MONTEREY, Calif. —
Despite the gloves he wears Ricardo Angeles' hands are covered in paint and on Friday it was a bright marine blue color, just about the shade of the Monterey Bay.
Angeles an artist from Oaxaca Mexico is installing a mural on the walls of the soon to open Cult Taco on Alvarado Street. The young painter hopes his work will inspire thoughts of the ocean down the street and also dreams or even memories of his native Oaxaca.
"There are a lot of people of Oaxaca in the Monterey Bay so people who come can see a lot of reference from there," Angeles said.
The artist jokes there are more people living in Santa Cruz who are from Oaxaca than there are people in Oaxaca today. He hopes people from his home will come to the new restaurant and experience a piece of what they left behind.
Cult Taco is set to open this spring and will serve Oaxacan inspired cuisine with a California twist.
"We try to make it our own using our own ingredients that we have here," said executive chef Michelle Estigoy.