- Encuentro Latino, a Guatemalan restaurant, has been in the same location in downtown Ypsilanti since 2015.
- The name translates to “Latin Gathering.”
- The restaurant has seen a decline in business in recent months, as many in the community have been intimidated by the presence of ICE officers.
Manuel De Paz created his diner, Encuentro Latino, with community in mind. The name translates to “Latin Gathering.”
“Well, that was the idea behind Encuentro Latino, so that a lot of people would gather here and have an experience here at the place," he said. "It's like when you go to meet someone and have a good time, right? And so I said, ‘What else?’ Let them have a good time and enjoy delicious food from our country, Guatemala.”
The restaurant has been in the same location in downtown Ypsilanti since 2015. It’s an area where many businesses have struggled to withstand the test of time, and of rising costs. A loyal customer base has kept Encuentro Latino in business.
One of De Paz’s very first customers was a family with two young children. The family still comes every week.
“And if they don't come in ... they order takeout. But they are always here with us. Once a week, they are always here," he said. "They are very loyal to the business. And all that, like I say, gives you more enthusiasm for the job, right?”
De Paz sat down with The Dish to talk about building something distinctly Guatemalan, the dishes that keep people coming back, and what it takes to keep the doors open when some are afraid to walk through them.
De Paz's quotes are translated from Spanish.
A dream restaurant finds an unexpected home
De Paz came to the U.S. with a plan to work and save money before returning home to Guatemala to open a restaurant. Life had other plans. When an opportunity opened up to start a business in Michigan, he took it.
“Those were my dreams, but thank God everything turned out differently. and I had the opportunity to open the business here because I really like cooking," he said. "I have my wife who is the one who supports me, she is my right-hand woman.”
Almost all the restaurant’s recipes come from his wife. Together, they’ve been running the restaurant for almost 11 years.
“It's a very close-knit community and all of that makes me very, very happy and more encouraged to move forward with the restaurant,” De Paz said.
The flavors of Guatemala
De Paz previously worked in Italian, French, and Greek restaurants. But the flavors he grew up with, and the flavors he ultimately wanted to return to, were uniquely Guatemalan.
“Because honestly, there was no food from Guatemala here," he said. "We made our first contribution here for our country, right? ... And my wife supported me, and here we are.”
Some customers walking through the door for the first time might expect Mexican spices and flavors, but Guatemalan cuisine is distinct. While both are shaped by Spanish, Indigenous, and African influence, Guatemalan dishes don’t lean so heavily on spicy chiles. Think sweet plantains, refreshing herbs, and hearty meat stews.
The restaurant’s Guatemalan breakfast plate, for example, features fried plantains, refried black beans, queso fresco, and two eggs topped with a fresh, house-made chirmol. Much like a salsa, the sauce includes tomatoes, onions, cilantro, mint, and lime juice.
“That is the start of our day in our country," he said. "And it's something that really filled me with excitement when I saw that people liked it.”
If the Guatemalan breakfast is the staple on the menu, the tortilla de harina is the star. Similar to a burrito, the dish consists of grilled steak or chicken, sauteed cabbage, carrots and onion, plus some mayo and homemade tomato sauce all wrapped up in a large flour tortilla.
Twice a week, De Paz’s wife comes to the kitchen bright and early to make big batches of dough. Made with flour, milk, water, and salt, the fresh tortillas are soft and chewy.
Keeping the doors open for a community afraid to step inside
Despite the culinary niche that Encuentro Latino fills, the dining room has been quieter over the last few months. De Paz says the majority of the restaurant’s customers are Latino, and many in the community have felt intimidated by the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He says he personally knows at least 10 people who have been detained by ICE, but says he’s “not against” what officers are doing.
“They must have their reasons, the people doing that, and I don't know, to be honest," he said. "Because those are the laws and we have to respect them and accept them as they come, but I tell everyone to always keep supporting us in the business so we can be here for many years.”
Despite slower business, the beans are still simmering, the tortillas are still made by hand in the morning, and De Paz is still working — waiting for his gathering place to fill back up.
“I always come with the same, with the same enthusiasm to open the doors without any negativity. And I say, well, God willing help us and let everything be fine today, and well, tomorrow will be another day.”
