Former Nopalito Chef Jose Ramos Raising Funds for Emeryville Taco Cart

Chef Jose Ramos got his start in the high-volume kitchens of Bix and Nopa before designing the opening menus at Nopalito, Sabrosa and Oakland's Nido. For his next project, however, Ramos will be stepping out of the kitchen and into the streets of Emeryville to create Eat León, a farmers market taco cart and catering company.

The project is the culmination of Ramos' work testing and perfecting regional Mexican recipes for the past six years. To bring those recipes to a wider public, Ramos and wife Elizabeth Tinajero are currently seeking $9,000 in an Indiegogo campaign for Eat León. Donations help the pair towards their goal of acquiring a custom taco cart, a griddle, fryer and the assorted equipment necessary to build out a farmers market stand. If they reach their larger goal of $15,000, Ramos and Tinajero will add a stone corn grinder to the mix in order to make their own nixtamal from heirloom corn.

Donations start at a modest $20, for which the couple will personally thank you with a trio of tacos and a seasonal agua fresca. High rollers and taco supporters at the $1,000 level get an invite to the launch fiesta and two free tacos per month for their first six months. Their Indiegogo campaign can be found right this way and their official site is launching soon, but the pair are already teasing recipes and food porn on Eat León's instagram account.