Every weekday morning since 1993, Maria Perez has arrived at Tío Javi’s Fresh Mex Bar and Grill (formerly Ninfa’s) for one reason: to make tortillas.
Using an old-school recipe and deft handiwork, Perez mixes a fresh batch of dough—usually about 50 pounds or so—and carefully measures it out into 2-ounce balls she rolls by hand. She flattens each one precisely and evenly with a rolling pin before searing it on the restaurant’s flat top. These tortillas, made with flour, vegetable shortening, baking soda, salt and just the right amount of hot water, are the backbone of the restaurant’s menu.
“We use them in everything,” says Tío Javi’s manager Carlos Betancourt. “Burritos, fajitas, soft tacos, you name it. Fajitas are our biggest seller, so we go through a lot of tortillas; and we’ve recently added a lot of new street tacos to the menu that use them, too.”