Samalita was born and raised a fifth-generation Californian of Spanish-Mexican descent. Her ancestors traveled north from Monterey, Mexico in the De Anza party, settling in Monterey, California in 1775. When "Sam" moved to New York City, she found plenty of Tex-Mex restaurants, but not the wonderful Californian/Mexican food she grew up on.

She missed her family's recipes, which had been passed down through the generations. After many years of cooking these recipes at home for her family and friends, she realized that no existing restaurant provided authentic, delicious and healthy Mexican food at reasonable prices. Thus, Samalita created her own restaurant, where she could share this wonderfully fresh food with all her New York friends.