Alegria means happiness in English. It’s the name of a new food truck in New Haven in honor of Maria Flores’ father.
“He passed away in 2013 but I think it's the most popular word he said, Alegria, that life is Alegria, that life is happiness,” Flores said.
Maria and Saul Flores have been married for 25 years. Over the two decades, Maria cooked traditional Mexican dishes while Saul worked at an Italian restaurant.
The pair said they have a passion for being in the kitchen.
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“I think it comes from generations. Our grandmothers, our mothers,” Flores explained.
But they had a dream - to one day open their own business together.
“He wants to make Italian food and I want to make Mexican food, so we talked about it and said, 'why don't we fuse the two cuisines?'” Flores said.
So they did. Last week, Alegria Cafe opened up featuring both Italian and Mexican dishes on Grove Street near the corner of Hillhouse Avenue.
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The dishes include burritos, quesadillas and paninis - all served with love.
“It’s the love for cooking and when we see the customers eating with happiness. That is what is the target for us,” Flores said.
The couple hopes to one day open a restaurant.
