Bracero Cocina de Raiz was supposed to be San Diego's hottest restaurant when it opened in the summer of 2015, but Javier Plascencia's most northern eatery never truly lived up to its hype. After losing its figurehead celebrity chef earlier this year, owners of the bi-level concept have decided to rebrand and transform it into the 2nd outpost of its sister restaurant Romesco Mexiterranean Cocina, which should be completed by this June.
Just shy of its second anniversary, Bracero co-founder Luis Pena (who is Plascencia's brother-in-law) decided to convert his Little Italy eatery into a second version of Bonita's popular Romesco Mexiterranean Cocina, which was first opened by Javier Plascencia (who has since parted ways with this restaurant) et al in 2004 when the family was seeking refuge in the United States during a tumultuous time in their hometown of Tijuana. Bracero will make the transition when it closes for a quick overhaul in early June, redesigning the ground floor into a tapas bar complete with Spanish bullfighting décor, and keeping the 2nd floor as a more upscale dining room.
Expect the menu at the new Romesco to be very similar to the Bonita location, featuring a wide array of Mediterranean-inspired tapas with a Mexican influence. Chef’s Eduardo Covarrubias and Adan Tintos will be presenting dishes from Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and France. Romesco will retain some of Bracero’s popular signature items, along with adding a host of exciting new choices. The restaurant will offer frequent nightly specials, including the popular half-priced Tapas Tuesday.
For more information on Romesco Mexiterranean, visit romescomexmed.com.
