"We owned the Adobe in Cupertino for five years and really liked working together," says Darlene Barone, who opened the new eatery with her husband, Ron. "When the opportunity to manage a new restaurant together came up, we knew it was something we wanted to do."

Chile Peppers is located in the space formerly occupied by Craves.

"Our food has a Mexico City influence," Darlene says. "We have a great chef named Minny Moran who makes all of the sauces from scratch. They're wonderful."

Since its opening on Jan. 2, the family restaurant has been busy, which the Barones attribute to their familiarity with preparing Mexican food.

"We're just starting to run advertisements in the paper," Darlene says.
"But word of mouth from our customers has been good, and we've had a lot of
business."

Some of the items on the menu have come from the Barones' Adobe days.

"There were some dishes that we really wanted to share with the Willow Glen community that were popular in Cupertino," Darlene says.

One of those dishes is camarones al mojo de ajo—grilled shrimp sautéed in a garlic sauce. All of the dishes served at Chile Peppers come with beans and rice, warm tortillas, lettuce and tomato.

Another popular dish is the chicken enchilada. Chicken is cooked with bell peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic and then wrapped in either a flour or corn tortilla and topped with one of Moran's special sauces and covered with cheese.

"Our food is spicy but not too hot. If a customer wants their meal spicy hot, we can do that for them. We want to give them what they want," Darlene says.

A beef tamale dish is also served at Chile Peppers and seems to be one of the house specialties. Tender, slow-cooked beef is wrapped in masa meal and topped with another of Moran's sauces.

"We have salads here, too, but I think when someone wants good Mexican food, they are looking for something warm, with a spicy aroma," Darlene says.

Mexican steak picado*a thin, grilled steak with a secret mix of Mexican spices*is another favorite.

The restaurant also serves camarones rancheros, a shrimp dish made with green chili, onion and tomato and served with a red sauce.

"Our customers really like our shrimp dishes," Darlene says. "They're healthy, and you still get that great Mexican taste from it."

In keeping with family tradition, son Rod and daughter Angela work side by side with their parents in the new restaurant.

"Angela works as a waitress, and Rod is the assistant manager. We like having the kids work with us. It helps keep the family close," Darlene says.

Chile Peppers also offers a full bar, and desserts are a specialty at the restaurant.

"My husband came up with a banana chimichanga that the customers have gone crazy for," Darlene says. "We cover the chimichanga with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It's delicious!"

Another popular dessert is Spanish flan. This sweet egg custard, caramelized before being served, has become a standard at most Mexican restaurants.

Chile Peppers has banquet facilities available for 40 to 50 guests, as well as catering services and a full take-out menu.

Located at 1072 Lincoln Ave., Chile Peppers is open Sunday and Monday, 5­8 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.­9 p.m., closing between 2 and 5 p.m. For more information on banquets and catering or for take-out orders, call 408.288.8900.