The masterminds of a beloved taco concept in Brooklyn are bringing authentic carnitas to Manhattan.
Carnitas Ramirez has four co-owners including Taqueria Ramirez’s Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar. The quartet have been friends for a longtime and always talked about starting a restaurant all together.
According to reporting by New York Business Journal, Carnitas Ramirez’s location will be 800 square-feet space with 35 seats.
What Now NY connected with Cervantes over the phone.
“Carnitas Ramirez is our second venture into tacos, and this concept will focus on the kinds of tacos I grew up with in Mexico City,” said Cervantes. “We opened Taqueria Ramirez in 2021 to bring street-style food from Mexico, and Carnitas Ramirez is an addition to the bigger scheme to bringing these flavors to New York.
Carnitas are often listed as a singular menu item, but Cervantes and his team are hoping to open people’s eyes to the idea that carnitas can be incredibly diverse. At Carnitas Ramirez, Chef Yvon de Tassigny will play an integral role in creating exciting renditions of pork-based dishes.
“We decided to open Carnitas Ramirez in Manhattan because we want to expand geographically,” said Cervantes. “We looked towards the East Village because of how connected it is to Brooklyn so people can grab a bike, cross the bridge and be right here.”
For the first few months of operation through September, Carnitas Ramirez will be open Friday to Sunday only. Traditionally in Mexico City, carnitas are only sold on the weekend when people come into the city to sell their product. While Carnitas Ramirez plans to open five days a week in the future, they will keep to this tradition in the beginning.
Carnitas Ramirez’s interior will reflect some elements of Cervantes’ upbringing. Some of the decor and the sounds in the restaurant will be reminiscent of his grandfather’s house. Soap opera lovers will be pleased to see some old school shows playing on a television nestled around the back. A portrait of Apolinar’s grandparents with an altar will also define the space. There are many personal elements dotted around the space, but Cervantes notes that ultimately Carnitas Ramirez will be very simple.
In the future, Cervantes and Apolinar are open to the possibility of opening another concept within the same realm of Mexican cuisine. Rather than copying and pasting Carnitas Ramirez’s concept, the duo would want to open a restaurant focusing on lamb tacos potentially.
“The East Village feels like a neighborhood within the city, and there is a big community of Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Latin American people in the area,” said Cervantes. “We have felt really welcomed by the community already. We are excited to show people the vast world of carnitas and Mexican cuisine.”
Cervantes said Carnitas Ramirez will be ready to open at the end of this month.
