The Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino is proof that sometimes a restaurant is more than just a restaurant. It’s the first stop in this new series: California Foodways. I'll be travelling county by county, reporting on people and places at the intersection of food and culture and history and economy. Places like the Mitla Cafe. Since the 30s, it’s borne witness to -- and played a role in -- political change. It also happens to be an unlikely inspiration for how mainstream America sees – and eats -- Mexican food.