THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 1, 1995 TAG: 9508300195
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: W10B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
``Bienvenidos, amigos! We welcome you and hope that you will enjoy yourself.''
These lines appear on the menu at 3 Amigos restaurant, where Ricardo Perez says confidently, ``We have the best chimichangas in town and the best fajitas, too.''
For the past five months, Perez and the other folks at 3 Amigos have been serving up authentic Mexican food.
Customers at the Virginia Beach restaurant owned by Ricardo's brother, Ramon Perez, suggested that a similar restaurant would go over well in Chesapeake. After that, the Perez brothers began looking for a location here.
The Perez brothers and a third partner, Ray Figueroa, invested about $70,000 in the restaurant in Harbor Watch Shoppes at 200 N. Battlefield Blvd.
Figueroa is not related to the Perez family. But most everyone else affiliated with the business is a relative.
Other family members on the 3 Amigos' work force include two other brothers, Jose and Francisco Perez; three brothers-in-law, Raphael Casillas, Ruben Garcia and Raphael Hernandez; and a 14-year-old nephew, Jose Perez, who is visiting from California and would like to remain in Chesapeake.
Mai-lin Figueroa, a 3 Amigos waitress, is Figueroa's daughter.
``I love Mexican food,'' she said. ``When we lived in California that was all we ate. But when we moved to Virginia Beach, there were very few Mexican restaurants.''
It was the prospect of a higher standard of living and other benefits that prompted the Perez family to immigrate to the United States in 1985.
``Compared to Mexico, you can make more money here in this country,'' Perez said. ``We wanted to support our parents who are still in Mexico.''
The owners of 3 Amigos designed their own corporate logo. In it, three mustachioed men in sombreros are approaching a sign pointing toward Great Bridge, written as ``Greatbridge.''
``The taste of our food is typical of the region around Guadalajara, Mexico,'' Ricardo Perez said.
Combinations from the lunch menu cost between $3.50 and $4.75. At lunchtime, half-chimichangas can be ordered for $4 and lunch fajitas cost $5. For $6, customers can order any item from the dinner menu. A side-order fajita filled with chicken, steak and shrimp costs $9.50.
Perez recommends the 3 Amigos $10.50 special dinner for two. The meal consists of one chalupa, one burrito, one chile rellenos, one tamale, one enchilada, two tacos, rice and refried beans.
The children's menu includes choices such as Amigos' burger or one enchilada with spanish rice and refried beans for $2.50.
There are several choices for customers who like hot/spicy food, such as chilaquiles, steak ranchero and nachos.
``We'll make a real hot sauce to serve on the side if customers want it,'' Perez said.
Before noon on a recent weekday, there was a steady stream of customers. ``But we have more dinner business,'' Perez said.
In the kitchen, chef Chistin Mendoza worked fast, stuffing enchiladas with cheese, topping them with sauce, then popping the whole plate in the oven. As soon as one order was prepared, Mendoza bent to pick up another white plate from stacks within easy reach and prepared another order.
``Everything is prepared fresh at 3 Amigos,'' Perez said. ``We don't serve microwave food.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
At 3 Amigos restaurant, Ricardo Perez serves authentic Mexican
food.
by CNB