Chef Bonilla has brought an emphasis in healthy food here at Plaza Linda. Chefs Bonilla and Rosa cook with all natural canola or olive oil.

Plaza Linda Restaurant

José Daniel Rosa and Jesus Velis Bonilla are currently the new owners of Plaza Linda Restaurant, a family owned business that was previously owned by the Diaz family for more than 45 years. Daniel and Velis have owned Plaza Linda since April 2007. Since Plaza Linda has been under new management, there have been a few exciting changes. Plaza Linda has a Vegetarian section in their menu.

Plaza Linda makes its own chips, salsa, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, ranchera sauce and beans from scratch as well as its famous house mix for its margaritas. Chef Bonilla has brought an emphasis in healthy food  here at Plaza Linda. Chefs Bonilla and Rosa cook with all natural canola or olive oil. Also, the chefs focus on cooking with spices and sauces to decrease their use of salt when they are cooking

Here is a little history about the two restaurant owners. Jose Daniel Rosa left his country El Salvador during 1980 when the country was in the midst of a civil war. Daniel is the oldest of 12 siblings with strong ambitionsto make something out of his life. When he came to California in the 1980’s,
he worked as a dishwasher getting paid minimum wage, but Daniel was  etermined to improve his life fur himself and his family. He eventually became a prep cook and later a chef and decided to open his first restaurant named El Migueleno in Seaside, Ca in 1986. Daniel owned El Migueleno with his brother in law and partner until 2001. After 6 years away from the restaurant business, Daniel decided to buy Plaza Linda Restaurant from the Diaz family in 2007 with his brother-in-law Velis Bonilla.

Velis Bonilla came to the United States in 1980 from El Salvador. When Velis fIrst came to this country he worked assisting construction workers in building homes. Velis is among the youngest of nine siblings. Velis also worked as a dishwasher and eventually moved his way up to learning to cook by his mentor at the time Dutt Braham, one of the main chefs at The Lodge in Pebble Beach, Ca. Since then, Velis has had an an:ay of jobs working as a chef in popular restaurants such as The Lodge, Monterey Hilton, Poppy Hills Golf Course and Valley Heights. It was at Valley Heights where Velis learned the importance of health directed food. Valley Heights is a Senior Rental Community where he was taught strict requirements with kitchen hygiene, salt intake and low fat intake. Since this community was geared specifIcally for senior citizens, a healthy diet and food regimen was essential. Chef Bonilla has still maintained these practices of kitchen hygiene and healthy preparations of meals and has carried these traits to Plaza Linda.