Maryland Gov. Wes Moore Stopped by Hyattsville’s Cocineros This Week

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stopped by Hyattsville’s Cocineros restaurant for a chat with owner Carlos Alvarado on Wednesday.

Alvarado, who also owns Comedor y Pupusería San Alejo, said he was surprised to hear from Moore’s communications director, who told him the governor wanted to talk with him about his philanthropic efforts in the community.

Before Moore arrived, his security staffers blocked the entrance, limiting the visit to just Alvarado, his kitchen staff, and a handful of customers who happened to be eating at the time. The two then sat down to talk for about an hour, and Moore sampled an empanada and an enchilada.

“We talked about my journey in the food industry and what small businesses need to succeed in Maryland,” Alvarado told the Hyattsville Wire. “It was an amazing experience, and he was so charismatic and easy to approach with everyone.”

After their talk, Alvarado took the governor into the kitchen for a challenge: making a spinach-and-mushroom empanada. He told the Wire that Moore was “enthusiastic” about the task.

The governor then switched to Spanish to talk with the kitchen staff, who laughingly noted that his accent somehow sounded like a Cuban-American in Miami.

Moore found a new fan in Alvarado, who described the governor as an “amazing human being” who connected with everyone in the restaurant and has “a heart full of hope for the future.”

And what about Moore’s empanada — was it any good?

“Not really, but we all laughed about it,” Alvarado said.

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