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The food truck and tent scene has changed considerably since Alejandro Ceja first started selling food as El Guapo Kitchen over four years ago. Competition has risen greatly, as evidenced by the over 40 food vendors who show up every Wednesday at the Hollister Downtown Association Farmers’ Market.
Though the daily take might be slightly less, Ceja takes it in stride, saying it is a pleasure to be part of what he describes as “by far the best farmers’ market I’ve been to as a vendor or a consumer.” And besides, he said, the slightly slower pace actually works in his favor.
“Instead of getting hit by everybody at once,” he said, “now have a consistent flow throughout the day, which allows us to focus on our food a lot more instead of being in a rush.”
It also gives Ceja time to try out new recipes, like his recently introduced empanadas, an offering long requested by a certain local food writer.
“I think empanadas are great in general,” he said, “because they’re handheld and easy to eat. And it also reminds me of eating my mom’s little cheese-and-potato empanadas. I do love them, but making them is labor-intensive.
“I tried them out as a special. They were super popular, but I had to take them out because I ran into a staffing issue. Now, I have the proper staff, so they are back, and they’re super delicious.”
Ceja has initially chosen to feature empanadas made with garlic shrimp, which he describes as “an easy protein to push.”
“I feel like everybody loves shrimp,” he said, “because it’s so user-friendly. I am thinking about a vegetarian option as well, like cheese, potato, and carrots, which you might see one of these days as a special, too.”
Over the years, various dishes have been offered this way as trial balloons, with some, like the mahi-mahi tacos, served with a mango pico de gallo, added as seasonal offerings. And a few, which have not exactly taken the community by storm, such as Ceja’s cricket tacos, are offered as “secret menu” options.
“I brought in the mahi mahi,” he said, “because people just wanted a different style of fish. And the cricket tacos were kind of like a fun item I made for Halloween, but then people still keep asking for them. You won’t see them unless you ask for it; if you know, you know, right?”
The spreading out of business at the market does not, however, necessarily mean the pace is less hectic, of course. Over the years, Ceja has had to make adjustments not just to his menu to accommodate the tastes of his San Benito County customers, but also in his vision of how his truck would operate.
“When I first started,” Ceja said, “I used to cook everything to order. Like the salmon, I would season it and drop it in a flat top, just how you normally would in a restaurant. One of the complaints that I would get was that the food was great, but it took a long time to receive.”
It became most evident when order wait times could reach up to 30 minutes, which he said was “painful and embarrassing.” The solution was “sandbagging,” partly cooking certain items ahead of time so that final preparation could be done more speedily.
“A chicken breast will take 15 minutes,” he said. “If I partly cook it, then as I am cooking the veggies, which takes about three minutes, I can finish it off in those three minutes. We are able to get into a rhythm that provides a faster service with the same quality.”
While the Farmers’ Market draws enough people to make it worthwhile for everyone, Ceja said the ever-increasing glut of food trucks is forcing some local vendors, including himself, to seek out areas outside of the county to set up.
“Throw a rock,” he said, “and you’ll hit a food truck. And people selling illegally—if we open up at a random location, code enforcement will kick us out. But how do you give somebody a ticket who doesn’t have ID or a business license?”
One of the ways of surviving, he said, is to work at bars that close their kitchens when he is there, allowing him to serve their customers and lower their overhead at the same time.
It is an arrangement he recently made to craft a breakfast menu for COVALE Coffee Project, Monday through Thursday in Gilroy’s Gourmet Alley.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Ceja said. “Food trucks do have their own following, just as bars themselves. And I feel like it’s a nice collab that introduces new food to their customers and brings in different styles to attract different people.”
Once again, Ceja sees the added competition as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
“With more people now selling food,” he said, “we just need to step up our game and stop being comfortable with what we’re used to doing. I just feel like you should always be striving to do something new and not be afraid of the competition. It should only motivate more.”
The Food of El Guapo:
Spam Musubi – As a former Boy Scout and college student who thrived on the stuff, I can attest that Spam is far from being the “mystery meat” of legend. It actually combines two classic cuts, pork shoulder and ham, and its flexibility makes it unsurprisingly perfect as a food truck staple. This Hawaiian staple starts with sushi-grade rice seasoned with furikake and bonito flakes, then topped with diced Spam. It is sauced with a house-made teriyaki, which deepens the flavor, and Ceja’s kimchi, which balances the sweetness and the saltiness. The dish is then finished off with a fried egg.
“Spam is actually a pretty cool product,” Ceja said. “It has all the flavors that you love that you don’t normally eat in your day-to-day breakfast or lunch. The Spam Musubi is a really popular item, and people keep coming back for it. They love it.“
Fish Tacos – “The biggest thing that bothered me with most fish tacos,” Ceja said, “was that it was always a little bit of fish and the batter would always flake off. And we use fresh cabbage so you don’t lose the crunch aspect. The batter is super light, and the fish is always crispy.”
I have written about these before, and, out of a love for battered fried fish, this stands out as one of the best things to try at the market. Ceja uses 3.5- to 4-ounce pieces of cod, the perfect fish. He starts with tortillas from Hollister’s Tortilla Factory, adds the cabbage and chipotle sauce, then the fish, which is lightly drizzled with his cilantro-lime aioli sauce. The light batter and sparing use of the sauces mean they are not heavy on the stomach, and the flavors, including a last-minute squeeze of lime, are bright and fresh.
Pork Belly Buns – “The pork belly bun is my favorite,” Ceja said. “It’s my baby. It’s very light, even though it’s deep-fried. We do sell out a lot, and so quickly, it’s hard to keep track. Mine have flavors no one else has. They are definitely going to be a flavor bomb ”
For such a simple-looking item, the preparation is deceptively complex. The pork belly is smoked for two hours, then braised for 14 hours in champagne vinegar to add sweet-and-sour notes, along with carrots, celery and onion. Slices are placed in a rice bun, dunked in teriyaki along with a kale-cucumber salad with kimchi dressing. It is finished with gochujang sauce, which gives it a spicy little kick, and cucumber slices to cool things down.
Messy? Yes, but the balance of flavors and textures is there, along with a rich smokiness. Addictive little devils…
El Guapo Kitchen can be found at the Hollister Downtown Association Farmers’ Market every Wednesday through Oct 21 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and for giving our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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