Taqueria los Altenos, Canoga Park, CA

Man have things been crazy for me.  I know that I needed to get back to blogging for things to start to get better.  I have passed this place a bunch of times.  Horrible Yelps, not too much of a looker from the outside.  I almost went in more than once.  I was driving from one restaurant to another and needed to eat.  I figured I'd give it a shot.  I drove right by it and turned around to check it out.  I don't really know how to describe it aside from Taco Destiny.  I was drawn right towards the place.  I was not in a pleasurable mood and this place turned it around.  As far as I'm concerned, it was just full of surprises.

Here was a surprise, chips and salsa?  Didn't see that coming.  You order at the counter, they give you this and then bring your food to you.  Two very different salsas, not too shabby.  I really did not expect this.  It was perfect.  I was super hungry and this was a great little distraction as they were making the tacos for me.  Pricing by the way, solid.

BOOM!  Another surprise, and one of the best surprises out there, a pastor cone!!!  Yes, this is the kind of stuff that really excites me.  It looked good, it tastes, well, we are not yet at the ratings, slow your roll...the folks working were busy and did not stop.  Everyone did their part and worked well as a team.

This was an unpleasant surprise.  It was a huge tease.  It is not a salsa bar as we all would assume.  It is a hands off, salad bar.  I was not impressed.  I wanted to try the cactus, but I really wanted the serrano peppers.  I really wanted them.  I wanted to eat them.  They looked fresh and they looked good.  I don't know for sure, I just was staring at them.

The experience was great.  The people working there were so nice.  There was a little boy who was being a total brat.  He was yelling, the dad was ignoring.  The young lady working there walked over and asked him if he was going trick or treating and then gave him some candy.  It was so cool.  Great to see her help the situation.  She was so sweet and checked on everyone eating to see if they needed anything and asked if they enjoyed it.  Her name is Anna, say hello to her next time that you are in.  She was talking to me about their meats, styles of cooking, influences, everything.  No, I did not tell her that I was going to write about them, she was just a sweet friendly individual who seemed to really love her job.
RATINGS:
LENGUA: 4,  buttery goodness.  Tasty, fresh, well cooked, but soft.  This is something to go and try, something to get excited about.
TRIPA: 5, this is possibly standalone best that I've had.  It was cut a little bigger than I normally like, but this did not stop me or slow me down.  It is some good stuff.  With a good crunch, a soft inside, light touch of salt, yeah, you get my drift.  Go try it.  I loved the pride, watching this guy make this stuff, made it all that much better.
PASTOR: 5, yeah, yeah, it is that good.  There is some amazing pastor that I've eaten, this one ranks.  It is as good as RT in my mind.  I'm going to go and try it again to make sure, but initial bite was umm, yeah.  It is on a cone, it is slow cooked.  It has flavors of lime, clove, aciote, multiple chilies.  Very nicely done.  It is a bit crispy, but soft and great.
CABEZA: 3, solid.  Very, very solid.  Soft, buttery, good.  Nothing to shy away from.  Reality, I'll probably order this when I go back again, yes, if you haven't caught the drift, I'm going back.
ASADA: 4,
ROJO: 3, it was solid, bit of spice, nice cilantro flavor and a great starter to a great meal.
VERDE: 2, nothing to write home about.  It almost tasted like mayo, yucky.

Pretty sweet looking spread, right?  Why aren't you following me on Instagram?  You could see many beautiful taco photos.  There is some other things thrown in every so often, but there are for everyone's entertainment.

One of my favorite parts of the food was the pairings.  The meats were paired with different salsas.  They really knew how to maximize the flavors of each meat.  All of the salsas had the appropriate "kick" and meshed nicely with each bit of food.  Very cool to me when they pair them up.  They did ask if I was OK with it before doing it and I was so happy that they did this.

One of the best parts about this blog is that my BFF Nikki lives blocks away.  There is tacos in the future for her, Matt, Melissa and I!  Thanks for reading.  Please continue to tell everyone and read.  I really appreciate people being a part of this blog in anyway that you are.  Today's gratuitous photo is of the mural that they have on the wall.  It helps create some great ambiance.  It was like I was with the guy loading his donkey.  We were Tacoteering together as he got his burro ready to go.

Stay Excellent!

Rico's Tacos, El Tio, Inglewood, CA

What a week, what a day.  Somehow I got a flat tire today.  It just added to the immense joy that I have been overwhelmed with.  Here's the thing, guys, hipster guys, if you don't know how to change your tire, it is time to learn.  Watch a Youtube video or something, but you need to know how to do it without calling AAA or some service that you paid for.  Let them deal with the real stuff, not changing your tire, you should be able to do it yourself.  Lucky for me, a flat tire does not stop me from going Tacoteering.  I was at the office for some meetings and was heading to The Counter in El Segundo.  I stopped not too far from LAX in beautiful Inglewood, CA.

Rico's Tacos, El Tio in Inglewood was the recipient of some real live Tacoteering today.  Place was busy, really busy.  I was there watching people just line up and order.  The building is modest, for sure it has been painted recently.  The inside was pretty perfect.  I like the outside patio, ambiance is right on point for a place like this.  It also really fits the neighborhood.  It blends in and stands out all at the same time.

The menu is good.  What they need without too much fluff.  They know how to execute.  I will say that I found them a bit slow, but they were working hard.  This is the part of the menu that I was interested in.

Here is the rest of the menu and their waters.  They make their waters in house, pretty cool, pretty common though.  I didn't have any, but they looked good and people were ordering them, so I'm sure they couldn't be bad.  Everyone working there was speaking perfect English and perfect Spanish.  Great having such great diversity in such a small place.  I have to say that their hiring seems great.
RATINGS:
ASADA: 4, really tasty.  Nice balance, subtle flavors, for sure something that I really liked.
LENGUA: 3, this was so close to a 4.  Flavors were good, buttery.  I think that they need to cook it for just a few minutes longer.
CARNITAS: 3, this was very good.  Nothing with overwhelming flavors, but had nice texture and some good flavor that made it a solid 3 that I would say is worth stopping by for.
PASTOR: 1, I was so sad.  This was dry, not well marinated and I'm just angry about it.  The reason I'm not saying much more is that I'll just get negative on a place that is pretty solid.
BUCHE: 2, too mushy.  This really had not been cooked long enough and was lacking in flavor.  Very fatty buche, wouldn't recommend it.
CABEZA: 3, solid.  Just some pretty textbook cabeza. Good flavor, nice texture, not over or under cooked, but they didn't do anything to set it apart.

Not a bad looking spread.  The jalapenos are a nice touch and were great.  Firm but soft, spicy but not fire.  They carrots were so well  marinated.  I really enjoyed the extras that came with this meal.  I'll sum this place up, I'm glad I went, but I'm not going back.  The people were great, the ambiance was nice, but the food was just OK.  Nothing truly blew me away today.  It was good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not pining to get some more of their tacos, I need to continue the search for better ones and go back to places that have blown this place away.

As always, thank you for reading.  Thanks for telling people and following along on these taco journeys.  Today's gratuitous photo is of the donut wheel on the Impala.  The donut that too, me on this taco journey.

Stay Excellent!

El Taco Man, El Monte, CA

What a crazy last few weeks.  Our beloved Red Dragon (Toyota Sienna) was slayed in a car wreck.  After a wonderful vacation to Disneyworld, we knew we had to get a new one.  We ended up at Longo Toyota and now have a newer Toyota Sienna, we have yet to give it a nickname...

You know that if I am going out, I'm looking for great tacos.  This place came recommended and is crushing it on Yelp.  Had to try it.  Just a few miles from Longo Toyota, I mean, why not?  Melissa and I were worn out from running around with the kids and of course were not thrilled about incurring another car payment, but with Alexander and the other kids, we need a van to make things that much easier.  Anyways, unassuming building here.  Not too much craziness, simple, sweet, complete.

Simple menu, cash only, two things that magnify how legit this place is.  $1.25 a taco, I'm in.  We had to try most of what they had.  The guy working there was great.  Very nice, funny, really was engaging each customer that came to the window.  He was great with some young children that ordered after us as their mom stood back.  The nachos and burritos looked pretty attractive, but I had to stick with the tacos.

So they do some catering.  Figured we should give them a quick plug here.  Anyone who is pushing every facet of their business excites me.  I love the name too. Perfect.  Again, simple, to the point.  I asked what kind of events they do, how they do it, they will cook on site or bring it cooked in trays.  I appreciate the diversity in their options, keep them in mind if you are around the area and need some good tacos.

Nice back patio area to eat your meal in.  They do have seating right in front of the counter, but this was pretty nice.  Enclosed, nice large umbrellas.  Really  made for a nice lunch.   I appreciate that they took the time to utilize the space around them.  Again, they are keeping it simple.  Lets get to it, I know this is what you care about.

RATINGS:
PASTOR: 2, this was dry and lacked the flavor depth that pastor should have.  I don't think that it was marinated long enough and it was overcooked for sure.
ASADA: 3,  pretty textbook here.  Nothing to write home about, but nothing that was really disappointing.  It was not bad, but it wasn't anything special.  Pretty tender, seasoning was pretty normal.
LENGUA: 4, oh this is just what the doctor ordered.  A buttery, delicious goodness that was brought together by great cooking and tender meat.
CABEZA: 3, good stuff.  Not too shabby, but nothing special.  I would say go for it, especially over the pastor.
CARNITAS: 4, yeah, not a fan of really going over a 3 on carnitas, but some places just do it.  The texture on this was phenomenal.  The flavor was rich but not overpowering.  Very nicely done, don't miss out if you are in the area.
BUCHE: 3, solid.  Nothing over the top.  If it was cooked just a tiny bit more, it would have been a 4.  Just slightly chewy.
BARBACOA: 4, arguably the best thing that we ate here today my friends.  Hints of cinnamon and clove that really were nice.  This was a slow stewed meat.  You need to go by and check this out if you are around, it was close to being 5 worthy.
SALSA ROJO: 4, great red salsa with some serious heat.  Flavor was good and it was great to eat overall.  Went well with all the fattier meats.
SALSA VERDE: 4, this was so tasty.  Though it was really spicy it was rich in flavor and did not leave a lingering burn.  Melissa was even eating it, though she did say that it was very hot.

Not a bad looking spread.  We crushed that $11 worth of deliciousness.  Not too much cilantro, not too many onions, but a whole lot of delicious flavor.  I would say that you should go and check this place out.  Biggest complaint about this place is the plates.  Super flimsy.  If that is the complaint, I'd say go if I was you.  What blog would can go so long without a selfie?

That's my wife Melissa.  She is the one without the beard.  She was being extra nice since she just got the new van.  I was so glad that we found the one that we did and that we got tacos.  That is my new UofL hat.  Darn comfortable.  If you notice, though we went out ugly, still representing the boys in Blue here in LA!  GO DODGERS!

Thank you everyone for reading.  I really appreciate the re-tweets, re-posts and the folks that share with their friends and family members.  Please keep spreading the word.  Remember, I'm eating tacos all around you.  Today's goodbye photo is a photo of the new van, though we will miss the Red Dragon and all of the great memories that we had with her we look forward to the new memories that the kids will make with us in this vehicle.

STAY EXCELLENT!