cochinita pibil and Ensenada-style pulpo show he’s serious about representing different corners of Mexico rather than generic “Mexican food.”

José Cepeda’s Oaxacan Vision at Quixote

At Lafayette Hotel’s Quixote—which sits inside Esquire’s 2024 Hotel of the Year—Chef José Cepeda is doing something special with Oaxacan cuisine. Born in Tehuacán Puebla and raised by his grandmother who ran restaurants for over three decades, he brings that generational knowledge to his open-fire kitchen.

After working at la Carmencita in LA and as Sous Chef at Mírame in Beverly Hills, Cepeda landed at this moody restaurant designed with monastic qualities, cobblestones, flickering candles, and stained-glass windows. The space feels like a chapel, but he’s using it to elevate heirloom grains and artisanal moles with modern techniques.

His cocktail program spotlights mezcal and Mexican distillates, creating this complete Oaxacan experience that goes way beyond what most hotel restaurants attempt.

As an LGBTQIA+ leader in the kitchen, Cepeda represents the kind of diverse voice that’s reshaping how we think about traditional cuisines.

Steven Torres Creates Community Through Sweet & Savory

Steven Torres grew up in Calexico, a tight-knit Imperial Valley border town where Mexican culture and food-centered family gatherings shaped his entire worldview.

After leaving corporate life, he and his husband, Gan Suebsarakham, founded The Sweet & Savory Collective in 2016, which includes Stella Jean’s Ice Cream and Pop Pie Co.

Pop Pie Co. is named after Steven’s father, and their mission centers on elevating comfort food through globally inspired, handmade pies that channel cultural heritage. It’s community-focused hospitality that uses food as a way to bring people together around shared values of inclusion, resilience, and joy.

What makes Torres’ approach different is how he’s building neighborhood spots that celebrate his Mexican roots while creating spaces where diverse communities feel welcome. That’s harder to do than it sounds, but when it works, it becomes the kind of place that actually strengthens the fabric of a neighborhood.

Why This Matters Now

These chefs represent something bigger than just good restaurants. They’re part of a generation that’s bringing authentic regional Mexican cuisine into mainstream San Diego dining while maintaining the cultural connections that make the food meaningful.

Casillas showcases Mexico’s regional diversity, Cepeda elevates Oaxacan traditions in a luxury hotel setting, and Torres builds community around comfort food rooted in border culture.

That’s the kind of representation that changes how we think about Mexican cuisine—not as one monolithic thing, but as a collection of distinct regional traditions worth understanding and celebrating.

See you there!

These chefs prove that the best authentic Mexican cuisine has always been about storytelling through food.

See you there, San Diego!