Six months after Christina Martinez and Ben Miller relocated their acclaimed South Philly Barbacoa to the storefront of El Compadre, business is booming just as Miller had predicted.
The move was prompted by a family tragedy. Isaias Berriozabal-Martinez, Christina's 23-year-old son and founder of El Compadre, died last year not long after the new restaurant opened shop on South 9th Street in the Italian Market.
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What was supposed to be strictly a torta and catering business became the new South Philly Barbacoa, famous for its authentic Mexican dishes, and the 11th Street location was shut down. For a family that started off with a food cart, there was little doubt they would keep old customers and find plenty of new ones.
Eater's latest season of "Dining on a Dime," a YouTube series featuring Lucas Peterson's budget-saving travels, is entirely focused on the best food finds in Philadelphia.
So far, Peterson has paid visits to John's Roast Pork, CookNSolo's new Goldie falafel shop and Puyero Venezuelan Flavor in Society Hill, among others.
This week, Eater released an episode at El Compadre, where Peterson caught up with Martinez and Miller to discuss their immigrant rights activism and sample the goods. If you haven't yet been to El Compadre, this video should motivate you plenty.