The city will say adios to one of its oldest Mexican restaurants next month when Mamasita's closes its doors.

Owner Howard "Howie" Schiff opened Mamsita's in March of 1986 at 1121 NW 63 St., taking over a space where Kaiser's Ice Cream had a franchise.

Mamasita's opened just as the Tex-Mex cuisine was collecting hearts, minds and palates all over the region before spreading across the country.

I'll always remember Mamasita's as the first Mexican restaurant I found that served black beans when I moved here in 1988. The bar is legendary for its chili potlucks for the Super Bowl.