From food trucks and a weekend restaurant in Boyle Heights, Romulo “Momo” Acosta and his family serve what are arguably the finest carnitas in Los Angeles.
New restaurant owners get shut out of PPP loans despite their financial losses Tim Carman Every month, Andrew Darneille says his Smokecraft Modern Barbecue in Arlington, Va., has been losing between $15,000 and $20,000, and the numbers would be uglier if not for breaks from his bank and landlord. December was the worst yet: The owner and pitmaster says he suffered $30,000 in losses, even with a skeleton crew and a separate ghost kitchen selling fried chicken sandwiches. With no bank loans available to bridge the gap, Darneille and his family have been covering the monthly shortfall. He doesn’t have much choice: It’s either cover the expenses or watch his dream project go down in flames, after investing three years and nearly $2 million in the full-service restaurant, which showcases a refined version of the barbecue that has earned Darneille dozens of awards on the competitive circuit. José Andrés talks about feeding the National Guard, tipping and whet