Carnitas Ramirez Sets Opening in East Village
A new taqueria, Carnitas Ramirez, is set to open in the East Village. The restaurant will specialize in authentic Mexican carnitas, and its opening has been highly anticipated by local food enthusiasts.
This new venture is from Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar, the partners behind the acclaimed Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint, which opened in 2021. The duo, who have backgrounds in photography, transitioned to the culinary world during the pandemic, with Cervantes teaching himself to cook from YouTube tutorials. Carnitas Ramirez will have a singular focus on authentic, Michoacán-style carnitas, a departure from the broader menu at their Greenpoint location. Their approach is purist, using only salt and lard to cook the pork in traditional copper pots, or "cazos," a technique they learned from "carnitas maestros" in Michoacán. The restaurant is a partnership with another couple: Yvon de Tassigny, formerly of St. Anselm and Fette Sau, will serve as chef, while Kari Boden will manage the front of house. De Tassigny, described as a "meat guy," will oversee the "nose-to-tail" operation, preparing everything from skin and belly to tongue, ears, and brains. The menu will feature a wide variety of pork cuts not commonly found in NYC, such as maciza (shoulder), costilla (ribs), buche (stomach), cuero (skin), lengua (tongue), and oreja (ear). Weekly specials are planned to include tortas, gorditas de chicharron, and "sesadillas" (pork-brain quesadillas). Located at 210 E. Third St., the 800-square-foot space was formerly home to Café Cortadito. Initially, Carnitas Ramirez will follow the Mexico City tradition of being open only on weekends (Friday to Sunday), with plans to eventually expand to five days a week.
