A couple of years ago I drove out to Chino and bought a whole hog for Christmas. On the way back stopped by this place for a bit, yes tacos before 8am. They were delicious. As we have decided a whole hog is the way to go again this year, I knew I had to come back. Breakfast tacos are great, at least these kind are. They are just like lunch and dinner tacos only you get to eat them for breakfast. Cilantro, onions, meat, salsa and tortilla. I remember this place being so good, I remembered correctly. I'll spare you the picture of the hog I'm smoking, but if you are doing the right thing and following the Order of the Taco on Instagram, you've already seen a photo.
Place has like 5 different names. I stuck with the name on Yelp so you can find it when you are in Chino. There are a few places that look good, but this place wreaks of street credit from the outside and I had a great Tacographic Memory from last time.
Kitchen is small and unassuming. They produce what they need to. The service is second to none. The guys working there were crazy nice and cool. They really invited us into their place and treated us like family. Zacatecas maps and literature over the walls. It is that awesome sense of pride that people have of their heritage that I love to see. It is so cool to have and hold on to that pride. They had different roasted salsas which are traditional to that part of Mexico.
Here is a picture of the menu at an angle. Simple and sweet. They don't make a ton of different meats, but hit some good varietal highlights. I did see a couple of burritos go out and they looked solid. Enough with the small talk, lets get to the ratings.
RATINGS:
CHORIZO: 2, sad, sad. Mine was OK, really a 3, but my brother's was burned. It was not tasty at all. I have to go 2 for the inconsistency.
CABEZA: 2, I did not care for this. I thought that it should have been cooked a little bit more. It was almost barbacoa like, but not great. I thought it lacked flavor and could have cooked just a bit more. This is coming from someone who likes steaks extra rare.
PASTOR: 4, I loved it. Hit heavy with spices and seasoning. Some might think it to be too much, I really thought that it was on point.
POLLO: 4, this is really good. Really damn good chicken. It was not overpowering, but well seasoned. Not overcooked, but obviously cooked all the way through. Juicy, tasty, nicely done.
CARNITAS: 4, texture could not have been better. It was a bit crispy, but soft. Very flavorful meat here. It is some good stuff and you should try it.
ASADA: 3, this is some solid stuff. Really good, but nothing that goes above and beyond. I enjoy the flavor, I enjoy the taste, texture was on point.
SALSA: 4, this was so close to a 5. If it had some heat, just a bit of a kick I would have bumped it to a 5. Tasty stuff though. Nice smoky flavor, but not overpowering, good flavor from the chilies, I just need the heat. They did have two other salsas, they both fall under the same rating and explanation.
I enjoyed that instead of radish on the plate, they went cucumber. It was refreshing and tasty. Don't get me wrong, I love the radish, I enjoy the radish, but a cucumber change was nice for this trip. I love when there are different salsas and they pair them with the appropriate meat. It is such a nice touch. They give you the option, I obviously told them to go for it. They take pride in their food. It did take a little longer, but was worth the wait. They really want to make sure that it comes out the proper way. The meat here is fresh people, it is obvious. I was caught off guard by the chips and salsa that they brought out. Didn't expect them and they were pretty stellar!
Thank you to everyone for reading. Thanks for sticking around. Please continue to tell others and share in the adventures. I hear that the Order of the Taco might go Wings as a group. Yeah, sounds pretty epic to hear we might go rogue for a day! Stay tuned, I'll keep ya posted. Don't forget to find us on Instagram and Twitter. There are some delicious taco pictures that make it on there. Well those and some of the crazy antics that I'm up to.
Today's gratuitous, goodbye photo is of the sign above the restroom. Really love this sign. I remember seeing it last time and have seen it before, but it just makes me laugh. Hope you enjoy!
Stay Excellent!
I'm a restaurant guy who's worked around the world in every position in restaurants. I have a huge taco passion. Blogs are my opinion and am sharing experiences. Please send suggestions and tell your friends to read! RATING SCALE: 1: Don't touch this, it is nasty, 2: Below average, I'd avoid, 3: Solid job, it is good, didn't blow me away, 4: Above average, nicely done, 5: Get off your ass and try this delicious shit! Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Tacos Michoacan, Chino, CA
Labels:
#California,
#chino,
#memories,
#OrderoftheTaco,
#pastor,
#tacodestiny,
#TacographicMemory,
#tacos,
#tacoteering,
#taqueria,
#tattoo
Monday, December 15, 2014
Cinco De Mayo, New Brunswick, NJ
The look of excitement on Matt's face says it all. We needed this trip. We needed to go Tacoteering. This place came highly recommended by the BOH team members at The Counter in New Brunswick. Let me say, they have recommended well.
They look tired, but trust me, they are excited. The nachos in the middle were given to us by the restaurant for bringing in so many people. Really unexpected cool gesture. They were really good too. Really tasty stuff. Beans were good, not over cheesed, fresh veggies.
Pretty unassuming place. Not too fancy, not overdone, but cool. The Holiday decorations were cool. They hit it all. No Holiday this time of year was not addressed. I found that to be quite cool. In the spirit of the holidays the trainers and I also made it to Rockefeller Center for our Christmas photo:
What a lively bunch. You can barely see Jessica in there, but she is with us. She's hiding behind Phil. Look at that award winning smile that Fo is sporting. While we are on the NY subject, I don't think I have much of a "bucket list," but the Seinfeld Diner has always been on there. All the time I've spent in New York, I had never gone. We went for coffee and cheerios. Josh and I have talked about doing this together for about a year. We were psyched the team said they would go with us. It was awesome how excited everyone was to go. We took our picture in front and went in for our coffee and cheerios. As we were sitting there and everyone was taking turns using the restroom, I was reading the large sign that said "restrooms are for customers only." I pointed out it would be more appropriate to just leave after using the restroom. They are a lot of ways you could leave, we chose to all run out as fast as we could screaming. It was one of the best feelings I have had in a while and a ton of fun.
Damn we look good, there you go, I said it for you.
This is the photo in the bathroom. Pretty cool photo, raw talent. OK I really don't care for the photo, but like the meaning. It kind of sets the mantra of the restaurant. I was really surprised that this place is full service. The folks working there were super nice. Did I mention that we had a rough week and that day was particularly tough? The place was BYOB. I went and picked up some beers from up the street, it made the meal that much better. Enough with the photos and jabber, lets get to it...
RATINGS:
PASTOR: 4, this was pretty good. Really good. I was happy with this. It still gets compared to RT and some of the greats, damn it was close. I would say you should get this for sure when you come in.
LENGUA: 4, yum yum give me some. This was soft, but a light crispness on the outside. Salted but not salty. They did a great job. This is a try it for sure.
BARBACOA: 2, not the best showing. I thought it lacked flavor and depth. Had been cooked down with some peppers but not a good balance to the flavors. Meat was also lacking texture. It was almost dissolving in your mouth like it had been stewed for too long.
CECINA: 1, tough and too salty. Cecina should be a bit more salty than asada,but this was like a salt lick. No bueno. It was also super tough. Hard to chew through.
SUADERO: 3, nicely done. I enjoyed it, I'd order it again, but it was not overly impressive. If this is your meat of choice you won't be blown away, but you won't be disappointed.
CABEZA: 5, oh goodness I loved this. I could have eaten 12 cabeza tacos at once. It was so delicious. It was very tender and almost shredded. Flavors were deep and balanced. Light hint of cinnamon, could not have been made better.
Not a bad looking spread. Tortillas were pretty good. Radish was fresh! they gave you fried serrano peppers with them too. What a touch. I could have eaten those all day. There was enough onions and cilantro without it being overwhelming. The salsa that they put on the side for the chips was good. Really went well with all the meats.
A special thanks to the new additions to the blog. Diane and Cassie were excellent additions. It is always great to have Jessica, Phil, Josh, Matt and Fo on here. So many great adventures with so many great people. I'm sure that they will be on here again. Thank you for reading everyone, I appreciate it and hope that you enjoy the blog.
Today's goodbye gratuitous photo is of Cassie. She is one of the trainers that is here in New Brunswick with me. She did an exceptional job on her first time Tacoteering. She ordered pastor and Asada. She was sitting next to me. I asked her if she had ever had tripa, she said no and had a couple of bites. Cabeza? Same thing. She was telling us how great they both tasted. Later on that night Diane told her what she had eaten. She was a bit surprised, a bit scared, but took it like a champ! She did well, she broadened her taco horizons and for this I am proud, excited and she gets the photo put up to say goodbye. Yes, she took a selfie on my phone, enjoy!
Stay Excellent!
They look tired, but trust me, they are excited. The nachos in the middle were given to us by the restaurant for bringing in so many people. Really unexpected cool gesture. They were really good too. Really tasty stuff. Beans were good, not over cheesed, fresh veggies.
Pretty unassuming place. Not too fancy, not overdone, but cool. The Holiday decorations were cool. They hit it all. No Holiday this time of year was not addressed. I found that to be quite cool. In the spirit of the holidays the trainers and I also made it to Rockefeller Center for our Christmas photo:
What a lively bunch. You can barely see Jessica in there, but she is with us. She's hiding behind Phil. Look at that award winning smile that Fo is sporting. While we are on the NY subject, I don't think I have much of a "bucket list," but the Seinfeld Diner has always been on there. All the time I've spent in New York, I had never gone. We went for coffee and cheerios. Josh and I have talked about doing this together for about a year. We were psyched the team said they would go with us. It was awesome how excited everyone was to go. We took our picture in front and went in for our coffee and cheerios. As we were sitting there and everyone was taking turns using the restroom, I was reading the large sign that said "restrooms are for customers only." I pointed out it would be more appropriate to just leave after using the restroom. They are a lot of ways you could leave, we chose to all run out as fast as we could screaming. It was one of the best feelings I have had in a while and a ton of fun.
Damn we look good, there you go, I said it for you.
This is the photo in the bathroom. Pretty cool photo, raw talent. OK I really don't care for the photo, but like the meaning. It kind of sets the mantra of the restaurant. I was really surprised that this place is full service. The folks working there were super nice. Did I mention that we had a rough week and that day was particularly tough? The place was BYOB. I went and picked up some beers from up the street, it made the meal that much better. Enough with the photos and jabber, lets get to it...
RATINGS:
PASTOR: 4, this was pretty good. Really good. I was happy with this. It still gets compared to RT and some of the greats, damn it was close. I would say you should get this for sure when you come in.
LENGUA: 4, yum yum give me some. This was soft, but a light crispness on the outside. Salted but not salty. They did a great job. This is a try it for sure.
BARBACOA: 2, not the best showing. I thought it lacked flavor and depth. Had been cooked down with some peppers but not a good balance to the flavors. Meat was also lacking texture. It was almost dissolving in your mouth like it had been stewed for too long.
CECINA: 1, tough and too salty. Cecina should be a bit more salty than asada,but this was like a salt lick. No bueno. It was also super tough. Hard to chew through.
SUADERO: 3, nicely done. I enjoyed it, I'd order it again, but it was not overly impressive. If this is your meat of choice you won't be blown away, but you won't be disappointed.
CABEZA: 5, oh goodness I loved this. I could have eaten 12 cabeza tacos at once. It was so delicious. It was very tender and almost shredded. Flavors were deep and balanced. Light hint of cinnamon, could not have been made better.
Not a bad looking spread. Tortillas were pretty good. Radish was fresh! they gave you fried serrano peppers with them too. What a touch. I could have eaten those all day. There was enough onions and cilantro without it being overwhelming. The salsa that they put on the side for the chips was good. Really went well with all the meats.
A special thanks to the new additions to the blog. Diane and Cassie were excellent additions. It is always great to have Jessica, Phil, Josh, Matt and Fo on here. So many great adventures with so many great people. I'm sure that they will be on here again. Thank you for reading everyone, I appreciate it and hope that you enjoy the blog.
Today's goodbye gratuitous photo is of Cassie. She is one of the trainers that is here in New Brunswick with me. She did an exceptional job on her first time Tacoteering. She ordered pastor and Asada. She was sitting next to me. I asked her if she had ever had tripa, she said no and had a couple of bites. Cabeza? Same thing. She was telling us how great they both tasted. Later on that night Diane told her what she had eaten. She was a bit surprised, a bit scared, but took it like a champ! She did well, she broadened her taco horizons and for this I am proud, excited and she gets the photo put up to say goodbye. Yes, she took a selfie on my phone, enjoy!
Stay Excellent!
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Fast Taco, Chatsworth, CA
It may be called Fast Taco, and that is what I got, but they make a mean burrito. I am starting the blog off by letting you know that it is worth trying a burrito when you are there. They do a Pollo/Asada burrito that is fantastic, a pastor burrito that drips all over your arm, yes, the way that it is supposed to be. Alright, now that I got that off my chest, lets talk about the day, the experience, the visit, the journey...
A few hours ago in a Taqueria not far far away I went Tacoteering. I've been going here for quite sometime. I know many folks that grew up on this stuff and won't look at another Taqueria. Fast Taco is nostalgia kind of tacos. To say this place blows me away overstates its abilities, but it is somewhere that I really enjoy going to. I really don't go here enough. It is just one of those places that falls a bit off the radar.
Today I was running errands. I was not supposed to be in LA, but some unforeseen circumstances brought me home for a weekend, and that is alright by me. As I was running around, I decided that I needed to go Tacoteering. As I was about to pass Fast Taco it dawned on me that I haven't been there in a while. I passed it went to my next stop and found myself compelled to go back. I went back and am sure glad that I did.
Yes, they have three proteins. Three meats that they knock out of the park. Pastor, Asada, Pollo. These three delectable meats line the inside of tortillas that are grilled fresh on the flattop. Great to see that places can keep it simple, keep it real and keep people coming in. They do not try to do a bunch of crazy off the wall stuff, they stick to what they know, they do know it well. Huge brownie points with me for the grilled green onions. Why don't more places do this still? It is such a nice touch and makes the food that much better. The two on my plate were completely devoured.
I love the TV. They have a big flat screen and had the ISU game on. Yeah, I said ISU, not TCU. ISU is an important team to a few of our members here at the Order, so we will stick with that. Game might not have gone how we wanted, but at least ISU was in it. Folks come in and grab food to go, sit down and eat, it is like a revolving door in there. Great to see that kind of business.
Salsa bar is always open. When you eat there they give you two ramekins and a basket of chips which is pretty cool. Something to do while you wait the almost two minutes for your tacos. Yes, they are fast. Salsa bar allows you to load up with as much cilantro and onions as you want. The onions are marinated and down right delicious.
RATINGS:
POLLO: 4, that delicious crispy grilled taste is so good. I think that it really sets the meat apart. Well seasoned, tender, not overcooked at all, just perfectly cooked and flavored.
ASADA: 4, again, that grilled flavor. A nice char really takes this meat over the edge. An opened flame goes a long way in the taco world.
PASTOR: 4, they know what they are doing. They do a very nice job with their pastor. It is flavorful, sweet, but not too sweet, cooked, but not mush. It really is a treat that you should try.
SALSA BAR: 3, as a whole it has always upset me. Their onions are great, cilantro is good, jalapenos are inconsistent and the salsas are just OK.
Overall this place just echos how the tacos in the San Fernando Valley are some of the most excellent tacos out there. The SFV is underrated in the taco world. There are so many great spots. People are expecting it in Boyle Heights, they are looking throughout Chula Vista. Come see us here, you will be pleasantly surprised from a taco standpoint.
Thank you for reading, posting, tweeting, following and telling your friends. Find me on Instagram and on Twitter for all of the latest and greatest in Tacoteering and other random things that I put on there.
Today's gratuitous goodbye photo was sent to me because December 6 is my holiday. It is a day set aside for those of us who have earned the right to be referred to as assholes. Please don't forget about us, we deserve our day too.
Stay Excellent!
A few hours ago in a Taqueria not far far away I went Tacoteering. I've been going here for quite sometime. I know many folks that grew up on this stuff and won't look at another Taqueria. Fast Taco is nostalgia kind of tacos. To say this place blows me away overstates its abilities, but it is somewhere that I really enjoy going to. I really don't go here enough. It is just one of those places that falls a bit off the radar.
Today I was running errands. I was not supposed to be in LA, but some unforeseen circumstances brought me home for a weekend, and that is alright by me. As I was running around, I decided that I needed to go Tacoteering. As I was about to pass Fast Taco it dawned on me that I haven't been there in a while. I passed it went to my next stop and found myself compelled to go back. I went back and am sure glad that I did.
Yes, they have three proteins. Three meats that they knock out of the park. Pastor, Asada, Pollo. These three delectable meats line the inside of tortillas that are grilled fresh on the flattop. Great to see that places can keep it simple, keep it real and keep people coming in. They do not try to do a bunch of crazy off the wall stuff, they stick to what they know, they do know it well. Huge brownie points with me for the grilled green onions. Why don't more places do this still? It is such a nice touch and makes the food that much better. The two on my plate were completely devoured.
I love the TV. They have a big flat screen and had the ISU game on. Yeah, I said ISU, not TCU. ISU is an important team to a few of our members here at the Order, so we will stick with that. Game might not have gone how we wanted, but at least ISU was in it. Folks come in and grab food to go, sit down and eat, it is like a revolving door in there. Great to see that kind of business.
Salsa bar is always open. When you eat there they give you two ramekins and a basket of chips which is pretty cool. Something to do while you wait the almost two minutes for your tacos. Yes, they are fast. Salsa bar allows you to load up with as much cilantro and onions as you want. The onions are marinated and down right delicious.
RATINGS:
POLLO: 4, that delicious crispy grilled taste is so good. I think that it really sets the meat apart. Well seasoned, tender, not overcooked at all, just perfectly cooked and flavored.
ASADA: 4, again, that grilled flavor. A nice char really takes this meat over the edge. An opened flame goes a long way in the taco world.
PASTOR: 4, they know what they are doing. They do a very nice job with their pastor. It is flavorful, sweet, but not too sweet, cooked, but not mush. It really is a treat that you should try.
SALSA BAR: 3, as a whole it has always upset me. Their onions are great, cilantro is good, jalapenos are inconsistent and the salsas are just OK.
Overall this place just echos how the tacos in the San Fernando Valley are some of the most excellent tacos out there. The SFV is underrated in the taco world. There are so many great spots. People are expecting it in Boyle Heights, they are looking throughout Chula Vista. Come see us here, you will be pleasantly surprised from a taco standpoint.
Thank you for reading, posting, tweeting, following and telling your friends. Find me on Instagram and on Twitter for all of the latest and greatest in Tacoteering and other random things that I put on there.
Today's gratuitous goodbye photo was sent to me because December 6 is my holiday. It is a day set aside for those of us who have earned the right to be referred to as assholes. Please don't forget about us, we deserve our day too.
Stay Excellent!
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Gaby’s Bakery & Deli, North Brunswick, NJ
So this is Cathy. Cathy is trying to learn how to Tacoteer here. Don't worry, Phil and I were with her and we were able to properly teach her. She learned well. This place came pretty highly acclaimed in the area. Lets get the disappointing part out of the way, for a bakery, they don't make their own chips or tortillas. This made me a bit taco sad. They have all the equipment, theoretically the know how, sad, very sad.
The menu is huge and looking at it now I know that you cannot read it. I have attached a link to their website, sorry about that. Point being, with all of this stuff on there they should be able to make their own tortillas.
Three brave NJ Tacoteers. We have to remain skeptical because there has not been a tremendous amount of Tacoteering luck in NJ. Phil (Yellow Chocolate) and I have taken this challenge on before. I don't like to keep you in big suspense, this was just OK. It didn't rock anyone's world by any means, but was a bit better than many of the other places that we have been disappointed at.
Cathy wanted to get into some nachos. Not bad, but not great. Ingredients were fresh, the chips were, well, we've discussed. Presentation was solid, I'm glad we got them, but they sure don't hold a candle to the tastiness of the Korean Taco place Fo, Moraski and I went to in Georgia. Who would have thought, Georgia is crushing New Jersey in tacos.
RATINGS:
LENGUA: 3, this was about as textbook as you are going to find it folks. Nothing impressive, nothing sad about it. Fairly tender, slightly lacking in salt and seasoning.
CARNE ENCHILADA: 2, this really was a waste of my time and taste buds. It was thoroughly unimpressive. It lacked flavor, depth, texture. It tasted like left over they were hoping they could marinate and sell. Guess they did...
BARBACOA: 2, again, it just hurt to eat this. Really not much different from the carne enchilada. Over marinated meat that they stewed into oblivion. It made me sad on the inside.
PASTOR: 3, it was almost too sweet. I think pastor should be a bit sweet, layered flavors, it was OK, it didn't hurt my feeling, but it sure didn't excite me.
ASADA: 3, standard? That is the best word I can come up with. Nothing impressive here, nothing to write home about, but it wasn't bad like some of the other things that they did to meat.
TRIPA: 4, finally a true win here. This was something special. Crispy, seasoned, almost a bite to it. I have to admit that I was really happy eating and enjoying this one. I would go back for this and probably get cabeza hoping to find a meal out of the two, but that is a whole other blog if it gets to that.
SALSA VERDE: 2, not enough here. It was just kind of blah. I really thought that it would be better than it was, I was incorrect.
SALSA ROJO: 3, please read the asada review and just replace it with salsa. Just a standard red sauce. I'm not going to dream about this good or bad.
The menu is huge and looking at it now I know that you cannot read it. I have attached a link to their website, sorry about that. Point being, with all of this stuff on there they should be able to make their own tortillas.
Three brave NJ Tacoteers. We have to remain skeptical because there has not been a tremendous amount of Tacoteering luck in NJ. Phil (Yellow Chocolate) and I have taken this challenge on before. I don't like to keep you in big suspense, this was just OK. It didn't rock anyone's world by any means, but was a bit better than many of the other places that we have been disappointed at.
Cathy wanted to get into some nachos. Not bad, but not great. Ingredients were fresh, the chips were, well, we've discussed. Presentation was solid, I'm glad we got them, but they sure don't hold a candle to the tastiness of the Korean Taco place Fo, Moraski and I went to in Georgia. Who would have thought, Georgia is crushing New Jersey in tacos.
RATINGS:
LENGUA: 3, this was about as textbook as you are going to find it folks. Nothing impressive, nothing sad about it. Fairly tender, slightly lacking in salt and seasoning.
CARNE ENCHILADA: 2, this really was a waste of my time and taste buds. It was thoroughly unimpressive. It lacked flavor, depth, texture. It tasted like left over they were hoping they could marinate and sell. Guess they did...
BARBACOA: 2, again, it just hurt to eat this. Really not much different from the carne enchilada. Over marinated meat that they stewed into oblivion. It made me sad on the inside.
PASTOR: 3, it was almost too sweet. I think pastor should be a bit sweet, layered flavors, it was OK, it didn't hurt my feeling, but it sure didn't excite me.
ASADA: 3, standard? That is the best word I can come up with. Nothing impressive here, nothing to write home about, but it wasn't bad like some of the other things that they did to meat.
TRIPA: 4, finally a true win here. This was something special. Crispy, seasoned, almost a bite to it. I have to admit that I was really happy eating and enjoying this one. I would go back for this and probably get cabeza hoping to find a meal out of the two, but that is a whole other blog if it gets to that.
SALSA VERDE: 2, not enough here. It was just kind of blah. I really thought that it would be better than it was, I was incorrect.
SALSA ROJO: 3, please read the asada review and just replace it with salsa. Just a standard red sauce. I'm not going to dream about this good or bad.
I was not a fan of the way that they rolled them up like this. Presentation was lacking, they tried to make it look like there was more meat to tortilla ratio, yeah dudes, you failed! For a NJ place, this wasn't horrible, but it sure is not Villalobos. Chef Phil and I might have to make a trip up to Villalobos when we are back in NJ soon. I think you get the drift on my feelings of the food, place and by the way, the ambiance was kind of strange. Too spread out and open, it lacked character.
What a wild and crazy week. Glad we got one Tacoteering experience in. Sorry it took a couple of days to write about, it has been a wacky few weeks for me here!
Thanks to everyone for reading, telling folks and following the taco adventures, hope you enjoy them. Today's gratuitous photo is of the team of folks that I got to go to NJ with, minus Chef Phil, AKA Yellow Chocolate. Great group of folks who I did not get long enough to work with on this trip, but I know that I get time with all of them in the near future.
Stay Excellent!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Wapo Taco, Hallandale Beach, FL
I will reiterate, if you don't already know, I don't tag pastor lightly, good or bad. SPOILER ALERT, this is crazy good, with reason. Do me a favor, read Yelp and then make the decision. This is the Yelp issue. It "can" be useful, but reality is, this place is misunderstood by non taco educated individuals. Sorry Yelpers, but that is a fact. I'd get into the whole story, but reality, I don't know if you can handle it.
Lets start today's story off about Emmanuel, one of the owners. I can't help but notice a resemblance to James, one of the original members of the Order.
This guy has a great personality, a winning smile and helps make the experience all the better. He was really quarterbacking this operation. Here is a great photo of the team hard at work.
The menu itself is great. Not too much, but great options. They really stick to what their menu is and don't go for a lot of deviations, but they know what they are making and how to make it.
That is the whole deal! Pretty sweet. Lets talk about La Costras. Manchengo cheese melted with meat cooked and put in there. The then "burnt" cheese is rolled over the meat and put into a tortilla. This is a must try. It comes with some delicious guacamole. They convinced me to try this and I really enjoyed it.
I literally watched them cut meat straight to the tortilla! Over and over! Yes, they do it. The cut right to the tortilla. It makes it just that much better. Once again, some real street credit here.
Well oiled machine doing what they do! These guys have a completely open concept kitchen so that you can see all that they are doing. They are all working and not stopping. The communication is excellent. Each person does their part but in unison with the group.
RATINGS:
BISTEC: 5, holy moly. This is amazing, tender goodness. Great stuff. Tender, fresh, not some left over, over marinated junk that they are hoping you like, there is a plan in place and if you earned it, good for you, you are tasting some greatness.
CHORIZO: 4, this is Mexican, not Spanish like you are use to. A bit more spicy, a little more layered in flavor depth. Yeah, you are going to love it. They know what they are doing with this, here is the hint, La Costras...
PASTOR de POLLO: 4, oh my goodness. I mean, oh my goodness. This is something tasty. It has pineapple, it is sweet, it is pepper, it is spicy. Yummy. It would have been a 5, but the pork was well..
PASTOR: 5, yes, you read that correctly. This rivals, but is totally different than Rincon Taurino. This damn near shames Tacos el Gordo. Yeah, I too am blown away. It caught me off guard. I thought that it would be good, but this is so much better than I thought. Sweet, spicy, hot, savory, it hits all of it. You need to get there now. Literally, right now. OK, get up and go, it is time.
PICO: 2, please avoid and don't waste your time, it is homemade but almost tastes store bought, no bueno!
ROJO: 5, this caught me way off guard. I did not believe I would find a 5 until I tasted this salsa. It was unreal. It has it all. Get there now. There is chiptole, there is tomatillo, there is just vegetables...yeah, go now and eat it.
VERDE: 4, they have two. The one they give you is tasty and has avocado, the second doesn't and it is super delicious too!
Sweet looking spread, right? Yeah, this places is so solid. The people are even better, if you couldn't tell, than the food. The pastor, and you know how I feel about pastor, is crazy delicious. Salsa's are not to play with, they are amazing. Seriously, amazing. I think that this may have been, arguably, the best salsa that I've ever eaten in any country, state, planet, anywhere. There is no exaggeration.
This place is a great addition to an area I come to often. I'm very glad to have a great place to go to! I want to say a huge thank you to the team of folks that were working on Monday night 11/24/2014 when I went into eat. I also always have to thank the readers. The folks that read, tell people, re-tweet, re-post and tell others. Everyone knows that you are getting a gratuitous photo. Today's photo depicts reality. Judy the server, she's cute and sweet with some sass. Francisco and Emmanuel the owners are there for business. They are great guys, with amazing vision. Me? Well, I look like an old Grizzly Bear there to eat and annoy the ones who are making things happen.
Stay Excellent!!!
Lets start today's story off about Emmanuel, one of the owners. I can't help but notice a resemblance to James, one of the original members of the Order.
This guy has a great personality, a winning smile and helps make the experience all the better. He was really quarterbacking this operation. Here is a great photo of the team hard at work.
The menu itself is great. Not too much, but great options. They really stick to what their menu is and don't go for a lot of deviations, but they know what they are making and how to make it.
That is the whole deal! Pretty sweet. Lets talk about La Costras. Manchengo cheese melted with meat cooked and put in there. The then "burnt" cheese is rolled over the meat and put into a tortilla. This is a must try. It comes with some delicious guacamole. They convinced me to try this and I really enjoyed it.
Tortillas are made in house. The only thing that was tons more exciting than that is that they literally slice right off the cone into the tortillas.
OMG, I want more right now!!! They are seriously cutting from cone to plate, let me show you what I mean...I literally watched them cut meat straight to the tortilla! Over and over! Yes, they do it. The cut right to the tortilla. It makes it just that much better. Once again, some real street credit here.
Well oiled machine doing what they do! These guys have a completely open concept kitchen so that you can see all that they are doing. They are all working and not stopping. The communication is excellent. Each person does their part but in unison with the group.
RATINGS:
BISTEC: 5, holy moly. This is amazing, tender goodness. Great stuff. Tender, fresh, not some left over, over marinated junk that they are hoping you like, there is a plan in place and if you earned it, good for you, you are tasting some greatness.
CHORIZO: 4, this is Mexican, not Spanish like you are use to. A bit more spicy, a little more layered in flavor depth. Yeah, you are going to love it. They know what they are doing with this, here is the hint, La Costras...
PASTOR de POLLO: 4, oh my goodness. I mean, oh my goodness. This is something tasty. It has pineapple, it is sweet, it is pepper, it is spicy. Yummy. It would have been a 5, but the pork was well..
PASTOR: 5, yes, you read that correctly. This rivals, but is totally different than Rincon Taurino. This damn near shames Tacos el Gordo. Yeah, I too am blown away. It caught me off guard. I thought that it would be good, but this is so much better than I thought. Sweet, spicy, hot, savory, it hits all of it. You need to get there now. Literally, right now. OK, get up and go, it is time.
PICO: 2, please avoid and don't waste your time, it is homemade but almost tastes store bought, no bueno!
ROJO: 5, this caught me way off guard. I did not believe I would find a 5 until I tasted this salsa. It was unreal. It has it all. Get there now. There is chiptole, there is tomatillo, there is just vegetables...yeah, go now and eat it.
VERDE: 4, they have two. The one they give you is tasty and has avocado, the second doesn't and it is super delicious too!
Sweet looking spread, right? Yeah, this places is so solid. The people are even better, if you couldn't tell, than the food. The pastor, and you know how I feel about pastor, is crazy delicious. Salsa's are not to play with, they are amazing. Seriously, amazing. I think that this may have been, arguably, the best salsa that I've ever eaten in any country, state, planet, anywhere. There is no exaggeration.
This place is a great addition to an area I come to often. I'm very glad to have a great place to go to! I want to say a huge thank you to the team of folks that were working on Monday night 11/24/2014 when I went into eat. I also always have to thank the readers. The folks that read, tell people, re-tweet, re-post and tell others. Everyone knows that you are getting a gratuitous photo. Today's photo depicts reality. Judy the server, she's cute and sweet with some sass. Francisco and Emmanuel the owners are there for business. They are great guys, with amazing vision. Me? Well, I look like an old Grizzly Bear there to eat and annoy the ones who are making things happen.
Stay Excellent!!!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Taqueria Mexicana Panaderia, Naples, FL
This was such a random stop. Seriously, straight #tacodestiny. John Moraski and I are driving from Miami to Naples. We accidentally get off on the incorrect exit. We are driving to where we need to go on side streets when I slam on the breaks, pop a U turn and we pull into this little parking lot. John immediately smiles, nods his head and says "Tacoteering." Yeah, we made it rain. It was straight Taco Destiny! We saw this place and I just had to go. Not a word was spoken until he said "Tacoteering." Dude, he was totally right.
We walk up to this inviting, appetizing and exciting window front. How can you not go in here? Seems legit, right? It always makes me laugh seeing myself in the reflections of the pictures that I take.
We were heavy in conversations of Business Development for The Counter. How do we grow the business that we are lucky enough to be a part of? How do we push it all forward. This conversation then got better. How? Because it was now over tacos. Tacos makes everything better.
Menu is pretty simple. Very easy to read, I dig it. They have a good enough variety without being too much. They stick to what they know. I was pretty psyched to see barbacoa on the menu. These guys keep it simple and flavorful.
The restaurant itself was pretty simple. The TV might have been my favorite part. They had H2 channel on and we got to watch an episode of Ancient Aliens while we ate. The guy that was working there was awesome, personable, talkative, just a really nice guy. He took our order, cooked it, and brought it to us. He was a true one stop shop. The restaurant itself has three types of chairs. That made it kind of nice. I got to pick the style of chair that was most comfortable to me.
RATINGS:
PASTOR: 4, this is about as good as it gets not being on a cone. The marinade was great. Heavy pineapple flavor, but real pineapple, not syrup tasting junk.
ASADA: 3, solid, good flavor, but nothing special about it as a standout. It was not overcooked or tough, just a solid showing of beef.
POLLO: 2, so this was by far the worst showing of the day. Not very tasty, not very impressive in any way, shape or form. Don't order it.
CARNITAS: 3, nothing that blew me away, but I'd probably get it again. They stuck to the basics on this one.
BARBACOA: 4, this goodness was packed with solid flavor of clove, a hint of nutmeg and had a great light salt on it. I liked it and think you should check it out.
SALSA: 3, pretty basic pepper salsa. I liked it, went great with their food, nice kick to it.
Nice looking spread, right? I was happy with it. John and I did attack this stuff shortly after the picture was taken. Place does sell some Mexican beers, we stuck to water and tacos, but if that is what you are looking for, they can deliver. The tortillas were great. Not home made, but really good. They were soft and tasty. They held up to the meat nicely and didn't fall apart. If you look at the ratings of this place, they know how to marinate! For sure go after those for nice, layered and complex flavors.
This truly was a story of Taco Destiny. We just happened to catch the place and won with a great meal. John and I had some great adventures, compelling conversations, so you are stuck with a picture of him and I for today's goodbye gratuitous photo! Please keep telling people, reading and eating tacos!
Stay Excellent!
We walk up to this inviting, appetizing and exciting window front. How can you not go in here? Seems legit, right? It always makes me laugh seeing myself in the reflections of the pictures that I take.
We were heavy in conversations of Business Development for The Counter. How do we grow the business that we are lucky enough to be a part of? How do we push it all forward. This conversation then got better. How? Because it was now over tacos. Tacos makes everything better.
Menu is pretty simple. Very easy to read, I dig it. They have a good enough variety without being too much. They stick to what they know. I was pretty psyched to see barbacoa on the menu. These guys keep it simple and flavorful.
The restaurant itself was pretty simple. The TV might have been my favorite part. They had H2 channel on and we got to watch an episode of Ancient Aliens while we ate. The guy that was working there was awesome, personable, talkative, just a really nice guy. He took our order, cooked it, and brought it to us. He was a true one stop shop. The restaurant itself has three types of chairs. That made it kind of nice. I got to pick the style of chair that was most comfortable to me.
RATINGS:
PASTOR: 4, this is about as good as it gets not being on a cone. The marinade was great. Heavy pineapple flavor, but real pineapple, not syrup tasting junk.
ASADA: 3, solid, good flavor, but nothing special about it as a standout. It was not overcooked or tough, just a solid showing of beef.
POLLO: 2, so this was by far the worst showing of the day. Not very tasty, not very impressive in any way, shape or form. Don't order it.
CARNITAS: 3, nothing that blew me away, but I'd probably get it again. They stuck to the basics on this one.
BARBACOA: 4, this goodness was packed with solid flavor of clove, a hint of nutmeg and had a great light salt on it. I liked it and think you should check it out.
SALSA: 3, pretty basic pepper salsa. I liked it, went great with their food, nice kick to it.
Nice looking spread, right? I was happy with it. John and I did attack this stuff shortly after the picture was taken. Place does sell some Mexican beers, we stuck to water and tacos, but if that is what you are looking for, they can deliver. The tortillas were great. Not home made, but really good. They were soft and tasty. They held up to the meat nicely and didn't fall apart. If you look at the ratings of this place, they know how to marinate! For sure go after those for nice, layered and complex flavors.
This truly was a story of Taco Destiny. We just happened to catch the place and won with a great meal. John and I had some great adventures, compelling conversations, so you are stuck with a picture of him and I for today's goodbye gratuitous photo! Please keep telling people, reading and eating tacos!
Stay Excellent!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
MJ Korean Tacos & Wings, Duluth, GA
The glow says it all about this joint. I'll save you the suspense, this was a treat. I was not shocked, but pretty surprised at the taco excellence that I was a part of tonight. John, new to the blog, Fo, a regular, and I were out and about working a great long day here in Georgia. We were in the restaurant most of the day, but left The Counter in Roswell to do some Business Development and Field Marketing. Interestingly enough we were discussing an important part of our business growth, Encore Experiences. As I look up, I see this street.
Had to snap a blurry photo of the sign. It played well into our work conversation. We had some productive and successful work conversations, but we were on a mission to get some tacos to wrap up the day and relish in a bit of success. We of course were enjoying Elvis Presley Radio. MJ's came on recommendation from one of Fo's regulars. We got there, walked in and grabbed a table.
The place is a bit unassuming. Simple, but eloquent, nice, but casual. The restaurant was not too big. They got a space that they can fill without putting people on ridiculous waits. Chairs were comfortable, the tables were nice. The folks working there are great. They were so nice and worked the restaurant together. It didn't feel like we had just one server. The teamwork was amazing and both girls were very sweet and knowledgeable.
Pretty cool menu, I didn't mind the glare because it just blocked out the not tacos. If you really want the whole menu, go to the website, I attached the link. Heed my warning, the pictures on their website will make you very hungry. The menu is good. It is affordable too. Their portions are monstrous. They are a really fair with the value.
Yeah, check out those nachos. It is not a pile of lettuce. The lettuce is thinly shredded, there was a ton of Spicy Chicken below. I requested extra jalapenos and they really came through. It was awesome. I really appreciate a place that is fair, they are. I will admit that, that entire plate, was crushed along with a bunch of tacos. Side note about the food before we rank...I wasn't dying of thirst. I had a fear as many Korean BBQ places are full of sodium. This place did not make us feel weighed down. We did not have pound glass of water after glass of water. OK, here we go:
RATINGS:
NACHOS: 5, these bad boys were good. They had lettuce, but it is not as overwhelming as it looks. The Spicy Chicken was chopped a bit extra on the nachos, almost like ground beef, which made it easier to eat on the chips. The cheese was not overwhelming, but was there.
SPICY CHICKEN: 3, we're already talking about the chicken, so why not. It was great, it was different, but we have to put all on as even playing field as possible. Sweet flavors, nice subtle kick, could have been a bit more tender to get that 4.
SPICY PORK: 3, here's the deal, it was really tasty. I have to compare it to adobada and pastor. I know, it's different, but its not. This is good stuff I would order next time for sure.
FRIED MASH POTATO: 4, yeah, that is a slam dunk. It was really good stuff. It was so soft and hot on the inside. These tacos were great. Nicely done taking a regular item, putting a twist on it and making this delicious treat happen.
PANKO FISH: 3, this is a thin piece of fish, heavy Panko Breading and fried right up. It was good, I'm really glad that Fo insisted we try it.
STEAK: 5, this blew my socks off. It was spicy, it was sweet, it was perfectly cooked. I mean perfectly. I don't know how they could have done this better. Slight ginger flavor? Really put this taco over the top. The guys and I really fell in love here.
KIMCHI: 4, they offer Kimchi on any taco for an extra $.50. We opted for some on the side and if you like Kimchi, you need to get this. It went really well with the fried mash potato and well, everything else. Made in house for sure, check it out.
Looks are a bit deceiving. Not as much lettuce as you think. The lettuce is also tossed on some of the tacos with some of their sauces and it is a great crisp compliment to the food. I have to say I was psyched to see both regular and extra hot Valentina's on every table, yes, it was used to enhance the meal. The sauce that they put on the tacos was so good. Sweet, a bit savory. They know how to compliment each protein with the correct flavors. A place dedicated to Korean Tacos, is worth stopping at, seriously, think about it.
A huge thank you to John Moraski for joining this blog and of course it was excellent to get Fo back in the mix. Fo always makes this thing better and I'm looking forward to some Tacoteering in Jersey with him soon. Thank you to everyone who's reading. Please keep spreading the word about the Order of the Taco. Today's gratuitous photo is of John Moraski, Fo and Miriam. Miriam was one of the lovely folks that were working there and we asked her to join us as these guys were scarfing down some excellent food!
Stay Excellent!
Had to snap a blurry photo of the sign. It played well into our work conversation. We had some productive and successful work conversations, but we were on a mission to get some tacos to wrap up the day and relish in a bit of success. We of course were enjoying Elvis Presley Radio. MJ's came on recommendation from one of Fo's regulars. We got there, walked in and grabbed a table.
The place is a bit unassuming. Simple, but eloquent, nice, but casual. The restaurant was not too big. They got a space that they can fill without putting people on ridiculous waits. Chairs were comfortable, the tables were nice. The folks working there are great. They were so nice and worked the restaurant together. It didn't feel like we had just one server. The teamwork was amazing and both girls were very sweet and knowledgeable.
Pretty cool menu, I didn't mind the glare because it just blocked out the not tacos. If you really want the whole menu, go to the website, I attached the link. Heed my warning, the pictures on their website will make you very hungry. The menu is good. It is affordable too. Their portions are monstrous. They are a really fair with the value.
Yeah, check out those nachos. It is not a pile of lettuce. The lettuce is thinly shredded, there was a ton of Spicy Chicken below. I requested extra jalapenos and they really came through. It was awesome. I really appreciate a place that is fair, they are. I will admit that, that entire plate, was crushed along with a bunch of tacos. Side note about the food before we rank...I wasn't dying of thirst. I had a fear as many Korean BBQ places are full of sodium. This place did not make us feel weighed down. We did not have pound glass of water after glass of water. OK, here we go:
RATINGS:
NACHOS: 5, these bad boys were good. They had lettuce, but it is not as overwhelming as it looks. The Spicy Chicken was chopped a bit extra on the nachos, almost like ground beef, which made it easier to eat on the chips. The cheese was not overwhelming, but was there.
SPICY CHICKEN: 3, we're already talking about the chicken, so why not. It was great, it was different, but we have to put all on as even playing field as possible. Sweet flavors, nice subtle kick, could have been a bit more tender to get that 4.
SPICY PORK: 3, here's the deal, it was really tasty. I have to compare it to adobada and pastor. I know, it's different, but its not. This is good stuff I would order next time for sure.
FRIED MASH POTATO: 4, yeah, that is a slam dunk. It was really good stuff. It was so soft and hot on the inside. These tacos were great. Nicely done taking a regular item, putting a twist on it and making this delicious treat happen.
PANKO FISH: 3, this is a thin piece of fish, heavy Panko Breading and fried right up. It was good, I'm really glad that Fo insisted we try it.
STEAK: 5, this blew my socks off. It was spicy, it was sweet, it was perfectly cooked. I mean perfectly. I don't know how they could have done this better. Slight ginger flavor? Really put this taco over the top. The guys and I really fell in love here.
KIMCHI: 4, they offer Kimchi on any taco for an extra $.50. We opted for some on the side and if you like Kimchi, you need to get this. It went really well with the fried mash potato and well, everything else. Made in house for sure, check it out.
Looks are a bit deceiving. Not as much lettuce as you think. The lettuce is also tossed on some of the tacos with some of their sauces and it is a great crisp compliment to the food. I have to say I was psyched to see both regular and extra hot Valentina's on every table, yes, it was used to enhance the meal. The sauce that they put on the tacos was so good. Sweet, a bit savory. They know how to compliment each protein with the correct flavors. A place dedicated to Korean Tacos, is worth stopping at, seriously, think about it.
A huge thank you to John Moraski for joining this blog and of course it was excellent to get Fo back in the mix. Fo always makes this thing better and I'm looking forward to some Tacoteering in Jersey with him soon. Thank you to everyone who's reading. Please keep spreading the word about the Order of the Taco. Today's gratuitous photo is of John Moraski, Fo and Miriam. Miriam was one of the lovely folks that were working there and we asked her to join us as these guys were scarfing down some excellent food!
Stay Excellent!
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