Mother’s Day Advice From Santa Rosa Taqueria on Capitol Hill
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Micheline and Cathy Mendelsohn, the daughter and mother behind Santa Rosa Taqueria.
Tim Ebner, Edible DC | Photos by Joe Shymansky
Running a business is never easy — and that’s especially true if you’re Santa Rosa Taqueria, a Mexican-style taco restaurant on Capitol Hill that until recently was closed due to the pandemic.
The restaurant took about a two year pause and is now back in business thanks to Micheline and Cathy Mendelsohn, a mother-daughter team who do it all for the love of cooking and hospitality.
On Mother’s Day, we celebrate these two women as leaders in our industry, as well as many other mothers who give of themselves to make the Washington, DC community feel loved and cared for, like only a mom can do.
To say thanks and show your appreciation, you can visit Santa Rosa Taqueria on Capitol Hill and raise a glass in support of this dynamic mother-daughter duo.
Edible DC: How do you think your family connection helps sustain this business?
Cathy Mendelsohn: Working with family is definitely a roller coaster but overall, it’s been great. On one hand it’s hard because you’re always viewed as the mother-daughter, never the “expert” in your field. The other side is that because of the relationship, we are brutally honest with each other, so opinions are said quicker, and we can move on them.
We have no filters which you would with a boss and in general, be inclined to tip-toe around issues more. With a mother-daughter team, when issues come up, it goes fast from zero to 100 fast and things are quickly resolved.
EDC: Do you get inspiration from each other for cooking and hospitality?
Micheline Mendelsohn: We do. We find that we get inspired by each other’s tastes and style. We have the same job in terms of overseeing operations, except my mother, Cathy, focuses on the food and I focus on public relations and marketing. We often cross into each other’s positions because we have new ideas or have seen an interesting trend.
Also, as a mother and daughter team, we are able to remember family recipes and moments that help us develop the menus and atmospheres in our restaurants. If we decide to add a fried chicken to the menu, we’ve tasted and made it in many different ways and styles.
Q: What dishes or drinks on this menu did you work on together collaboratively?
MM: All of the margaritas! That was a real effort. Drinking at 10:30 a.m., or rather “tastings” at 10:30 a.m., really changes the rest of the day’s outcome. We worked with mixologists on several of the drinks to get them right and just how we like them. And we then we put something out to our guests that we both agree is great.
We also test all our food together to make sure the flavor profiles are current yet traditional. The entire menu is a collaboration of love from us both and the incredible team we have in place. The most fun for sure was coming up with margaritas and garnishes which we don’t normally do. So, it was outside our comfort zone, and we learned many new things and trends.
Q: What advice do you have for moms out there who love to cook, entertain and maybe share the kitchen with family?
CM: Have fun with it! It’s never so serious. If your daughter adds too much spice or salt or wants it cooking extra long, it’s OK. Cooking together is about the memories and the time shared. Who makes the dish, and how it turns out are secondary.
Queso (and chips!), melted quesos and rajas poblanas.
Fried wings with Santa Rosa dips.
Elote, Mexican street corn.
About Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Taqueria is a tribute to Mexican cuisine, owned and managed by mother-daughter duo, Micheline and Cathy Mendelsohn of Sunnyside Restaurant Group. With menus overseen by Chef Brian Lacayo and a beverage program directed by Gina Chersevani, the restaurant features an extensive menu of tacos, sampler platters, margaritas and beers. Santa Rosa serves Mexican fare with a modern twist that can be enjoyed either inside or on the restaurant’s expansive 60-seat patio daily from 11 am to 10 pm. Located on Capitol Hill at 301 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE in Washington, DC. For more information, follow @Santarosataqueria on Instagram or visit www.santarosataqueria.com.
About Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Taqueria is a tribute to Mexican cuisine, owned and managed by mother-daughter duo, Micheline and Cathy Mendelsohn of Sunnyside Restaurant Group. With menus overseen by Chef Brian Lacayo and a beverage program directed by Gina Chersevani, the restaurant features an extensive menu of tacos, sampler platters, margaritas and beers. Santa Rosa serves Mexican fare with a modern twist that can be enjoyed either inside or on the restaurant’s expansive 60-seat patio daily from 11 am to 10 pm. Located on Capitol Hill at 301 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE in Washington, DC. For more information, follow @Santarosataqueria on Instagram or visit www.santarosataqueria.com.
Tim Ebner is a contributing writer for The Washington Post, Eater, Thrillist, DC Refined, and Capitol File Magazine and is a nationally award-winning writer for his beverage column, “The Buzz” for Edible DC. He lives in Washington, DC and works full-time as a senior editor for Associations Now. Follow him @ebnert on Instagram.
