A brand new Mexican restaurant is coming to San Jose’s Cinderella neighborhood.
It’s called El Portal Cocina Y Mariscos (The Portal Kitchen & Seafood) and it’s owned by Genaro Mendez and Rigoberto Bracamontes. Operating as El portal Food Services Inc, the new restaurant is expected to open at 2108 Story Road in San Jose.
Genaro Mendez previously served as a chef at Spoonbar in Healdsburg. There, he trained under Top Chef alum Louis Maldonado and quickly honed his skills. He would go on to serve at Naschmarkt and Madera, finely crafting his skills until he was ready to open The Creek Eatery.
The Creek Eatery was Chef Genaro’s first restaurant. Carrying his experience with him, Chef Genaro brought a rare fine-dining experience to the residents of Silver Creek Valley. With a private dining room and a heated patio, The Creek Eatery hosted everything from intimate private dinners to massive restaurant-wide parties. The Creek’s most popular items included dishes like Spaetzale, poutine, charred brussels sprouts, and Proscuitto. They offered a selection of 10 draft beers as well as a premium wine selection to pair with their meats.
Now it appears that the ambitious chef is planning his latest and greatest venture. His newest concept, El Portal, will be replacing QD Bar, which previously occupied the space. QD Bar, formerly iNhau, was a popular Vietnamese restaurant that served the local community for years. While fans were sad to see it go, news of El Portal’s arrival is a breath of fresh air in era so replete with restaurant closures.
While El Portal isn’t expected to open for some time, The Creek Eatery is open and thriving. Readers curious about Chef Genaro’s style of cooking are strongly encouraged to visit The Creek and try it out for themselves.
