Burritos are nice, but tradition is spice

Hermila Vergara sends a tortilla on its way after kneading the flour dough at Vasquez Deli.

Sixteen-hour days are what George Vasquez deserves for all those years of bugging his mother. Whenever Nicha made tortillas, her son pestered her by asking one question after another.

George was too nosy for his own good. Vasquez Deli, which his parents opened in 1976, is now literally in his hands. Handmade tortillas are the deli’s trademark as well as a family tradition.

Not a day goes by that George does not think of his mother, who died last August at age 80, and the pride she took in making tortillas by hand. He remembers her telling him so time and again.

George Vasquez

“She always told me, ‘You’re never going to learn,’” George recalled Wednesday morning as he watched Hermila Vergara and Jose Gonzalez knead flour dough into balls and then flatten them into tortillas.

George learned the business by usually sticking his nose where his parents did not think it belonged. Of Nicha and John Sr.’s four sons, George was the one who showed an aptitude by being so inquisitive.

Among the lessons George learned from his father was that running a business is by no means easy.

George Vasquez will prepare the dinner Saturday when the family pays tribute to his mother, Nicha.

“He told me I had to watch everything,” George said. “Every day of  doing this is a major commitment.”

John Sr. has been missing from the deli in recent weeks, however, after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. George said his 79-year-old father is undergoing his fourth week of chemotherapy.

Nicha and John Sr. started the tradition of Vasquez Deli being a family business. George has followed in their footsteps by bringing his wife of 27 years, Tracy, and two daughters, 22-year-old Amanda and 19-year-old Molly, into the fold.

The deli is just one Vasquez family tradition. The other is decorating a float for the annual Fiesta Days parade. Saturday will be a long day for the float, which will make two stops once the parade along Merchant Street has ended.

The first will be at Winsor House Convalescent Hospital on South Orchard Avenue to bring the spirit of Fiesta Days to the residents. The float has paid a visit to Winsor for more than 20 years.

The second stop will be at Buck Mansion for Viva La Fiesta, a tribute to Nicha Vasquez and an American Diabetes Association fundraiser. Nicha died after battling complications of diabetes.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at Vasquez Deli, 620 East Main St., or Tableaux Event Rentals, 218 Dobbins St. The event will be 3-7 p.m. and include dinner and a tour of Buck Mansion.