On this episode of Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down with chef Carlos Salgado, the visionary behind the acclaimed (and now-closed) Taco María, to reflect on the rise of Alta California cuisine and what it meant to pioneer a movement that redefined Mexican cooking in America. Carlos shares why he walked away from Southern California’s fine dining scene to start fresh in Door County, Wisconsin, where his new restaurant La Sirena is preparing to open its doors.

From the emotional highs of running one of the country’s most celebrated Mexican restaurants to the challenges and freedom of beginning again, this is a candid, thoughtful conversation about creativity, identity, and reinvention.

Plus: Bill recaps a meal at Oryx in Tijuana, smokes a cigar at the Maybourne Beverly Hills whiskey bar, and chases down some of the best fish tacos in Ensenada.