Food is her love language. So she's serving up Baja cuisine and a secret menu in Phoenix
Emilene Carillo, the owner of Baja Roots, is the new resident chef at Jobot Coffee & Bar in downtown Phoenix.
Carrillo, who had a career as a DCS social worker for seven years, used cooking as a way to connect with at-risk youth, create a safe space, nurture and educate them. "It took me a while to find a common ground with the kids, so teaching them gardening and farm-to-table cooking was my way of introducing love language through food," she said.
But the inability to emotionally disconnect from work took a toll on Carrillo, pushing her to leave the field and start something new for herself. She said food helped her navigate her own identity, so it was a natural place to turn for her next chapter.
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Bringing a taste of Tijuana to downtown Phoenix
"I grew up in Arizona in the '90s, but traveling back to Mexico gave me a chance to find my roots and really connect to my culture," she said. Hence the name Baja Roots.
"I feel like it's really hard to find authenticity and you have to accept what is offered, a lot of times an Americanized version of Mexican food. I'm just trying to help people identify the difference between different Mexican cuisines and wanted to bring Tijuana-style street food scene to downtown Phoenix."
She started with pop-ups around the Valley that in turn earned her food truck a permanent spot at the Cobra Arcade Bar. In May, John Sagasta, the owner of Jobot Coffee & Bar invited her to take charge of restaurant's kitchen, an opportunity she said, she could not pass up.
"For me, it was a step to build my portfolio and expose my cuisine to more people. My main goal is to eventually move to Mexico with my vision of full authenticity."
Creating a new kitchen culture
"I'm a lesbian and an LGBTQ ally, trying to create a space where the youth at risk can find their identity and confidence to pursue their goals and dreams."
Carrillo runs her kitchens with a team of four other women, and her aim is to use her kitchen and current restaurant space to welcome the LGBTQ community fully.
"In the Mexican culture, as a member of the LGBTQ, it's difficult to find acceptance and closeminded people cringe when they see you with a partner. We want you to come on in with your partner. You are part of the family."
She applies this mentality to her crew and her customers.
"Come as you are, be your full self. We are not asking you to bring it down or pretend to be someone else."
What's on the menu at Baja Roots
There are some ingredients that you will never find on her menu. "We don't use ground beef, sour cream or yellow cheddar cheese," Carrillo said. "Those are TexMex ingredients and I'm trying to stay true to Baja style of food."
Carrillo offers different menus at Jobot and at her food truck, which still serves in front of Cobra Arcade Bar from Thursday to Sunday in the evenings.
At the food truck, she sells bar foods, like tacos, quesadillas and hot and spicy birria ramen, a dish that has gotten lots of love on Instagram. At Jobot, she makes Mexican breakfast all day.
Her decision to offer Mexican breakfast has an element of nostalgia. "I love waking up late, sometimes at 3 or 4 p.m. and having breakfast, so I wanted to offer it to others as well as the people in the industry who have to work late."
Some menu items include:
The BRB or Baja Roots Burrito, made with queso Mexicano, frijole de olla (beans), onions, cilantro, guacamole and choice of protein ($16).
Spicy Birria Ramen, made with six-hour slow cooked beef in Guajillo broth and garnished with cilantro, onion, salsa verde and lime juice, topped with radishes and chiltepin ($16).
Her most popular item are flautas made of four rolled tacos de pollo topped with cotija cheese, house guacamole, crema Mexicana and salsa verde ($13).
Molletes, an open-faced sandwich, are made with two bolillos (crusty white bread) topped with salsa bandera and a choice of protein ($12).
Santo's churro waffles include four churro waffles with house made guava compote ($10).
There's also a secret menu, the majority of which she said she created during the pandemic, and which she explained allows her to experiment and find her customers' favorites. Some make it into the permanent rotation, like the birria ramen, which was supposed to be a seasonal offering but has now been added to the regular menu at the truck and at Jobot.
Each week Baja Roots' social media announces the secret menu options for the two locations. In the past, they have included chilaquiles burgers, adobo pork belly and menudo. Currently, she said the most popular secret menu dish is the chilaquiles.
Prices: Range from $3.50 per taco to $13 burrito. At Jobot, the price range from $5 taco to $18 platter of chilaquiles.
Details: bajarootsaz.com.
Jobot Coffee & Bar at 333 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Cobra Arcade Bar at 801 N. Second St., #100, Phoenix. 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday-Sunday.
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Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @banooshahr.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Downtown Phoenix Mexican restaurant serves Baja cuisine and acceptance
