Acushnet Chef Fuses Mexican Cuisine With New England Flair In Traveling Kitchen

What happens when you fuse West Coast cuisine with East Coast flair? Answer: Some interesting Mexican cuisine on the SouthCoast.

Colton Coburn-Wood, 32, moved from Boston to Acushnet in 2020 and has been cooking professionally for 15 years. He's been a head chef since age 24 at multiple establishments around Boston and is finally ready to bring his expertise and style to the SouthCoast.

Coburn-Wood just had his first big moment with a hungry crowd as owner of Taqueria No Mames, a "taco pop-up rooted in Mexican tradition, following New England seasons and bounty." After appearing at Davoll's General Store in Dartmouth last weekend, he plans to show up at other sites once a month.

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"I lived in California for a long time and I've never been exposed to real Mexican food as a New England boy from Massachusetts and I was blown away by the unique and authentic flavors," Coburn-Wood said. "I wanted to take something I was so passionate about and bring it here to New England to mesh with the local seasonal ingredients. I took the cooking techniques of Mexican food and fused it with nostalgic New England flair."

To give some examples, Coburn-Wood has created unique dishes such as carnitas with butternut squash, New Bedford sea scallop tostadas and spicy peanut butter salsa macha that can pretty much be spread on anything to enhance the flavor.

"I also have a brisket taco, and for vegetarians, I offer a mushroom taco," Coburn-Wood said. "Finally, for dessert, I've concocted a chocolate cranberry and passionfruit triple layered custard with a toasted graham cracker crust on top."

Growing up, the chef spent most of his childhood in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother. His mom made it a priority that the family sat down for a meal every night, consistently surrounded by food from a young age.

"It was a big part of my upbringing," Coburn-Wood said. "We ate a lot of Italian and French foods, and when I moved to California when I was 16, I found myself eating at these hole-in-the-wall places, and I was blown away from the flavors. Just from traveling throughout Mexico, eating my face off, Mexican cuisine has always been my favorite food, and it's my goal to bring it back home to the SouthCoast/New England."

You can expect menu items including tacos, tamales and tostadas at his pop-ups, so bring your wallets and your appetite to support this local business.