Mi Nidito...Bottled Beer served at 39-degrees

On a warm Thursday afternoon in South Tucson, on February 25, 1999 to be exact, a man with a big appetite and an even bigger entourage stepped off the sidewalk next to the busy South 4th Avenue into a quaint and cool Mexican restaurant. Sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant the man ordered a plate of food that would become a part the lore and attraction of Mi Nidito. A photograph of William Jefferson Clinton and a large wooden plaque mark the spot where the 42nd President consumed a bean tostada, a birria taco, a chili relleno, a chicken enchilada and a beef tamale.

An old friend once told me that you will never have a bad meal on the road if you just look for restaurants where there are plenty of semi trucks parked. Truckers know where the best meal and the best deals are along the road. As Jacob and I circled around the block, past the dog track and heading back up north on 4th Avenue, It was easy to find Mi Nidito. It’s the restaurant with two full parking lots. Jacob pulled his pick-up truck into the last parking spot of the north lot. Anyone coming to the restaurant after us would have to find parking on one of the side streets. All those cars in the parking lot, like the semi trucks lined up at a roadside restaurant, were the harbinger for a great meal ahead.

The hostess lead Jacob and I to the very table where the President had dined so I decided to order the same meal as Clinton which was presented prominently on the top of the menu as ”The President’s Plate”.

I ordered a bottle of Negra Modelo beer to go along with the tortilla chips and salsa appetizer. The bottle of beer was served at 39 degrees along side a frosted 8oz glass garnished with a center slice of lime. I found the Negra Modelo beer, although dark in color, was light in taste. Each sip was cool and refreshing with very little aftertaste.

Jacob ordered three beef tacos and a large cheese crisp. When the waitress brought our food she also brought along two styrofoam take out cartons, anticipating our leftovers.

Mi Nidito, which means, my little nest, is smallish in size as eateries go, but with a cozy atmosphere, filled from floor to rafters with Mexican decorations, the restaurant feeds a lot of people throughout the lunch hour. The food was delicious and filling.

“I can’t do this,” I told Jacob. “I have eaten the beef tamale, the chicken enchilada, the chili relleno and half the birria taco and I am stuffed.” The waitress was right. I placed the bean tostada and the remaining half of the taco in the container for take home. Jacob did the same with half of his cheese crisp and a taco.

If my memory serves me correctly, I recall seeing news footage of the President’s visit to Tucson back in 1999. The news cameras caught him rubbing his stomach as he strode across the tarmac on his way to the passenger stairs of Air Force One.

Mi Nidito is located at 1813 South 4th Avenue and has the reputation as one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Tucson area. Dozens of famous actors and other celebrities besides President Clinton have visited Mi Nidito over the years and the restaurant has the photographs on the walls to prove it.

“That’s a lot of food Mr. President,” I said as I snapped the lid of the styrofoam container down. “A lot of food.”