About twelve years ago, Inez Torres was volunteering at the Evanston Farmers Market when he realized that there was a gap in what was being offered.
“I noticed,” Torres said, “that almost all vendors would go buy food or coffee somewhere else.” After seeing that there were no prepared food vendors there, Torres decided to seek a permit to start selling food the next year at the Evanston Farmers Market.
Nowadays, Torres is no stranger to farmers markets, nor the long lines that encompass the booth.
As the owner and chef of Cocina Azteca, Torres has enjoyed making connections with new and loyal clients, saying, “being able to connect with people that care and are conscious about food and where it comes from. And of course, being able to make some money to support my family is always the main goal.”
Cocina Azteca, as defined on their Facebook homepage, sells handmade Mexican food for catering and at “local farmers markets.”
Cocina Azteca has some best items that attract tons of Evanston and Chicago buyers at each farmers market. Some of Torres’ favorites are the Focaccia Breakfast Sandwich (eggs scrambled w/ chorizo, spinach and cheese on Focaccia) and tamales, which are made with organic masa.
With no official restaurant, they can only be found at farmers markets, making Spoonfest one of the easiest ways for Northwestern students and the Evanston community to be easily able to try their acclaimed food.