By TIM WILCOX
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
We’re back in the same neighborhood we visited last week. This time our dining-out destination is Rosalva’s Skyforest, located next door to LouEddie’s Pizza. Intersecting with Kuffel Canyon Road, this is a busy stretch of Highway 18 less than a mile west of SkyPark at Santa’s Village. Drivers pass through in significant numbers, while diners “in the know” find a place to park.
Jose and Rosalva Montion have been partners in life for nearly three decades and partners in business for six years. More about the latter in a moment. . . Jose immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico around 1990, initially settling in Seal Beach. There he worked in several restaurants, starting as a dishwasher, then learning to cook and finally becoming a manager. Visiting his hometown in the state of Jalisco in 1995, he met Rosalva. They were married two years later.
The couple moved to Big Bear in 2000, where Jose joined forces with his father and younger brother, Martin, to open Toni’s Kitchen – a Mexican eatery frequented by locals and visitors. Switching professional and personal gears in 2005, the Montions moved to Las Vegas, where Jose was a cable-TV technician and Rosalva filled the role of home-based mother.
For Jose, at least, that 10-year sojourn was an exile of sorts. “I never liked Las Vegas,” he admits, adding that “I love the outdoors, and I missed the mountains.”
In 2015, then, it was time for an alpine homecoming. The Montions resettled in Twin Peaks, and Jose went to work for brother Martin in Skyforest at what was then Hortencia’s. Some three years later, when Martin launched Hortencia’s at the Cliffhanger in Crestline, Jose and Rosalva sensed it was the propitious time for them to become owners. So in January 2018 they opened Rosalva’s on the former Hortencia’s site.
“We changed everything and made it our own place,” Jose says. Bringing years of training in the kitchen arts, Jose partnered with Rosalva to transform the menu, incorporating their original recipes and adding flourishes unique to their family history.
Rosalva is candid about the first weeks and months after opening the restaurant. “It was hard, very hard at first,” she shares. “It seemed we worked all day, every day and didn’t have any time off.” Fortunately, family members helped out, including the Montions’ two girls. (Today the older daughter, Karen, who’s 25, is an accountant based in Rimforest, while the younger daughter, Cristina, 18, is a Rim High School senior who works part time as a server at the restaurant.)
That singular investment of energy and effort has paid rich dividends. “It’s easier now because we have regular customers and good workers,” Rosalva says. The eatery is closed on Mondays, so at least their physical presence isn’t required then. They’ve even been able to take short vacations – most recently returning to Jalisco.
Still, there’s no question that in addition to their family, the couple’s top priority is providing excellent hospitality at the restaurant. Says Jose: “We’re grateful for our customers and proud of our consistency.”
On the Menu
Rosalva’s spiral-bound menu is one of the mountains’ most colorful bills of fare. The numerous photos of various dishes are appetizing, to say the least. That’s the objective, obviously.
Hefty portions are the rule at Rosalva’s, as exemplified by chilaquiles with eggs and sides. (Photo by T. Wilcox)
An octet of large-plate breakfast picks, all priced at $14.49, launches the bill of fare: Spanish omelet, huevos rancheros, chorizo and eggs, chorizo and egg burrito, chicken or beef machaca, chicken or beef machaca burrito, huevos à la Mexicana and chilaquiles (lightly fried corn tortillas) with eggs. Kids can choose from five $10.49 selections – bean-and-cheese burrito, quesadilla, cheese enchilada, tamale and taco – each served with rice and beans or French fries.
The appetizer slate ($10.49 to $15.49) includes the likes of steak, shrimp or chicken quesadilla; shrimp tostada; shredded-chicken or -beef flautas; and classic shrimp cocktail. Ranging from $14.99 to $16.99; steak, carnitas, chicken or shrimp taco salads are meals in themselves. As for soups, albondigas (meatball), pozole (with hominy and meat) and menudo (a weekend special) come in small ($6.49), medium ($11.49) and large ($14.49) servings.
OK, on to main-course selections. . . Among the seafood stars are four shrimp dishes: ala diabla, en salsa de ajo, rancheros and scampi ($19.49). Deep-fried whole tilapia bears the same tag, as do shrimp tacos. All such orders come with rice, beans, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. The portions are generous, which is typical of Rosalva’s cookery.
Fajitas, anyone? No problem. The steak or chicken iteration is $19.99 and shrimp or fish, $20.99. Or you can opt for the $21.99 fajitas trio, featuring steak, shrimp and chicken breast.
Two chicken or beef enchiladas with rice, beans, tomato and sour cream are among an enticing lineup of daily specials. (Photo by T. Wilcox)
Among the traditional turf offerings are pork carnitas, pork colorado and pork chile verde ($17.99 apiece) plus carne asada (grilled steak, $20.99) and beefsteak ranchero ($17.99). Add three plump shrimp to your carne asada order, and you’ll be charged $24.99. Note, too, that combo platters such as chile relleno with a taco, enchilada or tamale average about $17.50.
Naturally, you’d expect burritos and tacos to be on the menu. They are. The $14.49 burrito stuffed with steak, pork or chicken breast plus rice, beans and onions is a super-filling, failsafe choice. So is the seafood taco. Considering that its main ingredient is shrimp, mahi-mahi or lobster, this selection is bargain priced at $6.
The restaurant’s signature offering is multi-ingredient molcajete. Says Jose: “It’s the most popular dish, especially with our regular customers.” (Photo courtesy of Rosalva’s Skyforest)
Jose and Rosalva are particularly proud of the restaurant’s signature dish, molcajete. It’s an eye-catching creation comprising steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, Mexican onions, Serrano peppers, cactus bits, fresh Mexican cheese and the kitchen’s “secret sauce.” Acccording to Jose: “Molcajete is prepared in a lava rock and heated until it’s sizzling hot. Then we bring it to the table, and people love it!” The base price (typically, for one diner) is $32.49. If you’re in a sharing mode, the larger rendition runs $37.99.
By the way, the restaurant purveys varied beers and wines. It also boasts a full-bar complement with an impressive tequila collection. Specialty drinks include mai tai, piña colada, spicy Bloody Mary and tequila sunrise. But four signature margaritas ($14.49 or $15.49) may well be the house stars. Here’s just one example, to spark your curiosity. It’s the Cadillac option concocted with Hornitos Reposado tequila, house-made margarita mix and two exquisite liqueurs: Grand Chevalier and Gran Citron Triple Orange. ¡Salud!
Rosalva’s Skyforest: 28575 Hwy. 18; (909) 337-7733; first come, first served; MC, VS, Apple Pay, Google Pay; $5.50-$37.99; 10 am. to 8 p.m. Sun. and Tues.-Thurs., 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; catering and special events.
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