IN THE short street in Cebu City that is General Echavez—where small hotels have sprung up—there is a quaint roadside pizzeria called Red Gate. The feel is rustic, which is what its owner, Jose Mari “Tenggoy” Colmenares, wants to convey. He has made the place himself single-handedly because, as he relates, he worked as a “handyman” in New York (or as he translates, a panday). He also made the furniture himself, out of wooden pallets (the base of his self-made tables are old Singer sewing machine stands), and has decorated the place with some of his family memorabilia.
Asked how he came to set up a pizzeria, Colmenares replied that when he was in New York, pizza was his comfort food and he wanted to make a business out of it. He felt like his “main business” of renting out sound and light equipment, was not something that was demanded every day.
“I experimented. I tried and tried until I came up with the right taste for me. Cooking is not by the book. You have your own taste buds,” Colmenares said. So, he experimented on until he came up with what he believes to be the right dough formula and the right pizza sauce. These he prepares himself. He also concocted a hot sauce (because customers asked for it) which comes not in the usual red color but in creamy yellow. All his pizzas are freshly baked, so one has to wait for about 15 minutes before one’s order is served.
Take your pick: Cheese, Hawaiian, All-in Special, Mighty Meaty, All Vegetables, Pepperoni, Chorizo, Ham and Cheese, Daredevil, Calzone or Bacon and Cheese. There is already a slight zing to his pizza but for those who want a spicier taste, the special hot sauce complements but does not drown out the flavor of the pies.
Colmenares will not stop at pizza as he plans to add chicken and pasta to his menu. He has to do this slowly, however, as he is a sort of one-man show: he still has to finish the pizzeria the way he wants it, as well as the furniture, and he is also opening a branch soon in Tisa. The Echavez outlet is cozy and seats only 20. It has a function room which can also accommodate another 20 persons.
Whether Colmenares will stop at pizza, chicken and pasta, only time will tell. He seems to be a constantly evolving person. He was a footballer during his high school and college days. He was a professional singer. He was a champion triathlete. And, as he said, a panday.
Right now, it was his comfort food in New York and during his childhood (his mom was a good cook) that he is focusing on, much to the delight of pizza lovers who have tasted Red Gate’s freshly made pizzas.