Oh, Carnitas…how I have missed you all these years.

My love affair with carnitas started with my first waitressing job. (Well, if you don’t count Sonic, it was my first waitressing job.) I definitely have stories about that place. But, what Ninfa’s lacked in adequate training, proper management and sexual harrassment policies, they made up for by far with their food.

Their green salsa…creamy, spicy, avocadoey goodness. Their Tacos al Carbon…fajita meat wrapped in a homemade tortilla with queso and avocado. Their queso…the best in town, by far.
Ninfa’s is where I learned to roll queso (real queso…the white cheese with chorizo or poblano strips). When a guest ordered queso, we brought it with tortillas to the table and rolled on site. Have you ever tried rolling stringy cheese into flour tortillas with two spoons and no hands? It’s an art, I tell you. (And now, I perform party tricks for friends every time we order queso at a Mexican restaurant. A: ‘Hey guys, check this out…’)

(more…)