Mexican Food on Wheels
Gonzalo Ignacio Tovar and
Ruth Jovita Valdes.
The idea of Gonzalo Ignacio Tovar and Ruth Jovita Valdes, who are both Mexican, was to bring the familiar flavor of a home-cooked meal to The Last Frontier. They started their dream with the food truck, “La Casa del Burrito.” Today, on their third summer in Fairbanks, they see it as a real business thanks to their success.
Initially, the truck was called “The Burrito Man,” and the food was sold in Hawaii for a couple of years. Then, when their daughter Gisela and her husband Nahum moved to Alaska because of their new job, Gonzalo and Ruth followed them and opened “La Casa del Burrito” on July 31, 2023. “We are thrilled that people like our food; it gives us energy to continue working in this land of great opportunities,” said Gonzalo, 77. Ruth, 72, is the chef and says that the recipe for marinating meat comes from her grandmother, who taught her many culinary secrets. Gonzalo is an Electronic Communications Engineer and worked in marketing for many years. “I apply my knowledge and make burritos that people like. I like listening to my customers. My role in the kitchen is to marinate the meat, cook it, roll the burritos and assemble the dish,” he said. Almost everyone’s favorite burritos are steak and shrimp. “La Casa del Burrito” also offers pork burritos, chicken burritos, and a Mexican-style soup. Each burrito is wrapped in a wheat flour tortilla and weighs 700 grams. They are large enough to feed two people. “La Casa del Burrito” is located at 223 Illinois St. They are open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The truck will be open until October, 31st. |