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El Palomar

The Palomar Inn Hotel is part of Santa Cruz history and a center of tourist activity dating from the 1920s. It has been several decades since the hotel was converted to resident occupancy, and the hotel's lobby is now the main dining room of the El Palomar restaurant. Many original architectural and design elements remain and add to the dining room's ambiance. These include the mission style painted ceiling, a Spanish plaster fireplace and second story balconies that once framed the guest room hallway and offered overlooks of lobby activity.

Jose Espinoza arrived in Santa Cruz from Michoacan, Mexico and worked with his uncle who operated the hotel's first small Mexican restaurant. When his uncle decided to sell the business, the then 21-year-old Jose purchased the restaurant and, over a 20-year period, has developed and stylized a dining experience that is favored by both local residents and tourists to the community.

The restaurant now offers three dining experiences: the original hotel lobby dining room, an atrium patio for lunch and a light dining, taqueria-style room. Jose and wife Amelia also operate Cilantros in Watsonville, which is a popular restaurant for area families and special occasion celebrations. This restaurant has both indoor and patio seating, Mariachi performances on Friday nights and dancing on weekends. Both restaurants serve lunch and dinner and offer a full bar. Cilantros is also opens for "Desayuno" (breakfast), offering traditional Mexican and other dishes as well.

These restaurants feature an authentic Mexican menu, which has influences from the Michoacan cuisine. The distinguishing features of this cuisine are the use of fresh ingredients, regional flavors and varied styles of cooking. "We try to be health conscious when preparing our dishes," said Jose. "Meats and fish are grilled or sautéed, rather than deep fried, and sauces are used to add flavor or as a condiment to the dishes." Always aware of current dietary trends, Jose has made recipe and food product adjustments to compliment these, while keeping true to the traditions of the Espinoza family recipes that have been handed down through generations. These traditions include the making of corn tortillas and sauces fresh daily.

Jose and Amelia credit their "families" for the success and endurance of their restaurants. Families are an important element in their heritage, and they include their staff that has been with them for many years, the families from the community, and those visiting their establishments.