By Klyde Java

San Francisco is home to many people who call themselves craftspeople. These individuals specialize in a variety of skills and trades. Some enjoy the idea of tuning an old beat-up automobile, while others take pleasure in sculpting pottery. But Romania Daza, owner of Tabita’s Cafe, is a craftswoman in her own right. Her family history in the City stretches as far back as the mid-1960s.

A native of Chile, Daza immigrated to the United States in 1967 when she was 13 years old. She lived with her aunt in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco and her mother, Tabita, later joined the family in 1974.

“My mother was a nurse for 20 years in my country,” Daza recalled. “She was a very caring woman. She passed over ALS and I took care of her for over 10 years.”

Being the namesake of the cafe, Tabita’s presence still affects the 71-year-old Daza today. Despite being a maestro at baking homemade comfort food classics, the real star of the show continues to be her Chilean empanadas, a recipe originating from Tabita. Handmade and hot, Daza makes three versions of this Latin-American specialty: chicken, beef and veggie. 

Every morning, Daza and her niece prepare the empanadas with meticulous attention. The dough is cut and rolled with the same tools Tabita herself used. The aged wood on the rolling pin and pastry cutter have been worn down over the years, but a quick tinkering from Daza’s husband, Gabriel, keeps the utensils in usable condition.

“It’s a lot of work.” she said. “It takes a lot of time because you do everything from scratch. For example, to make dough, it’s about an hour and half for about 42 empanadas.” 

The lack of machinery is both a choice and a necessity. The equipment used to make empanadas is often large and expensive. Plus, it takes away the pleasure of individually folding each pastry.

“I don’t have the money. Are you kidding me? Where am I going to put it, anyway?” she joked.

Tabita’s Cafe opened two-and-a-half years ago, but rising costs and constant construction on the L-Taraval streetcar line make it difficult to keep the doors open.

“Everything is so expensive. I just raised the price two days ago. They (empanadas) used to be $6.50,” she said.

In spite of these business obstacles, the support of the Sunset neighborhood remains strong. On the mural on 22nd Avenue and Taraval Street, Daza is depicted with her signature dish. Her appearance highlights the neighborhood’s diverse culture.

“I was very honored that they (the painters) chose me,” she said.

Daza is a skilled and successful baker, but she is not getting any younger. The thought of someone taking over some day is up in the air. Occasionally, her husband or son help her with prepping ingredients, but no immediate heir has stepped up to take over Tabita’s Cafe. 

The absence of a successor does not seem to bother Daza.

“One of the good things is that I’m healthy,” she said. “I don’t take medicine. I don’t suffer from any conditions. Thank goodness, I don’t.” 

The family-oriented Daza is glad to share her artisanal abilities with the community. The satisfaction she brings to customers keeps her motivated.

“I want the entire San Francisco community to try my empanadas because that’s my passion,” she said.

Tabita’s Cafe is located at 1101 Taraval St. Learn more at Tabita’s Café on Facebook.