FoodView
By Chris Murphy
This is a moment we have all been waiting for. Civilization has finally reached the end of 10th Street. Night after night, we have walked out of the Gallo Center after a show and wondered what we should do. 10th Street has been less than inviting in the evening, and now it is all different. The paper has come off the window, the roll-up windows are open and there is a beautiful light coming out, drawing you in in to a project that has been in the making for many years. The drinks are ready, the kitchen is open and best of all, ready to welcome you. I love 10th Street and it feels like it’s getting ready to shine.
Years ago, in Atwater, when they were teenagers, Luis Soto, Daniel Perez and Rudy Ybarra all worked at a restaurant as busboys and dishwashers and were all friends and still are to this day. Throughout the years, they have all worked in many places, seen what works, what doesn’t and have had dreams about how to make it all work. The path has been winding and they have a lot of different experiences.
Luis Soto brought the dream together. He has been in the HVAC business for many years, building restaurants. He has had many ideas, all the while, making notes about what he wanted when he could build a restaurant. A couple of years ago, he began to build Casa Maestros. With some starts and stops and two years of pandemic, he has worked hard to bring this to life. He invested more than he thought he would, but at the end of the day and after a lot of hard work, and the pandemic, he has what he dreamed about. Best of all, his friends of many years are right there with him.
At the recent opening, they celebrated with tequila, fantastic food, a mariachi band on a great corner. Now they are really ready to go strong. The onyx back lit bar is beautiful, and it shines through the cocktails served. The tequila variety is amazing and the top-shelf Don Julio and the Clase Azul are served with respect in a properly chilled glass. Daniel is very proud of the rare Don Julio, made from one of the last remaining batch while he was alive. They have bottles from barrel #1. Ask the price before ordering.
I have not had a shot of tequila in many years, and had my first with the guidance of my bartender Ben Robles and co-owner Daniel Perez. Clase Azul, poured from a beautiful ceramic bottle with bell in the cap, is amazing, with a hint of vanilla with an orange. Wow. This is just the start as they have a full bar with many drink specials, flights of margaritas and will have tequila flights in the future. Once you have your drink, the bar is a great space and there are cool patio seats right there on the corner of 10th and I.
Bill Vega is the chef and his work is amazing. When I invited MJ Mangano to take pictures for this, his first question was, “they have food?”. Oh yes friends, this is so much more than a tequila bar. From the special tacos Jose, carne asada with cheese, to the shrimp and steak fajitas, house made beans (no cans), the amazing super burritos to the baskets of chips and salsa served in a paper cone, there is truly something for everyone. For ceviche fans, the shrimp are all hand cut, the limes hand squeezed and the taste is fresh. As a side, you can even get grilled whole jalapenos.
The tortillas are hand made at Bonanza right down on H Street, and the mole sauce is Daniel’s great grandmothers recipe. Yes, 4th generation 100 year old recipes are found here. You can find this amazing sauce on the Mole Wings. Everyone will be talking about these. But what blew our minds is the molcajete bowl. Wow. Molcajete is an amazing dish no matter where you go, but this is over the top. Deep fried cheese, grilled shrimp, steak, chicken and nopales draped over the edge of the bowl, with more steak, spices, sauce and cheese in the hot lava bowl. You need a friend to help you eat this. It is truly and amazing menu, fresh, interesting, authentic and served in a really friendly place.
You can tell that friends run Casa Maestros. Is shows in the teamwork from Daniel who is everywhere, to Ben in bar, to Jose in the restaurant to Bill in the kitchen and Rudy as the manager and the rest of the team. Luis is very appreciative of the teamwork and patience he got from building owner Mitch Gagos as he built this through the pandemic. You can tell this is a dream that they all shared that Luis brought to life and got the band back together.
10th Street has a new start, and from I Street all the way down through 10th St Plaza, there is a new hustle and energy. Casa Maestros capping the end of the block is the social space where everyone can meet up, from lunch till closing. Luis explained, “I wanted to make it an old school place with traditions, that had the new school look and feel”. Well in my opinion, mission accomplished.
Casa Maestro Cantina and Tequila Bar
901 10th St. Modesto, Ca 95354
209-576-2644 Instagram @casamaestros_ (include the underscore)
Hours: Tues-Thurs 11 am -10 pm, Fri & Sat until 11 Sunday until 5 pm
