About us
Cielo Rojo is a family owned fine-casual Mexican restaurant in the heart of Takoma Park, MD. David Perez & Carolina McCandless first met in 2012 at a well-known Mexican restaurant in San Francisco.
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They proceeded to fall in love over their shared passions for Mexican food, mezcal, movies, and the outdoors. The name Cielo Rojo (red sky) was born from one of their favorite mariachi songs but also stems from their love of sunsets. From Fort Funston, California to the beaches of Mexico & Chile, the sunset represents the moments of clarity & calm that have been shared with family & friends over the years. After the birth of their daughter, Shiloh, they moved back east to be closer to family, and when a restaurant space opened up in the heart of Takoma Park they felt it serendipitous. Carolina's parents own Amano, a clothing boutique that has been in Takoma Park for over 20 years. Knowing how special the community of Takoma Park is they felt it the perfect DC-area home for their California-inspired traditional Mexican cuisine. The community's progressive & family-focused environment aligns perfectly with the mission for their restaurant, a place where friends & family can come together to nourish themselves with the beauty of food, community & mezcal.
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DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Carolina was born in Chile and raised in Cabin John, MD. She lived in San Francisco for the last 13 years while getting her B.S. in Dietetics from SFSU. During her studies, she worked in restaurants & bars as a server, bartender and manager. Prior to moving back east she worked as Head of Operations for a corporate catering start up overseeing 3 markets in the bay area. She then decided to come back to her true passion, the restaurant industry.
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CHEF
David, born in Mexico City, immigrated to the US when he was 17 years old. He has worked in kitchens ever since. His passion for Mexican cuisine is rooted in his mother's cooking and a childhood spent enjoying street food in Mexico City. He has a passion for authentic Mexican food that is reminiscent of childhood memories but also getting creative with dishes, while still paying homage to his roots.
Our Team
Jazmine, General Manager
Jazmine has worked in the hospitality industry for 17 years.
She is a strong-willed empath that never settles for anything she doesn't believe in whole heartedly.
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Her passion for her Mexican heritage & building relationships with the community makes her the perfect match for our family run restaurant in the heart of Takoma Park.
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Fun fact: Her fave book is "How to do the Work"
by Dr. Nicole LePera
Hugo, Sous Chef
Hugo has worked for our restaurant since it's early days (over 4 years!) and has always been a steady, consistent hand in keeping our plates looking & tasting good due to his extreme attention to detail.
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He is a positive person who is passionate about cooking, an excellent friend, loyal to his core, and is a strong person who goes after his dreams. Cookbooks intrigue him and he loves to exercise. He considers his failures as drivers to success.
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Fun fact: his favorite phrase is "Practice makes a master"
Ethos
Bienvenidos A Su Casa! We want people to feel at home in our restaurant, this means choosing quality ingredients that we would be comfortable serving to our own family. We believe that we can support both the planet & our bodies by sourcing carefully and consciously. Our tortillas are made from 100% organic non-GMO corn. Our meats are hormone-free & humanely raised. We believe in sourcing as much local & organic food as possible.