Guillermo “Willy” Perez taking lunch orders at Guacamole 61. Photo: Nancy Rubin
By Nancy Rubin
Bay Area native Willy Perez (Berkeley High, class of 1995) knows two things well: cars and food. Summoning inspiration from his love of restoring vintage cars, specifically his 1961 Chevy Impala convertible, Perez began to picture a place that expressed the loyalty of true vintage car culture mixed with the essence of his mother’s savory Mexican spices he knew growing up.
Thus was born the idea of Guacamole 61, whose name was, of course, inspired by his beloved car. The diminutive take-out restaurant opened this week at Epicurious Garden in North Berkeley. It took over the space from the short-lived Herb n’ Chicken, which itself was preceded by Source Mini. It’s not the first time the kitchen has served up Mexican dishes: Picoso Taqueria occupied the spot before Flavor Mediterranean Food, which was itself replaced by Source Mini.
It’s not the first Berkeley restaurant venture for Perez, either. He was one of the group, along with Artemio Maldonado and Dwight Ferron — all former Cheese Board alums — that opened Sliver in January 2013, the popular pizza destination on Center Street in downtown Berkeley.(...)
Read the rest of Guacamole 61 opens in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto (389 words)
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Post tags: Berkeley dining, Epicurious Garden, Gourmet Ghetto, Guacamole 61, North Berkeley, Willy Perez