Día del Taco

It's Día del Taco! A new holiday in Mexico to celebrate tacos.

To celebrate this holiday they are turning Azteca Stadium in Mexico City into a massive taqueria.

Ah it warms my heart.

Read more at Metroblogging LA,Loteria Chicana


Go eat a taco and don't forget to tip your taquero!

Technorati Tags: tacos, mexico, Día del Taco

Los Pericos

Tacos are truly the sum of their parts. You have the tortillas, meat, and salsa and they must each pull their own weight for the taco to be complete.

The tortillas are the least important. While they are the foundation of a great taco, a good taco can certainly get by on average tortillas.

You may have heard me when talking about homemade tortillas say that the tortillas made the taco.That's only true once the meats and salsa have held up their end of the bargain. Even the greatest tortillas can't save a taco when the meat is of poor quality.



It is the meat that really makes or breaks a taco because while a great salsa or great tortillas can save a taco when the meat is just average if the meat is too fatty when it is not intended to be it's a deal breaker.


al pastor and asada

And that was the case at Los Pericos. The salsa was really good , the meat was inedible. The asada was dry with excess flab and the pastor equally fatty and unappetizing. The salsa was so good the meat could have had acceptable flaws but when you get a mouthful of fat that sticks to your teeth it's game over.

In fairness to Los Pericos they advertise themselves as a cemita poblana truck, not a taco truck. It's unlikely they save the best meat for the sandwiches and the scraps for the tacos but on this day it sure seemed like it.



Los Pericos, Cotner Ave and Pico Blvd, West LA(next to Smart & Final)Tacos $1

Technorati Tags: tacos, taco trucks, carne asada, al pastor, Los Angeles

Lonchera "Candy"

Every weekend this lonchera parks at the corner of Main St and 23rd in downtown LA. While most of the weekend trucks in the area serve up plates of mariscos and shrimp cocktails this truck specializes in one thing and one thing only, barbacoa de cabeza.

The barbacoa at this lonchera is estillo Capulhuac(from central mexico),which is traditionally lamb cabeza. In northern Mexico cow cheek is the norm. If you're at your local Chipotle chain the barbacoa is shredded beef.Chipotle has probably done more to confuse the American taco eating public when it comes to barbacoa. Even I'm confused while writing this. One thing you can count on though, if it's authentic barbacoa it's cabeza. Whether it's cow or lamb will depend on which part of Mexico the recipe originates from.



At this lonchera you can buy it by the lb($7) or individual tacos for $1. If you buy it by the lb your order comes with corn tortillas and containers of salsa, onions and cilantro.

Lamb cabeza is definitely an acquired taste. The meat was incredibly soft and tender but there was a gamey aftertaste. The salsa had a rustic spicy flavor to it but the meats flavors really dominate everything. I can't really compare it to anything because my experience with barbacoa is very minimal and lamb to me is always a little gamey.

But I think more loncheras that specialize in one type of recipe are excellent additions to the LA taco scene whether it is barbacoa estillo Capulhuac or traditional tacos de trompo they all bring a bit of Mexico to LA.



Candy lonchera, 7am-3pm saturday and sunday only, tacos $1

Technorati Tags: tacos, taco truck, Los Angeles, cabeza, barbacoa, mexico

Taqueria La Cañada

I didn't quite make it to King Taco.

For whatever reason when driving down Hoover St I pulled over in front of Taqueria La Cañada.

I had never seen this taqueria before. It was a street I rarely drove down, opting instead to take Alvarado. So when I noticed a taqueria sandwiched between a panaderia I was more than curious.

When I walked in it was just me and a quite rotund looking fellow that was plowing through a plate of costillos de res(beef ribs).

I was about to order when this same man waddled up to the counter and gestured for more ribs. When the cook started to cut the ribs the man yelled(with salsa drizzling down his chin) "no, los pollos!".

I didn't have to speak fluent español to know the cook was quite annoyed by the gordo.

Finally it was my turn to order and I went with one taco carnitas, one taco asada para aqui. I watched as the cook took a hunk of carnitas and chopped it up and ladled salsa roja and salsa verde over my tacos.



The asada was fatty as was the carnitas. I didn't finish either taco and after the second bite of the asada I ditched the tortilla and just picked out the edible bits of beef with a fork. I did the same with the carnitas after a glob of pork fat was an unwelcome feeling sliding down my throat. The saving grace was the ice cold orange crush. I had forgotten how great this beverage goes with tacos.

So the tacos were bad..maybe I should have ordered the pollo,or the pastor, or maybe I should have just gone to king taco in the first place.

But I have more reporting to do and more taco discoveries before I return to the taqueria where this journey first started. I'm not ready to return to the King just yet.



Taqueria La Cañada Hoover and 7th st downtown LA , Tacos $1.50 each

Technorati Tags: tacos, Los Angeles, carne asada, carnitas

Sergio's Tacos

After the fiasco at Howdy's I needed to feel a real taco in my belly again so I called Big H ,an eastside taco informant with lots of knowledge when it comes to eastside taquerias. I told him about my lettuce taco at Howdy's and how I needed an authentic East La taco to get me back on track.

"Lettuce on your taco? only on the Westside" he said

"It was vile, I was insulted..It's made me stronger though..more determined"

Big H pointed me towards Sergio's Tacos in the city of Commerce. "During the day it's just the taco hut,if you go at night they open the taco truck in the parking lot too" he said.



Commerce is an industrial city that borders Montebello and Vernon. When most people think of Commerce they think of Commerce casino. That and the dodgy roads because of the hundreds of big rigs that deliver goods to the warehouses in the area every day.

When I walked into Sergio's it was standing room only but It's one of those places where you can't really tell how crowded it is until you walk through the door and once you do everyone in the joint turns to see who you are. Nothing to see here I wanted to say,just a taco reporter from the westside.



I was met quickly with a smile and ordered my usual(carnitas, asada, al pastor).

There was nowhere to sit so I took my plate of tacos outside. Big H was right, these were beauties. The al pastor- thin cuts of seasoned pork and caramelized onions,the asada soft and full of sabor and and the carnitas moist and salted perfectly. They were finished with the best salsa roja I've had in recent memory.


carne asada

Sergio's is definitely in the upper echelon of LA taco establishments. The tacos are estilo mexico, authentic and delicious. They were a quick reminder of the excellence and simplicity of LA tacos.

I was refocused and more determined than ever to continue the journey for the great tacos of our city, to find that perfect moment when the tortillas, meat and salsa come together with that cold beverage in hand waiting to quench the heat of that chile fire . But first it was time to take the hunt back to the beginning where I first started. It was time to head back to King Taco.



Sergio's Tacos
2216 S Atlantic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90040
(323) 261-3364
tacos $1.25

Technorati Tags: Tacos, Los Angeles, Taco Trucks, Mexican Food

Howdy's Taqueria

photo via Yelp

I'll make this simple and to the point. Howdy's Taqueria in Culver City sucks.

I ate at Howdy's last week but needed a week to calm myself down to get to a place where I could calmly say "this place sucks".

If I would have written this report right after eating my tacos this entry would have been full of so many f-bombs I would have had to go into rehab.

Lets get one thing out of the way though. The name Howdy's Taqueria doesn't bother me. If the food was great they could call themselves Howdy Doody's Taqueria for all I care. I'm not bothered by the name.You can't however call yourself a taqueria if you have a chicken ceaser wrap on the menu.

Howdy's is really part of the "fresh mex" family. If Rubio had sex with Wahoo's fish taco you'd get Howdy. There's a little bit of Rubio's phony authenticity with a little of Wahoo's casual kick back atmosphere.

The prices are really outragous. I know it's physically attached to a movie theater but do they really have to take a credit report when I want guacamole? (guacamole and chips $6.95)

For just two tacos(chicken, steak, or carnitas) it's $5.95. Figuring two tacos wouldn't be enough I went with the two taco combo(chicken, al pastor) for $8.60.



Ordinarily I think rice and beans are just a waste of stomach space. I'd much rather go with the extra taco but Howdy's menu is so estoopid, you can't order single tacos. You can order dos tacos($5.95), dos mahi tacos($7.95), "tres tacos al pastor" ($5.25) and even the "tres magic mole tacos" ($5.95) but you can't mix and match.

The al pastor is advertised as "mexico city style pork tacos with our secret adobo marinade". I'm not sure why they keep the recipe a secret. The al pastor was too sweet, too tangy, and the pork was poor quality. I could only get through half the taco before giving up.

But the most outragous offense was the filler in the chicken taco which came with more lettuce than chicken. Lettuce has no business being in a soft taco. Any taqueria worth their salt would know this.

On Howdy's website they boast of bringing a bit of Mexico City to Culver City. Who are they fooling?

Certainly not this taco reporter.



Howdy's Taqueria 9512 Culver Blvd, Culver City

Hugo's Tacos

So yeah, the City Council Election didn't go the way this taco reporter wanted and we have to live the next two years with the anti-taco government we have elected. I say we but the sad fact is less than 10% of the registered voters showed up for this election. I didn't want to do this to you taco nation but I'm putting you on notice.Maybe next time you'll put down your Ipod or blackberry or whatever and participate in democracy.



I didn't want to dwell on my election disappointment. I needed a taco and badly. I was in the valley on business when I got a call from a co-worker.

"Hey, while you're in the valley you should try Hugo's tacos on coldwater"

"I've been there before, it's too expensive " I said

"Oh ok..nevermind then...I just thought.."

"You thought what?"

"I thought you were a taco reporter"

What a sonuvabitch.

The last time I was at Hugo's(before this hunt) all I wanted was a taco and I walked away with a buck and change left over from a ten spot. It's a tricky menu where you get enticed to keep adding to your order. But my criticism of Hugo's really stops and starts with the pricing because the food is actually quite good. The tacos are small and $2.25 each(yikes) but if you order three it's $5.75. Well you're gonna be thirsty when eating those tacos so you'll need a drink right? Well a regular soda is $1.50 but you can add a regular soda and rice and beans or chips and salsa for just $2.00 . It's too good to turn down right?

You saw a taco stand and all you wanted was a couple of tacos to hold you over before dinner and now you've got all this food and you're total is $8.60 and holy shit your beans are white organically grown and look like baby throw up.(stick with the chips and salsa, I did this time around)

That's where my criticism ends though. Because I actually like this place. The salsas are pretty amazing. The habanero is too good for words. It's creamy and delicate and subtle...yes subtle..I didn't know it was possible to make a habanero salsa that didn't make you sweat like you were in the mojave but Hugo's has done it. Well I guess it's not too good for words since I just used words to descibe it.


carnitas, steak, al pastor

There are three steps to ordering. You choose a menu item, you choose the filling you want for that item (chicken, steak, grilled fish, carnitas, al pastor, plus two veggie options- zucchini-corn-string bean and soy chorizo-potato-zucchini) and you choose your salsa -( pico de gallo, jalapeno&tomatillo, salsa cruda, honey chipotle, salsa negra, salsa habanero, salsa arbol)I ordered carnitas, steak, and al pastor.


carnitas

The carnitas and the habanero were the perfect match. The carnitas was full of flavor and juice with a nice crunch at the edges. I loved it and was sad I only had one carnitas taco because the steak was just average and the al pastor was awful. The steak had spice rub but the flavor was bland and the al pastor was rubbery and crumbly and not authentic. The pastor is a new menu item so maybe they are still experimenting but if I was Hugo I would either go for making the authentic tacos de trompo or just remove it from the menu altogether.


al pastor was icky

My impressions of Hugo's are mixed. I can't give Hugo's anything lower than a 3 taco rating simply because the carnitas and habanero was nothing short of a taste explosion. But I can't go higher than that because of the cost per taco factor as well as the steak being below average and the lack of authenticity of the al pastor.

If you live in the area you should definitely check Hugo's out but if you're on the 101 and want to pull off for a quick taco you'll most likely walk away with more food and less money than you bargained for.



Hugo's Tacos is at 4749 Coldwater Canyon Ave,Studio City. Tacos $2.25 each, 3 for $5.75, Full menu at http://www.hugostacos.com

Technorati Tags: tacos, Los Angeles, Hugo's Tacos, mexican food

Election Day

Remember last week when I mentioned the election and how it is your civic duty to vote?

Well that still stands. Get out the taco vote! today is the day! make history!

hah!

You are so lazy. You are still reading. Why don't you vote? You have a chance to change your government.

Okay fine, keep reading.

According to Zuma Dogg at Mayor Sam's Sister City blog our candidate Juan "Johnny Jay" Jimenez is on the rise. Was it the power of the taco community or just a coincidence?

I say never underestimate the power of the taco.


El Capitan

So I went back to the taco mecca to get the pulse of the electorate. My first stop was El Capitan a taco truck that parks on the lot of the El Capitan Taqueria. The actual taqueria looked to be closed or was possibly just used for storage. Or who knows maybe there were some shady poker games going on inside.




al pastor and carne asada

The tacos were 2 for $1 and burritos were only $2 . These little beauties came on two small corn tortillas with finely chopped lean meats and a smokey chile salsa . They were excellent and at 50c each the best deal in the city. For $2.75 you get a plate of 4 tacos and a can of soda.



Just east of El Capitan is the famed Antojitos Denise's taco stand. After four tacos at El Capitan I only had room for a couple more so I went with what Antojitos Denise is known for, the pork.



The carnitas was outstanding but the al pastor crumbly and disappointing and nowhere near as good as the al pastor from the now closed Antojitos Denise in East Hollywood. The secret with the carnitas is that they fry it in seasoned pork fat. Mmm seasoned pork fat. The salsa roja was spicy and full of flavor. I poured the remaining salsa on top of the crumbly al pastor to hide the pork's deficiencies, a trick I use when I come across a poor taco but have an excellent salsa.



The city was thriving but you wouldn't know that we were on the eve of a city election. The few people I talked to didn't know anything about the election. And I guess that's the problem with city politics. Do the people not show up at the polls because they are dissatisfied with the process or because they are unaware of the election? Probably a little of both.

Well I'm off to vote and then going out for tacos.

You should as well.

El Capitan East Olympic and Prado St(2 blocks west of AD)


Antojitos Denise 4060 E. Olympic Blvd., L.A. Tacos $1.25


Technorati Tags: tacos, taco trucks, Los Angeles, LA City Election, LA City Council