South to North: Chef stays true to his Mexican roots - Pablo Jacinto

When Pablo Jacinto, the executive chef and co-owner of Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, arrived in Napa Valley in 1986, there were no chiles, no tortillas, no cilantro, no taco trucks and little else remotely Mexican. It was a long way from San Miguel Noxistlan, the Oaxacan village where he was born.

Jacinto got his first job washing dishes at Mustards Grill, and then briefly moved to Tra Vigne in St. Helena, eventually graduating to salad maker.

Jacinto’s way has not been a fast track, but a steady pursuit always pushed by his love of cooking. He married and had two daughters, giving him extra motivation to find where he was meant to be. He moved around, trying catering and then commuted from Napa to Mill Valley for a year to work at the Buckeye Roadhouse. “*

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