WHO: about MōNO

MōNO Restaurant and Wine Bar is owned and operated by husband and wife team, Todd Wilson and Eloisa Castillo.    Todd, born in Long Beach, California and raised in Orange County, grew up surfing up and down the coast of Southern California.   Reluctantly, he moved with his family to the Bay Area in his late teens.  Eloisa, born in the Philippines, was raised in the Bay Area in nearby Alameda.  The two met in Berkeley where Eloisa was pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of California.   Upon meeting, they instantly clicked and discovered that they shared the same birthday!  

After graduating from college, Todd and Eloisa moved to San Francisco where they lived for over 12 years.   Eloisa pursued a career in the insurance industry and worked her way up the corporate ladder.   Todd tried his hand in retail and in the corporate world, but, neither got his juices flowing.    He then decided to follow his love for cooking and enrolled at the California Culinary Academy (CCA).   Thus, began an enduring love affair with food & wine.

Shortly after graduating from the CCA in 1996, Todd built his culinary career working in a number of San Francisco restaurants cooking various cuisines.   He was a Sous Chef at Aromi Restaurant (Northern Italian cuisine); the Executive Chef at Perry’s on Union Street (Contemporary American fare); the Opening Chef at Café Delucchi in North Beach (Italian cuisine), Chef de Cuisine at AsiaSF (Asian Fusion); and, Chef de Cuisine at the Public (Cal-Med cuisine).    

Because Todd worked nights and weekends while Eloisa worked weekdays at her corporate job, in an effort to spend more time together, Todd hired Eloisa as a hostess when he was still at Perry’s.   Eloisa was instantly hooked and loved the vibe and energy of a busy restaurant.   That’s when they decided to “someday,” open their own restaurant, with Todd running the back-of-the-house and Eloisa running the front-of-the-house.

Following that decision, Eloisa pursued a master’s degree in business at the Golden Gate University in 2000.   To gain more hands-on knowledge of front-of-the-house operations, she worked at some of San Francisco’s premiere destination restaurants:  Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio, Cortez Restaurant, and then Myth Restaurant.    

Todd and Eloisa had always envisioned a “neighborhood spot” for their restaurant concept.  Over six years ago, they moved across the Bay to Oakland’s Jack London Warehouse and Loft District, where they saw a true potential for their restaurant concept to take hold.    Being long-time residents of Jack London District themselves, they know first hand that their neighborhood needed a place to draw residents together; a warm and friendly place serving excellent food and wine.

Working in a restaurant environment, Todd and Eloisa understand how “teamwork” plays a vital role in its success.   As such, they recognize and thank the following team members who were instrumental in launching MōNO Restaurant and Wine Bar: