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John Kouretas had run Paine’s Restaurant for 42 years when he decided to sell the Hollister landmark to La Catrina owner Gustavo Gonzalez in 2022. Since then, Gonzalez has been a careful steward of the 97-year-old business and its traditions.
“John still comes here,” Gonzalez said. “This is still his house. So everything must remain consistent: the food, the service and the ambiance. Because Paine’s is not just another restaurant.”
Gustavo Gonzalez, Jr., who manages La Catrina, said his family was looking to buy another business when they heard Paine’s was for sale.
“It was a very simple transaction,” he said, “but it took around a year to work out the details. It was hard for the Kouretas family, especially John, to let go of the business. It was a personal decision; Paine’s was still running well when they sold it.”
Though the family now owns two successful restaurants roughly a block apart, before moving from Mexico in 2011 they had almost no food business experience. In 2014, the family launched the La Jerezana line of cookies, and La Catrina was founded, in part, to give them a place to bake while developing their restaurant’s concept.
“We had an auto parts store, a baby supply store and an office supply store,” Gustavo Sr. said. “The closest to a restaurant was a cafeteria we had for one year. Getting into the restaurant business was all an accident.”
Gustavo Sr. said Paine’s regular customers were initially concerned about the ownership change, but he has been very careful about making as few changes as possible.
“Some of them thought we would be closing Paine’s and moving La Catrina here,” he said. “Others thought the quality would go down. But my son and I made what I think was a good decision to keep the same style and especially keep the same staff.”
For Gustavo Sr., maintaining Paine’s staff was the most important key to the transition.
“I love my team,” he said. “Some have been with Paine’s for 15 to 20 years. They know, more than I do what the cultural style of Paine’s is. I am fortunate that they continue to work here.”
Kimberly Nichols was hired at Paine’s in 2013 and remembers Kouretas fondly.
“John, to his credit, kept me here,” she said. “He was an honest man and Paine’s became a part of my life and my daily routine. Paine’s is a big part of the community, especially all of our banquets and events. Everybody comes to Paine’s.”
Chef Jorge Marquez is a recent addition to the staff. He began cooking for his family in Zacatecas when he was 13. He said that working at Paine’s was initially scary because it was an entirely different cuisine from what he had grown up with.
“But it has become a pleasure,” he said. “Because every day, I get to come into the dining room and see all the smiles around.”
Lunch and Dinner at Paine’s
Jack Daniel’s Western Burger – This eight-ounce burger is the most popular lunch item, and it is easy to see why. Topped with Cheddar cheese, bacon and caramelized onions, it is finished with a homemade Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce. “Everything is super fresh,” said Marquez. “The produce is only two days from the farm. The bun is super soft to handle, and everything works with the barbecue sauce.” I loved this burger. It’s a great size for lunch, the meat is high-quality, the barbecue sauce has great depth, and it comes with Paine’s unique fries, which are mashed potatoes put through a form, squeezed out like pasta would be, then deep-fried. They are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and a perfect match for the burger.
Paine’s Steak – Gustavo Sr. said this is the most popular dinner item on the menu and is for “any customer looking for a great experience.” A New York steak is grilled, finished in the oven, then topped with a sautéed mushroom gravy. “This recipe was a creation of John’s,” Marquez said, “and was launched long ago.” The presentation is elegant: the steak is tender, the mushrooms have a great texture, the gravy has a mild green peppercorn heat and the potatoes are butter-decadent.
Petrale Sole- Dipped in egg batter, pan-seared in butter and accompanied by lemon and garlic sauce, this fish is prepared in the old-time Fisherman’s Wharf way. “Some people asked us to make it crispy,” Marquez said, but we try to serve it as soft as possible. You cook it too much, and you get a piece of leather.” It is close to perfect: the light batter does have just a little bit of crispness around the edges but does not distract from the clean taste of the fish. Fork-tender and flaky, it is accompanied by mashed potatoes and a mix of fresh vegetables. This is BenitoLink editor Eric Johnson’s go-to dish, and it has become my favorite, too, for its simple elegance and great flavor.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
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