Two years after chef Luis Valenzuela brought a taqueria to Toronto in the form of Holi Taco, he has opened another cozy eatery where Mexican flavours and culture are celebrated — and the tip is left behind.
That’s right: At Santa Madre, a Mexican fonda on Gerrard Street East in Little India, you won’t be asked to leave a gratuity.
“A ‘thank you’ is more than enough, a smile is more than enough, but if you want to leave any sort of financial compensation to the people that work at Santa Madre, then you go to the kitchen, you say ‘hello’ to the chefs, you say ‘thank you,’ and then you drop the money in this money jar,” says Valenzuela. “People leave the restaurant with a smile because they’ve been generous. People leave the restaurant happy because they gave something out of their kindness and not out of the obligation to do so.”
The chef says that Santa Madre was “ten years in the making.” Despite having moved to Canada at 18 years old, Valenzuela found himself trying to fit into European style of cooking and dining. But, mentoring Latin American chefs helped him rediscover — and find pride in — Mexican cuisine. Step one in getting back to his roots was opening the beloved Holi Taco, and step two is Santa Madre.
“Fondas are restaurants in Mexico that are very affordable. They’re places where you go or they’re a home and someone opens the garage of their house and whatever leftover food or whatever food they’re making for the day, they serve it at cost to people that are walking by in the streets,” says Valenzuela. “I thought maybe this is perfect for the economy that we’re having, for the time that we’re living. I thought, how about if we were to bring something like that into Toronto, where we have an authentic fonda that instead of run by family, is run by cooks.”
When you step into Santa Madre, you’ll be immersed in vibrant colours and friendly hospitality. With metal framing akin to those family garages lining the walls among Valenzuela’s six-year-old daughter’s artwork, it’s clear this fonda is all about family. Alongside an image of the Virgin Mary, the mural is a love letter to Toronto, with an original design of a raccoon as an alebrije — a symbolic Mexican folk art figurine.
“It’s a restaurant with a lot of meaningful touches that I hoped would inspire people that are working,” Valenzuela says.
The menu at Santa Madre might be small, but it sure is packed with flavour and value. From tacos and sandwiches to full traditional Mexican meals with rice and beans, everything is made with fresh ingredients and intention.
On the weekend, Santa Madre cooks up a brunch menu full of Mexican comfort foods including bolillo layered with refried beans, melted cheese, and pico de gallo. Other highlights are the chilaquiles (corn tortilla chips bathed in salsa roja or verde) and huevos rancheros (sunnyside eggs over corn tortilla with salsa, beans, and garnish).
By keeping the prices low and removing the tip option, Valenzuela says the goal of Santa Madre is to encourage customers to return time and time again.
“For most restaurants, it’s like you come in and I take as much as I can from you because I don’t know if you’re going to come back or not,” he says. “Instead, we’re betting, hoping, believing that you will come back.”
Santa Madre Mexican Restaurant is open at 1437 Gerrard St. E.
