While scoping out some Congressional races in Arizona, I remembered one of my favorite restaurants from the Tucson area: El Charro Cafe. It’s the oldest, family-run, continuously-operated Mexican restaurant in the US. I first went there in 1994, when I was attending the American Astronomical Society’s (AAS) annual meeting. Back then I was a software developer working on the Hubble Space Telescope at Space Telescope Science Institute, and I was out there to help present a poster for some work I’d done. I went again each time I’ve been back in Tucson and have been thinking it’s about time to head out there again.

Why is it so good? In a word, the carne seca. Yes, it’s that simple, dried beef. But, oh how they do it. Marinated with garlic, lime and spices, it’s left to dry in the hot Sonoran sun on traditional wire mesh cages until it’s so tender and ready for cooking. It’s served cooked and shredded, packed into chimis, tacos, burritos, or just by itself. If you’re in Tucson, visit this restaurant!