EL CENTRO — For Tony Rey Alfonso, cooking started at home. Raised by a Cuban father and Mexican mother, he learned the basics in his father’s kitchen at a young age.

“I’ve been cooking, you could say, growing up with my dad, so he’s always teaching me,” Alfonso said.

“When I was 10 years old, he would tell me what to put in the mixes, he recalled. "I knew how to put stuff together.”

His father’s influence shaped both his skills and his passion. “My dad is Cuban, and my mom is Mexican,” he said.

Those lessons carried into Alfonso’s career, where he now blends the flavors of both cultures. On his menu, Cuban sandwiches, tacos, and loaded nachos stand out, along with carnitas. “On the flavor, on the seasoning,” Alfonso explained. “My specialty is pulled pork, so that has been a really goo

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