East Valley Business - 09.05.21

east valley

Volume 4 Issue 08 Mesa, AZ

September 5, 2021

Mesa restaurant “elevates” tacos and hot dogs in style

BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor

R

IN THE BIZ

aymond Jimenez opened Tacos & Hot Dogs Los Mayitos in Mesa in April 2021 with an eye toward elevating diners’ taco and hotdog experiences.

The restaurant serves up more Sonoran-style food but Jimenez said the birria (Mexican stewed meat) recipes are from the family in Tijuana.

“It’s not spicy but it has a lot of �lavors,” said Jimenez. “We have quesabirriam which people love. It’s basically a tortilla dipped into a thick red sauce with our special cheese and meat. We start early in the morning around 4 am to start cooking it up. It takes about six to seven hours.”

American favorites with a twist include hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries.

No seafood is served but chicken, beef and pork.

“We elevated it a little bit but people seem to like the twists we’ve done with things,” said Jimenez. “As far as our Sonoran hot dogs, we have one with chili (ChileDOGO) and we have a pregnant dog (Dogo Ebarazado) stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. People love that one.”

For those with less-than-elevated tastes, the restaurant near Gilbert and Broadway roads will accommodate customers’ tastes.

“We can do anything custom-made because everything is fresh,” said Jimenez.

“We don’t have anything pre-made. We don’t freeze anything. Everything is handPublic Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2021 East Valley Tribune

made and made the day of.”

His mother-in-law and wife do a lot of the prep work but he and his brother-in-law do most of the cooking.

A popular Sonoran non-baked dessert is Pastel de Galletas, made with Mexican crackers.

The menu is written in Spanish with English translations.

“There’s such a local Latin American community around here but we’ve had a surplus of English-speaking customers so we’re revamping our menu,” said Jimenez, adding the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.

“We love it and they love our food.”

Jimenez also likes to take suggestions from guests.

“They advise us what we should add Raymond Jimenez says people like his unique spins so we take all of that to heart. We want on classic comfort food like tacos and hotdogs. to not just throw it out there but per- (Melody Birkett/Tribune Contributor) fect our recipes. Everything else we years in their restaurant, doing banquets. have on the menu, so far, has been great.”

Currently, he’s a security operations manA lot of customers are asking for en- ager in the morning. When the opportuchiladas, chimichangas, enchilada-style nity came to open this restaurant, he deburritos and combo plates with rice and cided to go for it. beans. For dessert, Jimenez is getting a lot “We got a good deal on this place,” said of requests for churros.

Jimenez. “It’s now or never. We had some He got a lot of ideas for the current menu savings so we decided to go all out for this from the food truck his daughter and wife place,” adding he hopes to eventually make used to own. it his full-time job.

“A lot of customers asked for tacos,” “We’re growing month to month. We’re Jimenez said. “The kids loved the hot dogs getting a lot of great feedback on Yelp and but also some adults. They don’t have to go on Google reviews. People love our food.” to different places. You can get it all here at Information: 330 S. Gilbert Road, Mesa. one place.” tacoshotdogslosmayitos.com, 623-272Jimenez worked for the Sheraton for 14 6028 (USPS 004-616) is published weekly

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Salvadoreno prizes cuisine with �lavor

BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor

Karlos Ramirez said his Salvadoreno Restaurant in Mesa focuses on flavor rather than spiciness. (Melody Birkett/

T

he Salvadoreno Restaurant in Mesa Southern has been serving up traditional Salvadoran food since 2002.

Originally owned by his parents, Karlos Ramirez has owned it for the last 11 years and will soon be opening a new location near Baseline and Hardy roads in Tempe.

Other family members own several other locations, with the same name throughout the Valley along with one in California.

The big difference between Salvadoran food and other cuisines is the �lavor, he said.

“We’re not focused on everything being spicy,” said Ramirez. “We do have some spicy things but our main focus is �lavor.

Some items with a Mexican �lare include the fajita trio with steak, chicken and shrimp and tacos.

“A lot of people compare Salvadoran food to Caribbean Latin food, Puerto Rican food, Dominican Republic, Cuban, and even South American food once they try it.

We do get mistaken for Caribbean Mexican but in the end, we’re more focused on the �lavors and seasonings.”

Seasonings include chipilin, a leaf in El Salvador.

“It’s actually grown in all of Central America,” explained Ramirez. “It has 180 percent vitamin C. We speci�ically put that in our soups. Then we have a tamale we put that in.”

Another seasoning the restaurant uses is the �lower Loroco.

“It’s an edible �lower in El Salvador, kind of like artichoke,” Ramirez said. “It actually has a similar texture and �lavor. We mix it with the cheese to make our pupusas. It leaves off a little bit of a salty, grainy �lavor.

It’s really delicious.”

Pupusas are popular in El Salvador, according to Ramirez, and are a big seller at his restaurant.

Basically, it’s kind of like our hot dog or hamburger of El Salvador. It’s a little tortilla.

Inside, it’s stuffed with different toppings. The most traditional one is a mix of pork, cheese and beans in the middle of the pupusa.”

Other popular menu items include cevi-

Tribune Contributor)

che and soups.

“Sopa De Pata is like a Menudo soup but we add beef feet and beef tripe along with some vegetables,” said Ramirez.

The restaurant serves an array of different soups, including one with free-range chicken.

“A traditional plate of El Salvador is chicken or steak sautéed in onions served with traditional Salvadoran rice and Salvadoran beans which are black and red beans mixed together,” explained Ramirez.

“We don’t use pinto beans or refried beans.

Our rice is more of Spanish rice.”

He said diners also enjoy a whole friend tilapia �ish served with rice, side salad and chimole, which is a less spicy version of pico de gallo.

“My favorite items are Lengua, beef tongue stewed with tomatoes served with rice and beans; chile relleno, my grandma’s recipe, beef and cheese; and pupusas,” Ramirez said. “I like the ceviche, as well.”

Desserts include empanadas which is a plantain.

“We grind them up, make them into little balls. In the middle, we put a creamy �illing made out of rice and topped it off with sugar. Then we have buenados which are custards and fried cassavas, kind of like hush puppies, served with honey. Another dessert is a quesadilla, which is a piece of

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sweet bread with cheese and rice.”

In the last 10 years, Ramirez said there’s been a surge in Central America restaurants in the Phoenix and Mesa area.

Not all are Salvadoran but are serving similar foods such as Costa Rican, Venezuelan and Guatemalan.

While the food is similar, Ramirez said there’s a distinct taste to Salvadoran food with the preparation and seasoning.

“We’re from the west part of El Salvador,” Ramirez said. “My dad grew up on the coast of the area. That’s where the ceviche comes from. My mom was born inland of that west part and that’s where the pupusas and the tamales come from.”

Ramirez was born in El Salvador and was brought here when he was 5.

The secret to the restaurant’s success has been loyal customers, according to Ramirez.

In addition, he boasted, “Our food is so different. We’re not a burger shop. We’re not a hot dog shop. I think our food is what has helped us stay a�loat.”

The restaurant serves reasonably priced breakfast, lunch and dinner along with Salvadoran coffee. They offer takeout, delivery and limited dine-in service.

Information: 303 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, salvadorenorestaurant.com, 480835-1038.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

Public Notice CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking a qualified firm or team to act as the Construction Manager at Risk for the following: SIGNAL BUTTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION 10950 E. ELLIOT ROAD PROJECT NO. CP0372 The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to provide PreConstruction Services assistance and complete Construction Services as the CMAR for the Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

The City of Mesa seeks to expand the existing Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant at the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Elliot Roads. The plant receives Colorado River water, supplied by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal, and treats the water to drinking water standards. The plant’s current treatment capacity is 24 Million Gallons per Day (MGD), with this project expanding the plant to its ultimate capacity of treating 48 MGD. The project consists of the following scope: • Expansion of the raw water pressure and flow control facility; • Expansion of the raw water ozone contactor and pH adjustment; • Expansion of the ballasted flocculation facilities; • Expansion of the deep-bed biological filtration, including backwash and air-scour facilities; • Expansion of the residuals facilities, including recovered water basin and pumps, recovered water treatment, and mechanical dewatering; • Expansion of the chemical bulk storage, chemical feed systems, ozone generation, and sodium hypochlorite generation systems; • Expansion of the electrical distribution system, including improvements to the existing improvements to the electrical building and standby power generation; • Addition of a second 8-milliongallon reservoir.

The estimated project cost is $70 million. The City anticipates the completion of construction in February 2025.

The existing facility was brought online June 2018 and was designed with consideration of the upcoming expansion.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on September 16, 2021 at 10 am through Microsoft Teams.

If you would like to participate, please send an email to Donna Horn (donna.horn@mesaaz.gov) and request an invitation. At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is

not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference. All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference.

Contact with City Employees.

All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified be-low.

RFQ Lists. The RFQ is available on the City’s website at http:// mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/ construction-manager-at-risk-andjob-order-contracting-opportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding PPVF’s and resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation).

Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minimum font size shall be 10pt. Please provide one (1) electronic copy of the Statement of Qualifications in an unencrypted PDF format to Engineer-ing-RFQ@ mesaaz.gov by September 30, 2021, by 2 pm. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications.

The City is an equal opportunity employer. Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System ( h tt p : / / m e s a a z . g ov / bu s i n e s s / purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Construction Manager at Risk selection process or contract issues should be directed to Donna Horn of the Engineering Department at donna.horn@mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune August 30, Sept 5, 2021 / 40825

57 East First Street.

1. Amending Title 5 of the Mesa City Code (Business Regulations) by repealing Chapter 12 entitled “Massage Establishment Operations” and replacing it in its entirety with a new Chapter 12 en-titled “Massage and Bodywork Establishment Operations” governing the licensing of massage establishments and bodywork establishments. (Citywide) DATED at Mesa, Arizona, this 31 st day of Au-gust 2021.

DEE ANN MICKELSEN, City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, Sept 5, 2021 / 41160

Public Notice CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa seeking a qualified Consultant for the following: SOSSAMAN ROAD: RAY TO WARNER ROADS PROJECT NO. CP0971 The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Consultant provide complete design services for construction drawings and technical specifications for anew roadway extension of Sossaman Road from Ray Road to Warner Road. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

The proposed improvements are as follows: This project will construct approximately 0.6 miles of new road with 4 lanes including curb, gutter, street-lights, signal(s), and sidewalks to connect Ray Road to Warner Road in the inner loop area.

The new road will cross the SR202 through the already constructed underpass and will need to cross two existingSR202 drainage channels with either two new bridges or culvert crossings.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 8 am through Microsoft Teams. If you would like to participate, please send an email to Stephanie Gishey at stephanie.gishey@mesaaz. gov to receive the invitation. At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference. All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference.

Contact with City Employees.

All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists,

Public Notice CITY OF MESA PUBLIC NOTICE The Mesa City Council will hold a public hearing concerning the following ordinances at the September 13, 2021 City Council meeting beginning at 5:45 p.m. in the Mesa City Council Chambers,

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attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified below.

RFQ Lists. This RFQ is available on the City’s website at http:// mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/ architectural-engineering-designopportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter that contains current company/firm contact information including a valid phone number and email address, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding PPVF’s and resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation).

Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minimum font size shall be 10pt.

Please provide one (1) electronic copy in an unencrypted PDF format to Engineering-RFQ@mesaaz.gov

by Thursday, September 23, 2021 by 2:00pm. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications.

The City is an equal opportunity employer.

Delivered or hand-carried submittals must be delivered to the Engineering Department reception area on the fifth floor of Mesa City Plaza Building in a sealed package.

On the submittal package, please display: Firm name, project number, and/or project title.

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered and activated in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/ business/purchasing/vendor-selfservice).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Consultant selection process or contract issues should be directed to Stephanie Gishey of the Engineering Department at stephanie.gishey@mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune Sept 5, 12, 2021 / 41198

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

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