Jonathan Perez keeps hustling.
The Alta California taquero behind Macheen at Smorgasburg and Distrito Catorce in Boyle Heights, and the 2020 winner of our Taco Madness tournament, is set to open a new torta and sandwich shop named Birote in Paramount next week. Perez is partnering with David and Ashley Vasquez, owners of Horchatería Rio Luna for the new school torta venture in SELA.
Raised in Carson and Long Beach, Perez may be best known for his legendary pork belly-filled breakfast burrito and fried cod sandwiches with aguachile slaw, but the classically-trained chef's passion for food seems never-ending.
At a recent event for Northgate, Perez was serving tacos al pastor made from thinly sliced lamb layered with fresh mint, and another with turkey in adobo. Now at his new place, he will apply his wildly creative and layered food inspiration to tortas made on Gusto Bread’s coveted, crusty sourdough birote roll.
According to Perez, his partnership with the Vasquez duo, which brings together some of L.A.’s most humble and successful food and drink entrepreneurs, felt natural from the start.