My name is Rosalyn Vera and I'm the owner of Cocina Luchadoras and it's in Baltimore.

♪ ♪ I was born in New York in the Bronx with other two siblings.

Um, my sisters, Dalida and Alviel, so my parents sent us with my grandmother to Mexico City.

Um, and we grew up there, we were there until I was twelve.

Yeah, so twelve years old and then we came back to the states, to New York and I relearned English but yeah I mean, I had great memories growing up in Mexico that's what is the foundation of what my business is now Um, it's memories of how I grew up, um, throughout Mexico and New York, and now definitely...now here, you know.

♪ ♪ Growing up in Mexico with a lot of relatives and family there's always food, there's always... We lived in about...it was like, fifteen of us.

Like, you know, in the one house.

Obviously, everyone had their own little studios, and so, but there was always food.

When we moved here, whoever immigrated into New York, they would help out because my parents were the first ones that arrived into the country.

So, they were like the ones that knew, you know, everything.

So, um, I had always been surrounded you know, with food.

♪ ♪ The first business that my dad had was uh, a van full of produce like um, like um, jalapenos and dried chilies.

And we would make chili sauce in the house.

Um, dried beef like a cured beef for dinner and at breakfast.

And so, we would sell them by the pound.

So, it started like that you know a little in a van.

And we would go up in the apartments in the Bronx and take their orders.

Like, how many tortillas do you want, how many...

So, we would always you know, we started with that.

Then, my dad opened a grocery store.

After that he opened a restaurant.

And that's how, that's how I grew up surrounded through, you know, with food and family, and nurturing.

I think that food really nurtures our soul like everything, right?

♪ ♪ La Barrita is really good, that's a with the steak I just love steak.

(laughs) But yeah, La Barrita is pretty good.

I love going to Chilango's too for you know their cerviche.

Ooh, Chilango's is really good and Carlos too, which is the owner of Chilango's.

He was one of like the person that helped us, helped my family without even knowing us and when we had just moved.

So, I have a really special um, you know, just this memory of him.

And whenever, we see each other it's like he is part of the family because he helped us out when no one helped us.

So, I am always...

I am very happy whenever, he has like...

He has other businesses around.

He has one in Caton, I'm very happy, very happy that you know, and that there's a Latino, and you know, with all these other businesses, too.

♪ ♪ My grandmother, I mean, I have this memory of her just you know, a being next to her when she was making tortillas in her hometown, um, with the layout, you know, just some wood and a big comal.

And just you know, making the tortillas but there were big tortillas.

But she would make small ones for us and put the same water that she was doing for the tortillas and pour some salt, and then roll it in a small, in like a taco, right?

But it was crispy taco, so...but it was...

But that is like...that is just a really... And I can still like, smell like the maiz, and that is why I wanted to bring the corn tortilla because of her.

That was my first memory of food, um, just seeing her and just how she would make it and grind it with her own hands like...you know, with a metate because it is just like a rock, right?

So, and then um, and make the tortillas, Its just, I mean for me, yeah, my grandmother.

My grandmother and my mom obviously, I mean, she would just feed us, there was always food.

So yeah, my mom and my, my grandmother, definitely.

♪ ♪ That we have beautiful, amazing people.

Um, that there is a diverse, you know, culture.

Um, we have from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, well different.

And then, there's so many events, like festivals too.

Like, the Greek festival, you know, when it's... Like, a little bit of everything.

I think that um, just come inside.

This is just really absolutely...

I'm just, I am in love with Baltimore and that's why I think that I have invested um, in this beautiful city.

And I know that and just to bring more color to it.

Cause we need more of that, right?

We definitely need more color in our life and our communities.

♪ ♪ The people because they want more always, right?

They always want more and are always very supportive.

So yeah, it's always... We are here because of our customers and I'm very... And that is what inspires me every single day.

Like, what are we going to do different, if they ask me something different, yes, we're going to make it.

Mm-hmm (affirmative), we are going to try and make it at least, yeah.

But I am always very happy and I am always inspired.

So I always say it in my posts that you inspired me because if not, then you know, what do we do?

♪ ♪ I would really like a food truck more that it would give me more opportunities.

Even like, to just go to schools or just to teach them how to make tortillas, how to do something different, right?

Um, and have them try, you know, tacos or just something.

Um...yeah...but definitely, I would like a food truck and just keep on selling more like or making food right?

Because I go like to other neighborhoods and they are like, "Oh, my God you are here.

We need you here."

And I'm like, I wish I could put more...

But it takes so much energy and I just want to make sure that I gave the best product and I don't want to like open all different locations and if we're not going to do, you know, give good quality or the love.

Especially, you want to receive the love, right?

Because I...I like that I...I want to know when... Its funny because sometimes, I sit and like at counter and I listen and they don't know that and they say, "Oh, that is so good."

And I'm like, yes!

Yes, I did it!

So right?

It's, it's really beautiful to have that, that um, to listen to the comments and so that um, that expectation... (laughs) ♪ ♪