No matter where you are in LA you're really only five minutes from a carne asada taco and a bottle of sangria.Even if you find yourself in the neighborhoods of the rich and famous you shouldn't worry . The rich and famous hire full time gardeners, housekeepers, and maintenance workers and they need their authentic antojitos too.

In fact Mulholland Dr is pretty much a taco truck commune during the day. There are three between Beverly Glenn and Coldwater and further west Bel Air even has a taco truck to call it's own.

I only had a few bucks cash in my pocket and I lucked out with Tacos Carrillo. Tacos were only $1 each. I ordered two (asada and carnitas) and a can of root beer.

I waited for what felt like days as construction workers,gardeners, and housekeepers all came and went hauling off plates, sometimes bag fulls of food. It wasn't until I heard "dos tacos!!!" that I actually thought I would get me tacos. I was quite worried my friends.

These were beauties..two tortillas packed with lean flavorful meats, a flavorful salsa roja and well oiled tortillas. I would have asked for an extra cup of salsa but I was too eager to get started.

My tacos and root beer were gone but I have this rule that if the taquero puts a jalapeño on my plate I feel it is my duty as a taco reporter to eat it. Especially if it a fresh grilled jalapeño. And if it is cut in half? Well all the more reason to just chomp the bugger.

So without any water I just chomped it and for the love of baby jesus if it wasn't the hottest jalapeño pepper I've ever had.

I took Mulholland to Sepulveda and the whole time my eyes were sweating and my vision was blurred and the back of my neck started to cramp and for a moment I thought I might not make it. "This is the end of me" I thought. "The jalapeño has defeated me". I knew this would come but I didn't expect it like this. I expected a bad fish taco from a seafood truck would one day take me out or maybe an errant piece of mad cow infected sesos (cow brains) making it's way into my carnitas taco. But not like this. Not from a jalapeño and not even a whole one at that.I could see the headline now - Local taco reporter eats half a jalapeño, given last rites.

But I made it. I'm a taco reporter not little red riding hood. I've got a chile pepper immune system. Once that kicked in I could have chomped a half dozen of the buggers. They would have been like sweeties in my mouth and I the glorious chile pepper impaler.

Tacos Carrillo, mullholland and(east of) beverly glenn. tacos $1 each

posted by Bandini @ 2:58 AM

5 Comments:

At 2:12 PM, Jeni said…

Aahh..Mulholland Dr. is for sure stacked with taco trucks! Too bad I've only been able to hit up the Cardoza Truck . I've been meaning to get out there for a Best of Mulholland Dr. day. BTW...just went to El Parian Fri night. Super delicious asadas. Freegin $2.75 though.
At 2:19 AM, Anonymous said…

Man, you are a trooper.

I work in a restaurant with some bussers from Mexico and those guys eat FRESH jalapenos--and not just one or a little...

I thought I loved spice.

Man, I must hit up that truck.
At 12:25 PM, Matt said…

When you refer to a bottle of Sangria - what is that exactly? I know what Sangria is but I suspect this is something else. Unless they serve alcohol at that truck...
At 6:02 PM, Bad Home Cook said…

All Hail El Jalapeno Impaler!!
I bow low...
At 11:05 PM, Bandini said…

matt,

sangria is probably what you think it is but they also sell non-alchoholic versions. You can find these are pretty much every taco truck.