Meet Gilberto Cetina | Owner, Chef of Holbox

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gilberto Cetina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gilberto, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My success is largely due to the incredible people around me. This includes not only the chefs and staff who manage the daily operations at Holbox, but also the dedicated purveyors and fishermen who provide us with the finest local, sustainable seafood. I’ve been fortunate to build a strong, supportive group that believes in our mission, many of whom have been with me since the beginning.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
After learning the fundamentals of cooking from my father, I began studying on my own through books and experimentation. I quickly became fascinated with how profoundly food can tap into people’s emotions. The feedback cycle of making food, serving it to guests, and seeing their reaction right away was addicting. That’s probably why I continue to cook.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Kato is one of my favorite all time restaurants. Chef Jon Yao is not only a good friend of mine, but also a chef that I admire for reinventing the guardrails of Taiwanese food through a truly Los Angeles lens. He and the entire team at Kato inspire our team at Holbox to look at how to utilize ingredients differently in elevated and delicious ways that still feel rooted in tradition.

Of course I have to saw a stop at the Mercado la Paloma is a must. There is a variety of different restaurants that everyone will find something they will enjoy, especially with Komal opening very soon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Holbox is recognized for serving fresh seafood daily, thanks in large part to our extensive and loyal network of fishermen. By building new relationships within the seafood purveyor community, I’ve been able to access not only the highest quality ingredients but also some that weren’t previously available to us. We also expanded our masa program to make all of our tortillas and even some of our tostadas in-house, which has elevated our dishes in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
I would like to shoutout Chef Fatima for creating an executing our in house masa program, and the local purveyors we work with.

Website: https://www.holboxla.com/#/

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Image Credits
Liam Brown