A few years ago, I had to go to a stranger’s house to find Sonoran tacos in the Bay Area. I’d sit with other brave squatters in an unfamiliar patio and swallow sweet plumes of mesquite charcoal before inhaling translucent flour tortillas caressing charcoal-grilled meats. That underground operation eventually became Top 100 taqueria Tacos Mama Cuca, but the taco style, generally, has remained a rarity.
But now, Sonoran food is mere series of taps away from materializing at my doorstep, thanks to a new virtual restaurant by Rick Martinez, a celebrity chef known for his Bon Appétit appearances and recipes, as well as cookbooks — “Mi Cocina” and “Salsa Daddy” — dedicated to Mexican cuisine.
This summer, he debuted his Sonoran-inspired Chef Rick’s Mexican in partnership with local startup Local Kitchens — a food hall, of sorts, where all the cooking occurs in one kitchen. Like ghost kitchens, the business model is geared toward takeout, only with slightly more consideration for the dine-in experience; every location has seating, instead of an interior filled with automated food lockers. Patrons can order from their phones or in person from a kiosk at six Bay Area Local Kitchens outposts. They’re located across the Peninsula, the South Bay, the East Bay and Marin County…