Chelo (restaurant)
| Chelo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2016 |
| Owner(s) | Luna Contreras |
| Food type | Mexican |
| City | Portland |
| County | Multnomah |
| State | Oregon |
| Country | United States |
Chelo is a Mexican restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States.
Description
[edit]The Mexican restaurant and condiment business[1] Chelo (sometimes Chelo PDX)[2] operates in Portland, Oregon. The name is a tribute to the owner's grandmother, who operated a restaurant in Guadalajara and was nicknamed Chelo.[3][4]
Chelo's menu includes gorditas, tacos, tamales (including a version with confit duck and leek), tlayudas, tostadas,[5] mole, and seasonal vegetables.[6] The Mexican street corn salad has clams, cherry tomatoes, tajin seasoning, and crema. The squash tlayuda has peaches, shishitos, zucchini, manchego and black bean puree, and the almond tres leches cake is served with berry meringues and pandan cream.[5]
The restaurant sells hot sauces[7] and other products such as azelnut salsa macha.[1] The business' logo depicts a fox with a fluffy tail.[6]
History
[edit]Luna Contreras started Chelo as a pop-up in Renata's commissary kitchen in 2016. Chelo was on a hiatus, as of November 2020.[8] In 2021, Contereras revived Chelo as a pop-up at the Filipino restaurant Magna Kusina.[2][9] Chelo operated in Sibeiho on Northwest 23rd in 2022[10] and began operating from Dame Collective's Lil' Dame space in 2023.[6][11] As of mid 2024, Chelo was increasing production of hot sauces for independent retailers in Portland and Seattle.[12]
In 2024, Chelo's tlayudas were included in illustrator Rebecca Nguyen-Macalalad's "The Women of Portland Food" poster depicting dishes by female chefs in Portland.[13]
Reception
[edit]Shortly after Chelo opened at Dame Collective in 2023, Contreras was named Chef of the Year by Eater Portland.[12][14] The website's Janey Wong wrote in part, "Even for folks who haven't had the chance to visit Chelo, Contreras is ubiquitous in the fabric of Portland's food scene — she's a staple at many of the city's biggest food events, her condiment line is stocked at fine food markets around town, and she's a vocal advocate for the trans community."[15]
Katherine Chew Hamilton of Portland Monthly included Chelo's chilaquiles rellenos in a list of the city's ten best dishes of 2023.[16] The magazine's Karen Brooks called the menu "playful"[17] and Victoria Leandra of HuffPost called the food "nostalgic, yet innovative".[18]
See also
[edit]
- Hispanics and Latinos in Portland, Oregon
- LGBTQ culture in Portland, Oregon
- LGBTQ-owned business
- List of Mexican restaurants
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2023-01-18). "What We Know About Luna Contreras's Incoming Snack Bar and Bakery". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ a b Frane, Alex (2021-10-06). "At Chelo, Chef Luna Contreras Pays Homage to Her Grandmother With Mexican Snacks". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ Russell, Michael (2016-11-01). "Former San Francisco chef Luis Contreras launches Mexican pop-up Chelo". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ "'You're Looking At Her': Trials And Triumphs Of Women Chefs". HuffPost. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ a b Gebel, Meira (2024-06-25). "Where to find chef-driven, elevated Mexican fare in Portland". Axios. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ a b c "Chelo at Dame Will Soon Come to an End, but Luna Contreras Has More in Store for Hungry Portlanders". Willamette Week. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2022-12-07). "It's Luna's World; We're Just Living in It". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ Russell, Michael (2020-11-03). "At Northeast Portland's Nightingale, creative cocktails, Mexican street food in time of change". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ Russell, Michael (2021-12-08). "Magna Kusina is Portland's 2021 Restaurant of the Year". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Smith, Suzette; Moore, Jenni; Fisher, Bryson. "Things Not to Miss at Pickathon 2022". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ Hilton, Thom (2023-10-02). "Chelo Chef Luna Contreras's Favorite Portland Restaurants". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ a b Gebel, Meira (2024-07-23). "Portland chef Luna Contraes of Chelo shares her last meal". Axios. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ "Portland illustrator designs poster showcasing city's female chefs". KOIN.com. 2024-10-20. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ "Editor of Eater Portland on 2023′s best restaurants, food carts and more". opb. Archived from the original on 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2023-12-06). "Here Are 2023's Eater Award Winners for Portland". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ "Portland's 10 Best Dishes of 2023". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ "REVIEW: Hidden Clandestino Is Portland's Best New Mexican Restaurant". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ^ "Portland's Food Scene Was Overwhelmingly White. One Thing Changed All Of That". HuffPost. 2023-07-13. Archived from the original on 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2024-12-13.