“Eccentric” is definitely the word you’d use to describe the new Gonza Tacos, which opened its doors in the former 604 West Village space in February this year; cousins Gonza Salamanca and Carlos Rodriguez established the first restaurant in North Raleigh in 2011 and the second in Wake Forest in 2013. From the Latino pop culture murals on the walls to the hanging star lanterns to the homage paid to Dia de los Muertos throughout the decor – and let’s not forget about those bobbleheads – the whole place is fun and vibrant, with cuisine to match. “Fresh and bold flavors – that’s us,” explains Executive Chef J “David” Peraza-Arce. Born in Mexico City and raised in the Yucatán, he’s been working in restaurants for the past 20-plus years.
Today, he’s prepared tacos, naturally, but with a modern twist. The callo de hacha features North American, wild-caught scallops, which are marinated in garlic oil, and North Carolina pork belly that’s been brined with Mexican chiles, herbs and spices for 48 hours, and then slowly baked till fork-tender. To finish the dish, the belly is pan-seared and the scallops are charred in the belly drippings and cooked with white wine till “GBD” – Chef David’s acronym for “golden brown and delicious.” A vivid orange arbol chile and roasted red bell pepper sauce are drizzled over the tacos before they’re topped with traditional pico de gallo and cilantro. There’s a smokiness to the sauce that comes from the roasting of the pepper, and the garlic and white wine are accentuated in each bite. The homemade flour tortillas (corn tortillas also available!) are soft but sturdy, standing up to the dense sauce and heaps of meat. Wash it all down with their top- shelf margarita – hey, they carry 70-plus varieties of tequila, so go ahead and indulge!
