“From Rock Bottom to City Hall”

The hum of conversation fills Don Ponchitos Café Jardín on E. Pike Boulevard, where the smell of fresh tortillas mixes with the sharp scent of coffee. Mayor Adrian Gonzalez can’t make it more than a few steps inside before someone waves him down. Waitresses call him “Mayor,” men in work boots stop to shake his hand, and a retired couple at a corner table nods in approval.