One Castroville restaurant gives artichokes a Mexican twist.

This year Castroville – the little North County town known as the “Artichoke Center of the World” because it produces two-thirds of the globe’s artichokes – will celebrate its 160th anniversary. In honor of this milestone, the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau created an “Artichoke Trail” in March, with 40 suggested stops including bars, restaurants, farmstands, and farmers’ markets where people can learn about, buy and eat artichokes around Monterey County. The list includes dishes such as roasted globe artichoke, served with a vegan garlic and lemon aioli from Julia’s Vegetarian Restaurant in Pacific Grove; artichoke-fontina ravioli at Gusto in Seaside; and a crispy artichoke-and-prosciutto sandwich from Woodward Marine Market in Moss Landing.

Clearly, artichokes are popular in this area. The vegetable, which was cultivated from the wild cardoon, a tougher but similar looking plant, has become a culinary staple and an agricultural beacon in the region – and even has its own festival, celebrated at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center from June 10-11 (see more, p. 34). At the festival, attendees will get to try all manner of artichoke concoctions, from lumpia to ice cream.

One establishment that didn’t make the cut for the Artichoke Trail map, but is worth a visit all the same, is a small, family-owned restaurant called Alfonso’s Authentic Mexican Food. The restaurant has been around for over 35 years, and has changed ownership four times during this period. The current owner is Jose Bonilla Balmoris, a Salvadoran man who has worked in kitchens for 24 years making different types of cuisine, including Mexican, Italian and Hawaiian. For the past two years, he’s been at Alfonso’s, which is notably located on the same street in Castroville as the world’s largest artichoke sculpture.

Bonilla Balmoris says he was friends with the previous owner, Rene Herrera, and shared with him his desire to buy a restaurant. Herrera told him that instead of going elsewhere he could take over Alfonso’s. On April Fools’ Day, instead of pulling pranks, he fulfilled his dream of becoming a restaurant owner. “Now that I turn 45 I fulfilled it,” Bonilla Balmoris says. “It was a goal. God gave it to me and I’m glad.”

The ownership change has gone smoothly as far as operations. “I haven’t changed the menu,” Bonilla Balmoris says in Spanish. Alfonso’s offers a selection of Mexican land, sea and vegetarian dishes including chiles rellenos and menudo (on weekends).

The house specialty, however, is the enchilada. A favorite is the carnitas artichoke enchilada, filled with tender pieces of pork and soft artichoke chunks and made with corn tortillas bathed in a red sauce. The enchiladas are topped with sour cream and cheese and served with a side of rice and beans. They also make a vegetarian version, even more prominently featuring the artichokes.

Despite his new role as owner, Bonilla Balmoris continues to cook at Alfonso’s. “I prepare almost all the food,” he says, adding that he works hand in hand with the whole staff. “It motivates me. I like working alongside workers. It wasn’t weird to be boss because I’ve been manager.”

Both locals and tourists frequent the restaurant, Manager Shannan Padilla says. Crowds tend to increase when there are local festivals or golf tournaments on the Monterey Peninsula who make Castroville into a stop. “We get a lot of tourists that come right off of the freeway,” she says.

Fridays used to be relatively slow at Alfonso’s. To turn it around, they started making Italian and Hawaiian dishes, including mahi mahi with fresh pineapple, fettuccine alfredo and chicken parmigiana – as Friday specials. (The exact selection varies weekly.)

It’s a refreshing twist, and a callback to Bonilla Balmoris’ past experience. But even if you come in for the mahi mahi, don’t forget to give the artichoke enchilada a try.

ALFONSO’S AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD is open 9am-9pm daily. 11252 Merritt St., Castroville (inside Castroville Station Center). 633-5572, instagram.com/alfonsosauthentic