A Curvy Journey, a Story of Tacos and Friendship

One photo on today's blog.  Last night was a different kind of a journey, what a great outcome.  Brandon, an original member, is a great friend.  I think to the day that I met Brandon.  We hit it off the second we laid eyes on each other.  We knew we would be great friends.  Brandon is an upstanding friend, an amazing brother, great son and one heck of a great friend.  Brandon and I hang every chance that we get.  We will just sit around, enjoy a cigar, go for a swim, hang at a random Dodger game we are both at, point is, any chance we get, but I again repeat myself.  

Brandon asked me to do some Tacoteering this week.  Why not?  Great friend and some tacos?  Yeah, I'm in.  Well, one thing after another has been delaying and preventing.  So much that things were coming up and I was on my phone on the freeway, on the way to Brandon's house.  Did I almost cancel?  Yeah, I almost did.  I mean, it is crazy busy at work, there is a ton going on outside of work and situations arose that needed attention.  I pulled up to Brandon's place, parked the bike and he was in the doorway.  I saw him and knew, I wasn't cancelling.  We chatted.  We spent a few minutes just exchanging pleasantries of life.  True small talk.  With the impending list of things I had to do, we jumped in his Audi and headed to Sylmar.  We had a specific place in mind.  We got there pretty fast, which was great, I was damn hungry.  Anyways, the place was closed and had been taken over by the sometimes over developed Carnitas Michocan.  Here is my thought on that place.  It can be a 10 or a 2.  Some of them are so good.  Some of them suck more then a drunk cheerleader at a college party.  We were not going to chance it.  We started driving and talking.  It really hit me, this was a special night with a special friend.  A distraction from the stress, a one evening vacation from the pressures we all work with in life.  It didn't matter where we were going, it mattered who we were with.

I reached into my Tacographic Memory and asked myself if there was a "special occasion" place around we could enjoy.  Honestly, yes, there was.  El Faro.  A true gem of a place.  A shining light that brightens the gleam in my eyes with a thought of their meat and salsas.  If you haven't read about El Faro, you are missing out about a great journey.  If you haven't been, get on your motorcycle and go.  This place is great.  We drove over to El Faro and walked in at the right time.

We walked straight up to the counter and got a few of each taco.  We got our peppers and salsas from the salsa bar and grabbed a seat.  As soon as we sat down, there was a line out the door!  We got our tacos and one by one attacked.  We shared one of the tastiest meals in the world.  It was only superseded by the great company that we enjoyed.  I often tell the people that I work with, it is not always who people are, but what we bring out in them.  Brandon brings out great things in me, and me in him.  We shared conversations about love, life, work and happiness.  We are both fortunate to have the ladies in our respective lives that we do.  We are both fortunate to have jobs we love.  We both have great love for our families and are so grateful to have them in our lives.  The great friendship and time just enhanced the amazing food that we were fortunate enough to enjoy.

A great evening reminded me of how fortunate I am to have great people in my life.  It was a recharge of the power of positive thinking.  It put me in the right state of mind to approach the duties I had later in the evening.  I thank all of the friends that I have out there, especially those who were original members.  The Buck Monstrosity, Chris, Nate, James, Paul and Mike.  I need to give a special shout out to Ramon who does a great amount of Tacoteering with me as we go on work adventures together.  Brandon, you are a great man and a great friend.  I appreciate the time that we get together and look forward to Tacoteering with you soon.  I will say, with the threats I've received from Melissa and Allison, we are bringing them next time!

This is Brandon and I at Bucky and Kari's wedding.

Thanks for reading everyone, I know this was a bit different.  The ratings stay the same as last time I went.  We had a few more meats, none disappointed and nothing got below a 4 for us.  Hope you enjoy a different blog this time, I'll be back to normal Tacoteering and writing hopefully by the end of the weekend.  Remember, it is about the journey and not necessarily where you eat, but who you get to do it with.  Stay Excellent everyone!

Midtown Taqueria, Houston, TX, CRISIS ALERT

 Here's the deal, if you see this place, leave the area.  Seriously, wow.  We needed a good breakfast this morning, and a pick me up after last nights disappointing Tacoteering.  Well, this place looks promising.  As we all find out the hard way, looks can be deceiving.

Houston, I repeat, you have a problem.  Not a minor problem, a major problem.  You are the fourth largest city in the US.  You have a vibrant Hispanic population.  How do you not know how to make tacos?  Do you need lessons on how to make salsa?  Do you know that when Pastor was invented not all that long ago that it was first made on a cone?  Seriously.  Get rid of your cheap steam tables, lose the judgmental, rude people that are serving your food.  Change the attitude.  When she saw me, she immediately made a taco with beef fajitas?  Really?  What a racist witch.  I never thought I'd miss San Antonio or even Dallas so much.  At least the know how to make some great tacos.  They've got some great guisado prow-less there in San Antonio.

If you haven't caught the drift, not a Houston fan.  I do have to say thanks to Houston for taking Dwight Howard, I'm a huge Laker fan, so thank you.  We didn't need him messing up our locker room anymore.  So lets talk about this place.  They were so nice to Ramon.  I get it, he is a pretty, nice, sweet, horse loving person, but don't be so nice to the person I'm with and so rude to me.  FYI, I speak Spanish lady!  Super rude and judgmental and this is not the first time here in Houston.  So we order, pay and go back to get our food from this cafeteria style lunch table.  They make their own flour tortillas, they just don't do it well.  The corn tortillas are out of a pack and not a good one.  The variety is okay, the menu is below.

So, they have tortas, I'm afraid to taste how they'd ruin those for me.  Prices were way to high.  Serious, at $1.69 a taco, I feel as if I was robbed by a tank in the middle of downtown Chicago.  Horrid feeling of loss after eating.  Did we finish our food, no, no we didn't.  Do we feel miserable still a little later in the day, yes.  The food was so greasy, the Carnitas might be the worst I've had.  It was worse then ketchup on a hot dog.  Here is the sad picture of our defeat.

RATINGS:
PAPAS: 2, no seasoning and cooked in the fat from I'm guessing the Carnitas, I love taco de papas, I am sick from how they made me feel about potatoes
PASTOR: 1, this is not okay.  This is pastor crisis bad.  I think they need to change the name of what they call this.  It was one level left of slop.  An aciote mess.  Flavors were off, meat was dry.  Please, don't call this pastor.  Pastor has a well deserved great reputation, you are ruining it.
CARNITAS: 1, again, please call it something different.  Try inedible pork, nasty greasy mess, how about ruined pig?  I don't know, but you need a name that suits and describes it better.
SALSA ROJO: 1, balance?  Not here.  This stuff sucked.
SALSA VERDE: 2, I know, the highlight of the trip was a runny, subpar salsa.

Thank goodness for Ramon.  When facing a tragedy like this, it is always helpful to have someone share in the misery and sorrow.  I'm thankful that this is not his first true Tacoteering excursion.  I apologize for my last post.  It wasn't very good.  I was tired.  Tired of bad taco experiences.  Sad from the horrible food I had last night.  Sadly, today was much worse.  Posts should be a better read, even when the food is not.

Houston, you have a problem, admit it, go to a program, learn how to cook and serve, make edible food and I'll give you another shot in the next few months.  I'm sad to report, probably won't eat tacos again before I leave today.  Thanks to anyone who is reading, stay away from Houston taquerias and Stay Excellent.

Laredo Taqueria, Houston, TX

Houston, you have a problem.  Your tacos, well, they were just ok.  Not bad, not great.  Just an FYI for you Houston, you should probably check out what we are doing in California, specifically Los Angeles and San Diego.  Here's a quick heads up, really greasy tacos are not great.  Seriously, don't just let everything sit in its own juices for too long.

Ramon and I are in Houston working and we drove by and checked out a ton of places.  No one grabbed us.  We finally settled on Laredo Taqueria.  It is on Washington and is just ok.  It has promise by the look.  The menu leads you to believe that the place is fantastic.

They make their own flour tortillas which were pretty righteous.  The corn tortillas from the store might have been the absolute cheapest and worst tacos that I've had in quite some time.  They were really nasty.  The food was just okay.  It really was just alright.  Some good, some not so much.  What I loved about this place, was the sass.  It was pretty awesome.

These guys make it clear that they don't really care what you think.  I appreciate that.  I love people who are just going to do what they do.

Meat is all in a steam table in front of you.  I would not touch the chicharron.  It did not look like it was crispy or any good.  Ramon tried it, he was not a fan.  So they serve all their burritos with beans, if you'd like.  The beans were straight out of a can and not too great.  Really just alright stuff.  I like the variety on the menu.  I love the fried jalapenos.  As many as you'd like, that is a great call, I went through more then a few.

RATINGS:
GREEN SALSA: 3, it only gets a 3 because it is spicy, really just ok.
RED SALSA: 3, read the above comments for the green salsa.
NOPALES: 4, this comes with just nopales.  Wow, this is good stuff.  I could have had just this and would have been very pleased.  Very nice job here, tasted good, fresh and was nicely done.
BEEF: 2, this was "fajita" style.  Really not too good.  I mean it wasn't horrible, but it sure wasn't thrilling.
BARBACOA: 3, nothing amazing, but solid.  It was good, nicely shredded and not overcooked.  Light clove flavor was good.
SPICY SAUSAGE: 3, this is not chorizo.  It is like breakfast sausage, but with peppers and spiced up.  Really good stuff.  They did well here to try something bold and different.
ASADO de PUERCO: 3, so, this was good.  This is close to 4 material.  I think the amount of grease is what held me back on it.  Nice flavor, nice spice, well balanced.

The best part of this trip was Ramon.  He is a fun loving sweet guy who knows and loves his tacos.  Watch his skill as he is eating:

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to read.  Please do continue to read, check in and tell your friends.  I'll be back in LA soon, San Diego after that, then to Reston, VA.  Lots of tacos to find, eat and let you know about.  Hope everyone is well.  Stay Excellent!

RINCON OAXAQUENO

So I was driving through LA the other night after a long day at work.  Where to go for dinner.  I just let Dolly guide me through the chilly night on the bike.  Late nights all week have prevented Tacoteering and writing about it.  I was not going to let anything get in the way of my Taco Destiny.  I can tell you that Taco Destiny took me to Little Armenia which is a part of Hollywood if you are unfamiliar.  I will be back in the area.  Right off of Western, North of the 101, there is a number of great trucks lined up and some promising looking restaurants.

I loved the smells driving through LA that night.  Smell is the sense that triggers memory the best.  It did for me.  The air was cool, there was a light mist.  Traffic wasn't too bad.  Food was everywhere, at least I could smell it.  I smelled Mediterranean, Mexican, burgers, I mean it was just one great thought after another.  Pulling into this parking lot was no accident.  It was true Taco Destiny.  I was going to stop at one of the trucks I passed, but it was a little cool on the bike and I didn't have a sweater or jacket.  I thought it might be nice to sit down.  The place looked big enough to sit, but small enough not to compromise quality by buying into "main stream" crap.

When you walk in, you won't be disappointed.  Decor is simple, pretty cool.  I dig it.  There is NO English spoken in here.  The lady working the front spoke not one word.  At least she acted like she didn't.  Another table spoke very little Spanish, so another table translated to her.  It was part of the entertainment for me.  The menu was a lot more extensive then I had anticipated.  They have a ton of great things.  It was hard not to get the real goat Barbacoa.  It was tempting, but I stuck to the "street tacos."  Large tortillas.  They were some damn huge tacos.  The options meat wise were good.  Nice stuff.  I went with the norms.  I love cecina, as I'm sure you've seen in past blogs, I was excited to see that they made it.  They serve you chips, which were pretty good.  The salsa they serve is fantastic.  Smoky, spicy, yummy. I liked it a lot.  Dried chiles that were hydrated perfectly then blended with cooked tomatoes and onions, really nicely done.

RATINGS:
TASAJO: 2, I love tasajo, done right.  They were WAY off here.  So much cinnamon and clove, two things I'm normally a fan of.  They were way heavy handed.
CABEZA: 3, good, but a little chewy.  Not bad enough to drop a point, but not good enough to hit a 4.  They marinate it with lime and it really seemed to bring out some good flavors.
POLLO: 4, shocker!  I was really into it.  Boiled, then sauteed.  It had crispy edges and was not at all dry.  I would get this daily if available.
CECINA: 4, tender, cooked to perfection.  I loved it.  I saw asada at the table next to me and was even more excited with myself for my choice to go with the cecina.  It is so good.  Salty and sweet. Check it out if you are driving through Hollywood.
SALSA: 4, I talked about it a bunch just above.  I really think they did a nice job here, and for this I'm thankful.

I drove by so many places, Dodger Stadium, thumbs up to the Dodgers!  Through a good part of LA.  I got through quick.  I almost stopped at a number of places.  I'm glad that this place was the stop.  Not the best I've been to.  It is no Los Cinco Puntos, it's not Rincon Taurino, not even close to El Faro, but good.  If you are in that part of Hollywood, stop by, tell them the Order sent you.

Thanks everyone for reading, hope you have a fantastic weekend, hopefully writing from Houston next week!  Stay Excellent

Huraches al Pastor, Southern California Local Farmer's Markets

The relentless pursuit of taco excellence has found me at the Farmer's Market.  I've tried this place a few dozen times.  They are over at the Northridge Mall on Wednesday nights, they hit a few of the Farmer's Markets in the Los Angeles area.  They were over on Victory this morning.

These guys do a few things.  They are big into catering, they will tell you that when you are ordering.  I don't know how they do catering, but I'm sure it is not bad.  I will say that they are a bit pricey for catering.  We tried some tacos and of course hooked up their huraches.  They make the tortillas, which is pretty cool  This is a pretty awesome hurache.  The tortilla is a bit thick, but it doesn't overpower the flavorful meat that they have.  They really do add to the ambiance of the Farmer's Market.  You can smell the grill the whole way around.  They have some pretty decent salsas and their grilled onions are on point.  They accompany everything with a nice cilantro and onions with diced tomatoes and cactus.  Pretty cool.  It really gives a nice texture, especially with the huraches.

RATINGS:

ASADA: 3, it is solid.  A little too much salt some days, but consistently good and they did a nice job today.
PASTOR: 3, this is no cone.  It is good though.  They do a nice job of getting all the right flavors and cook it very well.  You won't be blown away here, but you sure won't be disappointed.
POLLO: 2, it isn't bad, don't get me wrong.  It is just really bland.  It doesn't look like it will be, but it is.  They need to add a bit more flavor to get up to solid and next to the rest of their stuff, this is for sure not their best.
RED: 3, good, not amazing, but solid.  I like it.  Not too smoky, they do well with it.
GREEN: 2, too sweet.  Just not great.  Worst of their salsas.
BRIGHT GREEN: 4, this is an avocado salsa that is great.  I call it bright green so that they lay person can decipher when they walk up.  Great flavor, nice spice.  This is a for sure, you don't want to miss.
TACOS: 2, the meat is good, but they are just ok as far as tacos go.  They won't wow you and make you crave them late night.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't keep walking.
HURACHES: 4, this is the real deal folks.  This is almost gooey goodness.  The thick but light tortilla grilled to perfection, cheese that is soft and melted nicely into the meat and tortilla.  Couple it with solid meat and some of that great avocado salsa, yeah, this is a winner.
SERRANO: 5, these are the best.  Really, let me tell you...so, they have these fried serranos, with a touch of salt, yum yum, give me some.

The taco score suffered because the hurache is that much better.  I would say go by get one of each to try more meat and together they will fill you up for at least a meal and a half, if not two!  The folks that work there are really nice and pretty darn cool.  I like chatting with them and talking about food.  They know what they are talking about.

Whatever today has for you, enjoy.
Whether it's your birthday, I have a few friends with birthdays today, sorry I'm not celebrating with you.
Working a festival, some close friends are selling Gyro's in downtown LA, sorry I'm not there to help.
Enjoying football in a bar or on your couch, I'm jealous.
Or if you are working, I feel your pain today!

As always, I'm trying to find the traditional and non traditional places and hope you are enjoying the reads.  Please tell your friends, and don't forget, I still haven't decided on a logo design yet, looking for some help there!  Thanks so much for reading, Stay Excellent!!!

Cook's Tortas, Monterrey Park

I was asked a bit ago if I like Tortas.  Well, I thought that was a really stupid question, of course.  So one of the fabulous people I get to work with is Ramon.  Ramon knows what he is talking about.  He made some pretty amazing salsa and asada last week for a few of us and I held him in high regard before, but higher regard after.  At the end of our meeting the last night, he asked if I wanted to get some tortas on Friday.  You'll never guess what I said...this took us to Monterrey Park, CA.  Southern part of East LA.

Here's the deal, the place is fantastic.  They have great tortas, no tacos or anything else.  They stick with what they know, and for this, I thank them.  It is nice for people to do what they know how to do.  Side items were all over the place.  I would never had expected the sides that they have, but was happy that they have them.  Tabbouleh that was out of this world, delicious macaroni salad, I mean you would be shocked.  Everything is made from scratch.  These guys really put some time and thought into making food great.  The celery and pineapple water was second to none in the beverage world.  Menu is great, huge chalkboard that guides you to what you are looking for.

The menu is really cool.  They options are torta limitless.  I mean there is no way that you don't find something that you really want.  There is cool stuff all over the place.  No matter what your fancy, you will find that kind of torta.  Ramon and I maximized our lunch today.  We ordered two tortas and split them.  We got the Ranchito which was excellent.  Chorizo, Asada, napolito salsa, beans, spicy guacamole and queso fresco.  What a delicious treat.  This thing was loaded with creaminess, a mild spice and plenty of flavor.  It was just down right yummy.  The other one we ordered, yeah you guessed it, La Diabla.  Holy moly this was delicious.  I loved this thing.  Spicy, yes, but I honestly expected a bit more of a kick.  I would order it again in a heartbeat.  Chicken, chile de arbol, jalapeno, habenero, guacamole, cheese, beans.  I'm missing it so much just typing about it.

Rating this is a bit different then tacos, but lets give it a shot, I mean, that is what I do right?
ASADA: 3, it was what you'd expect, good, nothing amazing
CHORIZO: 4, this stuff was tasty.  Really good.  Ground up, not not too much, spicy, but super flavorful.  You need to try it, mixed with asada, they both just get better.
CHICKEN: 5, yes, you have read that correctly.  It was so soft, it melts in your mouth.  I mean that was a WOW piece of chicken.
SIDES: 4, they were good, but they were just so unexpected.  They do a nice job and side items are strongly recommended.  Above and beyond.
SALSA:  can't rate as they were all on the sandwich, sorry, I think they would have exceeded the three mark...
RESTAURANT: 4, with only tortas on the menu, they can't get a five.  People like a bit more option.  They get a 4 because they make these so damn well and that is all that I need when I'm in there!
TORTAS: 5, you'd be hard pressed to convince me that there is a better place to get a torta.  They do it well.

Needless to say, you might be reading this thinking, "I don't normally drive past the Atlantic exit on the 60 freeway."  Let me give you friendly advice, do it.  It is so worth it.  If you are USC, you are about 10 miles away and can get there in minutes.  It is a great place, with great food.  They are slightly slow, but you are getting made to order great food.  We really enjoyed the time and the meal.

Ramon gets a very special thank you for being a great friend, excellent co worker and all around awesome dude.  He is a tri-athlete, has a big smile and great family values folks.  He currently lives in Carson, but is probably moving back to West Covina.  Ramon, thanks for the time today brother, it was great.  I'm sorry that I have to call you "chubby bunny," you'll know who it is from...

Thanks again to everyone for your help and thanks for the suggestion from readers.  I will hit them all, it just takes some time.  Thank you for reading, please keep telling your friends and getting the word out.  Don't forget to send Logo Designs, we need something for The Order!  Stay Excellent!!!

El Tarasco...The Order comes full circle

I've been asked more and more why tacos.  People want to know where the obsession comes from.  Many who have known me for most of my life would say that it is this place, El Tarasco.  There might be some truth there.  There is influence from many factors, many places, many memories and thoughts, but El Tarasco is a nostalgic place for me.  Whether I went with my mom and dad when I was young.  Whether I piled a bunch of friends into my parents van and we went down to grab a bite and a walk on the beach.  It was fun.  I have more stories about El Tarasco adventures then anything else.  Some stand out more then others.  I remember talking about it forever and taking my wife for the first time when we flew to LA when we were dating.  PJ and I had so many adventures, we blew out three tires in one night trying to get home.  Bucky, Chris and I had a memorable experience after leaving in front of the "water treatment plant."  Mikey and I were telling stories of our El Tarasco runs just the other day bragging to our wives about how lucky they are to have two amazing men that have done cool things like that.  Nick Bordokas can recall a few nights that we swore to secrecy that either started or ended there.  Point being I went here a lot.  I tried to make it almost a weekly trip.  We'd head down on Friday nights usually.  We'd hit the original on Rosecrans and Highland in Manhattan Beach.  The food was good, the people were great, point being, it is a damn fun place.  Why have I not written about it?  I went last week for lunch after some meetings in Manhattan Beach.  Meal was great, service was good.  I found out that Angel, the guy who runs one of the restaurants that I oversee is close friends with the founder's grandson Richie.  Needless to say, we went together to meet Richie.  It was a great trip.  My dad joined us to do some first hand tacoteering.  My dad first took me as a baby to El Tarasco and has been a faithful customer since 1974.  The picture above is from the Redondo Beach location on PCH.

The story is printed on their menu, but does the story no justice after speaking to Richie.  What a great man Moises was.  There use to be a restaurant in Manhattan Beach called The Galley's.  Moises was a cook there and a damn fine one at that.  The owner decided to retire and offered to sell the business to Moises.  Moises called his wife and asked if they could forgo their plans on buying a house and buy the restaurant.  She agreed it was the right thing for their family.  They put their blood, sweat, everything they had into the restaurant.  There was a period of time where they even lived in the restaurant, staying there to make ends meet and kept going at it.  This journey and sacrifice for their family paid off for the community.  What a pleasure it is for all of us to enjoy their food and the great place they created.  Moises is a man I will admire and revere for all time.  I asked Richie about his memories of him.  He said that his grandfather passed away when he was young.  He says he was always so nice and positive.  He remembers him cooking and always having a Budweiser in his hand.  They would take trips to Mexico and the best part of the stories told was the way that Richie's face lit up as he spoke about his abuelo.  Ricardo, Richie's dad and his siblings took over the restaurants and expanded.  There are some knock offs from some cousins, and Richie only said nice things.  I have to be unbiased in these writings, some of them suck.  Like the one right by the airport on Sepulveda, AVOID!  Go to one of the originals still operated by the family, it is worth it.  You will get a meal like you've never had.

Here is the list of the places that I say go to.  Ricardo is running them and I have hit them all in the past year.  Don't miss out.

This picture is of the specials that they run day to day.  Yes, we went for Taco Tuesday, I mean come on, what else should we do?  I do recommend the Junior Super Deluxe.  There is nothing junior about it and it is what put them on the map.  It is smothered burrito goodness.

So, you know their history, my history with them, the place is great.  They are full service.  If you hit the original one in Manhattan, it is a small bar set up with a grill.  It is so cool.  They just redid the upstairs, which is the roof and you can eat up there.  Pending on the night, you'll see folks just showing up with a six pack they try to hide and drink up there as they chow down.  I will warn you, there is often a line down the street.  I always recommend a nice walk on the beach afterwards. Take that special someone after a motorcycle ride, its romantic.  See, I can help you find more then just tacos at a stand...

Their salsa is second to none.  They serve it with fried tortillas and I tried everything including bribing Richie, the recipe is "top secret."  I just want to make it at home!

Junior Super Deluxe:

Taco Tuesday:

I go places for the soft corn tortilla tacos that I normally post.  They do an amazing job with those, but they also make a mean hard shell taco.  They do it right.  This does not taste like anything that may have "macho" in front of it or "supreme" behind it on the menu.  It is solid.  They also fill it with real meat!  Doing some ratings, but understand this place is THAT GOOD!

ASADA: 4, they do a solid job everytime.  It is really good, I do love it.
CARNITAS: 5, how?  I know I thought about this for a while.  It is that soft, but has texture.  I've never had it not excellent.  It is finished on the grill, so crispy edges are coming at you.
GROUND BEEF:  that does not get rated.  If I gave an overall grade to ET, they would suffer for having ground beef and not serving Pastor.  Gonna have to say demerit on this one, sorry.
CHICKEN: 3, this is good stuff.  I enjoy it.  Sometimes a bit too much water comes with your meal when you get chicken.  Flavors are good, but it doesn't go the extra that their other meats do.
SALSA: 5, I've never had anyone try it, and I've gone with a ton of people and had them say it was not phenomenal.
GUACAMOLE:  4, it is good stuff.  Always made with real avocados, some nice spice to it, but not overdone.  Too many ingredients in guacamole make it suck.  They do it right here, add it to your meal, or get it as an app.

This is not a "normal" place for me to go to as the guy who writes the Order of the Taco.  It is between a one off and a normal place.  I do recommend that anyone who wants some of the best food that they will ever have to try it.  If you are in LA, you need to go.  I still have friends from other places that ask me about it.  I assure you that it will make an impression.  Further, the family is the reason to go.  With a great family history, a great story and great people running it, it makes a difference.  A difference that you know is there, but you never notice.  I thank Richie for his time and his family for what they do.

I want to also thank my dad for not only joining Angel and I today, but for taking me here and building great memories of great places.  One of the reasons I write this blog is to help those who read find their places to go and build great memories.

Thank you everyone for reading, please keep reposting, retweeting, emailing and telling folks about this.  Don't forget about the Logo Design Contest going on right now.  I'd really like to see something cool come out of this soon.

Stay Excellent!

Richie is on the right, my beard and I are in the middle and one of the great chefs they have is in the green shirt: