Executive Chef/Owner Espartaco Borga

La Duni Latin Café

Espartaco Borga was born blending cultures and traditions with a Venezuelan father and Mexican mother. He developed his passion for authentic foods while crisscrossing the Atlantic between Europe and Latin America during his formative years.

Today, he forges European traditions with his Latin American soul mixing flavors, aromas, colors, textures and forms to create the ultimate "Mestizo" experience.

Borga's career started in the 1980s when he helped his father open "Espartacus' Fiesta" in Santa Monica. He soon opened new restaurants in California, New York and Texas — where he was named one of the top new restaurants of 1988 by The Dallas Morning News. In 1989 he co-founded ZuZu Handmade Mexican Food — a quick casual unit that set the standard for fresh, high quality, convenience foods. The ZuZu franchise quickly grew to 200 units and was one of the first Hot Concepts named by Nation's Restaurant News magazine.

In 2001, Borga and his beautiful — and accomplished patissier — Yugoslavian–Colombian wife, Dunia opened La Duni Latin Café. In just a few months, it was named one of the top 20 new restaurants in America by Esquire magazine and top 5 in Dallas by the Dallas Morning News. By 2003, Gourmet magazine and Zagat's honored La Duni as one of the best restaurants in America, and Hispanic magazine added it to the 50 best Hispanic Restaurants in the country.

La Duni Choripan Staying true to his cultures and passion for fresh, authentic foods, it comes as no surprise to find rich, creamy Fresh Hass Avocados on the La Duni Café menu. The Choripan sandwich is made with a home-made popover and stuffed with grilled Argentinean sausages, fresh avocados, Roma tomatoes, Manchego cheese and drizzled with a freshly made chimichurri sauce.

La Duni restaurant group has grown to include the original La Duni Latin Café, La Duni Latin Kitchen & Baking Studio, La Duni Latin Kitchen & Coffee Studio, as well as wedding cake business, online cake ordering business, 10,000 sq. ft. bakery facility and in December 2010 opening its 4^th restaurant and the new "DULCE by La Duni", a fast casual version of the Latin Kitchen and Coffee Studio.