The Mexican restaurant and condiment business[1] Chelo (sometimes Chelo PDX)[2] operates in Portland, Oregon. The name is a tribute to the owner's grandmother, who operated a restaurant in Guadalajara and was nicknamed Chelo.[3][4]
The restaurant sells hot sauces[7] and other products such as azelnut salsa macha.[1] The business' logo depicts a fox with a fluffy tail.[6]
History
Luna Contreras started Chelo as a pop-up in Renata's commissary kitchen in 2016. Chelo was on a hiatus, as of November 2020.[8] In 2021, Contreras revived Chelo as a pop-up at the Filipino restaurant Magna Kusina.[2][9] Chelo operated in Sibeiho on Northwest 23rd in 2022[10] and began operating from Dame Collective's Lil' Dame space in 2023.[6][11] As of mid 2024, Chelo was increasing production of hot sauces for independent retailers in Portland and Seattle.[12]
In 2024, Chelo's tlayudas were included in illustrator Rebecca Nguyen-Macalalad's "The Women of Portland Food" poster depicting dishes by female chefs in Portland.[13]
Reception
Shortly after Chelo opened at Dame Collective in 2023, Contreras was named Chef of the Year by Eater Portland.[12][14] The website's Janey Wong wrote in part, "Even for folks who haven't had the chance to visit Chelo, Contreras is ubiquitous in the fabric of Portland's food scene — she's a staple at many of the city's biggest food events, her condiment line is stocked at fine food markets around town, and she's a vocal advocate for the trans community."[15]
Katherine Chew Hamilton of Portland Monthly included Chelo's chilaquiles rellenos in a list of the city's ten best dishes of 2023.[16] The magazine's Karen Brooks called the menu "playful"[17] and Victoria Leandra of HuffPost called the food "nostalgic, yet innovative".[18]
