In October 2024, Acme Hospitality proudly opened the doors to La Vaquera—or simply Vaquera as it’s now known—our newest culinary destination in historic San Juan Capistrano. As Executive Chef, I’ve had the privilege of building this restaurant from the ground up over the past year and a half, crafting a vision that honors both the region’s rich heritage and its natural bounty through our farm-to-table California wood-fired grill concept.
INSPIRED BY THE LAND
Vaquera’s menu was born from the stunning visual narrative that Acme’s founder, Sherry, first shared with me when I joined the project. The storyboard captured the essence of San Juan Capistrano’s legacy and the generations of hardworking people who have called this land home.
Our thoughtfully curated menu pays homage to the land and its history, drawing inspiration from the local terrain and the people who have shaped this region. We honor both the indigenous people and the early settlers who raised livestock in this area—hardworking individuals who lived off what the land provided.
This connection to place runs deeper than concept alone. For several months during menu development, I worked directly at The Ecology Center, utilizing their outdoor wood-fired kitchen and selecting ingredients right from their fields. This immersive experience profoundly shaped our approach to sourcing and cooking.
THE ACME APPROACH TO CONCEPT CREATION
Like all Acme projects, Vaquera began with a story and a central character. Every one of Acme’s projects starts with a narrative and usually with a heroine. We talked about what her house would look like, what kind of plates she used, what food she loved to cook.
This collaborative storytelling process guides every aspect of development. The entire Acme family comes together to build the narrative, and from there we work with our designers to create the “vibe.” It’s truly an amazing process to watch, and I was so blessed to have spent a year and a half literally building Vaquera from the ground up.
FIRE, SIMPLICITY, AND EXCEPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
At the heart of Vaquera is our wood-fired cooking approach—a method that connects us to the region’s culinary traditions while showcasing the exceptional quality of our ingredients.
Meals were often cooked outdoors with nothing but a fire, but the simplicity is what makes it so special. We let the land, sea, and earth speak for themselves with just the kiss of the embers to bring it all together.
This philosophy shines through in our premium steak offerings, which include Black Hawk Farms American Wagyu Bavette and Denver cuts, Nebraska Gold Filet Mignon, Creekstone Farms New York Strip and Prime Bone-in Ribeye, and a Room to Roam Achiote Glazed Double Pork Chop. Each cut is treated with the reverence it deserves, allowing the quality to shine through.
Beyond our steak program, the menu features dishes like our Local Catch served with chorizo-mezcal broth and charred cauliflower, Braised Duck Leg with winter squash and apple, and Smoked Maitake Mushrooms with pipian verde and hominy.
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO MENU DEVELOPMENT
The menu at Vaquera is not static—it evolves with the seasons and through the collaborative input of our entire team. We are a family at Vaquera, and we all work together to figure out how we will evolve the menu. We focus on local seasonal food, we talk about what we’re seeing in the local markets, and of course, we walk the fields at The Ecology Center weekly to see what’s coming into season.
This creativity extends to our approach to recipe development as well. We start with an idea—could be me, one of my sous chefs, or even something a guest mentioned casually to one of our servers. From there, we’ll start to play, making sure to make enough mise en place so that we can iterate over and over until we find the right balance. This is not my menu; this is Vaquera’s menu, developed by our family.
SIGNATURE DISHES: TRADITION WITH A TWIST
When asked about favorite dishes, I can’t help but highlight our Black Hawk Farms Beef Tartare. The dish is so simple but at the same time so unexpected. We wanted to create something with all the aspects of a traditional beef tartare but also speak to our story.
The dish exemplifies our approach to putting unique twists on classic preparations: Our hot sauce egg yolk jam replaces the traditional raw egg yolk, our chipotle-scented pickled red onions replace the shallots, and our toasted seeds add just the right amount of earthiness and texture to create something special.
The attention to detail extends even to our bread service. To bring it all together, 6100 Bread developed a sourdough bread that incorporates blue corn masa into their dough. The flavor of the corn comes through beautifully when charred over the open fire.
Vaquera represents the culmination of thoughtful storytelling, deep respect for local heritage, passionate collaboration, and a commitment to exceptional ingredients prepared with elemental simplicity. It’s a place where the rich history of San Juan Capistrano comes alive through every aspect of the dining experience—from the carefully designed space to each dish that emerges from our wood-fired grill.
