When chef Eric Celaya heard that Pechanga Resort Casino’s first Tacos & Tequila Festival was happening Sept. 16, he immediately thought of throwing a big party.

“It’s Mexican Independence Day, and that day is a party, where a lot of the Hispanic communities go out, drink a little bit of tequila, taste good food, dance around and enjoy good company,” Celaya said. “It’s exciting to bring the Latin American community together to enjoy something like this.”

Celaya, the chef de cuisine of 1882 Cantina, will participate in the first Tacos & Tequila fest. The event is the newest of the Temecula venue’s food and beverage gatherings, which include the Chocolate Decadence and Wine Festival, Sushi and Sake Festival and the Microbrew and Chili Cook-off Festival, all of which are hosted in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley.

Tacos & Tequila will offer a banda, specialty tacos cooked by Pechanga’s restaurant chefs and more than 40 booths serving samples of tequila, mezcal, Mexican beer, margaritas and micheladas.

During a media sampling event last month, some of the food highlights included a fried potato and shrimp taco by Journey’s End, birria and quesabirria tacos by Catering and Banquets, Taiwanese beef tacos by Blazing Noodles and stuffed crab and squash blossom crisp tacos by Pechanga Café.

Each guest will get to vote for the best taco, with the winning restaurant getting a trophy.

“All of the different restaurants get to create the tacos according to them,” Celaya said. “It’s about being creative, and it doesn’t have to be a traditional taco — you can make a taco out of anything, and that’s what makes this all so fun.”

Celaya has been at Pechanga for five years, including his position as sous chef at the Great Oak Steakhouse. When 1882 Cantina opened in 2021, he took his cooking skills to the restaurant to experiment with various Mexican flavors, with the goal of winning over any skeptics with his spin on traditional dishes.

He credits his cooking style to his grandmother, who sometimes offered words of wisdom with each hot plate. Her advice: Don’t cook when you’re angry (with the exception of salsa, because anger adds more of a kick) because your food will come out bad. Like many Latin cooks, she never wrote down her recipes or measured the ingredients formally, but thanks to years of experience, she estimated with precision every time.

“She was always like, ‘Un poquito de esto y un poquito de aquello,’ ” Celaya said, which translates to “a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” “I believe that if you cook something with your heart and that you put love into it, the food is going to speak for itself. When I cook something, I’m doing it because I enjoy it and am happy, and it reflects in my dishes that people try.”

Celaya is spearheading the 1882 Cantina team and cooked a taco with beef cheek, braised and marinated with spices including coriander, and chili ancho and guajillo peppers. The beef cheek is marinated for four hours, which makes it extra tender and flavorful. It is then served on a warm flour tortilla topped with cilantro, onions and a sweet and savory salsa made with jalapenos and onions.

Tammy Marine, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley, will also be present, since the charity is the main beneficiary of proceeds from the festival to help with housing in southwestern Riverside County. Items such as Kobe Bryant memorabilia, art, jewelry and purses will be part of a silent auction to raise money. A raffle will include prizes such as a wine tasting and balloon ride in Temecula.

“These events are outstanding, vibrant, creative and fun, with entertainment that is always top-notch,” Marine said.