Emmanuel Galvan
Café Bolita and Bolita Masa | Berkeley, CA
September 2026
As a kid growing up in Napa Valley, Emmanuel Galvan was charmed by California's rich agricultural landscape. But it wasn't until he moved to New York for college that he first started working in the hospitality industry as a food runner and server. When he moved back to the West Coast after school, he picked up jobs at places like Delfina and Bar Tartine before heading down to Los Angeles to work at Canelé. Galvan eventually moved back to San Francisco and became a manager at Kin Khao, where he was struck by Chef Pim Techamuanvivit's delicate and refined Thai cooking as well as her use of California produce. Galvan, whose family is from Jalisco, Mexico, felt a desire to do the same with his own culture. In 2017, he started traveling to Mexico to explore the country's different regions and culinary communities. When he returned to the States, he began making his own masa.
In 2020, Galvan quit his job as a human resources manager for a large restaurant group and decided to start selling his masa. Although it started as a pay-what-you-can model just for fun, his business, Bolita Masa, quickly attracted a local following. He moved into a commercial kitchen not long after. Galvan spent the next four years tinkering with his recipes, learning from other cooks and masa makers in the United States and Mexico, and eventually supplying product to local restaurants including Chef Val Cantú's acclaimed Californios.
Ready to offer something more to his patrons, Galvan opened his brick-and-mortar restaurant, Café Bolita, in February 2026. With an emphasis on seasonality and affordability, he is showcasing comforting, nostalgic, and produce-driven Mexican-inspired dishes like his black bean salsa tetelas with mustard greens, charred corn, and pickled squash. Along with catering, private events, and wholesale items, Galvan is continuing to expand to dinner service. Outside of the kitchen, he is active with organizations like Foodwise, 18 Reasons, and La Cocina and hosts educational workshops at the restaurant and local schools.
2026 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
