By Rachel Troyer
Fonda mi Pueblito recently-opened its doors at 31 N. Broadway in the former Taco Grill location in downtown Aurora. The city government celebrated with a ribbon-cutting in early October. It is a traditional Mexican restaurant where all of the food is fresh and made in-house.
Submitted photo
The owner of Fonda mi Pueblito, Ana Rodriguez, has been an Auroran for 27 years and was a personal banker at Fifth Third Bank before she started her dream of opening a restaurant. She has been passionate about good food and traditional cooking since she was a small child when she watched her grandmother cook. Fonda mi Pueblito is not just a restaurant to Rodriguez, but her passion in life.
Her hometown is Arcelia Guerrero in southwest Mexico, but despite living in the U.S. for a long time, she has not lost her Mexican heritage. The name of the restaurant, Fonda mi Pueblito, means “my small town.” Rodriguez picked the right name because she is bringing a taste of her hometown of Arcelia Guerrero to downtown Aurora.
Rodriguez said that she wants, “Customers to feel like they are eating a meal at their own homes.” She feels that the restaurant stands out because she uses her past customer service experience mixed with her passion for cooking to make each diner to enjoy a personalized meal.
She goes out of her way to make sure each customer’s meal is tailored to the person with dietary needs, requests, and vegetarian options. Everyone on the staff is bilingual to accommodate the mix of cultures within downtown Aurora. Rodriguez said that they strive to “treat everyone the same and welcome everyone into Fonda mi Pueblito.”
The food at Fonda mi Pueblito is authentic and it is all made-in house with fresh ingredients. They have homemade picaditas, a special traditional cheese, and blue corn tortillas. They have homemade salsas, more than 10 kinds that change day by day. A big hit with customers, especially in the mornings, is café dela olla, the Mexican spiced coffee that Rodriguez makes the traditional way. Rodriguez does a champurrado, chocolate-based atole that she makes in-house. It is a perfect drink to get during chilly weather.
One of the main reasons she decided on opening the restaurant in the growing Aurora area is because she wanted to bring business to her downtown. Rodriguez said that they, “are looking forward to being a part of the downtown Aurora culture and bringing everyone together.” She is already involved in First Fridays, the upcoming Trick or Treat event in downtown Aurora Saturday, Oct. 26 from noon to 3 p.m., and is planning to be involved in more events.
Fonda mi Pueblito is a welcome addition to downtown Aurora. If you’re looking to check it out, a Taco Special, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, will provide tacos for only $1.
Rachel Troyer is the event assistant for Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit group of business and property owners within Special Service Area #One. Troyer frequently rides her bike from Oswego to work in downtown Aurora. She has a small dog at home. auroradowntown.org.