From Mexican Tradition to American Innovation

Farther south than Honolulu, and farther east than Amarillo, Martino Bocanegra was born in 1865 to a humble family in the mountain village of Guanajuato, in Chiapas, Mexico -- flanked by the Pacific 20 miles to the west, and Guatemala just 8 miles to the east. The war to the north, between the Union and the Confederacy had just ended. His parents, Edigio Bocanegra and Francisa Portocarrero raised Martino in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, and taught him the values of thrift, hard work, strength of character, and last but not least, laughter.

Growing up in the Sierra Madre mountains, Martino learned the worth of planning ahead -- preparing for the cold, dry winters involved the gathering and laying up of firewood, the preserving of berries and fruits and salting meats and dried fish. Drying the chiles that would both preserve and flavor the family's meals was only a prerequisite to roasting them later over an open fire. That caustic, sweet and dusty aroma can still be found two centuries later, not over the hearth of a cabin fire, but rising from the stainless steel griddle in the kitchen of the Kool Kactus Café, some 1,500 miles northwest of that sleepy mountain village of Guanajuato.

Martino lived a simple life in Mexico and found an outlet to his artistic gifts and attention to fine detail in his occupation as a church artisan, applying gold leaf ornamentation and embellishment to the altars and interior walls of the churches of old Mexico. Having found happiness with wife, Francisa, and a booming family with five children in the first six years, Martino felt that spark of adventure and entrepreneurship and headed northwest, entered the U.S.A. at Laredo, Texas, and ultimately reached Southern California in 1914.

The Bocanegra family settled in San Bernardino, where Martin quickly found a way to market his previous artistic trade and became a painter of railway cars for the Santa Fe Railroad. The family would see the addition of five more little Bocanegras by 1930 for a total of 10 children, the second to last being Maria Louisa, Carole's mother, in 1925.

Being the second youngest in such a large family taught young Mary the same lessons in thrift, hard work, creativity and (again) good humor, which had been her father's primer back in Mexico. By the time she was 20 -- a pretty, young and fiery Spanish beauty -- she caught the eye of returning war hero, Frank Flores, in 1945. It didn't take long for those two sparks to unite, and the Flores family was commenced.

Penney and Carole were the first of five children, learning responsibility and accountability, as well as leadership and a wild sense of humor as a result. In 1981, the girls' mother Mary talked Carole into opening up Cha-Cha's Tacos on Redlands Blvd., which was an IMMEDIATE success. In 1988, there was a reorganization among the leadership of Cha-Cha's, and Carole and her sister Penney gathered their resources (and most of their existing customer base and cooks!) and re-opened better than ever as the Kool Kactus Café on September 11th, 1988.

An old gas station and breakfast diner, the quaint little building, erected in 1911, was now a booming, hand-over-fist new age taco stand. The Wave, L.A.'s 94.7 FM KTWV played Enya's cutting edge vocals, David Arkenstone's ethereal keyboard suites, Tangerine Dream's ambient German trance and Andreas Vollenweider's electracoustic harp for the "yuppie" and medical student clientele of the late 1980's, while they dined upon Spinach-Mushroom Enchilada Meals and Tofu Tacos, and flocked to the fresh KKC Grapefruitade and Cactus Cooler® on tap. Vegetarian, low-fat and heart-healthy menu items have been on the menu as long as there has been a menu at the Kool Kactus!

Eventually, the 1990's saw Carole emerge as the sole owner and proprietor of the Kool Kactus Café, and there was quite a wave to be ridden for the next decade or so. In the midst of her success, Carole made a clear priority early on to give back to the community that with which she had been so abundantly blessed. Working with children's charities, health programs, medical fundraisers and any local need she could aid, Carole quickly made a name for herself in the Loma Linda and Redlands communities as not only the fiery little proprietress of the best taco stand this side of East L.A., but as a philanthropist to both local and global causes, insomuch as she was able to do so.

In the 21st Century, Carole, with the aid of her family, has continued to prosper the Kactus, ever keeping her integrity and reputation in tact, as well as that sense of humor which can be seen at the front counter, or heard pouring out of the kitchen on any given day. Many customers come largely for the lighthearted interaction with Carole & her crew.

An invaluable addition to the Kool Kactus family recently is Carole's husband, Court, who has been a sous-chef at some of the finest hotels and gourmet kitchens on this side of the Atlantic. Exploring vegan, gluten-free and organic options, Carole's cuisine remains singular not only in the local community, but also in the restaurant business in general. Fresh and healthy foods cost more to produce, due to costlier ingredients and careful labor. When urged to consider the use of preservatives, canned or frozen ingredients, or otherwise processed foods, Carole has never given in, and ever maintains that people will pay more for a quality product than waste money on lesser goods.

2011 will see continued innovations from Carole & Co., from the continued operation of the first legitimate food truck (the Kactus Wagon) in San Bernardino County, to vegetarian packaged food options in local stores. Her grandfather's attention to detail in applying that gold leaf is still seen to this day, in every ornamental squash that Carole cuts for a catering, in every flower arrangement or perfectly simmered sauce; the pride, passion and tradition of Martino and his old Mexican ways lives on in 21st Century California in the Kool Kactus Café and Catering by Carole!