Three brothers and a brother-in-law from El Salvador realized their long-held dream of opening a restaurant together in November of last year. Jaime Sorto, his brothers Hugo and Jose Bonilla, and his brother-in-law Jose Zelaya looked for a name that symbolizes their concept of two cultures coming together.

They chose La Malinche, the name given to a historical figure who has been at the center of controversy for centuries. The noble Mexican woman was enslaved and given to Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador. She became his interpreter and confidante. Their son was viewed as the first mestizo, a child of mixed blood.

Many Mexicans consider La Malinche or Doña Marina to have been a traitor, but today, she is also honored as the symbolic mother of the country’s mixed-race people.

At La Malinche, all of the starters, vegetables, meats and seafood are served as Spanish tapas, called botanas in Mexico.