0:00

Want to introduce you to Rudy. Rudy is the owner

0:05

of Gracia signor Man. Look at you and welcome to

0:12

the show.

0:13

Hi, thanks for having me.

0:15

It's our pleasure. Now. Kayla was telling anybody that's been

0:20

affected that's coming on the show that this is for you,

0:22

not for us. It's very common for people to bring food.

0:25

We didn't ask, we were hoping nobody would, but you did.

0:28

And I ask this at the beginning, that we pay

0:33

for it. I know a lot of people come on the show and it's kind of an exchange. We taste

0:37

the food and it makes total sense. But in this case,

0:40

we really we thank you for bringing it, and we're

0:42

excited trust me to get into those burritos. But in

0:46

this case, we really want to take care of you. So I just wanted to really thank you in a

0:51

time when you guys are I find your footing.

0:54

I completely appreciate it, and I'm incredibly grateful and thankful.

0:58

But this is kind of like what we do. We well,

1:02

that's food. You know, you share it.

1:04

Food makes people happy, and and for me to be

1:07

able to provide some nourishment for someone something that I

1:10

know it's going to.

1:11

Be delicious that you're gonna love. That's going to make

1:13

me feel comforted.

1:14

Are you saying I'm getting too thin? Are you worried?

1:17

Seriously worried about this? But that's very kind.

1:21

I'm saying that I do it.

1:22

We do it from from the bottom of our hearts

1:25

with great respect and gratitude for what you're doing, for

1:30

for wanting to help us. And and if if you

1:34

go to anywhere, any cook, any any restaurant, any people

1:37

who works in the hospitality world, this is who we are.

1:41

We we nourish people and we do it with all

1:45

the heart. So if you if you can take my

1:48

food and enjoy it place, that's very kind.

1:51

That's that's all I ask.

1:53

It doesn't it never gets all, does it to see somebody eat your food for the first time? Where it

1:59

tell us a little bit about the beginnings of your truck,

2:05

and then we'll get to where you are today.

2:07

So I actually started the truck with the with the

2:12

goal of going to school. I was working for a

2:16

company before having the truck, but I was a non

2:21

documented student, so I couldn't get financial aid and I

2:26

couldn't really I couldn't get another job because I required

2:33

legal documentation. But then when Obama created the DACA program,

2:37

I was able to leave my other job, and I

2:40

thought that was like, that was like the freedom that

2:42

I wanted, that I needed, and it did provide a

2:46

path for me to be able to do other stuff,

2:50

but nothing like once I got out of that, out

2:52

of that job, I couldn't get another job that paid

2:55

enough for me to go to school. So I went

3:01

to the drawing board and I started trying to think of ideas of what I could do to to pay

3:05

for my education, because you know, I don't come from like a wealthy family. My mom, you know, all her

3:10

life she's worked cleaning, like office buildings or like stuff

3:16

like that, so she didn't really make a lot of

3:19

money to pay for my school with no financial aid.

3:23

So for me to go to school, I needed to.

3:25

Find a way to make you know, enough money to

3:30

not only support me, but be able to pay for

3:32

my education. So I when I started the truck, it

3:37

was when trucks started getting really you know, trying to

3:39

get popular, and you know, I thought it was gonna

3:44

be an easy, an easy, an easy it is sent

3:47

to success, but actually it was very tough for the

3:52

first two three years. I wasn't really making a lot

3:55

of money, so I did put put school on posts.

4:00

But eventually I built a rapport.

4:04

I built a client base in the Palisades, and I

4:08

was able to pay for school. I finished my degree

4:11

in business administration from Calca to LA So that wouldn't

4:15

have been able. That wouldn't have been possible if I

4:19

didn't have my business. That allowed me a little more freedom,

4:21

or financial freedom, more like just freedom in general.

4:25

When did you start cooking? I started cooking out four

4:28

years old. Actually, my grandma.

4:31

She the first thing she showed me how to cook

4:34

was like scrambled eggs and bacon, and that was my

4:38

first time I cooked, so she showed me. The next

4:42

time I tried to do it on my own, she wasn't with me, so I just I remember like putting a

4:46

bunch of pots with like water all around the kitchen

4:49

just in case I dropped something.

4:52

And I started bringing the kitchen. I was like, there's

4:54

something that happens. I'm just going, Yes, I always been

4:57

in cautious individuals.

5:00

That's a lot before you even cook anything. Hey, and

5:02

you couldn't have been poor poor if you're putting bacon

5:04

in there. Because it's like oevos Conweni's is the story maybe,

5:10

I mean, like that's the first everywhere we laugh about it.

5:12

You throw some hot dogs in there and it's like the best meal in the whole world. All Right, hak tyg.

5:17

We're gonna talk more with Rudy when we come back.

5:20

You can find out more at now are you pronouncing

5:23

the s in both? Are you saying Grassia signor or grai? Okay? Yeah,

5:31

uh so you can go find them on the web

5:35

at g R A c I A s just single.

5:39

Less single as for the Instagram handle.

5:42

E n O R dot com. So we're talking to

5:47

Rudy from Grassias signor a food truck and where can

5:52

people find you? Now?

5:53

So right now we're we're doing we're still doing two

5:55

days in the physic Palaces. We're mainly focused uh in

5:59

Brentwood on Samva Senta between Montana and Bundy from ten

6:05

to two thirty.

6:08

Holy smokes, this burrito is crazy. Now? Is that your

6:12

main focus is breakfast burritos?

6:14

No, that's like that's just like what a lot of

6:16

people really enjoy. But we started the truck like focusing

6:21

on our tacos. We handmade presster teas, everything fresh made

6:26

the day of and that was our main focus. But

6:30

a lot of people really enjoy a breakfast burritosh.

6:34

This is for how many people? Just the one that's

6:37

just the one? Oh my gosh, Like, how heavy is

6:40

that burrito?

6:41

I mean tacos, well, the tacos.

6:44

I didn't even know there were tacos.

6:47

I wasn't going to tell you, but there are tacos

6:50

and they are phenomenal.

6:52

I want tacos.

6:53

There are actually no tacos, Kayla rose Lie. I'll share

6:58

the tacos. I'll bring you a ro Oh.

7:01

Listen to how put out she is the one we

7:06

you know, so Rudy comes in, Bear's his entire heart.

7:13

But the power of feeding people and you're hoarding you

7:18

took them for yourself. I was going to you showed

7:21

people who you are today, kayleb. You showed them who

7:24

you are.

7:25

If you taste the tacos, you'd understand.

7:26

Yeah, because this burrito is insane. Now, this one is

7:30

with with both beef and with bacon in it. So

7:36

tell me how many. I mean, you brought a butt

7:39

ton of food, So tell me about these burritos, and

7:43

then about your menu.

7:45

What would you like now everything?

7:48

I want to know what's in these burritos? What you know,

7:50

what's your best seller?

7:51

All right?

7:51

So, like I said, the breakfast britos are one of

7:54

the more popular items are menu just I think I

7:57

think the reason why that is is just you're just

7:59

so comforting and you can you know, there's there's no

8:01

wrong time for breakfast. So they're delicious, they're comforting, and

8:08

they're just packed with flavor. They they'll definitely fill you up.

8:14

So we try to keep things very simple. Just make

8:18

sure that you know our eggs are like silky soft delicious.

8:24

Your ratios are on point. Yeah, that's super important for

8:28

a breakfast brito to me, and the taco and everything else.

8:31

But getting those ratios right where you get a bite

8:34

of everything and you have like a mild heat going

8:38

just basic, and then you've got three sauces that you

8:42

can up the ante if you want in any direction

8:45

for more flavor. And I like that because sometimes I'm

8:47

in the mood for heat and sometimes I'm just not. And on its own, it's got a great little pepper

8:53

heat to it. And I dig that that I can

8:56

up that if I want, or I can keep it

8:58

in that mode.

9:00

We always tell people with our saucers are mainly for flavor.

9:03

It's not too late burner, Yeah.

9:05

For heat's sake. I've never understood that, you know, people go,

9:11

you know, they just want to burn your tongue or something like that. Hey, you know what, can is it

9:16

possible maybe to move our next guest a little bit,

9:20

just to move things around a little bit. Can you guys stick around?

9:22

Of course?

9:23

He talks more. All right, great, we're talking to Rudy

9:26

from Grassia Signor. It's a food truck they can find

9:31

you can find you on social media as well, right Book, Instagram, Facebook,

9:36

all of that Grassia Signor and the food. I can't

9:41

wait to dive into those tacos as well. But your

9:43

breakfast burritos are prom man, They're very very good. Right now,

9:47

we're talking to Rudy very intos and he is the

9:52

proprietor of Grassias Signor g R A C I A

9:57

S E n O R dot. You can find them

10:01

on Instagram at the same and we are just eating

10:05

his food. He was affected by the Palisades fire because

10:10

he has a well known food truck that was there

10:13

and a lot of customers that would come and enjoy

10:16

the food, their tacos, their breakfast burritos. He has now

10:20

moved to to Brentwood, and that's working out for your

10:27

You're on San Vicente.

10:29

San Vasante to Montana and Bundy.

10:31

Gotcha, So one one, nine for one San Vicente Boulevard Sunday,

10:37

Thursday through Sunday, and you're still in the paliside Palisades

10:42

on Monday and Tuesday then Mondesday and it's you know,

10:46

a lot of people were affected by the fires, and

10:49

we're trying to put some focus on the people that

10:52

may didn't maybe didn't have something burned down a business,

10:54

but it's been affected because the ecosystem has changed. Told

10:59

us you're about being part of the DOACA program, and

11:03

I know that right now that is up in the air.

11:05

We were talking off the air, and the prayer is

11:09

that that gets ironed out. I say, I always say,

11:11

if we want bad people out, then we want good

11:14

people in. And the key is to find out who

11:18

those people are and how to do it. But I

11:21

don't know who wouldn't want someone like you bringing food

11:25

and joy and positivity to a country. And this food

11:31

is spectacular, just just really it is made with the

11:35

love that you'd get from a parent making you food.

11:39

I'm glad you feel it.

11:40

Yeah, that's what I always tell my son when I

11:44

make him something, I say, I put love in there

11:46

that you know.

11:47

It's funny that you say that, because that that's what my grandma used to tell me. She would always tell me,

11:50

like you can always tell when someone makes your food,

11:52

would love.

11:53

Right, It's just it's the ingredient I've had. I've eaten

11:58

a lot of food, obviously, and with this show, I

12:02

get to eat a lot of different food. And I've

12:04

been out to restaurants where the chefs prepared a meal

12:09

that was technically perfect, like all the techniques. Everything that

12:13

was done was done textbook, but it tasted like a textbook. Now,

12:21

it just it was there wasn't that life behind it.

12:26

It was technique versus soul.

12:28

Yeah, and there is a difference. There is something about

12:31

that when somebody it's almost you want somebody to make

12:34

something like they're making it for themselves and they go, hey,

12:37

you hungry, take this.

12:39

You know.

12:39

It's actually kind of funny that you say that, because in the truck, all of us when when we eat,

12:45

when we eat, we prefer when we went to one

12:48

of our other team members cooks it. Like we always

12:52

say this, like it tastes better when someone else makes

12:55

it for you, because when you make it, you're just

12:58

trying to be perfect. But with someone else makes it

13:00

for you, there's something in that phase from when they're

13:05

making it to the point where you get it that

13:07

makes it so special because someone else is caring for

13:12

this precious meal that's gonna nurseh you.

13:15

Yeah, you can. You can taste it, and it's just

13:20

And that's anywhere. I mean, that's why you can't make

13:23

what your grandmother made, or your mom made, or your

13:25

dad made, or anybody in the family. You can't. Ever

13:28

you could have the exact recipe, it won't taste the

13:31

same because there's something about someone cooking for you. And

13:35

we know this to be true. We know psychologically there's

13:38

power in the anticipation. I'd much rather see someone enjoy

13:43

something I made than me, even you.

13:44

Did, for sure.

13:46

So how did you come up with your menu? What

13:49

other things are on your menu? So you have tacos and burritos.

13:52

So tacos and burritos. So one of the things that

13:55

I actually right when I started the truck I knew

13:58

I wanted to have was one of our our beer

14:00

battered fish tacos. They're one of my personal favorites. And uh,

14:05

they go way back to when I when I lived

14:08

in Tijuana.

14:09

Because that's where I was born. The Baja style hostile, so.

14:16

When when I came to this country, there wasn't a lot of good Baha hostile fish tacos.

14:22

So my.

14:25

When I would on Fridays when I would get out

14:28

of school, my mom worked nice ships, clean and office building,

14:32

and I remember because Friday was the day I didn't

14:36

have to go to school the next day, so I

14:39

would go with her from LA all the way to

14:42

Santa Monica and the best taco we could have at

14:45

that point was Reviews fish tacos. Oh yeah, and it

14:49

was it was it was like this routine that we

14:51

did on Fridays. I would go with her Santa Monica

14:55

skateboard back to LA but before she went to work,

14:59

our meal, our shared meal would be the Rebus fish

15:01

tacos because it was the closest thing we could we

15:03

could find too to the inns NaSTA fish talkers we

15:06

would have in Mexico.

15:08

So when I started the truck.

15:09

I knew those tacos had to be in the menu

15:12

the way I knew how to make him, the way I remember them to be.

15:15

What do you think sets them apart? What is a true Baja style fish taco?

15:19

Honestly, like like we were talking about earlier, it's just

15:22

the care I put in it, and and just the

15:26

fact that I want to I want to taste home

15:29

every time I make him, every time.

15:32

You know that talko was created food. Yeah, that's your

15:36

mac and cheese man. Yeah, that's where you grew up.

15:39

We all have it. We all have that that those

15:41

items that make us, you know, think a home or

15:46

think about growing up when things were simple, didn't have

15:49

to pay taxes. I have to deal with any of

15:52

that business. I also want to give a shout out

15:54

to Judy. Judy Kergan. She is a listener who sent

15:59

us your information and she knew about you, and she

16:02

reached out to us and said, these you know, these

16:05

people are really good people. They make fantastic food. They've

16:08

been caught up in this situation. And that's what inspired us,

16:12

through Judy and through your story, to know the path

16:16

we wanted to go down. Because we've been talking about what we wanted to do about restaurants. There continues, La

16:22

Times and others continue to write lists of restaurants that

16:27

are trying to come back in the fire areas and

16:29

stuff like that. So stick around, we'll do one more

16:32

segment with you. Guys can really enjoy the conversation and

16:34

the food. And of course you can go to Instagram

16:39

or online to Gracia Signor only one S G R

16:43

A C I A S E N O R dot

16:47

com and find out where they're at and in the

16:53

area of Brentwood right now. They do a couple of

16:56

days there in the Palisades still, but they could use

16:59

your life to stay afloat, and trust me, you can

17:02

use their food and you know, I don't know, maybe

17:06

you can freeze some, but I'd get a lot, especially

17:09

if you're doing a day trip. Bring a bag, bring

17:13

a cooler, whatever it takes. Right now, we're talking about

17:16

a food truck called Gracia Signor and you can find

17:21

them at dot com. You can find them on Instagram

17:27

one S and UH. You can find out more about

17:32

Rudy and Barrientos and he is the He is really

17:36

the story and the food that he's making is outstanding.

17:40

You know, Robin who's running the board and all the

17:42

commercials and everything else going on, talks to me through

17:47

the headphones, let me know, you know, spots and all

17:50

those things. And right before we come on, she goes,

17:53

these tacos are bomb, Like, Yeah, the food is fantastic.

18:00

Another thank you and a tip of the hat to Judy Judy, Judy Kirkin. She's a listener and sent us

18:06

the information. We've been wanting to do a show on

18:09

the restaurants that are affected. We've been waiting basically to

18:12

hear about the ones that are coming back, and we

18:16

won't stop today. We'll continue to let you know about

18:19

them and how to patronize them and keep them going.

18:23

So what do you want people to know about your

18:27

food and how to find you and how important it

18:30

is to have, you know, regulars and a base of

18:33

people coming to eat.

18:36

It's a credit important to have regulars. That's that was there.

18:39

That's where we were so successful in the Palace Stads because that community is a very small community that just

18:46

supports everyone and and you know, we we became embraced

18:53

by the community and therefore we were very successful.

18:56

For over ten years.

18:58

This was going to be our eleventh year in the palace, but the fires happened and everyone in that town is

19:04

scattered all over la So as much as there, you know,

19:08

we have a lot of loyal customers, as much as they're trying to support us. Because of the distance that

19:14

this fire forced them to to just like move sure,

19:20

it's really hard for them to to be there like

19:23

as regular as they would pre fires. So everyone out

19:29

there in Brentwood who loves food, loves delicious food, Mexican food,

19:35

breakfast burritos, and just or just enjoys food in general,

19:40

give us a chance so that we can win you over.

19:43

And I have no doubt that that is exactly how

19:45

it will end up. I'm glad to have a platform

19:49

for you to talk to you so much, you know, because the food is really spectacular, and I love the

19:54

story and I think it's important. You know, we hear

20:00

a lot of things in the news, and you know,

20:05

there's a lot of confusion about immigration and the good,

20:10

the bad, the ugly, the legal the non legal, and

20:15

all of these things that need to be sorted out.

20:18

But the fact is, you know, there is a good

20:20

there should be a good neighbor policy to be able

20:23

to exchange between all of our neighbors here. That is

20:27

a way that we aren't letting criminals or people in,

20:30

but letting good folks and come do what they do.

20:33

And and I think what you're doing is just wonderful.

20:35

The food is just fantastic, man. Thank you made with

20:39

love right in it. But you won't break your tooth

20:42

on love man. So thanks again to Judy for putting

20:45

this on our radar, and thanks to you Rudy for

20:48

coming in and again GRASSI signor it is a g

20:52

R A C I A S just a single ass

20:55

e n O R dot com. Of course you can

20:58

find them under that same moniker at on Instagram as well.

21:03

Check them out where they are there in Brentwood and

21:07

still a couple of days in the Palisades as well.

21:10

But get on this. This is really special food by

21:14

what seems to be a very special guy. So thanks

21:16

for taking the time on my friend. Thank you, Neil, thank you, thank you everyone. Thank you, and tell them

21:21

hello and that you heard it here. They need to

21:23

know that there's support and people that care. You know,

21:27

these things take a while. We're still dealing with what

21:29

you know, COVID, You know the the remnants of COVID

21:33

and working on the hospitality and restaurant industry, so there's

21:38

still work to do to get out there. Those of us that can that weren't affected by the fires can