I am a horrible Jew. I am allergic to chicken and eat pork, the other white meat, like my body depends on its nummy nourishment to survive whatever life happens to chuck my way. When I need some pig-lovin happiness I go to Las Palmas, a place I first stumbled into more than six years ago.

Now don’t get me wrong. Everything on the menu is great, even the chicken, so I am told.  The carne asada is always yummy, and I have even tried the vegetarian super burrito with black beans. Delicioso. I would recommend you try it, but add Las Palmas Diablo prawns to it for some extra protein and you will slip into a food coma with a smile, and maybe some perspiration. Though I have tried all of Las Palmas’ wonderfully simple, clean and fresh comidas over the years, it’s always about the carnitas. Yo quiero carnitas de Las Palmas por favor.

The restaurant during the day enjoys a warm natural light with its floor-to-ceiling windows. Las Palmas is located at 415 Santa Rosa Ave. on the west side of the street just south of Julliard Park. Though parking appears tight, there always seems to be a space. I have observed new customers greeted with the same warmth as returning ones.

Las Palmas’ carnitas are prepared in a way that would make your abuela proud. The meat, along with some secret ingredients, is braised for a minimum of three hours, slow and low, allowing for the fat to break down and re-coagulate, permeating the meat adding the rich, thick extra layer of flavor you imagine when you think of braised proteins. After the oven, it is pulled apart and separated.

They then take it and put your two servings for your dos tacos de carnitas on the flat top griddle and place a bacon press over the meat. The weight from the press and the heat from the flat top caramelizes the outer portion of the meat, sealing all the yummy rich juice inside.

When you finally get your bite of magic, it is all crunchy yum on the outside and rich yet light, while still perplexingly complex on the palate. It is served on a freshly made corn tortilla, with an accompaniment of cilantro and diced white onions for garnish. Including a complimentary handful-sized basket of chips with two different house made salsas and a Coke hecho en Mexico, plus your dos tacos will run you under $8, not counting tip.