Will the Real Hector Please Stand Up?

, I was puzzled because the owner’s name was Jose Alcantar. Furthermore, Alcantar did not seem to know who the original Hector was.

How could this be? My curiosity was further aroused when Cathy Gracia—the daughter of the real Hector—informed me that her parents, Hector and Jenny Gracia, are alive and well, and managing in Freedom.

This new information raised more questions, which I hoped to answer while enjoying a meal.

Fidel’s is located on Airport Road in Freedom. The building is conveniently located near the , with parking out front and on the side.  The interior is orderly and clean, and the folks behind the counter are gracious and friendly. Their pastry shelves contained cinnamon-sugary bunuelos, fruit empanadas, and house-made corn and flour tortillas.

On my first visit, I ordered the cochinita (slow-roasted pork) special; my companion, Michael, ordered a cheese tamale and chili relleno, a la carte.  A number of customers stopped by to pick up meals and Jenny Gracia informed me that most locals ordered take-out, unless they wanted to sit at one of the tables. 

Our meals arrived shortly. My cochinita, bathed in a mild red sauce, came with beans, rice, salad and corn tortillas. While the tortillas were excellent, Michael and I felt that, overall, our meals were good, but not particularly exciting.

However, on our second visit, my chile verde plate—containing large chunks of tender pork in a spicy green sauce flecked with chili flakes—was satisfyingly tasty and filling, accompanied with thick, chewy, flour tortillas. It was just the thing to warm me up on a cool day. It also came with rice, beans and a salad of lettuce, sliced tomatoes and avocado.

Michael ordered a birria (spicy meat stew) taco and a lengua (beef tongue) taco that he declared “the best I have ever eaten.” Honestly, I’ve never had the urge to eat lengua—but this was high praise from my friend. I purchased an apple empanada on my way out, and will return another time for bunuelos.

Hector Gracia is from Nuevo León, Mexico. He met Jenny (from San Jose, California) in the U.S. They opened in 1980 and sold carnitas, bread and tortillas, Jenny explained. At one point, they leased the restaurant to Jose Alcantar for 10 years, but—for reasons that shall remain between the two parties—they decided to take over the building again, and reopened the business as Fidel’s, named after their son. Alcantar eventually moved to the location on East Lake Avenue, taking the name of the business, (Hector’s Mexican Bakery) with him.

Mystery solved. But, as she told me, “If you want to know where Hector is, just ask anyone at the Plaza in Watsonville; that’s how well-known he is.”

Fidel’s employs five staff, “just friends,” Jenny said. Their recipes comes from friends and family. The chile verde is her own recipe, and the birria from her Aunt “Chica.” Recipes for corn tortillas, Mexican bread and cochinita come from a dear friend, Malena Vasquez, and their flour tortillas are from Mrs. Gracia’s grandmother, “Cathy” Sotelo.

Hector and Jenny Gracia are still around, cooking great, homestyle Mexican food. And here’s a hint from their daughter, Cathy Gracia: “If you come in the morning, around 8 or so they should be making fresh corn tortillas.” Take some time soon to drop in for a visit.

301 Airport Rd., Watsonville.  Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily (except holidays). 831-761-1321.