Fresh Mexican and Salvadoran flavors have arrived at 10 Fiske Ave., breathing new life into the former Mesa Verde site in Greenfield. During a grand opening celebration held on Cinco de Mayo, an energetic crowd sampled horchata, flan and other signature items as Los Tres Hermanos officially joined the local food scene.
Owner Mayra Escobar explained that her favorite item on the menu is the Salvadoran breakfast, highlighting her love for the beans, plantains and sour cream.
Los Tres Hermanos is co-owned by Escobar’s mother, Concepcion Quintanilla, and Escobar’s husband, Jorge Vasquez. The restaurant pays homage to family; it is named after Escobar and Vasquez’s three children and honors Quintanilla’s “skills in the kitchen,” according to Escobar.
“We’ve always wanted to do this because since my mom came to this country 22 years ago, she started working in a Mexican restaurant,” Escobar said. “That has been her only job, and seeing her work 13 hours a day, six days a week … I wanted to do something for her, so she can grow.”
Escobar and her family are currently renting the space. Renovations for the restaurant began in December, and since then, much of the restaurant has been redone. Rosa Pantoja, the human resources manager and accountant for the restaurant, said they decided to “rip everything down and really build everything back up.” Escobar echoed this sentiment, explaining that one of the largest projects was the kitchen renovation.
“We were having issues with the licensing in the beginning, and things that were there were in really, really bad shape,” Pantoja said, explaining that renovators had to come from Boston to do the work. “They did it though. They came and did such a beautiful job. The kitchen was amazing.”
The building was previously inhabited by another Mexican restaurant, Mesa Verde, which was open for 22 ½ years. The space also briefly housed Black Verde Food Lab, an incubator for queer and Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) chefs to work for the Black Joy Food Love restaurant group. Pantoja said that the transition to another Mexican restaurant is good for the community, “because people are already used to coming here to [eat] Mexican food.”
The grand opening drew out a crowd of community members, chamber of commerce members and Mayor Virginia Desorgher, who participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Catherine Cuff, director of educational outreach for the Beacon of Light Catholic preschool in Greenfield, attended the grand opening. She shared that it was clear that the owners and employees put “a lot of time, effort and heart” into the restaurant and the opening. Cuff came to the opening in support of the pre-school.
“We want to support other businesses within our community, and other cultures within our community,” she said.
Hunter Marotto, a Greenfield resident, enjoyed the samples, particularly the flan. He shared that he is happy to see a new business come to Greenfield, saying that it’s “exciting to have something new in the community.”
Los Tres Hermanos is an alcohol-free establishment, instead offering drinks such as aguas frescas, or fresh fruit juices. Escobar attributes her decision to keep the restaurant alcohol-free to her faith and the business’s family-oriented mission.
“I’m Christian … I know people ask a lot about margaritas, and I do have an alcohol license,” she said. “I know that brings a lot of money … I am also a God believer, and if he has opened this door for me, he can make me [succeed] without serving alcohol.”
Escobar extended her gratitude to Martin Carrera, owner of La Veracruzana, a Mexican restaurant with locations in Amherst, Easthampton and Northampton, who “guided her through the process.” She also thanked the building inspector and contractor, Pantoja, the Greenfield Fire Department and Berkshire Gas.
“Everybody was so kind to me, and it makes me so happy to see all these people here,” she said, highlighting the community members who showed up for the opening. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
