Carmens

Since I've started this taco journey I've received alot of tips for where I can find the best taco trucks and taquerias our fine city has to offer. I'm happy to say that not one of these tips has disappointed and I've become a more experienced taco eater in the process.

But since the begginning of this hunt I've had the KCAL 9 on the town top 9 taco trucks in southern california list on my mind. It claims to list the best taco trucks in southern california but only includes Los Angeles taco trucks. Orange county and San diego not part of southern california?

The 9 on the town list should have been called best taco trucks in Los angeles because they obviously didn't travel south of LAX for this research. Or did they do any research at all? That's what I am going to found out my friends. As your humble taco correspondent I will travel to each of these destinations and sample their taco fare and unlike 9 on the town I cannot be bribed. I'm not suggesting that KCAL would ever accept bribes but check out their best tacos of LA list and you tell me that someone at real food daily isn't on the payroll.

So I set off to check out the #9 taco truck on the list, Carmens at Vermont and 8th st in Los Angeles. I arrived with no expectations and treated it like any other taco truck I may come across. Well that's what I told myself but I did have high expectations..it's the ninth best truck in all of southern california!

The first thing I noticed was the amount of salsas set along a counter mounted on the truck. A guacamole salsa, a salsa verde, a salsa roja, onions and cilantro as well as jalapenos and slices carrots. It was quite an impressive spread.There were even small cups to take salsa to go.

So I ordered asada and al pastor. They also had cabeza, lengua, pollo,and buche on the menu as well as tortas, burritos and cemitas. Mexican cokes and pepsi's and several flavors of jarritos were also available. My drink of choice is usually a lime jarritos.



I poured some of the salsa roja on my tacos and dug into the al pastor first. The salsa roja was great but I got a gob full of flabby pork. At first I thought I was chewing on a bit of pineapple but as the pork fat begin to stick to my teeth and the gummy consistency began to make my stomach churn I realized I was smack dab in the middle of eating something really disgusting. Emeril Legasse would have loved it but I am of the mind that pork fat does not rule,especially on a taco.


pork fat doesn't rule

Up next was the asada and again the first bite filled my mouth with the delicious salsa roja. Wow that salsa was good but I can't say the same for the tacos. The asada was passable but too chewy and didn't have any of the qualities that make for great carne asada. The only thing that saved the taco was the salsa roja which was really flavorful. I would love to get my hands on that recipe. The spice was subtle and I didn't have to reach for my lime jarritos but sometimes I prefer a tasty salsa over a spicy kicked up roja.

So what's going on at KCAL 9? who's in charge over there? is John Ireland Bob's Bigboy? can they be taken seriously in the taco community?

At first I felt bad about giving a negative review to a taco truck as it seems to be run by hard working folks. But this is a taco hunt and my opinions are just that, my opinions.However if they didn't want a bad review then I shouldn't have been served a pork fat taco. Maybe I should have announced my arrival "I am Bandini the taco hunter of Los Angeles and I expect your finest taco fare! if I recieve a pork fat taco I wont hesitate to announce this to the taco community!"



Carmens is at the corner of 8th and Vermont. tacos are $1 each

Carnitas Michoacan

Got a tip via email to check out Carnitas Michoacan in Lincoln Heights. Having been to carnitas michoacan #2 in Van Nuys I wasn't sure if the two were related but was interested in finding out.

Lincoln Heights is a taco haven and checking my little black taco book I noticed four other destinations in the area on my to do list. Luck would have it that Carnitas Michoacan was the first taqueria to come into sight when I turned on to Broadway ave.

I ordered asada and al pastor. Even though carnitas seemed like an obvious choice I couldn't resist sampling some of the pork from the al pastor spit. It's one of my rules of thumb when ordering tacos. If there's an al pastor spit I skip the carnitas and order al pastor and vice versa if there isn't.


My tacos came with onions, cilantro and a smokey salsa negra. The first thing I realized was that these tacos were much better than the tacos at carnitas michoacan #2. The salsa was just as advertised and I couldn't get enough of it. I actually could have drank the salsa by itself it was that good.A great salsa can really make or break a taco but the meats with these tacos were so tender and juicy that the salsa just added to the overall taste explosion. The meats were prepared wonderfully, the asada charred and tasty and the al pastor tender and soaked in spices and carmalized onions.



I'm running out of ways to describe great tacos and I feel like I often repeat myself but these tacos were so good I wanted to get up and do the peanut butter jelly time dance

They are open 24 hours so you can get your taco fix at any hour of the night. I work downtown so it's a convenient taco run for me during my lunch hour and I will definetly be returning to carnitas michoacan.



Carnitas Michoacan is at 817 N Broadway, Lincoln Heights. Tacos are $1.15 each

El Jalapeno

At the corner of Beverly and Normandie in the heart of Los Angeles is El Jalapeno,a mexican food stand that serves tacos, tortas, and burritos. Hidden under a massive signpost and often behind a crowd of people waiting at the bus stop this taco stand is easy to miss.

The first thing I noticed when I approached the window was a hunk of glazed pork twisting on a metal rotisserie. My eyes widened and my stomach grumbled in anticipation for what was to come. Having al pastor from a rotisserie is night and day when compared with al pastor that is prepared any other way. The slow roasted and marinated meat is unlike any other.



So I ordered asada and al pastor tacos and watched as the cook cut slices of al pastor from the spit on to the cylinder grill and then on to corn tortillas. My tacos were garnished with cilantro and onion with a salsa roja.

The asada was passable but nothing special.The al pastor however was excellent. The pork was glazed,soft and sweet. The pork and carmalized onions combined with a tasty salsa roja made for a great taco. The salsa didn't have much spice to it but I didn't mind. I didn't really need anything to get in the way of the sweet cuts of pork.



One may think that eating tacos as much as I do that there may be a sense of deja vu. I thought I would encounter this problem but I havn't. A taco can be interpreted in so many ways that I never get bored eating them. The al pastor at El Jalepeno was unique because of it's sweet aftertaste and soft texture.

I wouldn't go out of your way and fight the harsh city traffic to get to El Jalapeno, but if you are ever in the area and in the mood for tacos the al pastor will not disappoint.



El Jalepeno is at the corner of Beverly and Normandie. Tacos are $1 each

Siete Mares

Over the weekend I was in Silverlake and had a chance to check out Siete Mares on Sunset blvd. It's on the sunset junction, probably the coolest part of LA in the history of the city(just ask someone who lives there, they'll tell you they are cooler than you).

I dont remember what I ordered exactly because I may have had one too many cold ones in me at the time but I did wake up the next morning with pictures. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I lost my camera and what the person who found it would think. They'd probably think "holy crap this guy is obsessed with tacos" or maybe they would think "taking pictures of tacos? why didn't I think of that?"



Siete Mares is an interesting establishment. They have a restaurant as well as a taco stand and presumably they serve the same kind of food at both. I assume the menu inside the restaurant to be a little more extensive and also serve cocktails but I could be wrong. I've only been to the outdoor hut.

I remember the fish taco being absolute heaven. Crisp fish on top of soft corn tortillas and a special red sauce as well as a light cream sauce topped with cabbage. It was enormous and for two bucks each quite the deal. Deliciouso!



I need to get back there asap to try the shrimp taco and some more fish tacos.

The rating below may or may not be affected by the amount of adult beverages in this taco reporter at the time.



Siete Mares is at 3131 W. Sunset Blvd. Fish tacos $2

El Pecas #2

I first read about El Pecas #2 on the LA Chowhound forum. It got rave reviews and since I'm a taco reporter I decided to take a closer look.

Parked at the southwest corner of La Brea and Olympic El Pecas #2 serves up tacos and burritos with a smile. Well maybe not a smile, more like a half smile. Not only do they serve of tacos but they also have a TV mounted on a wall inside the truck that plays your favorite mexican soap operas and talk shows. You can't hear the audio but you can stare at the TV and pretend you understand what is going on while you wait for your tacos.

I ordered my usual of asada and al pastor. "Dos tacos de asada y dos de al pastor con todo por favor" The al pastor is cooked on a slow roasting spit which is a rarity for taco trucks but always a welcomed surprise.



My tacos came with onions, cilantro and a subtle yet spicy salsa roja. The al pastor was delicious and saucy with carmalized onions and spiced cuts of pork. The asada was equally pleasing with tender fine cuts of beef on top of perfectly oiled corn tortillas.


I'm not sure how long El Pecas has been parking at this location but I hope they start to get a following. These guys are on to something and really know how to satisfy a taco craving. I can see this being a late night before or after club hangout on the weekends with the ample parking space and it's location.



Delicious delicious tacos and I hope El Pecas #2 gets rewarded with crowds of patrons.



El Pecas #2 is at La Brea and Olympic nightly after 7pm. tacos are $1 each

Mario's

I've been wanting to try cabeza again. I've only had it once before and it was gamey,fatty and totally disgusting. I've been getting some recomendations from readers that I have to give it another try(and lengua too) so I went to Mario's on Overland Ave in West LA to try the famed marinated cabeza.

Mario's is a taco cart that at one time was parked at the car wash next to the Mcdonalds at Overland and Venice. They've moved about 100 yards north and now park in front of what I think is a psychic shop. I would have asked the psychic my future but I already knew my future would be eating tacos.

Aside from tacos Mario's serves tortas, burritos and sopes. They also serve breakfast and chilaquiles.

I ordered two asada tacos and one cabeza. I usually order my tacos in spanish but I feel like an ass sometimes when the person behind the counter answers me back in english. It's like saying "hey I know you're a gringo you dont have to pretend with me"

I know I'm a gringo too but I still like to order my tacos in spanish. Sometimes the dude in the truck will answer back with some crazy fast espanol and I just say "si, con todo...para aqui" I mean..what else can he be asking me? my opinion on global warming?

So my tacos came pretty quick and I tackled the asada first. I had a lime jarritos handy in case the salsa roja was kickin but it wasn't. The asada was good tho, not great. The beef was finely cut and no fatty bits were present.



So I stared at my cabeza taco and fingered some of the cilantro away to get a closer look at the beef. It looked nothing like the previous cabeza I had eatin and was very soft with a beefy aroma. I squirted some lemon on the taco and dug in. It was a strange feeling at first because the beef was so unlike any other I've had in a taco. It was so soft and tender and reminded me of a roast that simmers all day and eventually breaks apart by itself. I can see this kind of meat being something that is an aquired taste but I really enjoyed it.

My only regret is that my camera ran out of batteries after I snapped a shot of my tacos. I wanted to get a close up of the cabeza.

But I think I'll be heading back to Mario's anyway. I'll try cabeza again and maybe even some lengua. Maybe I'll even find that psychic and ask her when I'm going to find the perfect taco.(It would be a trick question cuz I've already found the perfect taco at El Parian )



Mario's parks on Overland Blvd halfway been venice and palms. Tacos are $1.25 each