Doña Mir's Kitchen brings authentic Mexican food to American Falls

AMERICAN FALLS — Doña Mir's Kitchen, a food truck serving chef-owner Mirta Gaona's take on traditional Mexican cuisine, has brought Gaona's entrepreneurial vision to life since opening earlier this year in May.

Gaona said when she was a little girl growing up in Mexico she always admired the women she saw making food at parties and weddings. The women noticed her admiration and began inviting her to cook with them.

"They were traditional cooks, and that was her true inspiration," Janeth Hernandez, Gaona's daughter and Doña Mir's Kitchen manager, said of her mother. "But the person who most inspired her to start cooking was her grandma, who was also a traditional cook."

Now, Gaona has her own food truck out of American Falls where she cooks her version of the traditional Mexican food she grew up with.

Although the food truck recently opened, Gaona and her family have 11 years of experience catering and serving at a variety of events with hundreds of people.

The business is run entirely by Gaona and her relatives. Hernandez said this is intentional to ensure the food maintains its authenticity.

"The difference (between) our food truck (and others) is authenticity," Hernandez said. "All our ingredients are fresh, and we can say for sure that our food is traditionally Mexican with my mom's touch."

The most popular item at Doña Mir's Kitchen is the street tacos made with homemade tortillas. The carne asada fries with mozzarella cheese, guacamole, onion, cilantro, sour cream, grilled onions, and jalapeños are a close second.

Another favorite is Gaona's take on hamburgers, called "Mir's hamburgers," which are made with hand pressed patties and topped with sausage, bacon, asadero cheese, grilled onion, jalapeños, tomato, onion, and avocado.

Hernandez said business has been good, and her family hopes to continue serving food in American Falls and eventually travel farther with the food truck.

"We've had great acceptance from the community and are so grateful for it," Hernandez said. "We hope to attend community events in the future, as well as travel to other surrounding towns."