Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Houston: park, build)

[OzzyRules]

I remember Ninfa's at 281/Nakoma. They had some of the best fajita's I've ever had. Which isn't surprising since they invented fajitas.

[Nix54]

You are so right about Ninfa's fajitas. Here is something I found about them...

While the origin of fajitas is Mexican, it is actually a Texas specialty that dates back to the 1930’s. Butchers along the Texas border of Mexico, used the Spanish word “faja” when talking about the diaphragm muscle of the steer. “Faja” translates to “belt” or “girdle” in English. We, in the United States, call this cut of meat the skirt steak.



The “faja” would be given to the Hispanic ranch hands as a part of their payment for work. The men would pound the meat until flat and thin, marinate it in lime juice, and then cook it over a mesquite wood fire. The grilled meat would then be sliced thin and placed inside a warm flour tortilla with condiments. The men called this dish “tacos de fajitas.”


In the mid ‘70s, Ninfa Laurenzo (a.k.a. Mama Ninfa), a well-known Houston restaurateur, revised and re-invented the dish. A customer had just returned from a trip to Mexico City and asked the staff to slice a piece of steak into thin strips so he could make an upscale taco. Cilantro, onion, tomatoes, chilies, sour cream, and cheese were added, and this scrumptious new fajita dish became a house specialty.

[irnag]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

Does anyone remember when Karam's Mexican restaurant had a location at I10 and Callaghan? Late 70's. I think it was on the access road between Malibu/Castle and Callaghan. They had some kind of Aztec statue outside in front with a built in speaker. I don't remember what kind of messages came out of it.

I vaguely remember Karams and I want to say that the messages were those of Henry Guerra talking about SA, but I only heard them once and it was a long time ago. I thought they had the first location on the southwest side, I want to say Zazamora near the produce terminal, but I am not sure. I thought they left the I-10 and Callaghan location and I thought Ninfa's located there. For living so close to there, I did not go there much, except for Malibu GP.

Oh, and the other poster that mentioned Scrivners. As a child, I liked going there at Christmas time and I thought the Tea Room was so cosmopolitan for San Antonio.

[Willsatx]

Yeah I think I remember the Ninfa's on Callaghan and Nakoma, great places.

[rob5]

Originally Posted by 940

I remember Shakey's Pizza...I had a few free birthday pizzas at some of their locations when I was a little boy in the 70s. Unfortunately, there aren't any more Shakey's in Texas. They're either on the west coast or in Georgia or Minnesota. I remember Godfather's too...great pizza...there was a location in the strip center across from Ingram Mall and the Long John Silver's.

And yes, SA Greed, I remember Sbarro's at Ingram Park.

Anyone remember Fargo's Pizza? The only one i knew of was located on the corner of Callaghan and Culebra.

[rob5]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

There was a First Mate located at 410/Vance Jackson. Now there's a Grant St Pizza.

I thought that use to be Kentucky Fried Chicken

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by rob5

I thought that use to be Kentucky Fried Chicken

It was a KFC

[OzzyRules]

The First Mate might have been just past it, where I think there is a sonic now.

[940]

Originally Posted by rob5

Anyone remember Fargo's Pizza? The only one i knew of was located on the corner of Callaghan and Culebra.

Fargo's Pizza has been mentioned in some of the earlier pages of this thread. The old location off Wurzbach and Evers was a big Marshall High hangout in the 70s and 80s. The old theater that showed b&w silent movies was very popular at the time.

I remember hearing about the Callaghan and Culebra location but never ate there.

[01Snake]

They had a Fargo's in Boerne as well.