By Rhonda Davis, CCN Correspondent
CRESTLINE – Pedro Macias is a master of Mexican cuisine.
His culinary specialties go back 25 years, and to his roots in west-central Mexico. Now he’s a chef and part owner of his own restaurants – Mi Cerrito Mexican Restaurant in Crestline and Galion.
“People really like the fresh table guacamole and our fresh mojitos and margaritas,” said Macias, who opened Mi Cerrito in Crestline nearly four years ago. “And we always make the chips and salsa fresh every day.”
The Crestline eatery at 216 N. Seltzer Street is already a Crawford County favorite, Macias said. In addition to the tomato-based salsa for corn chips, he said diners love his mild homemade white sauce, which is also prepared fresh daily using a secret family recipe.
Of course, Mi Cerrito’s menu features an array of authentic Mexican dishes, including fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, street style tacos, and create your own combo meals, said Macias. Sides such as Mexican rice, black beans, and refried beans are also popular, he said.
Mi Cerrito in Crestline – before opening in June 2020 – was painted and new tables and chairs were purchased for the 150-seat dining area and bar, Macias said. Renovations also included installing brand-new kitchen equipment and a walk-in cooler, he said.
Business was so good that he and his partners decided to open another restaurant at 741 Portland Way South in Galion. That location, which will celebrate its one-year anniversary in April, even has a banquet room in the back for parties of 20 or more, he said.
Macias, 44, was born in Jalisco, Mexico. From an early age he worked at Mexican restaurants as a cook and later as a manager and general manager in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2011, he relocated to Delaware, Ohio, and opened the first Mi Cerrito downtown.
The restaurant’s name? A tribute to his late father, Victor Arellano, who died in 2007. Cerrito in Spanish means “little hill,” which Macias said is reminiscent of the rolling corn fields his father planted for years as a farmer in Jalisco. “It’s a memorial for my dad.”
Mi Cerrito, Macias said, is also known for its handcrafted margaritas and mojitos. Margaritas are mixed with fresh-squeezed limes and orange juice instead of sour mix, he said, while mojitos are also made in a variety of fruit flavors such as raspberry, blueberry, and kiwi.
“We try to add new dishes to the menu too. People don’t want to eat the same thing all the time,” said Macias, who employees about 30 workers in Crestline and Galion. “We all work together. We’re like a family. We’re all very happy.”
