Chef Gilberto Cetina was born and raised in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula before moving to Orange County, California, as a young adult. His experiences in both regions shape the distinct point of view behind Holbox, where he blends the coastal flavors of his heritage with the bounty of California seafood. With no formal culinary training, Cetina learned to cook at his family’s restaurant, Chichén Itzá, located in Mercado La Paloma in South Central Los Angeles. He worked alongside his father for 15 years, taking over as chef in 2010. In 2017, he opened Holbox (pronounced “hole-bosh”) as an homage to his summers on the Yucatán coast, where he dove for conch and octopus and fished with his cousins. At Holbox, Cetina has built a menu rooted in seasonality and sourcing, developing close relationships with local fishermen and seafood purveyors to showcase sustainable, often lesser-known catches. That commitment to ingredient integrity led to the creation of the restaurant’s tasting menu and continues to shape its evolution. An in-house masa program, led by Chef Fátima Juárez and Conrado Rivera, further underscores this approach, producing handmade tortillas and tostadas that serve as the foundation for many of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Under Cetina’s mentorship, Juárez and Rivera have also launched their own concept, Komal, within Mercado La Paloma.