Conducted 3/29/01, transcribed and edited by Jensen Rufe
(Interviewer's notes in parenthesis)

Panache: So, first thing's first, I wanted to ask about you.... where you grew up and when you came to Eureka.
Rita: I came in 1976 because my sister lived here. I just lived two years here, then back to Mexico. Got married down there. I moved here in 1986 again, and I worked for a couple restaurants before. Then I asked my husband some day to buy a little place. And he said to me, "Well, I'm looking." And somebody called from this place (the current Rita's location), and we started this place in 1988. Then I moved into the Chapala Café in 1992, and I opened again in 1996 in this place (the current Rita's location).
And I'm going to start in probably a month at Harris and Union for the next place (a second Rita's location-where Amy's restaurant was located). I need more room; I make my burritos for the (local grocery) stores. I'll keep this location, and move into (the new place) in a month.
Panache: Is it larger than this place?
Rita: Yeah, it seats 60 people, 65.
Panache: You've only got like 26, 27 seats here (in the current location)?
Rita: 26, I think.
Panache: Do you have any hobbies besides the restaurant?
I have two kids; one is at CR, and my daughter, she's in Mexico now. My boy, he's helped me. My husband, he's helped me to buy the groceries, and I cook it.
Panache: Have you always been a good cook?
Rita: I learned for 14 years this kind of professional cooking. And I'll make more things for my new place, and more things for here. Probably my boy will be the manager here, and I'll check it out-double check.
Panache: Who taught you how to cook?
Rita: My mom and my aunt and my sister, my little sister.
Panache: So are a lot of these family recipes?
Rita: Yes, and I'll make more recipes from my mom at the new place. There's more space on my menu. I'm very glad I make my recipes--my memories for my mom, for my family.
Panache: There are so many Mexican restaurants in Eureka-there's got to be a dozen. How do you separate yourself from the other restaurants?
Rita: I think I'm very separate. I'm very separate, yeah. I know the owners (of the other restaurants); they're my friends. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants, and everybody cooks different, and I cook my style. I make separate my recipes. If somebody tried to cook and say it was me-I don't know (laughs).
Panache: What are your favorite five items on your menu?
Rita: I like the quesadilla especial with adobada. Everything is good. Before, when I ate meat, I loved the Colorado, the chili Colorado. And fajitas de Camaron, the Baja tacos, chili rellenos with rice and beans-they're good.
Panache: I like the carnitas. I just love them.
Rita: I can't eat it now. Yeah, I loved it before. I ate meat a couple years ago. Oh, the carnitas are so good. Everything, so good.
Panache: I lot of people think that this is their favorite Mexican restaurant in the world. Why is your stuff so good?
Rita: Well, my secret is I use the whole chilis, frijoles, the spices-I cook it in that every single day. And I use fresh spices. Good tomato sauce for the tacos-I make it all-my recipes. And I use black pepper--fresh. If something is old, I never use. I put it in the garbage can. I'm the same with my family as with my customers. I never serve food for a couple days. Just the fresh, very tasty, good food.
Panache: You can tell.
Rita: (laughs) Fresh cilantro, fresh jalapenos, tomatoes, fresh tomatillos, chilis. And my enchilada sauce is my mom's recipe.
Panache: I thought that maybe another reason why your food is so good is that you're always here. Does that help make the food better that you're working so close?
Rita: Yeah, because I double check. I check it out-everything. I taste it before.
Panache: I love your mild salsa. Is it a family recipe?.
Rita: Oh, that's good, too. Yeah, I made that in Mexico. And the pico de gallo and the chili relleno sauce.
Panache: You sell the salsa in the local grocery stores, too, right?
Rita: Yes.
Panache: What all do you have in the stores besides the salsa?
Rita: The salsa-mild and hot-and burritos, too: egg potato, potato no egg, black bean, spinach, veggie, beef and bean, and chili relleno, too.
Panache: Where can people buy those if they want to?
Rita: In Wildberries, Co-op, Ray's, Murphy's, Chevron (etc.).
Panache: I was told to ask what makes your chicken tinga tinga?
Rita: The tinga is a traditional dish for Mexico City.
Panache: Anything you want to say to people who are going to be reading the article?
Rita: I'm glad for my business. I'm very glad that people love my food. Yeah, I'm very glad. I'm proud to give my mother's style and my aunt's. I'm very happy people like my food and like me.
***
Note: Rita has a fairly strong Spanish accent; I have attempted to transcribe this interview to the best of my ability. If I got any details wrong, sorry Rita!
Thanks to Rita and Rita's waiter Kris Taylor for their help.